A Hurricane Named Katrina: What an Eye Opener

A Hurricane Named Katrina:
What An Eye Opener
Submitted by Shanta Hendry


FATHER I STRETCH MY HANDS TO THEE.....After Watching several documentaries on one of the biggest natural disasters in my time; Hurricane Katrina; it is one year later and my heart is still heavy and my eyes still weep at the lack of responsibility taken by the government. We are supposed to be one of the richest countries in the world, yet our government is like a mother on crack that has abandoned her children. Our government is so busy trying to impress the whole world by getting into everybody else’s business (you know that’s how you always get your feelings hurt) but not realizing that these other countries are probably laughing behind your backs for your stupidity. “You Take Care Of Home First”.

As I sat and watched these programs; between wiping away tears; I really didn’t see a lot of compassion on the face of the President. To me it was like “hold on, we are going to do something for you people, just hold your horses there are more pressing issues. “What The F**K!!!”see when you never had real rain, or a storm to fall into your life then you have no concept of what is happening. This is where the President’s best work should have came in and things should have been handled in a timely and orderly fashion.

NO OTHER HELP I KNOW.....For all of those who didn’t know, know now that if you are not one of the “Good Ole Boys” or in a certain class of folks; don’t depend on your government, insurance companies or any other bastards that collect tax dollars and monthly premiums. As you have seen the people’s money that has been collected doesn’t mean a thing when trouble comes. Everybody is shifting the blame; is it the President’s fault, FEMA’s fault, the Mayor’s fault; “Shut The Hell Up And Fix The Mess!!!”. You know I am writing this and I am really angry because this could have very well been you or I. As Americans, we need to step up so that this will not happen again.


IF THY WITHDRAW THYSELF FROM ME.....Many felt that this was a racial issue; that help was not immediate because the majority of the people were poor and Black. These are the same people that the President and other elected officials go to for votes. Wow...good enough to vote, but not good enough to save a life. I don’t care if you have one eye, one arm and a broken pencil; when the time comes cast your VOTE. What was up with the military and police with their guns drawn? The slow, disorganized response should be a worry to all Americans; after 911; we should be prepared for any type of disaster that may occur. So this episode is evident that there is too much golf playing, fly fishing, shoe buying and bullshiting going on with the people that are suppose to be controlling things; especially when you are given warnings before the disaster strikes.


TELL ME WHERE, TELL WHERE WILL I GO.....It has been a whole year and there doesn’t even seem to be a dent in the devastation. The people of New Orleans are still in waiting; waiting for help to rebuild homes, get on their feet to basically start their lives over, and to rebuild their city. Why are insurance companies debating about hurricane insurance or flood insurance. The hurricane caused the flood, period end. If it doesn’t say the right insurance coverage on the paper, change it; I won't tell if you won't. Everybody that was caught up in this disaster is not on public assistance or just lazy not doing anything; you have people who are hardworking taxpayers that have worked all of their lives to get a little piece of the pie; so what is the problem?


Spike Lee’s documentary “When The Levees Broke” really gave me a full inside look at the heartache, despair, misery and horrifying ordeals that News Orleans has gone through and are still going through. When Katrina hit last year, the world watched in awe; helpful, angry and in disbelief at what we were seeing. It was like this city was in a foreign country. But it is when the dust settles that you get the real gripping inside look at the whole picture. The news reports gave us flashes of people on rooftops and people dying; everything was so hectic and they were trying to cover every end of this nightmare. It is not until you really sit down and watch this disaster unfold; seeing the houses and cars destroyed, people on rooftops and in attics with babies and children. But the most horrifying to me was to see the dead bodies floating down the street; in the middle of the main street and seeing people talk about how their family and loved ones died right before their eyes. I would have never is a million years thought that this could be; not in America where billions are spent to help other countries; fight wars; and to look for someone who is apparently much smarter than our President because he has not been found yet and it is almost 2007.

True this is a human issue, but the majority of the people affected were Black Americans. Our people have endured through many years of heartaches and pains since our existence. Our ancestors were slaves and endured pain and suffering throughout their lifetime; but somehow they overcame and continued to move forward. So I am sure that in 2006, we should have the capabilities to take control of our own destiny. As Black Americans, we need to stop all of the violence amongst ourselves; because we are going to need each other to run this race of life. This turn of events surely makes it clear that there is no real concern about Black America. The government will look into it, but sure as hell are not going to concern themselves with our problems.


The roots of the Black people are so deep in New Orleans that they are knocking on Mother Earth’s door. So we can not just mark this day, August 29th; and just remember it; this is a continuous process. If we don’t continue to push forward on this matter; then it to will be swept under the rug.

So after I have gotten this off my chest and asked the Lord to forgive me for the bad words that I have used, this is my personal prayer:

Father I stretch my hand to Thee

No other help I know

If Thy withdrawn thyself from me

Oh tell me where will I go



Father I thank you for the lives that you have spared.

I ask that you give a resting place for those that did not make it through this storm.

I ask that you touch the hearts and lives of all of us who had to helplessly witness
or live through this devastation.

Give us a mind to come together to help repair the broken hearts with laughter and kindness.

Touch their lives with hope and prayer; and help to rebuild with loving hands.

I ask for these blessings through your son Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Art is a Powerful Tool for Change!

PROFILE OF WARRIOR RICHARDSON

"Art is a powerful tool for change and I am committed to using it for positive change." - Warrior Richardson

Warrior Richardson is a warrior for Christ. He has coordinated art programs at various detentions centers across the country. Richardson started an art program in a detention center in New Orleans until Hurricane Katrina. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Richardson lived in the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans - three blocks from where the levee broke and where twenty-seven foot waves covered homes in that area. Richardson lost everything that could not fit into his Ford Escort and has since relocated to Dallas, Texas.

Richardson is a talented artist with a wealth of experience sharing his craft. He has completed a number of artists’ residencies and his illustrations have appeared in various books, magazines and newspapers (including the Louisiana Weekly, San Francisco Bayview, and Data News). He is also the author of the "Hey, Whoodi" comic strip. Richardson has authored editorial cartoons for the Washington Afro-American and other newspapers in Washington, DC, which involved caricatures of political personalities.

Richardson blessed with the talent of art has many other talents, as well. He has performed as a jazz saxophonist. He has served as a columnist for the Louisiana Weekly. He has worked as a professor at the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s Black Studies Department. He has worked as an economist at the Agency for International Development, and he has worked as a math teacher.

Richardson is also the author of "The Voice of God" Gospel Tract. He sends free copies of his gospel tracts to anyone who requests them. If you would like to request free tracts or if you would like to purchase multiple copies to support his ministry, please see the price list below:

Quantity Price
500 $500
1,000 $705
2,000 $1,064
3,000 $1,372
4,000 $1,679
5,000 $1,987


Delivery can take between 2 - 4 weeks; so, so please be patient.

For more information about Warrior Richardson, visit www.warriorsplace.com or contact him directly at,

Warrior Richardson
1320 Pennsylvania Avenue #201
Dallas, TX 75215
(214) 458-6340

A Thought for Today

I will not die an unlived life.

I will not live in fear
of falling or catching fire.

I choose to inhabit my days
to allow my living to open me,
to make me less afraid,
more accessible,
to loosen my heart
until it becomes a wing,
a torch, a promise.

I choose to risk my significance,
to live so that which came to me as seed
goes to the next as blossom,
and that which came to me as blossom,
goes on as fruit.

--Dawna Markova (excerpted from September issue of O Magazine"

Supernaturalwoman's Conference in Baltimore, MD November 2007

This is the Day that Lord Has Made......

"This is the day the LORD has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24

When I saw this picture. It reminded me of how I should be at the day's end - peaceful. Regardless of the difficulties, the set-backs, the disappointments, or the challenges, I must remember that this is the day that God has made, and I will focus on his promise and blessings in expectation for another opportunity to rise with new opportunities in the morning!

Practicing Forgiveness in an Unforgiving Society

*This entire post was excerpted from www.practicingourfaith.org*

"Practicing forgiveness can produce dramatic transformations in our
imaginations and the psychological, social and political horizons of our lives."
— L. Gregory Jones

The practice of forgiveness is not simply a one-time action or an isolated feeling or thought. Forgiveness involves us in a whole way of life that is shaped by an ever-deepening friendship with God and with other people. The central goal of this practice is to reconcile, to restore communion - with God, with one another, and with the whole creation.

L. Gregory Jones writes, "Forgiveness works through our ongoing willingness to give up certain claims against one another, to give the truth when we access our relationships with one another, and to give gifts of ourselves by making innovative gestures that offer a future not bound by the past."


A Whole Way of Life
Almost all of us yearn for resolution to unresolved conflicts. Incidences of horrifying evil make us wonder how forgiveness can make a difference. It even takes courage to forgive in smaller, day-to-day conflicts. What do you remember of situations where forgiveness did not happen? How does your experience color your notion of forgiveness in general?

Even if we understand forgiveness as the right response, what if we don't really want it? How can we pray with integrity, "Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us?" What difference do you suppose it makes if the goal of forgiveness is restoring communion rather than dealing with guilt?


Facing the Obstacles to Forgiveness
Forgiveness does not merely refer backward to the absolution of guilt; it also looks forward to the restoration of community. What part might forgiveness play in breaking cycles of violence and abuse in our families and our communities? How do we explain our fascination with violence and hatred in the media?

Part of the problem of wanting to practice forgiveness is that we are often less sure of what we love than of what we hate. When have you noticed someone retaliating by choosing self-destruction over reconciliation?

Anger is a sign that something needs to change. When might bitterness and hatred seem justified? When might anger lead to appropriate resistance and insistent action for change? What is the danger even in righteous indignation?


The Shape of God's Forgiveness
Forgiveness begins with God's love. What do we learn about the shape of God's forgiveness through the parables of the lost coin, the lost sons, and the lost sheep (Luke 15)? How does Jesus' own ministry, death, and resurrection testify to the character of God's forgiveness?

It's easy to see how revenge can become a vicious circle, how it can become habitual. But what if forgiving seventy times seven (Matthew 18:21-22) could make forgiveness habitual? How do regular liturgical practices and prayers of confession, the kiss of peace, washing feet, baptism, and assurances of pardon till the ground for planting forgiveness and making it habitual?


Building Communities of Forgiveness
Even a forgiving community has boundaries, especially when forgiveness is abused. What boundaries are evident in the parable of the merciless servant (Matt. 18:23-35)? When might reconciliation require separation? What boundaries does your community set to guard against abuse of forgiveness?

We need to unlearn those things that divide and destroy communion, and instead learn to live as forgiven and forgiving people. How do people who have experienced forgiveness react when others make mistakes? When have you seen vengeance averted in creative ways? How can we avoid reproducing violence, and still take seriously people's responsibilities for their actions?

When the Levees Broke.....

*Excerpted from http://www.hbo.com/docs/programs/whentheleveesbroke/synopsis.html*


This intimate, heart-rending portrait of New Orleans in the wake of the destruction tells the heartbreaking personal stories of those who endured this harrowing ordeal and survived to tell the tale of misery, despair and triumph.

The film also looks at a community that has been through hell and back, surviving death, devastation and disease at every turn. Yet, somehow, amidst the ruins, the people of New Orleans are finding new hope and strength as the city rises from the ashes, buoyed by their own resilience and a rich cultural legacy.

"New Orleans is fighting for its life," says Lee. "These are not people who will disappear quietly - they're accustomed to hardship and slights, and they'll fight for New Orleans. This film will showcase the struggle for New Orleans by focusing on the profound loss, as well as the indomitable spirit of New Orleaneans."

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE is Spike Lee's third feature-length collaboration with HBO, following 1998's "4 Little Girls," which was Oscar®-nominated in the Documentary Feature category, and 2002's "Jim Brown: All-American." Sam Pollard produces and edits the film. Sheila Nevins is executive producer; Jacqueline Glover is the supervising producer for HBO. Cliff Charles serves as cinematographer.

Lee contacted Sheila Nevins, president, HBO Documentary, with whom he had previously collaborated on "4 Little Girls." By coincidence, the call came as Nevins and Glover were discussing ideas for their own Katrina project. Nevins wanted to create the "documentary of record" about the disaster. For her, Lee's call came at the opportune time.

"It was pure serendipity," says Nevins. Lee was so intensely committed to his vision of the project that Nevins realized that he was the only director for the documentary. "Spike feels this in his gut: He brings his consciousness, his talent, and his passion to bear on the issues surrounding the project," she continues. "I don't know of anyone else who can do it."

Nevins describes Lee's approach as "down-to-earth reportage of how the disaster was treated on a local and federal level. Spike has access to people and information that would result in an encyclopedic look at the chronology of events, and the lack of action that followed."

Three months after Katrina struck, Lee, cameraman Cliff Charles and a small crew made the first of eight trips to New Orleans to conduct interviews and shoot footage for the film. With so many people affected, Lee had a wide range of subjects and opinions to choose from. "Spike wanted to offer multiple points of view," says his longtime editor, Sam Pollard. "He needed to represent the voices from the community, the different levels of government, activists and the celebrity element to provide a balanced take on the issues facing New Orleans."

Lee and his team selected close to 100 people from diverse backgrounds and representing a wide range of opinions to interview, including Governor Kathleen Blanco; Mayor Ray Nagin; residents Phyllis Montana LeBlanc, Kimberly Polk, Shelton "Shakespeare" Alexander and Rev. Williams; activists Al Sharpton and Harry Belafonte; CNN's Soledad O'Brien; and musicians Wynton Marsalis, Terence Blanchard and Kanye West.

Lee uses key elements of New Orleans' cultural legacy to illustrate its history of surviving against the odds. Long before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans and its citizens developed coping strategies for dealing with tragedy. Its aboveground cemeteries are not only practical, but evidence of a people used to the sight of death. The traditional jazz funerals - musical parades that mourn death, and then celebrate life - serve as testament to that fact.

Musician Wynton Marsalis considers music to be central to the everyday lives of New Orleaneans, saying, "The reason music came from us is we had a lot of ceremonies that required music. We have produced great musicians in every type of form you can think of - jazz, blues. It's all a part of people's everyday lives."

Fellow New Orleans native and jazz musician Terence Blanchard, a musician and composer on several of Lee's films, including WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE, believes artists will find inspiration from Katrina. "Out of this experience there's going to come some amazing music, because the musical culture of this city has never been driven by anything other than pure honesty and pure passion," he notes. "And with the artists that are from this city, there's going to be some amazing things that's going to flourish as a result of this."

Spike Lee (director/producer) is widely regarded as today's premier African- American filmmaker. His recent critical and box-office successes have included "Inside Man," "She Hate Me," "25th Hour," "The Original Kings of Comedy," "Bamboozled" and "Summer of Sam." Lee's films "Girl 6," "Get on the Bus," "Do the Right Thing" and "Clockers" display his ability to showcase a series of outspoken and provocative socio- political critiques that challenge cultural assumptions not only about race, but also class and gender identity.

His debut film, the independently produced comedy "She's Gotta Have It," earned him the Prix de Jeunesse Award at the Cannes Film festival in 1986. His second feature, the hit "School Daze," helped launch the careers of several young black actors. Lee's timely 1989 film "Do the Right Thing" garnered an Academy Award® nomination for Best Original Screenplay and Best Film & Director awards from the Los Angeles Film Critics Association. Lee's "Jungle Fever," "Mo' Better Blues," "Clockers" and "Crooklyn" were also critically well received. He founded 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, which is based in the Fort Greene section of Brooklyn.

Sam Pollard's (producer/supervising editor) first assignment as a documentary producer came in 1989 for Henry Hampton's "Eyes on the Prize II: America at the Racial Crosswords," which brought him an Emmy®. He later served as co-executive producer and producer of Hampton's documentary series "I'll Make Me a World: Stories of African- American Artists and Community," winning a George Foster Peabody Award. He also received a Peabody as one of the producers on the PBS series "The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow."

Between 1990 and 2000, Pollard edited a number of Spike Lee's films, including "Mo' Better Blues," "Jungle Fever," "Girl 6," "Clockers" and "Bamboozled." In addition, Pollard and Lee co-produced the feature-length HBO documentary "4 Little Girls," which was nominated for an Academy Award®, and HBO's "Jim Brown All-American." His other credits include "3-2-1-Contact," for which he received two Emmys®, "Fires in the Mirror," directed by George Wolfe and starring Anna Deveare Smith, and "Goin' Back to T-Town."

WHEN THE LEVEES BROKE: A REQUIEM IN FOUR ACTS is a Spike Lee Film and a 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks Production. Directed and produced by Spike Lee; producer and supervising editor, Sam Pollard; cinematography, Cliff Charles; editors, Geta Gandbhir and Nancy Novack; composer, Terence Blanchard; line producer, Butch Robinson. For HBO: supervising producer, Jacqueline Glover; executive producer, Sheila Nevins.

DATE/TIME CHANNEL
Wed 8/30 10:00 PM HBO2 - EAST
Thu 8/31 01:00 AM HBO2 - WEST
Sun 9/3 01:45 PM HBO - EAST
Sun 9/3 01:45 PM HBO LATINO - EAST
Sun 9/3 04:45 PM HBO - WEST
Sun 9/3 04:45 PM HBO LATINO - WEST
Wed 9/13 02:35 AM HBO2 - EAST
Wed 9/13 05:35 AM HBO2 - WEST
Wed 9/20 11:30 AM HBO - EAST
Wed 9/20 11:30 AM HBO LATINO - EAST
Wed 9/20 02:30 PM HBO - WEST
Wed 9/20 02:30 PM HBO LATINO - WEST
Tue 9/26 04:00 PM HBO - EAST
Tue 9/26 04:00 PM HBO LATINO - EAST
Tue 9/26 07:00 PM HBO - WEST
Tue 9/26 07:00 PM HBO LATINO - WEST

Fighting Illiteracy

Video From Today Show About Older Americans Overcoming Illiteracy

Friday, August 25, 2006: One Year After Hurricane Katrina

Nashville, TN (July 31, 2006) – Psalm 46 begins simply “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Never have those words rang so true for Bishop Paul S. Morton than during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

As with most New Orleans residents, Bishop Paul Morton, Pastor of New Orleans based Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church, was faced with unimaginable devastation, fear, uncertainty and loss when Hurricane Katrina made landfall in the United States on August 25, 2005, later hitting New Orleans on August 29th. Along with hundreds of others, Bishop Morton lost almost everything.

What was not lost was his total gratefulness to God and an unshakable faith in Him. Through it all, the charismatic and powerful preacher maintains a remarkable ability to praise God in the face of catastrophe, which even now, continues to inspire, encourage and strengthen people. This new project is a story of hope, a testament to the power of Jesus’ love and celebration of life that will bring forth Bishop Morton’s experience and his deeply personal testimony of grace and mercy.

The recording will take place on Friday, August 25, 2006 at 7pm at Greater St. Stephen Full Gospel Baptist Church in New Orleans, LA and Kurt Carr is tapped to produce the project along with many other special guest appearances. Committed to reconstruction, Bishop Morton is an important part of the rebuilding efforts in the Crescent City and offers this concert in honor of the thousands of Gulf Coast residents who have been displaced and affected by the hurricane.

Bishop Morton is the International Presiding Bishop of the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship International. Under Bishop Morton’s leadership, Greater St. Stephen has recently become “One Church In Two States”, hosting three services weekly in New Orleans, Louisiana and two services weekly in Atlanta, Georgia.

Source: www.blackgospelpromo.com

Ramblings.......

Whew, this Christian walk ain't easy. I mean it is the hardest decision I have ever made in my life! When change happens from the inside out, I have to remember that people can only see me for what I've been not for what God is creating me to be. I have to remember that although optimism, energy, and faith are bubbling inside me, my outside me has yet to show the effect. I have to remember that people will be people, and I have to remember to love them anyway. I have to remember to love myself inspite of it all. I have to remember to trust God, even in the dark spots and it does get really dark sometimes. I have to remember to let bygones be bygones and to practice forgiveness. I have to remember to show compassion even when I don't feel like it or when it is not convenient. I have to remember that everyone has a burden to bear and a problem to overcome, so I need to be sensitive to their concerns. I have to remember that I am here to glorify God and that my actions should reflect that in every way. I have to remember that I was born to make manifest the glory of God within me. I have to remember that God is not just in me, but in everyone. I have to remember that everyone does not have my best interests at heart. I have to remember that it is o.k. for me to make mistakes; I am not perfect. I have to remember to face challenges with courage and an open mind. I have to remember that it is o.k. to be me. I have to remember that tomorrow brings a new opportunity for me to get right what went wrong on yesterday. I have to remember that some people just have mean spirits. I have to remember to have tough skin, but a soft heart. I have to remember to laugh and live life vivaciously.

What Every Woman Should Have

A colleague of mine sent this to me. I hope you enjoy it!
__________________________________________________________

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

A set of screwdrivers,
A cordless drill, and
A black lace bra...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

One friend who
Always makes her
Laugh...
And one
Who lets her cry...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

A good piece of furniture
Not previously owned by
Anyone else in her family...

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

Eight matching plates,
Wine glasses with stems,
And a recipe for a meal that will
Make her guests feel honored.

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...

A feeling of control over Her destiny...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

How to fall in love Without losing herself...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

HOW TO QUIT A JOB

BREAK UP WITH A LOVER

AND CONFRONT A FRIEND WITHOUT RUINING THE FRIENDSHIP...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

When to try harder...

WHEN TO WALK AWAY...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

That she can't change
The length of her calves,
The width of her hips, or
The nature of her parents...


EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

That her childhood
May not have been Perfect...

But; It's over...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she would and Wouldn't
Do for love or money...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

How to live alone...
Even if She doesn't like it...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

Whom she can trust, Whom she can't,
And why she shouldn't Take it personally...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

Where to go..
Be it to her best friend's kitchen table..
Or a charming inn in the woods...
When her soul needs soothing...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...

What she can and can't accomplish
In a day...
A month...
And a year...

Thought for Today

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered -
love them anyway.

If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives -
do good anyway.

If you're successful, you'll win false friends and true enemies -
succeed anyway.

The good you to today will perhaps be forgotten tomorrow -
do good anyway.

Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable -
be honest and frank anyway.

The biggest man with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the
smallest man with the smallest mind -
think big anyway.

People favor underdogs but follow only hot dogs -
fight for a few underdogs anyway.

What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight -
build anyway.

People really need help but may attack you if you help them -
help them anyway.

Give the world the best that you have and you will get kicked
in the teeth - give the world the best you have anyway.

If better is possible, then good is not enough!

-Author Unknown

The Relevancy of Garvey in the 21st Century

The Tubman/Toure Division #460 of the UNIA/ACL proudly
announces the appearance of Dr. Julius W. Garvey in
Baltimore on Saturday August 19th at 6 p.m. .

Dr. Garvey will lecture at Sojourner-Douglass College
on the topic, "The Relevancy of Garvey in the 21st
Century."

Sojourner-Douglass College is located,

200 N. Central Ave.

The event will take place in the school's
auditorium(Aisquith St. entrance) at 6 p.m.

The admission fee is $5. A reception will be held
immediately after Dr. Garvey's speech. The reception
is a Caribbean-style buffet and includes entertainment.
The cost for the reception is $15.

For more information please call (410) 385-9532.

The Ghana Experience as told by Liz Morrison

Liz Morrison is one of my former colleagues who was selected by Operations Crossroads Africa to serve as a Group Leader leading ten people to Ghana, Africa to the Village of Kakumdo to,
(1).Dig a well
(2).Build classroom blocks (
3).Teach Math, Science and English and (
4).Farm.

Liz has been in Ghana since June 2006. Click Here to Learn More About Liz's Experience in Ghana

Happy Birthday to The TAKE ACTION! Network!

July 31, 2006 marks the one year anniversary of the TAKE ACTION! Network blog. This blog started out as an aside for an online radio station I created through www.live365.com. Although the TAKE ACTION! Network on Live365.com is currently off the air, this blog has taken on a life of its own.

The TAKE ACTION! Network blog has become a way for me to share through a Christian lens life lessons, blessings, and opinions that inspire readers to live as more than conquerors. The TAKE ACTION! Network blog is personal in that I use it as a stimulus to keep me spiritually grounded because I mean to be FREE! I pray that this blog will be a tool in your arsenal as you toil to live healthy and whole lives.

don't wanna be half/thing.
don't wanna be less/than/thing.
don't wanna be confined/defined/refined.
don't wanna be inna box.
don't wanna be yawn/okay/but/no/time/for/that/now/thing.
don't wanna be guilt/thing.
don't wanna be screech/thing.
don't wanna be finger/point/thing.
don't wanna be weeping/thing/fussing/thing/cussing/thing.
wanna be free/wanna be free/wanna be free.
twenty-four hours a day/
seven days a week/
fifty-two weeks a year/
straight up, dead ahead,
no breaks, no tears, no fears free!
mean to be free/
mean to be free/
mean to be free...

"Mean To Be Free" excerpted from Mad At Miles: A Blackwoman's Guide to Truth written by Pearl Cleage

Bundley Revival

A Daily Reminder

*The following text was forwarded to me in an email. The author is unknown.*

Repeat after me: God has kept me here for a reason. I survived because He has a plan for me. All my bad relationships, the addictions, the consequences, the bad credit, the repossessions, the death of my loved ones, the back stabbing from my friends, the negative thoughts, or the lack of support; I made it because I am blessed! I release and let go of all past hurts, misunderstandings and grudges because I am abundantly blessed! I recognize them as the illusions they are, and sent from the enemy to kill my spirit, steal my joy, and destroy my faith; For God is all there is. All else is a lie!

Now give yourself a hug, wipe your tears away and walk in victory!!!!!!!!
I love you, but more appropriately God loves you BEST! Be blessed and know that you are at one with THE SPIRIT OF THE LIVING GOD! And may the Lord keep watch between you and me when we are away from each other. Genesis 31:49. Amen!

Now since you are a true child of God, you know that with every blessing, a blessing is required! So be a blessing to another, by passing this on.

ONE BALTIMORE City-wide Cook-Out on July 22nd

A Girl Like Me

The following text was excerpted from www.mediathatmatters.fest.org. I would suggest viewing the 7 minute video. It is good discussion material for youth groups - both boys and girls. As educators, mentors, parents, ministers, and leaders...we have our work cut out for us!


A Girl Like Me
7:08 min
Youth Documentary
Kiri Davis, Director, Reel Works Teen Filmmaking, Producer

Winner of the Diversity Award
Sponsored by Third Millennium Foundation


ABOUT THE FILM

More About A Girl Like Me from Director Kiri Davis
For my high-school literature class I was constructing an anthology with a wide range of different stories that I believed reflected the black girl’s experience. For the different chapters, I conducted interviews with a variety of black girls in my high school, and a number of issues surfaced concerning the standards of beauty imposed on today’s black girls and how this affects their self-image. I thought this topic would make an interesting film and so when I was accepted into the Reel Works Teen Filmmaking program, I set out to explore these issues. I also decided to would reconduct the “doll test” initially conducted by Dr. Kenneth Clark, which was used in the historic desegregation case, Brown vs. Board of Education. I thought that by including this experiment in my film, I would shed new light on how society affects black children today and how little has actually changed.

With help from my mentor, Shola Lynch, and thanks to the honesty and openness of the girls I interviewed, I was able to complete my first documentary in the fall of 2005. I learned that giving the girls an opportunity to talk about these issues and their experiences helped us all to look deeper and examine the many things in society that affect us and shape who we are.

LEST WE FORGET..........

"This is a call to the living.
To those who refuse to make peace with evil.
With the suffering and the waste of the world.
This is a call to the human, not the perfect,
To those who know their own prejudices,
Who have no intention of becoming prisoners of their own limitations.
This is a call to those who remember the dreams of their youth,
Who know what it means to share food and shelter,
the care of children and those who are troubled,
To reach beyond barriers of the past
Bringing people to communion.
This is a call to the never ending spirit
Of the common man, his essential decency and integrity,
His unending capacity to suffer and endure,
To face death and destruction and to rise again
And build from the ruins of life.
This is the greatest call of all
The call to a faith in people."

--Algernon D. Black

Families devastated by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, still need your help!
Visit the following links to see how you can make a difference


www.blackamericaweb.com
www.redshield.org/crisis/

www.redshield.org/crisis/

www.redcross.org/

www.convoyofhope.org/

A Quote for Today!

"Live each day with a dream in your heart and a purpose in your life to believe God when life doesn't make sense, when life doesn't seem to be going as you had hoped, but when you know that your Heavenly Father knows best."

--Kathleen Hardaway, an author and speaker with a passion to encourage and equip women to be all that God calls them to be. She exhorts women to never give up, dream big, and live the life God created them to live. For more information, visit www.kathleenhardaway.com!

Bundley Campaign Revival

India Arie

India Arie's new CD, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, is absolutely fabulous! It's an awesome mix of neo-soul, gospel, and folk music. India is truly a talented sister who I admire for her courage to produce beautiful music with meaning and impact - even when the masses may not be ready for the message.

India, I know Dana is smiling down on you and snapping her fingers to the India song. Thanks so much for sharing that with the world. It brought tears to my eyes as I remembered the summer at the Black Youth Development Institute in Savannah, GA when you shared that with us. Thank you for being true to yourself and God!

To purchase a copy of India Arie's new CD, Testimony: Vol. 1, Life & Relationship, visit http://umrg.com/artist.aspx?aid=426

Tye Tribbett & GA: VICTORY

Tye Tribbett & G.A. What can I say, but thank God for their obedience, perseverance, and victory in Christ. Their new CD, VICTORY, is a true testament of their walk. A walk that many of us have experienced and continue to experience everyday as we live lives in obedience to God's Word.

To purchase your copy of Tye Tribbett & G.A.'s VICTORY cd, visit www.rlictrustworthybooks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=cd91

Christians by Maya Angelou

Christians by Maya Angelou

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."
I'm whispering "I was lost,
Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I don't speak of this with pride.
I'm confessing that I stumble
and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not trying to be strong.
I'm professing that I'm weak
And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not bragging of success.
I'm admitting I have failed
And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not claiming to be perfect,
My flaws are far too visible
But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"
I still feel the sting of pain.
I have my share of heartaches
So I call upon His name.


When I say... "I am a Christian"
I'm not holier than thou,
I'm just a simple sinner
Who received God's good grace, somehow!


Share this with somebody who already has this understanding, as reinforcement. But more importantly, share this with those who do not have a clear understanding of what it means to be a Christian, so that the myth that Christians think they are "perfect" or "better than others"can be dispelled.

A Note from Doug Duncan

Dear Lynn,

When I announced my candidacy for Governor in October, I challenged the people in Maryland to think bigger for our state, for our future, and for our children. And I have had the privilege and honor of meeting people from every corner of this state who share my view that we don't have to settle for things the way they are.
I still believe that we can move Maryland forward to better things - that we can create a State of greatness. But today, I want to say that I will not be leading that effort.

Over the past several months, in the course of waging a vigorous and aggressive campaign, I have struggled with what has recently been diagnosed as clinical depression. At first I attributed it to the stress of the campaign, but over the past several weeks it became to clear to me, my wife Barb and our family and to my closest supporters that this was more than the usual wear and tear of the campaign trail.

My family has a history of battling this disease - and it hasn't always been easy. For people who have not suffered from this illness, or lived with a love one who does, they may not understand just how difficult this can be.

It is difficult. And it is difficult for me to announce today that I will no longer be a candidate for Governor of Maryland, but it is the right decision for me, my family and for the Democratic Party.

Earlier today I called Mayor O'Malley and told him I would support his candidacy against Governor Ehrlich. While I will continue serving the people of Montgomery County for the rest of my term, and will do what I can to help elect Democrats at every level in Maryland, I will not be a candidate on the ballot for any office this year for the first time in decades.

For twelve years, I've had the honor of serving the people of Montgomery County as their Executive - and together we've made great progress. But now it is time for me to focus on my health.

I want to thank all of the people, from all across Maryland, who have lent their support to this effort, too many to name here today. But I do want to acknowledge and thank my friend Stu Simms, a man of extraordinary integrity, depth and substance. I knew when I chose Stu as my Lt. Governor that the State of Maryland needed his kind of leadership - and I still believe that today.

Finally, I want to thank my family - my wife Barb and my children, Michael, Andrew, John, Thomas and Conor. They have stood by me through so much over the years and they are standing by me in my decision today.

Thank you for your continued support,

Doug Duncan


For more information, visit the campaign website at www.DougDuncan.com

Paid for by Authority: Friends of Doug Duncan, Robin A. Clark, Treasurer

________________________________________
Dear Mr. Duncan,

It saddens me to hear of your decision to pull your candidacy for the position of Governor of Maryland. I can't imagine how difficult these last couple of months have been for you and your family. I am praying for your complete recovery and healing. I hope you are encouraged by the many wonderful messages and posts from supporters on your website, and I hope you remember that ALL things are possible with God.

Unfortunately, I cannot follow your stead in supporting Martin O'Malley for Governor of the State of Maryland. Even more than before, I believe that O'Malley was wrong for the City of Baltimore. I could not in good conscious support his candidacy for the position of Governor of Maryland. Since I'm assuming that there will be no other viable Democrat running against O'Malley in the Primary Election, I will have to break party lines in the General Election and vote for Erlich.

Songs of Hope - Compiled by Sachel

"The Black poets of this Anthology are singing dirges and manifestos (but also songs of victories gained) to inspire and instruct a new generation in the struggle to go beyond the status quo. They are paying tribute to the heroism, and the love, and the erotic moment, and the devastating self-revelation, and the loss and the despair, and the rise, rise, rise again that comes in lives great and small, and who is to say which is which."
--foreword from Songs of Hope


Check out my poem on page 82!


To purchase copies of Songs of Hope, visit one of the sites below:


www.amazon.com/gp/product/0973369264/ref=nosim/103-3244574-1921450?n=283155


search.barnesandnoble.com/bookSearch/isbnInquiry.asp?r=1&isbn=0973369264

Internet Radio Station Airing Live Prayers of People from Around the World!

www.praylive.com

Now a Internet radio station airing live prayers of people praying together from around the world. Click onto www.praylive.com and hear people from around the nation praying and worshiping together at the Pray Live e-worship center where you can come just as you are and the doors never close.

Pray Live is open 24 hours a day seven days a week via the telephone line 1-888-PRAYLIVE and can be heard on the Internet radio station www.praylive.com A non-denominational e-worship center with live programs and recorded options the praise and worship chapel, special need prayers, recorded sermons/messages from clergy and ministries from around the nation and the option to leave prayer request. Prayer intercessors are on Pray Live waiting to pray with and for you in the Baltimore area call 443-921-0098 outside the Baltimore area call 1-888-PRAYLIVE and tune into the radio station from anywhere at www.praylive.com and click onto the icon for
the radio station.

*This was sent to me via email. I think a portion of it was also mentioned in the movie, Akeelah and the Bee (which by the way should be a must see for every educator!). I'm not sure of the original author, but it is a powerful statement!



Our greatest fear is not that we are inadequate,
but that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented, and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

--Author Unknown

On Maryland Politics.......

"Considering the state of crime, education, etc. I do not know how an endorsement for Martin O’Malley can be in the best interest of anyone but Martin O’Malley. It is logical to conclude that this have nothing to do with the best interest of the people and especially Black people and especially Black children. Martin O’Malley has contributed less money to the education of the children in this city than any Mayor in the history of this city. The lead in the water in schools has never been resolved. In a city that is close to 70 percent Black almost all major agencies, Fire, Housing, Health, the School system, etc. are headed by non African –Americans. There have been numerous illegal arrests – so much so that an independent Grand Jury talks about the strained and antagonistic relationship between the Police and the Community. All the development in this city is uptown – there are very few if any low-income housing being built. The East Baltimore Bio-tech Park project displaced Black folk and exposed them to lead. The city is building a 300 million dollar hotel and closing schools – putting elementary students in buildings with high school students. We have had 5 police Commissioners in six years… and on and on and on. Apparently ACORN has lost its way. Or maybe it has simply revealed itself. This endorsement has all the aroma of a dead, rotting fish. Something is up and only the deaf, dumb and blind would be unable to see that the “fix is in.” I believe that our children are being bartered off for something. But I must say that I’m not surprised by ACORN’s self-interest. Sooner or later the truth rises to a place where all can see it."

Tyrone Powers, Ph.D.
Chair: Children 1st Movement

This I know.....

What I know is that I am truly covered by the Blood of Jesus.
What I know is that his angels of protection are all around me even in the face of danger.
What I know is that although I face trials and tribulation daily, my God is always present.

What I know is that although I sometimes feel like throwing in the towel or waving that white flag of surrender, God's love wraps me in His arms of grace and mercy letting me know that I can not only survive another day, but that there will be many days for me to thrive and prosper.

What I know is that although crazy things continue to happen in my life that I am still a child (daughter) of the most High.
What I know is that my life was paid with a cost.
What I know is that I am free!
What I know is that God's spirit is alive and dwells inside of me!

"What I Know" written by Lynn Pinder © 2005

Psalm 119:105 - 112

105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
And a light to my path.
106 I have sworn and confirmed
That I will keep Your righteous judgments.
107 I am afflicted very much;
Revive me, O LORD, according to Your word.
108 Accept, I pray, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O LORD,
And teach me Your judgments.
109 My life is continually in my hand,
Yet I do not forget Your law.
110 The wicked have laid a snare for me,
Yet I have not strayed from Your precepts.
111 Your testimonies I have taken as a heritage forever,
For they are the rejoicing of my heart.
112 I have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes
Forever, to the very end.


Source: www.biblegateway.com

Bill Cosby, Michael Eric Dyson, and other ramblings.....

o.k. I started not to write about this, but figured I should blog the experience of seeing Bill Cosby live at the University of the District of Columbia (UDC) on May 16, 2006 .

My co-worker, Krsna, and I arrived to the session about half way through the first forum for caregivers, grandparents, parents, and foster parents. The session was running way over time and there was still a second community session scheduled to take place that same evening. We watched Bill Cosby portray (what I guess was supposed to be a DC caregiver, grandparent, parent or foster parent)ask a panel of resource persons about the type of resources available. Then, Bill Cosby opened the session up for questions. Because the session was running so late, this Q & A period was really cut short. A few people in line seemed extremely upset. One man in a wheelchair yelled out that "This was a water-downed session." Now, what happened after that will forever be in my memory.

Bill Cosby started walking to the edge of the stage trying to answer the guy in the wheel chair. He didn't have a mike so it was really hard to hear him. I thought I heard him say that Michael Eric Dyson was right and then all HELL Broke loose. Bill Cosby screamed Dyson doesn't know what he is talking about. The guy in the wheel chair started screaming. Bill Cosby (imagine this cause he is pretty up there in age) jumped off the stage and climbed over the railing to get to the guy in the wheel chair. There was another man standing in the aisle who said to Bill Cosby, "Brother this is not the place" as he touched him on the chest. I couldn't hear what Bill Cosby said to him, but it must have been something like "Who are you?" because the man responded in an agitated tone like "Well, who are you?" Bill Cosby bypasses this man to get to the man in the wheelchair and he is screaming at him. As a matter of fact, he told the man that they could take it outside which means he was willing or at least seemed to be willing to fight or get physical about the topic. By this time, the police and security are coming into the auditorium and Cosby gets back on stage trying to justify his actions.

I was in awe. I just sat there and I tried to walk up and get a picture with my camera phone, but of course it didn't come out. Anyway, my mind was just like "What just happened?" I guess what struck me was the reaction of the young people in the audience. I think they were just as surprised as me by Bill Cosby's reaction. I was so disgusted that I left before the second forum even started. That evening on the way home, I stopped at the bookstore in Union Station searching for something on Micheal Eric Dyson. I needed to know why Bill Cosby reacted that way to the hearing of his name.....and I found it. The book is called "Is Bill Cosby Right Or Has the Black Middle Class Lost Their Mind? I was so thankful I had the money to purchase the book.

(Brother Jabaree I will be sure to make a book purchase from your store before the end of the month - we got to support our black businesses - o.k. digressed for a moment where was I?)

Oh yeah, so I purchased a copy of Dyson's book and began reading it. I read that book in three days. Amazing! I understood why Bill Cosby would be angry about Dyson's book, but felt his response was inappropriate. Dyson makes some raw, personal, and straight-forward comments in his book. Overall, I think he did a great job rebutting Cosby's stance. I think Bill Cosby could have done a better job rebutting Dyson's stance. I could not understand how Cosby could justify his actions and at the same time talk about the actions or lack of action by low-income Blacks. That incident in itself gave credit to what Dyson was saying in his book.

I would encourage you all to read Michael Eric Dyson's book and if you get a chance, sit in on one of Cosby's free lectures. He is currently making stops in cities across the nation. He just may be in your town next week challenging somebody in a wheelchair to fight.

Get the book!

HANDY LITTLE CHART - GOD has a Positive Answer

*One of my co-workers sent this to me. I hope you are blessed by it!*

HANDY LITTLE CHART - God has a positive answer:


You say: "It's impossible"
God says: All things are possible
(Luke 18:27)

You say: "I'm too tired"
God says: I will give you rest
(Matthew 11:28-30)

You say: "Nobody really loves me"
God says: I love you
(John 3:16 & John 3:34 )

You say: "I can't go on"
God says: My grace is sufficient
(II Corinthians 12:9 & Psalm 91:15)

You say: "I can't figure things out"
God says: I will direct your steps
(Proverbs 3:5-6)

You say: "I can't do it"
God says: You can do all things
(Philippians 4:13)

You say: "I'm not able"
God says: I am able
(II Corinthians 9:8)

You say: "It's not worth it"
God says: It will be worth it
(Roman 8:28 )

You say: "I can't forgive myself"
God says: I Forgive you
(I John 1:9 & Romans 8:1)

You say: "I can't manage"
God says: I will supply all your needs
(Philippians 4:19)

You say: "I'm afraid"
God says: I have not given you a spirit of fear
(II Timothy 1:7)

You say: "I'm always worried and frustrated"
God says: Cast all your cares on ME
(I Peter 5:7)

You say: "I'm not smart enough"
God says: I give you wisdom
(I Corinthians 1:30)

You say: "I feel all alone"
God says: I will ! never leave you or forsake you
(Hebrews 13:5)

--Author Unknown

Warrior Call: A Tribute to Damu Smith

Rest on my brother,
God has called you home!
He has fashioned a special place for you to give rest to your tired body and to give flight to your indomitable spirit.

I will miss your smile.
I will miss your activism.
I will miss your love for us and our community,
but I understand that you were loaned to us for only a moment.

I understand that although you are gone,
you are not forgotten.
Your legacy, love, and lifeforce will remain with us...
and as you complete the passage of this life and begin your journery as an Ancestor,
I thank God for allowing me the opportunity to know you, to learn from you,
and to call you a friend.

In Loving Memory of Damu Smith (1952 - 2006)

*Pictures of Damu Smith are from the www.damusmith.org website. Please visit website for more information regarding the life of Damu Smith*

God, the Black Church, and Economic Empowerment

Kinetics invites you to a discussion on God, the Black Church, and Economic Empowerment.

The Black Church deposits an estimated $2 Billion into banks every Monday morning.
African-American buying power will increase from $723 Billion to an estimated $1 trillion by 2010.

African-Americans who reside in the state of Maryland rank #6 in the United States with a total buying power of $41.8 Billion

Nine of every $10 donated by African-Americans goes to churches or religious groups."

What role does the church play in economic empowerment?

Does the Bible layout an economic plan for community wealth?

The Faith

Superintendent Elder Matthew L. Brown
Temple Community Development Corporation
Pentecostal Temple C.O.G.I.C.

The Dialogue

Dr. James Clingman
Professor of African American Studies
Founder of the Greater Cincinnati African American Chamber of Commerce

The Motion

Rev. Dr. Earl Trent
Author of A Challenge to the Black Church
Florida Avenue Baptist Church

Panelist

Rev. Jonathan Weaver
The Collective Banking Group, Inc.


Panelist

Elder Sam Deal
Vice President of Harbor Bank
President of Ideal Consultants


Panelist

Deputy Herbert Jordan
Governor's Office of Minority Affairs


Panelist

Mr. Charles Johnson
Matah Network


Panelist

Rev. Dr. Alvin Hathaway
Union Baptist Church of Baltimore


Panelist

Mr. Ira Turpin
Turpin, Martin, and Powell Investment Firm

DATE: May 6, 2006
TIME: 9 AM- 12 PM
LOCATION: Sojourner Douglas College
500 NORTH CAROLINE STREET BALTIMORE, MD 21205

Tickets: $15 in advance/ $20 @ the door partial proceeds will benefit: Maarifa Elementary and Middle School

Kinetics is an information ministry designed to disseminate information on spiritual, political, economic, and social issues.

Kinetics mission is to provide the faith community with the tools to advocate and mobilize on local, national, and international issues, to build capacity to solve our own problems, and to use dialogue as a catalyst for social change.


For more information,
email: kinetics@faithinmotion.net
phone: 443.415.7974
visit http://www.faithinmotion.net

2006 Beauty for Ashes Conferences

SET THE CAPTIVES FREE
Annual Women's Conference 2006
Conference Host & Speaker
Isaiah 61:3
Guest Preachers

First Lady
Serita Jakes
The Potter's House
Dallas, TX

Bishop Sandra Hayden
Sandra Hayden Ministries
Charlotte, NC

Rev. Dr.Claudette Anderson Copeland
New Creation Christian Fellowship
San Antonio, TX

Rev. Dr. Ann Lightner-Fuller
Mt. Calvary African
Methodist Episcopal Church
Towson, MD


Musical Guests

Vickie Winans
W. Bloomfield, MI

Maurette Brown-Clark
Bethel AME Church
Baltimore, MD

Joy Hill
The Potter's House
Dallas, TX

Workshops & Presenters

Mitzi Bass, RN
STCF Outreach Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Workshop: Surviving menopause without losing your mind!

Tiffany Bethea
STCF Outreach Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Workshop: From Teens to Queens (Girls 12-18)
Workshop: Diamonds In The Rough (Girls 12-18)

Tonyette Bethea
STCF Outreach Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Workshop: From Teens to Queens (Girls 12-18)
Workshop: Diamonds In The Rough (Girls 12-18)

Dr. Grace Cornish
Noted author and therapist to the stars
Brooklyn, New York
Workshop & Book signing: Single & Satisfied
Workshop & Book signing: Finding & Keeping A Balanced Life

Rev. Dr. Ann Lightner Fuller
Mt. Calvary African Methodist Episcopal Church
Towson, Maryland
Workshop: After The Call - Now What?

Debbie Gladden-Haskins, Phd.
Professor, Loyola University
Baltimore, Maryland
Workshop: Overcoming & Dealing with Depression

Rev. Dr. Julia McMillan
Bible Based Fellowship
Tampa, Florida
Workshop: Ministry Fundamentals: Getting started

Rev. Dr. Maria Seaman
Author & Evangelist
Hamilton, Bermuda
Workshop & Book Signing: Giving Birth to God's Vision In You

Derek Spencer, MD
Specialist in working with aids patients
National & International conference speaker
STCF Outreach Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Help! Someone I love has aids

Min. Jacqueline Streat
Associate Minister STCF Outreach Center
Baltimore, Maryland
Workshop: Color Me Beautiful

Pastor Tonya Green Whitfield
Pastor, Restoration Church, Inc.
Baltimore, Maryland
Workshop: The Female Minister's Survival Kit

Conference Itinerary

Wednesday. May 17th
Speaker: Pastor Karen Bethea
Psalmist: Joy Hill

Thursday, May 18th
Speaker: First Lady Serita Jakes
Psalmist: Joy Hill

Friday, May 19th
Women of Distinction Concert with Vickie Winans
Honoring some female top achievers!
Concert Host: Doresa Harvey-Heaven 600
Honorees include:
First Lady Serita Jakes
Senator Delores Kelley
and others!

Saturday, May 20th 9:00am - 10:30am:
Workshop Session 1
11:00am - 12:30pm:

Workshop Session 2
1:00pm - 4:00pm:
Luncheon and Panel Discussion
Psalmist: Introducing Dea. Debbie Scott-Evans
(Luncheon free to the first 400 registrants only.)
Panelists include:
Dr. Ann Lightner-Fuller
Dr. Grace Cornish
Dr. Deborah Gladden-Haskins
Pastor Karen Bethea
Pastor Tonya Green Whitfield
Rev. Dr. Seaman
Rev. Dr. Julia McMillan
Bishop Sandra Hayden
and more!

Sunday, May 21st
8:00am Speaker: Bishop Sandra Hayden
Psalmist: Maurette Brown-Clark
11:00am

Speaker: Rev. Dr. Claudette Copeland

Psalmist: Maurette Brown-Clark

Nightly Services Open To The Public

Complete Conference Registration: $70.00
Early registration before April 1, 2006: $65.00
Concert Only: $35.00
Workshops Only: $30.00

Motivation for Today!

PRAYER SUPPORT (www.praylive.com)

1-888-PRAYLIV
CODE: PRAY


Pray Live is a non-denominational prayer line open to everyone. A 24-hour, 7-day a week prayer line and e-church, the doors never close. This ministry is cross cultural and international, reaching to almost every corner of the world. People are hungry for prayer and find great comfort calling a prayer line where groups of people pray together. Many call to pray for a special need or the needs of someone else. Some call to be in prayer with others to hear others pray.


The devastation of life experiences are sometimes overwhelming; so, the prayer line is a comfort to those hurting.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Founder
Wenda Royster, the founder of Pray Live, knows the power of prayer. This born again Christian has weathered many difficult storms in her life, which she credits to prayer and God's grace. Wenda knows that without prayer and her faith, she would not have been able to survive the trials in her life. It was prayer that helped her deal with the grief of loosing her father to lung cancer at the early age of forty-five. Her prayer life was the only thing that carried her through the pain of loosing her brother at the age of 33 in 1993 and her only sister at 48 in 1995. In 1996, she had the responsibility of planning the funeral and burial of her brother in-law which resulted in her niece and nephew having lost both parents within a year. In 1998, she was struck in the head and that injury resulted in six hours of brain surgery; six months later her mother's leg was amputated. Wenda will quickly tell you her testimony about prayer and that it was only God's grace and mercy that helped her to see light through clouds of grief and sadness.

So God led her to develop a prayer meeting at her church. Once when the weather was bad and no one was able to travel to the church, she told the group they would have prayer over the phone and that initiated the birth of Pray Live. Now, Pray Live has grown nationally and internationally, with groups praying together from all denominations, faiths, races, and ages.


*The text above was excerpted from the following source: www.praylive.com

Important Questions

What makes me weak? My fears.


What makes me whole? My God.


What keeps me standing? My faith.


What makes me compassionate? My selflessness.


What makes me honest? My integrity.


What sustains my mind? My quest for knowledge.


What teaches me all lessons? My mistakes.


What lifts my head high? My pride, not arrogance.


What if I can't go on? Not an option.


What makes me victorious? My courage to climb.


What makes me competent? My confidence.


What makes me sensual? My insatiable essence.


What makes me beautiful? My everything.


What makes me a woman? My heart.


Who says I need love? I do.


What empowers me? My God & Me.


Who am I? I AM AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN!

--Author Unknown

Always Sisters Conference Sponsored by CeCe Winans

Scheduled to Appear:
CeCe Winans
Always Sisters Conference Host

Nicole C. Mullen
Word Recording Artist

Flex Alexander
Actor and Star of UPN's "One On One"

The Katinas
BHT Entertainment Recording Artist

Ruth Graham
Author, Conference Host and Daughter of Billy Graham

Yolanda Adams
Atlantic Recording Artist

Kierra "Kiki" Sheard
EMI Gospel Recording Artist

Alvin Love
Upcoming Artist & Choreographer

Kim Daniels
Spoken Word Ministries

Carolyn Pineda
Evangelist & Author of Preaching With AIDS

Mom Winans
Mother of the Renowned Winans Family - Delores (Mom Winans)

Ingrid Rosario
Integrity Hosanna Recording Artist

Pastor Horace Hockett
Born Again Church Nashville

Sister Kitty Hockett
Born Again Church Nashville

Platinum Souls
Gospel Rap and Floetry Artist

LeAnne Palmore
Worship Leader

For more information, visit www.alwayssisters.com

God formed us; sin deformed us; Christ transforms us.

God formed us; sin deformed us; Christ transforms us.

April 10th: Remembering Daddy

I can remember it like it was yesterday,
but it has been almost 20 years.

You asked me the night before if I wanted you to take me to the mall to get an outfit for my school's Freshman Day event or would I rather stay home. I chose to stay home, and you just had this look on your face.

It would take too many words and emotions to provide an exact picture of what my life had been with you up until that time. So many mixed emotions of love, hate, fear, and rage.

But on this day, I remember playing with my baby sister on the front porch. I remember my grandmother, who was dying from cancer, was sitting in her lounge chair in the dining room.

I saw you walking that slow, tired walk up the street. You smiled when you saw us, but you looked tired and worn. I don't remember if you told me then, or if I overheard you telling your Mother when you went into the house that the lawyers had you go all the way to the courthouse for nothing. You were angry, frustrated, and tired.

You went upstairs and next thing I know I heard my grandmother screaming and trying to go upstairs. I run into the house and get my Grandmother situated back in her chair with her I.V. I put my baby sister on the floor and run upstairs to find my stepmother in tears and in a panic trying to give you CPR. I run to the phone to call 911 and run outside to get my next door neighbor and everything is a blur after that. I remember the ambulance coming, and it seemed like it took forever. I remember them working on you for what seemed like an eternity upstairs in your room and then again once they got you into the ambulance. I remember that I had to stay with my grandmother and baby sister until my aunt arrived. I remember the phone call from my stepmother who traveled with you in the ambulance to tell us that you had died. I remember my aunt fainting. I remember my next door neighbor taking me with her to hail a cab to get us to the hospital to see you that last time before you were funeralized.

I remember being in shock...not knowing how to feel....a part of me sad and hurt that you left us, but another part of me glad that you could not hurt us anymore. I agonized over this for many years. How could a daughter be happy and sad that her father had died? Almost twenty years later, here I am understanding for the first time how important it is to have a loving, healthy, whole father in the life of a daughter. Here I am just now understanding that I really do love you and need to forgive you so that I can move on and be truly free!

To Whitney Houston and all the other Sistas & Brothas Struggling with that Drug Thing.....

Sister Girl,
It hurts me to see you this way.....
It hurts us all to see you dying a slow death from the outside in.

Your life story could have been that of my sister, my cousin, my aunt, or my grandfather....
All are fighting or have fought or have lost the battle with that drug demon.
Some have died others are living daily to die.

I pray daily for you and your family,
but most of all for you.

I pray for your release.
I pray for your freedom.
I pray for your healing.

I pray that God's love abound you with so much grace, mercy, strength, and rejuvenation that the demons of HELL flee in terror of God's light and love that continue to embellish you.
I pray for your healing.
I pray for your wholeness.
I pray for holiness to abound in and around you.
I pray for an increase of love and mercy in your life.
I pray that you do more than survive this experience, but that you become a living testimony of God's goodness and grace.
I pray that you are able to use your trials and tribulations to minister to others who are struggling with addictions.
I pray that God's annointing abound and protect you.
I pray that His will be done for your life, your marriage, and your children.

I pray that you remember that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. I pray that you remember that greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world. I pray that God sends His angels and servants of Christ to minister to you during this difficult period. I pray that you know that this too shall pass!

I pray all these things in Jesus' name because all things are possible to those who believe.

Dedicated to Whitney Houston, my Big Sister, and my Granddad!

"Your love for one another will to the world that your are my disciples."
-John 13:35

(Excerpted from The Purpose Driven Life Journal: Reflections on What On Earth am I Here for by Rick Warren)

You need a purpose to live for, people to live with, principles to live by, a profession to live out, and power to live on. God intends for his church to provide these. In fact, the five purposes of the church are identical to God's five purposes for your life. Worship helps you focus on God; fellowship helps you face life's problems; discipleship helps fortify your faith; ministry helps find your talents; evangelism helps fulfill your mission.

Dear God, help me to remember that whenever I become careless about fellowship with other believers, I'm moving away from you. Forgive me for the times I've gotten detached from your Body, the church. Help me to stay connected and committed, and love your church the way you do.

Afghan Christian convert’s case to be reviewed

Afghan Christian convert’s case to be reviewed
Officials say case ‘dismissed,’ man set to be freed from prison soon

NBC News and news services
Updated: 3:09 p.m. ET March 26, 2006
KABUL, Afghanistan - An Afghan man whose death penalty case for his conversion from Islam to Christianity prompted international calls for tolerance will instead be released due to a lack of evidence, an official said Sunday.

The case has been returned to Zamari Amiri, the chief attorney in the investigation, because of “some technical as well as legal flaws,” according to NBC News.

“We can not say what will happen, but tomorrow we will decide, and due to the court order we will send him to the hospital.”

The Associated Press reported the court dismissed the case against a man who converted from Islam to Christianity because of a lack of evidence and he will be released soon, officials said.

The announcement came as U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai faced mounting foreign pressure to free Abdul Rahman, a move that risked angering Muslim clerics who have called for him to be killed.

An official closely involved with the case told The Associated Press that Rahman would be released.

“The court dismissed today the case against Abdul Rahman for a lack of information and a lot of legal gaps in the case,” the official said Sunday, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.

“The decision about his release will be taken possibly tomorrow,” the official added. “They don’t have to keep him in jail while the attorney general is looking into the case.”

Abdul Wakil Omeri, a spokesman for the Supreme Court, confirmed that the case had been dismissed because of “problems with the prosecutors’ evidence.”

He said several family members of Rahman have testified that he has mental problems.

“It is the job of the attorney general’s office to decide if he is mentally fit to stand trial,” he told AP.

A Western diplomat, also declining to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case, said questions were being raised as to whether Rahman would stay in Afghanistan or go into exile in a foreign country.

Rahman is being prosecuted under Afghanistan’s Islamic laws for converting 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in Pakistan.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/12022144/ © 2006 MSNBC Interactive

Conscious Heads

*Excerpted from The Baltimore Sun*

Hip-hop trio gives its songs a positive spin
By Rona Marech
sun reporter
Originally published March 10, 2006

Andwele Allah was searching for lyrics. He had a beat, and he was awash in ideas, but the words didn't come until he drove through Baltimore one day, past kids on corners, bottles, needles, surveillance cameras and boarded-up homes.

"I pulled over and started writing the song," he said. "I just let my pen bleed like my heart was bleeding on the paper."

"You young brothers have to stop and think," he eventually wrote. "You squeeze the trigger because you're blind from weed and drink. You took a life but don't know what it took for God to create. He might have found a cure for cancer or the cure for AIDS - we'll never know. But he's somewhere dead in the grave. Hollywood turns the minds of black men into slaves. Through the television and through the radio waves. They call it juvenile detention but it's only a cage."

People have called him preachy, but Allah says he just wants them to wake up to what is going on in their community. His plea, "Just Listen," became the title of his song.

They call themselves hip-hop warriors, revolutionaries, raptivists - and barbers.

By day, Allah and his childhood friends Sundiata Ifa Toula and Jabari Natur, who co-own Baltimore's Conscious Heads Barber Shop & Natural Hair Salon, cut hair. But the barbershop has a mission beyond clean shaves and good fades, and they try to live up to their motto: "We take care of your head inside and out." In that vein, the three men self-produced Unify or Die, a CD of idealistic hip-hop music meant to counter the violence, drugs, misogyny and "fake dreams" that they believe have poisoned contemporary hip-hop.

"It's our responsibility as strong black men, as conscious black men, to make sure the generations ahead have music that instills values of self-determination, racial pride and love for one another," says Toula, who like his fellow rappers, prefers to use an adopted African first name.

(Their last names, which they haven't legally changed, appear on the CD mainly so that friends from the past will know who they are. Sundiata, 30, is Dunmore; Andwele, 32, is Jones; and Jabari, 30, is McDaniel.)

"Gang violence and killing - when you get older you don't want to hear that. I don't want to hear nothing about killing or blowing someone's brains out," says Allah, who has short locks and peaked eyebrows. He turns away from the hair he is cutting, clipper in one hand, comb in the other. "And that music, it won't transcend, you know what I mean? Whereas our music will."

It is a regular day at Conscious Heads, where the floor is checkered and conversation - with Natur, the ringleader; Toula, who laughs a lot; and Allah, who can sometimes look very serious - is plentiful.

Barbershops, Natur likes to say, are the black man's country club. The East 25th Street shop near Charles Village is also a bookstore and the headquarters of Solvivaz Nation, their grassroots community organization. Solvivaz Nation sponsors lectures, runs study groups, publishes a magazine, organizes protests and funds projects such as Unify or Die.

Several years ago, the barbers raised money to help pay for the legal defense of their friend Dontee Stokes, who shot a priest he accused of molesting him when he was a teenager. Stokes was convicted of handgun violations but acquitted of the most serious charges in the 2002 case.

The idea for recording a CD came to them one afternoon more than a year ago while they were cutting hair and watching rap videos on BET.

"They were disrespecting our women, disrespecting each other," Natur says. "'Do this and I shoot your brains out.' Songs that thrive off sexuality. ... Watching that, we became disgusted."

Corporate America saw it as profitable to market black men a certain way and hip-hop has suffered for it, Toula says.

"Most artists do want to rhyme for a purpose, but that's not what the record companies are going to sign," he says. "They want to get signed so bad, they start making music that's destructive."

Rappers, says Natur, "are no more than pawns."

The three had little musical background when they began brainstorming the CD, but they were baptized into early rap and grew up on a steady hip-hop diet, Toula says. "Hip-hop," he says, "is our life."

A barbershop customer who is a producer put together beats for them, and they started writing songs about slavery, reparations, history, love, pride, unity, black power and black leaders including Malcolm X and Madame CJ Walker.

"Central Bookings" is about the proliferation of what they see as unreasonable arrests of black men in Baltimore. "Black Holocaust" asks why it is taboo to talk about the slave trade as a holocaust.


You can support Conscious Heads Barber Shop and Book Store at 219 E. 25th Street in Baltimore, MD! 410-889-0100!

Economic Empowerment Conference

Excerpts from Our Daily Bread

Excerpted from http://www.rbc.org/odb/odb-02-13-06.shtml


February 13, 2006

A Lesson From The Oak Tree


Read:
Galatians 5:16-26


Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. —Galatians 5:16


Bible In One Year: Leviticus 14; Matthew 26:51-75

Have you ever noticed that in winter some oak trees retain their crisp, dry leaves long after the maples, the elms, and the walnuts have become bare skeletons? Even the strong winter winds and the early spring rains do not completely strip the oak branches of all their old leaves. But as springtime progresses, warmer winds blow and something wonderful begins to happen. Tiny buds start appearing at the tips of the twigs, and the dried remnants of the preceding season fall off. New life replaces the old.

At times, old habits cling to our lives with the same tenacity as those oak leaves. Even the winds of adversity do not remove all the lifeless leftovers of our fallen human nature.

But Christ, who dwells in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, is at work. His life within us continually seeks to push off the old habits—renewing us when we confess our sins, steadying us when we falter, and strengthening us to do His will.

When every effort to cast off an old sinful habit ends in failure, remember the mighty oak. Thank God for His Spirit who lives in you. Keep saying yes to His gentle urging to be kind, loving, compassionate, honest, and faithful. Those "lifeless old leaves" will eventually drop off. —Dennis De Haan


When stubborn sins tenaciously
Hold to their former place,
We must rely on Jesus' strength
And His unfailing grace. —Sper

To get rid of a bad habit, start a good one—trust God.

CHILDREN 1st MOVEMENT Education Manifesto

CHILDREN 1st MOVEMENT
EDUCATION MANIFESTO

Education is our passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to the people who prepare for it today. - Malcolm X

Overview Statement

All children in this country have the right to an education that enables them to learn and achieve at the highest level possible. This is a Human Right. To actualize this right, and therefore each child's potential, specific opportunities and support mechanisms or "Common Characteristics" must be present. No one characteristic is more important than another. All are required to provide the structure for ultimate student achievement and success.

The Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) must increase the educational options for all students. Parents must be empowered to become advocates for their children. BCPSS must provide an education that enables all students to make successful transitions to adulthood and to become vital contributors to their communities and to the world community.

We, as concerned citizens in Baltimore, are totally dedicated to assuring that our children receive what is rightfully theirs.


Background

In a report authored by Dr. Michelle A. Gambone several crucial elements necessary for student success were identified. BCPSS must embrace these elements, thus creating an environment in which students:

1. experience learning that is productive and linked to "Real World" activities;
2. are connected to adults, peers, and society's institutions;
3. can navigate through diverse settings, relationships, and the lure of risky behavior;
4. have relationships that are emotionally supportive with adults showing interests in youth's time and activities;
5. participate in decision-making in developmentally appropriate ways, relating to things they care about.

Common Characteristics

In order for BCPSS to achieve the elements described by Gambone, which are necessary for student success, the following Common Characteristics are necessary:

1. The Baltimore Public Schools (BCPSS) must be student-centered. To support the needs of each student, the educational process must be highly personalized. The District must embrace, as fundamental, the concept of educating "one student at a time." Students must have access to culturally relevant and rigorous curricula.

2. Smaller class size can produce improvement in student achievement, especially for minority and low-income students. The vision for BCPSS is to educate one student at a time and to encourage all students to pursue their interests and grow
academically.

Each school must be small enough to allow teachers, administrators and students to work together as a unit for at least two years, thus developing and implementing meaningful long-term relationships and a safe, positive, inclusive community that fosters a culture of respect for each student.

Class size alone will not make the difference for improving student achievement. The quality of teaching must also be improved.

Class Sizes Must be legislated so they are no arbitrarily changed. This will also provide stability and a consistency for Quality Teachers. It indicates a Commitment to Excellence.

Guidelines for Class Size:

- Pre - K 20 students to 1 teacher w/aide
- Kindergarten 15 students to 1 teacher
- Grades 1 - 3 18 students to 1 teacher
- Grades 4 & 5 20 students to 1 teacher
- Grades 6 - 8 20 students to 1 teacher (25 Max.)
- Grades 9 - 12 20 students to 1 teacher (25 Max)

* Class size for math, science and English classes, grades 6 - 12 should be no more than 20 students to 1 teacher.

3. Developed curricula must be rigorous, culturally inclusive and prepare students to excel by community, local, state, international, higher education and workforce standards. In a school system that is over ninety percent African-American – there must me a strong Afro-centric curriculum. This helps build self-esteem which leads to student confidence and success.

4. Accountability for student performance must be owned/shared by teachers, administrators, parents and students. Aggressive performance goals should be
developed as well as consequences for results achieved. All of the stakeholders must participate in developing these performance goals.

5. The school district must maintain strong partnerships with area colleges, universities, community organizations and businesses to assure that
curricula are relevant, students are afforded the best technological preparation possible and encouragement/support is given frequently.

6. Highly qualified teachers and administrators must be in each school. Academic Coaches should be employed to support teachers, helping them to make connections
among themselves, their students, and their content area. Academic Coaches help to retain teachers. They focus on improving student achievement by improving
teacher effectiveness and competency. Academic Coaches lead specific activities focused on student achievement, work across grade and content levels,
plan and facilitate job-embedded professional development, and strengthen ties to
parents/caregivers.

7. Parents/caretakers must become knowledgeable advocates for their children, thus enabling them to work effectively with teachers and administrators. Such partnerships will ensure establishment of the best possible learning environs for each child and will ensure that learning does not start and end at the doors to the school houses.

8. Comprehensive intervention processes, both instructional and social, must be available and utilized as necessary to ensure student success.

9. Schools must provide for "real world" learning such as internships, both paid and unpaid, and service learning experiences. Such experiences augment classroom endeavors and afford valuable opportunities to put theory into practice.

10. An uncompromising commitment to diversity and inclusion must be apparent at all levels within the school district, including within the North Avenue senior administration group. Reality must now match the rhetoric.

Closing Statement

The Baltimore Public School System is a microcosm of society. It must be a bastion of ethical behavior, and a place where students can develop a personal ethics
code which will guide them throughout life.

Decisions are made within administrations which affect everyone, staff, students, and parents. These decisions must be models of ethical consideration for everyone and must serve as examples for the city and indeed, the state. BCPSS must examine the decisions being made daily and how these decisions impact the common characteristics necessary for student success. Honesty is an important trait. If the BCPSS promise the people a National Search for the most qualified leader – it must honor that commitment, otherwise the people will lack faith in the honesty of the leaders and the system will collapse. Morality is part of a complete and effective education.

To develop and institutionalize the Common Characteristics, robust initiatives must be established and implemented. Partnerships with strong representation from parents, administrators, teachers, students and community leaders must be created. Walls separating various factions must be removed, and we must begin to trust. The trust required for success will evolve if each of us personally commits to dealing with each other honestly and truthfully as we strive to reach our goals.

The Children 1st Movement solidly believes in the Frankenstein Theory – “Whatever we create we will eventually confront.” If we create brilliant, well educated, well prepared children of high self-esteem and confidence we will meet them in the businesses, hospitals as doctors and in the high political places of this country. If we fail to properly educate the youth – then we will confront the results of our creation - of bad education and miseducation in the streets of this and other cities. We will have created the hand that will be at our throats.

Remember, if we fail the children, we all are losers.

"I don't ever want you to forget that there are millions of God's children who will not, and cannot get a good education, and I don't want you feeling that you are better than they are. For you will never be what you ought to be until they are all that they ought to be. " - Martin Luther King, Jr.