POPS' Thoughts

no justice, no peace. another black man shot dead in the streets.

2008-04-25T17:59:00.002-04:00

"I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired, son
Hope change get here before the revolution come!"

how do you quantify the gut-wrenching psychological effects of urban crime?

to see a human with a hole in his head from a man-made weapon as he lay on a sidewalk is not something that is easily removed from the banks of your memory.

on wednesday, shots rang out in a nearby housing development (si, los projectos, son) and the genius dudes doing the running figured they'd cut through the neighboring park and playground to get away from whoever they were blasting at. it is a playground that my son and i have ventured to plenty of times in the last 3 years and it pains me that this town is poised once again for another proverbial hot ghetto summer where the bodies of young black, latino, and cape verdean men will again drop to the ground limp like the flies we swat on Edisto Island porches.

I am just as concerned and aggravated at today's acquittal of the three officers who shot Sean Bell dead a few hours before his wedding in 2006. How can you not be mad at a system that acquits police officers who are supposed to protect and serve, yet locks a man up for 3 years for tax evasion. How do you qualify such inequitable justice?

I've wrestled between being a fuq-the-police and a fuq-the-n!ggas complex for a long time. Well, fuq both of them. I will admit to being more incensed by the mass murder of cats in the streets by other cats who look like them than by police shootings; because - to me at least - they seem to happen rather infrequently in comparison. Yet, there is no rationale in the world that can refute the fact that an unarmed father/fiancee lost his life unnecessarily from 50 shots.

I gotta defer to Papoose, yo.

My brain is fried, my body is weary, and my heart is heavy. And folks wondered why Michelle Obama said she was just now proud of this country. They took her and Jeremiah Wright to task for saying what was proven accurate today; the more some things change, the more they stay the same. And yet I cannot help but think the outrage and anger felt by many is not as intense and feverish as all of the brothers killing brothers day in and day out; from Boston to Chicago to Philly. Let me go ahead and get back to trying the change the face of my ghetto neighborhood. And hug my peoples tight. Vent over. EOF.

"He got some better manners
but let's see if we get some better policy
Don’t fall for it
it's all tricknology
Hope the change get here
before they try to body me"
-Papoose, "50 Shots"

a refrigerator hums in brooklyn

2008-04-19T23:47:00.000-04:00

i worship your tongue
the sweet symphony

licking light
whispering music in this moment
up after

dreaming behind shadows
hot and bare
like a rusted chain
through the sun

i ask
if we can leave
smoothly
go easy

a languid mist
beneath the wind

-an arranged piece found at an atlantic ave loft in the stuy

To the weak, what we do, buck em down, word life

2008-04-06T23:00:00.003-04:00

Is success the standard or is greatness the goal?

That was the question posed last night by Randall Pinckett, a brother I have met several times over the last ten years. From first hearing him as a still-wide-eyed underclassmen in 1998, I am still often inspired by this brother who continues to inspire. He is one of those dudes that unknowingly inspired me to aspire. Nowadays, he's mad popular and even more successful and accomplished than when I first heard about him. Nevertheless, the most telling point he made was a simple one during his keynote address at the 40th anniversary gala of the John D O'Bryant African-American Institute at Northeastern University: what you do does not define who you are.

You can be the illest, most degree-having black professional ever. But is your legacy one of making yourself success or greatness? Success means you have accomplished something. Great means you helped others to accomplish something. It is a subtle rearrangement of words that shines light of the definition of self. It could even come off as self-effacing and a bit lofty telling someone they ain't great if they ain't doing something for others. Not everyone responds well to suggestive criticism.

"I'ma bring it to your chest like wind
Then fill your lungs up with all the bull you had within"
Black Moon, "Buck Em Down Remix"

Puff Puff Pass. Don't let life slip by without being fully aware and knowledgeable of all that affects you. Or at least as much as you can. Charlton Heston passed recently. Old school cats know him as a famous movie star. New school mainly know him as a gun advocate and the guy Michael Moore was ragging on in that movie. he and i didn't see eye-to-eye on the whole gun issue. Yet, I hadn't known that he was a supporter of the Civil Rights movement (marched and all). I'll admit to being ignorant to that and not having taken the time to learn more previously. We all have faults. Regardless, rest in peace to him whether he marched or not. We honor those who pass on with remembrances of their legacy. Heston made an impression on me by making me even more of an advocate of anti-violence programs. You just never know how the dice will tumble, huh? Special shout-out to the people that make lasting impressions on me any given day. Big up to those who inspire me to aspire. Word.

bowties with the Final Call

2008-03-31T03:05:00.003-04:00

over two weeks ago, i took a breather to jot some things down and get a bird's eye view of my life from afar. two weeks later, i am still out of breath; panting and bewildered by the q-u-hectic way of life i am leading. i caught myself saying i'd sleep when i die a few too many times.

"then everything changed 'cause he saw his own wings"

I attended a banquet with the midget and saw two very deserving brothas get some much-needed public props for their good deeds on the front lines and behind the scenes. I got a chance to reconvene with the crew - my immediate family - down in ATL. Those chicks are crazy. But I love 'em. Lil Sis is about to go off into the world on the real life voyage shT and make it happen. She had a showcase of her body of work and I was beaming from ear-to-ear with pride and excitement (on the inside of course). Yet, the real quirk in the story is our moms though. It's strange because I give her such a hard time when we get together. But you gotta love her. All of our collective craziness stems from her. Yet, our passion, poise, and perseverance also comes from her as well. Coming from where we're from and how we had it at one point, it's a testament to her willpower to see that all three of us came out okay in the end, graduated from college. Durant Ave in the mid-nineties raised plenty of kids; but I guess I'll never know how many of us truly grew up.

"I got love fo' my folks
baptized when the levee broke"

I got to enjoy my annual mini-vacation known as the NSBE conference. This time, we bounced back to Orlando, where it was located my lst year of undergrad. Oh, the memories. This time, there more people, less familiar faces, and a different overall experience. Yet, I am highly happy that I went. Highly. Ain't nothing like a NSBE conference. It gets me rejuvenated. It does something to my equilibrium. I saw several folks who I knew when they were still in high school. I damn sure ain't responsible for any of their success, but it feels good to know you at least played a minor role as a extra in the motion picture of their evolution from child to adult.

"they be trying to hide the history
but they know who we are"

So now it's back to the ever-cliched grind. We grindin, yo. Blah blah blah. Working hard and playing hard trying to make a dollar out of fifteen cents and change the world one quarter water at a time. My portable hard drive crashed, my whip got side-swipped, and taxes are still not done yet. Le sigh. And if the school district's budget issues continue, I just may be out of a job soon. Woe is me, right? Nah, fuq that, B. Take it all in stride and man up. My life is in just as much order as it needs to be. I got that sparkle in my eye so when you see me coming, please step aside or get run off the road. I'm aiming for knee-caps and will not stop to ask for directions. I'm chasing dark clouds away to start anew once again and won't be deterred from living out my dreams. If you trying to ride shottie, then buckle up.

"we g'on keep marching on
until you hear that freedom song"
-Erykah Badu, "Soldier"

Ignorance swoops down like a vulture

2008-03-15T14:11:00.000-04:00

Why you should join me and work for the Boston Public Schools

"It's calm, yet wild; the style that I speak.
Just filled with facts and you will never get weak in the heart."
-BDP, "You Must Learn"

Today’s educator should choose Boston Public Schools because it is challenging, rewarding, and empowering. As one of the most culturally-diverse cities in the nation, Boston offers a variety of experiences to challenge even the most seasoned educator. The district has a strong mandate to close the achievement gap and educators are a vital component towards achieving that goal. The district reflects the city; a multiethnic and multilingual urban village with many needs, opportunities, and challenges that require the creative and critical thinking of educators willing to take risks and give their all.

Working in Boston is rewarding because no where else in the country is there such a vast supply of resources, opportunities, and networks to tap for building the whole student. Boston is the education city and its public schools should remain at the forefront of setting trends. There are several special programs in place to recruit and retain a diverse pool of educator candidates who are willing to roll up their sleeves and invest in not only the education of students; but their own as well. Plus, being the college town that it is, the professional development and training opportunities offered here are beyond compare.

Lastly, Boston needs educators who can connect with students to reach for the stars and seize their potential. In turn, these educators will become empowered citizens – along with the students – embarking on a journey of self-discovery and learning together. The children of Boston need more positive, visible, and tangible role models. The immediate impact that can be made in the life of just one child should be reason enough alone. Education is the faithful cog in the wheel that has brought to life many students’ dreams, and with issues such as drop-out rates, homelessness, broken homes, and youth violence making the nightly news, Boston educators are authorized to invest in the future of their students.

In short, the kids need you, yo. Be a teacher. Or be a teacher of teachers. Be a counselor. Do whatever you can to help. There are too many of these youngsters dropping out and falling through the cracks. There are good folks and bad ones in the system just like any other corporation or organization. The future needs forming. The sky won't turn bright blue immediately, but everything little bit counts. We need more Prezbos, yo.

if you can't follow my lead, then follow my rules

2008-03-14T20:53:00.000-04:00

"The birds be on that mission to fly south.
I be on that east coast mission to ride out."
-Buckshot, "All Out"

I am a fairly simple guy. Not too many strings attached. However, quite often I find that sometimes I don't have enough time in any given day left for me; much less anyone else. Nahmean. "Beat down" probably would be the best phrase to describe how I am feeling right about now. Work is straight nuts. Inhale....

The entire technology department for the school district is operating on all cylinders and full tilt manage this massive laptop deployment we have going. All teachers are getting brand spanking new MacBooks (with Parallels). Thus, they are getting the new Mac OS (Leopard) and Windows XP. And throw in there about 120 GB, a CD burner, and still/video camera, and you've got yourself a party, yo. For us, that means long days of logistical miracles, leftover boxes, cranky people, beaming smiles, raspy voices, and deja vu (like a mutha). All in all, the rollout is going tremendously well. I banged out my sixth training in seven days earlier today. It's getting to be pretty routine by now. One day, I was rocking the Bobby Brown with the headpiece and microphone while doing a hands-on demo. You have no idea how badly I wanted to randomly shout, it's my prerogative. Aww man.

I've always enjoyed training and teaching people how to use and maximize their productivity when it comes to technology. The biggest challenge has been how to balance out the widely varying levels of experience teachers have with Macs - and computers in general - and the large amount of information we must condense into two hours. Here and there, we'll get someone who has never really even used a computer or is simply unfamiliar with how to move their cursor with anything other than a mouse. But hey, it could be worse, right? At least they know what a mouse is. Verdad, son.

The most noticeable and striking observation I have made is of the visible generational differences. It's pretty much well known, but the visual evidence is remarkable. The newer teachers are literally waiting on me to get to the next step as they press on. And this is not to say that the generalizations holds true in all cases. Because I know for a fact that if my 90-plus-year-old, great-grandmother can play solitaire and send me email, then just about anyone can adapt.

We've tried being as diplomatic as possible if any issues arise; yet invariably they will pop up at some point. I guess that's another reason why I enjoy doing trainings. It allows me to hone my patience and refine my hold-that-thought skills. Taking a step back does a body good, yo. It's something I've noticed myself practicing with my night school students as well. On occasion, I can sense myself getting annoyed at someone's lack of understanding - especially when it's a simple topic. But maybe my explanation simply wasn't clear enough. Go figure. Practice makes perfect, right? Or close enough to good enough so that we can get by.

And at the same time on the outside I'm representing

2008-03-05T23:43:00.000-05:00

ShT is for real we abouts to get hectic
-Mobb Deep, "QU Hectic"

Hectic ain't the word. Oddly enough, 2008 is running my butt ragged. My juices are flowing and the pupils are dilating properly. But damn, yo. It's barely sensible.

I like to keep myself busy. Being bored make me, well, bored. And subconsciously, I feel as though I get dumber when my brain is not being stimulated. But I never actually considered the threat that over- or hyper-stimulation could pose.

"I need to slow down, moving through life at a high speed
Watching all the slow runners pass by me"

So let's do a quick pulse check. The discipline is still there (I think). I've been making progress on several avenues that had previously stalled out. I've been doing decently on the whole get-your-ish-together genre in terms of to-do lists and things to which I needed to tend. However, I definitely behind on a couple of things that I would have hoped would be much farther along by now in terms of completeness. And much to my chagrin, a few personal goals have taken hardcore back seats to some more pressing issues. Definite disappointment there. But all in all, I can't complain. Complaining is for bammas. Fuq that, yo.

"FuQ a fantasy I'm leaving in reality
Caught up in this untouchable mentality"

I am tempted to commit. No, it's not what you're thinking. LMAO. I'm inclined to try and get back on my writing shT with a serious vengeance. But it's still just in the inclination phase right now. The type of inspiration needed for my poems comes from who the hell knows, so I'll just go with the flow there. As for blogging, I think about it all the time. So many things occur on any given day that I want to write about and share my view and offer some perspective on but then another fire starts to burn and it's time to ring the alarm. You'd think I was an actual, professional juggler the way things are going as of late. But we can always squeeze some time out of our days, right? There's always room for more. Or so they say.

And who the fuq is they anyway? Fuq them. I've actually been employing the "they" technique lately much to my amusement. I like to randomly invoke mystery experts into conversation without citing my sources. Just to make or embellish a point. To hell with a bibliography, I say. And to hell with rules in general. Break 'em. Just live your life, yo. We about to start the damn Underground Railroad at work beginning tomorrow with this massive-a$ laptop project. I will definitely have to write about that by itself. Let's just say, hectic ain't even close to capturing what's about to go down. I might have to start going to sleep before midnight the next few weeks. Um, yeah. We'll see how that goes. But whatever. We ready. Let's get it.

Why come around if you afraid of what's over here

I had a beef, they threw a drink so I had to come out with it.

2008-02-25T13:42:00.000-05:00

it's that simple.

coverage: Globe | Herald

if it were that simple.

Black Ice was in town this past weekend. Saturday night to be exact. I didn't get a chance to go and catch him but this performance immediately came to mind when I heard today of what happened Saturday night/Sunday morning. I can't even get my head around it. Gonna have to think before i speak with this one and come back later.

Call for Entries for 2% :Women of Color in Design Exhibition

2008-02-14T10:15:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but I know a lot of smart people. And a lot of women. And a lot of smart women. And many of them are engineers and architects and designers. Yet, although I know a lot of them, there aren't that many overall. This is something to help give props and highlight the professional achievements of my peer sistas and to possibly inspire some young ladies to dream beyond their world. Please give it proper attention and publicity. Holla.

Call for Entries for 2% :Women of Color in Design Exhibition

This spring, Boston will be the host city for the 2008 AIA National Convention, which will be held from May 15th through May 17th. The American Institute of Architects is the voice of the architectural profession and the resource for its members in service to society. The theme of this year’s Convention is “We the People.” It is within this spirit that we invite you to participate in this exciting exhibit celebrating all women of color in the design professions sponsored by the Boston Architectural College, May 10th - May 17th.

The exhibit is open to all women of color in the design professions, (i.e., architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, engineering, and furniture design).

Each exhibit board must be one 20” x 30” 2D reproduction permanently mounted on black foam core board (3/16” thick). It is strongly recommended that a one-piece reproduction include text, images and background. Optional 3D objects/models may be submitted.

Submit work to: Boston Architectural College, 320 Newbury Street, Boston, MA 02115. ATTN: 2% : Women of Color in Design. A maximum of two boards may be submitted by each person. The Exhibition Committee reserves the right to exclude any submission that it deems inappropriate for this exhibit. Registration forms must accompany submission boards and all submissions must be received by 5:00 pm, Friday, April 25, 2008.

For more information, submit questions to Cedric Sinclair (cedric.sinclair "at" the-bac.edu) or call (617) 585-0246. For information regarding the AIA Convention visit: www.aiaconvention.com.

came up with them thugs, grew up in that mud

2008-02-13T01:43:00.000-05:00

got my hands covered in blood
to stay above the world
to see a better day
-MOP, "Ride With Us"

tougher than leather. ride or die. stand your ground.

All words and/or phrases that can symbolize a veneer of toughness and sheer power that is unmitigated and solid. Sometimes it seems as though the sun will never shine bright enough to guide us. But what doesn't kill us only makes us stronger, right?

Less than a week after I learned that someone I went to high school with was killed by an IED in Iraq, I find out about that a 20-year-old was gunned down in my old neighborhood.

I haven't engaged much in any debate or discussion about the Iraq "issue" because it is such a web of complications and confusion. I recently attended a very eye-opening opening session of a conference on foreign policy. There, Ruth Wooden, the President of Public Agenda, discussed her organization's Confidence in U.S. Foreign Policy Index (CFPI). It was an amazingly informative presentation about public opinion of foreign policy and how everything can be stripped down to its most empirical elements to maintain non-partisanship. All that is to say, public trust and confidence in the direction this country is going is quite low and it is highly unfortunate that James Craig had to lose his life (along with four others). Ironically, he was station at Fort Carson, which is where I hung out and played ball three years ago during a business trip. Rest In Peace, yo. Your courage and service to this country is not in vain.

To be honest, I think it was back in 2004 when I first heard the war-hood-terrorism analogy. You know, the one where another young black male dies in the streets of inner-city America and it is a crying shame just the same as it is a crying shame to bear witness to the body count that continues to stack from our "interests" abroad. When the DNC came to town, a basketball coach was shot in the head and someone remarked about the disparity between the heavy security presence that rendered downtown a virtual ghost town and the wild cowboys atmosphere that fostered street violence. I think the remark went something along the lines of, "why can't we have no helicopters in the hood to prevent all these shooting instead of after-the-fact."

Indeed, reactionary mind states never truly get you motivated. Band aids simply soothe. They don't heal. Another 14-year-old kid has ruined his life. Another young man from Liberty Hill won't live to see the age of 21. Another corner store became the scene for a yellow tape parade without confetti or cheers. The Felix Pinckney Community Center became the haven in need of a haven yet again. My man Leon says to never apologize for wanting to get out of the hood. Stewardesses tell you to save your self first, right? I remember vividly the afternoon practices on that hidden outdoor court behind the Felix Pinckney. Those suicides and laps around the double court, the endless free throws, and all that damn yelling. It's too bad the safety of that sanctuary is still as tarnished now as it was back then. It's a wonder what'll take you back to a time and place that you forgot was even etched in your memory/history. Life be reminding you of shT when you least expect it, I suppose.

rock me tonight, just for old time's sake

2008-02-12T23:23:00.000-05:00

I do hereby announce that doth hath to check out Estelle.

She reps London. hard. And she has Ill flavor. With a Capital ILL.

I'm feeling her joint Wait A Minute (Just A Touch). The video is smooth and she really kills it in this performance. And she has more joints as well; 1980, American Boy, and Listen Up. Even egoman Kanyeezy did a collab with homegirl. And she's signed to John Legend's label or something of the sort.

[her web site]
[myspace]

Nuff said.

The Corner Store Initiative

2008-02-07T10:15:00.000-05:00

They say you are what you eat, so I strive to be healthy
My goal in life is not to be rich or wealthy
cause true wealth comes from good health and wise ways
We got to start taking better care of ourselves
Dead Prez, "Be Healthy"

This video was created by students from the Lilla G. Frederick Pilot Middle School. I grew up on honey buns, Fun Dip, Bubble Tape, Orange Slices, Coconut Stacks, Hot Tamales, Mike & Ike, Lemonheads, Red Hots, Sugar Daddies, Smarties, Whoppers, and Twix. Hell, I even used to work at the neighborhood corner store. Actually, that was probably my first job. Maybe 5th or 6th garde, I think. Like Prodigy said at the end of that Dead Prez joint; "That shTit is fuQing making us deteriorate, son." Interestingly enough, he's performing in town tonight. Word.

Be Healthy, b!tches.

find the beauty in the hideous

2008-01-28T02:57:00.000-05:00

I had considered submitting an application to be considered for the post of Boston poet laureate. And then reality sunk in. I mostly do it for fun and for myself. I often quote that Kweli line when relaying the ubiquitous way that hip-hop culture can permeate everyday life. The spoken word is no different. Life is grand if you pay a little more attention to it. Hence, the title of the this article struck a chord with me.

The Boston Globe: Poet laureate sees magic in the ordinary

See the magic in the ordinary, huh? A pretty straightforward assessment of life itself. So often we get caught up; in anything and everything. Did the roses wilt before we had a chance to stop and smell them?

The city newly named poet laureate, Sam Cornish, is new to my ears. I will have to check him out now that I know of him though. From just this little bit that I have read, I am intrigued.

The power of words - both silent and spoken - have enormous implications in our everyday lives. They can motivate, inspire, humiliate, degrade, empower, or piss off. Here's to some renewed awareness and humility to let life live.

We Be Grubbin

2008-01-27T15:35:00.000-05:00

Around The Way Restaurant Review

I was building with my peoples recently to get my mind off of other things when the conversation turned to food. And not just any old entree either. We're talking that good ish. It's no secret that I come from a family that can throw down; in the kitchen and at the table. But it is also no secret that I spent most of my time at the table. Hence, the husky jeans of my childhood. Plus, the crew that I hung with in college became notorious for getting our grub on and showing up to potlucks with a "dish." So, let's get 2008 popping off right with a quick field trip to the local spots that you probably won't catch in Boston magazine and might be hard-pressed to catch the Phantom Gourmet lurking in the shadows. Let's start with a simple of my favorite cuisines and maybe get to some more detail a little later.

Soul Food
Ray's Soul Food Kitchen, Roxbury
Poppa B's, Dorchester
Chef Lee's, Dorchester
Mrs Jones, Dorchester
Slades, Roxbury
Packys, Roxbury

West Indian Food
Irie, Dorchester
Pepper Pot, Roxbury
Flames, Mission Hill/Mattapan
Ali's Roti, Lower Roxbury
Taste of Eden, Dorchester

Breakfast Food
Ashley's, Dorchester
Poppa B's, Dorchester
Paramount, Beacon Hill
Silver Slipper, Roxbury
S&S, Somerville
Mike's Diner, South End
The Fifties, Dedham
Brothers, Mattapan

Thai
House of Siam, South End
Siam House, Quincy
Brown Sugar, Fenway
Spice N Rice, Somerville
Wonder Spice, Jamaica Plain
Thai Village, South End
Thai Spice, West Roxbury
Bamboo, Brighton

Spanish
Eddys, Roxbury
Miami, Jamaica Plain
El Oriental de Cuba, Jamaica Plain
Merengue, Roxbury
Tapeo, Newbury St
Tacos El Charro, Jamaica Plain

Why America needs Obama

2008-01-08T18:28:00.000-05:00

Much like real life, I tend to keep my voting preferences pretty private. I still have to go through all of the candidates and give an objectives analysis of everyone's stance on issues and how those stances align with my own. However, Obama has been on frontstreet since 04 when he ripped the stage here in the bean at the DNC. Needless to say, the Iowa and New Hampshire primaries has made shT really real. The same hope you saw in people's eyes a little over a year ago when Deval Patrick ran and won is the same hope that is starting to express itself on the faces of millions of America who had given up. My man D came across this piece and it really captures that spirit and is pretty on-point in a lot of ways. Time to get my throwback low-effort-blogging-shT on...and...COPY/PASTE. Massachusetts' primary is four weeks away on Feb 5th (register by Jan 16th). Holla.

Why America needs Obama
By Deval Patrick
The Boston Globe - January 5, 2008

I AM proud to be a Democrat, but sometimes Democratic politics can be tiresome.

For years, candidates have appealed to voters by arguing how they can win or why any Democrat would be better than any Republican. They miss the fact that voters are more interested in why Democrats should win than how we will. They mistakenly believe that discontent with Republicans will assure a Democratic victory, when in truth most of us aren't buying 100 percent of what either party is selling. So, election after election, we end up with the same old debate and commentary about competing electoral tactics rather than a vision for the future.

We have a chance this time to choose a different kind of candidate, a different kind of president.

Barack Obama is the only candidate in the field who has demonstrated the ability to unite people across differences around common cause.

From his work in Chicago neighborhoods, to the Illinois Senate, to the US Senate, to his success in campaigning for other candidates in so-called red states like Missouri, Nebraska, Tennessee, and Virginia, Obama has shown an uncommon ability to work across differences and get meaningful results. Applying that talent to a vision for a better, safer, more just, and more prosperous American future could not come a moment too soon.

We face profound challenges. The Bush administration has been ineffective in foreign policy and absent in domestic policy. While our troops are performing well abroad, their mission was poorly conceived and their exit strategy nonexistent. At home, the poor are in terrible shape and the middle class are one month away from being poor. Healthcare and college costs are getting further and further out of reach, roads and bridges are in disrepair, and a lot of the people in power have spent more time denying climate change than trying to defeat it. Everyday people are anxious, and their anxiety knows no party.

America needs Obama.

He has comprehensive plans to end the war in Iraq, provide universal healthcare, lift up schools, and to save the planet. I like many of his ideas. But frankly most candidates in the race - Democrat and Republican - have a couple of good ideas. What I want, and what I sense the American people want, is more than good policy. We want great leadership.

This is where Barack Obama rises above the field. Instead of calculation or connections, he has risen on convictions. Instead of stoking partisan anger, he calls on our common aspirations. Instead of the right and the left, he is focused on right and wrong. At a time when so many of us - Democrats, Republicans, and independents - are tired of petty division and desperate for change, Obama makes a claim on all of us to join in restoring the American dream. His leadership is about articulating a vision and motivating others to reach for it.

That is why Obama consistently polls higher with independents and Republicans than any other Democrat. That is why he is greeted by crowds made up of every kind of person, from all kinds of backgrounds. That is why he won the Iowa caucuses on Thursday. That is why he has received more than 750,000 donations, mostly from small donors, and signed up a half-million supporters from all age groups, states, races, and political affiliations - many of them involved in the process for the first time. When people try to imagine the kind of leadership they want and know we need, the image that comes to many minds is Obama.

And here is where the wise guys and gals come in. The political commentators and self-appointed experts start telling us that we can't have what we want. I heard that throughout my own campaign. I ask the people of America to do now what I asked the people of Massachusetts to do: take a chance not so much on a candidate, but on your own aspirations. If we do, then Obama wins - and so do we.

Once in a generation, a candidate comes along who is committed to more than succeeding at the partisan food fight in Washington. Once in a generation, a candidate comes along who is both book smart and street smart, who is equally at ease with the meek and the mighty - and perhaps most especially with himself. Once in a generation, we get the opportunity to take a quantum leap forward in our politics. Barack Obama is that candidate and this is our opportunity. I don't care if it's not his turn, because I know in my head and in my heart that it is his time.

Deval Patrick is governor of Massachusetts.

break you down until you're not the man you used to be

2008-01-07T22:14:00.000-05:00

The Patriots are beasts. In slang, that's a good thing. My uncle called me to ager a gentleman's bet. He lives in Jacksonville. The Patriots are going to StompdashTouttaDaJags. I declined. Oh well. Just call me mister risk averse.

I take calculated risks. On one hand, I can b a little too spontaneous and erratic in my decision-making. Waiting until the last minute doe snot alway work out. But there are other instances where I guess you could call me methodical and organized. I can't put a finer on what the split truly is, but who cares. Life is what you make it.

We risk our short-term excitement for future happiness when there's no guarantee that the sun will continue to shine come tomorrow. Some of the risks we take are well-intentioned. Others are - simply put - bone-headed and short-sighted. But just like that sun, no one is promised tomorrow. On this night, I am reminded every year of how real the words are. I already alluded to it in a previous post, so I'll save the memory lane BS.

When I speak to youth, I always find myself picturing myself in their chairs and how my words would have rung to my ears. Would my credibility be taken as a joke if I wasn't able to connect with them? Would the teacher or whoever invited me to speak blacklist me for straying from the script. Would they intimidate me they way we used to do to wack-a$$ guest speakers who seemed to need more advising themselves? Who knows. But what I do know is that I give my all and try to follow suit in all of the many facets of my life. Sometimes it works out well and sometimes, well, it just barely works, if at all. The choices of our past help to chart our future, but that future ain't doomed by default for the bad choices we made. We gotta just roll with punches, take our lumps, and stand tall on our own two. It's a life lesson that I try to frame in a variety of ways depending on the audience (1 or 1000), but it rings true nonetheless. Keep it real (and realistic) and do you. The sun will come out.

RIP Herbert Louis Frazier, Jr. and everyone else who departed this earth before their new moon arose.

hoofing it

2008-01-04T21:33:00.000-05:00

habitually bruised and battered
my feet are the tattered remnants
of the souls of my ancestors
scraping the earth's surface
in search of purpose and poise
yet so coy with their fetish
instead we relish the punishment we get
for tepid dreams, scorned gazes, and silent screams
i dream a world of flip-flops
so we can hip-hop to life's rhythmic pulse
entranced by the heels of our fears
and enthralled by the tears of our peers
i hear twinkle toe cheers

I'm getting looser than a crackhead's hair weave

2008-01-03T04:03:00.000-05:00

"I'm energetic, poetic, athletic, with good credit
So just move like I'm Simon and I said it"
Grand Puba, "I Like It"

I came upon this interesting article not long ago. It was about the new revision to the credit scoring system and how the changes could possibly affect consumers. It was revealing because I, for one, thought that they were planning to completely jack things up and make it really confusing, kind of like how they did with the SATs. You know how it went from 1600 being a perfect score to 2400? Well I thought they were going to seriously throw off what an 850 used to mean. But I was wrong.

FICO scores will still range from 300 to 850 -- the higher the better -- and the model will continue to look at the same factors, including consumers' level of credit indebtedness and payment histories, length of credit histories, number of recent credit openings and inquiries, and the type of credit used, to determine scores. But the new model will more finely slice and dice the information in consumers' credit files to do a better job of separating the "good risks" from the "bad risks."

I knew nothing about credit scores coming out of high school. And I didn't really catch on to those financial workshops during freshmen year either. By sophomore year, I had three credit cards. I eventually figured it out own my own, but also to my own detriment. The youngins got it easy nowadays, yo. Next thing you know they going to be doing seminars on how to tie your shoes for graduating seniors. Anyways, I was initially worried how my score would shift. But now, I am really not that concerned in the least. I believe I have fairly frugal and conservative in monitoring my credit and doing the right things to remain in good stead. But you still need to make your your credit reports are accurate. Just holla at the three-headed monster and handle that. Plus, there are all kinds of how-to guides explaining every minute detail of what to do to get your ish straight. Not enough heads really realize the long-term impact of poor financial management and credit history. I've made a serious come-up and actually followed through on a couple of resolutions from 'old' years past. Now, if we could only start pooling our resources more and really spur some economic development and philanthropy among young black professionals, then it'd be really on an popping. Only time will tell.

make the streets run red like a stop sign

2008-01-02T23:34:00.000-05:00

"Toys for guns, I got guns for toys
Silencers bring the heat without bringing the noise"
Talib Kweli & Cocoa Brovaz, "Gun Music"

Meet Bill Willis. Bill is a black man. Bill is a police officer. Bill is a good dude.

Suffice it to say, many black men have been almost trained since an early age to be suspicious and skeptical of any humane qualities of any given cop. No matter the officer's color, we've been spoon-fed a deep sense of mistrust and hypertension when encountering the law. But not every cop is a bad cop. I have known that my entire life. Just like people in general, you cannot immediately tell the real from the fake. It involves instinct, experience, and candor to really get to know someone. Yet, as much as some would argue this point, cops are not the primary threats they are made out to be in today's hoods.

On the other side of the tracks, when the block is hot, that means stay your a$$ inside. My man GhettoUprising and I were talking one day and we both came to the conclusion that it safer to be white in the hood, than be black. White sheets have been replaced by hoodies. It's a strange twist on a former urban myth. White folks didn't go to the hoods because they feared being assaulted or shot/stabbed or whatever. But if you really think about it, a Black man is prone to being a victim just about anywhere, and especially in his own backyard. It is a sad reality.

Nobody really wants to be shot in the hood. So Officer Willis created a documentary and it is available on YouTube in 6 parts. I encourage you to check out each and every single one of the clips when you have an hour to spare because the interviews are straightforward, the conversations full or real talk, and the topics is one that is always on my mind.

My mother came up to visit for the holidays. She got to see and hear me perform my poetry for the first time. I don't recall why or how it happened, but I admitted to her the inspiration for when I first started writing. It spanned back to my first year of college. It was around the four-year anniversary of a incident that occurred on the very street we lived on. Every year, I would get the most chilling sensations in my body that would literally shake me to the core. It was a night that left an enormous impact on my life. I just so happened to be taking an Honors English course and poetry came up and I just went at it. I have no clue where that piece is now, but it is a visual and literary reminder of the road we so often have to travel to find ourselves.

I have had a fear of being shot in the hood since that night. I have awoke sweaty and panting from dreams where I found myself sprawled out on a sidewalk as a crowd began to form. I live nonchalantly because I know how precious life is and yet, even i can take some things for granted. I am still trying to find myself and will probably forever seek my comfort zone. I can only hope that when I do leave this world, I did all that I could to make a better life for my loved ones and to positively influence the direction of others like me who started on bleak paths but ended up on solid ground without sacrificing anything but their free time. I see the God in you. Do you?

And just when you thought you strayed far away, here comes gravity to save the day

2008-01-01T21:37:00.000-05:00

RESOLVED: work smarter so you can play harder. word.

"Instead of trying to question the unquestionable
You try to claim the unknown
The unknown claim you
Gravity is what we must submit to"
-Da Bush Babees & Mos Def, "Gravity"

Background Article: Innovative Minds Don’t Think Alike

I found this article pretty interesting. It's not an unusual concept, especially for us folk of color. Just replace foreign co-worker with person of color and you see how bringing a new perspective to the table transforms the dynamics of doing things the way they've always been done. It's why some companies hire senior management and top executives from outside.

When it's time to accomplish a task, those in the know get it done the way it has always been done, stifling innovation as they barrel along the well-worn path.

zero-gravity thinkers...keep creativity and innovation on track.

When experts have to slow down and go back to basics to bring an outsider up to speed, it forces them to look at their world differently and, as a result, they come up with new solutions to old problems."

Apply such mental diversity to life and this information could prove useful at work and in your extracurricular activities as well. Start thinking like a zero-gravity thinker every now and then and see if it helps you to see the world in new ways. Step back and take a minute to reflect before immediately reacting to your environment. Won't hurt to try it once. Anyways, happy new year and do you.

Momma I got dreams, but dreams don't keep the lights on

2007-12-04T03:03:00.000-05:00

"My momma told me that this music was cool
All she ever wanted from me was to graduate from school"

I got to see my peoples Little Brother tear it down live in concert for the third time and it seems that the show gets better each time. I literally can play their music 24/7 if needed. They are seriously that good. I'v written about on many a prior occasion because they write from a depth of understanding of struggle discipline, and passion that resonates with me and speaks to my core.

"I was born for a much greater purpose, do you this service"

Their latest album, Get Back, is a straight banger. The beats are strong, the melodies vibrant, the choruses sensible, and the lyrics as witty and sharp as ever. The speak to an underclass of people often misconstrued and typecast. The speak for the conscious brothers that like getting head. The speak for the hood dudes with degrees. They speak for the around the way folks who know there's more to the music than making a dollar.

All my life, I've always paid attention to the lyrics. "Watch what you say," was a common refrain. Thus, it only made sense to also watch everything that comes out of other peoples' mouths. Hip-hop spoke to me in a way like no other human could. It was collection of voices at different stages all interspersed throughout my life. I can recall when I first heard this and first recited that. I remember when I first bought so-and-so and what concerts I attended.

My memory landmarks help to keep me grounded. I knew the gangster rappers, the Native Tongues, and everybody in between. It was no different from the neighborhood. I knew the guy that drove the tricked-out Cherokee with the system. I knew the lady that owned the corner store. Even if it weren't a fully functional community; it was still a community nonetheless.

You'd have the blue collar folks, the white-collar folks, the Section 8 homes, and the regular people all about. It is from such variety and diversity that Phonte and Big Pooh flow about life. The flow about the adversity of not only being music artists that never get full recognition, but as men, fathers, husbands, son, and brothers who have their faults and instead of glorifying them; acknowledge them and work to make themselves into better reflections of their inner beings. It is a constant struggle and a continual journey that will suffer setbacks and obstacles. Yet, after the storms comes the sun.

Here's a sample of a verse from their song, Dreams, that smacked me hard when I first it.

I still go to the crib and see my n!ggas on the corner
Chilling with the pounds on they waist, getting old
Getting round in the face and when I hang with them
They ask me if "The Minstrel Show" means I'm ashamed of them
Well - I can't say that I'm proud, but only saying
Can't say I'm allowed to judge, I'm just glad to see you
Cause truth be told, if my records never sold
And I wasn't raised this bold, n!gga I would probably be you
I've been God blessed with the gift to make music
It took me all over the continent
But still got boys on the block and fam smoking rock
So please, miss me with that conscious shT
I spent many a sleepless night because of it
Until I had to shake that shT off and reach the conclusion
That every now and then you gotta ask yourself
Do you really wanna win or just look good losing?
It's no illusion

The verse's context is eerily similar to some previous blog posts of mine and it has haunted me since I first heard it. I cannot help to think of some people in my life who are distant not only physically, but also mentally and emotionally. I can only offer a prayer for them right now and hope we all live long enough to see each other again. It's a painful thing to deal with but some things just gotta be they way they are I suppose. Dreams is a song that comes off to me like a daily affirmation that you can play every morning as you take a shower and sing the chorus at the top of your lungs. It is a powerful, somber, and reflective look at situations not unlike any normal person. And that's the point. No one is an island. No one is immortal. No one is better than anyone else. And no one is going to truly stop you from achieving your dreams and living them to the fullest other than yourself.

Top of the world screaming, 'FuQ that! Get yours!'

The wheels keep spinning on a brand new thought

2007-12-02T05:08:00.000-05:00

Lay down at night and say without shame
Today I was a man, tomorrow I'll be the same
Be a bonfire when others are just a flame
Be a memory when others are just a name

I often find myself consumed with thoughts that overburden my brain. I've always been an inner "what-if" person. I need peace and serenity to maintain my sanity. But as calm, carefree, and nonchalant as I try to be on the outside, my heart is in cardiac arrest any given second as i constantly evaluate life itself. From the urban terrorism that plagues our cities, to personal issues, to family ties; it all makes for an tiring life of wonder, worry, woe, and whoa. Over time, I have learned to make decisions based on fact-based analysis. Just do a quick assessment and bang out an answer or solution. Yet, there are those instances when emotion and/or adrenaline takes over and usurps all authoritative power you may have previously had over your actions.

We all go through the motions. My peoples in Texas are growing through the motions right now. And I'm hurting because they are. My peoples in NYC are hurting right now. And I'm hurting right along. My peoples in Charleston are hurting. It's all the same game. I'm hurting too. My head is thumping. My brain is scattered. My body is weary. I haven't really had a good night's rest in nearly a month. We all take our lumps. Everyone takes one for the team now and then. No amount of ibuprofen can withstand that pain it inflicts.

I performed three pieces the other night and felt really good about the result. It was a cathartic experience. I am a very private person. Always have been and always will be. But there's one caveat. I literally put my life's times in between the paper's lines like Prodigy. I guess I used to visit Queens too much as a child. When I write I find my myself purging all of my emotion onto a blank canvas and then channeling that energy into something else, something new, something different. And that something is never preplanned, structured, or fantasized. But it is always organic, definitive, and from the heart. As much as I seem to be a loud ass to some, others know me as a extreme recluse. I can't call it. I am what am.

I think back to Erykah Badu when she exclaimed how sensitive she was about her shT. I sometimes feel the same way, not in a protective parental way, but in a way that is risk averse to the humiliation, embarrassment, and public critique that could potentially ensue as a result of what was shared. I prefaced my first two pieces by nervously asking the crowd to shut the fuq up. In retrospect, it was not the high road I probably should have taken, but I took it and I do not regret it. Just chalk it up as one of those gut decisions. I heard somebody booing the previous poet and I didn't like that shT. nahmean.

That's why I can't do the shit I used to do no mo'
This world'll try to break you with lies and fables
Make you not even believe in you no mo'
-Little Brother, "When Everything Is New"

But those gut decisions can really do a number on you though, yo. Regrets, second guesses, poor choices, bad data; that shT'll drive you nuts, yo. Gotta take the fractured and tattered shards of manhood I saw as a boy and weld those into a glass masterpiece. A mirror I can look at in the morning without shame. Without pain. Without even a slight strain in my brow. I want to have presence and not merely be an echo in life. I'm still trying to find my way as I continue to grow and evolve. I try to rationalize and make the best decisions I can based on all known factors, but sometimes those irrational formulas that never seem to add up always get in the mix and throw your balanced equations off.

But I'm going to keep writing. I'm going to keep walking tall. Embrace the man I have become, the one I used to be, the one I vowed never to become, and the one I know I can graduate up to. I can only continue to pray and ask for favor in being led the right way. I'll play my position. I guess I'm just not ready to coach yet. Check ball, yo.

God's rain water flow through the same gutter

2007-11-19T13:11:00.000-05:00

"Keep your lips stiff. Keep your fist clenched"

i am one
with my
words
yet plagued with
insecurities
so i dug
in my spurs
and sparred with verbs
until
we
were all
on one accord
a single pilot
on this flight
destined for
a crash landing
with no airbags
just gas masks
and heavy luggage

We do for self like ants in a colony

2007-11-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

"The police become necessary in human society only at that junction in human society where it is split between those who have and those who ain't got."
-Omali Yeshitela

I am at once puzzled as to why some people overreact and some people do dumb shT. why a police officer would feel it necessary to arrest a pre-teen for throwing a pencil off a school bus bewilders me. And yet I am getting tired of the bone-headed knuckleheads with no fuqing respect.

So the rent always be late; can you relate?
We living in a police state
-Dead Prez, "Police State"

It's an interesting topic to try to dissect when you touch upon the gamut of emotions and feelings towards the "law" that many Black man hold. They range from ambivalence to hate to suspicion to reverence to cynicism to uneasiness to admiration to indifference. A variety of factors and experiences serve as primary causes of this phenomena, yet it is undoubtedly true that most black men do not hold cops in high regard. I wonder if there have been any scientific studies conducted to support or refute this theory.

But I said men; not boys. A boy is mostly raised in the mold of the parental or guardian figures in their daily life, whether they be moms, pops, granny, auntie G, or the state. And the failure of father figures in urban communities to pass the torch has had its deleterious effect on all of us. Some cats cannot even be prompted to hold a conversation about their fathers without the threat of a physical altercation. It's part of the daily frustrations that hassle me, complicate my actions, pepper my words, and stymie my thoughts.

And last but not least, four students on a school bus is such a waste of money and time, but I'll just leave that alone for now. I cannot bear the mental workout that could ensue.

Male Engagement Conference

2007-11-06T15:36:00.000-05:00

Boston Public Schools Male Engagement Conference

A workshop for fathers, uncles, grandfathers, brothers and other men in the lives of Boston Public Schools students to learn more about how to help students achieve personal and academic success.

Saturday, November 10, 2007
9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
breakfast begins at 8:15 AM

Lilla Frederick Middle School
270 Columbia Road, Dorchester, MA