This piece comes to us from an intelligent young brother who is concerned about not only himself but the world around him. With a critical eye, he looks at the Sean Bell situation from the perspective that he too is Sean Bell. We must continue to encourage our youth to be brave and valiant in their efforts to speak out about injustices and to challenge the status quo. I AM VERY HAPPY TO SHARE THIS GENTLEMEN’S WORK WITH YOU.

THE CASKET

This casket I’m in.. Old and tarnished..

Made just for me…

Sun creeping away. My eyes now at the ends of my fingerprints..

The walls weak from holding my mass.

Patruly, pipe tobacco and camphor ripping my nostrils, leaking from these old worn out walls the stifling smell whispers to me..

Remember those old guys you used to call pop, uncle, grandpa..

Dead and gone…

Soon u might be comin’ along.

The world u livin in is da world they got killed in.

Life taken; stolen, buried and rewritten…

Jumped out he had a gun.  50 shots den he is done..

Blood spillin’ on dees brown hands screaming peace. Holding, white flags in the air.. Waving, screaming, PEACE..

Life taken stolen buried and rewritten..

See dis casket dat u in…. its drowned in da system.

Submerged in…. bleach, washing away the truth..

In waters subjective enough to leave not one speck of brown skin above it..

Suffocating……

Your head only sinks.

Ever wonder why the water is so black.

Can’t see past your brother. Your sister your pops.  ©ÙzzØ we all trapped in dis casket.. Dis one big box..

Tags tatted on da walls.. Olu  A.k.a…….

But what does your Aka stand for when I might not breathe another day.

What does your aka stand for in this casket of marked men?

Your aka is just a joke to them.

Its like smearing I’m a loser on a wall to them.

A marked man can’t speak.

And u are marked man. So pleaze believe.

Dat Ur word. Is powerful. If only in numbers.

If life gives u lemons den u have to make limes.

©ÙzzØ a marked mans words… Don’t fit between the lines.

A marked mans words don’t fit into the system.

©ÙzzØ a marked mans words come from a different tradition.

Pleaze listen cuzz a man will never be forgiven.

For changing a system. Dat da whole globe is livin’ in.

Oludare Bernard

Last week it was that Barack Obama and Michelle Obama were exchanging “terrorist jabs”. Now they are calling Michelle Obama Barack’s “baby mama”. This nonsense is not going to stop obviously so the best we can do is combat these racist measures and attempts to smear the next President of these United States.

I often wonder about the intelligence of the people who make such idiotic decisions. I am offended for the Obama’s. They are determined to smear Barack Obama and his wife at any costs, and they wonder why America is in the state it is currently. It is because rather than deal with real issues like health care, the economy, and poverty instead we like to divide ourselves along silly racially charged bigot lines.

WORDS
written by the lovely Ma’at

Words mean nothing
everything
Confined by the speaker
Writer
Audience
Perception

In Spoken form
Words Cause your ears to Bleed
They call you a Nigger
Bitch
Boy
They deleted your past from your present through Spoken Word
Taught you to love his Word and forget your own
They took your language so you lost your power
Power to speak
Power to communicate
Power to grow as a people

In Written Form
Words are a weapon
Blinding light, truth, way
Don’t read!!!
Remain, Ignorant to our reality
Our reality as Black people in America
Black people in the world
Stricken with poverty, beaten, crippled
Our women raped of their womanhood
Our men raped of their manhood
Our children raped of their innocence
Emancipate yourself from mental slavery
Words…..
the key to your freedom
Do not be a slave to your vocabulary

I really don’t think life is about the I-could-have-beens. Life is only about the I-tried-to-do. I don’t mind the failure but I can’t imagine that I’d forgive myself if I didn’t try. - Nikki Giovanni

Take into account that great love and great achievements involve great risk. - Dali Lama

Letter to a young black female

What’s up young lady. You may not know who I am but I know who you
are. You see, I see your potential, I envision you accomplishing all
of your dreams and goals. Anything that you set your mind to can and
will be yours if you just Believe!

Believe in what you may ask? Yourself! Believe that you are the
intellect which has governed civilizations for century upon century.
Believe that you are the standard of beauty and not whatever images
the media shells out at you. Believe that there is no task too big
or too small that you can not reach for and achieve.

Realize young lady that women have always been at the helm of
everything great. James Brown said it best, “this is a man’s world but
it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl”. You have so many big
sisters to look up to, so many sources of inspiration that have
provided the framework of the strong work ethic known as womanhood.

Notice I call you young lady for these terms that I hear you referred
to are not your names. You are a Queen who must demand respect, your
mere presence should command respect. You must first respect yourself
however, and respect your fellow sisters as well. Together you young
ladies make up the future table of leadership.

God made you to be special, he made you to stand apart from the crowd.
So fear not if you feel isolated or alone, look back to your big
sisters who have changed the landscape of history, they once felt
alone too. I write you this letter to show my admiration for you, to
pay homage to the beautiful gift that the creator is bestowing upon
us. Follow your dreams and believe in your path young lady, for the
very thought of you reaching a tenth of your potential is an
inspiration to us all!

Truly yours,
Cedric D. Shine (your #1 fan)