The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 to be shown at the Hayti Heritage Film Festival

The New York Daily News gave it four out of five stars. “And you are left in a bracing state of confusion, wondering how much has changed and how the change took place,” The review in the New York Times concluded. “How did we get from the America of Stokely Carmichael to the America of Barack Obama, who represents a very different kind of black power?”

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is the talk of the documentary film community. It steps into a time when black resistance and pride took center stage over the nonviolent resistance of Martin Luther King and the Southern Christian Leadership Coalition. It was a time when burning buildings and calling for a revolution was the common theme among those prepared to change things by any means necessary.

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 is the work of a group of Swedish journalist who documented the Black Power Movement in the United States during a period of upheaval stirred by youth tired of waiting for those with power to do the right thing. It tells the unsettling truth about why many weren’t enamored with the Gandhain, nonviolent strategy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The documentary delves into the perspectives of leaders like Angela David, Harry Belafonte and Louis Farrakhan, as well as ordinary residents of Harlem, Brooklyn and Oakland, California. It presents the reflections of younger people who have been influenced by the Black Power movement. You hear from Sonia Sanchez, Abiodun Oyewole, of the Last Poets, as well as musicians impacted by the movement.

The documentary is a must see. Although not a comprehensive history, it is a work that deserves to be seen and discussed. It will be shown this weekend as part of the 18th Annual Hayti Heritage Film Festival, February 9-12 at the Hayti Heritage Center.

The schedule for the festival is below. Check out The Black Power Mixtape and the rest of the films to be shown at the Hayti.

Thursday, February 9

COMMUNITY DAY FILM SCREENING (FREE)
6 p.m. STRAY a short film by Poetic Mike

STRAY (Part Uno) is a short film written and produced by Mike Anderson who is the CEO and Founder of Polished Souls. STRAY is an acronym that stands for Showing Truth Reaching All Youth. Part Uno, the first part of a three part series, has a primary focus of educating the youth about the unnecessary evils of the streets and gun violence. This film stars Dasan Ahanu, Donesha Pitts, Diamond Pitts, Ricky Cotton, and Mike Anderson himself who plays three roles in this film. Edwin Lewis, an awesome cinematogropher for CotLu films, also makes a featured appearance in STRAY. In front of the camera and behind the camera, Mike Anderson creates the perfect tool for educating youth thru the reality of making the wrong choices. You will be blown away by the plot as Mike Anderson takes you into the mind of the STREETS.

7 p.m. The Interrupters producer/director Steve James and producer Alex Kotlowitz
125 minutes

The Interrupters tells the moving and surprising stories of three Violence Interrupters who try to protect their Chicago communities from the violence they once employed. This film is an unusually intimate journey into the stubborn persistence of violence in our cities. Shot over the course of a year out ofKartemquin Films, The Interrupters captures a period in Chicago when it became a national symbol for the violence in our cities. During that period, the city was besieged by high-profile incidents, most notably the brutal beating of Derrion Albert, a Chicago High School student, whose death was caught on videotape.

The film's main subjects work for an innovative organization,CeaseFire. It was founded by an epidemiologist, Gary Slutkin, who believes that the spread of violence mimics the spread of infectious diseases, and so the treatment should be similar: go after the most infected, and stop the infection at its source. One of the cornerstones of the organization is the "Violence Interrupters" program, created by Tio Hardiman, who heads the program. The Interrupters - who have credibility on the streets because of their own personal histories - intervene in conflicts before they explode into violence. The Interrupters follows Ameena, Cobe and Eddie as they go about their work, and while doing so reveals their own inspired journeys of hope and redemption. The film attempts to make sense of what CeaseFire's Tio Hardiman calls, simply, "the madness".


Panel discussion on gang violence immediately afterwards....This is also a chance for our community to discuss this pressing issue. Through the wonders of Skype, one of the interrupters will be here to discuss their film and there will also be a panel featuring Mike Anderson, Poetic Mike, who will discuss his film Stray and well as others who have been involved in Gang intervention work.


Friday, February 10

5 p.m. Against All Odds A film by Sandra Pfeifer
82 minutes

In the works for over four years, Against All The Odds recounts the sometimes gruesome historical events that led to the birth of America's only 'All Black City', as well as taking an insider's look at the important grassroots community efforts that hold this unique city together today. It showcases many of the courageous citizens who work non-stop, in the worst of circumstances, to make their city a better place to live, despite the hopelessness that the outside world sees.

Against All The Odds sheds light on the courage, problems and accomplishments of a most unique and remarkably challenged city.

The issues of poverty, race and economic devastation are searing in East St Louis, Illinois and America's failure to deal with these issues on a national level comes home to roost in this remarkably challenged all Black city.

What has survived in East St Louis speaks to the depths of the human spirit, the fundamental need for human dignity, and the right to belong within a community, no matter what the circumstances.

Admission: $5

7 p.m. Payin' The Price directed by a New York teen, Jordan Coleman

Payin' The Price film was written and directed by Coleman when he was 14-years-old. It's a cautionary tale for teens. about dating violence. Payin' The Price chronicles the story of 17-year-old Jazz Johnson whose privileged life is turned upside down when a beautiful young girl from the "wrong" side of the tracks accuses him of brutally assaulting her. Johnson becomes the poster boy for teen dating violence as the film follows his relationship, arrest and trial; weaving between flashbacks of classmates, friends, family members and school officials.

According to statistics, one in three teenagers experience dating violence; one person tries to gain control over another through physical or verbal abuse. While the majority of victims are young ladies, young men are also affected and teen dating violence crosses racial, socio-economic and social lines.
A cautionary tale about teen dating violence. Jordan was inspired to tackle this issue after the Chris Brown and Rhianna "domestic violence incident." He said it was the first time that he and many of his peers had heard about domestic violence. To this day, Jordan said the conversation becomes heated among teens when asked who was at fault Chris or Rihanna. Their celebrity status brought the topic of dating violence into the homes of American families like never before.

At 16-years-old, he's a filmmaker, actor, author, education activist, honor roll student and athlete. He was recently named one the 25 Most Influential People in Our Children's Lives by Children's Health magazine. Jordan won the 2011 Martha's Vineyard African-American Film Festival HBO Best Feature Film competition with Payin' The Price.

Admission: $5


9 p.m. Dar He, The Story Of Emmett Till Rob Underhill, director/co-writer
68 minutes

In 1955, a 14-year-old Chicago youth named Emmett Till travels to the Mississippi Delta with country kinfolk and southern cooking on his mind. He walks off the train and into a world he could never understand: a world of thick color lines, of hard-held class systems and unspeakable taboos. Young Emmett crosses that line and steps into his gruesome fate by whistling at a white woman. Experience the story, trial and unbelievable confessions of the men accused of Emmett's murder in this riveting drama. DAR HE: They Lynching of Emmett Till, is the TRUE STORY crafted from public record; it transports us back to this historic tragedy that became a lightning rod for moral outrage and pivotal in inspiring a whole generation of young people to commit to social change in the 1950s. This is the Durham preview of this special film before it goes off to its World Premiere in California at the Pan African Film Festival.


Admission: $5


Saturday, February 11

10 a.m. The Start of Dreams directed by The Horne Brothers

The Start of Dreams, directed by The Horne Brothers, is the story of award-winning director Kenny Leon bringing aspiring teenage actors to a Broadway stage in his annual August Wilson Monologue competition. In a new age where Arts Education is considered expendable in such a penny-pinching economy, Leon is determined to use his celebrity and influence to expose kids across the country to the wonderful world of theatre. Featuring A-list actors like Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson and Phylicia Rashad, "The Start of Dream" is packed with Hollywood's elite weighing in on this important art form and what it means to the United States.

Admission: $5


12 p.m. STUDENT FILM (Shorts) COMPETITION (FREE)

Sleeperz Awake - Terry Barnes - Living Arts College at School of Communication Arts

Pickaniny - Eric Barstow - St. Augustine's College
This was a film projects for a Motion Picture Directing class at St. Augustine's College. The assignment was to pick one of his paintings and use it as an inspiration for a short film, maximum of four minutes long. "Pickaninny" was inspired by Rockwell's Girl at Mirror which was the cover for the March 6, 1954 issue of The Saturday Evening Post. In the original painting, a young girl sits at a mirror with an open magazine on her lap turned to the page of a glamorous model. It's the theme of measuring up to societal standards of beauty.

Doc Wiggins Impact - Kai Smith - NC Central University

Seeing Through - Jessica Wright - Duke University

White Sugar in A Brown Pot - Rachel I. Johnson - New York University
White Sugar in a Black Pot an NYU thesis short film directed by Brooklyn native Rachel I. Johnson recently won a CINE Golden Eagle Award and will premiere at the 10th Annual San Diego Black Film Festival January 26 - 29th 2012. The film kicks off with the innocent hustle and bustle of the Mackey family and unravels to reveal a true to life family and a mother who faces a dilemma. Within the film, Johnson explores the family unit and female subjectivity. She also touches upon issues of gentrification, a heated topic in many Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Rediscovering Maggie Walker - Students from Legacy Media Institute/Virginia State U.
During jim crow era and segregation southern America, one woman revolutionised the way black Americans saw themselves. The first woman to start and charter a bank she gave hope in a time when hope seemed impossible. Now a group of youth, who seem lost go on a search to exhume her memory, to rediscover Maggie Walker.


2 p.m. Panel discussion (FREE)
Topics: new media, you tube, vimeo, social media and how it is impacting the modern day world of filmmaking, the current state of filmmaking around the country, both commerical and documentary style

Lana Garland, Documentary Filmmaker
Rob Underhill, Director of Dar He
Noel James, Event Planner
Tyrone Young, NAACP Image Award Nominee for 2011
Ablavi Gbenyon, Liberian American filmmaker
Mark Anthony Neal, Professor, African & African American Studies Duke University


4 p.m. Behind Closed Doors (Short Film) by Nicole Bowman (FREE)
A film about domestic violence.


4:30 p.m. HAYTI: The Legacy of Black America (FREE)
directed by Cultural Heritage Group. Written by: Victor Stone, Jaisun McMillian and Kelvin De'Marcus Allen

The film explores the rich African-American experience in Durham' North Carolina Hayti community during the city's first 100 years.
In the years after the Civil War, former slaves all over the south looked forward to new independence and the prospect of great opportunities ahead. Many migrated to Durham, NC to take advantage of the booming tobacco and textile industries. Durham quickly developed a vibrant Black community, the center of which was an area known as 'Hayti'. From the 1800's through the 1900's, Black Durham prospered both politically and socially as a self-reliant community.

Hayti became one of the most unique and successful Black communities in America, where in the early 20th some of the largest Black-owned and operated businesses existed. Recognized by prominent national Black leaders as the "The Black Capitol of the South", Durham's most well-knowned businesses were North Carolina Mutual Insurance Company and Mechanics & Farmers' Bank which would come to be known as "Black Wall Street." In 1910, Dr. James E. Shepard founded North Carolina Central University, the nation's first publicly supported liberal arts college for African-Americans.



5 p.m. MI, A Different Kind of Girl A Premiere Screening by Leslie Cunningham
48 minutes

Laine Brown, a spirited and passionate male impersonator born on North Carolina's rural coast, transforms by taping down her breasts, shaving her head, and studying the masculine performance of today's most famous male entertainers- to become the incomparable Nation Tyre, show-stopper and ground-breaker for women in the LGBT community, perfecting the craft of male illusion to cut a space in American popular culture for women in drag. Pushing the bounds of female gender identity, is there room for a lone performer to challenge the constraints at work in the African-American and LGBT community in pursuit of fame and visibility on the world's stage? In a new- millennium America deeply committed to our categories of race and culture, gender and sexuality, is there acceptance for an M.I.? Featuring special commentary and music by KIN4LIFE, the film features on-camera interviews with Laine Brown as Nation Tyre,The House of Tyre of Atlanta, Breyannah Allure, Paris Brooks, Image, First Lady, Hollywood and many more.


Admission $5


6:30 p.m. Honey Boy (Short) a film by Teri Burnett (FREE)

The Jackie Torrance story. This short film, which was originally told orally by the late, great storyteller Jackie Torrence of Salisbury, is a riveting story. This film is about a young man, who is suspected of being a Robin Hood-type, who robs the rich and gives to the poor people in his community. Someone who fits Honey Boy's description is killed for the reward money, and Honey Boy's mother is asked to identify his body, as community citizens watch to see if he is, in fact, the person who has been killed. Written, direted and edited by Teri Burnette,, the film features local actors and members of the NC Association of Black Storytellers as the cast. Using local donations, Burnette financed this film herself.


7:00 p.m. America's Dark Secrets a film by Kim Brummell (FREE)

Power, privilege and injustice can be more lethal than a car bomb in the heart of a major city. This film takes a look at some of the most infamous extremist, radical, and cult groups in American history and their crimes. This documentary is historical, ground breaking and full of tense, real life footage that exposes government secrets and dirty money. Filmmaker Kim Brummell will be available for discussion.


8:30 p.m. Filling the Gap film by Tyrone Young
Untold stories of African Americans during America's Civil War
83 minutes

Filling The Gap is a 2011 NAACP Image Award nominated film that shares little-known facts of American history, focusing on the Civil War and African-American contributions in their fight for human rights. It is a must-see as a resource in providing the "whole story" --completing afractured telling of America's Civil War era. It is a docudrama that allows viewers to see history from a new angle; offering vignettes with three dimensional portrayals of patriots such as Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Phyllis Wheatley, and the numerous heroic acts of ordinary people of all colors who helped make America what it is today.
We believe, by presenting stories that fill in the "gaps" in our history, a new generation of Americans will be inspired to appreciate and embrace this new telling of our history with pride.


Admission $5


9:30 p.m. Being Elmo Directed and produced by Constance Marks
76 minutes

Beloved by children of all ages around the world, Elmo is an international icon. Few p eople know his creator, Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O'Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

This film was a tremendous success at last year's Full Frame Festival and we are proud to show it here at our festival.

Admission: $5


11 p.m. The Christmas Wish (FREE)
One year after his wife's Christmas Eve murder, Asia is on the brink of suicide, when he is approached by a stranger who convinces him that he can reunite him with his wife. Asia accepts the deal, only to discover the catch: He must relive the day of her death over and over again in order to be with her"


Sunday, February 12

FILM SHORTS (FREE)

12 p.m. Rediscovering Maggie Walker Produced at Tim Reid's studio
During jim crow era and segregation southern America, one woman revolutionised the way black Americans saw themselves. The first woman to start and charter a bank she gave hope in a time when hope seemed impossible. Now a group of youth, who seem lost go on a search to exhume her memory, to rediscover Maggie Walker.


12:30 p.m. Am I Your Favorite film by April Mials

1 p.m. Burned film by Phylllis Toben Bancroft
This film tells the story of a female firefighter and Air Force Veteran who returns from the Iraq War suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and stars former Raleigh native Bianca Jones. It was financed with a $100,000 "Lens on Talent" award from BET Network.


2 p.m. Chasing The Mad Lion Film Trailer

Global Center Initiative Shorts dealing with sports in Africa

Little Brother filmmakers Nicole Franklin and Jasmin Tiggett
Little Brother is a series of fifteen minute documentary films dedicated to giving Black boys a uinque voice. Beginning in 2010, filmmakers Nicole Franklin and Jasmin Tiggett take an annual look at Black boys as young as nine years old for a one-on-one conversation demystifyihng what society tends to rob them of : Love. "It's a rarity to see representations of black boys as they really are: beautiful, open, curious,k intelligent, funny and vulnerable. Little Brother, a caring documentary about the hopes, dreams and experiences of black boys is as important as it necessary.


2:45 White Wash Trespass Productions
60 minutes

White Wash, the documentary, is a film exploring the complexity of race in America through the eyes of the ocean. Examining the history of "black consciousness" as it triumphs and evolves into the minds of black surfers, we learn the power of transcending race as a constructive phenomenon. The story is narrated by the legendary, Grammy Award winner Ben Harper (Fistful of Mercy, Relentless 7, Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals) along with Tariq "Blackthought" Trotter of the Grammy Award winning hip hop group, The Roots whom also originally scored the film.


Admission $5

4 p.m. Black Power Mixtape Written and Directed by: Göran Hugo Olsson
96 minutes

The Black Power Mixtape is an award winning compilation feature documentary that displays the story of the African-American community 1967-1975, the people, the so ciety and the style that fueled a change. Told with sparkling, beautiful and deep footage, lost in the a rchives in Sweden for 30 years. This recently discovered 16mm footage, collated by filmmaker Göran Hugo Olsson into a vibrant 70s-style mixtape, allows us to see black America-and such iconic figures as Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture), Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, Angela Davis, and Eldridge Cleaver-in the heat of the times, unfiltered by the standard American media spin. This rich document intersperses commentary by present-day cultural icons and artists Cornel West, Robin D. G. Kelley, Harry Belafonte, Sonia Sanchez, Erykah Badu, ?uestlove, and Talib Kweli, all of whom have been inspired by and have participated in the movement.


Admission $5


6 p.m. Derek is Dying
Directed/written by London base filmmaker Stephen Lloyd Jackson
90 minutes

A young, successful hedge fund manager has just been told that he is HIV positive. He is informed of the possibility that his fiancée and unborn child could also be infected. Through an intense therapy session with his psychiatrist, David takes us on a pernicious journey that starts twelve months prior, exposing the women, the sex and the demons. David knows that he will die and he can live with that. But before that he must resolve the ghosts of his past before he can face his end. A disturbing psychodrama that illustrates the ugly side of love and tragic passion.

He's Lying, He's Loving, He's Dying.


Admission $5

8 p.m. ALL ME: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert
Directed by Vivian Ducat
78 minutes

With his intensely autobiographical paintings depicting the day-to-day existence of African Americans in the segregated South, Winfred Rembert has preserved an important, if often disturbing, chapter of American history. His indelible images of toiling in the cotton fields, singing in church, dancing in juke joints, or working on a chain gang are especially powerful, not just because he lived every moment, but because he experienced so much of the injustice and bigotry they show as recently as the 1960s and 70s.

Now in his sixties, Rembert has developed a growing following among collectors and connoisseurs, and enjoyed a number of tributes and exhibitions of his work. In "ALL ME: The Life and Times of Winfred Rembert," the artist relives his turbulent life, abundantly visualized by his extensive paintings and, in a series of intimate reminiscences, shows us how even the most painful memories can be transformed into something meaningful and beautiful. A glowing portrait of how an artist-and his art-is made, "ALL ME" is also a triumphant saga of race in contemporary America.

Admission $5

10 p.m. A Small Town Called Descent Directed by Jahmil XT Qubeka
106 minutes

The South African film "A Small Town Called Descent" has made big waves at the seventh Dubai International Film Festival. It deals with the 2008 xenophobic attacks, in which over 60 people died.

Somewhere in a remote part of South Africa, a heinous crime is committed. Against the backdrop of Xenophobic riots that have swept across the country, two Zimbabwean brothers, along with a local girl, are brutally attacked The older brother (Getmore Sithole) is burnt alive whilst his younger sibling (Morgen Bousa) and the girl (Hlubi Mboya) are sodomised, raped and left for dead. Three investigators from the elite crime fighting unit known as the Scorpions are deployed to A Small Town Called Descent. Their mandate is clear : uncover the truth. However, are they the right men for the job? The senior Investigator (Vusi Kunene) has a proverbial Monkey on his back that has torn his family apart. The other two investigators; One (Paul Buckby) is an apartheid relic with a drug problem and the other (Vuyo Dabula) is a naive rookie with something to prove - seem an unlikely team to tackle the case. Guided by the zealous hand of an eccentric cleric (John Savage) they manouvre through the small town's complex, social dynamic to get to the truth.


Admission $5

Soul Train Line Was More Than a Dance

Photographs courtesy of Brett Chambers

The radio station back home didn’t play soul music when I was a kid. I only listened to the radio when I wanted to listen to Jack Buck do play by play of the St. Louis Cardinals during baseball season. I kept score sheets to keep pace with my favorite players from my favorite team: Lou Brock, Bake McBride, Kurt Floyd and Bob Gibson.

It wasn’t until I visited my aunt on Garfield Avenue in St. Louis that I caught a fever for the music I love so much. My father played it during the weekends with a shot glass and a bottle of vodka nearby to soak the burden of the week away. I knew about soul music, but that day elevated my appreciation for the sound that was beginning to change the tunes on the airwaves.

It was Saturday morning, and a dude with a tight afro introduced that cat name Al Green. I was captivated by his deep voice. What followed shifted my disillusionment into pride. I watched as All Green merged funk with old time revival while singing “Let’s Stay Together.” I felt something that fueled an interest in the moves and the music that made me feel like what James Brown screamed in that song – “Say it Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud.”

Pride took hold that day. I giggled as my play girlfriend, Jodie Whatley, strutted down the soul train line. I found reason, in that moment, to connect to the amazing culture witnessed on the tube. I wanted to board the Soul Train and take a ride to black pride.

It’s the reason I organized a Soul Train line on Saturday evening. I had to find a way to thank Don Cornelius for placing a mirror before me and forcing me to view the beauty on my black face. He gave me reason to embrace my black moves and to allow my black hair to grow naturally. He gave me reason not to put chemicals in my hair to transform my nappy into something closer to white folk’s hair.

I found comfort in the banging of a bass followed by the snap of a snare drum. Yes, I wanted to take a trip to funky town, and I didn’t want to go back to that place that said there was something wrong with me. My life hasn’t been the same since that day back in 1972..

So, about 50 people showed up after I announced we would boogie oogie oogie near the big bull in downtown Durham. We gathered after 32 hours noticed. We communicated via facebook and Twitter. My son, King Kenney, and Mike set up the 1’s and 2’s and took us all to a place that forced bodies to move and memories to resurrect. We danced in the dark. We moved in the cold and rain. We strutted down that Soul Train line over and over again. Some bumped their way down. A few played the running man and robot. The old Kid N’ Play dance made an appearance.

Our gathering reflected more than a love affair with movement. This was no party reserved for black folks only. Our gathering proved the Don’s appeal beyond the nation’s soul brothers and sisters. White folks showed up. Reverend Ginny took time away from sermon preparation to strut down the line. Image this, a black male preacher danced with a white female preacher down the Soul Train line on a Saturday night. That was truly a Holy dance.

I wish more could have made it. Those who came witnessed one of those rare moments were memory is transcended beyond past comprehension. What was known takes on new meaning. What was felt is observed as the witness of a shielded truth. This man meant more than what we knew. Soul Train was more than a television show. It brought cultures divided together by a brand kept separated by skin tones. It healed wounds caused by division and challenged us to put our feet ahead of our indifference.

We danced for 30 minutes. Then the train came and took us home. Toot the whistle Don. Love, peace and soul!

Waiting for God to Show Up

As wonder about Jesus hanging on the cross that day looking down as and asking God “Why have you forsaken me. After all I've done for you. Now I set here in darkness, homeless, hungry many times, sick, confess and feeling worthless, angry, you were silent. I cried out many of nights lying in bed in fear as I hear things being thrown, the sounds of holds being punched in the wall. I balled in like a baby with my ears covered for the sounds of glass being thrown. Yet you were silent. Yet I've never given up hope that one day you would show up.
4th Floor Red Zone Williams Ward

I received the above meditation the day after that moment. It was one of those rare occasions that forced a rethink regarding the assumptions I make. It was another reminder that I, like most of us, haven’t grown as much as I had thought.

While reclining on the couch at the Bean Trader on Ninth Street, that moment came as I wrote about the affairs in Durham, NC. It was in the middle of a line about our need to affirm people beyond our notions of worth. The truth hit me in the face.

I was sitting next to one of the homeless men known among those who frequent Ninth Street. It was a chilly night. He sat with his eyes glued to nowhere. As if he was thinking of something he couldn’t shake free. His body and face barely moved as he held a hot cup of Joe in his hand to thaw his body from the cold.

Then it happened. The door hastily opened as three African American men approached the man on the couch. I knew all three as members of the community of homeless. They approached their white companion as if on a mission. The air was filled with the odor of days devoid of soap and water. I fought back my disgust as I peaked at the words on my computer – “we must see the face of God beyond our assumptions.” Then love showed up.

“You alright man,” one of the men yelled shaking with deep concern. “You ok man.”

Each of them went into their pockets. They pulled dollars out and placed them in his hands. “We got you man. Don’t you worry bout that. We got you.”

The man on the couch nodded his head as he received the money. “Thank you,” he uttered.

“I’m impressed with you for doing that,” I said as the three missionaries prepared to leave.

“That’s what we do! That’s how we support each other,” the leader of the church said as they walked out the door.

The man next to me took a sip from his cup. He said nothing. I noticed the tear travelling down his cheek as if to say thank you.

I packed my bags and made my way to the car parked in front of the coffeehouse. I hurried my way in anticipation of the flood. It came before I closed the door. My tears came like guilt packed on top of my conceit. Guilt loaded on top of my assumptions. “That is what we do,” he said. Why can’t those who have so much do more?

The next day I received the journal entry from my friend Tony Johnson. He wrote it while in the hospital. He told me he wrote it while wondering if it is worth going on. It reflects his pain of being homeless, depressed, lonely and lacking resources to rise above the ashes. It reflects his pain of being rejected. He’s rejected for being gay. He’s rejected for being black. He carries the burden of walking in his own skin.

All he wants to do is dance.

But not just any dance. His body, frail from illness, is his voice. He moves like music in praise to the God he loves so much. Although rejected by many who see him as less than, his body says more. He keeps waiting and dancing and praying and hoping that God will show up.

Tony, God shows up whenever you show up. Your steps are guided by a higher truth. Dance Tony. Dance for the homeless on Ninth Street. Dance for those who do what they do – show love when others see no love in them. Dance for our friend on the couch. Dance for me.

While in a hospital bed he wondered if it is worth living. Yes, it is Tony. This is what we do. We love you back to your truth.

Rise and dance.

Collective Sun challenges the notion of tolerance

When the Daily Beast named Durham, NC the nation’s most tolerant city, my son, King Kenney, responded by writing about memories of being stopped by police for walking in his own neighborhood, driving for being black and enduring living in a community that fails to support African American men.

My son’s rant, posted on his Facebook wall, reflects a deeper concern related to the assumptions we make about tolerance. The absence of hate crimes, the presence of diversity and the acceptance of same-gender unions doesn’t negate the hostility felt by African American men.

His words speak to a deep angst that will appear on stage at the Hayti Heritage Center on Friday, February 24. Collective Sun – reshape the mo(u)rning is part performance, part exhibit and part audio installation. It tells the stories of how violence, prison and policing have eroded hope among African American boys and their mothers.

“We started this project eight years ago,” says Nia Wilson, executive director of SpiritHouse. “It’s a dialogue about the truth about policing in our community.”

SpiritHouse, the organization presenting Collective Sun, started listening and found common themes. They heard the pain of being followed by the police, being pulled over for no reason and having to endure it just because it comes with being black. They heard stories about life behind bars and the dread felt while waiting for your son to come home.

“How long have we survived this type of abuse,” Wilson asked. “Image the pain of a mother who has to deal with the fear of having her son walking in the streets.”

Rachael Derello will present a scene that confronts the agony of women delivering babies in prison. “They deliver babies while in shackles,” Derello says. “They give the mother 20 minutes with the baby and then they take the baby away.”

“These are stories that we don’t understand as stories,” Derello continued. “These are the stories of black mothers who fear our children will be taken away.”

“People are saying they are touched in ways they have never felt before,” Wilson says. “People are saying this is how this subject impacts me. They are saying I can’t be all I need to be out of fear.”

Derello and Wilson say the work is an organic script. It is still brewing due to their desire to not silence a voice.

“In December we had a stage reading,” Wilson says. “From that reading we heard the voice of black men wasn’t strong enough.” It was an all female cast. It presented the perspective of mothers. The women on the stage begged for solutions on how to protect their boys and men. It shared the fear of their sons being killed or arrested. But those men weren't speaking.

The men had to be heard. They needed to hear the stories we don’t talk about. How does it feel to be policed constantly? How does it feel being followed whenever you go to the mall? What happens to the psyche of a black boy when he endures all of that attention just because of the color of his skin?

The celebration of Durham’s tolerance exposes a lack of compassion for the city’s black men. Truth is it’s not a Durham problem. Black men are feared and unjustly profiled around the world. We are assumed guilty until proven otherwise. We are maligned due to the notions of those who define us based on the clippings in the newspaper and evening news.

Yes, I’ve been stopped for driving while black and walking while black. Yes, I’ve been followed while shopping. I have watched white women cross the street when I approach them. To all that I respond: I don’t want the money in your purse. I’m not here to shoplift. You’re not my type so I have no interest in forcing you to have sex with me. I don’t fit the description of the man you are looking for. I’m 6’1” with locs. He’s 5’9” with a bald head. Let’s not forget they say he’s in his mid 20’s. Yes, I look good for my age, but I have children older than that!

Durham may be the most tolerant when it comes to certain things, but it sure gets old being forced into one of those pigeon holes used to define my character.

Someone may say that’s an overreaction. To that I respond, come to the Collective Sun: reshape the mo(u)rning. We can talk after the show.

For more information and to purchase tickets go to:
http://collectivesun.eventbrite.com/

Omar Beasley to run for the Board of County Commissioners: Let Change Begin

I smell the scent of revolution in the air. Those tired of business as usual have decided to take matters into their own hands. It reminds me of a James Baldwin quote. “Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced.”

The first to step forward to face the possibility of change is Omar Beasley. Beasley has informed me that he will file papers to run for the Board of County Commissioners on today. From all accounts, Durham’s Commissioners race could see a clean sweep of the current board. Even longtime Commissioner Ellen Reckhow is in jeopardy of facing the wrath of Durham’s voters.

Beasley’s decision to run for the office isn’t fueled by the dysfunction among members of the current Board of Commissioners. “I thought about running during the past election,” he says. “I wasn’t ready to run. I had to do some work to prepare myself.”

Beasley says he had to spend time listening to voters and doing more service before moving forward. “I considered a run for city council ten years ago,” he says. “I decided that the type of change I wanted to make required me working as a commissioner.”

Beasley is a bail bondsman. He says his work within the criminal justice system awakened a passion to make a difference among those falling through the cracks. “We have to do something to improve our educational system in Durham,” he says. “We have to use our resources in a way that will make a real difference.”

Beasley was born in San Diego, California where football and track opened doors for him to continue his education. He moved to Durham to attend North Carolina Central University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history education in 1996. His work as a bail bondsman has always been about helping those caught up in a demoralizing system. Beasley kept looking for more to help build lives beyond helping people get out of jail.

I met Beasley when he was a student at NCCU. He attended the Orange Grove Missionary Baptist Church when I was pastor there. He came to me when he was struggling to ascertain God’s will for his life. He felt a deep calling to work with youth. I mentored him as he processed through what that meant. I travelled with him to Jamaica to perform his marriage ceremony. I know his wife Tanisha and celebrate their life and love as a couple determined to live with integrity.

Beasley once came to me with a vision. He wanted to form a track club for youth. “We have the Durham Striders,” I told him. His response revealed deep insight and dedication. There was something about him that inspired me. He gets it, I remember thinking that day.

“There are too many kids who need what they do,” he said. “There are too many kids to limit the work to one group.” He went on to help form the Carolina Elite Track Club. He is also the Assistant Track Coach at Jordan High School.

I spoke with Beasley about the endorsement process in Durham. “I’ve gone to Durham Committee meetings,” he told me. “Many of the people don’t know me.” He’s an unknown running for office. He lacks a solid endorsement from the Durham Committee, the People’s Alliance or Friends of Durham. Getting one of the established political action committees to give him the nod may a difficult task.

It’s the reason I’m willing to vouch for Beasley. He has my endorsement. Why? Because he has done the tough work needed to prove his worth. He is willing to listen and understands what matters most – the people he will serve. I give Beasley my endorsement because he is a rare breed among those who run for office in Durham. He’s young, insightful, dedicated and determined to make a difference.

He’s not doing it for himself. This is his calling. Let change begin.

My Chat With Author of Duke Study

Photo: Herald-Sun/Christine Nguyen

He’s not a racist. He simply didn’t know any better. That’s the impression I left with after my chat with Peter Arcidiacono, one of the authors of a controversial study that has damaged race relations at Duke University. Last week the Rev-elution shredded the study for making assertions that make one wonder about the underlying motives of the authors.

In that blog (The Ghetto Side at Duke) I questioned why the authors would use the decision to shift academic major to gauge performance. “By arguing against the merits of black academic performance by using academic major as a variable, the authors of this study have created an academic caste system that the university may have difficulty in unraveling,” I wrote.

My primary contention with the study is it being attached to a case on affirmative action before the U.S. Supreme Court. Arcidiacono reached out to me due to the public perception that he is aligned with the people arguing against affirmative action. He wanted to set the record straight that his agenda is not to dismantle affirmative action. I met with him to discuss his concerns.

I began with my issues related to the study as an unpublished work. Given it has not been published and hasn’t been reviewed by his peers, how did it land in the hands of those connected to the Supreme Court case?

Arcidiacono informed me that it was pulled from the website that presents his unpublished work. “It’s the way we do things in the field of economics,” he informed me. Given the time between completion of work, and the publication of that work, it is posted on the internet to give peers a chance to review before it is published. “People in the field of economics don’t have problems with the research.”

I discussed with him my personal concerns that his work is being discussed prior to publication which gives the impression that it is endorsed by his peers. He informed me that it has been rejected once due to what was called a lack of relevancy.

“This is the most talked about work I have ever done,” he says. Maybe the people at that journal were afraid to step into that can of worms.

Despite the local talk about the study, it has failed to receive the official endorsement as a credible study among those within his field. I informed Arcidiacono that having a conversation involving a study that hasn’t been peer reviewed assumes credibility of his research. The truth is that hasn’t happened yet.

I moved from a discussion involving the significance of the work given a lack of peer review to the matter of motivation. What is it that stirred his interest in this subject matter? He indicated that the decision is rooted in what he considered to be a lack of credible research on either side of the affirmative action issue. He felt it critical to delve into how the gap between white and black achievement is impacted after students enroll in elite universities.

It is his contention that the findings of his study expose the limits of the university in supporting students once enrolled opposed to a deficiency among the black students enrolled at Duke. Students enrolled with the intent of pursuing certain academic disciplines are set up to fail due to a failure of support from the university.

“Are you saying those students don’t deserve to be at Duke,” I asked.

“No, I’m saying the university needs to support them in achieving the interest they had when they enrolled.”

We discussed the implication within the program he teaches. There are few black students and no black professors. By failing to support black students who enroll with an interest to pursue a degree in economics, the university creates a culture that fails to offset the disparity between black and white students within that field.

Arcidiacono pressed to convince me that the findings of his study are more of a critique of the failures within the Duke system versus a question of the intelligence of the students enrolled. If they enroll with an interest to pursue certain fields of study after being accepted with academic credentials below white students; it is the responsibility of the university to establish systems of support to assure that they will achieve their goal.

“Do, you understand why the study is painful for black students to read,” I asked. Arcidiacono’s response made it clear that he was clueless. I had to help him understand.

Black students on campuses like Duke have to contend with the perception that they don’t belong. The judgment that they aren’t as smart as white kids is rooted in a history a race and racism that we have not yet overcome. The study exposes the gap between white and black achievement in a way that feeds the hunger among those who contend a white person was robbed a seat due to an unworthy black kid who took their place.

Arcidiacono, and the other authors of this study, failed to ponder how it feels to walk in the shadow of the Duke legacy while many feel you have no right to be there. They need to be there – he responded. We simply need to help them be successful.

How do you do that without drawing attention to the disparity? I had to ask that question after he informed me the university doesn’t want to deal with the conclusions of the study. How do you establish a system of support for black student without bringing attention to the need for the support? Do we want to give those searching for evidence to prove the unworthiness of black presence the ammunition to shoot them down?

What does that do to the self-esteem of those who enroll with pride related to their acceptance? Do you want to tell them they lack the intelligence? Should we establish a remedial program that brings further attention to that disparity?

We then discussed the social implications related to this type of research. The role of research is to measure and expose the validity of our assumptions. Some of that research is rendered within a context of historical anguish that both compromises and hinders the way the public engages with the study. As viable as some research may be, some things can’t be heard because it is too painful to hear.

Why is it painful? Because no matter how you state it, the conclusion asserts the limits of the subject of the study. You may argue the university needs to do more, or you can suggest that black students lack the same level of preparation. It all feels the same. Black folks don’t deserve to be here.

So, I’m willing to concede that Arcidiacono is not a racist. With that being said, the findings of the study have racial implications, and they hurt deep.

Any thoughts?

Mitch Daniels Republican Response Proves He Doesn't Read

I enjoyed the opening of Mitch Daniels GOP response to President Obama’s State of the Union address. He commended Obama for being a good father, husband and leading the charge to rid the world of Osama Bin Laden. I was beginning to think the Governor from Indiana was willing to depart from the antics that has hindered the progress of our nation. Then it happened.


Daniels conjured the memory of Steve Jobs. He made a comment about that last name – Jobs - and how it was fitting to have that name given how many jobs he has created to support the American economy. He talked about how government needs to encourage businesses like Apple by not loading them down with high taxes. Shame on Obama for fueling a class war. Shame on Obama for blaming the deficient on the rich and forcing them to pay as much in taxes as million and billionaires.


The problem with Daniels comments is it followed an article in Sunday’s New York Times. It told of an exchange between Obama and Jobs last year. Obama was at a dinner in Silicon Valley last February when he asked Jobs what it would take for iPhones to be made in the United States.


“Those jobs aren’t coming back,” was Jobs response, according to the NY Times. Not long ago all Apple products were made in America, but now all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products sold last year were made overseas.


In using Jobs as an example of how low taxes and incentives foster an environment that encourages businesses to create jobs, Daniels proved he didn’t do his homework before making his speech. One would think that someone would have slowed his roll before making a statement that could be used later to bite him in the ass.


Or maybe his pro business position isn’t as much about creating work for those in our own back yard. Maybe, in the minds of those stuck on reducing the deficient at all cost, the loss of jobs in America isn’t as important as allowing companies like Apple to make as much money as they can, even if at the expense of the American worker.


The NY Times article makes a good argument for why Apple decided to take their show on the road. “Last year, it earned $400,000 in profit per employee, more than Goldman Sach, Exxon Mobile or Google.” It simply isn’t financially viable for Apple to move those jobs back home.


“Apple’s an example of why it’s so hard to create middle-class jobs in the U.S. now,” the article quoted Jared Bernstein, who until last year was an economic adviser to the White House. “If it’s the pinnacle of capitalism, we should be worried.”

“A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the company’s dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day,” the NY Times reported.

“The speed and flexibility is breathtaking,” an executive said. “There’s no American plant that can match that.”

The Foxconn City plant in China employs 230,000 people, many working six days a week and 12 hours a day at the plant. Foxconn Technology has facilities in Asia and Eastern Europe, and in Mexico and Brazil and is responsible for assembling 40 percent of the world consumer electronics for companies like Amazon, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Motorola, Nintendo, Nokia, Samsung and Sony. An official at Apple says they can employ 3,000 people in one night.

“We shouldn’t be criticized for using Chinese workers,” a current Apple executive said. “The U.S. has stopped producing people with the skills we need.”

Republicans have argued that business opt to leave American soil due to regulations and taxes. The NY Times article paints a different picture. Companies are manufacturing services abroad because doing so increase profit. One could argue that this is a variable of extreme regulations. That may be true if you’re willing to have workers function in sweat shops.

What Daniels failed to concede are the numerous implications related to the article in the NY Times. His comments showed a lack of sensitivity to how jobs in America are being lost as companies take advantage of the benefits of using factories on foreign soil. Obama addressed this issue in his State of the Union address.

The least that Daniels and other Republicans could do is face the elephant in the room.

Last I checked, the elephant is a Republican mascot.

Joe Paterno Dead: Sad is the Only Word

Photo from ABC News


Those who knew him best say he died of a broken heart. In 2010, when asked why he wouldn’t retire, he said he was afraid he might die if he walked away from the work he loved so much. There is only one word to describe the death of Joe Paterno-sad.

What makes the death of Paterno so heartbreaking is the way it all ended. After coaching 46 seasons, becoming the winningest coach in major college football, he was handed a package via a carrier with a phone number. He called the number and was told the trustees at Penn State had decided to fire him. His wife called back to give her thoughts on how they handled her husband’s termination.

The sadness of Paterno’s death is impacted by the bitterness caused by one lapse in judgment. He lived by what he called “Success with Honor” and carried that torch for 46 years. The tarnishing of his character was due to mistakes made by others. It was the mistake of one of his coaches that forced him out. It was the mistakes of those he trusted to investigate allegations of child sex abuse that did him in.

Recently, Paterno admitted he didn’t know what to do. As they say, hindsight is 20/20. It is easy for those standing on the outside of it all to claim they would have contacted the police. Certainly I hope that I would if placed in that situation, but it is possible that I, like Paterno, would have trusted those who know what to do to do the right thing. “I wish I had done more,” he said.

What makes this all so sad is how Penn State handled the last days of Joe Pa’s life. From all accounts, no one from the administration reached out to Paterno after he received his pink slip over the phone. There was no tribute in his honor before he took his last breath. The university he loved so much never thanked him for giving so much back.

And he gave a lot back. He was told over the phone despite contributing over 4 million dollars to Penn State. Yes, he should have contacted the police. There is no doubting that. The sadness in his death is in how the mistakes made by others can tarnish the legacy of one who has given so much.

It’s sad that Jerry Sandusky released a statement. “This is a sad day! Our family, Dottie and I would like to convey our deepest sympathy to Sue and her family. Nobody did more for the academic reputation of Penn State than Joe Paterno," Sandusky said in an email through his attorney. "He maintained a high standard in a very difficult profession. Joe preached toughness, hard work and clean competition."

"Most importantly, he had the courage to practice what he preached. Nobody will be able to take away the memories we all shared of a great man, his family, and all the wonderful people who were a part of his life."

It’s sad that Sandusky failed to understand that his release of a statement harms the family and reminds us of how his actions led to the tarnishing of Paterno’s reputation. It’s sad that people get punished for failing to police those they trust. It’s sad that all the good one has done is forgotten due to the bad someone else has done.

Those close to him say he died of a broken heart. Given all he stood for, that’s enough to kill a person with a heart like the one he shared.

It’s sad that we get judged not only for what we do, but for what we do related to the people we trust.

Sad is the only word.

The Ghetto Side at Duke University

Photo from BET.com

Just when I was prepared to throw away all those race cards, I find reason to keep a few in my back pocket. After years of grappling to get past the notion that I’m only in the room because I’m black, a study conducted by faculty at Duke University argues black students aren’t able to deal with the rigor of those tough academic majors. In other words, they take classes in the ghetto at Duke.

One is left questioning the motivation behind the study. Why would a group of professors go about the task of researching the merits of black folks being in the room? The answer is simple. The paper is part of a brief submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court by opponents of affirmative action. The report, “What Happens After Enrollment? An Analysis of the Time Path of Racial Difference in GPA and Major Choice,” found that among students who enrolled with an interest in majoring in economics, engineering and the natural sciences, 54 percent of black men and 51 percent of black women changed their major to the humanities or another social science.

That’s compared to the 33 percent of white women and 8 percent of white men who switched majors. The study assumes the switch is made because they are less rigorous, require less study and have easier grading standards.

Professors Peter Arcidiacono, Kenneth Spenner and graduate student Esteban Aucejo argue that “attempts to increase representation [of minorities] at elite universities through the use of affirmative action may come at a cost of perpetuating underrepresentation of blacks in the natural sciences and engineering.”

In other words, it’s not enough to consider the GPA of black students. According to the study, the success of black students at Duke must be evaluated based on their academic major. The authors of the paper suggest that the switch to easier majors is the reason the GPA of black undergraduates is similar to the GPA of white students. Black folks can’t compete in a world where they have to take the tough classes. Time to pull out one of my cards.

The measuring of the black intellect is an old game. In 1994, Harvard psychologist Richard J. Hermstein and political scientist Charles Murray, published The Bell Curve. The controversy of the book involved sections in the book in which the authors wrote about racial differences in intelligence. They write in chapter 13: "It seems highly likely to us that both genes and the environment have something to do with racial differences." The book fueled a national debate on the issue of race and intelligence.

By arguing against the merits of black academic performance by using academic major as a variable, the authors of this study have created an academic caste system that the university may have difficulty in unraveling. There are real programs, and there are easy programs. Are the big wigs at Duke willing to accept that the findings of the study ultimately call into question the academic strength of the programs on the other side of the tracks?

The study also implies that black students make changes due to struggles in those tough programs. Their GPA should be cast aside because they failed to compete in those real programs. Is it possible that a few of those students changed their major because they found a true passion in the humanities? How many of those students went on to pursue a PhD?

It’s dangerous whenever a person delves into the matter of race and intelligence. It is even more harmful when the motivation for the research is to invalidate intelligence due to a political agenda. This research is not about the decisions of black students at Duke. It is a ploy to nullify their right to be in the room.

I say no to placing merit on a few academic programs over others. I say no to measures of black student achievement based on an assumption that they can’t handle the heat. I say no to Duke University for failing to stand by programs in the humanities that this study attacks for being less than the rest.

I want to throw these cards away. But if it smells like a bigot and sounds like a bigot, well, you know the rest

Journey Back to the Heart: DCIA Anuual Meeting

I will never forget my last thought before passing the torch as President of Durham Congregations in Action. I spoke about the organizations role in moving the city past the issues that divide us. It was the day after I made a similar speech at the Martin Luther King Triangle Interfaith Prayer Breakfast. There, I spoke about dreams deferred.

“Where is Carl,” I thought as I made my speech at the DCIA Annual Meeting. Something didn’t feel right. Carl Washington, my best friend, wasn’t there. Washington, the former director of the Department of Parks & Recreation, stood with me during a season of struggle. He, along with Steve Chalmers, former Chief of Police, had tutored me in the work of community organizing. We worked together in helping to build the North East Central Partners Against Crime project. More than any of that, Carl was the one who carried me through a combination of personal troubles.

When I returned home I received a call from his wife. “Carl is dead,” she told me. “He died while jogging…” My head was filled with silence as the tears consumed me. I carried that pain through the night. I didn’t want to move. I didn’t want to preach. I couldn’t even think.

I made my way to the office the next morning. The first order of business was handling a phone call from one of the deacons. They wanted to meet with me about the jar of condoms placed on my desk by an employee at the Health Department. It was enough to fuel their interest of ridding the church of my leadership. It was too much for me to bear. Carl wasn’t there to listen. The pain consumed me. A part of me was lost, little by little.

The following week I gave Carl’s eulogy. I used a line from Og Mandino’s book The Greatest Miracle in the World. Mandino told the story of a ragpicker. I told them Carl was a ragpicker. He had a way of finding rags and refining them. I was one of those rags.

What followed was a retreat. Pain can do that. I retreated from DCIA. The memory of that night was too much for me to take. I retreated from the NECD project. In many ways, I retreated from the work of the Church. I walked in that space like a zombie in search of a place to die. My intellect and charisma were enough to keep me entrenched in the work, but I knew the truth. It wasn’t the same.

I returned to DCIA last year after Spencer Bradford, the executive director, met with me to discuss my getting involved again. The climb back into my calling has stirred so many memories – some good, mostly painful. The faces in the room have changed over the years. What hasn’t changed is the significance of that message I gave when I stepped down as President.

It’s a message about the bonds we create beyond race, class, faith claims, gender differences, age gaps or sexual orientation. It’s a message about the power of authentic unity and the claiming of the worth of every life. That message hasn’t changed.

What has changed are the people in the room. Some have moved away. Some have died. Some are getting older yet continue to serve the best they can despite the limits caused by age. And, others have lost passion for the vision.

Those who lost passion due to personal pain, like me, need to come back. Where are they now? Have they given up or are they too tired to keep trying?

No more excuses. It’s time to serve again. Back to the heart

DCIA’s Annual Meeting takes place on Tuesday, January 24 at 6:00 pm. It will be held at the St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church (82 Kimberly Drive). The keynote speaker will be William J. Barber, president of the North Carolina NAACP and pastor of Greenleaf Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), in Goldsboro, NC. Barber will be speaking on the role of faith communities in fighting racism in 2012. The dinner is $14 per plate, and reservations need to be made by January 19, by calling (919) 688-2036, emailing dcia@dcia.org, or in person or by postal mail to the DCIA office, 504 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham, NC 27701. Payment may be sent in advance or made at the door (checks should be payable to “DCIA” and noted for the 2012 banquet).

Ar-Rahmaan installed as Pastor:The Journey of a Female Minister to Find her Way

Willeta J. Ar-Rahmaan (left) and Richele James with Carl W. Kenney II (The Rev-elution) at the celebration of Compassion Ministries of Durham 8th Anniversary)

She would sit in the back of the church each Sunday. Unlike many of the others who gathered for worship, she failed to reflect the spirituality of those enamored with visible praise. She didn’t stand during one of those electrifying songs that triggered memories of how God carried us through many dangers, toils and snares. She didn’t shout in the middle of a line in my sermon to denote a connection with the thought uttered. She just sat in the pews. Unnoticed. She just listened.

My first thought when she came to my office was her name - Willetta J. Ar-Rahmaan. She told me her story. “I’m Muslim,” she said. She was there, listening to my words. I watched as she made her progression from the balcony, to the back row on the first floor, to closer to the front, and then, she made that last step.

“I’m called to the work of ministry,” she told me. Her announcement came as no surprise. I recognized something different after that first encounter. Yet, a still cried. There was something about the message of love and compassion that compelled her to move from the safety of the pews into the work of ordained ministry.

I continued to watch her grow. She would call me and share being caught between her life as computer geek employed by IBM and the work in ministry. “I want to walk away from my job, but how can I when I have to eat.” I listened as I felt the pain of her struggle to walk within her calling. I listened and watched as she completed her Masters of Divinity while maintaining her job at IBM. She commuted from her home in Charlotte to attend classes on Saturday’s at Virginia Union in Richmond, Virginia.

I listened as she endured the deep-seeded sex discrimination within the African American Baptist church. She watched as men were promoted to the work of ministry while she was passed by despite her theological training and willingness to serve. I could hear the frustration within her voice as she prayed for a place, any place, to use her enormous gifts and graces.

“Leave the Baptist,” I instructed her. “Why remain in a place that fails to affirm you.” I was then and am saddened now by that admission.

I watched as she made the move I suggested. She contacted the District Superintendent to begin the process. She enrolled at the Hood Theological Seminary to take courses on Methodism. It seemed like the perfect union, although she would take a cut in pay.

Fast forward to Sunday, January 8, 2012. On yesterday, she was installed as Pastor of the St. Paul United Methodist Church in Newton, North Carolina. Sadly, I couldn’t make the trip due to my need to be in Durham for worship service. If there, I would have made comments to her congregation. I would have spoken about how proud I am of her for pressing on despite the barriers in her way.

I think of other women who have fought to find their way within structures unwilling to share space. I pray for all of my daughters in ministry who remain faithful while men and women refuse to concede the power of their voices. When I consider the women who have moved on to obtain their Maters of Divinity from congregations I led, I’m amazed by the numbers. Willetta, Richele James, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Vanessa Enoch. Karen Thompson, Edna Stephens, Teddra Bynes, Denise Bland-Jones, Ivy Hooper, Katia Wilson, Prinn Deavens and Connie Pope. That’s twelve out of the thirty-six women who have entered ministry under my leadership.

Willeta is the third to be called to lead a congregation. Both Teddra Bynes and Karen Thompson, like Willetta, had to leave the Baptist to make it happen. Karen, who was ordained under my leadership, has led congregations with the United Church of Christ. Teddra is an Episcopal priest. Four other women planted new churches – Arlene Chavis, Daryl Bowick, Pat Lee and Shamiele Alston– all are Pastors of churches they started in Durham. Three others, Chanequa Walker-Barnes, Vanessa Enoch and Katia Wilson, hold PhD’s and serve in the academy.

There are 65 men and women who have entered ministry from the work I have done in Durham, NC. Many of the men have been appointed to lead congregations within the Baptist church family. Others have gone on to organize new churches. Sadly, not one woman has been called to serve within a Baptist Church. Each has been forced to either organize a new church, change affiliation or teach religion at a seminary or divinity school.

This is of concern when it comes to the promotion of theological training within mainline faith traditions. It is saddening that so many have opted not to pursue the benefits of theological training. I’m burdened at the numbers of people being led by pastors who have not taken time to ponder the truths they teach week after week. Shouldn’t we demand of our leadership a level of training consistent to what we expect from other vocations? Or, should we assume that the Holy Ghost feeds truth to those empowered with spiritual gifts?

Women have been forced to prove their worth in ways beyond the men who share that sacred space. Some give up and do it their own way. Others keep pressing, waiting and praying for a chance to use those gifts God has given. So many female clergy become battered along the journey of self-discovery and affirmation. Don’t give up Richele. Hold on Cheryl, Sandra, Joyce, Regina, Connie, Valerie and the other women waiting to find a place.

As you wait, thank God for Willetta. She made it! Beyond her past. Beyond her gender. Beyond all that stood in the way – well done Pastor Lettie. Well done.

Durham Arts Council Under Attack for Not Supporting Artists

Baltimore Blues is the work of King Kenney

I’ve been spending a lot of time talking to artist lately. My passion to know more about how they feel is rooted, in part, to my son taking the leap of depending on people to buy his work. It also has to do with my being an artist. It reminds me of a line from “Hustle and Flow”- “It’s hard out here for a pimp.” Well, it’s hard out here for an artist.

It’s always been hard out here, but things have become increasingly more difficult since the economy took a turn for the worse. My second novel hasn’t sold like the first one, and I’m clear it has a lot to do with people pinching those pennies the best they can. Those artists are telling me about how they scuffle to stick with their passion. They have to decide between creating masterpieces and paying the rent.

The worst part is a lack of resources to inspire them to keep on keeping on. Each person I’ve talked to has the same complaint. They want to know more about the purpose of the Durham Arts Council. They are disenchanted with the lack of support coming from the organization established to promote and support the artists in our community.

I’m told the council is set up to support its own infrastructure while leaving very little for the artists. Other than the Emerging Artist grant, they say they are left with no more than a few chances to showcase their work, and that comes with a price. They have to pay to participate in Art Walk and Centerfest.

“I paid to be in the last Art Walk,” one of the artists told me. “I lost money because no one brought my work.”

I’ve heard that from King, my son, and others who have chosen not to participate in Art Walk for that reason. The point isn’t to throw darts at the Art Council, but to bring attention to the perceptions of those who create the work. These views are reflected among both visual and performing artists. Many base their opinion on a comparison of what is done in other communities.

A good example is the New York City Artist Homestead. I first heard about the program after Sima Flower, former owner of Peacefire Gallery in downtown Durham, moved to New York City. The Homestead offers a variety of incentives to those who make a living with their art. Check out their website at:
http://www.artisthomestead.com/

Here’s the list of incentives on that website.

1. Inexpensive Historic Structures And Raw Space Available - as well as vacant lots and other structures owned by the City of York Redevelopment Authority.

2. Zero Interest, Forgivable Loan Of $5,000 Per Artist - a panel will jury five visual artists homesteading in City of York in 2006, judged on quality of work and/or business plan. Once homesteader lives in home for five years, loan is 100 percent forgivable.

3. Architectural fees up to $3,000 - for services of York City architects per artist/homeowner for best five visual artists homesteading in 2006-2007.

4. Residential Tax Abatement (ReTAP) - on value of improvements of new construction and/or new residential construction.

5. Waiver of Permit Fees. - as well as vacant lots and other structures owned by the City of York Redevelopment Authority.

6. Free Promotions: - Art reception with local artists at local galleries, free website listings, listing in the Downtown York visitors guide, and feature on White Rose Cable Television.

7. Free One-year Memberships - to the Strand-Capitol Performing Arts Center, YorkArts, York County Heritage Trust and YMCA.

8. Free Gym Membership with unlimited fitness and aquatic classes - for one for one year courtesy of YWCA. Annual value of $453.

9. Sparky and Clarks Roasting Company - Welcome Basket of Coffee and Promotion Products.

10. Starving Artist Stipends Restaurant Discount Cards courtesy of - York's Downtown Restaurant Coalition.

I couldn’t fight the urge to list all the incentives. Shouldn’t artist in our own city have access to some form of support? They need more than a building they don’t use, with an infrastructure paid for by the city and other grants. The money needs to feed those who need it the most rather than a staff committed to giving the illusion of supporting the arts.

That’s the word coming from the artists. Don’t shoot the messenger, deal with the perception.

DSS Dispute Requires More Than a Re-Vote to Fix

I’m confused by the recent decision to set Gayle Perry’s salary at $129,000. Perry, interim Social Services director in Durham, was hired by the Board of Social Services on July 27 after board members axed Gerri Robinson during the same meeting. On Monday, board members decided to approve Perry’s salary after hearing a report that concluded the board may have violated a state law.

After what can best be described as an old fashioned shouting match between the two black male board members (as the young folk say, SMH) members of the Board of County Commissioners decided to hire an attorney to evaluate the way Perry was hired. Perry was a member of the DSS board the night Robinson was fired and she was hired. Jimmie Hicks, Jr., the attorney hired to review the matter, says the hiring of Perry is a conflict-of-interest due to her being a member of the board that appointed her to serve.

Board members decided to approve Perry’s salary at Monday’s meeting due to the conflict regarding the way she was hired. The recommendation passed 5-0, leaving an unresolved issue on the table. What has been established now that an attorney hired by the county has substantiated the claims of concerned citizens? Hicks stated that it is his judgment that the action lacked criminal intent; however, the lack of intent doesn’t settle the concern that it was wrong.

Hicks‘ findings have been passed on to the District Attorney. By violating a state statue those involved face criminal charges. The breach is punishable as a misdemeanor. The board’s conduct related to this matter sends a clear message that they want to clean their hands and keep it moving. The re-vote on the salary was designed to repair the lousy handling connected to the hiring of Perry. Since it wasn’t legal, they had to vote again to make it right.

Obscured in all of this is how Perry reaped the benefit of a salary that was disbursed after an illegal vote. By stating there was no malcontent intended, the attorney for the county and members of the board expect this to go away after Tracey Cline, Durham’s district attorney, decides not to press it any further. We’re expected to treat the handling of that July meeting as no more than a hiccup.

Sorry folks, it’s not that simple. This is a complicated matter that needs to be placed within a context that allows us space to view this beyond the emotions that strip people of good judgment. The war, and I call it that for a reason, among members of the Board of County Commissioners led to the appointing of an attorney and an internal audit. Now that both reports have been released, it’s critical that actions be taken to bring credibility to the way the board functions.

If the law was broken, albeit unintentional, what can be done to right that wrong? Keep in mind that Robinson lost her job at that meeting, and she has filed a lawsuit against the county. The internal audit undermined the allegation that fueled the movement to remove her. Commissioner Joe Bowser has cited poor morale and high staff turnover as reasons for Robinson’s termination. The audit found that staff turnover is no higher than with previous directors.

Does this mean Robinson lost her job based on hearsay? Can we conclude there was a lack of documented evidence to substantiate the board’s decision? If that is true, combined with the illegality of the meeting, it will take more than a vote to approve a salary and a hand slap from the DA to make this one go away.

I’m incensed that no one on the board had the insight to suggest that maybe Perry should not be maintained given the way the vote was conducted. If her initial appointment is undermined due to a conflict-of-interest, her continuing to serve is clouded by that first vote. As sad at that may be given the great work she is doing, someone has to pay for the misdeed of July 27.

The vote to hire Perry was illegal. I suppose it’s acceptable when those involved don’t know any better.

The bad news is that doesn’t work in the court of law. I tried that the last time I got a traffic ticket. It cost me 300 bucks.

Marry Durham is 2011 Top Story

Over the next few days you will read and see broadcast reports of the top news stories of 2011. It’s an annual ritual that bestows a top ten list in a way common to one of those made for television award shows. It proves our fascination with the best of the best.

I have wrestled over putting my own list up. It just seems wrong to play God with the news by minimizing it to a best of list. How does one come up with the list in the first place? Is it the most read or talked about? Or, is it the most horrific? Should we look for examples of people who screwed things up so badly that it left us saying “Come on man!”

After pulling the leaves from a daisy, “yes I should, no I shouldn’t…” I have decided to reveal my top story of 2011. I’m doing so because, more than likely, it won’t appear on any of the other list. No one was killed in my story. No one lost their job for exposing their rear end. No one embezzled money from taxpayers or had a baby by some cheap stank while his wife was home fighting for her life. Nope. Not going there today.

My top story took place on March 9th in a parking lot on Rigsbee Avenue. Thousands of folks showed up. Some wore wedding dressing. A dude came on stilts. It was a wedding service. Citizens of Durham married the city we all love so much.

It’s my story of the year because of what it represented. It, more than any other event last year, brought us together to celebrate living in this amazing place. It came after years of hostility among members of the Board of Education and racial clashes between members of both the city council and Board of County Commissioners. It followed the embarrassment of being skull drug by the national press for that Duke Lacrosse situation.

It followed being called the state black sheep by journalist from across the state. We stood together, all types of people, and did a serious whopping on that old reputation as a city that simply refuses to get along. It’s the top story of the year because citizens came together to say Hell to tha naw to all that Durham bashing.

That day shifted the culture involving the way we think about ourselves as a community. It was our way of throwing a rock at the bullies from the other side of the track. We ain’t taking it no more! That’s right. Take you bad talk and inferiority complex and go back to that dungeon you call a home. We love it over here.

The Marry Durham celebration allowed us a chance to say what we all had been thinking. They say we can’t get along due to racial tension. We say we love our diversity. We love our local shops and take care of this world we love so much. We vow to do better at celebrating the arts. We hold our leaderships accountable. We’re not a community that throws stone at people for being different. We throw them at people who throw the stones. Back off my little brother and sister you jerk.

That day was like no other. It helps that I performed the ceremony and was able to stick a ring in Frank Stasio’s nose. Yeah, it gave me goose bumps gazing out in the crowd to view all those smiling faces. It also helps that I was able to work with a group of amazing people to pull it off. We worked through our differences. Shucks, there were times when I wanted to tell them to kiss my backside.

That’s what family does you know. We yell at each other. We walk away sometimes to deal with the anger. Then we come back to say, “you know I love ya baby.”

That’s the city I love. In good times and bad. In sunny days and snow storms. This is the city I love so much.

And that’s why Marry Durham is the top story of 2011.

Celebrating Chuck Davis

Chuck Davis is an icon. His reputation extends beyond the boundaries of North Carolina. He is known internationally for his contribution in educating the world about African dance and culture.

Who in Durham hasn’t seen the African American Dance Ensemble? They’re everywhere performing that heart throbbing movement of body blended with the stimulating beat of those drums. For decades now, students within the Durham Public School system have learned to embrace and celebrate the culture of those connected to the African Diaspora.

Davis, along with his dancers, has taught us to smile when we dance. His work has helped us transcend the discomfort related to the cruelty of slavery. There is more to the story then people robbed of their culture and forced to endure the burden of enslavement. Although the past is laced with memories of whippings, lynchings and rapes – from all of that emerged the gift of dance.

Many have been mesmerized by the towering figure packed with charisma that forces you to love and smile. Davis has taken us back to empathize with the intent of our ancestors dance. Each movement awakens the dimming spark needy of reason to skip again. Beyond the dread fostered by an attack of things hoped for, beyond thoughts that bind love and make us evil due to the lie that we are made different – we can all dance together.

For a brief period, I served as the Executive Director of the African American Dance Ensemble. I did so as a volunteer. I took hold of the task due to the anger that was robbing me of the serenity I pray for everyday. “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I was tired of not doing what I could to change things.

What needed to be changed was the lack of stability. I was left devastated and embarrassed by the lack of support that would secure the organization beyond the charisma of its founder. I wanted more for the African American Dance Ensemble. It miffed me whenever I thought of why a community like Durham has been unable to find a way to formulate a strategy to do just that.

Maybe I’m an idealist, but I can’t help but wonder about a lack of village love in Durham. All that talk about it takes a whole village leaves me thinking that none of us live in the same village or have grown so weary by our own quest for comfort that we care less about passing on the culture that makes us dance.

As always, Chuck and the gang will lead us in the celebration of Kwanzaa on Sunday. He will call the village to gather at the Durham Armory at 220 Foster St as we reflect on the meaning of Imani – faith. It’s fitting that it begins on the day many of us will go to church to contemplate the lessons learned over the previous year. Someone will sing “We’ve come this far by faith…” Things at the Armory start at noon, but we will be there most of the day.

I will stand before the crowd clad in my agbada gown. I will pour libations along with leaders of other faith traditions. I will challenge those present to take hold of the messages of Kwanzaa – unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity and faith – and abide in them beyond the day.

Hopefully, prayerfully, it will be enough to inspire a community to support Chuck Davis and the African American Dance Ensemble. It’s the best way to be a community that echoes the message of Kwanzaa. Our failure to do just that could have grave implications regarding our ability to dance in the future.

Beat the djembe drum. I have reason to dance. Say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud. There’s no hatred in my spirit because I know where my people come from.

Usiache mbachao kwa msala upitao (Don’t abandon your old rug for a passing mat)

Contributions to the African American Dance Ensemble can be mailed to: 120 Morris Street, Durham, NC. 27701