When vodou comes to church

Papa Legba is a veve symbol associatd with the sun, seen as life-giver and as the bridge between realms

It must be the spirit of the vey vey that moved the Bull Durham Blues Festival back to the Durham Athletic Park. Just when it seemed like the event wouldn’t be able to find a suitable home, maybe the vodou worked some magic.

My Christian readers may take offense at the suggestion that vodou rather than prayer paved the way for the move back to the place noted for some of Durham’s best memories. Don’t blame me for making mention of the power of the veve, a symbol associated with vodou, for evoking the move back to the best place to hold a festival. Take a close look at the symbol on top of the Hayti Heritage Center. It’s a veve.

How did that happen?

I mean, seriously, how is it that a vey vey tops what was the St. Joseph AME Church? The building was completed in 1915, and those church going members conceded to placing a veve where the traditional symbol of their faith normally stands. Vodou takes the place of the cross.

Given the name given the community surrounding the church – Hayti – it’s clear that those living and working in the community, back in the day, were moved by Haiti’s fight for liberation. It was on August 22, 1791, at a vodou ceremony, that the call for revolution was issued by a vodou priest. Dutty Boukman, the Hougan (vodou priest), was captured and executed, after plantations went up in flames.

Toussaint Louverture led the revolution that inspired slaves throughout the new world. It’s understandable why those engaged in building businesses and establishing a life free from the grip of their former owners selected a name that conjures thoughts of liberation. Haiti is the best way one could say, “we ain’t playing over here.”

The spelling is different, but the sentiment is the same. Durham’s Hayti was and is a symbol of black pride. But does that answer the riddle of why a vey vey was chosen to top the church in the heart of the community? I mean, that’s a move toward ecumenism way ahead of its time. It’s tough enough getting the Baptist in the same room with the Methodist, how did they agree, in 1915, to get a meeting of minds between the Methodist and the vodou?

It would be an insult to their intelligence to suggest they didn’t know. Someone may want to offer that they thought the symbol cute. Not hearing it. Or, could it be, that the people in Durham’s Hayti weren’t as uptight when it came to the practice of vodou? Maybe they understood that vodou is a merging of Catholicism and African religion. Maybe it was practiced among those who attended the church, and, if that is true, it may be a part of Durham’s religious history that no one wants to address.

What makes the presence of the vey vey so intriguing are the images inside the former church. The vodou symbol on the top is an interesting juxtaposition to the stain glass windows of the Duke’s on the inside. The Duke’s are immortalized in stain glass because they helped pay for the building. They poured money into helping getting North Carolina Mutual Insurance started. Those deep pockets funded the building of the White Rock Baptist Church and Lincoln Community Health Center.

That vey vey on top of the church says volumes about the black community’s racial and religious identity. The stained glass inside says loads about the relationships between the white people who helped fund black folks dreams and the people who gathered every Sunday to praise the Lord. The building held it all in balance in a way begging us to contemplate the implications of being grounded in such a complex communal identity.

The center continues to function while maneuvering around its varied interest. In one corner is a legacy of revolution swinging on top of the building. In another are the images of white privilege, power and money. In between it all are challenges to remain faithful to the interest that continue to support the work. Like the symbol on the top, so much remains hushed under the cloak of that’s none of your dang business. Sadly, generation come and go unaware of the significance of their history. Someone knew. Someone may know, but no one is talking about how vodou ends up on top of the church.

So, what happens when you have a union between vodou and an AME Church? It’s like two for the price of one. Maybe, just maybe, that’s what it took to bring the Blues Festival back to the Durham Athletic Park.

Only God knows.

Is Fighting What Black Men Do?

Its days like this that has me wishing I could channel the spirits of my ancestors. They had the good sense to know when to speak, when to remain silent, and when to take hold of a revolution.

I’m putting myself in the bag with those more prone to sing and march versus formulating a plan to get things done- for real. I’m struggling with understanding how this generation fails to produce the type of change that forces others to take a long pause, look long and hard, and scream, dang dude! How ya’ll do that?

I’m perplexed with how so many with the brains, guts and will to make a significant impact seem to get branded with wanting the spotlight to remain fixated on their colossal ego. I’m saddened that Cornel West engaged in a battle of words related to President Obama due to being overlooked at the inauguration. The credibility of his claims got lost in language that forces you to consider whether there is weight to his argument or if he got his feelings hurt because he’s not considered the biggest Negro in the room.

The past few years remind me of old fights in the locker room that had teenage boys doing battle to determine who had the biggest jock strap. The airwaves of Urban Radio have occupied too much time with commentary of grown boys shadow boxing over issues that simply don’t matter. Tavis Smiley and Cornel West had to set the record straight after Steve Harvey called them Uncle Toms for questioning Barack Obama. I remember having to pull the car off the road to avoid doing something crazy while shaking my head and squealing OMG in between my rapid paced inhales and exhales.

It has become the season of black dudes fighting. I have no problem with that when the fight is about a significant issue or statement that needs to be challenged, but this stuff has become personal. The public policy and political discourse have moved away from stimulating thought aimed at moving us in the right direction. The fight has taken center stage, and the work has moved to the back seat on this journey headed to something different.

I’ve been watching black dudes fighting with intrigue. I’ve wondered if success has a way of damaging those who began with a desire to inspire. As sad as I am over black intellectual brawling to gain attention, what was behind Toure' deciding to jump in the ring?

Is the fight a response to something deeper?

Toure', an MSNBC contributor, appeared on the Piers Morgan show Friday to discuss the Trayvon Martin case. I tuned in a few second after they clanged the bell to start round one, so I was convinced it was a joke. This couldn’t be real. No, heck no. He’s not doing that on national television. It’s a skit, like what they do on Saturday Night Life. Right. Someone tell me it’s not real.

Sadly, it was real. Toure' told Morgan he’s not qualified to comment on the case. “You are too new to this situation to fully understand what’s really going on here, and what’s really at stake here for America,” he said.

Morgan came out punching. “What a load of fatuous nonsense you speak,” he countered with a look that reminded me of how my mama looked at me just before slapping me so hard I felt all the blood rush to my brain.

The problem with watching this match was it wasn’t round one. This fight started on Twitter. It was via his Twitter account that Toure' expressed his displeasure with Morgan interviewing Robert Zimmerman, Jr., the brother of George Zimmerman, on his show. According to Toure', he allowed the sibling to “spout unchallenged lies further poisoning a tense moment in history.”

Morgan punched back with “Oh Toure', you’re such a tedious little twerp.”

Morgan then challenged Toure' to take the fight to his show. I’ll meet you at the playground after school you creep! They went back and forth on the time and place for the fight. Toure' showed up ready to take Morgan down. He went straight for the balls by asking why he didn’t question Zimmerman about his comments about the night Trayvon Martin was killed.

Morgan suggested that Toure' lacked credibility as a journalist. Toure' suggested that Morgan failed to appreciate the historical situation at hand. “You have not been here long enough,” he said. He added that Morgan had only been in the United States for seven years, and had no clue as to how deep the black-white divide is in America.

Morgan counterpunched with a lesson about impartiality in journalism. He attacked Toure' for failing to keep his opinion regarding the case out of his reporting on the case. He went on to suggest that’s what he had done in allowing Zimmerman an opportunity to speak on his show.

“I should not have gotten caught up in ‘winning the debate with Piers,” Toure' wrote on Twitter the next day. “I got caught up with ‘winning’ on some masculine bravdo bs when my whole point has been justice for this boy. I lost sight of that.”

It’s one of the toughest things about being a black journalist. We are held to this standard called impartiality while the system doesn’t offer us space to remove ourselves from the stories we cover. When we step into the newsroom, watch the way the story is handled by our peers and submits work that is discounted for being slanted in a certain direction, we get weary. We get tired. Then we get mad.

After fighting for respect it is easy to get caught up with winning. It’s easy to get lost and shout loudly, “listen fool, you don’t get it! This is our story! You can’t understand how it feels to be on this side of the story! Listen to me!

Then it happens. The dismissal of credibility. Toure' is being emotional. He’s fighting because of his ego. Just like those other black dudes who fight each other.

That’s what black men do. They fight for no reason.

Another stereotype. Add it to the hoods. Shoot him down. This time use your words.

My Hoodie is the Cross I Bear

On Sunday, I will preach with a hoodie on. Some may view that an act paramount to walking in holy space adorned in baggy pants. I get the scorn felt by those devoted to keeping God’s house sacred. This is one of those times that call for doing what you have to do.

To be frank, I’m not one who is down with placing more emphasis then necessary on sanctifying holy space for the purpose of evoking a response from God. My theology is about reshaping the way folks think about the purpose of worship and the way our thoughts related to the space dedicated to worship impacts and interferes with our understanding of God.

I could spend days rendering a discourse regarding how our contemporary understanding of sacred space has forged a divide in the way we think about what it means to be the people of God. I’m going there here not to begin a discussion involving the legitimacy of people coming to worship wearing what they have in their closet, but to talk about why I’ve been compelled to ask folks to wear a hoodie on Sunday.

Wearing a hoodie on Passover is oozing theological language that can ultimately propel the Church, as a living vital instrument of God’s activity, back into the work of kingdom building. It speaks to what it means for Christ to position himself as a member of the human family, and to participate in the most agonizing act connected to our bodies – death –as a way to help us envision what it means to move past the burden of our living with the limits of our bodies.

If Advent is about incarnation, God participating in the human struggle, then the Passion Week is about our partaking with Christ in the activity of self-sacrifice. Put another way, Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Easter is about our affirming our willingness to become the people of death and resurrection. More than a story about Jesus, it is the story of the Church.

You may ask what does that have to do with wearing a hoodie. My response is everything. As with all we do as the people of God, our challenge is to listen, understand, relate and participate in the burdens of those regarded as the least of these. If Christ came for the broken, shouldn’t we commit to living with and sharing with those deemed voiceless by those who maintain the power? Shouldn’t we become more like them as a way of identifying with the transformative work given the Church?

Thus, the hoodie is a symbol of brokenness and alienation. On Sunday, it is the cross I carry. Why, again you ask. This is what death looks like. This is what innocence looks like. This is what shame and stereotyping looks like. I’m taking on the image of rejection while calling on the spirit of transformation.

The hoodie is the cross I bear on Sunday. There are numerous symbols of death and hatred that demand our consideration. These symbols of hatred and alienation have approached that road less traveled. They are worn by those labeled the tare in the presence of the wheat or the devil in the presence of the Lord.

It’s time for us to strip ourselves of the symbols of our privilege and clothe ourselves with the pictograms of separation. Isn’t this what it means to pick up a cross?

I will wear my hoodie on Sunday. I will take on the image of a thug to set those labeled as thugs free from the power of that perception. Hopefully, I won’t be the only one.

Blame it on the Hoodie

I can take a sigh of massive relief now that I know why Trayvon Martin was killed. It isn’t a case of vigilantly gone wild, as I had assumed. Our friend Geraldo Rivera has uncovered the truth. Blame the hoodie.

"I'll bet you money that if he didn't have that hoodie on, that nutty neighborhood watch guy wouldn't have responded in that violent and aggressive way," Rivera said on “Fox and Friends”. He said the death of Trayvon should be a warning to parents to watch what their children wear.

"If you dress like a hoodlum eventually some schmuck is going to take you at your word," he wrote in a commentary posted Friday on the website Fox News Latino. "No one black, brown or white can honestly tell me that seeing a kid of color with a hood pulled over his head doesn't generate a certain reaction -- sometimes scorn, often menace."

Melisa Harris-Perry took a nibble at Rivera’s comments during her Saturday morning show on MSNBC. She offered her dress code for black safety. To be safe, dress like Steve Urkel. Take notes parents; this could save your kids life.

Avoid red and blue because you might be confused as a gang member. Shop in the section with “mauve, turquoise, or even salmon if you’re daring,” she said. Stay away from those baggy pants. “If the cops don't get you, your parents are sure to get mad for costing them all that money,” she suggested. Last on the list – shun the temptation of wearing those “pesky hoodies.”

Harris-Perry’s commentary reflects a deep angst felt by those forced to endure the feeble attempts to explain what happened that night. Include me on the list of folks fed up with efforts to make the death of Trayvon about something other than a decision to take the life of an innocent kid. I would love to stick a sock in Newt Gingrich’s mount, paint him black and drop him off in my old stomping ground – East St. Louis. I wonder if that would teach him a bit about the privileges that come with being painted white. Inhale, exhale, release. That’s a commentary for another day.

Harris-Perry’s comeback lifts the frustration of parents of black boys. What are they to wear given the way clothing is construed as a measure of thug life? Is part of the burden of being young and black the imperative of isolating oneself from the social norms embraced by other youth? White kids wear hoodies, but black and brown youth should wander from contemporary dress preferences. Does it mean something entirely different when a black or brown kid puts on a hoodie? The Gap, Old Navy, American Eagle, Aeropostale and Abercombie aren’t shops that market their wares to black thugs. All kids shop there.

Rivera’s idiotic deliberation, related to how parents should dress their children, exposes the true nature of how race and racism plays out within the context of American culture. Those black kids who dress to go to school and play are forced to confront how what they wear draws attention to their being more than a kid. Are they too black, too thuggish, too much like those who end up at your local county jail? Is dress a byproduct of criminal inclination, or is dress simply that – dress?

If the burden of parents of black and brown kids is to refute the assumptions of those who read more into dress than dress, the responsibility of altering racial stereotypes is placed in the hands of those victimized by that mindset. Rather than encouraging people to look past those hoodies, kids and parents are challenged to dress in a way that counters the common culture of all kids. Conclusion, dress like Urkel.

Don’t be a kid. Wear a suit and tie to school. Rid your wardrobe of anything construed as too black. It doesn’t matter that other kids wear the same thing. You are held to a higher responsibility due to the way your dress is deemed different because your black or brown skin is underneath your clothing. Clearly, the thing that differentiates you from the rest isn’t the hoodie. It’s your race. Change it anyway because too many black kids have brought into the normal culture of American youth.

Don’t blame racism. Blame the hoodie. Blame the black kid for failing to identify himself as one who is different from other kids his age. You can’t be a kid. Dress like an adult.

I have two hoodies in my closet. Dang! Let me get rid of them before someone shoots me for looking like a thug.

Trayvon: I can't keep it to myself

I didn’t want to write about Trayvon. I waited and waited some more before throwing words on this page. I waited for common sense to take hold to save me from having to bring further attention to the pain that has kept me locked in dismay. Put another way, I’m sick and tired of writing about the pain of black men.

I wanted to believe the time has come for folks like me to back away from stories like this one. I wanted to accept times have changed and I’m free to explore other stories. I wanted to talk about what’s happening in the city, the cool places to hang out and tell the untold stories of people in my own back yard. I wanted to release all those years of pain roused by dealing with walking the streets with a macho identity layered with loads of blackness.

I didn’t want to write about pain anymore. It all left me feeling like one seduced into a victim mentality. I didn’t want to blame white folks anymore. My desire was to evoke a message of hope for those confronted with mounds of hostility connected to their labels.

“You don’t sound angry anymore,” my white friends are quick to point out after reading my recent blogs and columns. After 15 years of writing columns that coerced me to consider how my words would impact others, I wanted a safe place.

I wanted to be revered for the power of my words more than the assumptions of my politics. I didn’t want the brand of being the mad black guy. I didn’t want to hear opinions that minimized me to the hue I wear and the pain I carry. I wanted the respect that others carry with ease. Their words aren't appraised from the context of their being. Oh, how badly I desire to be accepted for my craft and not to be minimized because of how my blackness gets in the way!

But, Trayvon forces me to come out from the layers of compost that forced me into isolation. I can’t keep it to myself. It hurts too deep not to write about. It’s too close to home not to allow my tears to grab hold of this page. I have to yell from that place shaking because this shit won’t go away. I can’t keep it to myself.

He was killed for no reason! Why do I care? Because I am Trayvon. My son is Travon. My nephew and girlfriend’s son is Trayvon. Trayvon attends the church I lead. He shows up in my neighborhood to play basketball whenever the sun comes out. I see him when I drop the kids off at school. I see Trayvon everywhere I look. His face is a reminder of how things have not changed due to the fear of those who blame him for all that irks our nation.

His death reminds me of how I’ve been treated. I think of my own son’s pain as a black man begging to be seen for more than how he is feared. We both have been stopped for driving while being black, walking while being black, shopping while being black and yelled at for being black. We both have been rejected because our strength is too much for others to contend. We both have cried because our authentic freedom is conditioned by how others accept us beyond how we look.

We are Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Men. We are Richard Wright’s “Bigger Thomas” walking in fear of what we can’t control. Was James Baldwin right when he wrote, “who does not have his private Bigger Thomas in his skull.” Has America grown beyond the evil that kept black men home at night? Should fear keep us home when the call goes out to buy a bag of Skittles?

How many more have to die like Troy Davis despite the lack of evidence? How many more have to die like Craig Davis down in Mississippi. Does it take a gang of teenagers in a truck to open our eyes? How many more need to be killed due to a mistaken identity? What does it take for people to consider how black men are viewed in a land led by a black man?

I’m tired of writing about my pain as a black man. I did my best to keep it to myself.

Now I have to cry some more. Does anyone care?

Teach for America: This is not a movie

I can’t stand to watch those inner city teacher movies. I’ll admit to having goose bumps after watching Blackboard Jungle for the first time. It’s the granddaddy of them all from the 50’s.

There’s a long list: Dangerous Minds, Freedom Writers, The Ron Clark Story, Music of the Heart, The Principal, The Substitute, Substitute 2 and Substitute 3. For the sake of argument I’ll throw in Blindside as another example of white folks saving poor, low performing black kids from their troubled lives.

That’s how I feel about Teach for America. It all feels like a plan to institutionalize the sentiment of those movies. After creating a culture that tags teachers as incompetent and lazy, a scheme was created to address the dysfunction within the American education system. The movie “Waiting for Superman” is promoted as an example of how teacher unions and a lack of accountability severely impact public education. Movies are molding America’s view related to the state of public education.

I yelled at my newspaper when I read the story of June Atkinson, State Superintendent of Public Schools of North Carolina, spending a day at Durham’s Neal Middle School due to the 11 Teach for America members placed there. Should I conclude all is well at Neal due to the presence of the good folks who have come to rescue students from the bungling teachers at the school?

“TFA is, at best, another chimerical attempt in a long history of chimerical attempts to sell educational reform as a solution to class inequality,” says Andre Hartman in a blog posted in the Washington Post. “At worst, it’s a Trojan horse for all that is unseemly about the contemporary education reform movement.” (http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/teach-for-america-liberal-mission-helps-conservative-agenda/2011/12/25/gIQApoVZHP_blog.html)

Hartman, author of Education and the Cold War: the Battle for the American School, provides a serious critique of Teach for America. “TFA, suitably representative of the liberal education reform more generally, underwrites, intentionally or not, the conservative assumptions of the education reform movement: that teachers unions serve as barriers to quality education; that testing is the best way to assess quality education; that educating poor children is best done by institutionalizing them; that meritocracy is an end-in-itself; that social class is an unimportant variable in education reform; that education policy is best made by evading politics proper; and that faith in public school teachers is misplaced,” he says.

The evidence regarding Teach for America effectiveness found they tend to perform equal to teachers in similar situations. They do as well as new teachers lacking formal training assigned to impoverished schools. Sometimes they do better in math. The students of Teach for America teachers perform significantly less wells than those of credentialed beginning teachers. “It seems clear that TFA’s vaunted thirty-day summer institute – TFA ‘boot camp’ – is no replacement for the preparation given future teachers at traditional colleges of education,” Hartman says.

“Putting TFA forward to solve the problems of the teaching profession has turned out poorly. But the third premise for Kopp’s national teacher corps — that it would “create a leadership force for long-term change” in how the nation’s least privileged students are schooled — has been the most destructive. Such destructiveness is directly related to Kopp’s success in attaching TFA to the education reform movement.

Hartman argues that crushing teacher unions is the motivation behind the push for charter schools and Teach for America. He lashes out at the budding industry that profits from student testing . “The multi-billion dollar testing industry — dominated by a few large corporations that specialize in the making and scoring of standardized tests — has become an entrenched interest, a powerful component of a growing education-industrial complex.”

Teach for America supports standardized testing because it provides evidence that their efforts work. “In emphasizing testing, though, reformers tend to overlook the obvious incentives that ambitious educators have to manipulate statistics,” Hartman says. “President Bush appointed Houston Superintendent of Schools Rod Paige as Secretary of Education in 2001 because Paige’s reform measures seemingly led to skyrocketing graduation rates. Not surprisingly, this so-called “Texas miracle,” predicated on falsified numbers, was too good to be true”.

Hartman discusses the rise of cheating scandals in districts were Teach for America has taken hold. In Atlanta, dozens of principals and hundreds of teachers , including Teach for America members, were caught in a cheating scandal “so brazen in Atlanta that principals hosted pizza parties where teachers and administrators systematically corrected student exams.” Scandals were confirmed in New York City, Philadelphia, Balimore, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Orlando, Dallas, Houston, Dayton and Memphis – all districts with Teach for America.

“By attaching their incentives agenda to standardized testing, the reform movement has induced cheating on a never-before-seen scale, proving the maxim known as Campbell’s Law:“The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision-making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressures and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor.” In sum, the TFA insurgency’s singular success has been to empower those best at gaming the system,” Hartman writes.

“Kopp [founder of Teach for America] shows some awareness of the absurdities of her own experiences — including a “fundraising schedule [that] shuttled me between two strikingly different economic spheres: our undersourced classrooms and the plush world of American philanthropy” — but she fails to grasp that this very gap is what makes her stated goal of equality unachievable. In short, Kopp, like education reformers more generally, is an innocent when it comes to political economy. She spouts platitudes about justice for American children, but rarely pauses to ask whether rapidly growing inequality might be a barrier to such justice. She celebrates 20 years of reform movement success, but never tempers such self-congratulatory narcissism with unpleasant questions about why those who have no interest in disrupting the American class structure — such as Bill Gates and the heirs to Sam Walton’s fortunes, by far the most generous education reform philanthropists — are so keen to support the TFA insurgency. Kopp is a parody of the liberal do-gooder.”

Hartman’s critique defies the assumption that privilege is a patent solution when it comes to youth grappling to overcome poor conditions. This is not a movie, and we should take a chill pill before pouring more money into measuring those claims.

Loving Durham Means Giving Her Space for Change

The street was packed with people enjoying the Marry Durham vow renewal service on Saturday, March 17

“Has she been good to you? Has she treated you right?” I asked the crowd while performing the renewal vows for Marry Durham. “Durham’s not the same this year. She lost some weight. She took some self improvement courses.”

The vows we took in getting hitched to the city reminded me of the commitment we make to tie the knock. We say tell death does us part or the other person does something stupid. The hardest part of any relationship is dealing with the changes. Many regard it as a bad thing. All those changes alter the original deal. “You’re not the same as you were when I made those promises,” many say just before slamming the door.

I’d rather think of change as the good part of the relationship. As much as I love Connie for all the good stuff she brings to our relationship, I’ve been drawn to her moody ways and propensity to change her mind devoid of warning. Every day is a challenge because you have to strap on your seat belts and prepare to take a fast ride headed down a road you have never been down before.

Like I said, that’s not a criticism; it’s what I like most about being in a relationship. I get bored with doing the same thing the same way every freaking day. My mind desires exposure to fresh and new things. The flip side to all of that is my desire to be in a relationship that both respects and honors my need to explore this vast world created for our pleasure. It helps having a partner who gets what it means to change for no other reason than being moved in that direction.

Being married to Durham requires a willingness to allow her to explore what it means to consider new things. Durham was tired of her old downtown wardrobe. She needed new outfits to express her evolving personality. She stripped herself of those 1950 ways and stepped into a culture more fitting of what was locked inside all those years. She was waiting to come out, but the gatekeepers kept her from blossoming into what she has become today.

Durham needed to be set free. Change had to happen. It meant hanging out with a new crowd. Folks from the outside enticed her into considering a more youthful presentation. It seemed to happen overnight, but Durham’s fascination with change was budding for years. She simply needed support. Her self-esteem was impeded by mean words printed in the papers. People from other communities labeled her a misfit. A columnist at the Greensboro News & Record called her the state’s black sheep. Those words hurt deep.

It began with a few whispers. “You fine girl,” a few dudes at Greenfire Development told her. “Come over here and let me treat you the way you deserve.”

They spent a few dollars on her. They introduced her to others. Soon, she became the talk of the nation. People from the New York Times dropped in to say hello. They were so impressed they couldn’t stop talking about her. It’s the place to be if you like to eat. It’s the place to be if you love live music. Others followed. The publication called the Beast took notice and labeled her the most tolerant city in the nation.

All that change has not altered her personality. She remains open to allowing others to mold her into becoming even more lovable. She’s receptive to even more change. Watching her bloom has been a site to behold. We have to grant her more space to flourish. We can’t keep her trapped into what we think she should be.

Yes, Durham, I love you more today than I did this time last year. You’re not the same, but I love what you are becoming more than I embrace what you were before. I vow to grant you the support you need to become the best you possibly can. I will not restrict you to my thoughts related to what you shall be.

I will defend your honor, my love. I will fight off all who attempt to take you back to a place that lessened your truth worth. I’m here to support you. I will grant you the flexibility to allow others to love you. I’m not a jealous lover. I’m open to your hanging out with your friends. I will not attack you if it seems you are giving them more attention than you give me. I trust you with our love.

There’s enough of you to go around. I recognize your need for diversity. There is too much in you to limit yourself to what I bring to this relationship. I recognize the worth of our bond, and accept how others bring something I can’t give.

I love you Durham. You have changed. I can’t wait to see how change will impact both of us over the coming years.

Now, kiss me.

Is Gentrification What We Need?

You should be careful what you ask for. If you keep asking you might just get what you thought you wanted.

That’s my view of the recent flirtation between Duke University and the Southside Rolling Hills community. Phail Wynn, Duke University’s vice president for Durham and regional affairs, has approached city leaders with a plan to form a partnership to market a Duke friendly neighborhood in the Southside community.

The proposal calls for subsidized home-buying opportunities for low and middle-income employees at Duke and the Duke University Health System. Duke would offer employees a subsidy, potentially in the form of a no-interest, forgivable five-year loan, to go toward the down payment. That amount will supplement the city’s contribution.

It’s the most recent wrinkle in the never ending story of the Rolling Hills redevelopment project. Recently, non-profit organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, expressed disapproval over the city’s decision to funnel all federal money earmarked for housing into the Southside/Rolling Hills project. They argue the shift will end citywide second-mortgage assistance.

It’s the city’s version of robbing Peter to pay Paul. The other option is to do what the council is pondering – a 1-cent property tax increase to fund housing initiatives. This is a tough sale given the hikes taxpayers have absorbed over the years to fix what should have been handled long ago. In the minds of many, Rolling Hills is the outcome of mismanagement and overspending caused over a decade ago. It’s old news, but it hurts having to revisit what should have been handled.

Two critical questions have to be raised as officials ponder jumping in bed with Duke – where is NCCU, and what are the potential dangers related to extending the presence of Duke in Southside?

The first question recounts my disgust that NCCU failed to jump on a major opportunity before digging up dirt on campus. It would have been a significant move for NCCU to build a dormitory at the Rolling Hills site rather than the congested area closer to the campus. Building near the Durham Freeway, within walking distance of the Hayti Heritage Center and the downtown district, would have expanded the presence of the university. It would have enhanced economic development and transformed the area in common with Franklin St in Chapel Hill and Hillsborough Road in Raleigh.

With that being said, NCCU never bit on that opportunity. Where are they today?

The second question presses concerns involving gentrification. The Duke proposal clearly states that the collaboration will offer housing for low to middle income employee’s at Duke and the Health System. What happens if the area blossoms into the place to be in Durham? Shouldn’t we expect the redevelopment of the area to draw people lured by that amazing view on top of the hill, close proximity to downtown, the American Tobacco district, the Durham Performing Arts Center and Golden Belt?

What happens when the Bull City Connector expands services to the Rolling Hills area and NCCU? We should assume that will happen given the cost to ride on the free bus is underwritten by Duke. They are certain to extend the service due to their commitment to the area.

What happens when more than the poor and almost poor decide to shift their housing interest to the area on the other side of the freeway? That shift is certain to impact the flourishing relationship between NCCU and Duke. What will be done to protect the black and brown business owners who are there because it’s the only place they can afford to pay rent? What happens to the people who currently own property?

All that growth is a good thing, but not everything good is good for everyone.

I’m just asking. Do you have the answers?

Hanging With the Rev: March 16-22

Looking for something to do this weekend? Well, here's my list of places I may be hanging if you want to hang with the Rev.

Friday, March 16
Join us this Third Friday as we welcome Liberty Arts to the Golden Belt neighborhood! Located at 923 Franklin Street in the Cordoba Center for the Arts, Liberty Arts is a non-profit foundry and metal sculpture studio. From 5:30-9pm, Liberty Arts will host live music by The Percolators & LILA, metal demonstrations, glass blowing demonstrations, workshops, and more. Sponsors for the event include Fullsteam, Old Havana, Daisy Cakes, The Parlour, Only Burger, Loaf, Morgan Imports, Wine Authorities and Dame’s Chicken and Waffles. Pie Pushers also joins the fun in Golden Belt’s main parking lot.

In Room 100, the Durham Art Guild debuts a new show Seven by Constance Pappalardo with an opening reception from 5:30-8pm. Constance Pappalardo is an abstract painter who works with layers of paint horizontally on canvas. Her work is wonderfully thought provoking, and she has been recognized by numerous organizations for the quality and depth of her work. Seven represents both older and newer pieces, and one that adds a bit of diversity to the exhibit owing to a different technique from Ms. Pappalardo. Seven will be on display from March 9th-April 8th with an opening reception Friday March 16th from 5:30-8:00pm. For more information on Room100 exhibitions and schedules, please contact theDurham Art Guild.
Dawn Michelle Williams will also be performing in ROOM 100, along with drummer Michael Rogers from 6-9pm.

In Building 2, LabourLove Gallery keeps the party going late with The Beast in their latest installment in the After Hours concert series, and LabourLove is also open in the 6-9 block debuting new artists to the collective. LabourLove After Hours is presented in collaboration with the Art of Cool Project. This is a ticketed event, and previous events have sold out, so don't miss this opportunity, buy your tickets now.

Also in Building 2, Blend is open and they've changed up their menu! Come in for a cup of coffee, frozen yogurt or soups, salads or sandwiches.

Across the way at the Scrap Exchange, The Artful Robot celebrates all things robotic in a community exhibit in the Green Gallery. Come see how artists throughout the region use old computer bits, random metal, containers, canisters, buttons, broken jewelry, unexpected discards, and other detritus to make... robots!

The opening reception of "The Artful Robot" is scheduled for Friday, March 16, from 6-9 pm. Festivities will include free make-and-take activities, refreshments, PBR beer and live music. "The Artful Robot" will run from March 16 through April 14. Admission is free. The Green Gallery is located inside The Scrap Exchange creative reuse center, at 923 Franklin Street in Durham. For more information on this and other Scrap Exchange events, please contact the Scrap Exchange directly.


MARCUS ANDERSON
Beyu Cafe
Two shows 9pm and 10:30pm
$10 advance $12 door

Widely recognized for his natural ability to entertain, the young Marcus Anderson has performed with groups such as Pieces of a Dream and Four 80 East. Marcus has also been invited to perform with or open for Peter White, Boney James, Mike Phillips, Kirk Whalum, Gerald Albright, George Duke, Everette Harp, Wynton Marsalis, Alex Bugnon, Nnenna Freelon, Bob Baldwin, Matt Marshak, Ledisi, Jennifer Holiday, Lalah Hathaway and many others. He’s now packing the venues with devout fans who shout for more. “For me, it’s about the crowd”, said Anderson, “I feed off their energy”.


Saturday, March 16

"THE HOUSE AT POOH CORNER" PLAY
3/16/2012 - 3/17/2012 F-Sa 7pm, 3/16 & 3/17 1pm.
Tickets $12, $10 children, students, seniors.
Duke Memorial United Methodist Church, 504 W. Chapel Hill St.
For More Information:(919) 286-5717; http://durhamfamilytheatre.wordpress.com
3/16/2012 - 3/16/2012 9pm.

THE BEAST
With special guest Jocelyn Ellis and King Mez. Tickets $15, $10 in advance.
LabourLove Gallery, 807 E Main St.
For More Information:(919) 373-4451; http://labourlove.com

INNERTWYNED
Beyu Cafe
Two shows: 8pm & 11 pm
$15

It will be easy to remember this band for their energy, enthusiasm and the ability to leave listeners wanting more. There are many musicians that strive to touch on multiple genres of music but what makes Innertwyned different is their music is a melting pot of collaborative soul. Their performances are riddled with show stopping renditions of Top 40, Funk, Pop, , Motown, Blues, R&B. Just when you think they’re done, they switch gears to Smooth Jazz or Fusion.

Saturday, March 17

MARRY DURHAM
2:30-5:30 pm
WHERE: 700 Block of Rigsbee Avenue (between W. Geer & Corporation Streets)
This celebration will remind us of our vows to keep our streets clean and safe, protect our natural resources, shop locally, support the arts and local non-profit organizations, cherish diversity, and elect responsible leaders.
Food Trucks • Entertainment • Parade
Sponsored By: Motorco, The Bar, Surf Club, Lloyd’s Lounge And Fullsteam
Click Here To Review Our Mission Statement. Please don’t forget to browse through all the categories and tags to learn the full story, thanks.

JAMBALAYA SOUL SLAM
8pm
The Jambalaya Soul Slam is a monthly individual poetry competition. Each competition consists of 12 poets. The top 3 poets earn a cash prize.
The winner earns an invitation to the Grand Slam Finals in April to compete for a spot on the 2012 Bull City Slam Team (BCST). The BCST
competes annually in regional and national slam competitions. In July, instead of an individual competition, the BCST competes against other
NC poetry slam teams to raise money for each team.
Hayti Heritage Center
804 Old Fayetteville St
Durham, NC 27701

DPS places incentives ahead of system of evaluation

Evaluate, evaluate, evaluate. In the minds of many, it’s the key behind shifting America’s dismal education system into something worth spending taxpayer money. It has become easy to target teachers for failing to fix all that shows up to be taught at low performing schools.

The public’s fascination with evaluations is reflected in interest to reward high performing teachers at Y.E. Smith Elementary School and Hillside High School. Durham school board members are considering a plan that would offer incentives to teachers who show “high growth” on the state’s ABC measures. Individual teachers would receive $1,500 while all faculty and staff receive bonuses if the entire school achieves “high growth”. The principal will receive a bonus of $4,500 and custodians will be awarded $500.

The basis for the incentive plan is the notion that low performing schools need to attract highly motivated teachers with a skill level greater than those currently teaching. The plan assumes the state’s ABC system is the best way to measure teacher performance. There are too many assumptions to move forward on this plan.

As models for teacher performance emerge across the country, one thing is certain - no one has found the best way to get the job done. Given the complexity related to teacher evaluation, it would be a mistake to move on an incentive plan before knowing how to measure teachers.

The motivation behind wanting a system of evaluation is clear. Principals and administrators believe they can terminate ineffective teachers or encourage them to leave if they have evaluations as a tool. Researchers say the evaluation process suffers because there are no agreed-upon norms for what constitutes good teaching. Without a clear standard, deciding what good teaching is becomes a matter of personal taste.

The movement to evaluate is fueled by federal money. Federal officials have attached teacher evaluation as a condition of receiving the second round of federal stimulus funds. States must report the number and percentage of teachers and principals in each district who receive low performance ratings and specify whether their evaluation system requires any evidence of student performance gains.

Since the launch last summer of the federal "Race to the Top" program, 12 states have passed legislation to improve their teacher evaluations. The last decade has produced extensive data about student performance. In many places this data can be used to create a year-over-year analysis of how much a teacher advanced the learning of an individual student.

The values-added approached is considered the best way to evaluate teacher performance. So, why isn’t that method being used?

This approach takes into account other factors impacting student test scores, the most important being whether a student arrived in a teacher’s class room several grades behind. This method of analysis can offer a more accurate estimate of how well a teacher is teaching than simply taking into account the most recent set of student test scores.

With all the talk involving testing, many teachers teach subjects, often electives, for which students are not subjected to standardized testing. Many subjects like science are not tested annually. Most models leave out many teachers who are not teaching math or language arts. This leaves school districts with an imperfect evaluation system.

How far should districts go in evaluating teachers? Will they attach teachers’ names to their scores? Will a time come were parents are offered a chance to search a database to determine how good or bad the teacher is who runs their child’s classroom?

Prior to moving forward with an incentive plan, DPS should develop better training for supervisors and a system for evaluating teachers (using values-added analysis along with classroom observations). In addition, time should be dedicated to formulating a plan to support teachers in a way that limits burn-out. Parents should have access to the results of evaluations. Before any of that takes place a culture that values evaluation must be established.

Failure to do all of that will create a climate were teachers are targeted rather than supported in a way that advances the quality of teaching and stimulates greater student performance.

Throwing dollars at low-performing schools doesn’t solve this problem. Moving in that direction supports the claim that low-performance is the consequence of poor teachers. There isn’t enough data to substantiate that claim. It may be true, but are we willing to throw money to validate that assumption.

It takes time to change a culture. One step at a time.

Supporting the Right to be Married

Photo from Ms Magazine

On Saturday, March 17th, citizens of Durham will renew their vows. On last year, I officiated over the ceremony that hitched folks with the city we all love so much. I’m happy to report that my love affair with Durham has strengthened over the past year. I’m learning to love her even more.

As I prepare to lead the service of renewal, I’m saddened by what it means to be one able to take advantage of my position of privilege. It’s a truth I never thought would part my lips. Never before have I considered myself one able to function with the advantages that come with being formed with the body given me at birth. I’ve come to take for granted being minimized due to my humanity. I’ve assumed disadvantages as a black man.

Living with this black skin framed in manhood has led me to assume the worst whenever I move in the presence of white privilege. I take for granted not getting interviews despite my massive credentials and talent. I take for granted that people will deny me opportunity simply because of how I look. I also understand that this is a truth that those who function in privilege simply can’t understand.

What does that have to do with marrying Durham? Everything. It draws attention to the assumptions that come with heterosexism. We heterosexuals reap the advantages of all that privilege related to being able to go to the court house, pick up a marriage license and marry another willing heterosexual at will. We have the right to express our love legally. It’s a privilege that we uphold based on our contention that those unlike us are unworthy of the same privileges we take for granted.

So, imagine how it must feel for people to marry the city when they can’t get married to their partner? They are allowed to come out and make vows to a community while being forced to accept they can’t do the same with the person they love so much. That is hurting me deep.

I’m thinking about it more this year due to my intent to get married soon. Yes, I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s time to throw away bachelorhood and tie the old knock with Ms. Connie. Given all I feel for her, and all it means for me spiritually to jump on the marriage wagon, it hurts that doing so pits me as one willing to take advantage of my position of privilege while those I care about are unable to do the same.

By now a line of conservative minded Christians are ready to throw stones my way. I can hear the pages turning from that Bible they use to fight. I’m certain they are preparing to use that Bible to prove how God hates homosexuality, and that I’m standing on the side that supports people in maintaining those sinful ways. Others will talk about how allowing “those people” to get married will destroy the fabric of society and lead America even further from being what the crafters of the Constitution intended.

Isn’t America supposed to be a nation that offers freedom for all citizens? Shouldn’t we honor the separation of Church and State? Shouldn’t we want for all our citizens the same privileges that those with power take for granted?

Given my personal internal struggle, it has become difficult for me to embrace marriage at this time. How can I when others I care about can’t. What does it mean for me to walk within that privilege and hold my bond of love before them as a reminder of what they can’t have due to the laws of this land? Is that love? Is that right? Is that being the compassionate person we all claim to be?

Some may regard that as a cop out. Go ahead and say it – you don’t want to get married! Not true. I do, but how can I cheerfully participate within a system that uses my heterosexuality as the privilege that validates my decision to walk in that space?

Would it be different if only white people could marry? Maybe we could see it if we limited marriage for those within a certain economic bracket. I hear my critics again. It’s not the same. Gay folks are an admonition against God! Okay, since you go there, is that a theological claim? If so, isn’t that in opposition to the Constitution we claim is used to keep America the land of the free?

Those critics will argue that those white dudes who signed the Constitution had a Christian nation in mind when they spoke of one nation under God. Give me a break! We are more than a Christian nation. If we allow our views of God to fuel our political decisions, we become what America was before those who signed the dotted line left England to find religious freedom.

Yes, I will renew my vows to Durham on Saturday. I want to get married, but what does it say given the struggles of my friends to do the same?

Slap me for caring about those I love. It isn’t right.

All they want is to say I do.

Hanging With the Rev

In case you haven’t been paying attention, Durham has become a hotspot for entertainment. Folks are flooding the Bull City to take part in the good stuff at the Carolina Theatre and the Durham Performing Arts Center. A few weeks back we had Eric Benet and Aretha Franklin on the same night - one at the Carolina Theatre and the other at the DPAC. Don’t be fooled into thinking those are the only places jumping. It’s hard to keep up with all that’s going on.


As a service to those in search of a place to hang, the Rev-elution is dedicating each Thursday to Hanging with the Rev, a listing of events in Durham, NC.


We begin with the play featured on the Rev-elution on February 17. This is one that you simply can’t miss. Tell the ladies at the hair salon to pack the house to see I Love My Hair When It’s Good & Then Again When It Looks Defiant & Impressive. Written by Chaunesti Webb, the play is certain to get folks talking about the drama black women face due to their hair. If you don’t know, show up. If you know, well show up anyhow. It takes place at the Manbites Dog Theatre, March 8-17. Manbites is at 703 Foster Street.


If you love that time of year when the American Dance Festival is in town and need a fix, Gaspard & Dancers has a treat for you. Durham-based modern dance choreographer Gaspard Louis and his company will feature a powerful new work at the company’s third annual concert on March 13 and 15 at the Reynolds Industries Theater at Duke University.


Haitian-born Louis will present the world premiere of Souke, the latest in a series of exciting new works he has created in the Triangle since the founding of Gaspard&Dancers in 2009. Souke, which means “to shake” in Haitian Creole, captures both the chaos of the tragic 2010 earthquake and the courage of the Haitian people—courage that unites them in rebuilding their devastated country. Proceeds from the concert support those efforts.


In addition to four works by Louis, Gaspard&Dancers will perform a world premiere by Amanda K. Miller as well as Mark Dendy’s 1985 groundbreaking athletic tour de force BEAT. Dendy has launched and directed two acclaimed dance companies and created numerous award-winning works for theater and television. His choreography has been honored with an Emmy, an Obie, a Bessie, and the Alpert Award.


For those interested in stimulating their minds, The Pauli Murray Project is holding a series of discussion focused on Amendment One. The next event is a speech on Theological & Biblical Perspectives on Amendment One (Marriage Equity) at Pilgrim United Church of Christ, 3011 Academy Road. The speech will be given by Mary Mclintock Fulkerson, professor of theology at Duke University. The event begins at 6:30 pm and ends at 8:30.


If you love the genre of music some call Neo Soul (I hate the term because you can’t make a new soul), keep your calendar set for the Beyu Café on the fourth Saturday of each month. Grammy nominated singer Yazarah will set the stage on fire each month with an event called the Yazarah Love Series. I spoke to Yaz on yesterday and she has plans to bring some of the biggest names in the biz to Durham. It’s her way of showing love to the city she calls home. The only problem is the lack of space at the Beyu, so get those tickets early!


Finally, it’s time to renew our vows. On last year, I performed the ceremony that had people come out to Marry Durham. On Saturday, March 17, we will remember that day by affirming our commitment to keep our streets clean and safe, protect our natural resources, shop locally, support the arts and local non-profit organizations, cherish diversity and elect responsible leadership. It kicks off at 2:30 pm and will last until 5:30 pm. Like last year’s wedding, there will be food trucks, entertainment and a parade. Meet me at the 700 Block of Rigsbee Avenue (between W. Geer & Corporation Streets) to say I do again or for the first time.

Sponsored By: Motorco, The Bar, Surf Club, Lloyd’s Lounge and Fullsteam

Oh yeah, good things are happening in Durham. Come Hang out with the Rev.

When Names Don't Change

“I heard you are running for office,” I was asked while picking up a friend to help me move.

“No, I’m not interested in public office,” I responded surprised that my name is floating in the streets as one of the many taking a stab at the Board of County Commissioners. Nope. It’s not me.

I did contemplate a bid for City Council before one of my peers ran for Mayor, got slaughtered, and then ended up in prison for allegedly killing his wife. Watching Michael Peterson move from writing columns with me in the same paper, to giving it all up for a hope and prayer was enough for me to back away from any thought of serving folks by sitting in one of those big seats at City Plaza.

I’d rather write about those who serve than give it all up to see if people love me enough to give me a chance. Besides, I’ve written enough columns to compromise the bit of political credibility I might have if not for throwing stones at too many people. My big mouth and heavy pen have dug a deep pit for me to be thrown.

The confusion related to the rumor of my running is connected to my former wife – Anita Daniels. When we got married we both hyphenated our names. Some may remember the column I wrote about how I decided to take her name to symbolize my taking on her past and the power of her name. I find it dehumanizing that women have to take on a man’s name while men are allowed to function with their own as if nothing ever happened when they said "I do".

In taking on her name, I celebrated the woman who loved and cared about me enough to take on a part of me. Sadly, we divorced in 2002. It was a painful separation and divorce, and, for me, it came with a tremendous price. Much was lost beyond the marriage. In the eyes of many, my role as pastor was wrecked by my unwillingness to stay put until death did us part. I get that.

The riddle of that rumor about me running for office was exposed when I received an email about Anita failing to get the paper work in to change her name back to what it was before she put her name in the bucket to run for County Commission. Legally, her name remains Daniels-Kenney. Her name reflects what we were, but, don’t get it twisted, it also unveils the bond that was and continues to be between me and the woman I still consider to be one of the best things since sliced bread.

I loved her enough to marry her, and I love her enough to vote for her. Our parting of ways didn’t change the strengths that led me to marry her. She is incredibly organized. She is intelligent and has a passion for Durham. She also brings experience that places her above others who have decided to run. She was a United Way executive. She has served in management for the city, and was a county government department head.

No, I’m not running for office, but one who is a part of me is running. A vote for Anita is like a vote for me. Divorce didn’t change that. So, for those who have asked me what I think about her – I say two thumbs up.

As for her not changing her name back, I haven’t changed mine yet. It’s one of those small details that one has to take care of before moving on to new places. For Anita its public office, for me it’s getting married again. It’s one of those things I have to change before moving into the next stage of my life.

Until then, it’s nice knowing that one I care so much about still has my name. It doesn’t mean the same, but it means something more than words can express.

What does it mean? You go girl!

Panel discusses "Faith and Gangs"

“Your gang won’t be there if you go to jail,” one of the panelist said after being asked why youth decide to join a gang. “Your family will be there, but they don’t care about you.”

125 people packed the education room at the Holton Resource Center to discuss “Gangs and Faith”. A panel of youth sit on one side of the room while those representing the faith community were positioned on the other. Solomon Burnette, the organizer of the event, moderated. There were plenty of questions coming from those in the crowd. The pieces of paper with those questions kept coming as Burnette did the best he could to facilitate a conversation related to a subject that is on the minds of so many. What is the faith community doing to reach youth?

Most of the exchange centered on the need for faith communities to be more loving of youth. All of the youth on the panel attend church. They talked about why they go, and what has inspired them to stay. All of the youth knew of people who have joined gangs. One of the panelist admitted that he joined a gang.

“I decided to change my life when I was in jail,” he says. “The thing that got me was when I read the book of Revelation.” He went on to say that he left the gang. He’s now a member of God’s gang.

John Fitzpatrick, the young man’s pastor, reached over and whispered in my ear as the young man talked about being in Jesus’ gang. “He’s called to ministry,” Fitzpatrick muttered. I wasn’t surprised.

Listening to the young people talk took me back to the time just before I entered ministry at the age of 19. It happened after a battle with drugs and engaging in acts to support my habit. Listening to them reminded me of why I decided to change my life, and how faith helped pave the way. The truth is things aren’t so different. Times have changed, but the struggles I endured to come to myself mirrored most of the young people on the panel.

I listened to the religious leaders on the panel in wait for them to say what was on my mind. They lifted the need to offer places for young people to thrive. One talked about the importance of living the faith in a way that offers a positive model for youth.

“Young people are tired of watching people get slain in the Spirit on Sunday and living in a way that contradicts what they claim the rest of the week,” he suggested.

I listened as the youth on panel discussed why their peers join gangs. One said it is for protection. Another said it is because of money. In all the talking back and forth between the youth on panel and the religious leaders on the other side, there seemed to be a broken bridge. There was a gap between the sentiments of the youth and the agenda of the faith community.

As I continued to wait for someone to say what was in my spirit, my mind wondered even further into memories from my youth. It was like a prayer – what changed me? More than that, what is it that I have in common with the youth on the panel?

The answer is connected to what I was waiting to hear. I needed faith because I was in crisis. The role of faith is to be present for youth as they struggle to find meaning within a context of crisis.

It’s part of what comes with growing up. There are so many questions that need to be answered, and faith helps solve the riddle in a way that brings special meaning. Faith helps people get past feeling lost and empty due to the guilt they carry. It teaches us that God loves us despite our mistakes.

Youth, just like older folks, blunder when they endure deep crisis. It happened to me due to a series of deaths. I simply couldn’t find my way after my sister’s death. I felt abandoned by God, and unloved when the people positioned to love me were too busy with their own pain to see my need. I felt rejected by the community of believers who came with an answer that hurt me more – this is God’s will. I hated thinking that God’s decision was to rob a 13 year-old of life for the sake of some higher purpose.

Could it be that the bridge between faith and gangs is rooted in being present when crisis hits? Maybe, just maybe, it has more to do with understanding our true purpose more so than a particular teaching or system of being. It’s not what we say. It’s being present to love when things are falling apart and no one seems to know the reason why.

I left the discussion encouraged by the people in the room. I appreciate the different voices gathered to solve a problem that impacts us all. Each comes with a unique perspective. My truth is for the work I’ve been given. It is deeply rooted in the life I have overcome and lived. Overcoming is a message of hope. Thank God for that message.

I’ll continue to be present for those in crisis. What will you do?

Play to Explore Black Women's Journey With Their Hair

It’s a shame that black women have to worry so much about their hair. That stuff on top of their head goes a long way in establishing their identity. It’s the reason behind the enormous amount of money spent to press, relax, weave, twist, loc, curl, and dye and cut their glory.

It’s why a black woman will do serious damage to anyone who attempts to touch her hair. It’s one of those rules in black culture that those on the outside need to know. Keep your hands off despite your fascination with the unknown.

It’s virtually impossible to talk about a black woman’s understanding of self devoid of a conversation about how they view their hair. Many grow up with a conception of beauty linked to those Barbie dolls with long straight hair. Sadly, research still shows little girls pick those white dolls over the black ones. Beauty, in the eyes of too many, is connected to those white features.

Those themes and more are uncovered in a new play written by Chaunesti Webb. I Love My Hair When It’s Good: & Then Again When It Looks Defiant & Impressive will premiere in Durham, NC at Manbites Dog Theater, March 8-17. Webb will then take the play on the road to Boulder, Co on April 5. The play is certain to create the kind of buzz that will have folks talking about their journey with hair.

Webb grew up in Durham, NC where being Black and proud is made easy by the significant Black population. She moved from Durham to Boulder, CO where she completed the Master’s in Fine Arts in Theater and Contemporary Performance at Naropa University.

“I became part of the tiny 1% African American sliver of the demographic pie,” she says. “Coming out of the diversity of Durham, I was in shock. Everything "Black" about myself was magnified in this environment: my attitude, my point of view, my hair.”

It was while in Boulder that Webb began exploring her complicated relationship with her hair. She found 7 Black women from the Boulder-Denver area and for 10 weeks facilitated a creative process where they explored their feelings about their hair. Those discussions were transformed into her first full length play. The play integrated interview text, original music, movement and video.

Webb decided to dig deeper than with the first work. For the past few years she has listened to other Black women talk about their hair. The final product tells the joys and sorrows that Black women endure as they manage that nappy stuff. It travels through those early years when mama burns the neck with the pressing comb. It ponders the impressions of others when natural hair becomes a viable decision. More than that, it’s about relationships, coming of age, gender identity and so much more.

Webb received support for the development of the play through a Creation Fund Award from the National Performance Network, co-commissioned by the St. Joseph’s Historic Foundation in partnership with Naropa University, and the Durham Arts Council Emerging Artist program. “We still need to cover expenses related to rehearsal space, costumes, set construction, props, design and printing,” Webb says.

Given that so much of the identity of Black women is connected to their hair, this play paves the way for broader conversations involving how Black women view themselves and how those views are shaped by both their own and others perceptions of their hair. It is certain to stir memories. Hopefully it will help Black men understand Black women, and open the window for others to understand the agony Black women feel because of their hair.

As for me, I love a Black woman who loves her hair the way God made it!

You can contribute by going to this link: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/65240/pledges/new

$15K in 30 days for American American Males

I have three amazing kids. Krista, I call her “Suga Baby”, exude intelligence. After graduating a year early from Jordan High School, she has moved on to complete degrees at North Carolina State University and graduate work at Columbia University in neuroscience. Lenise, I call her “Sweet Baby” teaches at Dudley High School. She has two Masters Degrees in her pocket and has enough passion to inspire a city.

Then there’s my son King. I call him “Your Royal Highness." After graduating with the highest grade point average in the sociology department at North Carolina Central University, the King relocated to Minneapolis Minnesota to take a shot at life in corporate America. Problem is he couldn’t get the doodles out of his system. His love for all things creative drew him back to his first love. His art landed him a scholarship to attend the School of the Arts Institute Chicago.

To say that I’m extremely proud and often overwhelmed with how my youngins turned out is an understatement. I’ve spent incalculable hours in an attempt to grasp how they blossomed into such wonderful fruit. Saying that acknowledges that behind it all is something more prevailing than my influence. Given all the variables related to the rearing of my children, it’s safe to conclude a higher power was in the room.

There is one consistent theme that permeates that room. They were nurtured in a community that understood and celebrated the clout of education. They watched me and their mother struggle to pave our own path. They watched two young parents fight to make a way for them devoid of the resources to make the journey easy. They watched us grow up with them as they were challenged to do the best they could. They watched us not as parents of privilege, but as two people grappling to do the best we could with what we had.

I wonder if my son’s new project is rooted in the agony of witnessing our struggle. I wonder if it is fueled by the pain of having to suffer as we pursued a dream in hope that we would be able to do more for our children.

King, along with his business partner Jeff Johnson, has set a goal to raise $15,000 in a month to create a college scholarship for a deserving African American male graduating from a local public high school. It’s their answer to combating the miserable truths confronting African American males. At Duke University, 73 percent of the African Americans enrolled are female. African American males aren’t making it to college, and, for those who do, many don’t graduate.

A study released by the American Council on Education in 2010 shows that only 35 percent of African American males who enter college graduate in six years. This compared to 59 percent of white males, 46 percent for Hispanic men and 45 percent for African American females who entered college the same year. As African American males drop out of college, some campuses are left with nearly twice as many African American females as African American males.

Jeff and King are convinced that these disparities are rooted in a lack of consistent resources for African American males. They contend the cost of education has become a barrier for those who would attend college or remain enrolled if not for the cost.

It’s a factor often missed in conversations involving the psyche of African American men. If the goal is too costly, and there is no help to get to the other side of the river, one finds ways to contend with what remains. Could it be that poor academic performance among African American males is correlated to seeing college as an unattainable ambition? For those who do well, imagine the hostility linked to doing well in school, but not being able to go to college because there isn’t enough money left after mama and daddy balances the check book.

It’s a truth I understand all too well. King was born when I was 19. Lenise was born two years later, and Krista came when I was a 26 year-old graduating with a degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. The cost to achieve my goal was brutal on my kids. They watched as their mother ached because she had a passion to finish her degree. We grappled with not finding work that paid enough to provide for all they deserved because we were so young and lacked the education we needed.

How many African American males give up because they have to pay child support or work to pay for diapers? How many can’t go to college because they won’t have enough money to eat and pay the rent? How many cry through the night because they won’t be able to walk in the light of their dream. That dream withers like a raisin in the sun.

They have to raise $15,000 in a month. We should double that amount. If you believe in youth and care about the dreams of those who are told no – find a way to support those dreams. Wipe those tears with your love.

I struggled to make my way. God knows I regret how it harmed my children to have a dad who pushed so hard to fulfill his own dreams. I hope they understand that I did it for them. I was young and lacked the support that so many take for granted.

Despite my limits, thank God for my kids. “Suga Baby,” “Sweet Baby,” and “Your Royal Highness.” God carried them when I couldn’t even carry myself.

Help me by helping my son help others fulfill their dream.

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