Hip Hop's "Shining Path" - TUPAC AMARU SHAKUR

Some say that our destinies are written way before we are born...that no matter what we do in life to try to run from who we are, the truth always hits us. It's like in The Matrix - once you take that pill, there's no going back. You will always know truth and feel a need to push for truth until your last day comes. Like those walking blindly in the "matrix" of today's society, Tupac Amaru Shakur's destiny was set.

Conceived during the Black Panther Movement of the 1970's, nurtured in the womb while his mom was in a federal prison and then, born months after her release, Tupac Amaru was named after the revolutionary leader of Peru. His last name, a Muslim one taken by his parents (Afeni & Mutulu) and aunt (Assata), reflects not only his characteristic but one of the 99 attributes (names) of Allah - Shakur = Shakir = The Appreciative

Tupac appreciated the struggles of the Black Panthers. He appreciated the struggle of his mom - fighting against racism, poverty and drug addiction. Most notably, Tupac appreciated the struggles of the young Black male in America. His T.H.U.G.L.I.F.E. motto exemplified his frustration with the way in which Black youth seem to have been thrown away...disregarded. His passion for his artform and his love for his people led to his being seen as a leader, a poet, a prophet and a martyr...but what about the theories of him being in the witness protection program? hiding out in Cuba with his aunt, Assata (who is exiled from America)? Of him faking his own death, like Don Illuminati?

Will we ever really know the answers? Probably not, but to understand the man and his struggles one has to goto his own words - his music, his poetry -written in his own hand, and films, like "Tupac Resurrection."

One of the most powerful things Tupac ever said was - "I may not change the world but I can guarantee that I will spark the brain that will change the world!"

Such wisdom at a young age can only come from one with a Divine mission and purpose. Wherever Tupac is, I'm sure he can count himself among the chosen ones whose name will be written in the BOOK OF LIFE !

Hotep
Salaam
Peace

Teacher Brain Drain....

Is it wrong that I can't wait until summer vacation? Is it wrong that I'm counting down the days just like my students? As a teacher, it's often assumed that one's whole life is school or education oriented. Granted, the whole reason I find myself addicted to college coursework is because I fear that my brain will go dead if I don't engage in stimulating ADULT conversations sometimes, but beyond that there's a real need to do things not related to secondary education. There's a need to read books that my students DON'T have to read....to not have papers to grade...to not be expected to call a parent of that student that you KNOW will never show up at the grade pick up or parent conference this time because they NEVER have before....there's a need to wake up and not have somewhere to be by 8am everyday!

Don't get me wrong...it's not all bad! 12 years of teaching and interacting with Chicago area youth have had many high points - graduations, thank you's, laughs, open mics,etc., but those are often so few and far between that it's easy to forget. I think the frustration comes, sometimes, too in the fact that this is often a "thankless job"...we do it out of love, dedication and a desire to see a better world, but the world doesn't appreciate the effort and the sacrifice. Sometimes, it's like..."Oh, sure I don't mind spending my weekend planning a really cool activity that you won't even take 5 minutes to read." Am I wrong?

As tired as students THINK they are of school come May or June, they have NO IDEA how exhausting teaching can be. I don't think anyone really understands until they've been in that position. You are teacher, parent, coach, friend, counselor, leader, mentor, role model, enemy, victim, nagger...byotch...all in one - depending on how the day goes and how your students see you that particular day! It's one of those jobs that people always say, "Wow! I really admire what you do!" but society doesn't reflect that in their treatment of teachers or in the priority we receive in terms of state and local budgets! If we are really so respected, how is it possible that garbage men, postal workers, athletes and entertainers make more than us? Why do the office personnel in some schools make more than the teachers? Why is it that the guy or girl in the videos that a child will probably never meet are the role models when teachers (and parents) are the ones they see in front of them everyday?

I'm venting...but maybe I'm purging and educating those of you that aren't teachers...maybe you're a parent trying to understand why your child's teacher seems so fed up all the time...maybe you're a student trying to understand why certain teachers nag you everyday about simple stuff like, bringing school supplies EVERYDAY until the end of the school year...maybe you're just a random person with a salary more than $40,000 or $50,000 who just doesn't get why anyone would take on such a daunting task....Whoever you are, now you know why June, July and August can be the three things teachers look forward to after spring break!

Summer Reading List...

This is assuming that I'll actually want to read between now and august...but here's the list so far...

GHETTONATION (i'm only about 45 pages into it, but so far I agree with her in that America, in general, especially our youth, are embracing "ghettoness" at a sickening rate! There is pride in being ghetto....how sad!)

A BOOK OF FATE (fiction...I miss the writing of Dan Brown so this looks like a close imitation)

THE TROUBLE WITH ISLAM TODAY (an Irshad Manji book...a true Muslim warrior...check out her myspace page)

SECRETS OF LONGEVITY: 100 WAYS TO LIVE TO BE 100
100 TOP IMMUNITY BOOSTERS

The last 2 are "Jamba Juice" books...see, folks, there's more to Jamba than juice and smoothies!

Planning ahead...

Somewhere between July 9 and August 1, I plan to be in Canada....again. I want to start off in Vancouver for 4-5 days and then, fly to Toronto with excursions to various spots -St. Catherine's (UGRR site- it's near Niagara Falls), Montreal day trip (to experience a taste of French culture...but just a bite cause I don't speak French ), Gore's Landing/Rice Lake to commune with nature, learn about First Nations culture and write poetry by the lake, Stratford day trip (to see Romeo & Juliet or some other Willy Shakes' production), Owen Sound (last stop on the UGRR...it's way north so this may not happen) and last but not least, Hamilton to see the Spencer Gorge and Webster Falls (i hope i wrote that right...one is a gorge and one is a falls...i always mix the 2 up). Of course, while there, I have to kick it on the islands and at the harbour for some international music....don't know if I wanna do Caribana again...it was expensive and okay...not really my flavor...maybe I'm too old to really need more than 1 day of that kind of celebration.

I love anywhere where I can experience nature (not like, camping or anything, but just the quiet, tranquility of trees blowing in the breeze or water crashing against a shore), music and all things cultural.

http://www.torontotourism.com/VisitorGuide/

Yes, I'm still on my T.O. kick....I've posted the latest guide for those of you interested. I'm really looking forward to my trip there again. My first journey was at the Renaissance next to the CN tower, baseball stadium and a hard rock cafe. My 2nd and 3rd journeys was "student style" - I took a midnight Greyhound bus into T.O.....11 hours and stayed in dorms. The 89 Chestnut residence (downtown, 2 blocks from bus station and eaton center). Last year, we were at the ILLC part of Ryerson university...3 blocks (different direction) from eaton center. Both were off Yonge...at the center of the action. close to TTC which was cool. Caribana weekend was jumpin'...you didn't have to do anything but step out onto the street and people watch! Of course, you could tell the rowdy Americans fromeveryone else.

This time around I'm looking for more homestyle digs...condo/apartment type locales. My first choice is in North York about 20 min from downtown, but the building looks nice. I always said I wanted to start venturing out in toronto. I guess this will be my chance. It would def be a step up in terms of cost and venue...a 1bdr deluxe condo unit - washer, dryer, equipped kitchen, furnished, computer and phone access in a building that has an indoor pool. almost seems to good to be true...but I hope it isn't. I hope it's worth the trek on the TTC or in the rental car. If nothing else it will give me an idea of what it's like to live like the natives. Besides, it's close to an outlet mall and a 24hour Dominion grocery store...what can be wrong with that?

Underground Railroad Monuments

It's important to note that the USA does have a National Underground Railroad Museum in Ohio (I haven't been yet) and there are also simulation-experiences in Ohio where you can (similar to a rites of passage type retreat) see what it was like to be on the railroad during slavery time. I've been told that hundreds of people do it annually - alone, with church groups or with their children- as a way to connect with our origins here in this land.
http://www.freedomcenter.org/

There's also a biking project where you can ride the thousands of miles of the underground railroad from Mobile, AL (where I was born) to Owen Sound, Ontario (about 2 hours north of Toronto...I hope to get there in July). Do the whole trip or connect at certain points.
http://www.adv-cycling.org/news/2007ugrr2release.cfm

This brochure, though, highlights the 2 monuments, done by Ed Dwight, in Detroit and in Windsor. It designed to give you an idea of what you'll see and where to learn more.

http://www.eddwight.com/public_art/underground_railroads/
http://www.tellusnews.com/ahr/urr.html
http://www.blackhistorysociety.ca/URR.htm
http://www.pc.gc.ca/canada/proj/cfc-ugrr/index_E.asp

Oh, Canada!

Okay, folks been asking..."what is it about canada that you love so much?" "why toronto? what's happening up there?" well it's kinda like being in the Chi and then, stepping thru the Stargate (did you see that movie with James Spader or watch the series? check it out or google it). T.O. has all the things the CHI has but it's cleaner, nicer. Of course, like all places it has its negatives - I'm not that naive, but it's diverse and full of culture. Tons of little excursions within a day's reach. It has the lure of CHI, but some areas make you feel like you're off in a distant paradise or an ancient timeperiod. It's also interesting that they honor FIRST NATIONS people....those are the folks we call "indians" or "native americans" here in the States!

I love that Canada honors and respects the contributions of the descendants of runaway slaves fromAmerica...they actually celebrate EMANCIPATION DAY....it's not just some random celebration like how few communities celebrate Juneteenth here in the states...it's on their calendars! When i get some time I'll chat about the underground railroad sites and add descrips to the photos on yahoo because it was/is such a moving experience to walk in the footsteps of ancestors. Doing that journey last summer (starting in Windsor and hitting Amherstburg, Chatham-Kent, Dresden, North Buxton), was moving to say the least. Sitting on that grassy knoll in front of the memorial statue on the Canada side of the river brought a wave of emotions over me. I followed the gaze of one of the statue figures as she looked back towards the US and realized that she was looking for those that were left behind (like me and mine...) I knew I'd have to see the other statue on the other side.

Later that year (Nov), on my journey to Detroit, I visited "sister monument" on the US side...walking up to it my steps got heavy and tears flowed as I got closer. When I looked out onto the water it was like I could see and hear the cries of the ancients calling to me from beneath the waters and across on the Canada side. I looked in the direction of the girl on the Windsor side, said a few prayers, journaled and just stood for awhile taking it all in. I thought back on my journeys to the mountains outside Mo-Bay, Jamaica...to that maroon village so high in the mountains that the indigenous folks and runaway slaves could pick off any REDCOATS coming to invade the village cause they stood out against the green! I thought back to the way the villagers took care of me when I passed out from heat exhaustion and the way the showed me around and took me in as if I was one of their own - just as the shopkeeper across from my hotel had done down in Mo-Bay. It reminded me of the way I feel whenever I was down home in Mt. Vernon, AL at Mama Nora's house - like I was in a different time and space where folks just take care of one another cause that's how it's always been done.

Being at those monuments and the other sites made me realize that no matter how down-trodden and trifling African Americans may seem...the Afrikan Diaspora still thrives on and since, "massa" is NOT going to bring our people and our history to us...those of us "lost sheep" in America gotta get out and find it for ourselves!

Toronto 2004

Toronto 2005

Ontario 2006

http://new.photos.yahoo.com/

Missing: The Sad Case of the Written Word & Unsolicited "Libary" Cards

January, 2007

Teacher: For this assignment,you will be required to do library research and to check out at least one book or periodical to coincide with your paper. You need a total of 3 sources, but one must be a book.Student 1: BOOKS??!!! We can't just get it off the internet? I hate reading books!Student 2: The library? You mean, downtown? I don't even know where my library card is! I haven't been to the library since I was like 7!Student 3: My library card has money due. I ain't gonna go up there. I don't have $30 or those books anymore!Although these lines aren't word for word, I've had similar conversations over the years with high school students in my attempts to get them to write research papers and essays. Other complaints included - "Why do I have to write everything out first? Can't I just type it and be done? I don't wanna do a rough draft!" Is this laziness or just a cultural phenomenon of getting things done fast - even if it is poor quality? This is a dilemma I have yet to find an answer to.I am a proponent of the written word;however, "progress" continues to come in the form of technological advancements (i.e., computers, pda's, iPods,cell phones, etc.). We are a society convenienced by technology, but made distant and cold by it as well. What ever happened to going to the library? Checking out a good book? Kids today haven't seen a library card since the early 90's! What about writing letters to people? It's a lost art. In a world so consumed with having everything fast and quick, it's no wonder that our nation's youth are among the lowest in the world when it comes to academic progress. Oh well, that's the price we pay for defaulting to web-based media!

The Good, the Bad & the Ugly in Web Design January 16, 2007

At a basic level, a "good" web design would communicate its purpose in a clear, logical, and aesthetically pleasing manner. It would have symmetry, balance, categorization headers and assistance tools to aid in navigation. Williams refers to these as the "four basic design principles" - contrast, alignment, proximity and repetition. A "good" design allows the reader to glean the necessary content and to then, use that content to make connections to themselves and the real world.It is difficult to navigate a page whose data extends too far to the left or to the right - far outside the marginal view of the screen/window. Scrolling to the left or to the right to continue reading text feels "unnatural" to the pattern of (web) reading I've become accustomed to. When reading a text or novel the words and images or graphics are confined to the marginal limits. However, "bad" designs (although sometimes unintentional) don't have to follow such conventions because novices, like myself, can create sites seen by millions in seconds. Whereas, those millions may or may not read from the same book or novel if print media were the focus.Along the "bad" design continuum are the sites I consider "ugly." Perhaps this doesn't fall academically under the four design principles, but these sites violate another set of more important principles - moral principles. Sites that feature child molestation, child pornography or sites that fail to censor solicitation of minors are "ugly" in my opinion, no matter how much alignment, proximity, repetition or contrast they have! This is one reason I have such issues with sites my students often invite me to, like MySpace or Facebook - I know that many of them are vulnerable, naive, needy young women seeking love and attention from anyone or everyone, oftentimes, in negative ways. I wish there was legislation or some sort of monitoring board, similar to the FCC to control internet crime and sexual perversion. It's one thing to offer adults the option to appease their fetishes (similar to those that were used to renting or buying videotapes, pay-per-view and/or playboy in the ,60's,70's, 80's and 90's), but it's another thing to not protect our children. How hypocritical was it for the American public to be appalled by the Janet Jackson-Justin Timberlake incident at the Superbowl when the nation's youth see worse filth in the music videos, video games and on the internet? We need to be conscious of the kinds of messages/lessons we are teaching our youth about ethical internet use and how to discern what's appropriate and safe and what's not - even when their hormones tell them otherwise.In creating this site and the one using Comcast.net, it became clear that Task Stream had the superior software application. Of course, a more advanced site could be achieved by utilizing Dream Weaver software offered at my school, but unfortunately time didn't allow for me to learn it in a few days and I had not taken time the last 6 years to learn along with past student bodies. Initially, I sought to utilize AOL but found that feature to be discontinued. I found Task Stream's tools to be fun and easy to use. Although the limited style and color options were disappointing, I am pleased with the end result. I felt that I was limited in my ability to have 100% control of the four basic design principles due to the pre-determined confines of the software.