Well, that didn't go quite as planned...but its all good! I'm still very pleased to give away two copies of Robert Dodson's book entitled Becoming American: The African American Journey".
And the winners are: Marva of The Marvalus View. She was the first to respond and the first to name the 11 African-American actors to receive the Oscar. And without cheating! You go girl! Enjoy your copy!
The second copy goes to my blog-sister Ms Lady Deborah who blogs over at From My Brown Eyed View. But, what most folks don't know is that Deborah has another spot, The Renaissance Gallery which she dedicates to telling "Our Story" 24/7/365. As she says on this spot: "A rebirthing space. One that is filled with our stories. Told by many different tale spinners. A renewal point for all who take time to discover the treasures that are here." It is fitting that she receive the second copy of Becoming American!
Ladies, be sure to email me your address so I can contact the publisher to send out your free copy. No shipping...no handling...no strings (smile). Be patient...takes about 2-3 weeks, but its well worth the wait.
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Join the International Campaign to Fight Against these Effigies of Racial Hatred!
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I like the CBS reality series SURVIVOR. I am always intrigued by the mind-games, manipulations, and even blindsiding that goes on to win a million dollars. This is not a game for the weak or weak-minded, because as Chris Rock use to say "Good Lord! That's a lot of money!" and we see each week that people will do anything for money. Hell being marooned in some obscure place for 39 days with some complete strangers is proof of that fact. But, that's another post for another time.
In tonight's episode, Taj made a relatively innocent statement about her husband which sparked several questions about what he did, his name, and so on and so on. She tried to be cool - but the questions kept on coming until finally she had to admit to the inquiring minds that she was married to football great, Eddie George. Now, at this point I'm cracking up because the members of her tribe are pretty awestruck with the fact that they are on Survivor with someone related to a celebrity. But, what they don't realize - at least not yet - is that Taj is a celebrity in her own right without
For those of you who don't know or don't remember, Taj's claim to fame is being a member of the Grammy®-nominated group SWV (Sisters With Voices). The author of “Player HateHER: How To Avoid The Beat Down And Live In A Drama Free World," she warns her SURVIVOR opponents that she is "not the average NFL wife and mother." She has overcome both physical and mental abuse in her life it is no wonder she says she's "naturally distrustful." Use to beating the odds, Taj says that she is "literally, truly a survivor, who has survived more things you can ever imagine."
Since her tribe now knows that she is Mrs. Eddie George, the rumblings began that she didn't need the million dollar prize. Well, that may be true - but, I'll bet you a dollar to a donut that when they find out that she's an SWV surviving SURVIVOR will definitely be a very hard row to hoe.
It will be very interesting to see how this plays out during this season. I mean it might be just too much for some of members of the SURVIVOR cast to come to grips with the fact that there are African-American women who are successful in their own right married to African-American men who are also successful. Go figure...
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Ain't you ever heard of "don't ask...don't tell?"
Look! They didn't ask Senator Burris if Blago's brother had contacted him about contributing to his campaign. So, it's all good! Right? O.K., I was wrong...again! Dayum Roland! You gon be in trrrooouuubbbllleee!
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Fight Against these Effigies of Racial Hatred!
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Look! They didn't ask Senator Burris if Blago's brother had contacted him about contributing to his campaign. So, it's all good! Right? O.K., I was wrong...again! Dayum Roland! You gon be in trrrooouuubbbllleee!Obliged to you for hearing me,
and now old SjP ain't got nothin' more to say...
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Fight Against these Effigies of Racial Hatred!
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In recognition of Black History Month, Sojourner's Place is pleased to announce that two copies of Robert Dodson's new book "Becoming American: The African-American Journey" will be given away. Robert Dodson is the Director of New York's Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and is considered on of the one of the foremost experts on African American history.
In an interview with the author, Black Enterprise hails Becoming American: The African American Journey as a unique chronological approach that...reveals the ways in which blacks’ attempts to make America live up to its founding creed have kept them on the path to “Becoming American.”
The following is an excerpt from the book: Too often, the telling of the story of African Americans begins with the transatlantic slave trade, and the whole of our history has too frequently been organized around our victimization during the eras of slavery and racial segregation. The triumphs of the civil rights movement, especially the role of Martin Luther King Jr., are chronicled, as are the recent challenges facing blacks in urban America. The centrality of blacks’ self-initiated activities in the making of African American history is not always apparent, and their active role over the last two hundred plus years in defining and redefining the very concept of America and Americans is usually not fully appreciated.(Sterling Publishing 2009)
One copy of this book will be given to the first two bloggers to submit a post via email to Sojourner's Place entitled: Becoming American: (Your Name/or Site Name) Journey. Each post submitted, on or before Friday, February 20, will be featured at Sojourner's Place -- but only the first two received will receive Dodson's book. So, prepare your post and submit it to via email to: sojournersplace@cox.net.
I want to express my sincere gratitude to Tara A. Cuskley and the Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. for finding Sojourner's Place worthy and sponsoring this giveaway.
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Let me be the first to say that I was wrong. Completely wrong. The RNC has selected Richard Steele to head the Republican Party into the furture. Only time will tell, if Steele will be the true leader of the RNC and not just another Judas Goat as we saw with the Palin candidacy of the party to garner African-American support.
Steele already finds himself on an uphill climb to garner the support of his own party. After finally emerging the winner after six rounds of voting, it appears that Steele's staunchest opponent was Katon Dawson, chairman of the South Carolina GOP who had secured very strong support from party insiders. After five rounds of balloting, the race for the chairmanship came down to a choice between Steele and Katon Dawson, the South Carolina GOP chairman who secured strong support from party insiders after former chairman Mike Duncan dropped out of the race after the third round of votes. (Source)
The former Lt. Governor of Maryland won the RNC seat with 91 votes from the 168-member committee to be named chair. A simple majority of 85 was all that was needed to win the honors.
The RNC seems to have a "monkey see - monkey do" mentality here that I hope does not back-fire in their faces. It will take more that putting an African-American at their helm to "prove" that they are diverse and willing to listen to and act on diverse thinking leading to action. They can't simply lean on the laurels of former Republicans deemed great in the eyes of many or contradictory in the eyes of a few. Billboards espousing membership in the RNC by renowned and revered civil rights leaders is in itself, a divisive recruiting technique that will fall on death ears. And as long as the mantra of the party remains "pull yourself up by your own bootstraps" while they pull themselves "up by the my bootstraps and on my back", the Party will continue to look the way it does currently regardless of its leadership. It will take much more than rhetoric and much more than putting a black face at their helm.
I hope the RNC is truly wanting to turn the corner leaving behind their policies, strategies, and foundation that has divided the citizenry of this country for decades. I pray that they now realize as President Obama continues to say "There is no red America. There is no blue America. There is only the United States of America!" I hope they realize that this is much more than winning or loosing a political seat or 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. This is about our survival as a Country, as Americans.
I congratulate you, Mr. Steele. Now convince me why I - an African-American wife, mother, and professional should support all-things Republican. I'll be waiting...
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I'm sure we all remember when poet, author, playwright and civil rights activist, Dr. Maya Angelou, endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination for POTUS. While her endorsement of HRC did not surprise me, the backlash she endured for doing so, did. Seems that many had forgotten when her genius was introduced to many Americans (non-Oprah watchers) by Bill Clinton during his first inauguration. It seemed that it was no longer a "Good Morning" for Maya because of that endorsement.In an article appearing in Sunday's Washington Post (1/18/09), however, Maya Angelou may find herself back in the good graces of at least some of her most ardent opponents. The article entitled: At Long Last, Ready for the Real Deal, Maya describes her encounter with Michelle Obama during an event in Greensboro, NC where she was to introduce Mrs. Obama. Calling her good friend Oprah, Maya asked What is your take on Michelle Obama?" To which Oprah is said to have promptly replied, "She is the real deal."
Having only 45 minutes to "get to know" the woman she was to introduce, these two women of grace, character, and substance talked about "family, the economy, youth obesity, television, music, cooking and men". May says
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I was completely won over. She neither postured nor preened. I sensed no subterfuge in her conversation. She said what she thought and said it clearly, without bombast.
In introducing Michelle, Maya recounted her conversation with Oprah, reflected on the short 45 minute conversation with Michelle and in concluding her introductory remarks, Maya simply said"Now ladies and gentlemen, please welcome the 'real deal.' "
I encourage you to read the full text of Dr. Angelou's article here for I have always been of the opinion that Maya Angelou has always been the real deal even when I have not agreed.
Cross posted @ Michelle Obama Watch
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I love being a weekly contributor at Michelle Obama Watch blog, founded by Gina of What About Our Daughters. If you've not had the opportunity to visit MOW, I strongly encourage you to do so. The posts provide a wealth of up-to-date information and commentary on all things about First Lady in Waiting, Mrs. Michelle Obama.
Ofttimes, the posts evoke debate between commenters and contributors. While such debate is often "lively", I do my best to be as "restrained" as possible when posting and commenting. It is simply my way of showing due respect for the blog's namesake and the purposes under which it was founded. But, This is SjP's Place, and I'm about to blow over comments made on a recent MOW post entitled, Chicanery and Foolishness: Huffington Post Calls Sasha Obama “SASSY”.
As Gina, the writer of the post, so aptly states "Where I am from “sassiness” when applied to a child is pejorative. Sassiness would get you a green switch." Yet, there were many who saw nothing wrong with the characterization of Sasha as "sassy". The following comments simply got my blood boiling.
“sassy” is a positive word about women who speak their minds.
Oh really? Let's try calling a woman (Black or White) "sassy" in the workplace one time. Just how quickly can you say "sexual harassment"? As a professional African American woman, I have to struggle each day to make sure that I am taken seriously, that my opinion matters, and that I am a meaningful and integral part of the operation. I speak my mind and for doing so, I am more times than naught called "aggressive" and yes even an ABW. I can deal with that - but, NEVER would I ever allow anyone to characterize me as "sassy" to my face.
If anyone out there in the blogosphere can name me one woman (Black or White) who has ever been characterized as "sassy" who was honestly taken seriously, I might be able to be talked down from this rant - but, I doubt it. Why? Because, I suspect that if there has ever been a woman - living, dead, Black, White, blue, grizzly or gray - who was considered "sassy" that she was NEVER taken seriously. And in the event that there came a time that she was taken seriously, I doubt that she was ever characterized as "sassy" again.
...negative sense as well as in the positive sense. No one would raise an eyebrow if a black person called a white person sassy these days…unlike years ago. Sassy is now an equal opportunity word.
"Sassy" is how I might describe a hat, dress, a handbag, a pair of shoes, or a child who thinks it appropriate to talk back to an adult or suck his/her teeth when an adult is talking to him/her. A "sassy" hat, dress, handbag, or shoes I'd wear. A sassy kid - well let's just say that my eyebrow would be the last thing I would think about raising if that kid were mine.
"Sassy" is not something that I would call a woman of any color who was not on the silver screen, television, or stage portraying a character akin to Carmen Jones, Holly Golightly, Margaret 'Maggie the Cat' Pollitt, or Lady Eloise. Personally, I consider "sassy" as inappropriate as calling a woman a b*tch - which is now an equal opportunity word used by many women much younger than myself. But I will say this, everyone as an "equal opportunity" NOT to call me either.
I think its [sassy] cute and endearing.
Cute and endearing? Oh! Like the N-word "sassy" is now a term of endearment. A term that is appropriate to call women and young girls. I think not! It is neither cute or endearing. To paraphrase Gina, sassiness will get you a switch at best (and let me add) or a very clear view of the palm of my hand at worst.
In a positive gesture to move us forward (and I am dead serious here), perhaps you could collaborate on an article — what are the 50 worst words, phrases, comments that today’s writers (predominantly white, of course) could use that are considered offensive to readers of Michelle Obama Watch.
Now this last one took the cake! Once again "we" are called upon to open the lines of communication in an effort of educating those who continue to stand behind the excuses of "I just didn't know" or "It was just a joke. Why are you so offended?". These are ofttimes the same folks who want to "touch my hair" or expect me to be the "spokeswoman" for all things African American.
But, lets just say that this exercise were to be done. O.K. But, remember, you can only come up with the 50 worst words, phrases, and comments for today's writers (predominately white, of course) should not use for fear of being offensive. Open up the lines of communication - but only by the rules pre-set and determined by you? Typical! I think not!
Look! I'm sorry - but it is not my job or my inclination to educate you about being Black in America. But, I will give you one piece of advise in your quest to not be offensive. When you want to use a word, phrase, or comment to describe an African American or an African American characteristic, "Google" it first. If you don't see the word, phrase, or comment you want to use portrayed on any one of over one thousand Black blogs used in a positive light - DON'T USE IT.
As I said at the beginning of this post, I love being a contributor at Michelle Obama Watch. Therefore, I have to remember my "home training" and "be good" when I'm out in public.Obliged to you for hearing me,
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Sankofa tells us this morning that the heavens are a little brighter with the home-going of the renowned Ms. Eartha Kitt. Orson Welles famously proclaimed her “the most exciting woman alive”. Pursued by billionaires, celebrities and diplomats, Ms. Kitt will remain the epitome of class, style and sophistication.
So in tribute the purrrrfect Diva, I present to you this Old School Friday the uncompromising, incomparable, and undeniable Ms. Earth Kitt singing "Too Close for Comfort" including a wonderful montage of her career, life, and acquaintances.
Mrs. Grapevine and Ms. Marvalus are the creators of this bloggie meme. Click here for more info and join the fun.
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Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice named All-Star Slugger Ken Griffey, Jr. a Public Diplomacy Envoy today. In accepting the honor, Griffey is charged with the challenge of "spreading the values of the United States" by helping to spark "interest in America and in our culture."
"Public diplomacy must be a dialogue," Rice said after meeting with Griffey in Washington. "This dialogue must extend to every citizen in every country, especially to young people."
Well-known athletes who exemplify the best in their sport, as an athlete and an individual, are appointed by the Secretary of State to be American Public Diplomacy Envoys. These special envoys not only reach out to youth through sports but promote the best aspects of American culture and democratic principles.
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Now we all know that the Ice Queen was the 1984 Runner Up for Miss Alaska. But, did you know who won the pageant that year? Well, thanks to D.L. Hughley, I just found out that the Ice Queen lost to the woman pictured to the left, Maryline Blackburn.
According to her website, Maryline was born in Europe but spent her formative years in Alaska. I am too through...and so is the Ice Queen! You know she pissed!
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I know...that was really bad... But, I just couldn't resist.
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We all know that Lt. Dan is not the sharpest knife in the drawer or the brightest bulb on the porch of one of his seven houses. He proven that time and time again. Whether it be picking the Ice Queen as his running mate or forgetting that Spain is an ally, we see living proof of why he finished 5th from the bottom of his class. Not only has he stolen Obama's "change" campaign theme he is now trying to do his best to steal the election by cheating.
Lt. Dan and his surrogates are up to some real oakie-doke stuff in an attempt to win the election by any means necessary. The latest tactic is something called voter caging that it appears that the Republican Party is an expert. According to an article by Dahlia Lithwick in Slate.com, caging has been used by members of the Republican Party of the USA as a form of voter suppression. The use of direct mail caging techniques to target voters resulted in the application of the name to the political tactic.
You may have received a similar email as the one below showing just how trustworthy and honest Lt. Dan really is. The McCain campaign is stealing this election as we speak. Please get this information out to as many people as you can, and tell anyone you know who has received one of these ballots that they need to contact their city election clerk or the supervisor of elections immediately. Also call the local media and let them know what is going on.
This is not the only evidence of voter caging out there. READ HERE, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE! SjP also encourages anyone who receives an absentee ballot to contact their county clerk's office just to be on the safe side. The contact them again to get a second opinion.
IMPORTANT VOTER RESOURCES AND LINKS!
- STATE VOTER REGISTRATION DEADLINES
- REGISTER TO VOTE HERE
- NATIONAL BLACK VOTER REGISTRATION PUSH
- PROUD BLACK VOTER RESOURCES
- WHY YOU NEED TO VOTE
- MORE IMPORTANT INFORMATION HERE
Speak the Truth!
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The Angry Black Woman blog offers an interesting and powerful take on Lt. Dan's demeanor toward Barack Obama during Friday's debate. As this political season has been belabored by racial undertones, innuendo, and even subliminal presentations the points raised nojojojo in this post are plausible. I urge all Sojourner's to read The Subtext of McCain's Anger.
| Not so long ago in this country — within McCain’s adult lifetime, though not Obama’s — white men did not look at black men, except to order them around or warn them off white women. They did not address black men directly if they could help it — and if they had to, it was never done in a way that might suggest respect. Black men did not look at white men either, because that was the shortest path to death; a black man who dared to look a white man in the eye was “uppity”. Didn’t know his place. Needed to have a lesson taught him, usually with a bullet or a length of rope. Even today there’s a certain kind of white man — usually older ones from the South or from wealthy backgrounds — who still won’t accord a man of color the simple courtesy of looking him in the eye. They’ll look everywhere else, address “the air” rather than the person, and get progressively more irritated if that person doesn’t back off and go away |
Speak the Truth!
Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old SjP ain't got nothing more to say. At a youth peace conference in Los Angeles, feminist Shirin Ebadi says a confrontation by the U.S. over nuclear development could cause a setback in human rights in her native country.
According to the Los Angeles Times:
Iran's leading feminist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate said Saturday that a military confrontation between the United States and Iran over nuclear issues would strike a disastrous blow to her nation's struggling human rights movement by strengthening the hard-line Islamic regime.
In the article, Ebadi is quoted as saying:
"If there is a military attack on Iran, people will forget their differences with the government, and they will defend their country," she said in an interview. "It will also damage our human rights movement, because the government will expand its powers and limit freedoms using the excuse of national security."
Now, I ask you...what does she know? She's not a governor or even a former mayor who can see Russia from her own backyard. So what can she possibly know about human rights. Iran is a nuclear threat and I say "Bomb Baby Bomb" so we can "Drill Baby Drill". Read the entire article here.
Speak the Truth! Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old SjP ain't got nothing more to say.
The article below appeared in the September 4th Sunday Edition of the Los Angeles Times. Former Playboy Bunny turned feminist, Gloria Steinmen supported HRC for the presidential nomination and now supports Obama. The author and co-founder of the Women's Media Center, Steinmen states in this article that Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton.
Photo: Gloria Steinem and Dorothy Pitman Hughes, circa 1970Photograph by Dan Wynn.Here's the good news: Women have become so politically powerful that even the anti-feminist right wing -- the folks with a headlock on the Republican Party -- are trying to appease the gender gap with a first-ever female vice president. We owe this to women -- and to many men too -- who have picketed, gone on hunger strikes or confronted violence at the polls so women can vote. We owe it to Shirley Chisholm, who first took the "white-male-only" sign off the White House, and to Hillary Rodham Clinton, who hung in there through ridicule and misogyny to win 18 million votes.
But here is even better news: It won't work. This isn't the first time a boss has picked an unqualified woman just because she agrees with him and opposes everything most other women want and need. Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for women everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie.Selecting Sarah Palin, who was touted all summer by Rush Limbaugh, is no way to attract most women, including die-hard Clinton supporters. Palin shares nothing but a chromosome with Clinton. Her down-home, divisive and deceptive speech did nothing to cosmeticize a Republican convention that has more than twice as many male delegates as female, a presidential candidate who is owned and operated by the right wing and a platform that opposes pretty much everything Clinton's candidacy stood for -- and that Barack Obama's still does. To vote in protest for McCain/Palin would be like saying, "Somebody stole my shoes, so I'll amputate my legs."
This is not to beat up on Palin. I defend her right to be wrong, even on issues that matter most to me. I regret that people say she can't do the job because she has children in need of care, especially if they wouldn't say the same about a father. I get no pleasure from imagining her in the spotlight on national and foreign policy issues 20 about which she has zero background, with one month to learn to compete with Sen. Joe Biden's 37 years' experience.Palin has been honest about what she doesn't know. When asked last month about the vice presidency, she said, "I still can't answer that question until someone answers for me: What is it exactly that the VP does every day?" When asked about Iraq, she said, "I haven't really focused much on the war in Iraq."
She was elected governor largely because the incumbent was unpopular, and she's won over Alaskans mostly by using unprecedented oil wealth to give a $1,200 rebate to every resident. Now she is being praised by McCain's campaign as a tax cutter, despite the fact that Alaska has no state income or sales tax. Perhaps McCain has opposed affirmative action for so long that he doesn't know it's about inviting more people to meet standards, not lowering them. Or perhaps McCain is following the Bush administration habit, as in the Justice Department, of putting a job candidate's views on "God, guns and gays" ahead of competence. The difference is that McCain is filling a job one 72-year-old heartbeat away from the presidency.
So let's be clear: The culprit is John Mc Cain. He may have chosen Palin out of change-envy, or a belief that women can't tell the difference between form and content, but the main motive was to please 20 right-wing ideologues; the same ones who nixed anyone who is now or ever has been a supporter of reproductive freedom. If that were not the case, McCain could have chosen a woman who knows what a vice president does and who has thought about Iraq; someone like Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison or Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine. McCain could have taken a baby step away from right-wing patriarchs who determine his actions, right down to opposing the Violence Against Women Act.
Palin's value to those patriarchs is clear: She opposes just about every issue that women support by a majority or plurality. She believes that creationism should be taught in public schools but disbelieves global warming; she opposes gun control but supports government control of women's wombs; she opposes stem cell research but approves "abstinence-only" programs, which increase unwanted births, sexually transmitted diseases and abortions; she tried to use taxpayers' millions for a state program to shoot wolves from the air but didn't spend enough money to fix a state school system with the lowest high-school graduation rate in the nation; she runs with a candidate who opposes the Fair Pay Act but supports $500 million in subsidies for a natural gas pipeline across Alaska; she supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve, though even McCain has opted for the lesser evil of offshore drilling. She is Phyllis Schlafly, only younger.
I don't doubt her sincerity. As a lifetime member of the National Rifle Assn., she doesn't just support killing animals from helicopters, she does it herself. She doesn't just talk about increasing the use of fossil fuels but puts a coal-burning power plant in her own small town. She doesn't just echo McCain's pledge to criminalize abortion by overturning Roe vs. Wade, she says that if one of her daughters were impregnated by rape or incest, she should bear the child. She not only opposes reproductive freedom as a human right but implies that it dictates abortion, without saying that it also protects the right to have a child.So far, the major new McCain supporter that Palin has attracted is James Dobson of Focus on the Family. Of course, for Dobson, "women are merely waiting for their husbands to assume leadership," so he may be voting for Palin's husband.
Being a hope-a-holic, however, I can see two long-term bipartisan gains from this contest.
Republicans may learn they can't appeal to right-wing patriarchs and most women at the same time. A loss in November could cause the centrist majority of Republicans to take back their party, which was the first to support the Equal Rights Amendment and should be the last to want to invite government into the wombs of women.And American women, who suffer more because of having two full-time jobs than from any other single injustice, finally have support on a national 20 stage from male leaders who know that women can't be equal outside the home until men are equal in it. Barack Obama and Joe Biden are campaigning on their belief that men should be, can be and want to be at home for their children.
This could be huge.
Speak the Truth!
Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old SjP ain't got nothing more to say.The Francis L. Holland Blog: Day of Blogging for Community Organizing Justice: "I Am a Community Organizer" "The AfroSpear and afrosphere have heeded the call for community organizing within the Black community, both online and in our day jobs, as teachers, church deacons, and in other community building efforts. We condemn statements that criticize community organizing - statements that challenge the value of the "one thousand points of light" volunteerism, non-profit and charitable work that George H. W. Bush made a centerpiece of his social programs. Rather than attempt to score political points by attacking charitable and non-profit sector efforts, those who seek to lead America should join those community organizers in churches, schools, PTA's, Girls and Boys Clubs, and all those who work tirelessly to make America a better place, every day of the week.
The Francis L. Holland Blog: Day of Blogging for Community Organizing Justice: "I Am a Community Organizer"
Sojourner's Place answers the call of Fellow AfroSpear blogger, Francis Holland, to participate in a day of blogging for Community Organizing Justice. I am inviting all Sojourners to join us on Monday, September 8 to remind Sarah Palin, the Republican Party, and the rest of the world of the impact that community organizers and organizations have had on our society.
We in the AfroSpear and afrosphere therefore dedicate this Monday, September 8, 2008 to highlighting at our blogs the crucial community-building efforts of people online and in our own communities. Even a church choir is a community organizing effort and no one should belittle such efforts to score political points."
The AfroSpear
Speak the Truth! Obliged to you for hearing me, and now old SjP ain't got nothing more to say.
Obama's chief strategist says the campaign respects John McCain's V.P. pick. David Axelrod calls Palin "a skilled politician" who's "deft at going on the attack."
Sarah "Barracuda" Palin, may be a "hockey mom" with pit bull tendencies but she better beware of the lionesses that have just been dispatched by Obama. Hillary Clinton, Governors Janet Napolitano of Arizona and Kathleen Sebelius are on a search and destroy mission with Palin dead in their sites.
The lioness has been recognized as the pinnacle of hunting prowess from the earliest of human writings and graphic representations. The lionesses are the hunters for their pride and capture their prey with precise and complex teamwork. Each lioness develops specific skills for her role in the hunting techniques used by her pride and, generally, assumes that role during most hunts. Members of human cultures living among lions in natural habitats have understood this characteristic and often have chosen the lioness to represent their most ferocious war deities and warriors, often naming their male rulers as her "son".
According to the PoliticalTicker.com
Sebelius got things started yesterday, saying of Palin's acceptance speech that she had "mastered the words written by the Bush speechwriters" but didn't address the issues voters speak about every day.
Clinton is set to arrive Monday in Florida.
This is going to be a very interesting cat and dog fight. The gloves are off and the claws are out. Let's see who wins this "tag-team" cat fight. And frankly, I can't wait!"
Speak the Truth!
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UPDATE: Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones, according to medical officials, died today after suffering an aneurysm.
U.S. Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones. Jones, the first black woman to represent Ohio in Congress, was hospitalized Wednesday after suffering an aneurysm. The news conference indicates that she is in critical condition, although CNN had earlier reported that the Congresswoman had passed away. I urge all Sojourners to keep Congresswoman Jones in our thoughts and prayers.
First elected in 1998, Tubbs Jones was one of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's biggest boosters during the primaries. She backed Barack Obama in June and is a superdelegate at next week's Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Tubbs Jones, who represents the heavily Democratic 11th District, chairs the ethics committee in the House. She was also the first black woman to serve on the powerful Ways and Means Committee.
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> > >SjP's truth continues
Of the 992,865 AIDS cases reported to the Center for Disease Control through 2006, Blacks women accounted for 40% of the total. These are the voices of Ladies of Distinction, a group of 12
African American women, living life to the fullest and living life with HIV.
Contracting the virus:
"The health department came in and escorted me to JPS, and they confined me in a room," she says, the tears now streaming. "I will never forget the day they told me." Sharon, 27 contracted HIV via a blood transfusion when she was17.
"If you have $20 in your pocket, are you going to spend it on entertainment or a box of condoms? For a lot of people, condoms are at the bottom of their list." Daphne Myles, executive director of the Tarrant County AIDS Interfaith Network in Fort Worth.
"If you have $20 in your pocket, are you going to spend it on entertainment or a box of condoms? For a lot of people, condoms are at the bottom of their list." Daphne Myles, executive director of the Tarrant County AIDS Interfaith Network in Fort Worth.
Before this support group, I was really depressed. felt ugly because of this disease." Karen struggles to protect her family from the stigma of her diagnosis.
"We have got to learn to love ourselves." Veronica, 36.
Prison’s revolving door:
"It’s not that all African-American men are messing around in prison, but a great majority are. I’ve seen it happen with all races." Jerry Wyatt who had HIV when he began serving a five-year sentence on drug charges in 1995.
"You have men coming out of prison who had sex with men and they’re not really gay, they’re just taking care of their sexual needs. He’s not going to practice homosexuality when he gets out of prison; he’s coming home to his wife." Vera Owens, a minister with the Minority AIDS Project in Los Angeles.
Living with HIV:
"People don’t want their employer to know they have HIV." Shannon Hilgart, associate executive director of the AIDS Outreach Center.
"The stigma of AIDS has left the nation with a generation that would rather die from the disease than admit they have it." Jasmine Burnett, development associate for the Black AIDS Institute in Los Angeles.
"I want a relationship, but I am afraid to tell him I have HIV." Karen
The preceding excerpts were taken from the article, Hit by HIV, black women reach in to cope, out to empower, by Jan Jarvis. I encourage all Sojourners to read it in its entirety. The statistics are certainly devastating...each statistic has a face...and as the numbers continue to rise the faces of this deadly virus are those of women and children of a "darker hue".
Photo Credit: The Chosen Ladies of Distinction, a group of about 12 HIV-positive women, meet weekly at the AIDS Outreach Center in Fort Worth to support one another. STAR-TELEGRAM/AMY PETERSON
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Who I Be?
- SjP
One Christian, African-American, Wife, Mother, Daughter, Sister, Professional, Sorority Woman just Sojourning for the Truth and not afraid to tell it!
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Created with the professional African-American woman in mind, the scope of Sojourner’s Place evolves every day. So glad you stopped by and I hope you will be inspired, informed, motivated, and energized!
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SjP
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