I discovered this photo on Facebook. Apparently, some woman took this photo to share with her friends and cause a stir of hatred. I find the photo to be a positive representation of two young men who know how to love or at least not afraid to show affection publicly. The problem that exists in American culture especially is that the world has set Black men up to fight each other. We see this is varies outlets boxing, football, prisons. The images that we are used to seeing with two black men are generally those where there is some form of competition. The woman who took the picture probably didn't expect this photo to get this much shine, but it goes to show you what technology can do.
So I shared the new good news last week and would like to share it again this week. My poem Still Swimming (..I Remember...) has been selected as 3rd Place Recipient for The Writer's Place Poetry Review 2011-2012 edition. In celebration of this great honor I would like to share the piece with you. Interested in reading other winner's work, log on to: www.thewritersplace.org.
“Still swimming (…I remember…)”
I remember going with you to Chesapeake Bay and I saw my first farm raised fishpond. I think there was salmon swimming in there. I remember when the boat came in and you, your fishermen friends, and Uncle John unloaded the wild caught fish: lake trout, shad, bass, and even live crabs. I remember a group of black men and white men laughing together knowing that this was a good catch and you all would be racking in the dollars. I remember this in Virginia. I remember when I made momma cry ‘cause she looked at the calendar we always kept in the kitchen to remind us of important appointments and I think momma was checking the calendar for her dentist appointment and saw that I marked: June 21st, Dad comes home. I remember this was the day you came home from being hospitalized with pneumonia for over a month. I remember. I remember. I remember when you starred on the 6’oclock news…Something you tuned into daily, in our living room, but this day you were not home, you were in jail and you headlined the news that entire evening…In handcuffs they had you and tucked your head into the police car ‘cause you sold illegal dear meat. I remember being so sad...so angry…so confused. You saying, “I’m just doing what I need to do, ‘cause I ain’t gon’ be here for too much longer.” I remember.
I remember loving Kraft American cheese. The individual wrappers…going through 5-7 slices a day for 2 weeks straight, and you warned, “That cheese is gonna bind you up,” and I remember thinking you didn’t know what you were talking about and I kept eating my American cheese, and two weeks later, I learned my lesson. My bowels couldn’t pass through, and you had to buy me prune juice, which was so gross. I couldn’t stomach it, so you mixed it in with coca-cola and a day later you stood by my side as I screamed in the bathroom like a pregnant woman giving birth (as I would imagine momma giving birth to my hard-headed self). It finally passed through. You grinned and I said, “Yeah, I learned my lesson.” I remember.
I remember you trying to get your strength back, testing what life had left. I remember you trying so hard. I remember. I remember you lying in bed. I remember communicating through raised and lowered hands and blinks of the eye and movements of the lip. I remember your last nod…your last smile. The look of joy that you were completing your last lap…finally you could float with no support. I remember….as I’m still swimming.
CHILDREN OF GOD Makes Its Theatrical Premiere in New York City
GLO TV Network & GMAD will host a special screening
on Thursday, May 26th at 7:10pm & 9:35pm
Have you seen one of the most controversial, yet refreshing films from this year? GLO TV and GMAD are proud to present and host special screenings on Thursday, May 26th at 7:10pm and 9:30pm at the Quad Cinema Theater. We are asking the community to enjoy this powerful and beautiful story with us.
InChildren of God, writer and director Kareem Mortimer tackles the subject of gay rights and human behavior in the Bahamas. Amid the sunny background of this Caribbean paradise lies a boiling cauldron of social and religious unrest. Mortimer carefully weaves the stories of four people all headed towards a fate none would expect.
What starts out as a casual trip from the city of Nassau to the tranquil island of Eleuthera, suddenly becomes a life-altering journey. For Johnny, a painfully shy art student who struggles to deal with his own sexuality and lack of inspiration decides to take some time off to find himself artistically and personally. Along the way, he meets Romeo, a handsome, young musician, whose double life as a straight man leads him to escape the suspicions of his family, ultimately finding a kindred spirit in Johnny. In the case of Lena, a wife, mother, and devout Christian campaigning against gay rights in the Bahamas, she also discovers the tiny island, all while learning some disturbing truths about her husband, the fanatical Reverend Ralph. His shocking infidelity does more physical and emotional harm than anyone could ever imagine.
Children of God'sending is nothing short of jaw-dropping and yet, there is something oddly cathartic and reassuring about each character’s fate. Overall,Children of Godis an emotionally charged film with stellar performances and beautiful location shots. Mortimer has skillfully crafted a tale that is both touching and painfully realistic in its portrayal of relationship dynamics and the impact of fanatical religious hatred.Children of Godis a culturally relevant and thought provoking movie that shouldn’t be missed.
“Finds moments of grace in it¹s believable central relationship ...Ferro and Williams keep their attraction and their doubts natural.” - Variety
“A landmark feature film by directed by Kareem Mortimer...a powerful and beautiful story about love, fear and religious intolerance” - Man about town
"Children of God is sumptuous and daring"– Extra
Film is scheduled to play at the Quad Cinemas from May 20th-May 26th. Opening Weekend filled with parties, Q&A and panels. Showtimes are 1:00 pm, 3:00pm, 5:05pm, 7:10pm and 9:35pm.
Quad Cinema, 34 West 13th Street,New York, NY 10011-7911, (212) 255-8800
The Future Forwardpoints out a fun way to waste away the few hours left before the weekend: Every issue of Ebony, from 1959 to 2008, is now available online. To the right is one from February 1970, featuring a stunning Diana Ross.
The magazine partnered with Google to launch the project. As you can tell, it’s a work in progress, as not every issue is available just yet.
Check out a collection of our favorite covers after the jump.
There comes a time in each of our lives when the ultimate question pops up once in our heads. One day, you will begin to look at your best friend in a different way. There are a couple of images that has never appeared in your mind before when it came to your best friend. Whenever they walk past you, you begin to get tiny butterflies floating in your stomach. What you're feeling is the ultimate debate.
You are in love with your best friend and you don't know what to do with it. You don't know if you should tell them or not tell them. It's the number one debate when it comes to friendships in our society. The main reason the question has become debatable is due to the fact that you don't know what is going to be the outcome after you ask your best friend the big question.
Across the world, best friends have been asked this question, and it ended in mixed results. On one side, the best friend turns out has been feeling the same way. It takes the stress off and the two of them ended up being together. Then on another side, the question completely devastated the individual and it resulted in the friendship being over for good. There are some friends that haven't spoken to each other in years.
When it comes to life, your best friend is the person that knows you inside and out. Even if you are close to your parents, this one individual knows you inside and out. They have known you for years. They have your back even when they know you are wrong. It's the one person that gives you the ultimate attention and you give it back to them in return.
But there comes a time in our lives when the ultimate question arises. The two of you have hung out long enough to have these feelings brewing inside. You may love this person, but falling in love has become a complete shocker in your brain. Now you are stuck, not knowing what to do with these feelings. Will the question transform this friendship into something better, or will it erupt like a volcano and burn to a crisp.
When it comes to friendships, what do you do when you find out that you're in love with your best friend. Do you tell them or not tell them?
If you’re like us, you’ve been waiting for that new Lady Gaga album for what seems like an eternity. With Born This Way set for its U.S. release on Tuesday, the days get longer, and the struggle gets more maddening with every secondhand tick.
Fortunately, online game developer Zynga has us covered. Yes, the Gaga-ster is heading to the farm…FarmVille to be exact. The newly branded “GagaVille” will be your go-to place for new songs before the album hits stores. And, it features her own bevy of crops including rubies, rhinestones and diamond-encrusted flowers. But wait, there’s “more.” If you listen very carefully to your favorite Clear Channel station this Thursday, you will hear a code for a special limited edition Lady Gaga special item for your farm. If the above spot from EVB and Moxie Pictures director Seth Gordon is any indication, those of you who already feel stupid for playing FarmVille every day can be rest assured that you’ll feel even more so after playing GagaVille.
On the heels of Kobe Bryant and his teammates recording a PSA after Kobe’s very public anti-gay slur, the NBA as a whole is launching a campaign taking on the same kind of hateful language.
The spot, created by Arnold NYC, GLSEN, Ad Council, NBA and featuring Phoenix Suns players Grant Hill and Jared Dudley (whose boss, Suns president/CEO Rick Welts, came out over the weekend), also features a track from the Beastie Boys called “Make Some Noise” from the group’s recently released, critically acclaimed album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two. It’s always nice to see a professional sports association like the NBA taking a real stand against trash-talk, but maybe an “It Gets Better” video might have had a bit more impact? In any case, as the Bulls and Heat play in the most anticipated series of the 2010-2011 season so far, a huge amount of passive fans are probably now just tuning into the playoffs, giving this spot more reach than it would have gotten it previous years.
I love this city! Where else can you stroll out of your uptown apartment. See an array of faces and bodies on the subway and end up cruising down a street in Soho bypassing all sorts of shopping options.
My morning stroll had me snapping photos of shoes from the window of a store called Irregular Choice. I'm pretty sure the fellas won't be moved by these photos, but ladies, if you are into zany, stylish, future forward footwear, then check these out.
The Bronx Community Pride Center in collaboration with Bronx AIDS Services, Community Healthcare Network, The Center, Hispanic AIDS Forum, SAGE, Next Magazine and the Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) present
The First
Bronx LGBT Career Fair
Thursday, May 26
10am-2pm
Come meet with employers, learn about open positions, submit your resume and ask questions!
