I love my people

Repost: Jul 24, 2008

 

Not an expert and still new to the livity...some say I don't give myself enough credit as Rasta and that it mean I am not yet sure what is happening within myself.
They say: "when ya talk, you say you still new to this, but you know what is what and you sound confident to me"
"you say you new but you sound like one to me. ya sound so sure of this path so why doubt yourself in the livity"
I always feel I don't measure up spiritually. No matter what walk, what path...I feel like I am so small and I dont really measure up.
I mean I don't want to be out there coloring my language with the fancy talk, dread my hair, listen to the music, change my name and not mean it.
I want to feel it. an I do! I feel it so strong and the livity makes me a stronger person every day...every second - minute....
Sometimes I just don't feel worthy or like I am an outsider....maybe that is just the loner in me talking but...
perhaps a pilgrimage to enlighten and reason to build me up with confidence in my stance.
Is that what it is? I mean I believe with my heart but I feel like I lack something...
I recognize I cannot do this alone so I learn to reach out to my brethren and sistren....
I even went out to a Rasta Rising...a lecture here in my neighborhood...a lot of us are loving out here...(see I tell ya I was guided in the right direction - I just know it!)
But last night I went out...and I fell in love all over again with the livity.
It's true. It's true. It's my truth.

Can’t let Babylon steal my joy

Repost: Jul 14, 2008

 

Government request of me thousands of dollars for my land. They say they told me and that this should not be a surprise...but it was.
they come and say that I owe them for my land - I do what is right in their eyes to gain a piece of babylon...I follow their rules. I do everything so that they cannot come back and take what Jah had given to me. I did everything. I asked for all explanations over and over.
they say I owe them. I can't let them anger me. I can't let them make me somber or downtrodden. I have to rise above and give it to The Most High. This is not my battle. Although I will fight. I can fight. Without anger and malice...
Although they come for me - with little care or regard for my life. I send them blessings their way. and I ask again....
Do you seek to regain my land, will you help me not?
And though they can say no...I can fight and give my battle to Jah.....

Judge Not!

Repost: May 20, 2008

 

I have come to notice a certain trait especially among the faithful and spiritual....
I understand everyone's luv for our GOD - whatever you call GOD...I understand the luv and faith in the higher being and our Creator.
What I don't understand is how we tend to judge each other and criticize each other on what we are doing in our lives. I hope that in writing my blogs that I show another point of view and allow others to see the world according to erica...rather than point fingers and cut others down with my opinions and my truths.
I share my views on diet and Jah to inspire others - NOT TO PASS JUDGMENT. I can't stand when others pass judgment. We are not here to judge each other. Help your brethren and sistren but do not look down upon them. I have nothing against those eat meat - those who don't believe in GOD. I luv everyone just the same - inspite of flaws and because of perfections...
Sometimes I listen to my brethren and sistren criticize others for the way people dress, wear their hair or eat....
It's not right - Only Jah can judge and judge He will...when times comes...
Seriously though....I don't that my sister will go to Hell for perming her hair or that my mother is damned for eating meat....
True I try to convince them to eat a more vegetable and plant rich diet....more so though for their health and becuaseI care about them...I see the good switching my diet has done so I want to share the wealth - NOT TEAR THEM DOWN!
It's not our place to judge.
But it is our place to love...EVERYTHING WE DO...WE SHOULD DO IT IN LOVE.
Stop complaining...stop stressing each other out...stop and realize how your actions affect others...you know not where your brethren come...or the path they trod.
SHOW THEM ANOTHER WAY....NOT WHAT YOU THINK IS THE RIGHT WAY...
My path should is not your path and you path is not mine. We are all in the same gang and it's high time we start acting like it. Show compassion for one another and not contempt and disdain.
Judge not. Luv a lot.
Peace.

Beware of these devils posing as truth...

Repost: Mar 6, 2008

 

Current mood:aggravated

You know when I come across someone or something that i feel is wrong or detrimental to my people...I gotta expose them. I have to. Don't be mad at me if I expose you and put you out there...
So about a year or so ago, I was contacted by a "fellow artist" on myspace and he wanted to work with me once he opened up his gallery here in Atlanta. I was cool with that as I am always down for networking. I did nt know what exactly he wanted to work with, my clothes, my writing or my drawings...I was hoping my drawings as I am not sure what I am going to do with them just yet...
So finally he gets here...and he invites me down to his gallery in Castleberry Hill district....during the artwalk. I invited a friend with me...he showed us his work - EVEN HIS PRIVATE COLLECTION....
Now I must admit that it is racy and different...different types of nudity photographs...I was not really offended.
We talk a bit and he is bothered by the fact that I wont take off my hat (i made it) or my scarf (i made that too)...I snap at him. He apologizes. Then he offers to take pictures of my clothes...
I was not sure about this guy...I was getting a very funny vibe from him... I accepted...knowing that I was not going to show up...He e-mails me on myspace...I let him know that I was not going to make it....
This is where this old man lost his mind....Did i mention he is old enough to be my father?!
So he tells me that he is disappointed because he was looking right for me....
I dont respond.
He e-mails me later to say that he apologize if he offended me...I thought myabe he is just a little eccentric and I am taking it the wrong way....
I say...don't worry about it...it's cool. I am busy.
He then tells me I am sensual and he wants to bring the sensuality out of me...becuase he finds me to be a challenge and he LOVES being challenged...then he tells me that he loves the color of my lips in my photos...if I am wearing lipstick to please bring it...he has an idea of taking a nude photo of me in a rice bath with candle wax and all.....
I decline politely thinking ok yeah this guy is a pervert for real.....
He responds and this is where I get pisssed...he accuses me of truly being the kind of girl to do this sort of thing but that I am maybe holding back on him...and if I was truly an artist i would not be so afraid to do this and he has a feeling I will change my mind so he will be waiting on me....
He says he sees right through me...HA!
No, darling I see right through you...wouldn't you know that the only way he wants to "work" with me is only if I pose nude...but I am the closed minded one...i am the one "posing" as an artist...BECUASE I WONT LET HIM TAKE MY CLOTHES OFF?!
HA! People I gotta warn my family...it's only right....
here is the site of the pervert preying on the righteous artists...
http://www.myspace.com/taketwogallery

Insight to really see beyond the surface...

Repost: Jun 13, 2007

 

Current mood:thankful

Everyone of us possesses a third eye. Most of just choose not to use it. That's right - Choose. No ignorance here, it's a choice. We are constantly told that we are nothing more than a mere human being and that my sistren and brethren is far from truth.
Jah created us all from the same energy; however we all exude that energy in totally different ways. This is what shapes our minds and therefore light the paths we take in life.
Realizing this connection you can see new possibilities.
You are a multi-dimensional being. We just choose to keep our third eye blind to the auras we emit. Jah gave us more power than you realize. This power becomes weak in us when we never use it so we need to learn how to tap into it. In the spiritual world, your thoughts become instantaneous actions because you don't have the physical brain telling you it's not possible.
Once you open your third eye, things become clearer and the battle is half won. Clarity to see reality is key when going against the enemy.
Second, we must take care of the physical body that houses our soul. No, this is not the rantings of a health nut....this is real. Did you know that your body is the vehicle transporting your soul...and even tho destruction of the physical is not the end of life...we must be good to the temporary shell we are given. Ital is Vital.
Beware of Food additives! They are poisons and chemicals that are well known to make you sick but they still they let companies use them! WHY?! Think for yourselves people. Know where your food comes from and don't trust these health food companies to protect you. Continue to read the labels!
Aspartame is one of the worst poisons. It's used in diet soda & as fake sugar. Neotame is the new aspertame.
MSG - monosodium glutamate
Tricks your brain into thinking the food you are eating tastes good. MSG is also added in more disguised forms, such as "hydrolysed vegetable protein," "natural flavour," "spices," "yeast extract," "caseinate digest," etc. These additives may contain 20-60% MSG. May lead to attention deficit disorder, autism, cerebral palsy or schizophrenia. Kids are especially vulnerable to GLU/ASP toxicity
Bovine Growth Hormone (rBGH or rBST)
Found in milk & dairy products. Makes cows produce more milk... also makes them sick. Puss can ooze from udders into milk, possibly causes cancer in humans and is banned in Canada and Europe. FDA is corrupt.

Food coloring like Red 40 can kill people allergic to it.
Genetically engineered crops - have ''Classified'' genes which will make you sick and/or have mind suppressant chemicals
Another thing we must all realize is that we are not getting the whole story when it comes to the interpretation of the Bible. Maybe the true Christianity was lost in translation eons ago. It's very likely that artifacts and texts are being withheld, which could easily disprove "their" version of our origins. Ask, why would they lie? Christianity is a good religion but those who control it are not! Don't let traditional beliefs control you! Find your own path to enlightenment.
Since we are all made from the same energy, we are all a part of Jah! When the body dies, the energy again becomes part of Jah. By us growing spiritually, Jah evolves. Jah is pure love.
See beyond the surface people.

Politrickstas and other nonsense of babylon....

Repost: Jun 11, 2007

 

I urge everyone who reads this not to take my word for anything. Not saying that my blogspot is not a reliable source - just saying don't take what people tell you and spread it as the gospel truth.
A lie can be the gospel truth is eloquently told and that is what our government does. They do it so well that the people shift and sway to every which way the babylon wind blows. We as a people of this world - we are misinformed. Don't be ignorant. Accept nothing...and research it all!
African-Americans should stop believing that we "belong" in the democratic party. That if you are black and belong to the republican party you are a sell-out or something of that nature. Realize that there is no difference between the two parties. They are both filled with and based on empty promises. This was done to fool the people into believing that we have a choice but in reality - electing Bush or Kerry would have the same results! They do what those at the top tell them to.
Government may mandate war but who is it that is out there fighting a war that can't be won in the first place? Our sons, our fathers, our husbands. Our Soldiers. OUR SOLDIERS! They are fighting the wrong war...bamboozled into the military simply because our men are told that there is no other way. Going to college is not an option because you don't have the money, you won't get a job that will take care of your living standards...joining the military is the only way for you not to end up dead or in jail. WRONG! They target you and our latino brothas simply because they know that they engrained this sense of hopelessness into you. You feel there is no only way so you join the military in times of peace feeling quite secure that war is not on the way....then without notice you are on the battlefield fighting some unholy war. For what? You don't know...you only know the propaganda you were fed to make you a hostile soldier.
You are being used to help out these rich bastards when they thinking that you're risking your lives to help this great country and its citizens. Military training breaks people down and rebuilds them in certain image which follows orders without thinking much about them.
I know it's been said but again, September 11th was not an unexpected attack. It had been planned for a while. This is nothing new though...Think about it people...The US even had prior knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack. It was an excuse to finally get into the war and it was not to keep the world safe for democracy - I can tell you that. They kill innocent people and profit from war all in the name of FALSE SECURITY!!!
I urge my people to stand and rise against this machine we call the government. What would they do if the righteous took over the goverment? They are playing war games and not even warning us of the nature and threat...
I urge my brethren and sistren to rise to this occasion. Use our minds to overcome what has been brought forth - Don't allow your rage to take over in riots. Don't allow another innocent to lose their life to prove your point less you be just as low as the politricks themselves.
Don't live in the dark....ask questions. They control you through fear. Knowledge is power. Choose your path. Choose wisely.

Feminine Intimidation...

Repost: Jun 1, 2007

 

Seen it time and time again.....
Tell me my fellow brothas, "Do I scare you?"
Would you all rather me meek, quiet and demure?
Maybe I should take back all those years in the university....
Would you then be satisfied with me?
How about if I erased all my international experience....
Washed away any knowledge of a foreign tongue....
Or maybe I should keep my opinions to myself when it comes to the our community...
Do you want me in an apron, bearing your children and cooking your meals?
Should I stay at home with my parents until the day I marry?
Take back all these fancy job titles and trade them in for something more logical such as secretary or administrative assistant....
Is it that you want me to make sure that I never make any more than you...does that threaten your manhood?
Do you think that just because I take care of business all by myself that I am better than you or just plain "too good for you"....Would you prefer it, my brotha, if I stood always 50 feet behind you?
We could be a team, my king...
But you are afraid of me - does my knowledge really make me undesirable to you?
Would you have me if I did not speak and do as you say?
Cook and clean...have everything your way...
Is that how you want me to be....
No ambition, no drive and no ownership in this world...
Would that, my brotha, make you feel like a man?

NO TEST I N I'S PEOPLE!!!!!

Repost: May 30, 2007

 

I was in an wreck recently....Ever get that feeling that you are headed down a dark street and all of a sudden your vehicle is speeding out of control until you crash into a huge oak tree...
That's how I felt recently...conversing with an individual who I felt was dead weight...and gradually I was beginning to feel that having this person in my life was more harm than good. Having this person around goes against all that I stand for...
Well, he finally forced me to realize that kindness is out of order here...sparing him of hurt feelings was way out of the question and more so I realized that this person had no idea who I was....He had no clue. For he certainly was no friend of mine.
So why waste my time on someone who could not get a grip on things that are going on around him...He merely exists in this world...He had no clue that he should be a soldier in this war...It's sad really to see such a waste....
Now, I am not saying that he should not exist, not at all....for if I said that then I would be negating Jah's will. I am simply saying that he fails to make use of his existance. He is complacent with Babylon and he choses to not only stay that way but to accept yet state his disapproval of it.
So I came hurling into that oak tree when he made a few ignorant statements about my people. My brethren and sistren who taught me about spirituality, righteousness, luv for oneself and brethren and sistren. They taught me about One Luv and how we must rise against Screwface and Babylon and here he was bashing a group of people for a senseless reason....a group of people of which he knows nothing about apparently.
It sickened me greatly. Not only does he ridicule my walk with Jah but he choses not to take a walk himself. Sure he claims to be of faith - but faith of what? Ignorance? Stupidity? Mediocrity?
We must stop this hatred of groups of people simply based on silly notions!
Do not stand to speak against my people when you do not know my people or my Father!

This all hits me hard because perhaps I mis represented myself. Maybe he did not know me because I did not show myself in the flesh....and for that I must take the blame for my part.
I stand accountable. But I give thanks that I crashed into that oak tree because now I can see that there is work to do on my part in this walk....it seems as though something shiny has caught my eye in a detour....Nothing but Screwface himself I tell you and he is cleva.
But I know betta.
I say back up off my people as we are destined for the promised land and we are on a mission. For if you have no mission, how can you fault those who do?
Those whose motives are pure and pure...Through and tru!
Ya got something to say about my people or anyone else...I say do your research and come with verified reasons for your opinions. Do not enter this battle with no backup! Come with passion for we will!

We prevail for we come with truth!
NO TEST INI'S PEOPLE!
Now hear me, my brethren and sistren when I say, "Stand Up!

Representin' Truth and Inity....

Be a Man!

Repost: Apr 13, 2007

 

This is a call to all men out there to STAND UP!!!!!!
Be the lion that you were meant to be!
Be a King for your Queen - STAND UP and rise to the occasion to be a leader for this nation.
We need you. See, there are a lot things I can do on my own....
really, because of the lioness that I am....I can do all things on my own.
But, WE NEED YOU.
I find that the older I get, the more men I find on this earth who are afraid to speak thier minds. Afraid to step up to the plate and be the breadwinner.
What happened to the brothas not afraid to assume the position? Brothas not afraid to take risks and take care of business...It's an epidemic, y'all and if we don't act now, the 100% true and real man will become extinct.
Must we women be forced to raise responsible and honest men to replace the cowards that we encounter? We, sistas can do that, brothas...
But the fact remains...that
WE NEED YOU!!!
I praise and give glory to those brothas out there doing their thing and doing "the right thing" - I commend you and pray for more of your kind.
I urge you real men to take to the streets with me and my warrior maids and maidens....Let's go make real men of what is out there today!
Y'all, we have to be ready as a people...we can't do that if our Kings are weak and inadequate. We must give them strength and integrity. We must raise them up and let them know that they are worthy of such esteem. Let's not tear them apart in order to make them over....but build from where they stand.
Enough of men who hide from life! Come as you are....we will take care of the rest....
Face the world and be a man.

The Modern Day Negro in Corporate AmeriKKKa

Repost: Feb 28, 2007

 

We must reclaim our fellow negroes. Those who have been kidnapped, bushwhacked, bamboozled and brainwashed...forced into the modern day shackles of corporate AmeriKKKa.
We must remind them that they are descendents of Queens and Kings of a rich nation. We must tell them who they really are. Remind them of where they came.
Corporate AmeriKKKa is strong and powerful in faking the negro over into what they deem is acceptable. Everyday I am reminded to play the game. To fall in line with the rest. Conform - Don't be a rebel with all your nonsense talk.
They don't even know what nonsense is. They don't even know that what I am screaming is the truth. I want nothing to do with it and so I must take leave. I have found that pocket of negroes who don't even know who they are...They have forgotten their tribes.
They call me a young rebel. They ask, "how did you get like that?" They don't overstand that I am on a path bound for the promise land. I am a warrior on a mission and I make no apologies for looking like it. A gypsy on a journey to the new Jerusalem - "Sie ist im Viereck angelegt - Offenbarung 21, 16
Zu meinen Gunsten ausgelegt, Hab ich Zion als erster gesehen" (Look it up y'all).
Have you ever noticed that the word for Zion in Amharic contains the word for rebel? So call me a rebel...I'll be that.
I know that Jah has dropped me here for a reason. Unfortunately, the first thing I want to do is run away as fast as I can from all this madness. Get away from these lost negroes with no sense of history. Get away from those who tell me to ascribe to another form of beauty that Jah did not grant me. He made me unique - He made each and everyone of us unique but the negroes here despise their curly locks, their broad noses and full lips.
And now they want me to despise myself. Cover up my skin, burn my hair, take my piercings away, cover my tribal marks....and because I refuse...they call me a rebel.
Well, I'll be that...a soul rebel as Bob would say. We have just as much ownership to these jobs and salaries as people of fair skin. We must demand equality in jobs, wages, and civil liberties. We cannot allow ourselves to slip into corporate AmeriKKKa, change who we are, take lower positions and wages than those born with fair skin. No one else is asked to change who they are and how they look.
A black woman with braids or locs is just as good as CEO as a white man! And we as a people should not encourage those of us who wake up and choose to live life in the flesh in which Jah created us to ascribe to a European standard of beauty!
Stop trying to take the Afrikan out of me, and bring some of it back to yourselves!
The negroes stuck in this unfortunate position should take a long hard look in the mirror and find the natural one inside...the one that Jah intended you to be.
We must end the assimulation - Terminate the annihilation of the negro mental state.
Black People remember who you are!

Fake me over

Repost: Feb 1, 2007

 

Current mood:content

I know that I must be mindful of what I post on myspace. Something just has to be said about this Babylon system though....
Let me start off first by quoting, Stahhr the Femcee....
"Slavery has certainly done a number on us"
It is and always have been my stance to not let corporate Amerikkka change me into some walking conformed blob. Understanding that I must feed, clothed and house myself and receive paper from public and spiritual enemy number one...I still resist the movement against the spirit and soul that is me.
I know they see me as a threat. But you know what that kills me everyday, slowly....that fact that they have convinced my own people that I am a threat. Ya'll fail to overstand. I say that Amerikka is teaching our people that people like you and me are the threat. They think what we do is a passing fad...we are young and this is the fashion...this is cool - to do what we do.
Cut the bullshit. What we do is the truth! The truth is just that and it's real. The sorry part of this whole lie is that I got sistas telling me how to wear my hair, to wear make-up, keep my wardrobe simple and plain... all to please corporate AmeriKKKa!
My sistas, ya'll! Telling me that the way Jah made me is not acceptable. Telling me that loving myself as Jah made me is passing fad among youth! My sistas! Ya'll fail to overstand! The way this hurts me that my people have been so brainwashed to not see their ancestors in my style...to not feel their past in my soul. They think that I am a threat!
They want me to burn my African roots with chemicals created by Revlon. They want to cover the mohoghany tones of my skin with paint manufactured by L'oreal. They want to cover the strentgh that my hair represents....hide the earth that my skin represents. They want to turn this water bearer into cold hard stone...they want me to be just like everyone else.
They want to fake me over. They want me to buy into this babylon system and they using our own people to do this. But we don't see it. We are a threat to ourselves..and they no longer have to do the work....they don't even have to lift a finger.
For the right dollar amount, they pay us to do it to ourselves. Like throwing change to the savages. This is not about skin color, people. This is about an entire system. This is about society. AmeriKKKan society.
Some of us think that we are righteous just because we watch out for "the man" and we preach until we are blue in the face about racism and "the man".
Who the hell is "the man" anyways? Wake up and realize that we are playing ourselves. We are discriminating against ourselves...the very same people who rocked afros and dashikis in the 60's and 70's are the very ones that, today, are trying to fake me over.
Perhaps, it was a fad for you in your time...for me, it's the truth. Recognize.

Don't Call Me a Gamma Sig!

Repost: Jan 24, 2007

 

Current mood:blah

Been gone for a minute. I apologize. And before that, my head was in the clouds....as you may have read in my other blogs....Sometimes we need a holiday from our loved ones...but I will return to him...don't worry Pharaoh...lol
I feel the need to again discuss how I feel about this sorority and fraternity thing.
Let me preface this by saying that I feel I have every right to express my opinion on this matter being that I once joined one myself. I know first hand that sororities and fraternities are not the answer for young black college students. They do not add value to our society as a people but rather separate us into sects and exclusive groups.
I know that I have a friend or two on my "friendlist" that are members of such elitist groups...again...I am never here to offend but to offer my point of view and to shut down Babylon. You too, may voice your opinions right here in my blogs. I welcome all lines of reasoning.
For this particular blog, I will not be citing other works of literature....This is all me, my brethren and sistren. For more "educated" writing on this matter rather than opinionated...please check my blog...Black History?
Now, on to my crusade against sororities and fraternities....with the recent release of the movie, Stomp The Yard, I feel compelled to write something on this subject. I was asked twice by two different people to go see this movie and I thought, why not? But wait a minute, why waste $10 of my hard earned dollars on a movie surrounding a subject that I feel so strongly against?!
Being the activist and borderline hippie I have always been, I never thought to join a sorority....even though my cousin, who pledged Alpha Phi Alpha, offered me the $500+ dollars to pledge my local chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha....I was not moved. I always looked up to him and saw him more of a big brother than a cousin but his choice to join a fraternity was barbaric I thought as he showed me his brandings....That's right folks, he was branded like USDA beef. Wonder how PETA would feel about that?
Anyways, I digress. At the time I was a struggling student and I could use that money desperately for tuition or rent...so I asked if I could use that gift instead for something better. No Deal. Being an AKA was the better deal, he thought. Give me a break....
But I did end up joining a sorority some point in my educational career. I saw Gamma Sigma Sigma as something different and I thought that by joinging I was being a rebel....a renegade...I was disgusted with that fact taht sororities and fraternities were "separate but equal" and by that I mean they were racially divided and here we are in the new millenium living as if we are still in the days of Jim Crow.
So I joined GSS because it was number one, a multicultural sorority - being born into a multicultural family this fit me more as a person...then number 2, it was a community service sorority-not about that partying and other mess that the others are associated with.
When I saw White, Black, Hispanic, Indian and even handicapped women all together and working in the community, I thought...now there is a group that represents my spirit. But alas, people, this group too was far from perfect. Don't get me wrong...I had wonderful times in the beginning with GSS and I met some beautiful ladies who are my sisters in love...not GSS.
However, I quickly saw that GSS was nothing more than another sorority with the same agenda as all the others. There were women who felt that GSS was their life and therefore, it should be everyone else's life...there were plenty who joined simply because they were not excepted into or afraid to join the other real sororities. ( I say "real" because many feel that GSS is not a true sorority.) When this happens, those that want what the other sororities offer, simply mold GSS into what they want which was something I did not sign up for. There was huge amounts of tension between members...accusations of theft and hazing.
Simply put, my water personality could not handle all this drama and madness. During my undergrad years, I simply faded into the background with my sorors...I was way too busy travelling the world and seeking spiritual wisdom and evolving.
Nonetheless, I still decided in my more mature years to join an alumni group here in Atlanta. If I was not comvinced before that GSS was simply wrong for me....I now know that I should have stuck with the same decision I made in college....LEAVE THOSE SORORITES ALONE!
Here we go with the very same thing again...same process and same stages...only this time, it's a damn shame because we are not in school anymore...we are grown ass women. The madness has to stop, people. As with college, there are some in the alumni group that I will forever love...however, a gamma sig I am not and will never be.
I even dated someone in a fraternity while I dabbled again with GSS and after hearing him tell me that I was not invited to certain parties of his because it was a certain sorority event...in other words, If I did not belong to this particular sorority then I was not invited....just a shitty way of saying that I joined the wrong group. If I asked one minor question about his life...he responded with "I can't tell you that because you are not a member."
Where is the unity in these groups? These groups cannot even promote unity within themselves so how could they accomplish this amongst themselves and other groups? Why is it that they hide who they are? Why must we fight and spend our hard earned money simply to become a member? I have heard many reasons why people join but let's get real...you can do community service on your own and FOR FREE! I have never been hired anywhere or given even the slightest hook-up for being a gamma sig...
And we can say something about the rich history of these groups...but I hardly even hear this from these groups themselves...again, maybe that too is a secret...
And what is up with all this secrecy.....if you can not be proud of it in front of others...then is it really something to be proud of in private?
Get a grip people, college is not just about going greek.

State of Our Queens

Repost: Sep 8, 2006

As I check my page and cruise my friends' pages, I seem to always come across this one thing that disgusts me about our society today...
The down right degradation that our "queens" put themselves through. We already have men doing it to us and then to add to it...here we go degrading ourselves. I often try to tone done my passion in order to not offend anyone or be misunderstood. However, with this blog...I am throwing all that shit out the window. What I am about to explain, everyone will know how I feel...and it is only right that I get harsh with it. I don't call it harsh...Just being real about it.
Let's skip the whole music video thing, and what women are wearing in the streets...let's go straight to this myspace thing. Myspace can be a real blessing if you use this tool in the correct fashion. However, it is also another place where women have once again found a good way to put themselves in the gutter. Fellas, you don't have to call us hoes and bitches and demean us anymore! Some of us are doing that shit all by ourselves...many of us have perfected it!
I must ask what are the women who put half naked (or just plain slutty)pictures of themselves on myspace really looking for?! What does that say to the world about your integrity and personality?! What do you say to your future kids about the pictures mommy took of herself and posted for the world to see? Or better yet, what kind of man are you looking for when you showcase all you got in front of the whole world?

Can a real man truly respect you when you distastefully display your body on some website? Can he look at you with love and admiration knowing that everyone has seen your worldy goods?
These women are not confident in themselves.
They are not proud of their bodies.
They don't understand the glory of being who they are...
They don't know that our bodies are beautiful, complex masterpieces created by the Most high...
We should glorify our bodies, show them in the light of what they are...
a piece of art.
But instead we are posing for the cameras frontin sexiness...but deep down it's really shame. Because inside that female who is posting her ass all over myspace...is a sad and lonely female who does not understand her power.
She does not know what it is like to be a Queen...she is not here to be the object of some dirty man's desire...
Her body can give life
There is spirituality in every curve, every nook and cranny..but she don't understand that, no...
Because what she breathes is self loathing...why else would she offer up herself to the world like that?
She don't know that sexy is not in your ass and thighs...
It is being yourself and not even realizing that you are exuberating sexiness.
Sexy is enthalling the men with your brain, not with what's between those thighs.
Sexy is loving yourself, true confidence and respect for oneself.
but they don't know nothing about that...I guess this shit too deep for chicks like them to fathom...so they resort to showing some ass on myspace. Begging for attention...getting free advertisements, too because brothas put them on their top friends lists...Is that what you are girl?! Free for the taken? To be used and abused in any way shape or form?
Something has seriously gone wrong with our queens and the dudes that give them that ill motivated attention.

False Prophets

Repost: Jun 22, 2006

Current mood:contemplative

I was posed a question not too long ago. A friend once asked me if I thought that people who preached one life but lived another were false prophets.
What she really wanted to know was did their words mean anything even if they did not live by them. I had asked that question too becuase I was questioning someone close to me in my life at the time.
Now that I think about this topic of false prophets, I realize some truths in life. False prophets do exist. They are the people who are strictly out to play with the people's mind. They make the wheels of Babylon turn and they profit from this. Just in Mexico, I encountered a guy who was bragging and talking loud about shopping at a Louis Vuitton store for the second time in Cancun and he has also shopped at one in Rome and London. As it turned out, he was a bishop of a very well known "mega-church". Now I would like to think that he is not spending the tithes and offerings of this church all over the world. But let's be real...Half his church - I am willing to bet that more than half of his church probably have never even left the states...but I degress....

But there is another group. And I believe that God really speaks through these people...but the message is before their time. The words are real and they come from God, however the messenger is human. They too fall down. We all are sinners - let's be real. This does not make them any worse than any other person. Jah simply puts the word in their mouth and for some reason or another...they, themselves are not digesting it.
Often times in Christianity you find masses of the people diefying their pastors and not really realizing that they too are human and not the Creator. They make their fall from grace a mighty big one and we have to realize that the pastor is just the message giver. Yes, of course they should live the life! But they will sin too and we should never put them on the same level as God. They are but human...
Also in the Rasta lifestyle, we find sistren and brethren among us who diefy Bob Marley. Bob was just a man and if anyone knows...he was not always a great one. Bob had many sins and he does not wholly equate Rastafari nor does Rastafari equate him. This is not to defame Bob - for I love him too...but for the messages that he gave. The lessons he taught and forever continues to teach. Just because he was who he was, it does not make his message any less promising. His message was from the Creator.
So in these days when we have so many false prophets, we have to be smart enough to know people's true intentions. Open your eyes and open you minds to hear what is really being said to you. What path is your brother or sister leading you down? Watch who you listen to. Empathize, understand and be patient with someone who speaks of the light but has not yet really seen the light.
There are false prophets and these days they are popping up all over the place...especially in the United States...now chew on that for a moment....

Happy Birthday Zimbabwe

Repost: Apr 18, 2006

Current mood:hopeful

Landlocked between the Zambezi and the Limpopo rivers, she boasts majestic wonders of the world.
Why she possesses the grandeur of Victoria Falls.
Her name derived from dzimba dzamabwe in Shona. Although she was in possession of foreign men of a distant land, she had also once housed the great Munhumutapa Empire. She was also home to the great Bantu tribes of Africa.
Emancipated from her ruler, her first prime minister was Robert Mugabe who in turn forcedd an exodus of foreign land owners and attempted to return the land to sons and daughters of Zimbabwe. And it still took years and a Chimurenga to gain what was rightfully hers - her independence, her freedom.
And so she was born again on this very day, April 18, 1980. But is she really free?! A land that boasts the highest literacy rates in all of Africa! Such a land of promise and intelligence....and I ask you today are my brethren of Zimbabwe really free?
Not when the people have the lowest life expectancy in all the world! Precious lives cut short at the hands of poverty and AIDS.
Who knows if Mugabe will be part of the cure...but I do know this...there will come a day for true liberation of Zimbabwe.
Freedom from poverty, inflation, and yes even AIDS. This is a land that was once bountiful in food supply and still have many natural resources and the people have much promise.
The day will come for true liberation of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabweans.
Happy Birthday Zimbabwe

We Women...

Repost: Mar 29, 2006

 

Current mood:aggravated

Something has happened to our men that they feel they cannot handle a strong woman.
I am constantly reminded that I must "know my place in society" as a woman. The problem is not that we women don't know our place, some men do not know our place! Just for the record, it is not under or behind you! We belong beside you!
A true king should be able to respect and uplift a strong queen. What kind of man would prefer a docile woman in the home who knows her place?! Wouldn't a strong man confident in himself want a strong woman to go into battle along side him?

We are the lowest paid, we have lower ranks and yet just as much brains as men. And as if this is not enough to deal with in Babylon, we have to deal with this type of shit in religious sectors. So now I can't even be just as rightous or pious as the men in my congregation because of my sex! If I want to be a virtuous woman then I have to once again stiffle myself, dress the part and know my place (behind the men).
Because I know that there are real kings out there who will love my eccentric and strong personality, I refuse to conform for anyone or anything. Just because the majority is telling me to ascribe to a certain behavior in order to be considered a woman, does not mean I have opress my personality and follow suit like everyone else. Because I know that there are real men out there who would more than appreciate real women, I continue to be Erica. This is who Jah has instilled in my temporary body. My spirit is ordained by The Most High and not meant to be broken by anyone! I have come to bring the new world order and I will not conform to old traditions that not only no longer apply to today's time but had no place in history to begin with!
Something has to be changed in our society, in our lifstyles and religious beliefs. We women have to first realize our worth before we show others. Once they see that we are worthy, deserving and that they need us at their side....they will have no choice but to accept. Take a stand! The more you conform and opress your personality to appease someone who is weak in themselves....the longer they will have the upper hand.
I would rather give a strong king the upper hand. I would rather he ruled this land...not some coward threatened by my mere speech, ideas and clothes...
but a real man - a real king
he would not be afraid to uplift a real queen

Black History?

Repost: March 8, 2006

My sister has just given birth to her second child. I was designated to care for my older nephew Davyon. I had come up with this plan to leave on my lunch break to run over to Davyon's elementary school to retrieve him and then bring him back to my office. As I walked down the long hall to find his Pre-K classroom, I remembered how I, too, had attended this very school. It is just as inadequate now as it was back then.
As I rushed back down the hall with my nephew in tow, trying to make it back downtown in time, I noticed that the school had many displays of important figures in Black History. As I was leaving the school, I could not help but to notice the last display. The very last display you see as you leave the school.
In a nice glass display case, were the pictures of two staff members of the school and all of their sorority paraphenalia neatly placed around the portraits. This was our last impression of Black History.
Let's bypass the fact that elementary school age children know nothing of black greek life - let alone what a college is. For me to discuss why it is inappropriate for elementary kids to be learning about what their educators found to be the most important part of college life is just as ridiculous as the display cases with sorority paraphenalia displayed as a significant moment in Black History.
Why would our fellow educators showcase their precious sorority items in honor of Black History month? Is this really what we deem appropriate for celebration? No explanation of the history of the organizations were given...just the fact that Ms. So-and-So joined this organization and her counterpart joined another - and here are all the nice things you get when you join a sorority.

I ask again, Is this really what we call Black History?! Is it now all about what "crew" we rep in college?! At least our educators understand what's important in life...going to college to join a sorority! And they were starting this fervor at a young age - getting them trained before they even grasped the concept of a university.
I too admit that I fell into a certain type of sorority life. I had always rejected the concept of sororities and fraternities adn the fact that they were racially segregated. That told me from the start that neither, the black or white organization would totally accept me or at least I would have to choose a side and that just isn't my type of party. When I saw a sorority that was mulitcultural and not the typical organization, I jumped on the chance to be apart of that group! I only recently learned, however, that this was not the right answer. These organizations are not bringing us together as a people, in fact they are further dividing us. In any rate, no regrets I have in life as I have met so many strong women of all walks of life and we remains "sisters" til this day. Not sorors, but sisters.
But the issue at hand here still remains and brings us back to Black History and the involvement of the black greek system. The display did not even mention that the black greek organizations were created in response to the overwhelming amount of racism by white organizations blacks found on college campuses. They didn't even mention any of the widely known historical data about any of these highly secretive organizations - the ones they can be proud of!The two ladies definitely would not have mentioned that historically black colleges like Howard, Hampton and Spelman had an unwritten requirement for entrance - fair skinned and straight hair. These sororities and fraternities also began to take part in this race and hair elitism as mentioned by several researchers of this subject.
(This is where some of you may get offended my statements. I am never here to offend, but simply enlighten...)
According to Ayana Byrd and Lori Tharps in their book, Hair Story: The Roots of Untangling Black Hair in America, The Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity acquired the reputation of being light-skinned, "good"-haired groups. Black greeks also created "color-tax" parties in the 1920s. At these parties, men would have to pay a tax determined by how dark their dates were. There were also black fraternity parties where attendees gained entrance based on a "ruler test." Only if your hair was as straight as the ruler could you get in.
We expect you not to tell us about the negative historical aspects of your secret society and we are fully aware that times may or may not have changed for you and your organization...but if you are to represent yourself to our children as a part of black history then at least represent your organization correctly and let us know why you feel you are a significant contributor to the rich Black History of the United States -- unless, of course, that too is a secret...

The Revolution will be televised

Repost: Feb 17, 2006

Current mood:energetic

We are at war.
For a long time now I have been feeling like something is stirring up in my soul. There was the immense amount of anxiety that was building up. I believe my spirit was on the move. My mind was mobilizing.
We are at war.
I must prepare myself because this will be survival of the fittest. And when the rains of acid pour, I want to be one of the last ones standing. My destiny is being fufilled. Untold prophecies coming to life.
We are at war.
I take my place as a war mistress and I will stand firmly with my corporal for we battle over the lands of Jah. We stand for righteousness and love of all mankind.
We are at war.
I can feel it in the wind and it is coming over me. For this earth is no longer as it was at the beginning of time. Babylon is falling. Watch who you listen to and question your leaders. I will emmerge victorious carrying the mark of Zion. Running my fingers through my King's badge of strength and courage.
We stand tall for there are no hiding places. With our faces toward The Most High...
We battle long and you may laugh now...but you too shall see
We are at war.