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WE ARE ALL AMERICANS: RESPECT FOR FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUALITY

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The current air of contempt and division that reigns in some circles of our American Society is problematic and worrisome.   This is a call to action for all Americans! We face many challenges domestically. This is the time to unite as a nation and as a people. We have many blessings as a Nation and, we face many challenges. There are challenges at all levels from educational inequality, to economic non parity for the same type of work —women are not paid equally.   Elections either separates society and or galvanize them. I am asking you, reader and thinker to choose the latter. Galvanize at a very individual level. Take the opportunity to vote seriously and use the sanctity of the right to vote to swing the pendulum of our freedom and our Constitution to a more perfect union.   The time is now! Make your voice and vote count. Organize educational sessions, drives and get the vote out. The future of our Nation is at stake. Our present is here, no time to relive the past. To hold on to dogma and doctrine without concrete action is to throw away the precious gift of our Constitution and what are founding fathers fought for.   The time is now fellow American.  Join me along with your community in getting the vote out. Exercise such precious right, change the course of action. Get civically engaged and participate for the sake of our present and for the continued protection of our freedoms.   Freedom is not free. We are a Nation of principles and of opportunities. Give yourself one, become civically engaged and be participatory while respecting and upholding the rule of law. Register to Vote, empower others to vote!   TODOS SOMOS AMERICANOS: RESPETO A LA LIBERTAD Y A LA INDIVIDUALIDAD l actual aire de desprecio y división que reina en algunos círculos de nuestra sociedad estadounidense es problemático y preocupante. ¡Este es un llamado a la acción para todos los estadounidenses! Nos enfrentamos a muchos desafíos a nivel nacional. Este es el momento de unirnos como nación y como pueblo. Tenemos muchas bendiciones como nación y enfrentamos muchos desafíos. Existen desafíos en todos los niveles, desde la desigualdad educativa hasta la falta de paridad económica para el mismo tipo de trabajo —las mujeres no reciben el mismo salario.  Las elecciones separan a la sociedad o la galvanizan. Le pido a usted, lector y pensador, que elija lo segundo. Galvanizar a un nivel muy individual. Aprovechen la oportunidad de votar en serio y usen la santidad del derecho al voto para mover el péndulo de nuestra libertad y nuestra Constitución hacia una unión más perfecta. ¡El momento es ahora! Haz que tu voz y tu voto cuenten. Organice sesiones educativas, campañas y difunda el voto. El futuro de nuestra Nación está en juego. Nuestro presente está aquí, no es tiempo de revivir el pasado. Aferrarse al dogma y a la doctrina sin tomar medidas concretas es tirar por la borda el precioso regalo de nuestra Constitución y por lo que lucharon los padres fundadores. El tiempo ha llegado a ser compatriota.    Únase a mí junto con su comunidad para difundir el voto. Ejerza ese precioso derecho, cambie el curso de acción. Comprométete cívicamente y participa por el bien de nuestro presente y por la protección continua de nuestras libertades.   La libertad no es gratis. Somos una Nación de principios y de oportunidades. Date uno, comprométete cívicamente y sé participativo mientras respetas y defiendes el estado de derecho.    ¡Regístrese para votar, empodere a otros para que voten! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology WE ARE ALL AMERICANS: RESPECT FOR FREEDOM AND INDIVIDUALITY September 2, 2024/No Comments The current air of contempt and division that reigns in some circles of our American Society is problematic and worrisome.… Read More YOUR VOICE IS YOUR VOTE: MAKE IT COUNT August 26, 2024/1 Comment Your Voice Is Your Vote, Make It Count. As a nation, we are facing a crisis of identity marked by… Read More OUR VOICES: OUR VOTE July 22, 2024/No Comments The time has come to have more than ever our voices heard. GTVO (Get the Vote Out!) Voter suppression and… Read More Load More End of Content.

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TEARS ARE FOR THE LIVING

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Mrs. Gail Wells, an unsung queen who passed away on June 4th, hailed from Harlem, NY. She was proud of her heritage and often recounted life-shaping experiences. At her funeral, family and friends spoke of how she navigated life’s chapters with grace and poise. In my view, she was the most transformative individual I’ve ever met. Her involvement in Juneteenth, Kwanzaa, and community events was significant for years. Our bond grew within the Gardening Community. Mrs. Gail, my daughter AAliyah Mya, and I participated in the first Seed to Supper Workshop by Cornell Cooperative Extension at True Bethel. Her joy upon our arrival on the first day was palpable. As a trainee Master Gardener, our connection deepened during those weeks. Last month, before arriving at the Wealth in Health Family Garden, I filled my car with five empty boxes that once contained Organic Coconut Water. These boxes were spread out on the ground in preparation for next season’s reseeding. As I did this, memories of Mrs. Gail came to me; she had a fondness for Coconut Water, often seen sipping from a quart-sized container. Sitting next to the garden, I was overwhelmed by recollections of her last visit here for a Lady Bug Release in the fall of 2020. She had come straight from a funeral, and to my dismay, I discovered it was for a longtime friend of my mother. Following the release of the ladybugs, Mrs. Gail and I chatted, repeatedly saying “just one last thing” before parting, until the mosquitoes claimed their territory. I deeply miss those interactions. Her endless creativity and vision for our Gardening & Buffalo Community project will be sorely missed. For Mrs. Gail, Buffalo Freedom Gardens was more than an organization; it was a lifeline for us in Buffalo, a means to heal and rebalance our community. She believed that if every neighbor grew even a single plant, we could truly feed our neighborhoods—and the whole city. “I must say this before I depart,” Mrs. Gail announced, her manner always straightforward. At a gathering, during a question-and-answer segment, she addressed community engagement. She asserted that gardening and farming are deeply rooted in our culture, beyond the technical jargon and array of tools at our disposal. Fundamentally, we possess the natural ability to grow almost anything we desire, without the need for intricate terms and machinery. She stressed the importance of rejecting the idea that we require instruction in what is inherently part of our genetic makeup. We should let go of the notion that we are devoid of a “green thumb.” With consistent respect and tact, she articulated what was crucial, no matter who was listening. “And before I take my leave, I must express this…” The esteemed Queen Mother Gail Wells ingrained in me the conviction that we possess the inherent right to be wherever we wish. I recall confiding in her about my reluctance to apply for a workshop, worried that I might not be chosen due to socio-economic or demographic factors, and a lack of funds. She assured me that there is always funding or a scholarship to be found, so one should apply and seek financial support; moreover, we don’t require an invitation to sit at any table, for we ourselves are the table! Fly High – We Love You! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology TEARS ARE FOR THE LIVING September 2, 2024/No Comments Mrs. Gail Wells, an unsung queen who passed away on June 4th, hailed from Harlem, NY. She was proud of… Read More Tears Are for the Living Part 1 July 22, 2024/1 Comment I often highlight the Uncrowned Queens & Kings within our Community. They are typically with us here on Earth, among… Read More Fragrance Harris-Stanfield IN THE MIDST OF STRUGGLE June 6, 2024/1 Comment Residents of Buffalo, NY, including myself, have been profoundly affected by the events of May 14, 2022. I still find… Read More Load More End of Content.

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The Book: The Educational Pledge

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This past month, I finished reading The Educational Pledge. Thank you for writing and publishing this inspirational text. In my own spiritual journey, I have come to understand, through great struggle and pain, what the pledge promotes precociously on the page. As a lifelong educator and professional historian, I have learned some of these lessons through the bumps and bruises of experience. So many risks I take go well, but, if I am being honest, then I must admit that many have gone terribly wrong. For example, I risked life and limb in the use and sale of drugs, especially as a New York City youth. As an adult, I have died from overdoses, more than once! Your workbook The Educational Pledge has helped me deepen my perspective on my dark dealings with drugs. While rejecting drugs wholeheartedly (as they should be), the workbook also encourages reflection on risk-taking. In my life, selling drugs provided invaluable insights into how to be an entrepreneur. When I was in active addiction, I explored and expanded my artistry in writing and photography. I learned how to sustain prolific productivity in spite of deadly drug abuse. These risks rewarded me some.  I would encourage prospective readers – those young on their journey to self-love and joy – to read and apply the “Educational Pledge” preferably before they take any dangerous risks. They do not have to jeopardize their lives, like I did, to reap the rewards of risk, certainly not when The Educational Pledge warns against some life-threatening forces like drugs, apathy, and complicity. Like you, I believe our responsibility as educators is to share the wisdom gleaned from hard times so students of life can have a more joy on their journeys… I have three takeaways from the Pledge and other lessons in workbook:  Identify Love as the higher power in our lives, Encourage self-love as the source of higher power, and Affirm that a U-Turn in life, made in the spirit of love, will bring Joy. I share these in hopes that prospective readers will pick up The Educational Pledge and find their own transformational messages. I advise readers go into the book asking, “What values and standards can I take from this text?” I trust they will find inspiration like I did. The second edition of the Educational Pledge is slated for publication in late 2025. This book is essential for all young individuals in our schools, particularly within the public school system. Having a copy at home would also be beneficial. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Column Community Community News Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Media Military & Veterans Music Peace People Politics Sports Technology The Book: The Educational Pledge September 1, 2024/No Comments Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo. Read More… Read More ON SUICIDE August 26, 2024/No Comments Suicide takes more courage than one might expect. There’s a presumption that quitting on life is throwing your hands up… Read More SHIFT HAPPENS August 26, 2024/No Comments I am the son of a Panamanian father and Honduran mother. I never met my black father, but he’s left… Read More Load More End of Content.

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