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How Dare You Obama….
How dare you obstruct my
Middle-Upper class existence
In Connecticut
With Mother’s doilies on her sofa
And Mother’s pot roast
For Saturday Night dinner
We NEVER allowed your kind here and don’t want you
What ever happened to the good old days of Richard Nixon and
Ronald Reagan….
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Henry Kissinger—THE International War Criminal…
By Brother Tracy Gibson of Philadelphia & Delaware…
The blood-letting was of tremendous proportions
He monitored & embellished the foot soldiers of
Capitalism
He Lorded over invasion after invasion,
Bombing after bombing…
Massive troop movements at a cost of
Billions to the American tax payer
He helped make Viet Nam a household name under Nixon
With napalm, gas, guerilla warfare, rape, brutality, war,
guns, bullets, destruction & chaos…
He walked the halls of the
White House with the likes of Cheney, Nixon, Haig, Rusk
& Halderman
ALL doing the filthy deeds required of their office
He sent the American troops into foreign lands, foreign
villages,
foreign neighborhoods to
Do their murderous tasks
He knew the chains of exploitation and ``National Security’’
well…
His stuffy, backwards, ethnocentric, & racist
Pro-war policy was always constructed to the
Delight of the rich, the powerful & the well-connected
To the detriment of the World’s true Grass Roots Freedom
Fighters, the poor,
The beleaguered & the indigenous…
``Let’s bomb Laos,
Cambodia & Viet Nam again, Mr. President,’’ he would say
Over and over again as he dined on filet minion, seasoned
Brussels’ Sprouts, exotic wild rice & Champaign….. getting fat, rich and gaining more and more
notoriety from the Press For his deeds.
And our boys came home in the 60’s and 70’s in an
Untold number of bloody Body Bags
Or with an untold number of massive, systemic &
unthinkable injuries
Would his mother EVEN love him now?
This is doubtful…
He is a wanted War Criminal in Cuba, Venezuela & Libya
For the out-right slaughter of thousands of innocent man,
women & children
For promoting & enforcing genocide on a massive scale…
For misleading a Nation’s electorate and the world; for
flat-out lying and cheating
For putting a happy fat face on torture, rape and untold
human suffering & brutality…
& for justifying it all so willingly on Face the Nation
&
In the pages of the New York Times…
He should be tried as a war criminal by the people for his
gross misdeeds…
Somehow he came through Watergate unscathed…
The media obviously looked the other way…
But found time to highlight him dancing & Partying at
Studio 54
With the rest of the elite in new york city… back in the
day…
The dead children of Viet Nam, Laos and Cambodia will not
get a chance to testify
AGAINST HIM!!
Like so many murder victims whose killer got away,
they wait in their cold graves for someone, some force, to
Avenge their innocent blood
And lay real justice at their molding feet…
He commanded the hawks and told the generals what to do
How many villagers were brutally disturbed from their
restless sleep by bullets,
Hand grenades, mace & other chemical weapons
That he made sure were in plentiful supply?
How many children never learned their people’s noble history
or went
Without shoes and clothing so our enemies could defend
themselves against
This war criminal and the Pentagon-Brass mentality he
represented?
GO TO HELL HENRY!!
He would be decorated with medals of honor, money,
press attention & awards such as the
Nobel Peace Prize by the established order for what
Was laughably called his ingenuity, integrity, bravery,
forethought, intellect
and courage…
He lapped up such praise as his credibility and prizes grew
All the while we were more than suspicious of him
And saw no need (in deed!!) to give him money, praise &
prizes for
The turmoil he inflicted on the world’s poor at the behest
of the world’s rich…
He knew more war secrets and so-called ``intelligence
secrets’’ than
Most presidents ever dreamed of
Some American mercenaries probably hung up his picture
instead
Of the pictures of calendar girls—he was so loved by the war
machine & its’ cronies…
He stood at the side of more Presidents and spearheaded more
covert mischief, raw bloodletting and merciless mayhem
Than any one novel writer could ever conjure up…
The blood on his hands is grotesquely thick, red and
dripping at a phenomenal pace
And it won’t wash off with yesterday’s guilt, anguish &
regret
He is a wanted international war criminal
Who gleefully sucks at the breasts of the American
tax-payer’s coffers
For his retirement & pension…
He is Harvard educated and has run in the circles of the
rich and powerful
All his adult life
But to me he is an international war criminal
We know you all too well Henry…
If Mumia, our long-imprisoned hero, is put to death and this
man lives
There is much still wrong
With the world
And the international justice axis & the World’s coming
paradigm shift
Is still very far off & out of kilter indeed…
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A Poem: Your Heroes / My Heroes
A note to
Dick Cheney and those who think like him On Memorial Day, 2009.
By Brother Tracy Gibson
Your Heroes walk through city streets
With badges and guns and try to ``keep the peace’’
By shooting ``criminals’’ and ``wrong doers’’
Down like dogs—what chances and opportunities were they
offered?
My heroes defy you and know that your ``system’’
Is not sustainable
That hegemony is a thing of the past
As is White Supremacy, racial hatred and
Exploitation
You can’t hide in your corporate jets and your military
bunkers for long!!
Your heroes move freely on foreign soil
Exploiting, ravaging, destroying progressive history
and ornate indigenous art objects, destroying the books that
hold the truth
and killing, killing,
killing, never telling the truth—but twisting it & thinking of new
Ways to put a new face on what you have done for
generations:
Created war, confusion, self doubt, exploitation, sweat
shops &
Set indigenous people against their invaders
Your greed is phenomenal
My heroes work long hours for no or little pay devising ways
to
Bring truth to light, educate, fight for real justice,
peace, understanding &
authentic LOVE
Your Heroes topple legitimately elected third world
governments,
Shoot Palestinian children, destroy the land and foul the
air
My heroes expose what you do and struggle to survive
We live off the land and the rugged truth that you burned
In the Libraries of Alexandria, Egypt.
We all have a choice in what and who we choose to be our
heroes
And what side we will be on
This is all becoming very clear
Even though we sometimes pay for our own destruction
(Thanks to the twisted way you have finagled our economy)
Soon, you will not be able to buy the gloomy future that
chains us
The price is too high: in blood & money
Real Freedom is just a matter of time…
& the clock is ticking………
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Pay Back’s A Bitch…..
For the continuing support of
Those international thugs, the Israelis…
For bombing Iraq into the stone age…
For installing the Shah of Iran and acting like
You did nothing…
For killing Muammar Gaddafi’s daughter and then only
worrying about fuckin Lockerbie …
For continuing to solve all your problems with the gun
instead of an Olive Branch…
For being another fuckin brainless, spineless REPUBLICAN Patriot-Bastard…
For crushing Black progressive businesses and small
progressive businesses under tax attack, regulation, paperwork and bull shit…
For ignoring the Conference Against Racism in South Africa
in 2000, just before 911
Blew your mind…
For waving that meaningless American blood-stained flag…
For continuing to let thousands of Blacks die
On city streets in your own country…
For robbing, murdering and raping the Native Americans…
For continuing to rip off the Third World BIG TIME everyday…
For taking ALL the fuckin diamonds, gold and uranium OUT of
Africa and giving the people NOTHNG!!...
For hiding behind your Christian Conservative cloth and
Acting like you don’t know…
For Holding stock in Halliburton…
For Enslaving,
hanging, murdering, raping, Jim Crowing and discriminating against the
Black man and the Black Woman….
For letting Black children eat ketchup as a fucking
vegetable…
For the Murdered Sandinistas, Angolan Freedom Fighters and
those who died in the fight to free El Salvador from the clutches of White
Supremists and Established Order oppression..…
For vilifying, mentally castrating and criminalizing Same
Gender Loving people….
For twisting your religion around a cocaine-soiled dollar
bill and shoving it up my Black ass every fuckin day…
For ripping off Africa of the people’s jewels, gold and
other riches and hanging them in the Vatican as if they were yours…
For doing nothing about the lynch mob attack on the Palestinian
People…
For support of Israel at $ 5 Billion Dollars a pop annually
in hard earned U.S. Dollars…
For letting the ruthless under cover mercenaries around the
world get hard earned, tax driven Pentagon Dollars, Yes even under OBAMA…
For letting your schools crumble because only the poor and
Black and Latin go to them anymore…
For the Katrina victims still living in shacks and tents or
who died under your watch…..
For still continuing to take money from South Africa when
they can’t feed, clothe and educate their children….
For Black children dead on the streets because you failed to
pass gun control on the local level…
For owning ALL the Fucking parking lots in Manhattan (You
White-Jewish Mother Fucker)…
For allowing H. Rap Brown to rot in an Atlanta jail…..
For spending $50,000 on flowers for your fucking daughter’s
wedding as millions starve…
For owning Wal-Marts…
For giving birth and power to racist imbeciles like Rush
Limbaugh, George Will and Ann Coulter…
For propping up phony and fake governments through the
so-called ``anti-terrorists’’ work of The CIA and the other dozen or so
so-called intelligence agencies in the U.S. that operate everywhere and at
taxpayer’s expense…
For just saying NO while thousands of people die from drug
dependency as you make Billions of dollars off the international illegal drug
trade…
And then you wonder why the World is angry at you?.....
For that crap you call ``American Idol’’…..
For sitting Back, & Maxing and Relaxing while all this
continues to go on…..
How’s that caviar and Champaign tasting right about now…
You rich White Male Bitch of a Mother Fucker….
Happy Pay Back Day…..
Enjoy your 911 and choke on it…
Mother Fucker…..
My Good Friend Joe Bunch…..
We were
the best of friends growing up. Joe is the person who introduced me to the book
``Man Child in the Promised Land,’’ and who ended up being one of my closest
friends of all time. When I moved away
from Philadelphia to attend College in Ohio, Joe was stationed in Columbus part
of the time. He would visit my roommate
and I and take us out for a nice steak dinner. (We rarely got to eat steak
otherwise because our incomes as students were meager.)
Joe had
the best sense of humor. He would tell
jokes and we would just find the dumbest things to laugh about. If Joe had lived we would have been good
business partners and we would both probably be wealthy by now. I was so sad when he passed away from
complications from HIV & AIDS that I missed his funeral service and went
into denial and depression. I miss him
everyday.
Bonanza Night…
Mom would invite her lady friends over
For an evening of Tea Sandwiches and card playing ..
The sound of women Laughing is mixed
With the cool sound of jazz as background noise
There are smiles all
around
And talk of husbands, children and the latest movies
Never cattiness or the cold shoulder
Just good times among friends…..
I would look on from the second floor in my jammies…
Undiscovered
I was suppose to be asleep
I loved those ladies and loved to see them play card games
On Bonanza Night……
Even though I was supposed to be in bed…….
America’s War Dead…
So Far You have had enough space Back Home
To Burry your War Dead…
You try to do so with respect and honor..
But then there is the case of a few Black men who were hung
After making it back from World War II alive!!
And Black Men, who fought so valiantly in that war,
Were not allowed to march victoriously into France at the
war’s end
Because their skin was BLACK!!
I have some friends who say the fascists actually won
That war
I didn’t know what they were talking about and that thought
actually
Stuck in the back of my mind for years
Your present-day twisted, obstructionist politics—fuckin
over Obama, who
Has made far too many concessions to you—
I am beginning to see the merit in the statement that
The fascists won WWII….
The shame, the sorrow and the pity of so many
American War Dead….
By Brother Tracy Gibson…
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Special Black Women
Sometimes you don’t know how special you are
You might think that a Black man who is Same Gender Loving
doesn’t understand or care..
I can’t speak for all of us but I do care…I do UNDERSTAND
I might not be able to be with you and hold you when you
have a real need
For intimacy
But don’t think I don’t love you
``Just K’’ wrote a song about how special you are and he
sings it with
Heart and flava…
I know from where I sprang
I know from where ALL of humanity sprang
You are our for real African Queens and Empresses
When you hold your head Up High and be what and who you
really are
Like Angela Davis, Like Rosa Parks, Like Winnie Mandela,
Like Coretta Scott King, Like Angela Bassett, Like Fannie Lou Hamer, Like Sonia
Sanchez, Like Ella Baker, Like Ida B. Wells, Like Lena Horne, Like Sister
Maisha Sullivan-Ongoza, Like Sister Charlotte Harris and a long line of
others…..You are unstoppable like a locomotive pulling into Pennsylvania
Station on a cool, summer afternoon
GOD walks every step with you
Don’t EVER think I don’t appreciate you
You are a Black Goddess of love & Self Determination
Go onward with your Bad Self…
You are Unstoppable & Loved…
Black Fierce Freedom Warriors
By Brother Tracy Gibson
Right now
Our youths are mostly confused, lost, angry, sometimes
violent, irresponsible
And Bling, Bling oriented….
The misguided ways of the Rap subculture, technology,
Video games & our oppressor’s detrimental & demented
ways have
Turned them into something converse to their own
existence
We have largely failed to raise the next generation of
Black Fierce Freedom Warriors our people needs--
But this can & will change…
The Creator, the Ancestor—GOD herself
Will NOT let this stand
Soon we will institute the necessary changes within
Our community, Our Churches & Mosques & Our
households….
To teach, construct and build the next generation
Of fearless leaders who will carry our noble struggle
Into the next future
They will learn about Angela Davis, Nelson Mandela, James
Baldwin,
Audre Lord, Fanny Lou
Hamer, Danny Glover, and Rosa Parks
They will learn the true and noble history of Haiti;
The freedom riders Down South; and how we were hung, burned
and killed
Just for being Black—even AFTER we fought in WWII,
They will learn about the Black Holocaust and all
It’s evil intent & how present-day White wealth
Is based on our past and continued oppression &
exploitation…
But it will be we who teach them…
They will learn about the African/Egyptian Kings and Queens
Who brandished Black skin and broad noses…
They will learn about King and the Mountain Top
And Sonya Sanchez’s ``Home Girls & Hand Grenades’’
Because we will home school and community school & Black
Church School
and Black Charter
School them as well….
Into the future
Our oppressors have never taught us about our liberation
through
The very system they constructed to keep us
Ignorant, aloof, detached, down & fighting among ourselves…
We have to stop expecting this twisted, backwards,
Hateful and morose
system (and most of the people it has
Spewed forth) to help us, liberate us and teach us anything
about…
How to reconstruct ourselves and liberate ourselves…
THEY NEVER WILL!!
We will learn…
And soon, once again, we will drink from the cool fresh
waters of
The Nile
And real, true and authentic liberation will once again
sooth our Blessed souls…
The Dangerous Triangle
There is a very dangerous Triangle at work within the Obama
Administration that makes a mockery of the President’s pledge to bring needed
change to our Nation and the teeming numbers of people who live in poverty and
or without health care, jobs and hope in America. That Triangle is more dangerous than the
Bermuda Triangle and more Dangerous than the so-called axes of evil
itself. It consists of Treasury
Secretary Timothy F. Geithner, Defense Secretary Dr. Robert M. Gates and the
head of the Federal Reserve Bank, Mr. Ben S. Bernanke.
These
three gentlemen are part and parcel to the established order and the status
quo. Geithner and Bernanke are Wall Street insiders who have witnessed and
benefited from the bloated golden parachutes and the fat corporate bonuses that
are given out all the time there. Their
appointments fly in the face of the so-called change our President—Mr. Barack
Obama—(sadly Our first Black President) was supposed to enact when he became
President of the United States in January of 2009. They are Bush holdovers and they are the
reason why Mr. Bush, President Number 43, has been almost silent in his
criticism of Mr. Obama. Mr. Bush’s work
continues to be done: The war(s) in
Afghanistan is being augmented and supported to the tune of billions each month
in U.S. tax dollars; Israel continues to get the same amount of money in U.S.
foreign aid as the entire Continent of Africa (About $6 Billion Dollars (U.S.)
a year); the banks continue to be bailed out and the people are left with joblessness
and hopelessness abounding. Merry Christmas!! Coal for Mr. Obama this
Christmas… This is a liberal, progressive President? I don’t think so. Mr. Obama, as I have said before, has bent
over backwards to appease the Right Wing and has supported the massive bank
bailouts to the tune of several more Billions, yet only lip service is offered
to people who are in desperate need of jobs, jobs, jobs and decent affordable
health care & housing. I am not
saying the President’s job is easy—far from it.
He has done a few things, but those things are only window dressing
compared to the three appointments mentioned here. But with the Dangerous
Triangle in place the country continues to slide backwards economically and the
war machine remains in place providing billions in profits for greedy corporate
defense contractors like Caterpillar, Halliburton, Lockheed and General
Electric. There are thousands of men and
women coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq each year either in Body Bags or
severely injured—missing arms and legs or with their faces practically blown
off, their guts ripped out or severely mentally damaged... They will never
function as real human beings again and are often worthless to their families
because of the injuries they have sustained...
When will the-brass get it through their thick heads that our presence
is not wanted and that our folly in the Middle East region is part and parcel
to the reason that the Taliban and Al-Qaida exist in the first place. We have historically, with our blind support
for the State of Israel and our military medaling and our support for the
ruthless tactics of the U.S. government backed mercenaries in the region and
our support for the so-called intelligence network (that mind you costs more
billions) and that undermines established governments and murders regionally
elected government officials—we have been [and continue to be under Gates],
deeply & paramountly responsible for the massive amounts of violence we see
everyday on TV and hear on the radio. I
cry out for real change in the world and for an end to the present U.S. policy
in the Middle East, including Afghanistan and Iraq. Gates, Bernanke and Geithner should be fired
immediately and more progressive thinking and acting leadership must to be
implemented to bring about the change that the people voted for on November
4th, 2008—not the backwards hideousness we have become used to as passing along
as decent U.S. foreign policy for decades.
Political Dynasties, King Makers, War(s), & The Movement
for Black Progress…Face the Powers that Be, And Never Give Up the Struggle!!!
Throughout
North American history there have been king makers—wealthy, powerful men
(almost always White)—who have decided who gets to control the joy stick of
government. Who gets to be on the inside
of power and control the billions upon billions of federal dollars that get
spent annually in America and on what federal projects, programs &
considerations those dollars are allocated for as well as who we go to war with
and for what reasons. Prescott Sheldon Bush (1895 -1972), a U.S. Senator from
the state of Connecticut and a Yale graduate like his grandfather was the
father of our 41st President (George Bush Sr.) and the grandfather of our 43rd
President (George Bush Jr.) was such a
man. Actually born in Columbus, Ohio, Prescott Bush would move on to become a
well connected Wall Street executive and the author of books on finance. He
might have failed at business early in life, but he knew how to interact with
the right kind of people and push all the buttons to become wealthy, educated
and well healed. He made sure, before he
died in 1972, that his children & grandchildren would one day roam the
inside hallways of Washington, D.C. and other corridors of power and control
the purse strings connected to the billions of dollars we are forced to pay as
tax-paying American citizens.
Prescott
Bush made sure his son George Sr. (also a Yale graduate) went to all the right
schools and hob knobbed with all the right people who would one day make his
son the King of America—although he would not live to actually see that day…
The end result was his son George Sr. getting a Congressional seat & his
grandsons becoming Governor of Florida (Jeb) and Texas (George Bush Jr.). (By
the way, did I also mention that George Bush Jr. also went to Yale?) Prescott had created a political
dynasty. George Sr. went on to become
the head of the notorious CIA during the last year of the Gerald R. Ford
Administration) & then Vice
President of the U.S. under Ronald Reagan through out most of the 1980’s. Finally George Sr. went on to be a one term
President after Reagan. (George Bush Sr. was defeated in 1992 by Bill Clinton.)
But low & behold, Father Bush (George Sr.) was not to be outdone. He made sure his son came back with a narrow,
although contested, win in the year 2000 Presidential race against Democrat Al
Gore. (Gore actually won numerically, but was defeated in the Electoral
College.) The Dynasty was sustained & complete. Big Daddy Prescott Bush would sleep quietly
in his grave knowing he had set the pace for his son & then grandson to
lord over the so-called ``free world’’ as Presidents #41 and #43 of these
United States—even though he had never actually witnessed those victories…
A while
ago, there was another Dynasty in the making.
Joseph Patrick Kennedy Sr. (1888-1969) wanted his son Joseph Patrick
Kennedy Jr. (1915-1944) to become
President. Joe Kennedy was educated at Harvard University (as was President
Kennedy) and graduated in 1912. He went on to serve in many capacities during
the Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration including a stint as Ambassador to
Great Brittan (1938-1940). He groomed
his children, again, by sending them to the best schools. Boot leg whisky and working on Wall Street
(some of his practices would later be described as ``insider trading’’) helped
build the family fortune up to some $200-$400 Million Dollars by 1957. Tragedy
struck the Kennedy clan early. Because
of the death of Joseph Jr. in England during WW II , John F. Kennedy, the young
Senator from Massachusetts from 1953 to 1960 (he also served in the House of
Representatives from Massachusetts from 1947 to 1953) , would actually be the
only Kennedy in the Twentieth Century to be elected President of the United States. The ``Kennedy Dynasty’’ was not quite as
successful as the Bush Dynasty—at least not in reaching actual success as far
as real time served in the highest office in the land—the Presidency. But the Kennedy White House was thought, for
years afterwards and even up until this day by some Baby Boomers and others, to
represent an almost dreamy Camelot era of fine clothing, good natured humor
with reporters and high levels of professionalism and prestige on the world
stage. The Kennedy Dynasty, however, was
also fraught with family tragedy including the assassination of our beloved
President during a motorcade in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. Forty five years later our Nation still
hasn’t fully healed from this family tragedy which impacted the entire Nation
& much of the world--as so many baby boomers still remember little John
John saluting his father’s casket and the sad but ever gracious Jacqueline
Kennedy acting with such solemn dignity through all the ceremonies that are
attached to losing a sitting head of state in North America...
Robert
Kennedy (1925 -1968), the President’s younger brother, soon took up the mantel
for his brother & had Presidential ambitions of his own. These ambitions were acted upon in 1967 when
he decided to run for the Presidency that year. This Kennedy was a Senator from
New York State and had served as Attorney General under his brother. But the
Kennedy’s tragic story was to continue as an assassin’s bullets put an end to
those ambitions in Los Angeles just after the June 6th California Primary which
Robert Kennedy had won handily.
I
remember as a child not believing the news of Robert Kennedy’s death. I sat on the front steps of the house next
to ours on 49th Street playing jacks by myself when someone came up to me with
the newspaper headlines blaring of the murder of R.F.K. I was shocked because
his death came on the heels of the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. on
April 4th of the same year (1968). Had
our Nation gone mad, I thought... What would this mean? There were already
riots in many U.S. cities after the King assassination. It seemed the
underpinnings of our Nation were crumbling. This perception of instability was
shared by many Americans as they went to the polls that November and elected a
Republican ``Law and Order’’ man from California named Richard Nixon.
The
Kennedy Dynasty would have to be satisfied with a leading role in the
Democratic Party for the family and a Senate seat held by Ted Kennedy (1932 –
2009) for quite some time. (Ted Kennedy was unable to unseat President Jimmy
Carter for the Democratic Nomination in 1980.)
Dynasty,
it seems, was more than just a tawdry, scandal-ridden TV show produced by Aaron
Spelling in the 1980’s. It is a way of
political life in America. There seems
to be very few people who get to hold high office in North America & there
seems to be a selection process through which all these men (and so far it has
only been a men’s club) have to go through.
It is almost as if they have to belong to some exclusive club fraught
with high initiation fees, blood line requirements and educational background
checks.
The
1939 Frank Capra film ``Mr. Smith Goes to Washington,’’ explores the concept of
King Makers & corruption that has been married to Washington, D.C. politics
for almost 20 decades. How do you get to
be a King Maker? What is the
process? Is being wealthy & well
connected enough or do you also have to be a funky old White male to join in
this process? Is there any chance that
corruption and scandal can be divorced from D.C. politics within our lifetime?
Jimmy Stewart played Smith in the film and said ``Things sure happen fast
around here. Don’t they’’ when he was taken a back by some events taking place
around him as he was about to take office as the junior Senator from a
Midwestern state. He said a mouth
full. He was (in this fictitious film)
appointed Senator through a quirky mishap & some of the powers that be were
not pleased with his taking power. He
seemed too innocent, bright eyed and bushy tailed for a major position of power
in D.C.
Generally
speaking, things don’t happen by mistake in D.C. and they do sometimes happen
fast--sometimes. President Obama was
thought to be a Renegade by some writers when he came into power in January of
2009 on the massive National desire for change in D.C. during the November 2008
election. In most instances he has not & most probably will not deliver on
his many promises he made for real, lasting and needed change for our
Nation. . . [Maybe we should have made
him sign a Progressive Pact that he would carry out specific duties and end the
war(s) (for example) at a certain time.] The progressive and liberal wings of
the Democratic Party are not pleased at this point in the middle of 2010 with
many of his appointments and actions. While he has changed the temperament of
the White House into something less Right Wing and has been a good
international ambassador for the country with a ``message’’ of hope and
possible peace, he has done many things that don’t look very forward moving or
progressive. Chief among them: he has named three of the most old funky or
established White males to major positions of power in his administration (read
Dangerous Triangle in Chapter 13); he has not created any new inner-city
initiatives to work with corporate America and create summer jobs for youth and
thusly stem some of the crime in those areas; he has not even given much lip
service to a needed major overhaul of our military and infrastructure; he has
not said one word about military cutbacks in a time when it has been proven
that the Pentagon wastes about twenty five cents for every dollar it
spends; he has supported the status quo,
the existing military & the ``same old war-like White line of hegemony,
politics as usual & White power domination’’ in policy initiatives &
military actions as his speech in Oslo [when he accepted the Nobel Prize for
Peace] proved beyond a reasonable doubt.
There are ``just’’ wars he said.
There are ``real evil people’’ in the world, he said. The next day he had moved so far to the right
in his address in Oslo that even Newt Gingrich and Sarah Palin had to fall in
line with some sweet words of support for the first African American President
of the United States. He literally turned his back on the progressive agenda
that swept him into office…
I am sure members of
the Congressional Black Caucus such as Congresswoman Barbara Lee and
progressive members of Congress such as Dennis Kucinich sat in dumb-founded
amazement at such a speech. The Major Goliath White media, however, lapped it
up. He had effectively picked up his
peace prize while not batting an eye about his proposed military build up of an
additional 30,000 troops for Afghanistan. Never mind where the money is coming
from to effectively stage such a troop increase. (Some experts predict it will
cost a million dollars for each armed military personnel due in part to the
rough terrain and the lack of basic necessities such as running water and
housing.)
Bogged
down in trying to get more encompassing health care legislation passed, the
President has not created or even given much more than lip service to the
business community about creating the thousands of new jobs that are needed for
the teeming numbers of unemployed Americans. (The unemployment rate is about 10
% as of December 2009). The Brother obviously needs some help on the innovation
and clear and new thinking side of things in his Administration.
Moreover,
Mr. Jefferson Smith (in the Capra movie), upon taking a bus tour of D.C. after
he was appointed Senator was deeply and profoundly impressed with the words
enshrined at the Lincoln Memorial. A child and an older Black man looked on as
he took in the site. So many Americans
have, once again, been disillusioned with Obama—the President who had reignited
our hopes and dreams & gotten people who would never vote—young & old,
Black & White—to vote and believe in him--has largely let us down. There is
a new face on things, but bracing up the underpinnings of our Nation is a man
who represents mostly the same old line of thinking that got us into the
economic morass, war(s) and partisanship of the Bush Jr. years. Mr. Smith soon became disillusioned as he
found out the work & difficulties involved in doing a seemingly simple
thing like starting a national boy’s camp for orphaned and wayward boys in his
home state…
I
remember a few years ago during a trip to Washington, D.C. when I also was
moved by the Lincoln Memorial. How even before Obama came on the scene, I felt
our country could move past the economic morass and political partisanship it
was stuck in during the Bush (Jr.) years and become something fresh, new &
hopeful. Something was needed that would really help the less fortunate and
reflect peace and tolerance instead of war profiteering, White world domination
and exploitation & destruction of so-called Third World or developing
countries across the globe. Lincoln reflected aspects of that
``something’’. I had worked so hard for
30 years to move things along in a progressive direction, but it seems things
only work quickly in D.C. if you have the deep pockets &, frankly, White skin & connections to make this
so. If you want to be a mover &
shaker, and you have Black skin, if you are in or out of office, it appears you
have to play the game, support the status quo & belly up with the insiders
& the fat White money boys. That is
if you want to ``make it’’ on the world stage.
Who knows what kind of deals President Obama has made with the Wealthy? It certainly seems that there was some kind
of an agreement that things would be changed as far as style, but the substance
has mostly remained in tact…
I
remember going door to door in Philadelphia to generate support for the
REPARATIONS movement & I remember running as a write-in candidate for U.S.
Senator from P.A. in 2005. I’ve tried so many things to bring the human rights
agenda some heat and some light—some truth and some inspiration… Then reality sets in when we see Mr. Obama
exclaiming the virtues of war in Oslo and never saying a blessed word about the
U.S.’s undermining of peace throughout the world through military intervention
and the unscrupulous work of the U.S. intelligence network including the NSA
and the CIA (along with the rest of the multi-billion dollar North American
intelligence Network). The Right Wing; the War Mongers; the defense contractors
like Halliburton, GE and Lockheed Martin; Wealthy Republicans; the Pentagon
Brass—they all have a new friend in Mr. Obama who was elected to change things,
but who pealed off what little was left of his progressive skin and threw his
chips in with the Status Quo in Oslo, Norway...
I guess the old adage IS true—you can’t beat City Hall… But I for one look onward & know just
like at the actual birth of this country in the 1700’s tyranny can & will
be defeated. In all its’ forms, ways and
means, tyranny will be defeated... Don’t
let yourself be easily disillusioned, fooled & like Denzel Washington said
as Malcolm X in Spike Lee’s 1992 film ``hoodwinked, fooled & bamboozled.’’
We as Black people can’t afford it.
Keep your eyes on the prize and keep supporting people like Barbara Lee
and Dennis Kucinich in Congress. Write them and let them know they are doing a
wonderful job in keeping the progressive fires lit, hot, active and alive. Here
are their addresses if you want to write them:
Congress Woman Barbara Lee
2444 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C.
20515
Phone # 202.225.2661
Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich
2445 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
Phone # 202.225.5871
They are some of the
REAL progressive thinkers and shapers of our progressive tomorrows along with
Former Congress Woman Cynthia McKinney (of Atlanta, Georgia) who ran for
President in 2008 under the Green Party banner. To Write Sister McKinney log
onto:
www.AllthingsCynthiaMcKinney.com
Keep moving in the
direction of Black Progress—forward each and every day. Keep your eyes on the prize: What is the
Prize? The prize is real economic & social justice, true freedom, equality
& prosperity for our people & a coming of economic parity for the
poor. Even political dynasties, deal
makers & war itself may have to be thrown on the ash heap of history before
this is all over. We must be ever
vigilant, work hard & never, never give Up!! Power to the people!!! Never
give up!! Find new ways to take your issues to the powers that be & create
your own power base by creating a Black business & organizing with other
Black Business Men & Black Business Women to bring greater political
leverage to progressive causes in D.C. and around the globe—throughout our
Diaspora… If you have a few dollars to give please check out the organizations
our company has given to on our web page at www.btganda.com. They need your
support, especially in these economically hard times when grants and donations
are drying up!!... But never give up and never give in!!
Precious…..
Near
the end of the film ``Precious,’’ (2009) the star of the movie wraps a bright
red scarf around a little battered and abused child and gives her a hug as she
walks off. It is left up to us to
remember that Precious herself is one of the ones who, earlier in the film, was
actually an abuser of the child.
That is
what the film ``Precious’’ does. It
wraps a red flag around the problems that afflict much of our
community—poverty; incest; lack of ethnically relevant education; lack of
adequate health care; lack of jobs; lack of opportunity; and other types of
abuse both politically, culturally, socially and self inflicted. But a red flag offers no hope or guidance in
how to begin to solve the problems or even much of a look inward to see where
the healing can begin. In this case, the bearer of the red flag (the directors,
actors and executive producers of the film ``Precious’’) may have actually made
things worse.
``Precious’’
left me empty, dissatisfied and angry. I was empty because I felt taken.
Another set of Hollywood stars and producers has left me $4.99 cents poorer
without offering any hope of salvation for the future. Dissatisfied because I
know our filmmakers can do so much, much better than produce such populist pap
that rags on Black men and poor Black women without showing any glimmer of
hope, love or understanding among poor Black people. All of which I know exists. I was angry because this film has received
such ballyhoo and fanfare. It will or
has been seen around the world and other ethnic groups will think this is all
that Black minds—that have always been ingenious and inventive—can come up
with.
``Precious’’
is a shame and a sham. The young girl’s
fantasy life is interspersed with her dark and dreary life as an abused,
sexually molested teen and she never has any road to make her fantasies begin
to take any realistic formation in real life.
This was a frustration for me. We are constantly told in America that if
we try, put our noses to the grind stone and work hard enough, that the world
is our oyster. There is no pearl in this oyster.
We see
the poverty, but we don’t understand why it almost has to continue. From the
film’s point of view—there is no way out. I feel the film fails to give us hope
and encouragement. While Precious takes
her family away from the abusive mother, what hope does such a child have if
she has to fend for herself in such a cruel & insensitive world?
Oprah
Winfrey and Tyler Perry (the odd couple) helped give the film a first-class
launch that made sure it got Academy Award consideration and world wide
exposure. I hope they will choose their
next project more carefully and that Black audiences, at least, will demand
much better.
Black
movie goers should not, at this late date, be going to see movies just to be
entertained. We need enlightenment. We
need to have courage instilled. We need hope provided. We need to find solace, peace and most of all
we need to have something to think about, talk about & hold on to that can
be applied to creating solutions to the multitude of problems we face each and
every day... ``Precious’’, to me,
offered little of that, but was a mirror reflection of some of the worse of
what it means to be Black and living a poor inner city existence in
America.
Solution: As more responsible and conscious-minded Black
filmmakers come to success such as Spike Lee, John Singletary and others, their
power and influence will expand and increase.
Those of us who only make frivolous films and entertainment that don’t
educate us and/ or, in some way, augment our struggle as human beings should be
ignored and seen as tools of the Established Order. We need to get our eyes back on the
Prize—real Freedom, real Justice and real Equality and an end to world wide
White Supremacy and war... I don’t know about you, but I don’t go to the movies
just to make another Black filmmaker even richer.. I want to be taught
something and given something ``Precious’’ to hold onto—not deceived…
Transgendered People: A Difficult Question to Ponder…
My
understanding is that transgendered people are people who are either
transsexuals or transvestites. I believe that the term transgendered is an
umbrella term that fits both categories.
Transsexuals are the hardest ones for me to understand. I try not to judge them. They are the people
like the former Chastity Bono who is a male ``trapped inside’’ the body of a
female. A transsexual can also be a
female ``trapped inside a male’s body. The concept boggles the mind, even for
me—a Same Gender Loving male and a person with a very open mind about many
things. My root feeling, however, is who
are we to judge. We have no idea of what
these people go through. It must be
extremely frustrating to be ``trapped inside’’ a body and not feel comfortable
with that particular sex. My heart goes
out to these people and I hope there are more scientific and biological, even
chemical breakthroughs that will eventually help them. I know the mind is a very complex thing. I also know that the more we judge and cast
off or ignore such people and say they don’t exists, or are just confused-- the
more we become like the people who chained us as Africans when we were brought
here as slaves several generations ago. That is why I don’t like the term
LGB&T because it just groups Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgendered
people all together and makes us a convenient special interest group, but does
nothing to take on understanding the many complexities of each group. Lesbian women are quite different from Same
Gender Loving men. Bisexuals have a host of different issues, such as of trust
and alleged ``confusion’’ that plane old Gay or Same Gender Loving men might
not experience. At the same time,
because of the many social pressure on people in our nation to conform, some
Same Gender Loving men are very confused because they try to be something they
were not put on this planet to be.
Namely that is a STRAIGHT male!!
Many times parents put us through many, many changes about self
acceptance, self love, social acceptance and religious acceptance that just
turn out to be more confusion and head ache and heart ache for the person in
question. As Kermit the frog says ``it
ain’t easy being green.’’ This applies to anyone who is Same Gender Loving,
lesbian bisexual or transgendered. It is
not an easy road to travel on in life, but it is like being born or another
race or handicapped—that is what you are and being anything else only causes
more troubles and compounds the pain.
Some of us ``children’’ have no problems with parental
acceptance and find a path in life that is NOT filled with a lot of acceptance
questions, pain and problems. God bless
such people, I was not one of them. I
have been in therapy for over two decades to help me find a path that is both
ethical and self accepting—not an easy thing.
But the good therapists I have had have helped me carve out such a path
for myself. I strongly recommend therapy
for anyone having self acceptance issues and concerns. Such issues can really tear at the heart and
make existence very difficult.
Another grouping under the transgender umbrella is the
transvestites. These are generally men
who have to or like to dress up as women. They can also be women who like to or
find they have to dress as men. I guess Tyler Perry is one of these, although
he gives the excuse that he does it only for professional reasons. You can’t tell me that Tyler Perry doesn’t
like dressing up as much as that other Black male transvestite (Rupe
Hall). Rupe seems more honest and
comfortable about what he is and less of a person just putting on for money, to
me at least… Funny isn’t it that both of the really known ones are both Black
men.
Black men have more difficulty being who and what they are
sexually than some other men, but males in our culture have some difficulty
with the Same Gender Loving thing all around.
Some people feel it rubs off and it is best not to be associated with
such people or be around such people.
One of my best friends in the world, a person who I have been through a
lot together with, is a former transvestite. He is a sweet older gentleman who
has done a great deal for the Black community on many issues including HIV.
What
I’m getting at is that there are many passages in the Bible that say not to
judge people for but for the grace of GOD go you or I. I think that is a very good idea. Take people for what and who they are and
access their good qualities as well as their bad qualities. Most people have good hearts and love to be
loved and cared for by someone special.
Just because you have kids doesn’t make you better than any other American
or make you a saint. There are grown
adults who abuse and beat the Hell out of their own kids. I think I know several adult male homosexuals
who would make much better parents than some of the parents I know who have had
children naturally, but don’t know what the heck they had them for. Maybe just for ego to reproduce and to be
able to say they have off spring. That
is NOT a reason to have kids. Frankly,
there are people in my own family who didn’t need to have kids, certainly not
as early as they did.
Now whether a transgendered person could make a good
parent--now that gets into another whole question. I won’t go into that
here. Suffice it to say that it is best
to reserve judgment because there is invariably something about you that people
don’t like or understand. Not understanding makes people put you into a box, close
the box with a key and put you away—maybe even hating you. Black people were in such a box for a long
time and still are in the minds of some members of some other races. It could be that you don’t like peanuts on
Sundays (I mean the day of the week); or that you have straight hair. Give people a chance and at least listen to
them for a few moments before you condemn and judge. I know, you are going to tell me I’m very hard
on and condemning of Republicans. That I
think is a different question because a Republican has already made quite a
harsh judgment of me by taking on such a racist and backwards banner in the
first place…..
Ultimately, everybody has a right to their own
opinions. Some people think all doctors
who carry out abortions should be shot dead.
Some people have actually gone to jail for shooting such people. (Please
see my opinions on women & reproductive rights in chapter 17.)
Solutions: Transgendered people are people too. I remember when I first heard the term at a
meeting at a friend’s house in North Philadelphia. I came away with a lot less judgments and
harsh opinions than when I went into that meeting. The lady who gave the presentation was born a
woman, but was living as a man. She ws a
fantastic writer and speaker and told a story of love, redemption and respect
about her story. I was adult enough to
open my mind and listen and learn. I gained confidence in the speaker and I
opened my thinking. That is all I can
ask any of us to do on any given subject.
``They Need to Put a Yellow Caution Ribbon Around the Whole
Nation’’
Not too long ago, I was visiting Mosque # 12 in North
Philadelphia and I heard the head of the Mosque, a good friend of mine named
Minister Rodney Muhammad, say during one of his famous talks about current
events and the state of America and the state of Black folks in America that
``They need to just put a caution sign around the whole Nation.’’
I am beginning to see what he was talking about. Every time you turn on the so-called news,
you hear about a mass shooting, a deadly fire, a building collapsing or some
other catastrophe in some part of the country.
Often it is close to or in the Philadelphia area, if you are watching
the local news. There seems to be so
much insanity, violence & mayhem that they might as well go ahead and NOT
spare the caution tape and use it to encompass the entire Nation.
Where does it end? At your door step.
It’s Not Just
Incumbency, It’s The System…
There
has been a group of conservative activist voters—they have been called tea
baggers by the mass media. They have made their wishes and their disgruntlement
know at the poles by voting in more conservatives. They are voting out people connected with the
``problems’’ in Washington and they are particularly angry about just about
everything President Obama has tried. What they fail to realize is that
President Obama took hold of D.C. and the country when it was left practically
destroyed financially and ethically, and spiritually bankrupt by one George
Bush Jr.—a Republican. They are failing
to see the corporate interest’s influence on our political system and the
corrupting influence of same. The
Republican Party has always been closer to the so-called ``business community’’
then the Democrats—but plenty of Democrats have taken a great shine to the
corporate establishment as well.
Especially the more conservative Blue Dog Democrats Down South. The problem is multifaceted, but not that
hard to understand. The problem is that
money influences in Washington are too predominating and the interest of the
people has largely gone out the window with yesterday’s newspapers.
Non-profits like ``Common Cause’’ have decried the massive
and powerful influence of money on our political system for years. So have many other more partisan, left
leaning organizations. Being an incumbent makes you inherently closer and more
connected to the influences of money and raw power in Washington. More thinking people need to come together and
find ways to root out the influences in Washington that are NOT connected to
the real needs of the people.
The Tea Baggers are misleading and being misled. They are being covered by the mass media,
which in turn is part and parcel of the problem. The mass media itself, which has always been
connected to Big Money interests, looks at the Tea Baggers, but fails to cover
the righteous indignation of other, more progressive grass roots concerns. The media itself is a large part of the
problem. A very large part of our
problem as Black people. The mass media itself is headed by mostly conservative
White males, largely of Jewish origin.
They have an undue and unwarranted say in how North Americans think and
how we interpret the news, the events of the day and reality in general. Not just the news media, but those who make
& distribute movies and fiction TV programming. There are very few real progressives and
fewer still Black people among the top decision makers in this elite group of
people.
Back in the 1970’s there was a small and purposefully
ineffective attempt to bring more Black people into the decision-making process
in America’s newsrooms. There was a
limited push for Affirmative Action and more ``color’’ in the news rooms for TV
and print media. This ``limited push’’
never reached into movie-making much, at least not for an extended period of
time. Even during the Black Exploitation
Era in Hollywood, most White movie producers, White Movie Moguls and White
distributors of film remained at the helm and turned the reigns of power over
to other Whites. The media and
especially movie making is an extremely lucrative industry. It is also extremely Jewish… You can make a
very bad film, but if you can get it distributed internationally, you can still
make millions of dollars off of it...
America is controlled by image. If you have a bad image in corporate America
and you don’t do something to clean it up, you will lose business and be
dragged into red ink and bankruptcy. If
you can maintain a ``good’’ media image—even if you are doing bad thing—(Like
let’s say Wal-Mart for example) you will continue to maintain market share and
keep your bottom line floating.
Many people say that we had to bail out the banking system,
or everything would have gone under.
Well, just about everything HAS gone under. The impact of the 43rd President of the
United States giving billion upon billions of dollars to his rich friends
through a costly tax cut has not even reverberated through the system
completely at this point. Still, President Obama is getting all the blame
now. It is no time to fall back into
Republicanism (See related articles on the Republican Party in Chapter 13).
Voting for Republicans now is like giving the keys to your
house that was destroyed by arson fire to the arsonist and asking him to fix
it. The Republicans will smile at you,
take your keys and gladly go about the business of doing you in further. So
what can be done?
• There is
a great and real need for term limits for politicians. Then, when the corrupting influences of money
and power take hold, it is time for another face. Congress People should get
three, two-year terms, Senators should get two, six-year terms. Governors
should stay at two, four-year terms as well as two, four-year terms for
Presidents. That is it. There will be no
going back into office once you leave.
This will cut back on the creation of the Good Old Boys’ Network effect
and stop the circles of incumbency, corruption and old-line power that never
seems to get anything done, but costs the tax-payers billions of dollars.
Mayors, especially for Big Cities, don’t need more than two terms either…
• There
needs to be an effective system for National Referendums. Handing our votes and
the power over to elected officials is like giving the roosters the keys to the
Hen House. You are bound to get
taken. Media polling and public opinion
is swayed by the media itself each and every day. If we had National
Referendums that became law, we could effectively overshoot and Passover the
wide and undue influence of Big Money, corrupt politicians, and the media
itself.
• More
people need to have the opportunity to vote.
Voting in National elections for President should take place over a
weekend so people who work get their vote in or, at least, we should get the day
off from work. There should also be
other incentives to vote such as a few bucks off at the local grocery store on
election day if you show proof of having voted, or other such incentives.
• Advertising
dollars for politicians should be given at a discount if you have shown some
grass roots support. Have you ever seen
the financial numbers in dollars, of the amount of money that the TV networks
make during a Presidential election? The numbers are staggering. This in itself
shuts out many people who are patriotic, progressive, grass roots, concerned
individuals who want to get in there and fight and make the system work better
for the average working JOE. The money
influence on TV and the networks is nasty and growing. It overshadows popular candidates and
corrupts the whole process. Cheaper ad
would be a firs step to help…
• There
needs to be an open Constitutional Convention to reshape and reformate how our
government operates as we move into a new era and experience the coming
paradigm shift and its global implications on world economies and the world’s
people, including Black people who are the most poor and the most left out of
the process....
• Term
limits of 15 years on Supreme Court Justices would also be a good idea.
+++
9-12-08
Brother Tracy Gibson
President & CEO Of,
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
Building Community Through Strength
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del 19720
Sir Elton John
c/o Town & Country
Senior Editors, Thomas P. Farley & David Masello
300 West 57th Street, 33rd Floor
New York, New York
10019
Dear Sir Elton:
I write
you with the utmost of respect. That
respect comes from me because I have a great deal of love and respect for you
or anyone who has given so graciously towards the needy, the homeless, the down
trodden, and the needlessly hated. You
have dedicated your life and your music to so many positive causes that I can’t
even mention them all in one letter if I tried.
GOD has blessed you, but more importantly, you have taken those blessings
and blessed many people yourself. That
in itself is ANOTHER BLESSING FROM GOD!! And this is what GOD wants. Believe me I know because I speak with her
everyday. The world is at your feet
because you were blessed with a magnificent talent and because you have tried
and succeeded to lift the world up and help so many. Your work to help people suffering from
AIDS/HIV has been incredible and has gained you much recognition. But you don’t seem to go after that
recognition. You go after helping others
even more. If I was the Queen I would
have knighted you too!! If I were GOD I
would make sure that your place in heaven has plenty of pillows and cool
drinks, but, most importantly, I would make sure that you have plenty of time
remaining on earth to do what you love to do—help others and make incredible,
lasting and heart warming music.
At the
same time, there are a few other things I want to mention. We had a mutual
friend in Lady Diana of England. I found
her to be warm, open, loving and caring like yourself. A woman who, at the time of her tragic death,
was becoming a World Class advocate for children like no other before her and a
person who would go out and touch the people she loved so dearly—once again the
poor and the left out. I have never met
her, but I know a classy lady when I see one.
I know that she was concerned about explosive mines in countries like
Angola. She didn’t like how so many
innocent children and women were getting their hands and arms and legs blown
off due to the volatile mines being left after the wars in that area. But Lady Diana didn’t just take a stand, she
was becoming an advocate for peace and was turning heads and opening check
books. She was also turning the heads of
people who fight to keep their bottom lines up by supporting war and
destruction around the world. She was
becoming a danger to people who want to keep a tight lid on any thoughts that
there could be a lasting peace around the world and that armaments could become
absolutely obsolete around the world one day—not even any good to terrorists
because ALL the complaints terrorists have can and would have been dealt with
in a positive and peaceful manner. This
was Lady Diana’s dream, my dream, your dream (if I am not too presumptuous),
and the dream of many, many of the world’s people. I pray every day that your work continues
forthrightly and positively for many, many years to come. But I have to say, getting back to Lady Diana,
I think she was murdered for having such a dream. That scares me a bit, but I know I have to do
what I have to do—no matter what.
Presently,
we are almost in foreclosure with our house and me and my male roommate are
living on disability. It is not enough
to keep up with bills, let alone do the important work we feel needs to get
done. You may be totally tapped out
because times are hard and when they are, people like me –an advocate for Peace
and Justice myself--look towards people like you for support and help. If you can help, believe me, we will
appreciate it greatly. I know how much
you already give so I will not feel bad if you can’t help. Please know that if there is anything I can do
for you, just ask. Also: I would love to
get a journalist who is able to project and think positively about what might
have been had she lived, to take on the perspective I discussed here and do an
extensive expose on Lady Diana, the status of her advocacy work and where that
might have led had she lived and continued to get the incredible exposure she
was getting.
Take care and know that if it wasn’t for Teresa Ashley in
High School, I would have never grown to accept and appreciate your music so early
in my life. They didn’t play music by
White artists on the stations I listened to and I didn’t know who you were, but
Teresa did and she liked to share good things like good music. GOD Bless you
Sir Elton John!!
Sincerely & Humbly,
Brother Tracy Gibson
Advocacy, Black Media Relations, Public Relations, Marketing
& Promotions…
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
T. Bone Pickens
President & CEO,
Pickens Plan
P.O. Box 12123
Dallas Texas 75225
Dear Mr. Pickens:
I
admire some of what you have tried to do over your lifetime. I think NOW is the time to become energy self
sufficient for the United States because so much of our use of resources has
skewed our foreign policy in a very deleterious way.
I am a
REAL idea man and a public relations man.
I want to work with you on a highly personal level. I think we can work together with me learning
and you teaching. I want to be a
Billionaire of the future. I am
enclosing some of the things I’m working on and trying to get funded.
I also
have the idea of having a BIG WORLD concert to benefit the victims of the
Haitian Earth Quake. I envision getting
Faith Evans, Stevie Wonder and Beyonce and many others to do the concert which
could be held in New York City in June.
I hope you like the idea and will hire me on as an assistant to
help. GOD Bless you and keep up the good
and excellent work you are doing on energy sustainability for the United
States...
With Peace and Justice for ALL,
Brother Tracy Gibson
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Delaware
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
+++
Letter # 20
12-09-09
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Senator Harry Reid, Democrat
Washington, D.C.
Dear Senator Reid:
Not only do I NOT want to take issue with your comments that
Republicans and others (Such as the Blue Dog Democrats) are being as narrow
minded and backwards in their thinking as the North American politicians who
opposed the end of slavery, I want to go on record as supporting and cheering
you on in that argument. It is sound and
true. The Republican part has been narrow-minded for decades. They are, frankly a party of racist who care
little about what the common man has to go through to make it in America. They are the party of the rich and the
wealthy and THEY are the ones who are detached, aloof and dreadfully cold and
heartless. All they care about is money and taking up the issues and concerns
of the wealthy, the owners of Big Corporations and Wall Street. They could care
less about how many North Americans go without jobs or without health care
because they have it all—money, connections with the rich and wealthy and
plenty of cheap health care for themselves.
I think the tactics of Republicans such as George Bush Sr.—who used the
criminality of a lone Black man named Willie Horton to get elected president as
he smeared Michael Dukakis time and time again over and over again and then
left the Black community with a Supreme Court justice name Clarence Thomas—he
and many other such politicians have been hateful to the end and are severely
disliked by the Black community. The head of the Republican Party is a Black
shoe shine boy. He is a lackey and an
Uncle Tom who does the bidding of that hateful party to no end. I’m talking about Michael Steel of
course. Don’t listen to him!! Stay on
course and make your case and your argument.
You’re on firm footing. I hope
the Senate can come through with a public option in tact, although it doesn’t
look like that will be possible.
Meanwhile Michael Steel and his crew are licking their chops at seeing a
possible defeat for the President on the horizon. I wish you the best of luck… I know your job is not an easy one. I, myself, am unemployed and in need of work,
but I wouldn’t want your job!! You have
your work cut out for you. I hope this
little letter has made things a little better for you. I support your efforts and applaud your
attitude, demeanor and tactics. Keep on
Keepin’ on!!
With Sincere Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson…,,,
A Farce Named Madonna…
Many
Black Same Gender Loving (SGL) youth look up to, admonish and almost worship
Madonna. bell hooks wrote a scathing and informative review of Madonna in her 1992 Book ``Black Looks, Race
& Representation’’ which I strongly recommend that our Black youth read,
regardless of sexual orientation or sexual gnome.
Madonna,
who changes men like she changes underwear, has trademarked, copy written,
reinvented, packaged and repackaged herself more than Mattel has done for their
line of Barbie or Ken dolls. She is a ``master’’ at wrapping herself in Black
and other ethnic cultures for her own political, cultural and economic gain.
She always manages to come up with something ``new and trendy’’, but my
contention is she is just another White copy cat in sheep’s clothing…. She is not the trend setter, innovator or
visionary she purports to be. Far from it…
If you
look back at just about all the trends she is given credit for starting or
creating innovation in, you will find that other groups of mostly oppressed
people started these trends first, but were left out of the economic bonanza
and notoriety that Madonna has so cleverly taken advantage of and enjoyed low
these many years.…
For
example, the song Vogue created a craze about dancing Vogue style, but it was
Black and Latino SGL youth who started Voguing long before the record came out
and popularized the trend.
(Ironically, now even POP-Rap & R&B singers like
Chris Brown are putting Vogue Dancing in their videos, but never stopping to
look back and give credit to where it all started from—in the gay nightclubs
and in the dance of Black and Latin SGL youth.)
Many
people don’t realize that it was a Black man (Reggie Lucas) wrote and produced
many of the records from Madonna’s first album which catapulted the ``singer’’
into superstardom in 1983.
She
also throws a lot of money at Black issues and problems in Africa and elsewhere
and even adopted a Black child in 2008,
(David Banda Mwale) from The Republic of Malawi (A southeast African Nation
which borders Zambia, Tanzania & Mozambique), but is this because she
really cares or is it because she wants to shore up her base of colorful,
youthful supporters who would buy her records way before they would look into
buying the music of: a Nina Simon, (who wrapped her music & earthy, raspy
voice around and reinforced an entire political movement in the 1960’s and
1970’s); the sultry ethnic voice and styling’s of a singer like Nigerian born Sade;
or understand & respect the vocal range and distinctive voice of a Minnie
Riperton; the raspy relevance of an Erykah Badu; or the multi-talented and
politically relevant styling’s of India.Arie; or the emotional sultriness of a
Phyllis Hyman; or the pure and distinctive talent of Jennifer Holliday; or look
back to the vocal genius and gutsiness of a Diana Washington; or the brilliant
once-in-a-lifetime talent of scat-singer Ella Fitzgerald. These are true and
talented Black female singers who deserve the accolades and support of our
youths of All ages and persuasions as well as the respect & honor of the
rest of us. But Madonna reigns supreme among many young Black SGL males in our
inner cities.
To me
Madonna is a serious light weight. She
is mostly a studio voice who has hired a lot of fantastic dancers (mostly
Black) and background singers (largely Black again) to put some talent and
glitz around herself that, included with some special effects and incredible
lighting will stave off anyone who might notice that she does not have a very
strong or distinctive voice and also has little range.
Certainly
the Material Girl’s music is often snappy and sometimes even crisp, but will
future generations be dancing to and listening to it? Will it be studied as brilliant and refined
aspects of American culture that helped set trends and Move Mountains? Probably
not…
Her
dancers are often Black men, usually SGL, who fall to her feet on stage and
seemingly almost worship ``Madonna’’ but as bell hooks points out, when a White
man is in her life, she knows when to take a back seat and play the ``innocent
little woman.’’
It is
odd and perhaps not coincidental that these same SGL Black youth in our inner
cities are drastically lacking bold, forthright and aggressive leadership to
take their causes and issues into the next 30 years with honor, grace, dignity
and courage. Many of our Black SGL youth live without much in the way of such
values. WHERE ARE YOUR LEADERS? If a
spaceship came down from another planet and asked Black SGL youngsters to take
them to their leaders they would stand there and say ``Huh, what leaders?’’
Frankly I can only talk about Philadelphia because that is what I know, but I
haven’t heard of much positive young Black SGL leadership coming from our
neighboring New York or D.C. either.
They
have our minds!!!...And it is far past time that we took them back…!!! This is
why I called this book ``The Re-Awakening’’ because we have been asleep at the
wheel and need to take control of our communities and our individual personal
lives as well as our choices and decision making process. The time for us following idly and sheepishly
behind ``what every body else is doing’’ is long over.
We eat
McDonalds food because that is what the TV tells us to eat and because that is
what every body else is eating. Never
mind the fact that this food is literally killing our people with far too much
fat and salt. We go to the Vogue Ball
because that is what every body else is doing.
We cut up and dance and sweat and listen to the same tired music that
offers us nothing to think positively about and we hand our often hard earned
money over to the same old rap stars, pop vocalists and vacuous singers who
could give a damn about us.
I once
attended a Vogue Ball in Philadelphia and was shocked at the sheer numbers of
Black SGL youth that came out to attend. (There must have been over 300 Black
youngsters there.) I never saw so many
young Black SGL men ``ANYWHERE’’ else, ever.
But they were out in numbers for the Ball to end all Balls. They vogued and danced and did their things
to all kinds of silly, snappy music and what did they have to show for their
efforts when the night was through?
NOTHING!! I have to ask ``ARE WE USING OUR GOD-GIVEN MINDS OR ARE WE
JUST FOLLOWING ALONG LIKE HEARDED SHEEP IN LIFE AND DOING EXACTLY WHAT
EVERYBODY ELSE IS DOING???
It is
long past time that our SGL youth started thinking fast, on their feet and for
themselves. Their youthfulness will be
taken away from them in a few short decades and they will have nothing left for
there selves unless they do what Teddy Pendergrass said to do several years ago
and ``Wake Up’’… All the money
these young people make slips through their hands like water and goes right
back into the hands of rip-off artist like Madonna and the same old White
record producers and record companies.
I’m talking about billions of dollars, not just a few million.
These
young people need to be creating institutions like the Adodi Movement, the
Colours Organization, and other projects and institutions that will embellish
and refine their existence; educate them as to the tools and training they will
need to survive in the often harsh realities of North American life; and create
modalities that can move them and their race forward into a more positive and
stable future.
Many
people are working with Black youth, so the future may not be as desperate or
bleak as I paint it here, but I know we as a Black community need to do the
best for them and stop isolating, chastising and rejecting our Black SGL young
people (especially males) and recognize that they have to be accepted &
allowed to exists because they will anyway. They need to be encouraged to
contribute to our people’s survival and our prosperity as a race of positive
& forward-thinking, proactive people.….
We Can Do This!!
Solutions: The reason I highlighted Madonna
was to take note that we don’t and our young people (some of whom practically
worship Madonna) don’t need to follow each and every trend, person, icon and
``event’’ that the mass media creates for us to get hooked on, follow and give
our hard earned dollars to. We need to
be creating our own idols to appreciate and support. And some of those Black idols need to do a
whole lot more to support positive people, events and projects that come out of
Black communities and Black people’s efforts.
All I’m saying is question what you follow—don’t follow and support
anyone blindly just because they are perceived as hip or ``in Vogue’’.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Movies to Request
at the Library
1) ``Do the
Right Thing,’’ by Actor & Director Spike Lee; 1989.
2) ``The
Learning Tree,’’ by Director Gordon Parks; 1969.
3) ``Malcolm
X,’’ by Actor & Director Spike Lee, also starring Denzel Washington; 1992
4) ``The
Autobiography of Mss. Jane Pittman,’’ Starring Ms. Cecily Tyson & Directed
by John Korty; 1974.
5) The Film
about Jamaica as a case study of economic exploitation on the part of the World
Bank & the International Monetary Fund.
6) PBS
Special on Malcolm X.+()*%+_# (CALL PBS)
7) ``Tongues
Untied,’’ by Filmmaker & Director Marlon Riggs and Poet Essex Hemphill;
1988.
8) PBS
Special on James Baldwin.
)*_#&$_&#_&$ (CALL
PBS)
9) ``A Litany
for Survival: The Life and Work of Audre Lorde, ‘’ Directed by Ada Gay Griffin
& Michelle Parkerson; 1995.
10) ``Color
Adjustment’’ by Filmmaker Marlon Riggs; 1989
11) ``To Sir,
with Love,’’ 1967 Sidney Poitier.
12) ``Higher
Learning’’, Regina King, Omar Epps, Ice Cube. 1995
13) Any of Michal Moore’s films including: ``Sicko’’ (2007)
or ``Capitalism: A Love Story’’ (2009)
13) ``Fun With Dick
& Jane’’ Starring Jim Carry (2005)
14) ``Brokeback Mountain’’ (2005)
15) ``Super Size Me’’ (2004) by Director Morgan Spurlock.
16) ``The Progressive Movement’’
(Some of these films may have strong language and or adult
themes, but most are acceptable for younger audiences. If you wish, please view
them before you allow your pre-teens to view them. Some of these films are
available at the Library for free, a week at
a time….)
17) ``In Debt We Trust,’’ (2006) Directed by Danny
Schechter.
18) ``Crude Impact.’’ (2006) Documentary.
19) ``Get On The Bus,’’ By Spike Lee.
20) ``Uncovered: The Whole Truth About the Iraq War,’’ by
Director Robert Greenwald.
21) ``When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts,’’ (TV
mini-series originally on HBO)., By Spike Lee.
Recommended Magazines, Periodicals, Newsletters, Journals,
Newspapers & Other Publications you should be reading or might want to try…
1) Leon
Williams’ Journal.
2) The
Philadelphia Tribune.
3) The
Nation.
4) The Final
Call.
5) The
Progressive.
6) The
Workers World Newspaper.
7) The
Crisis.
8) Ebony.
9) Jet.
10) Black
Enterprise Magazine.
11) The Walnut
Hill Community Association’s Newsletter.
Movie Ideas that are Chomping at the Bit…
1) A
fictional exploration of what the first two years of a Robert F. Kennedy
Administration would look like.
2) A
biography of South Carolina born Frank Wills, the Black security guard who
discovered the Watergate break in. While
this Brother died penniless after a life of poverty, his story is one we can
all learn from. I think a moderately
budgeted film starring Eddie Murphy could be a huge success because his story
shows there is often only a fallacy of success to go along with the mantel of
heroism.
3) A Black
child is born and grows up to be retarded, but at age 12 miraculously develops
mental skills above all others his age after being tracked into special
education classes and almost given up on by his parents. He learns how to speak properly and develops
a knack for math, physics, engineering and space technology. He goes on to attend Harvard University in
Boston and Oxford University in England and never forgets his friends at a
mental institution where he was once stricken.
Starring Terrance Howard.
4) A
documentary history of the SGL (Same Gender Loving or Gay) movement in
Philadelphia among Black men and Black women.
Talk to the elders of the movement and get the real story.
5) A
documentary tracing the so-called terrorists in the U.S. asking why they do
what they do and digging deep to find out the terroristic exploits of the U.S.
and why our Nation is so hated by many forces around the world, especially in
the Middle East and among Islamic Nations.
6) A major
SGL erotic drama featuring Black Same Gender Loving men and women actors.
7) A film
depicting a Black and a White stand up comic and how they barb against one
another during a fictitious U.S. tour they take during 2011.
8) A
no-holds-barred documentary look at Cuba and U.S. policy towards that Island
Nation and what the impact of the U.S.-led embargo has been on the Cuban
people.
9) A
dramatic and Documentary journey through the Philadelphia school system
depicting school policy, the children’s interests and what the many community
groups who have worked on the issue of improving education have to say about
the subject. Included: interviews with
the major personalities & players concerned and re-enactments of events
such as the police beating and hitting Black school children as they
demonstrated for better schools during the Rizzo days and SGL Black, female
students acting out violently at West Philadelphia High School in the year 2007
& 2008.
10) SGL members of the Black church. And the formation of
the Unity Fellowship Church Movement.
11)A sequel to ``The Scorpion King’’ featuring a Black
African King (Michael Clark Duncan would be perfect) and his noble & heroic
escapades in Africa during the times of the great African empires.
12) The story of Thor featuring a muscular, dark-skinned
African actor in the lead with long black locks instead of Blond hair.
13) A film
version of Tupac Shakur’s ``The Rose that Grew from Concrete.’’
14)A dramatic & positive depiction of our hero Marcus
Garvey… (If we were any other racial group we would know that as each day goes
by and there is no such film either in the can or being produced by
Hollywood—they are committing a racial crime!! Meanwhile, we are satisfied with
criminally disrespectful movies being made about us such as ``Precious’’ and
``Why Did I Get Married TOO!!’’)
15) A dramatic
depiction of the life and work of Lena Horne, Bessie Smith, Josephine Baker and
Leontyne Price. (This could be four different films and they are just biting at
the bit to be made.)
16) An epic
movie about Paul Robeson.
17) The life
and Times of Haitian revolutionary
Toussaint L’ Ouverture.
18) A Film Version of the 1961 HIT off-Broadway Play ``The
Blacks,’’ the Playwright Jean Genet.
19) The Life & Times of Harriet Tubman…
20) The Life and Times of a fictitious Black history
professor at Harvard University. He gets embroiled in controversy when he
discovers a Major ``Black Find’’ at a leading European museum that proves
beyond any reasonable doubt the African ancestry of the ancient Egyptians. The
artifacts had been hidden from the public for decades…
21) A documentary depicting the facts behind the historical
relations between Iran and the United States.
22) A profile of Nobel-Prize winning (1984) South African
Humanitarian Desmond Tutu.
23) A 12-part retrospective on Ancient Black Heroes, both
male & female.
24) A dramatic biography of famed Black filmmaker Oscar
Micheaux (1884-1951), who directed many all-black films mostly during the
1940’s. I strongly suggest a talented unknown thespian to play this part. And
please don’t get a brown skinned or a light skinned actor. Mr. Micheaux was very dark skinned.
Prototypes for Video Games
October
29, 2008
1) Negotiate
– Talking heads teach students, and the just plane curious, how to negotiate
out of certain situations. Say, wars,
poverty, hardships—what do you have as a person or country to offer other
powers that be to get what you need for your people to get out of death and
destruction? Natural Resources?
Laborers? A nice climate? Stable political history? Etc.
2) Stopping Gun Violence & War - You can imagine yourself as the Mayor of a
big city or head of the Pentagon, by pushing a button. This game will guide you through ways and
means of stopping street crime or wars by satisfying the needs of the community
of would-be hoodlums with jobs, inexpensive schooling, and healthcare
benefits. There will be some who are
just plain violent in nature. They may
have to be locked up. This is a decision
you will make as you play the game.
3) Stopping the International Drug Trade – You are at a
table with five drug dealers who say they want to stop dealing drugs. What can you give them from your arsenal of
jobs, money, houses, education that really interest them—to help them NEVER do
drugs again and never sell drugs again?
If you get four of the five to accept what you have offered, you win the
game. Number five may have to go to jail
or may be in need of further coaxing.
4) Art as an alternative to violence – Art, good, clean
aesthetic composition, no matter if it be written as a poem or novel, or drawn
or painted as a painting or picture, or acted out on stage, good artistic,
make-you-want-to think art is the best alternative to violence. Our games will
make every attempt and take every road to transform people’s violent thoughts
and tendencies away from violence and towards love, peace and
non-violence. It is boldly obvious that
there is too much violence in our North American culture and, thusly in the
many countries around the world that mimic the North American experience
because of her vast influence in TV, movies and other entertainment
venues. This will be the beginning of something
really BIG.
6) Race
Relations. You are the Mayor of a Big City or another elected official. There is racial strife between three
different racial groups in you city or district... How will you handle the racial strife? What can you use to break down racial, ethnic
and language barriers and find common ground so people can relate and live in
harmony? What about old family rivalries
and historic racial hatreds such as that between Black and White in the South?
How can these road blocks be broken down?
What if there is a history of racial and ethnic cleansing? How do you get different leaders and groups
to forgive and or not hold onto historic hatreds or act out violently?
Editor’s Note: I would like to get together with some Black
people who have the technological know-how to create video games so we can
develop actual games that will be mentally constructive, liberating and build
better character in our children. I would like to see and be a part of games
that will not be about violence and destruction, but about building a better
world for ALL PEOPLE. If you know of any
such groups or individuals who are so engaged, please forward the information
to me at BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com. I Thank You. (This Editor’s Note was added
on Sunday, 1-10-2010.)
A Real, Authentic Black Man—An Indigenous Black Man…
Your sandals are like the ones Jesus Christ wore…
Your hair is locked, or perfectly braded by your woman or
your man…
Your hands are worn from the heat and toil of working in the
fields…
Your brow is wet with the honest result of toil…
Your ancestors sprang from the Nile Valley as they
overlooked the Dynasty, the Empire of Ancient Africa they had created…
You are now ALL OVER THE WORLD..
From Egypt to Chad to Gibbon to Atlanta to Kenya to
Philadelphia…
You are there and have seen it all…
You are a Christ Child…a MASTER of men…
A man who owns time itself… But you don’t Lord over other
men and women…
You are the Indigenous one—not the invader…
You are the essence of love & respect for humanity…
Your rugged feet walked through Nazareth and Bethlehem
Your ancestor’s eyes were cast into the sky to create the
SUN & the STARS…
You are an ancient African man and
As you walk through the City of New York, the perfect mix of
The Ancient and the contemporary, few Europeans understand
the dimensions of your existence among them…
Frankly, you are superior…
You have come from dirt and dust to once again rule the
world…
You are a champion of fairness, justice and righteousness among
men who plunder and hate….
You are an African Emperor in a pin striped suit
READY FOR THE WORLD…….AND Still,
You are NOT, allowed to be the hero and a romantic lead
because the mere vision of you shapes thought, time and response ….
But let’s be clear, if you are not a large part of the
shaping of the New World, there will be NO NEW WORLD…
Btg
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Letter #22
Wednesday, October 16, 2009
Brother Tracy Gibson
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Dear Sister Maisha and Brother Wayne:
Hello
to both of you. I hope you are doing
well. I wanted to share something with
you that is important, controversial and has me quite upset. Recently, about a month ago, I sent a letter
to the Chicago support team for Elijah Muhammad (It is enclosed). The letter practically wrote itself before I
even read or reviewed it properly.
Unfortunately I also mailed it before talking to Brother Rob. It mentioned the League. I had gotten some comments about Mr. Muhammad
from some very close women friends who said they wouldn’t go to any event about
Elijah Muhammad because of allegations from his past with women. I didn’t even realize that I was walking into
the 50-year-old scar that hasn’t healed and was part of the reason for Malcolm
X’s dismissal and separation from the Nation of Islam way back in the 1960’s.
(Talk about repeating history!!) I know how red hot this topic is and how I
must have hurt some people to even have brought it up. But, I feel there really needs to be some
healing & clarification around this. Part of the Nation’s credo is to
respect women. (By the way, I generally
feel they do a fine job at this…) However, when they haven’t at least made a
statement about Mr. Muhammad’s past it looks bad and is bad for the
movement. There are people and groups
who have been deeply divided over the topic of Messenger Muhammad’s alleged
behavior for far too long. Some sort of clarification and a statement is sorely
needed. A Black lesbian friend of mine
used to wear a button that said ``Question Authority’’. I have always followed suite and found that
authority, even Black authorities, need to be questioned about the direction
they lead people and what their ethical obligations are to our precious Black
community & the future of that community.
How can progressive thinking Black women take heed to the vital message
the Messenger has left us without dealing with this issue that is at the foundation
& crux of any discussion of the Messenger & his important work? Some
Black women are still hurt and some members of the Nation of Islam are still
hurt that it would even have been brought up.
All I asked for was a statement from the Nation of Islam on the matter
so it could be brought out and finally aired so tensions could be eased... Well, as it were, I was dismissed from the
League Executive Committee and am not allowed at meetings and nothing else has
been said. Not dealing directly with
this issue is keeping the Nation of Islam in limited lockdown in their ability
to deal with many progressive thinking Black women (and men) who feel strongly
that it needs to be aired and that we all need to heal from this. Certainly The
Messenger was a fine leader, but like most Black leaders (or any other for that
matter) they are NOT perfect. I have often said that perfection is in the eye
of the beholder. There are other leaders
who have had flaws such as Huey P. Newton, Angela Davis, Ida B. Wells, Harriet
Tubman, Martin Luther King, Jr., and Thurgood Marshall to name just a few. Just because they had a flaw or two does not
render them useless to our people. The future of the movement is too crucial
not to deal with this. If nothing ever happened, then the Nation of Islam
should say so and let go of it and start a healing process for Black women who
use that same old excuse for not at least listening to some of the important,
life-changing information that the Messenger has left us. I understand how
strongly Nation of Islam members feel in regards to The Honorable Elijah
Muhammad--that he is the Messenger and far above reproach and that his memory
cannot be soiled with such folly. (I
believe this is their thinking—I’m not actually sure). I really love the Black movement & the
Nation of Islam and the League has been a large part of that for me in recent
years. Having the two sides, progressive thinking, so-called liberated Black
women on the one side and the Nation of Islam on the other—is holding many
things back from progress for our people.
I was hoping that you two could advise me on what to do. I really need
your help. I have asked for a hearing on
the matter with Brother Rob, but he has refused. I think I should be heard and talk to the
entire League Executive Committee. I
can’t tell you what the Nation of Islam means to me and has meant to me and my
family over the years. (I have enclosed
the piece I wrote on the Nation of Islam in my book for your perusal.) Please call or write if you can. I have enclosed my contact information. I know this is not an easy thing and I will
understand if you choose to ignore this letter.
To Quote from Dr. Maulana Karenga who wrote a recent article
entitled ``Essential Teachings of Messenger Muhammad: A Careful Kawaida
Reading’’, ``Thus, Messenger Muhammad states that the first duty of a Black
person is to know ourselves and act accordingly. ``It is, he says, ``time for us to learn who
we really are and it is time for us to understand ourselves.’’ To know
ourselves, as I read it, refers to Black people’s duty to recognize and
actively respect their divine nature, their historical origin and high-level
achievement, and their originally and centrality in human history.’’
Sometimes moving
forward is painful, but sometimes things happen for a reason. Often dealing directly with controversial
people, events and issues can bring on unexpected healing and forward motion.
If you think this all doesn’t scare the hell out of me you are mistaken. I just want the movement to expand and grow
in a progressive & healing manner…
Maybe something good can be salvaged out of this, or maybe it needs to
just be left to fester. God Bless you,
whatever you decide. I appreciate your
taking the time to read this & respond.
Yours In Honest Struggle,
Brother Tracy Gibson
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Letter # 23
12-14-09 (Monday)
Singer-Actress Mary J. Blige
C/O Oprah Magazine
California
Dear Sister Blige:
With the
phenomenal success you have achieved, you must get a lot of people sending you
letters asking for funds—especially this time of year. This letter is NOT one of those. I just wanted to thank you for supporting Ms.
Clara Ward through your support of the ABC program Extreme Makeover—Home
Edition. You were on the show helping
out in the Erie, PA community where Ms. Ward and her family are from. You obviously really care about poor and
oppressed people—especially children!!...
People who our system leaves out of the goodies in the cookie jar. I have also done work for such people for
about 30 years. It is very rewarding
work. I remember once I helped serve homeless and poor people food in
Washington, D.C. right before a demonstration.
It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever done!!... It gave me a warm feeling all over. Those people REALLY appreciated what I did
and I felt truly loved. It is really
great to help the less fortunate—even if you are one of the less fortunate.
I don’t
mean to beg, but if you know any people with deep pockets who would be
interested in helping with the many objectives listed on the enclosed letter, I
hope you will steer them my way. It
doesn’t have to be you. One of the MOST important things is building & stabilizing
my business so I can become not only self sufficient, but also hire some of our
family and neighborhood youth when they get out of college or university.
I remember hearing that you bought some wild number of new
expensive foreign cars when you first came on the scene. I think you were
buying them for your friends. I swore
then to NEVER buy any of your records—no matter how many hit songs you
had. I just didn’t like your values and
ethics at the time…. I have changed my
mind because I feel you have changed and for the better. I now want to buy your records and CD’s. I also recently saw you in the film ``I Can
Do Bad All by Myself.’’ Not everybody who can sing can also act. But you were great in that movie!! I have to admit I changed my mind about you
and I really think you care about poor and disenfranchised people!! This is a good thing so look forward to my
support in the near future!! You have
grown into the role of being a really caring, sweet and considerate woman. I don’t think you were always like that. I know you went through some problems early
in your career. Early on, you seemed to be surrounded by some people who really
didn’t care about you and who were just after a few bucks and liked being
around someone who was known and famous.
I think that has also changed for you.
CONGRATULATIONS!! Some people
never change, but you have and for the better.
Some people never wake up to notice the people around them are not the
right people until it is too late and they have already gone under like the
Titanic. This is a lesson I have to
learn also. So, take care and keep up
the great work. If you ever get the time
to read some of my writing, I hope you will by logging onto www.btganda.com.
I am in
the process of seeking money and support to get my third book published. It is entitled ``Freeing the Free World--The
Re-Awakening of the African Diaspora (2009-2011)--Moving from Abuse, Anger
& Frustration to Hope, Activism & Accomplishment,’’ By Brother Tracy
Gibson. It is going to be a BLOCKBUSTER
Book. I can’t wait to get that and the
other myriad of projects I’m working on properly funder and underway. Times are hard and it may take me a while,
but it will happen if GOD wants it to.
Again, thank you for doing the show.
I will be a supporter as long as you keep supporting people like Ms.
Ward in Erie, Pennsylvania. May GOD
Bless you and keep you strong!!. I have enclosed a list of the things I’m
working on, but don’t feel you have to support me. I know how hard times are and how money is
tight. GOD will provide. I pray on it each waking hour of each day.
Sincerely & With Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer – Activist – Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Delaware
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
11-25-09 (Wednesday)
Brother Tracy Gibson—Human Rights Activist
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Congress Woman Barbara Lee
Oakland
Congress Man Dennis Kucinich
Parma
Dear Honored Progressive Congressional Representatives:
How are
you both? I hope and pray you are both
fine because you are the kind of voices and movers and shakers in Congress I
love and respect. You are working for
the issues and concerns that I, as a Black progressive American, are most
concerned with. You have stood up
against the war(s) and you have taken on many causes for the underserved, the
left out and the underprivileged. If
there is a place in GOD’s heaven, it is reserved for people like you, but back
on earth, I think we have some work to do on that President of ours. I am very fearful that he is going to
escalate the war in Afghanistan and that is something I want to make SURE I
have gone on record against. Please let
me know, as an unemployed Delaware worker with a few moments on his hands during
the day, what I can do to advocate against the war(s) our nation is presently
waging—for no good cause. I have already
written my U.S. Senators and my home Congressional Representative. I want to know some other strategies that can
be utilized to finally put an end to the war(s) and how those strategies can be
put into place quickly, efficiently and effectively... I am all ears. I know you probably have enough trouble keeping
up with the mail from your own district, so I will understand if you take a
while to get back to me, but I have to let you know that I have gotten letters
back from Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter.
I want to again commend you for your hard work and dedication to the
many causes that many Americans are finally beginning to realize are key to our
becoming truly a land of the free and a home for the truly brave. I have enclosed a copy of my Proposal for the
Middle East. It has been getting around
and has some sound ideas within it. I
hope you will take the time to review it (it is only 7 pages) and give me some
suggestions on who else to send it to. I
am tired of seeing the billions in U.S. tax dollars going for these war(s) when
there are unemployed people and a lack of dollars for education, the poor and
the unemployed right here in this land.
There are also a host of issues surrounding the proper care and
treatment of our children that need to be addressed as well as a crumbling
infrastructure and a failing economy. We
need to do more than bail out the banks, we need to help the everyday American
worker and the unemployed. I don’t think
our Democratic President has gotten that message loudly enough.
One
writer, William Greider (an older White gentleman I should mention) said in The
Nation magazine (It was re-printed in Metro Philadelphia) that we should be
taxing Wall Street to pay for some of the things we need such as more funds for
the infrastructure and to clean up what some of the more reckless bankers have
done to our Nation’s finances & economy. To Quote from Greider: ``Instead
of taxing folks to clean up after reckless Wall Street bankers, why not tax
Wall Street? Instead of tolerating
behemoths regarded as ``too big to fail,’’ why not break them up before they do
more damage to the country? Instead of genuflecting before the mysterious
Federal Reserve, why not strip the temple of its secrets and cleanse it of the
self-interested bankers who shape Fed policy?’’
This sounds like a great idea and I have to concur that I would agree
with this idea. However, I think we
would have to stipulate that the banks also not be able to pass the cost of
this ``tax’’ from the government on to the poor unsuspecting consumer—the
regular Joe and Jane or Tyrone and Vanessa who always wind up footing such
bills. Not to mention how the cost of
the war(s) and all the other Federal spending will effect our future
generations.
Currently
Congress is even talking about a ``WAR’’ tax to help pay for the war(s). Why can’t they seem to get it through their
heads that war itself, especially on the level the U.S. keeps waging it, is
unsustainable, unworkable and often useless and ineffective in changing human
behavior? War rarely results in the kind of policy changes that are sought by
us in the country or people being attacked and killed by us. We need to stop just taking oil and other
resources from the world and study the world’s people and show some respect for
people and their issues and concerns.
Every time I hear of a Muslim being referred to as a ``rag head’’ I
almost go ballistic because I remember how the Viet Cong were referred to as
subhuman and how such racist terms were used to leverage a great deal of
inhumane behavior on the part of our troops onto those people. When will we
learn to stop dehumanizing people are remember that these Muslims are people to
and that they have their own ways, mores, customs, language, writing, and
cultures that they hold as dear as we do ours. The human and financial costs of
war are prohibitive, yet the Republicans and many Democrats keep insisting that
we have to slaughter and kill!!! Maybe we should strap some of these old
Congressmen up with guns and send THEM to Afghanistan and Iraq? I don’t think
many Americans would miss some of them. (The people I’m writing to are
definitely excluded from that group.) I can’t understand why some White men
keep thinking they have to continue to dominate and play like the world’s
police (More like the world’s thugs if you look at some of the activities of
some of our troops and the many mercenaries on the federal dole.) We obviously need to be putting people to
work building and shoring up bridges, building badly needed housing and doing
other constructive tasks--NOT taking down ornate buildings with endless
gunfire, bombs and grenades and killing people in foreign lands who don’t agree
with or understand our way of life, our government and our culture.
I am very THANKFULL during this
Holiday season, for the positive and progressive things Mr. Obama has done,
(Including more openness and travel with Cuba and legally putting an end to our
Nation’s dreadful torture policy) but there are still boat loads of other
successes that hang like low fruit on the tree of freedom waiting to be
plucked. I await your letter or contact
so I can start working on whatever you suggest I work on to continue the work
that needs to be done to make our land and people truly FREE!! With Love, Power, Peace & Respect…
Speaking Truth To Power,’
Brother Tracy Gibson…
Human Rights Activist & A Lover of Man and Woman Kind
Letter # 24
1-22-2010 (Friday)
Brother Kanye West
C/O XXL Magazine
New York
Dear Good Brother Kanye:
You
have managed to bridge the gap between RAP and B &B like a fine wine
bridges the gap between a fine cheese and other delicious foods. Your success has been phenomenal and I wish
you all the best. There is one thing I
want to talk with you about and it is not easy.
It is about hurt feelings, mental illness and a feeling of loss. The View from Afar is that you are suffering
a lot of pain since your mom died. I
hope you are able to get the needed help you require before you take a really
bad turn. I totally understand the feeling of loss that you possibly have. I have a history of mental illness (Please
see the enclosed article) and have been battling depression for decades. I have been successful and have not had to be
hospitalized for over 10 years. This is
an accomplishment that I and my medicine and my therapist have made working in
unison over an extended period of time. I could NOT have done this without
seeking help. I hope you will get the help you require. There is nothing to be ashamed of. This could make the difference between life
and death for you. We need you around
for many decades and generations to come.
I don’t want something to happen to you and your brilliant career get
cut short like Michael Jackson’s or Elvis Presley’s. You are of great importance and value to the
Black community because your music will evolve and get more politically
relevant and astute with time. I know it will.
I want to see that evolution.
More
about me: I want to help our people step positively into the future through the
publication of my book and through the other projects and programs I’m working
on that are detailed in the enclosed letter to Great Results Consulting. You can determine if I’m worth an investment
through that letter and all the other information I have enclosed here. I hope you will take me under serious
consideration because I have dedicated over 30 years of my life to Black people
and out quest for decency and dignity.
GOD BLESS you always……
Peace & Blessings,
I Am,
Brother Tracy Gibson…
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
+++
Letter # 25
4-18--2010 (Sunday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Advocate-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Chevron
Corporate Headquarters
6001 Bollinger Canyon Road
San Ramon, California
94583
Dear Concerned Corporate President or CEO:
I have
rallied against Big Oil in the past, but I think, now, there is something we
can work on together for the betterment of our country. I am proposing that Chevron put forth an
employment program for inner city youth this summer in the United States. If it
is too late for this summer, maybe it would be more effective to shoot for the
summer of 2011? This will put needed
dollars in the hands of our inner city youth; stem the growing tide of crime in
inner cities by giving youth something to do over the summer; and provide a
desperately needed Public Relations boost to your company. Three positive
things that will help all involved!!
This
Summer Employment Program will also help beleaguered cities with needed wage
taxes and jobs. I am sure that Chevron
can use the boost in Public Relations because I saw few people supporting your
stations in our neighborhood. It seems that Big Oil is, rightly or wrongly,
getting much of the blame for the costly wars that our Nation is presently
waging. One famous movie director, who
is also an environmentalist, said that the actual cost of a gallon of gasoline is
about $20.00 if you consider the tax dollars going into the wars that are
really just being utilized to leverage oil from the Middle East.
I know
youth can use the jobs because there are few and far between as far as jobs to
go around in the communities across the Nation. There will probably be only
limited economic improvements by this summer… People would appreciate the jobs
and look on your company in a better way.
The young people, both male and female, both Black, White, Asian and
Latin, could certainly use the professional experience and the economic boost
for themselves & their families.
The
cost to Chevron would more than be off-set by the positive word of mouth and
increased sales to a company that is trying to help the community instead of
just profiting from it. You would also be by creating better service to
customers all summer.
Please
let me know how I can help this idea become a reality. There is no time to waste. Young people could help with minor auto
repairs; cleaning auto windshields, pumping gas, cleaning the stations up and
so forth and their work will pay off in increases in sales, customer
satisfaction and customer traffic.
I hope
to hear from you as soon as possible concerning this important matter. I have included a resume for your
consideration.
With Honor & Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson,
President & CEO OF,
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
Building Community Through Strength & HOPE!!
2-16-2010 (Tuesday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Bill Maher
C/O Oprah
The Oprah Magazine
Dear Mr. Maher:
I just
watched you on Larry King Live (2-16-2010) and was generally very pleased with
your intelligent and thoughtful comments.
There are so many Americans who don’t care or who just seem uninformed
on the issues. I voted for John Edwards
in the Primary in 2008 and I think what you said is very true. We need people to step forth and say they
represent and advocate for the poor and the left out. Certainly the corporate world has enough
people representing and speaking for them.
I agree with you on that. The one
point I have to disagree with you about is Israel. I am concerned about what is going on over
there and I think the U.S. is often on the wrong side of the argument. I am not saying the so-called terrorists are
right, but they never get much of a chance to have their views heard or their
opinions aired in the major media because they don’t own the media like many
Jewish interests do. Why are we, like
you also said, so scared to have the other side’s views aired? We can take it as Americans. I think not having the trials for the
so-called terrorists in New York is a mistake.
The media needs to pay attention to some divergent views like the views
you and I have and agree about on many issues.
I am
sending you a letter I wrote CNN about their Haiti coverage. I think they needed more background and to
show some of the complicity of the U.S. and the corporate interests. I agree with you about the Congo. I know very little about what is going on
there, but I know corporate and U.S. involvement can’t be far away from the
brutality and hatred that has arisen. I
thank you for your comments and I look forward to having the funds needed to
watch you on HBO regularly. I am determined
to be a successful writer. I have a book that I am praying will come out
soon. I need money to get it
published. Maybe you can refer me to
some people who can help. I’m sending
you a copy of a flyer about the book and a few other things. If you can help, fine, if you can’t I totally
understand. Take care and keep on the
positive track.
With Sincere Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson…
XXX
11-29-09 (Sunday)
Brother Teddy Pendergrass
Brother Kenny Gamble
Philadelphia International Records
Philadelphia
Dear Good Brothers:
I am
honored that the good Lord guided towards writing you at this time. I think the career of each of you has been
seller. You are also warm hearted and
caring individuals. None of us are
perfect, except maybe in the creator’s eyes, but maybe HE knows HE created
imperfect being and did so for a reason.
Whatever the reason, there certainly is a lot of inhumanity towards men
and women on the planet right now. I
have been sent to you to ask for help in fighting some of the inhumanity.
I have
been a Philadelphia-area humanitarian for years. I have fought for better education for our
children—especially those who have been left out of the picture or
discriminated against. I have also
fought against police brutality and for a better and fairer Justice system in
our Nation. I have also fought for the
rights of homosexuals to be treated with the full measure of humanity and for
our children to get the nourishment and health care they need—especially Black
and poor children. Yes, I have worked
for a host of organizations and for a host of causes. You may well have never herd of me. Believe
me I have been there. I was a crusading
reporter for the Philadelphia Tribune—but only for a short time. I couldn’t take another child falling down an
elevator shaft in the projects or another shooting in North Philadelphia. I was NOT cut out to be a reporter—although I
love to write and to help people tell their stories.
Presently,
I am seeking funding for my company. We
are a for-profit company that is getting reconstructed and, hopefully, uplifted
by GOD as we try to do our part for us humans down here on earth. And, as I said there is much to do.
Teddy,
``Wake Up Everybody’’ is one of my informal theme songs. That song really talks about helping
ourselves and being more aware of what is going on around us and getting
involved in improving things. I know you
must have thought a million times about what your life would have been like if
you had not had that accident. I have
though of this also. I don’t know why
GOD lets the things happen that happen.
But you have certainly been a beacon of hope and light for many
thousands of people in spite of you handicap.
I also have a handicap. I am
bipolar, but I have not let that stop me.
I just tried to get my graduate degree in Business Administration, but
couldn’t cut the mustard. But I won’t
let that stop me either.
Brother
Gamble, you have written some of the sweetest tunes in the history of writing
music and lyrics. You have also supported a number of causes and a number of
Black individuals in their quest to make something of themselves & help
others... What I am writing you both
about is the need for a printer. As you
can see, I like to write. (You might
want to take the time to read some of the other articles I have written at
www.btganda.com.) I am also presently
working on a BLOCKBUSTER book called
``Freeing the Free World--The Re-Awakening of the African Diaspora (2009-2011)
Moving from Abuse, Anger & Frustration to Hope, Activism &
Accomplishment.’’ My printer went kaput about a week ago and was unsalvageable…
I have looked at printers and the one we need at my place of business costs
$669.00 at Staples. I also need to
upgrade my Web Page (www.btganda.com) at a cost of about $600.00. (A Black
company is doing my web page). I don’t
expect either of you to write me a check.
I know times are hard and I know you must get plenty of requests for
funding. Fulfilling all of them is an
impossibility I am sure. But I was
hoping that you might have some wealthy Hollywood or New York friends that
might be able to help. I am also in
desperate need of an upgrade for my home office. We need office furniture, computers, file
cabinets, paper, pens, chair mats, phones, a camera, print cartridges,
envelopes a quick books accounting program,
and such. We also need to catch
up on our taxes and paper work for the time during which we were mostly dormant
as far as making any money. Our work
advocating for the poor has always kept going, but we have been under
reconstruction for about two years. .
(If you check out the same web page [www.btganda.com] you can see what
we have done for the community when we were really fully up and running. I have calculated that the office overhaul
will cost about $13,000.oo (Thirteen Thousand Dollars). I just filed my 2007
personal taxes if you need to see them for any reason. I have been on disability for years, but have
never stopped advocating for my people.
I have enclosed some documents that I am sure will leave a paper trail
and let you see very clearly that we have remained active at helping others
through these tough times. A list of the
documents enclosed is included at the end of this letter. We hope you can help by referring us to some
of your friends in Tinsel Town, New York and other places where a few of the
concerned & progressive wealthy reside.
The need is great, but I know there are some who want to help. We remain in a state of constant excitement
about the progressive movement and about helping Black people remove the
remaining shackles of mental and physical slavery that hold us back throughout
the world...
In 2005
we were able to send a free bus load of young Black men to the 10th anniversary
of the Million Man March. That was a
great day. I couldn’t go with the bus (I
went separately with another group) but I made sure they had the chaperones
needed so they had an exciting, but orderly, educational and constructive trip.
That is just one of the many things we did. We will do similar things in the
future with your help!! We have many
other plans which are laid out in the enclosed documentation. We hope you can help. I know you both have full plates right now,
but if you read the documentation, you will find that we probably have worked
on similar projects and concerns in the past.
(By the way Brother Kenny, I have visited your restaurant at the
Tropicana Hotel in Atlantic City at least three times. We love it!!) Take care, and we hope to hear
from you soon. Thank you for your time
& consideration...
With Sincerity and Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson
Brother Tracy Gibson’
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Delaware
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Documents Included:
1) Cover
Letter.
2) Proposal
for the Middle East.
3) Resume (I
am looking for work as an Advocate, Organizer or Non-Profit Administrator)
4) Proposal
for Prison Reform.
5) Proposal
for Black Youth.
6) Letter of
interest to Great Results Consulting.
7) About the
Author.
XXX
An Open
Letter to Malcolm X:
4-26-2010 (Monday)
Dear Mr. X:
Your
words were inflammatory, but extremely accurate and well targeted at the
enemies of real JUSTICE. You got people
railed up and ready to fight, and that is a good thing because we are and were
then being impinged on many fronts and in many ways. I wish we had you now in our struggle towards
real freedom and real justice—people don’t have a really clear and accurate
picture & idea of what is happening to them & the world. We are
certainly clearer in thought than our oppressors who think they are NOT
oppressing us as they take every advantage of having White skin and a European
background. Yesterday they passed a bill
in Arizona that really smacks of the new formations of racism and racial hatred
that we as Black and Latin people will be fighting against in the NOW and the
near future. They are going after the
so-called illegal immigrants FIRST, it would seem.
What
most White Americans fail to admit & realize, (at least openly) and what
few Black or even Latin people realize is that the question of whose land is it
anyway is never raised by the Western Press!!
Didn’t the European-descent Americans just fight wars, with superior
weapons and more money, (often generated from the dollar bills that slavery and
exploitation generated) to take over Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and California
anyway? Wasn’t this land originally in
the hands of indigenous Mexicans anyway? Wasn’t this land stolen from the
Native Americans and as most of them were exterminated through chemical
warfare, and superior guns, bullets and other advanced armaments &
weaponry? (Again, mostly paid for by the Black Man’s and the Black Woman’s
slave-labor dollars!!) Latin people are
doing a vast amount of the crud labor in states such as Arizona. The new law
now says that hiring such people is illegal and punishable by law. Won’t this have a chilling impact on the
crime rate as people are thrown out of work, but still in need of money to feed
their selves and their families? It
seems that the lawmakers in Arizona didn’t really think this one out at all,
but took on some of the anger and resentment at what they saw as the Federal
government’s inaction on the immigration issue.
It
would be nice if we had someone of your Stature, Mr. X, to help us see things
clearly, to help us focus and gather an adequate response to the onslaught of
hatred and greed we see coming from the established order.
Maybe
the Lord will bring us a seer, a believer, a thinker and a visionary who can
properly articulate the viewpoint of the masses of the down trodden and
oppressed people of the world. Maybe he
will be YOU again, Mr. X, but in a new different formation… We look forward to
meeting you…
Sincerely, Brother
Gibson
XXX
+++++++++
4-15-2010 (Thursday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Delaware
19820
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
The Philadelphia Gay news
505 South Forth Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
19147-1506
Atten: Publisher Mark Segal
&
Advertising Manager: Nick Forte
Dear Friends at the PGN:
I
sometimes pick up the PGN when I’m in Philadelphia’s Free Library in Center
City Philadelphia. I usually find
something of interest to read. Your
credo is ``HONESTY INTEGRITY PROFESSIONALISM.’’
I would like you to stick with your credo that is emblazoned across the
top of each & every issue even more than you do at the present time….
Integrity denotes inclusiveness.. Your
old competitor, Au Courant, was a very different paper from yours. I would send in articles to the Au Courant
and they would invariably get in the publication almost all the time. They seemed to have a more open door policy
on writing about divergent and exotic viewpoints, opinions and people than the
PGN does.
Well,
times are certainly changing. We have a
Black President of the United States and more Black and Latin people are
seeking and getting positions of power all the time. Color is certainly still an issue, but I
think more Americans are beginning to take a look at different races and saying
``They have a point, maybe I should at least listen.’’
That is
what I’m asking you to do today. ``Just
Listen for a Moment.’’ I have tried to
get articles that I think would be of interest to your readers in your paper
consistently over a number of years. I
have NEVER gotten a single article published in your paper. Frankly, when I read the PGN I see a lot of
what goes on among White homosexuals in Center City. If something bad happens to a Black person of
stature who is a homosexual, it is prominently featured in the PGN. For example when they had troubles at The
Colours Organization and when they had troubles at UNITY and when certain Black
people got arrested or in legal trouble—there was ALWAYS an article in the PGN
on these matters. I saw little or nothing mentioned about positive attempts to
bring different people of different colors together for something positive such
as the Kwanza Celebrations at the William Way Center...
This is
not to be flip, but our community is very diverse and reaches far outside the
Center City White Established Order of Gay (Same Gender Loving) people in
Philadelphia. There are Black, Asian and
Latin Same Gender Loving people in North Philadelphia and West
Philadelphia. There are Asian
Homosexuals in all parts of the city as well.
We at Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc. feel there is a great &
abiding need for these other groups to be reflected in a positive, proactive
way in your newspaper in a much more consistent manner…. How can we make this begin to happen? After
the heavy days of protests, demonstrations and ``affirmative action’’ of the
1960’s and 1970’s you would think we had already passed muster with this issue.
Apparently not!! We would like to see
your publication come to a positive decision to change policy and bring on
board some more Black and Latin staff people; advertise in Black and Latin
neighborhoods; and cover Black and Latin events in a more steady and positive
way. We would also like to help you generate advertising dollars from these
same ``people of color communities’’ as soon as possible… We would love to meet with your ``high level
staff people’’ to help make this happen in a friendly, positive and proactive
way as soon as possible. We are available for such a meeting and would like to
schedule two hours with you for this to happen.
Please have a point person call us when you feel ready to meet with us. We hope this will happen very soon. Meanwhile
we will share this letter with all media in the Philadelphia area as well as
several of the organized Pro-Gay or Same-Gender-Loving-friendly groups &
organizations in Philadelphia such as The Colours Organization; ADODI
Philadelphia; The Men of All Colors Together Organization; The Unity Fellowship
Church in Philadelphia; Metropolitan Community Church; The Human Rights
Campaign; other progressive organizations including BEBASHI, the local NAACP
and the Urban League. Also: some prominent Black, Latin & Asian Same Gender
Loving individuals and others such as established Politian’s in Philadelphia
and the surrounding areas will receive a copy of this letter; and civic
leaders; community leaders of all stripe; as well as some of your advertisers
will get a copy also. Just to keep some
friendly pressure on.
Our
President & CEO, that would be me, also has many articles that he feels
deserve consideration for publication and hopes that, this could also be a
consideration & goal of any scheduled meeting between PGN and the Black and
Latin Organized Same Gender Loving Community you will be meeting with. I am presently writing a book entitled:
``Freeing the Free World--The Re-Awakening of the African Diaspora
(2009-2011)--Moving from Abuse, Anger & Frustration to Hope, Activism &
Accomplishment.’’ We hope to be able to
advertise this book in your publication when it comes out in June of 2010. We also hope to be able to help PGN find
badly needed advertising dollars from within the Black, Asian & Latin
communities as soon as possible.
Certainly there are Black, Asian and Latin advertisers who would seek
out your reader base as it expands to include more people of color. It sounds like a ``win—win situation’’ for
all, if we approach this matter with an open heart and an open mind…..
We hope
to hear from you very soon in a positive, proactive way. Until then, please remain well & in good
sprits.
Sincerely & With Many Good Tidings for You and Yours,
Brother Tracy Gibson,
President & CEO OF
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
Building Community Through Hope and Reconciliation!!
+++++++++++++++++++++++
Letter # 26
2-21-2010 (Sunday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
First Lady Michelle Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20500
Dear Mrs. Obama:
I want
to personally thank you for coming to the Philadelphia area to promote better
health, nutrition and exercise for young children and youth—regardless of their
ethnic background, financial background or religion. The fact that you came to a new Grocery Store
in North Philadelphia was a real plus. (We are glad to have the Fresh Grocer in
Town!!).
Our
children, especially the poor ones, struggle everyday with getting the proper
nutrition and your visit helped make their parents, community leaders and local
politicians understand the importance of this issue. I hope you will keep on keeping on, on this
important issue and that more people will be able to utilize local gardens and
local produce. ALL the best to you, your
husband & daughters,
With Love & Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson
President & CEO OF,
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
Building Community Through Strength…
+++++++++++++++++++++++
4-14-2010 (Wednesday)
``It is better to deserve honors and not have them than to
have them and not deserve them,’’
A Quote From Mark Twain…
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Delaware
19720
1.302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
USANA
To: All Gold Directors, Corporate
Leaders, My Up Line & Specifically to
Mr. Timothy Lewis & his Wife Delbra:
I bid
you Peace and Good Health. I have been involved with USANA for almost two years
now. My trainer / Up Line is Ms. Anne
Reid of Canada. I haven’t made ANY money with USANA. I tried consistently for about a year and a
half, but finances got so bad that I HAD to put funds into things that were
proving to be more promising at giving funds back. I have a multitude of business ideas that I
am slowly working on. A lack of Capital is a real problem. At this point I
wanted to take this time & opportunity to mention some things I feel about
USANA. I hope you will take ALL the
comments in the positive, constructive manner in which they are offered.
First
of ALL I want to publically thank my Up Line Anne Reid. If it had not been for her, my life would
have spiraled downwards and I would most likely be in a worse situation than I
am now. It was not easy after my family faced financial ruin when my Mother
became ill and eventually passed away in 2006. Even though the Man is supposed
to take my house away from me next month (May 11th, 2010 to be exact)…. I still
have eternal hope that things will work out for the best. Anne was so supportive and always talked me
out of the sometimes negative thoughts I would have about myself and my
abilities. I wanted to take this moment
in time to publically thank her for her help, support and all the hours and
hours of hard work she put in on my behalf.
I was
able to get some supporters, but mostly I found a great deal of frustration
when trying to sell USANA products in the Black community & get people to
come on board with USANA... Many Black
people just DON’T understand the value of supplementing your diet with quality
minerals and vitamins. Then, when they
do want to spend the money, they want to buy cheap vitamins from the stores
that are basically worthless. They have
a very small threshold through which to gain the knowledge and understanding of
the superior quality of USANA products. I found this very frustrating.
But I
discovered that there is something else going on when I attempted to sell USANA
products in the Black community to my many contacts, friends and
relatives. 1) Black people, in general,
have much less disposable income to spend on good products of any kind
including USANA vitamins, minerals & nutritionals; 2) Black people are even
more suspicious of people trying to sell anything to them. Often when it
doesn’t come over the TV, it is NOT trusted!! Especially when family and close
friends are doing the selling... (This
is due to our own economic victimization of each other and also due to our
economic victimization from other races); 3) The old crabs-in-a-basket
mentality often takes place among Black people.
Often we don’t want to see others get ahead and will hold people back
who try. This is largely true of some large sectors of the Latin community
also. ; 4) Our National Oppression
often also has a deleterious impact on people within the community who want to
help--even though we have a superior product at a relatively reasonable price.;
5) After you get worn down with little success, one just wants to give up; 6)
Seeing Whites and other ethnic groups such as Asians make all the money as Gold
Directors & reach success (in your magazines and such) also only ends up
making one want to give up. We need more
representations among Black & Latin people and more Black faces besides Mr.
and Mrs. Lewis represented in the many publications and magazines that display
successful Directors; 7) I am e-mail savvy, but I am NOT too schooled on much
of the latest technologies of the 21st Century such as the I-Pod, and the
technology behind the latest video games or the special effects one sees in the
latest movies. Black people are getting
left out of the technology loop!! Many
of our Black households are less likely to be hooked into the internet-- and we
are far less likely to know and understand the latest, most exciting
terminology and technical complications of the new technologies. (This is
certainly a detriment to being successful with USANA, as you know.) Also, while
attending college, we don’t major in science & math as much as Whites and
Asians and we are far less likely to be in college or university at all
(especially Black and Latin Males). This is another reason why USANA is less
workable & accepted in Black and Latin communities. We just aren’t
acclimated to the technological devices that are relevant & pertinent to such
success…
I am
frustrated, but I want to help USANA—which has a good record of reaching out
and helping the underserved & left out—reach more PEOPLE OF COLOR!! I want
you to especially be more able to reach Black and Latin people and have a
massive success rate among these two groups of people. I think it would be a great idea if you had a
``special program’’ to help Black and Latin people ascend the ladder of success
at USANA. I think such a program should be devised by Black and Latin people
themselves. All the barriers I discussed
earlier in this letter could be targeted and overcome through such a ``special
program.’’ If it were successful [and with USANA’s record of opening up new
markets and helping people of color communities, I am SURE it will be successful]
this ``special program’’ could reach massive proportions and be the envy of
other corporate interests. The details
of such a ``special program’’ would take time to work out, but would assuredly
reap more Big Profits for the company. The ``Special program’’ would also as
help more Black & Latin people from all walks of life receive the health
benefits and some of the income that it would produce as more such people took
the supplements and gained a foothold into USANA’s profit-making structure. To just say that such a ``special program’’
is not needed after you have taken any realistic and hard look at the
difficulties Black and Latin people are facing in reaching success in the
American financial community is to, frankly, be dishonest with oneself and the
rest of humanity…. THESE ARE REAL ISSUES!!
I think
you will find the institution of such a ``special program’’ very helpful and
desirable as you enter into immerging markets in places like Jamaica; Ghana,
West Africa; Kenya, East Africa; South Africa; Venezuela; Panama; The Andes and
eventually Cuba right here in the Western Hemisphere.
Dealing
positively with the disenfranchised in cities like Chicago & Philadelphia
will help in reaching the above mentioned immerging markets because they are
equally if not more disenfranchised.….
I hope
you will call on me so I can help in the development and implementation of such
a ``special program’’ for Black and Latin people. I know there are many who
just need that ``special push’’ to get inside the USANA Business. I have heard some Blacks say your
compensation plan doesn’t go far enough and that USANA isn’t all it should or
could be. One relative of mine even called USANA products ``Those expensive
vitamins.’’ I would love to prove them wrong!!
I hope you will take this important & vital opportunity to take on
the naysayers and help develop such a ``special program.’’ I look forward to hearing from you soon. I guess you can write me at my home
address... Hopefully I’ll still be here
after the date that lives in infamy in my roommate’s mind and in my mind. On
that date we are suppose to have our house sold on the open market to
foreclosure—May 11, 2010. We hope to
hear positively from you very soon.
With Positive Thoughts, Peace & Blessings,
I Am
Brother Tracy Gibson,
President & CEO OF
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
Building Community Through Hope, Healing & Strength!!
++++++
Letter # 27
3-3-2010 (Wednesday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
10720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Ms. Violet Sutton
South Philadelphia High School
Dear Ms. Sutton:
True,
real heroes are those who are going about their regular work and routine when
something happens and they take swift, positive and correct action to rectify a
usually bad situation. You fit that
category. I want to go on record for
thanking you for helping those Asian students who were about to be attacked at
your school. I also am a person who
cares about our young people—especially the often lost Black youths of our
inner cities. I was an abused child and
have spent much time and energy advocating for young people, especially lost
and at risk Black youth like the ones who were probably about to persecute and
attack those young Asian students... I
know you are probably a busy woman and already doing a great deal of volunteer
work, but I’m hoping you can give me some pointers as to how to get my book:
``Freeing the Free World--The Re-Awakening of the African Diaspora
(2009-2011)--Moving from Abuse, Anger & Frustration to Hope, Activism &
Accomplishment.’’ Published as soon as possible. I don’t want to go through regular publishing
channels because I want control of editing and content. I need to raise money for the publishing of
the book and I thought you might have some suggestions. You can read some of my articles on my web
page at www.btganda.com and you will see that I’m a good writer. I wish you good luck in all the positive,
proactive and progressive endeavors you are already involved in—I am sure there
are many. I have enclosed a position
paper on Black Youth that I wrote that is included in my book. I look up to you as a leader because when I
saw you on TV, you reminded me of my teacher in High School—Mrs. Ernestine
Carter—who I will never forget and will always love for her guidance,
inspiration, support, dedication & serious-mindedness. Those students don’t
realize how lucky they are to have you.
May GOD walk with you always. I
have also included a flyer about my book.
With Sincere Best Wishes,
Brother Tracy Gibson,
President & CEO of
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
***
Tuesday, April 12, 2011…
From The Desk of: Activist Brother Tracy Gibson…
To: Singer / Song writer / Activist John Legend…
Dear John Legend:
Again The City of Chester, PA. [just outside of
Philadelphia] has been struck by meaningless violence and our youth are
victims. When will it all end? The same kind of meaningless violence has taken
place several times in the Philadelphia area.
I have a plan to create an oasis of hope for our youth, but I need your
help in getting the plan off the ground.
What I want to do is develop a string of stores that will cater to the
better side of our youth—and yes, there is a better side. I also want to
develop a major Youth Institute to study and implement plans to improve the
behavior of our youth and the conditions under which poor youth especially,
live under, while also providing roads to college, university and a prosperous
life of hope & prosperity for them and their families... Yes, even during these economically
challenging times under which we live…..
One of the things I want to do RIGHT NOW is develop a
positive concept for at least two stores [in Wilmington, Delaware &
Philadelphia, PA—but also areas like Chester, Pa, Harlem and Newark, New Jersey
as well] that would be for the positive
development of youth—especially Black & Latin youth—but poor &
challenged youth of all races as well—that would help them become more
responsible, reliable & law-abiding—as well as constructive citizens &
positive thinkers. Such a store and meeting place must be developed for
Chester, PA as well, considering the violence going on there when the Summer
hasn’t even begun. [There was recently a party in Chester, PA at which some
nine young people were shot—two of them were killed]. This is needed because
our young people in this country are deeply influenced by some very negative
forces in our country such as the inane media, street violence, negative rap
music, corporate greed and corporate exploitation, bullying and negative peer
pressures—to name just a few... These
forces need to be counteracted by more positive influences and a road towards
more constructive and positive living.
The stores I am proposing would sell positive CD’s and DVD’s; posters of
Latin & Black historical heroes [both male and female]; positive greeting
cards developed by the youth themselves; Tee-Shirts with positive slogans and
images on them; and books that are geared towards making better and more
positive choices in life as well as stressing self-improvement concepts,
education and positive ethical choices & positive ethical development, as
well as ethnic pride and a sense of community.
The Saturday morning cartoons and the violence, sex and cursing on TV
& in American movies are having a very negative influence on our children
& young people. We want to counter
balance that with more positive reinforcement in the formation of these
stores. The stores would also serve as a
focal point and an organizing center for our youth to not only congregate in a
more positive way, but to also learn about life and themselves while doing so. We would eventually be able to have classes,
workshops and seminars that talk about the importance of staying in school;
offer business development opportunities and entrepreneurial development; and
stress NOT taking illegal drugs, NOT drinking alcohol, and / or NOT having
unprotected sex too early [or at all]. Other issues that we would want to help
educate youth about might include: reproductive rights ; the dangers of bulling
and the virtues of treating people who are different from the norm with
fairness and equality. There are other vital issues that pertain to our young
people growing up to be strong, progressive, law abiding and responsible adults
that also need to be explored…..
Let’s
face it, we live in a material world and having something tangible young people
can actually buy that helps stress positive living traits & positive life
lessons can only be a plus. I am in need of seed money for this idea. I have tentatively called the proposed stores
``The Knowledge Hut’’ and I plan to give our investors a 70 % share of the
interests and our parent company will take a 30 % share. We would like to have final say as to what
gets sold and distributed from the stores because we don’t want the same old
negative stuff that is available at Wall Mart & K-Mart and several other
stores to ever be available. ``The
Knowledge Hut’’ will be different. We
also want the stores to be partially run by young people [under 21] and have
adult managers to oversee the management. We also want to have a structure that
allows community input as to what is allowed in the stores and to help set up
and maintain policy as to how they are to be run. I am sure all the details can be worked out
in a timely manner. My parent company is
called Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, INc. We are licensed in Delaware
and have been incorporated since 2006.
It is my hope that if you or anyone you know who has the funds to invest
in such a concept and idea--you or they will contact me as soon as you can. I
have a business developer and Real Estate manager who I trust and who I have worked
with in the past that can help bring these concepts and ideas into reality
without too much stress and difficulty.
All my contact information is listed at the top of this letter. I wish you well in all positive endeavors
that help the less fortunate thrive into the future... Your hard work is always
enlightening and challenging to the intellect—something desperately needed
among our Black people—especially our youth...
There
is one last thing I want to share with you.
``The Knowledge Hut’’ stores won’t nearly be enough positive stimulus to
help dissuade the negative influences that are attacking and manipulating our
youth every day. We will also need a
Youth Institute to deal positively with providing the research and development
to implement the positive plans and create a positive foundation on which to
launch our plans. Much work is needed
and a Youth Institute can be the impetus and create the momentum to provide the
positive programs—supported by the wealthy among us, and the Middle-Income, poor and grass roots as well—that will
guarantee better, more constructive futures for our young people. The Youth Institute would require funding
for: research and development to determine what the pressing issues of youth
are and how best to create and implement solutions; create, develop and
maintain funding sources; serve as a public affairs, public relations and a
mouth piece for the Youth Institute itself; and make sure there is more than
adequate input from poor, left out and disenfranchised communities and people
in all processes the Youth Institute works in.
There are other aspects that the Youth Institute will work on that I
have not mentions here, but which are equally important and that must be
included. We will gradually have a deep
and positive impact on the negative statistics that have doomed &
devastated our communities for generations….
We will turn those statistics around and create better, more healing and
loving conditions for our young people to live in. Our Youth Institute will make sure that
young people are living with hope and that they will grow up to be productive,
responsible, reliable, hard-working, productive and viable American
citizens—ready to have a positive impact on the world.
I am
hopeful that you can put me in touch with the community leaders, business
people, community activists & supporters & benefactors we need to get
in touch with to make this all happen as soon as possible. Our youth are crying
out for solutions that will improve the community, develop positive economic
forces, help them get educated & bring the community together for something
positive & lasting. I look forward to hearing from you as soon as possible.
I can be reached at the contact points listed below.
Sincerely,
Brother Tracy Gibson…..
President & CEO OF
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, INc.
Brother Tracy Gibson
Leader – Activist – Thinker
Community Organizer – Businessman
Fund Raiser
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
1.302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Or Reach me in Philadelphia at: 1.215.471.6494
The People’s Manifesto
by Brother Tracy Gibson
The people shall be free.
It is the duty of each and every person of the New Land to work towards
the freedom of each and every person of the New Land. There will be no further tolerance of hatred
or discrimination. It is the right of
each and every person to have a job and or own a business and this shall be
worked towards by the government of the New Land as well as the people. The people of the New Land must be willing to
learn about the cultures of other people, but will also have the pleasure of
having their cultural history and the historical achievements of their people,
not only considered, but shared and highlighted. Equality shall ring out throughout the land
for each and every human being. The
media shall have no economic vice. The
media of the New Land can no longer be used
to just ring money out of the people, but MUST be used in good and equal
proportions to teach and educate the people about math, languages, history,
architecture, The national,
international and intergalactic policy of the New Land shall represent and
promote the good values of the aforementioned. Economic plunder by, for and
about the rich shall and will no longer be tolerated. Groups of people of the New Land will
naturally want to highlight, study and even admonish the works, beliefs and
religious and cultural history of the specific group they belong to. This MUST be respected. The advancements of one group should not and
must not become a detriment to other groups, but successes must be shared and
ways to help ALL the people of the New Land must be discovered and spread
throughout the land. The words of active
and reactive hatred and racism must soon melt from our mouths, lips minds and
actions. The suffering of ALL people
should be discovered and relinquished and restitution must be made for past
aggressions that are considered inappropriate and hateful. Such poison must be replaced with the cool
and enriched water of love, tolerance, cooperation, sharing, caring, respect,
pride, righteousness, ethical uprightness and unity.
Building Community Through Strength!!
Crime Scenes on TV Galore!!!
By Brother Tracy
Gibson…
Did you
ever wonder why there are so many TV programs about Crime Scene Investigators
carrying out their duties to fight crime in our major inner cities? There are any multitude of things to write
and produce TV shows about, but they –that mysterious ``they’’ who from board
rooms and back rooms produce the major TV shows—have decided that we need more
than a stomach full of dramatic TV programming about the U.S. fight against
crime. Why so many shows? And why right now when there is any number of
pressing issues that could now use some dramatic depictions on TV that would
help us through this economically troubling and socially tumultuous time in our
history?
I, for
example, would like to see the old show ``Room 222’’ [1969 – 1974] brought
back That show from the ‘70’s told the
dramatic, and fictional story of a high school and all the social drama that
takes place in a high school among the students and teachers. Since Hollywood likes re-makes from a sure
thing, I would think that re-making ``Room 222’’ would be a sure bet. The original show starred Denise Nickels as
one of the main counselors / teachers. I
believe it also starred Lloyd Haynes & Karen Valentine as other teachers.
Michael Constantine also starred… It was
quite a drama as it depicted the social problems of inner city youth and the
stress and strain of living in Los Angeles at the time. The TV show even became a movie that was
equally successful. It took place at Walt Whitman High School [a multi-racial
high school in L.A.] where ``socially relevant issues were explored.’’
Re-making that show is just one idea for Hollywood to think about. I have several hundred others—if Hollywood
would only ask. God knows I have written,
but for some strange reason I get very little mail back from the citadel of
movie and TV production.
I think
that the mass production of police drama, which has gone on for about 30 years,
is part of the mind control game that Hollywood plays on us little people. The question is: Does the excessive visual
presence of police violence & criminal behavior on Police / Crime dramas on
TV deter or actually encourage criminal behavior? They want us to obey the law
and march to their drum beat. Stay in
school, work and make the rulers--millionaire’s and billionaire’s--richer and
richer without ever questioning why we can’t walk to a different drum beat and
strike out on our own as Black, Latin and poor people—or just as questioning
and progressive thinkers—and make a different kind of positive mark on society. They want us to continue to accept things the
way they are instead of demanding that things be different—and better--as we
did in 2008 when we had such hope for the Obama Presidency.
The
advent of TV Crime drama is saying that we need to step to the beat of the
status quo that cares more about maintaining power and influence among the rich
and powerful instead of sharing power with the little people like you and
me. Have you ever noticed how the drama
almost always centers on people of means and how property is protected as much
as if not more than people? I had a woman friend, she was a dear and sweet
friend, and also a Black lesbian, who almost always wore a pin or button that
simply said ``Question Authority!!’’ I
know now more than ever what she was saying with that button. It is always authority that protects itself,
creates barriers around its’ self and tries to stave off any challengers—if any
exists. Just look at local politics for
example. It is always the incumbents who
are about maintaining power and protecting their power base. Why, for another
example, can’t we have another program like ``The West Wing,’’ that depicted a
fictional Democratic presidency with all the trappings and really gave the
viewer a look see at how some of the inner workings of the American Presidency
worked? This program was a one of a kind
show and I found it fascinating, well written, well-acted and informative. When it went off there was nothing else like
it to take its’ place.
What
did we get? Snooki and her bunch on
``The Jersey Shore.’’ [Talk about dumbing-down the public!!!] This has to be
the most mindless, brainless, stupid and inane program to ever cross the
airwaves, yet the ``actors’’ in the show are getting new contracts for
$100,000.00 an episode. The show is
supposed to be a reality show, but it is the dumbest ``reality’’ that you can
probably find in America. [Now that is saying a lot!!!] Most of the show’s ``actors’’—and believe me
I use the term loosely—are not even Italian Americans, as first thought. They are from other ethnic backgrounds
pretending to be Italian. And Italian
groups were outraged about the racist and shallow depictions the show
presented. Their anger did nothing to
stop producers and the sponsoring network from making the ``actors’’ into
household names and reaping monetary benefit from the show. If I am not mistaken the show is going into
its’ third or fourth season.
I have
to be frank with you. If such a show had
depicted Blacks as such shallow, violent, empty- headed and stupid people the
Black community would have called for a boycott and the show would have never
made it past a second season. The funny thing is ``Meet the Browns’’ the Tyler
Perry produced vehicle on another cable network is barely any better that the
adventures of Snooki and the Situation.
But to
get back to the subject at hand, there is ``Law & Order,’’ a host of shows
like ``CSI: Miami’’ and any number of other shows that center on police and
police work. They try very hard to make
heroes out of policemen and police women.
They ALWAYS have a token Black person and they always show them
spiriting away the criminals in the last 15 or 10 minutes of the show. Black people—especially poor Black people
aren’t fooled. We know there is still
something called police brutality in our community; there are still cops on the
take; and there are still cops who have raped and abused our women AND men.
Humiliation & Disappointment…..
I face
it every day. I listen to the so-called
God-Voice or Good-Voice in my head and do all the positive things she says to
do, but I am more often than not, lied to about what rewards I will
receive… I feel let down, humiliated,
defeated & disappointed, but still I rise and go on to the next thing and
do what I can to pull myself out of the morass I find myself in…..I work and
toil every day to move forward… I look back and see a mountain of achievement
and still I am behind because that is how the White racist Power Structure
designed our OPPRESSION as Black people.
President Obama is NOT a liberator; he is too conciliatory and obedient
to the powers that be to ever be a liberator.
Besides, if he was a liberator, he probably would have gone the way of
The Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, Harold
Washington, Huey P. Newton, Patrice Lumumba and Maurice Bishop. These White
rulers do not play. They are used to
getting their way and they don’t like to be handed defeat, but soon, very soon
they will be handed a defeat the size of Mont Kilimanjaro—it will make 911 look
a day at the Circus—I can only promise you that. I keep working and take joy at
knowing one day we as Black people, will all be free. But it is more than Obama!!!! GOD Willing, It
won’t always be like this…..
Black Nationalist Arrogance…Not a Pretty Picture…
The
other day I was explaining how my Dad and I had a tradition of giving each
other the fist bump when saying hello to my sister. She quickly cut me off at the knees and said
``That’s what White people do. We call it ``DAT’’ and we as Black people shake
hanks in a more complicated way.’’ She went on to, in so many words, really
make my handshake with Dad something corrupted by White folks that wasn’t
authentically anything because it wasn’t Black enough….
To say
my feelings were hurt would be a massive understatement. Sometimes I think we
as Black people with Nationalist leanings and or tendencies tend to alienate
and offend plane old Black folk because they don’t measure up to some
Nationalist knowledge or idea of what is Black enough. This was not only a shameful embarrassment
for me, it left hurt feelings that lingered because my fist bump with Dad took
literally years to get there because when I was younger, Dad and I bumped heads
more often than fists.
We, Dad
and I had a stormy relationship for many, many decades. Now at his old age, we were getting along
swimmingly and the fist bump was a part of that. Of course, my sister didn’t know that and if
I had hollered that out at the time, I would have hurt her feelings and felt
silly myself, at the same time. It was something that was left unsaid at
the time, but there is something I want to say to Black Nationalists that needs
to be said…
Sometimes
Black people have their own customs and ways that just don’t and will not
measure up to the ways and such of the Black Nationalist movement. They are
ways that might be White in orientation, or just sloppy culturally. They might be dances, cultural tricks or
short cuts that were taken from the dominate White culture. It is important that we as people who believe
in Black liberation take a kinder gentler hand in helping our grass roots and
community folks understand that there are other ways that are more accepted by
Black people who think on a higher plane and who are perhaps more oriented
towards our liberation as a people. Helping other main stream Black people
understand why they might want to take on some of these Black cultural ways
should not be a hard hit on the head, but instructional and fun.
Non-Profit Organizations in the Philadelphia Region That Can
be Relied Upon for Assistance to the Community
1) The
Alliance for Digital Equality.
2) Southern
New Jersey Gay Pride (WWW.Jerseylyfe.org)
3) Mazzoni
Center (LGBT Health & Well Being)
1201 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone (215) 563-0652
Ex. 257
www.mazzonicenter.org
4) Philadelphia
Black Gay Pride (WWW.PhillyBlackPride.org)
5) BEBASHI
(Transition to Hope)
1217 Spring Garden Street, 1st Floor
Philadelphia, PA 19123
(Phone) 215.769.3561
www.bebashi.org
United Way Donor Option code
#7958
6) Griot
Circle of Philadelphia (Newly Forming)
7) Mountain
Meadow—Embracing Family Diversity, 1315 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
(Phone) 215.772.1107.
www.mountainmeadow.org
8) REACH
[Recovery Empowerment and Community Health]
A Partnership program of:
ActionAids – Mazzoni Center--& www.safeguards.org
(215) 563.0663 Ext. 245
REACH@mazzonicenter.org
9) www.safeguards.org
260 South Broad Street, Suite 1000
Philadelphia, PA 19102
(Phone) 215.985.6873
10) www.HopeTakesAction.org
Call 1.866.HIV.PENN
11) PFLAG
Philadelphia
P.O. Box 15711
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(Phone) 215.572.1833
12) www.getreal.org
(Phone) 1.877.557.3251
www.getrealphilly.org
+++++++++++++++++++++++++
A Big Thank You…
There are four people I want to take this space, time and
opportunity to personally thank. They are Mr. Larry Davis, Ms. Carrie Engram
and my father & sister...
Mr. Larry Davis has supported me when everybody else ran for
the bunkers!! He brought groceries when
I had a negative balance in the bank; he helped me keep my chin up during some
grave & misbegotten times; he would loan me the 44 cents for important
letters like job applications, resumes and business letters that HAD to go out
when I didn’t have a dime for postage. I
can’t thank you enough & I hope that some day soon I’ll be able to repay
you. There is no way I could have had
the down time & been able to concentrate & focus without your help,
assistance and support. You have always
understood about how it cost money to bring on progressive change and that many
times, there is very, very little money coming back. I thank you for being so
understanding, faithful, generous, kind and concerned. Your strong faith in GOD is also deeply
appreciated. While you don’t want to
understand some of the finer points about politics, you have a basic sense of
what is right and what is wrong and you always try to be fair to people and do
the right things. You once gave me a
$300.00 plus loan to get my computer out of the shop; then you turned around and
waited months for me to repay you. You
have rarely complained, and when you have, it has been more than justified.
Like I said you might NOT understand about what I do and politics, but you have
been one of my most reliable and steady supporters over the years. Without you
I would NOT have had the rest and the stable home to work from and this work
and all the rest of what I’m doing would have NEVER been possible. I thank you
from the bottom of my heart.
Ms. Carrie Engram, I thank you for turning me onto The Leon
Williams Journal, which I have been writing for, for about seven months
now. You have been a supporter of my
writing for years and have always gone out of your way to encourage, support
and inspire me in many, many ways. There
are things about me that you don’t understand, but instead of condemn me, you
had a way of wanting to learn and at least listen. We have common enemies and common friends. I
thank you and I’m forever grateful for your help in the many ways you have
extended yourself. I have a hole in my heart because you have left this plane
of existence, but I will never forget you and I vow to stay in touch with your
family and I will fight for the creation of a Foundation in your name to help
young Black people—something you always found time for. I miss our talks, now that you are gone, but
you will never be forgotten by me…
Mr. Bruce H. Harvey. I thank you for being one of the most
funny, dead-pan characters I have ever known. Your humor is something that I
will always cherish, but you have given me more than that—so very much
more. You have found time for me when
you had better more important things to do; you have given me money when I felt
ashamed to even ask for more; you have come to all my corny parties when others
have skipped out on my early on not come at all. I am hopeful that someday I
can re-pay you. I never knew what it was
like to love a real man until I fell in love with you, even though we are only
friends. I am figuring that one day you
will come and work for my enterprise, but I can’t make any promises—you seem to
more than understand. We have
differences of opinion, but you have taught me how to look at something—a
problem or a situation or a person—from another angle and notice the beauty in
something that others might think unbecoming. I have never really seen you get
upset. You have a mild and funny
demeanor that I want to be around as much as possible and you have a deep
appreciation for men’s butts like I do as well.
I will never forget the help and assistance you have given me for
whatever project I was working on at the time.
Thank GOD for you as a friend, mentor, benefactor, assistant and quiet
companion.
My father, Mr. Charles S. Gibson, has lent me money for my
business which allowed me to carry out the experiment on 38th and Lancaster in
2006. Having my own storefront allowed
me to grow and learn in many, many different ways. I will pay you back, but more important than
that, you could have said ``NO!!’’ like the Republicans do and let me be more frustrated,
angry and lose my momentum. There are so
many, angry and frustrated young Black men out there. I didn’t have to be one that year because you
believed in me. I will NOT LET YOU
DOWN!! I will not forget your kindness & generosity!!
My sister, Mrs. Claudia Aziza Gibson-Hunter, is a great
painter and supported me through many, many hard and trying times. You are a great person to bounce ideas off of
and you are often the first person I want to tell about something I just
discovered or learned. You are the
mother of four of my favorite people in the world—my two nieces and two
nephews. They have learned from you and
your husband Dr. Keith Hunter—well and are bound to be great adults as they
grow towards adulthood. Thank you so
much for trying to understand someone who thinks on a deeper level and has a
curious and examining mind. Your held
with research has also been considerable and well appreciated.
ALSO: a big thank you to the workers at the Free Library in
Philadelphia for their help with research as well as staff members at the Bear
Library in Delaware. I am very thankful for your help.
About The Author
Brother
Tracy Gibson’s legal name is Tracy Charles Gibson (He was named after actor
Spenser Tracy by his mother in 1956). He
was born and raised in Philadelphia and now lives in New Castle, Delaware (45
minutes away from Philadelphia) with his friend and business partner, Mr. Larry
Davis. He was educated in the
Philadelphia public school system and went on to Ohio State University in
Columbus, Ohio where he received a B.A. degree in Journalism and Public
Relations. He minored in Black
Studies. He worked for 13 years as an
editorial assistant at TV Guide Magazine in New York City and Radnor, PA. He also worked for a short time for the
Philadelphia Tribune in Philadelphia where he devotedly covered North
Philadelphia. He attended graduate
school at Temple University where he studied Communications and Journalism
under a Scripps-Howard Scholarship, but he never got his graduate degree. He left TV Guide in 1995 and never looked
back. In 2003 he generated enough support from the community, family and
friends to start his own business (Public Relations, Marketing and Community
Advocacy) at 38th and Lancaster Avenue in the Powelton Village of
Philadelphia. After a year and a half he
had to move into his basement in New Castle, but plans to branch out once again
very soon.
``Freeing the Free
World--The Re-Awakening of the African Diaspora (2009-2011)--Moving from Abuse,
Anger & Frustration to Hope, Activism & Achievement’’ is his new
BLOCKBUSTER book, due out in March of 2010.…
He has many expectations for it and has worked hard on it. His elderly father, Mr. Charles S. Gibson,
has supported him with ideas and some financial help along the way as has his
only sibling, Mrs. Claudia Aziza Gibson-Hunter of Washington, D.C. He has been
a political advocate for the poor, the Black and the left out for over 30 years
and has worked for many political organizations in the Philadelphia area. Brother
Gibson has also worked on political campaigns including the election of
Philadelphia’s first Black mayor (W. Wilson Goode) and for his former State
Representative, Vincent Hughes (Who is now a State Senator). He wrote for other
publications such as Male Box Magazine, Au Courant, SBC Magazine in Los
Angeles, California and The Philadelphia Daily News (Guest Opinions). He
currently Writes for Leon William’s News Journal of Philadelphia and has his
own blog (The Politics of REAL) on www.blogspot.com The Official Google Blog
Spot portal... He will parlay his
success with the current book into a regular opinion piece for a major
publication and write several other books. His younger niece, Thandiwa
Gibson-Hunter (who now attends school at Spelman University in Atlanta) once
told him that success is in the eye of the beholder. This quote is something positive to hold on
to during the tough times, the former reporter says. You can reach the
Writer/Journalist at BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com. Or you can call him at
1.302-276-2755. You can view some of his writing samples on the web at
www.btganda.com or you can write him at:
Quote From: Brother Gibson:
``I’m not always the sharpest pencil in the drawer, but I do have
something significant and worthwhile to share.’’
Brother Tracy Gibson
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
Warning and
Disclaimer:
(The opinions, views and writings here are that of the
author ``Brother Tracy Gibson’’ [Except for the article on Haiti by former
Congress Woman Cynthia McKinney] and not necessarily that of any groups,
organizations or individuals discussed or endorsed in this book. Reading this
book is suggested for those 16 years of age and older due to some adult themes,
content and adult language. At the same time, it is strongly suggested that
young Black adults [ages 16 to 25 read this book.]) Some of the profit from this book will go
into positive, proactive programs and advocacy work designed to support and
stabilize the Black community in the Philadelphia vicinity and elsewhere in an
ongoing fashion...
``God sends a voice, if we choose to ignore the voice, he
sends pain,’’
TV Evangelist…..
3-31-2010 (Wednesday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer-Activist-Humanitarian
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Delaware
19720
302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C.
20500
Dear Mr. President:
I just
wanted to raise my voice Loudly & Firmly AGAINST the proposed oil drilling
on the West and East cost of our Nation.
The environmentalists have warned against this for decades. It is far past
time we listened. Once you have destroyed the earth, what is
left—NOTHING!! Don’t do this!!
Sincerely, & With Respect,
Brother Tracy Gibson,
President & CEO OF
Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, Inc.
Building Community Through Hope, Strength and Bringing Power
to the Common People!!
I Was Born Lookin’ Guilty…
By Brother Tracy Gibson…
(A poem for all ages and races)
I’m a Latino male in L.A. or Arizona.
I was born lookin guilty..
People think I was born with a switch blade in my pocket
& steeling on my mind
All I ever wanted was a chance to be an English teacher or a
professional
Football coach.
I never stole any old lady’s pocket book or joined any gang.
But I was born lookin guilty..
X X X
I’m a Black male youth from the Bronx, Harlem or Detroit.
I only want to get an educated & pull myself out of this
miserable poverty.
I want to delight audiences with my soulful singing talents
& my acting abilities,
But these skills need to be nurtured and honed.
That will have to happen without the help of my father who
is missing in action.
I want to be a trained classic thespian—a Man among men, a
talent rare among humanity…
But I, like my Dad, was born lookin guilty…
X X X
I am a White man with argyle socks, boxer shorts, black
horn-rimmed
Glasses & a brief
case.
I work on Wall Street, but I am not OF Wall Street.
I never trade oil or defense stocks or do some of the other
``Dirty Stuff’’ my colleague do that I consider unethical…
My Mother & Father always raised me to
Respect humanity—especially people who are NOT like me…
I give thousands of dollars to charity and have dedicated
myself to
Helping in the creation of fairness & balance in the
world..
I even have a poor Black
sponsor child from Kenya
With the Christian TV Network…
But I get lumped together with people like Bernie Madeoff
and other
People who work for corporations like Goldman Sacks,
Halliburton or IBM
Who take Billions in bonuses & get paid millions in
salary.
I have a nice car, but a modest lifestyle with my wife and
kids in Queens..
I have high ethical standards, yet I get lumped together
with
People who don’t have the good values I have just
Because I work on Wall Street
I was born lookin’ guilty..
X X X
I am a gay or Same Gender Loving Asian man. I sit rotting away in a jail in China.
I am a convicted freedom fighter, an activist & a
humanitarian.
I long to get out of here & live in the U.S. or France,
or England where
I can express my divergent views
But I was born lookin’ guilty…
X X X
I am a straight Black & Latin man living in Cuba with
Two children and a lovely wife.
I am a former policeman.
What you don’t know is that we feel we have more freedom by
supporting the
Revolution than you do in your so-called free American
democracy…
We have free access to education & I’m traveling all
over the world with a
Team of Doctors who help the less fortunate on the
world—especially Africa and Asia.
But in your country,
I was born lookin’ guilty…
X X X X
I am a straight Black African living in Ethiopia, Africa…
I sprang from the cradle of civilization at the base of the
Nile Valley…
I have a wife and three young babies.
I went to school in Ethiopia and England & studies
Industrial Engineering
As well as gourmet cooking.
I have a beautiful wife who cares for our children…
I am successful & I love Africa but in your eyes,
I was born lookin’ guilty…
X X
X X
I am a Same Gender Loving Black man living in Philadelphia and
Delaware
I have worked my finger to the bone on social justice issues
I love what I do
But they are taking my house away from me..
Your Catholic church condemns what I am (A HOMOSEXUAL)
And a catholic priest raped me when I was a little boy,
Leaving me little opportunity to be anything else
I am neither fit for nor able to find a regular nine-to-five
But somehow I must find ways and means to adequately fund my
struggle
As a Black human being
I want to work for the causes of liberation, freedom and true
justice
My skin and my attitude are Black,
And I manage to keep my style and spirit up
Even though I have been crushed before….
Like a Phoenix I rise from the ashes…
Ever soaring to new heights of peace and understanding about
the world, its’ people &
The new promise of World Social Change…
The New World Order is nothing to be frightened of…..
It is Time for the equal Knox to come full circle…..
Even though I was born lookin’ guilty……
I Was Born Lookin’ Guilty…
By Brother Tracy Gibson…
(A poem for all ages and races)
I’m a Latino male in L.A. or Arizona.
I was born lookin guilty..
People think I was born with a switch blade in my pocket
& stealing on my mind
All I ever wanted was a chance to be an English teacher or a
professional
Football coach.
I never stole any old lady’s pocket book or joined any gang.
But I was born lookin’ guilty..
X X X
I’m a Black male youth from the Bronx, Harlem or Detroit.
I only want to get an educated & pull myself out of this
miserable poverty.
I want to delight audiences with my soulful singing talents
& my acting abilities,
But these skills need to be nurtured and honed.
That will have to happen without the help of my father who
is missing in action.
I want to be a trained classic thespian—a Man among men, a
talent rare among humanity…
But I, like my Dad, was born lookin’ guilty…
X X X
I am a White man with argyle socks & a brief case.
I work on Wall Street, but I am not OF Wall Street.
I never trade oil or defense stocks or do some of the other
Stuff my colleague do that I consider unethical…
My Mother & Father always raised me to
Respect humanity—especially people who are NOT like me…
I give thousands of dollars to charity and have dedicated
myself to
Helping in the creation of fairness & balance in the
world..
But I get lumped together with people like Bernie Madoff and
People who work for corporations like Goldman Sacks,
Halliburton or IBM
Who take Billions of dollars in bonuses & get paid
millions in salary.
I have a nice car, but a modest lifestyle with my wife and
kids in Queens..
I have high ethical standards, yet I get lumped together
with
People who don’t have the good values I have just
Because I work on Wall Street
People think I’m for the destruction of Third World
Lands and People, but…
I was just born lookin’ guilty..
X X X
I am a gay or Same Gender Loving Asian man. I sit rotting away in a jail in China.
I am a convicted freedom fighter, an activist & a
humanitarian.
I long to get out of here & live in the U.S. or France,
or England where
I can express my divergent views
With a protest sign in my hand
And the fever pitch of a freedom song in my heart….
But I was born lookin’ guilty…
X X X
I am a straight Black & Latin man living in Cuba with
Two children and a lovely wife.
I am a former policeman.
What you don’t know is that we feel we have more freedom by
supporting the
Revolution than you do in your so-called free American
democracy…
We have free access to education & I’m traveling all
over the world with a
Team of Doctors who help the less fortunate of the
world—especially in Africa and Asia.
But in your country, you see only my race because….
I was born lookin’ guilty…
X X X X
I am a straight Black African living in Ethiopia, Africa…
I sprang from the cradle of civilization at the base of the
Nile Valley…
(I’m of Nubian ancestry)
I have a wife and three young babies.
I went to school in Ethiopia and England & studies
Industrial Engineering
As well as gourmet cooking.
I have a beautiful wife who cares for our children…
I am successful & I love Africa but in your eyes,
I was just born lookin’ guilty…
X X
X X
I am a Same Gender Loving Black man living in Philadelphia
and Delaware
I have worked my fingers to the bone on social justice
issues
I love what I do
But they are taking my house away from me…
Your Catholic church condemns what I am (A HOMOSEXUAL)
And a catholic priest raped me when I was a little boy,
Leaving me little opportunity to be anything else
I am neither fit for nor able to find a regular nine to five
But I Am a Father Of Humanity and I will survive…
But somehow I must find a ways and means to adequately fund
my struggle &
My survival…
I want to work for the causes of liberation, freedom and
true justice
My skin and my attitude are Black,
And I manage to keep my style and spirit up
Even though I have been crushed before….
Like a Phoenix I rise from the ashes…
I am a father of Humanity…..
Ever soaring to new heights of peace and understanding about
the world, its’ people &
The new promise of Progressive World Social Change…
The New World Order is nothing to be frightened of…..
It is Time for international progress, peace & positive
world social change
Even though I was born lookin’ guilty……
The Internet—A Wasteland of Broken Promises and Dreams
Deferred……
The
Internet has much to offer in the way of information about research
topics. I have found it helpful in this
regard, although not always completely so.
Sometimes I have to call the local Library System in New Castle,
Delaware or the Library System I Philadelphia, PA to get the answers I
need—even in regards to research...
But one
place I have found myself frustrated time and time again with the internet is
as a source of income. I have been
unable to make even a thin dime from the net. This comes after years of trying
diligently and thousands of dollars worth of investing.
Yet I
hear story after story from White business people and internet ``Wizes’’ that
the net is where it is at to ``make money from home in your underwear.’’ My feeling is that one needs to try the good
old fashioned way and follow the money trail from a good bricks and mortar institution
of Higher Education to a well-paying job and then eventually start your own
business (most assuredly not only a net business) AFTER doing the necessary
market research in the field you want to go into business in.
That is what my personal research
and years of work has revealed to me.
The Crazy Things That Kids Do…
• When my
sister was 16 she ran away to California with her boyfriend Jeff Renfro. I
remember my uncle Pete coming over the house and saying ``Charlie, (that’s my
Dad’s first name) call out the mother fucking National Guard on the mother
fucker!!’’ It was one of the first times
I had ever heard cursing and I was really shocked. I was also worried about my
sister. I was only 13 and didn’t really know what all the Hub Bub was about. My Dad’s jaws were really tight about
it. I remember that day as if it were
yesterday!!
• Dancing
for the first time at my cousin Vicky’s party in the basement of their house on
Addison Street in West Philadelphia. I was tall, lanky, skinny and had two left
feet (Size 12). But somehow I danced with a young lady and no one laughed.
That’s all I can remember—the blue lights and no one laughing. I thought I was
``King of the world.’’ It was like I had
won an Academy Award like John Cameron for directing ``Titanic’’ or something
like that!! I had seen others dance, but until Vicky told me to ``get on out
there and ask that girl to dance,’’ I never thought I would also be able to do
such a thing in life, ever!! Thank you Vicky.
• Crazy
Kevin Bunch jumped off the second floor roof of their house down the street
with a white superman cape around his neck (it was a towel) and almost broke a
leg. Kevin grew up to be a successful oil man like his Dad Alvin was. (Mr.
Alvin Bunch was a great role model for us kids).
• I told
you about the Cub Scout Dinner where I sat and cried looking at the small size
of the chicken leg on my plate and Dad had to promise to take me to Genoe’s for
another meal afterwards. Well Dana, also
a Cub Scout, and I actually had a battle Royal right near where we had our Cub Scout
meetings one night after the meeting. I talking a knock down drag out
fight. Don’t ask me what it was about, I
couldn’t tell you. I think Dana, who was
stockier that me and stronger, got the best of me and kicked my ass pretty god
before an adult came along and stopped the fight. I don’t know whatever
happened to Dana, but he was a cousin to some male twins I knew (the
Pointdexters) when I was coming up. They
lived around the corner and down the street from us, which seemed like a long
journey then.
• Alvin
Bunch and a White blind man named Mr. Camanchie took us to French Creek when we
were all kids—mostly us boys—to go swimming. It was an amazing, fantastic
voyage that seemed to take hours. (It was only an hour and a half at most). It
is amazing how none of us drowned.
Sometimes the hand of GOD is over you and you don’t even know it. We were so young & skinny--not many of us
could swim a lick.
• There
were also two beloved stores in our neighborhood when we were kids. One was
``Mother Sandy’s’’. It was a candy,
cards and knickknack shop that was run by a kind, sweet older White lady who
looked a lot like Sally Star. If you
don’t live in the Delaware Valley and aren’t over 45 years old you probably
don’t know who Sally Star is. She was a
local TV host and a favorite among the younger set about 30 to 40 years
ago. She hosted her own show where she
introduced some of our favorite Hanna-Barbara cartons and led us by the nose to
our favorite carry-out restaurants including McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken
and Geno’s (now defunct). That was when
those restaurants were in their hay day. Mother Sandy was like a celebrity
because she was so nice to us kids. If
you didn’t have enough money for the penny candy she would sell, she would let
you slide for a few days until you got your allowance or until you earned a few
dollars from your parents for doing odd jobs around the house or for getting
your chores done. Her shop was crammed with nice little things and we loved
Mother Sandy and visited several times during the week.
The other stores we loved as children was called ``Jarvey
Imports.’’ It was run by some of the
nicest Black ladies you ever wanted to meet.
One usually went to Jarvey’s with your Mom because the items there were
more expensive than we could afford as children. They had many, many items from all over
Africa and other exotic locations. There
was art work, sculptures, figurines, cards, rugs, wall hangings, some clothing
items and other assorted items for sale. The greeting cards were always
different, exotic and sometimes funny.
My Uncle Pete (William Peterson) and his wife, my blood relation, Aunt
Helen Peterson, would go to Jarvey’s at 52nd and Walnut quite frequently. They had many items from there in their
lovely home and some things still remain in their home even though both
relatives have passed away now. Going to
Jarvey Imports was like going on safari because you never knew what you would
discover or what new items would be in the store. As I said the ladies were always glad to see
children when they came in and were always very sweet to us. Visiting Jarvey
Imports brought some needed ethnic excitement and wonder into our lives at an
early age. The visits helped instill an
early interest in travel to Africa and had us asking questions about Africa and
wondering what it was like there and what the people there were like.
• As I have
said, the movies were always a place for fun and adventure when we were
kids. It was about 25 or 50 cents a pop
to get in. One time I sat up real tall
in the movie seat and my little cousin Leslie sequenced down in her seat and we
told the movie usher we were daughter and father and we were able to stay and
see the adult feature after the kid’s matinee.
We just knew we were hot stuff because all the other neighborhood kids
had to leave the theater!!!
• Summers
at Cape May were filled with enchantment and wonder (See the chapter of Cape
May & The Cottage), but there was also the rides at Atlantic City (which
were quite tame by today’s standards at Six Flag’s Great Adventure), getting
our pictures drawn by an chalk sketch artist there and the popcorn and cotton
candy. WOW!! My childhood was filled
with fun and adventure.
• I
remember Pete Raymond and I running after each other and I tripped over a
low-hanging chain that hung across a parking lot around the corner. I really banged up my knee and cried for
days. Pete was sorry and felt
responsible, but he was no more responsible for that catastrophe that the
Native Americans are for what has become of our crazy country. I forgive you
Mr. Raymond (Who last I heard was living out in California).
• One
Halloween I dressed up as a farmer and went tone of my first Gay (Or Same
Gender Loving) parties. Everybody else had on some elaborate customs they had
taken hours to make. I threw on a straw hat and some overalls and a plaid shirt
and called it a day. I must have been
about 18 years old.
• Herby,
who lived two houses away in the same house s Neceey, used to always mess with
Donald Felder, who was always over weight. Once he kept saying ``Milk Duds’’
``Milk Duds’’ and was squeezing on Donald’s hardy breasts. Whenever I see Milk Dud candies at the store,
even today, my minds harks back to that incident and how cruel Herby was. I
didn’t do anything to stop this from happening because Herby was street wise
and had probably been in jail. That
would have been crossing over a line I was not ready to cross over at the
tender age of 11.
• I also
remember Mrs. Bunch, who was not to ever be messed with having raised some
seven boys and one girl, had a knock-down, drag out fight with Patsy who also
lived in the house with Neecey’s family. I mean hands and fists were a swinging
and we almost had to call the police. Mrs.
Bunch got the best of Patsy and whipped her ass really good. Again, don’t ask what the fight was
about. I couldn’t tell you.
• The
family that lived next door, the Henry’s, were Jehovah’s Witnesses and they
lost an elder son because he would not get a blood transfusion. I remember how much we felt the loss and how
we thought that was really strange and crazy.
We wanted Tony back, but he wasn’t coming back. That was a hard lesson for us kids to learn.
• My mother
would throw these elaborate birthday parties for my sister and I. We would actually get dressed up in our
Sunday Best and ALL our guests had to also.
We had Piñatas (Big paper Mache objects like fish or clowns that were
painted bright colors & filled with candy) for these parties and had no
idea that we were carrying on a Spanish tradition that was hundreds of years
old. Everyone would take a turn swinging at the Piñatas until all the candy
burst out and us kids scrambled on the floor to get our share. (My Mom loved the Spanish-speaking people of
the world and went on the get a Master’s Degree in the Spanish language from La
Salle later in life.) We also had the Limbo Stick dance where you had to dance
under the limbo stick to Caribbean music. This was actually part of our family
tradition because I would learn late that my father’s people were from the
Barbados and we had family in Tobago and Trinidad also! We also did the more
traditional cake and ice cream thing, but our parties were something special
and all the neighborhood kids and our family members would attend. Another
thing that was for sure with Mom’s birthday parties for us, the cake HAD to
ALWAYS be from Handson’s Bakery on 52nd street. The butter cream icing was the
best in the world. I have never had a
piece of cake like that since Handson’s closed back in the 1980’s. It didn’t
matter where the ice cream came from, anything would do.
• Ms.
Helen was the head family member of the Henry’s who lived next door. My sister loved this woman to no end. She was a kid like us, although she was about
40 something. She would play hide and
seek, tag and tell us all these funny and deep stories about adventures and
people in far away, strange lands. I distinctly
remember the story about the people who could breathe under water. Where she
got these stories from I will never know… but we were captivated by them. I
once saw Ms. Helen actually climb over a six-foot-high fence to get on the
other side so she could be one of us kids and play in the filed around on
Locust Street. She was wild, but we all
loved her a great deal…. One time she
called me a sissy because I ate a piece of pig’s feet she had cooked and almost
threw up. (I think that and my reading the Muhammad Speaks was why I stopped eating
pork at the tender age of 14). She was offended and I was offended at having
eaten something so gruesome, hard and grisaille. Boy was that nasty!! Ms. Helen used to join us for the movies
sometimes also. She was quite a
character. Her grandsons, Chuckey and Gene were some of our best friends. Wow,
those were the days!!!... Other than Pig’s Feet, she could cook up a storm. I’m
talking really great food like fried chicken and macaroni salad for example.
She would always cook up enough for the neighborhood children. To this day my sister still talks about Ms.
Helen and the whole family over there. They were just great old school
people… Wonderful!!!
* Mom and I would always have these funny arguments about my
shoes. I would take my shoes off in the
house and not remember where I put them.
Mom would say ``I don’t wear them, they must be around here
someplace. They didn’t just get up and
walk off by their selves!!’’ I always thought that was the funniest saying.
Somehow I always found the mysteriously missing shoes.
Additional Stuff About Kids…..
When I was in
elementary school I would sometimes get the job of clapping the erasers in the
fire tower to get the old chalk out.
Sometimes this became a fun thing when Joe or Bruce Bunch went with me
and we made a total event out of it. We
would scrub each other’s faces with the dirty board erasers and laugh and
giggle. We sometimes got into a little
trouble when we went back to class after taking so long. Sometimes we also threw board erasers at each
other and just went the Hell off with the darned erasers. We needed some discipline and some guidance
as to how to do this job without all the fun and merriment and get back to
class and hopefully learn something.
• *
*
Mr. Yo was our Asian math teacher during elementary school
at Lea School. He was a good math
teacher, but not a good disciplinarian.
When he taught math, usually algebra and geometry, it was also time to
cut up and act the fool. I don’t think I
learned a single math principal, rule or much about how to configure a thing
while under Mr. Yo’s tutelage. When his
back was turned we would throw those board erasers we just cleaned with each
other’s heads at poor Mr. Yo. We called a icosoleas Triangle a Hot Sausage Triangle and made fun of poor
Mr. Yo every way we could. We never got disciplined much and never got sent to
the principal’s office. When we did get was stupid. To this day I am very poor
in math and that is one of the main reasons I haven’t excelled as a business
man and Public Relations expert. The ``we’’ at school cutting up this time was
Courtney Jeffers and I. There were other
culprits as well. One of my other
friends, Lee Kates, was trying to take in what Mr. Yo was saying and actually
did homework and tried to study. But
Courtney and I would have none of that silly math stuff. It is one of my
regrets to this day. I feel sorry for
Mr. Yo and I pray you take math class much more serious than I did. I don’t know if people are just stupid like
the little brother from Malcolm in the Middle said at the beginning of this
volume, but kids sure play the fool and cut up in schools across America. Having good disciplinarians and tuff rules
for good behavior will help, but there has to be serious punishment for people
who act out and act up in the classroom as well.
• *
*
Ms. Barnes didn’t play.
When I got into her class in the fifth grade, believe me the reputation
of her and the golden ruler preceded her.
This was when some of the other boys were discovering girls. I wasn’t much interested at first (please
read the heart breaking story about Neceey) but eventually I got around to
making my rounds like the other boys.
And making rounds was exactly what we did. Feeling the girl’s behinds was a favorite
pass time during class. The idea was not to let the teacher see you and NOT to
get caught by the girls at the same time.
Of course this was impossible.
Some of the girls actually liked the attention, I won’t say any names,
but there were girls who liked to get their behinds felt up. They never thought of telling the teacher,
other students or the Principal. Once I
was doing this to a new girl in class and getting away with it—or so I thought. Little did I know that Ms. Barnes had eyes in
the back of her head and saw the whole thing.
It was my turn to get Old Goldie across the knuckles... ``Come up here boy. Now I was told you were going to be a good
student and pay attention, not play patty cakes with the girls. Hold out your hand. ‘’ (I was in total fear
of Ms. Barnes. I was about to wet my pants, but the water , thank GOD, didn’t
come. ) In the front of the class, she told me to turn my hand over, palm down
and I did so. She hit me three times
across the knuckles and my hand began to swell and hurt like the dickens. ``How
does that feel. Now go sit down,’’ Ms
Barnes told me. I learned my lesson and sat down and shut up and paid attention
for the rest of the school year. I
wasn’t fooling around with those other boys who liked to fool around with the
girls. I was lucky I didn’t get sent to
the Principal’s office and suspended.
The Principal, Mr. Warnock, didn’t play crap like that. He would suspend you in a minute. I didn’t want another visit with Old Goldie
either.
• * *
As if all that trouble wasn’t enough, I also got into a big
fight with a girl in Elementary School.
It must have been in eight grade because I was transferred to University
City High School in Ninth grade, and this was late in my career at Lea
School. By then, Mr. Warnock had retired
and we had a Black principal. His name
was Mr. Perry. If you had any, and I
mean any damned sense at all you stayed out of Mr. Perry’s way and out of his
office. Well for some reason the devil
got into Cheryl Brown and she called me a fag right in front of everybody else
in school. She didn’t just call me a
sissy, which would have been sloughed off.
She called me the Big ``F’’ word right to my face and everybody thought
it was very funny—except me of course.
While other students laughed, something in me swelled up like a
dirigible—it was my anger at being called that name and it was my deep sense of
resentment and my sense of wanting to get back at Cheryl. I blew the Hell up. Before I even knew what was happening, I was
all over Cheryl. Her legs and panties
were in the air and I was swinging and beating her like there was no
tomorrow. People were totally
unsuccessful at tearing us apart, including the teacher. I went at her like a battering ram hitting a
brick wall. I was truly making some
damage and taking a toll. Cheryl was
screaming and crying and didn’t know she had hit a real sore spot from years
ago. Years of feeling unsure of myself
as a young man because I couldn’t always measure up like some of the males in
the family, namely my DAD wanted me to; years of not getting any of the girls
and feeling like an outsider; and years
of not being able to fight my own fights as a boy because I goet pulled out of
fights by my older sister or other male friends. I was letting Cheryl Brown have her day in
the boxing ring. Everybody saw her
panties as she opened her legs and I dove in to attack her with one punch after
another. Finally I either got tired or
the teachers and other students managed to pull me off of her. I didn’t call her any names, because I was
too angry. In short shift, I found
myself and Cheryl in the Principal’s office.
Mr. Perry told me I was going to get suspended. My mother was going to kick my ass worse than
I beat Cheryl Brown’s. I don’t know what
my teacher said or what my face must have looked like or what my Mother said
over the phone, but Mr. Perry, GOD bless his heart, DIDN’T SUSPEND ME!! I promised to never fight in school again
and was sent back to class after about an hour to cool off. I was totally satisfied because I had whipped
Cheryl’s ass and DIDN’T GET SUSPENDED. I
think I got away with it because everybody heard her call me the foul name and
because I had managed, don’t ask how, not to have bad report card marks for
behavior. The story of the fight
circulated in the annals of Lee School for about 10 years after I left. It was the panties flying up in the air that
really did the trick as far as longevity of a story. I have seen Cheryl since
and we get along just fine now. Judging from a look back at my childhood, I
guess you could say I had kind of a Black ``Malcolm in the Middle’’ kind of
upbringing!!
The Journey….
The
most exciting, vital and important aspect of this journey I have been allowed
to take on GOD’s good green earth is that I was able to take it as a Black
man. Some people admire Donald Trump
because he has been able to achieve great wealth; some people admire the
Kennedy Klan because of their power, money and name recognition; some people
want to be like Madonna, Will Smith or Lady Ga-Ga because they have amassed
great wealth and are said to be talented and ``hot’’ or ``IN’’. I would NOT want to be any of these people
because they were not honored with Black skin and an African heritage as I was.
(Well, Smith was, but I wouldn’t want to be him either.) I am an obscure Black
writer. If I receive any fame and or
recognition at this point it comes to a man who is 53 years old and who has
toiled and worked almost all his life for the betterment of Black people, the
down trodden and the left out. That is my legacy and I wear it like a proud
badge of courage for the rest of my life.
But most of all I thank GOD for making me a Black man. Thank you GOD almighty for that!! Thank
YOU!!!
A Golden Bounty of Books: To Heal the Soul, To Encourage
& Seed Wisdom, To Guide & Sooth The Spirit & To Give Honor to Black
People & Humanity.
This book list is offered by Author-Writer-Journalist
Brother Tracy Gibson and was compiled with the help of many people including librarians,
book store clerks, friends, relatives and associates. It is offered especially
to the Black community with love & respect, but to others who would listen
& learn as well. It is strongly suggested that Black parents rip their
children away from the criminal-minded Rap Culture, and the corrupting influences TV and Movies long
enough for them to learn about their past and how best to step forward for our
people……. Some especially good books are highlighted in Yellow….Our youth
definitely need to read more!!!.
1) ``Anger
Is What I Do Best: The Journal of a Black Gay Man in America,’’ By Roger T.
Ward.
2) Don
Lemon’s ``Transparent…’’
3) ``The
Autobiography of Malcolm X,’’ as told to Alex Haley.
4) ``Freeing
the Free World--The Re-Awakening of the African Diaspora Volume I (2001) and
Volume II, 2009-2011,’’ By Journalist Brother Tracy Gibson.
5) Sister
Sonia Sanchez’s, ``Home Girls & Hand Grenades.’’
6) Professor
Michael Tillotson’s (The University of Houston) New Book ``Invisible Jim Crow:
Contemporary Ideological Threats to the Internal Security of African
Americans,’’ due out in June of 2010.
7) ``Dispatches
from the Ebony Tower,’’ by Manning Marable.
8) ``Erasing
Racism: The Survival of the American Nation,’’ By Professor Molefi Kete Asante,
9) ``Just
Above My Head,’’ a novel by James Baldwin,
10) ``The Fire
Next Time,’’ non-fiction essays by James Baldwin.
11) ``How
Europe Underdeveloped Africa,’’ excellent non-fiction by Walter Rodney.
12) ``Angela
Davis: An Autobiography’’ by Angela Davis’’.
13)
``Revolutionary Suicide,’’ by Black Panther co-founder Huey P. Newton.
14) ``Assata:
An Autobiography’’ by Assata Shakur & Angela Davis.
13) ``Man Child
in the Promised Land,’’ By Claude Brown.
14)``Open Veins of Latin America: Five Centuries of the
Pillage of a Continent.’’ By Eduardo Galeano.
15)``Egypt Vs. Greece & The American Academy’’ by
Professor Molefi Kete Asante.
16)``African Culture the Rhythms of Unity’’ By Professor
Molefi Kete Asante, Kariamu Welsh Asante & Kariamy Asaste-Welsh
17)``The Global Intercultural Communication Reader.’’ By
Professor Molefi Kete Asante, Yoshitaka Miike, & Jing Yin.
18)``Afrocentric Idea Revisited.’’ By Professor Molefi Kete
Asante.
19)``It’s Bigger Than Hip Hop: The Rise of the Post Hip-Hop
Generation’’ by M.K. Asante, Jr.
20) ``Afrotopia: The Roots of African American Popular
History’’ by Wilson Jeremiah Moses.
21) Tony Brown’s ``What Mama Taught Me.’’
22) Randall
Robinson’s ``An Unbroken Agony: Haiti
From Revolution to the Kidnapping of a President.’’
23) ``Black
Looks,’’ By bell hooks.
24) ``African
America’s 3rd Rail: SGL’’ by Max Smith.
25) ``Sugar
Blues,’’ By William F. Duffy.
26) ``The Assassination of Fred Hampton; How the FBI &
The Chicago Police Murdered a Black Panther,’’ By Jeffrey Haas.
27) ``The Choice: The Issue of Black Survival in America,’’
By Samuel F. Yette…
28) ``The Debt: What America Owes Blacks,’’ By Randall
Robinson…
29) ``The Reckoning’’
by Randall Robinson…
30) ``Quitting
America,’’ By Randall Robinson…
31) ``Defending the Spirit: A Black Life In America,’’ By
Randall Robinson…
32) ``Have They Decided to Kill Us Yet: Global Black Labor
Obsolescence & Manufactured Black Genocide,’’ by Joseph R. Gibson…
33) ``Come Back Charleston Blue,’’ A Novel By Chester Himes.
34) ``In Search of Pretty Young Black Men,’’ a novel by
Stanley Bennett Clay.
35) ``Get Healthy Now! With Gary Null: A Complete Guide to
Prevention, Treatment, and Healthy Living.’’ By Gary Null.
36) ``Gary Null’s Ultimate Lifetime Diet: A Revolutionary
All-Natural Program
for Losing Weight & Building a Healthy Body,’’ By Gary
Null.
37) There are several other books by Gary Null that will be
beneficial to you. (You can look them up at www.Amazon.com)
38) ``The Alcoholism & Addiction Cure’’ by Chris
Prentiss.
39) ``Nelson Mandela’s Mandela’s Way Fifteen Lessons of
Life,
Love & Courage.’’ With Richard Stengle.
40) ``Fierce Angels: The Strong Black Woman in American Life
& Culture’’ By
Sheri Parks.
41) Howard Zinn’s ``A Progressive History of the United
States.’’
42) ``The Huey P. Newton Reader,’’ Edited by David Hilliard
and Donald Weise.
43) ``Plunder: Investigating Our Economic Calamity and the
Subprime Scandal,’’ By Danny Schechter.
44) ``Building Social Business: The New Kind of Capitalism
that Serves Humanity’s Most Pressings Needs,’’ By Muhammad Yunus & Ray
Porter.
45) ``Betrayal of Trust,’’ by Leslie Esdaile Banks.
46) ``Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business
& the Future of Capitalism,’’ by Muhammad Yunus.
47) ``Black Power,’’ by Amos Wilson.
48) ``Yurugu’’ by Mariamba Ani
49) ``Something Torn, Something New,’’ by Nogoi
50) ``2000 Seasons,’’ By Ayi Kwe Armah.
51) ``Khmet,’’ by Ayi Kwe Armah. ***(Include Publisher)
52) ``The Adinkra Dictionary,’’ by W. Bruce Willis.
53) ``BLACK A Celebration of Culture,’’ by Deborah Willis.
54) ``The West & The Rest of US,’’ By Chinweizu.
55) ``The Slave Trade: The Story of the Atlantic Slave
Trade: 1440 - 1870,’’ By Hugh Thomas.
56) ``The Shame of the Nation: The Restoration of Apartheid
Schooling in America,’’ By Jonathan Kozol.
57) ``European Christianity & The Atlantic Slave Trade:
A Black Hermeneutical Study,’’ By Robinson A, Milwood.
58) ``The West & The Rest of US: White Predators, Black
Slavers & The African Elite,’’ By Chinweizu.
59) ``Black: A Celebration of a Culture,’’ By Deborah
Willis.
60) ``Two Thousand
Seasons,’’ By Ayi Kwei Armah.
61) ``Tutankhamen & the Daughter of Ra,’’ By Moyra
Caldecott.
62) ``The Adinkra Dictionary: A Visual Primer on the
Language of Adinkra,’’ By W. Bruce Willis.
63) ``Something Torn & New: An African Renaissance,’’ By
Nhugi Wa Thingo.
64) ``Yurugu: An African-Centered Critique of European
Cultural Thought & Behavior,’’ By Marimba Ani.
65) ``Blueprint for Black Power: A Moral, Political, &
Economic Imperative for the Twenty-First Century,’’ By Amos N. Wilson…
66) ``Khmet’’ by Ayi Kwe Armah.
67) ``Citizen You: Doing Your Part to Change the World.’’ By
Jonathan Tisch, Karl Weber & Mayor Cory Booker.
68) ``Black Women’s Lives: Stories of Pain & Power’’ By
Kristal Brent Zook.
69) ``Tapping the Power Within: A Path to Self-Empowerment
for Black Women,’’ by Iyanla
VanZant.
70) Look up or Google ``Manning Marable’’ to discover for
yourself the many great books by this Great Black writer, thinker, visionary
& author.
71) ``Black Pearls: Daily Meditations, Affirmations &
Inspirations for African Americans,’’ by Eric V. Copage.
72) ``How to Write a Book Proposal,’’ By Michael Larsen.
73) ``Spiritual Liberation: Fulfilling Your Soul’s
Potential,’’ By Michael Bernard Beckwith.
74) ``Debt Cures, They Don’t Want You to Know About,’’ By
Kevin Trudeau.
75) ``How Successful People Win: Using `Bunkhouse Logic’ to
Get What You Want In Life,’’ by Ben Stein.
76) ``Advertising Profits from Home: Simple Money Making
Strategies You Can Use Right from Your Home,’’ By Anthony Morrison.
77) ``My Heart Will Cross This Ocean: My Story, My Son,
Amadou,’’ by Kadiatou Diallo & Craig Wolff.
78) ``Organize Yourself, New & Revised Edition,’’ By
Ronni Eisenberg with Kate Kelly.
79) ``More Dirty Little Secrets About Black History, It’s
Heroes & Other Troublemakers, Volume II,’’ Claud Anderson.
80) ``From Holy Power to Holy Profits: The Black Church
& Community Economic Empowerment,’’ By Walter Malone, Jr.
81) ``Black Africa: The Economic & Cultural Basis for a
Federated State,’’ By Cheikh Anta Diop.
82)``From Civil Rights to Human Rights: Martin Luther King,
Jr., & The Struggle for Economic Justice (Politics & Culture in Modern
America)’’ by Thomas F. Jackson.
83) ``Black Capitalism: Strategy for Business in the
Ghetto,’’ by Theodore L. Cross.
84) ``The 85 % Niche: The Power of Women of All
Colors—Latin, Black & Asian’’ By Miriam Muley.
85) ``Black Labor, White Wealth: The Search for Power &
Economic Justice,’’ By Claud Anderson.
86) PowerNomics: The National Plan to Empower Black
America,’’ By Claud Anderson.
87) ``Black Power Inc.: The New Voice of Success,’’ by Cora
Daniels.
88)``Black Business & Economic Power (Rochester Studies
in African History & The Diaspora)’’ By Toyin Falola & Alusine Jalloh.
89) ``Understanding the Impact & Power of Social
Networking,’’ By Ben Black.
90) ``Virtually Free Marketing: Harnessing the Power of the
Web for Your Small Business,’’ By Philip R. Holden.
91) ``Dirty Little Secrets About Black History: Its Heroes
& Other Troublemakers,’’ By Claud Anderson, Joann Anderson, Florence Jekins
& Robert Coleman.
92) ``Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid,’’ By Former President
Jimmy Carter.
93) ``Our Endangered Values: America’s Moral Crisis.’’ By
Former President Jimmy Carter.
94) ``The Blueprint: Obama’s Plan to Subvert the
Constitution & Build an Imperial Presidency,’’ By Ken Blackwell & Ken
Klukowski.
95) ``Learning to Lead: A Workbook on Becoming a Leader,’’
By Warren Bennis & Joan Goldsmith.
96) ``The Obamas in the White House: Reflections on Family, Faith &
Leadership,’’ By the Editors of Essence Magazine.
97) ``Words on a Journey: The Great Speeches of Barack
Obama—Special Inauguration Edition,’’ by Barack Obama.
98) ``Michelle Obama: An American Story,’’ By David Colbert.
99) ``The Get Healthy, Go Vegan Cookbook: 125 Easy &
Delicious Recipes to Jump-Start Weight Loss & Help You Feel Great,’’ By Dr.
Neal D. Barnard & Robyn Webb.
100) ``Food for Life: How the New Four Food Groups can Save
Your Life,’’ By Dr. Neal D. Barnard.
101) ``Foods that Cause You to Lose Weight: The Negative
Calorie Effect,’’ By Dr. Neal D. Barnard.
102) ``Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons
Behind Food Cravings—And 7 Steps to End Them Naturally,’’ By Dr. Neal D.
Barnard.
103) ``Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes:
The Scientifically Proven System for Reversing Diabetes Without Drugs,’’ by Dr.
Neal D. Barnard.
104) ``Books to build a strong Black foundation: A List’’ By
Jason A. Martin.
105) ``From the Back of the Bus,’’ By Dick Gregory.
106) ``Dick Gregory’s Natural Diet for Folks Who Eat:
Cookin’ with Mother Nature,’’ By Dick Gregory.
107) ``No More Lies,’’ By Dick Gregory.
108) ``Callus on My Soul: A Memoir’’ By Dick Gregory &
Shelia Moses.
109) ``Nigger: An Autobiography.’’ By Dick Gregory &
Robert Lipsyte.
110) ``Blood In My Eye,’’ By George L. Jackson.
111) ``The Green Collar Economy,’’ By Van Jones.
112) ``Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race &
Inheritance,’’ By Barack Obama.
113) ``The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the
American Dream,’’ By Barack Obama.
114) ``Say It Like Obama: The Power of Speaking with Purpose
& Vision,’’ By Shel Leanne & Shelly Leanne.
115) ``Barack Obama: We Are One People,’’ By Michael
Schuman.
116) ``Another
Country,’’ By James Baldwin.
117) ``Collected Essays,’’ By James Baldwin.
118) ``Giovanni’s Room,’’ By James Baldwin.
119) ``Go Tell It on the Mountain,’’ By James Baldwin.
120) ``Going to Meet the Man,’’ By James Baldwin.
121) ``Notes of a Native Son,’’ By James Baldwin.
122) ``Nobody Knows My Name,’’ By James Baldwin.
123) ``If Beale Street Could Talk,’’ By James Baldwin.
124) ``In My Father’s House,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
125) ``Basketball Jones,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
126) ``And This Too Shall Pass,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
127) ``Abide With Me,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
128) ``I Say a Little Prayer,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
129) ``Invisible Life,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
130) ``If This World Were Mine,’’ By E. Lynn Harris.
131) ``What Becomes of the Brokenhearted,’’ By E. Lynn
Harris.
132) There are Other Books by E. Lynn Harris that you might
want to check out. You can Google www.Amazon.com and look under his name for a
more complete list.
133) ``Looker,’’ By Stanley Bennett Clay.
134) ``Visible Life: Three Stories in Tribute To E. Lynn
Harris,’’ By Stanley Bennett Clay, Terrance Dean & James Earl Hardy.
135) ``Diva,’’ By Stanley Bennett Clay.
136) ``Black Betty’’ (Easy Rawlins Mysteries by Walter
Mosley & Stanley Bennett Clay. (Audio Book.)
137) ``A Red Death,’’ By Walter Mosley & Stanley Bennett
Clay (Audio Book.)
138) ``A House Is Not a Home,’’ by James Earl Hardy.
139) ``Love the One You’re With,’’ By James Earl Hardy.
140) ``If Only for One Nite,’’ By James Earl hardy.
141) ``B-Boy Blues,’’ By James Earl Hardy.
142) ``B-Boy Blues Second Time Around,’’ By James Earl
Hardy.
143) ``The Moments, the Minutes, the Hours: the Poetry of
Jill Scott,’’ By Jill Scott.
144) ``Shake Loose My Skin: New & Selected Poems’’ By
Sonia Sanchez.
145) ``Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems & Lyrics,’’ By
Alicia Keys.
146) ``Morning Haiku,’’ By Sonya Sanchez.
147) ``Conversations with Sonia Sanchez,’’ By Sonia Sanchez.
148) ``Like the Singing Coming Off the Drums,’’ By Sonya
Sanchez.
149) ``Wounded in the House of a Friend,’’ By Sonia Sanchez.
150) ``Sister Outsider: Essays & Speeches,’’ by Audre
Lorde.
151) ``Race Matters,’’ By Cornel West.
152) ``Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys,’’
(Vol. 1, Vol. 1-4 & Vol. 3), By Jawanza Junjufu.
153) ``The Destruction of Black Civilization,’’ By
Chancellor Williams.
154) ``The African Origin of Civilization: Myth or
Reality,’’ By Cheikh Anta Diop & Mercer Cook.
155) ``Radio Golf,’’ By August Wilson.
156) ``The Piano Lesson,’’ by August Wilson.
157) ``Blonde Faith,’’ By Walter Mosley.
158) ``Six Easy Pieces: Easy Rawlins Stories,’’ By Walter
Mosley.
159) ``Blues for Mr. Charlie,’’ & ``The Evidence of
Things Not seen,’’ Both by Mr. James Baldwin.
160) ``Total Money Makeover: A Proven Plan for Financial
Fitness,’’ By Dave Ramsey.
161) ``Roots,’’ By Alex Haley.
162) ``Rich Dad Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids
About Money – That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not,’’ By Robert T. Kiyosaki
& Sharon L. Lechter.
163) ``Healthy for Life: Developing Healthy Lifestyles That
Have A Side Effect of Permanent Fat Loss,’’ By Dr. Ray D. Strand & Donna
Wallace.
164) ``What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know About Nutritional
Medicine May Be Killing You,’’ By Dr. Ray D. Strand.
165) ``The History of Incarceration (Incarceration Issues:
Punishment, Reform & Rehabilitation,’’ By Roger Smith.
166) ``Too Good to Be True: The Rise & Fall of Bernie
Madoff,’’ By Erin Arvedlund.
167) ``The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use
Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach
Buyers Directly, 2nd Edition,’’ By David Meerman Scott.
168) ``How To Get Into the Top MBA Programs, 4th Edition,’’
By Richard Montauk.
169) ``How To Get Into the Top Law Schools, 4th Edition,’’
By Richard Montauk.
170) ``Web 2.0 Architectures: What Entrepreneurs &
Information Architects Need to Know,’’ By James Governor, Dion Hinchcliffe
& Duane Nickull.
171) ``Selling to Big Companies,’’ By Jill Konrath.
172) ``Think & Grow Rich: A Black Choice,’’ By Dennis
Kimbro & Napoleon Hill.
173) ``The Law of Recognition (The Laws of Life Series),’’
By Mike Murdock.
174) ``The 3 Most Important Things In Your Life,’’ By Mike
Murdock.
175) Please look up Mike Murdock under www.amazon.com to
discover for yourself the many other important books by this
preacher/author/truth-teller.
176) ``It’s Your Time: Activate Your Faith, Achieve Your
Dreams, and Increase in God’s Favor,’’ By Joel Osteen.
177) ``Become a Better You: 7 Keys to Improving Your Life
Every Day,’’ By Joel Osteen.
178) Please look up Joel Osteen and his wife on
www.amazon.com and discover for yourself the many books, DVD’s and CD’s he has
available that are life- enriching and helpful for traveling through the many
trials and difficult processes in life.
179) The Magnificent & Sexy LeBron James is Featured in
``The Franchise: LeBron James & The Remaking of the Cleveland Cavaliers,’’
By Brian Windhorst & Terry Pluto.
180) ``Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion
& Purpose,’’ By Tony Hsieh.
181) Books are available by, for & about the Honorable
Elijah Muhammad by writing the Coalition for the Remembrance of Elijah Muhammad
(CROE) at 2435 West 71st Street (CROE Lane), Chicago, Illinois 60629. Or you may call them at
1.773.925.1600. FAX # : 1.773.925.9013.
182) ``Starting Where You Are: Life Lessons in Getting from
Where You are to Where You Want to Be,’’ By Chris Gardner & Mim E. Rivas
183) ``Making Ideas Happen: Overcoming the Obstacles Between
Vision & Reality,’’ By Scott Belsky.
184) ``Why He Hates You: How Unreconciled Maternal Anger is
Destroying Black Men and Boys (Volume 1) by Janks Morton.
185) ``Anger Strategies: Practical tools for Professionals
Treating Anger,’’ By Claudia Black.
186) ``Brothers on the Mend: Understanding and Healing Anger
for African – American Men & Women,’’ By Ernest H. Johnson.
187) ``Black Anger,’’ By Wulf Sachs.
188) ``Going Off: A Black Woman’s Guide for Dealing with
Anger & Stress,’’ by Faye Childs & Noreen Palmer.
189) ``The ABC’s of Liberating Black Anger,’’ By Lama Choyin
Rangdrol…
190) ``Sex Therapy: A Women’s Guide to Understanding Why Men
Cheat,’’ By Kole Black.
191) ``The Artistry of Anger: Black & White Women’s
Literature in Aerica, 1820 – 1860,’’ By Linda M. Grasso.
192) ``The Passing Summer: A South African’s Response to
White Fear, Black Anger & the Politics of Love,’’ By Michael Cassidy &
John Perkins.
193) ``Claiming Earth: Race, Rage, Rape, Redemption: Blacks
Seeking a Culture of Enlightened Empowerment,’’ By Haki R. Madhubuti.
194) ``Black Rage,’’ By William H. Grier & Price M.
Cobbs.
195) ``Black Rage in New Orleans: Police Brutality &
African American Activism from World War II to Hurricane Katrina’’ by Leonard
N. Moore.
196) ``Black Rage Confronts the Law (Critical America
Series),’’ By Paul Harris.
197) ``From Rage to Responsibility: Black Conservative Jesse
Lee Peterson & America Today,’’ By Jesse Lee Peterson, Dennis Prager, &
Brad Stetson.
198) ``From Rage to
Hope: Strategies for Reclaiming Black & Hispanic Students,’’ By Crystal
Kuykendall.
199) ``Black Rage in the American Prison System (Criminal
Justice Recent Scholarship),’’ By Rosevelt Noble.
200) ``When Anger Hurts Your Kids: A Paren’t Guide,’’ By
Matthew McKay, Ph.D., Kim Paleg, Ph.D., Patrick Fanning & Dana Landis.
201) ``How to Effectively Control Your Anger—Learn How You
Control Your Anger That Keeps You Just a Hair Strand Away from Danger,’’ By
Wings of Success & Manuel Ortiz
Braschi.
202) ``Letting Go of Anger: The Eleven Most Common Anger
Styles & What to Do About Them,’’ By Robert T. Potter-Efron & Patricia
S. Potter-Efron.
203) ``The Anger Trap: Free Yourself from the Frustrations
that Sabotage Your Life,’’ By Les Carter & Frank Minirth.
204) ``Anger: Wisdom for Cooling the Flames,’’ By Thich Nhat
Hanh.
205) ``Your Step By Step Guide to Anger Management,’’ By D.
Huffman.
206) ``Working for You Isn’t Working for Me: The Ultimate Guide
to Managing Your Boss,’’ By Katherine Crowley & Kathi Elster.
207) ``Working With
You is Killing Me: Freeing Yourself from Emotional Traps at Work,’’ By
Katherine Crowley & Kathi Elster.
208) ``Journey into America: The Challenge of Islam,’’ By
Akbar S. Ahmen.
209) ``Toxic Talk: How the Radical Right Has Poisoned
America’s Airwaves,’’ By Bill Press.
210) ``Common Nonsense: Glenn Beck & The Triumph of
Ignorance,’’ By Alexander Zaitchik.
211) ``My Father’s Faith: Essays for the 20th & 21st
Century and Beyond,’’ By John E. Bush.
212) Lonnie Elder the 3rd’s Award Winning play ``Ceremonies in Dark Old Men.’’
213) ``Death At an Early Age,’’ By Jonathan Kozol &
Robert Coles.
214) ``All Your Worth: The Ultimate Lifetime Money Plan,’’
By Elizabeth Warren & Amelia Warren Tyagi.
215) ``For Colored
Girls Who Have,’’ By Ntozake
Shange.
216) ``Awaken the Giant Within: How to Take Immediate
Control of Your Mental, Emotional, Physical & Financial Destiny,’’ By
Anthony Robbins.
217) ``The Deming Management Method,’’ By Mary Walton &
W. Edwards Deming.
218) ``Dr. Deming: The American Who Taught the Japanese
About Quality,’’ By Rafael Aguayo.
219) Check out other motivational and inspirational books,
CD’s and DVD’s by Writer, Speaker & Successful Businessman Anthony Robbins
at www.Amazon.com. You will be glad you did.
220) ``Unstuck: Your Guide to the Seven-Stage Journey Out of
Depression,’’ By Dr. James S. Gordon.
221) ``The Law of Success: The Master Wealth Builder’s
Complete & Original Lesson Plan for Achieving Your Dreams,’’ By Napoleon
Hill.
222) ``Chicken Soup for the Soul,’’ by Jack Canfield &
Mark Victor Hansen.
223) ``How to Love Me: The Lover’s Book of Questions,’’ By
Ali Davis.
224) ``Healing After Loss: Daily Meditations for Working
Through Grief,’’ By Martha Whitmore Hickman.
225) ``Losing My
Cool: How a Father’s Love & 15,000 Books Beat Hip-hop Culture,’’ By Thomas
Chatterton Williams.
226) ``The Cornel West Reader,’’ By Brother Cornel West.
227) ``Suze Orman’s
Action Plan: New Rules for New Times,’’ By Suze Orman.
228) ``The Little Black Book of management: Essential Tools
for Getting Results NOW,’’ By Suzanne Turner.
229) ``Oil: Money, Politics, & Power in the 21st
Century,’’ By Tom Bower.
230) ``The Little Black Book of Success: Laws of Leadership
for Black Women,’’ By Elaine Meryl Brown, Marsha Haygood, Rhonda Joy McLean
& Angela Burt-Murray.
231) ``Suze Orman’s The Road to Wealth’’ By Suze Orman
(Revised Edition.)
232) ``Rule # 1: The Simple Strategy for Successful
Investing in Only 15 Minutes a Week!!,’’ By Phil Town.
233) ``Africana: The Encyclopedia of the African &
African American Experience, The Concise Desk Reference,’’ By Kwame Anthony
Appiah & Henry Louis Gates.
234) ``Hopes & Prospects,’’ By Noam Chomsky.
235) ``If It Takes a Village, Build One: How I Found Meaning
Through a Life of Service & 100 + Ways You Can Too,’’ By Malaak
Compton-Rock.
236) ``The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working: The Four
Forgotten Needs That Energize Great Performance,’’ By Tony Schwartz, Jean Gomes
& Catherine McCarthy, Ph.D.
237) ``Counseling Troubled Youth: (Counseling & Pastoral
Theology)’’ By Robert C. Dykstra.
238) (Please don’t forget to Google ``Books on Troubled
Youth’’ & ``Books on At-Risk Youth’’ on www.Amazon.com [under books, DVD’s
and CD’s] if you are dealing with a teen or a young person who you have given
up on or are struggling with.)
239) ``Hear My Story: Understanding the Cries of Troubled
Youth,’’ By Dean Borgman.
240) ``All-Time Favorite Lessons (Break through Strategies
to Teach & Counsel Troubled Youth Series)’’ By Ruth Herman Wells.
241) ``Creative Interventions for Troubled Children &
Youth,’’ By Liana Lowenstein & MSW.
242) ``At Risk Youth: A Comprehensive Response for
Counselors, Teachers, Psychologist, and Human Services Professionals,’’ By J.
Jeffries McWhirter, Benedict T. McWhirter, Ellen Hawley McWhirter & Robert
J. McWhirter.
243) ``Resiliency In Action: Practical Ideas for Overcoming
Risks & Building Strengths in Youth, Families & Communities,’’ By Nan
Henderson, Editor, with Bonnie Benard, Nancy Sharp-Light & Paula Pugh.
244) ``Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future,’’
By Larry K. Brendtro, Martin Brokenleg, & Steve Van Bockern.
245) ``At-Risk Youth: Theory, Practice, Reform (Source Books
on Education)’’ By Robert F. Kronick.
246) ``No Name in the Street,’’ By James Baldwin.
247) ``The Sound of Freedom: Marian Anderson, The Lincoln
Memorial, & the Concert that Awakened America,’’ By Raymond Arsenault.
248) ``The Economics
of Forced Labor: The Soviet Gulag,’’ By Paul R. Gregory, Valery V. Lazarev
& Robert Conquest.
249) ``Coming Alive: From Nine to Five in a 24/7 Century,’’
By Robert Michelozzi, Betty Michelozzi. Linda Surrell, & Robert Cobez.
250) The gentleman I’m going to mention here has sold over
65 Million books. His name is Pastor Max
Lucado. I suggest you look under www.Amazon.com for some of his winning and
telling books about getting involved in helping others and bettering your life
as you become more giving and charitable in your life. Three of his books are:
``Fearless: Imagine Your Life Without Fear,’’ ``Just Like Jesus: Learning to
Have a Heart Like His,’’ & ``When GOD Whispers Your Name,’’ all by Pastor
Max Lucado.
251) For every movie he has made (and there are several
excellent ones, as you know) Brother Spike Lee has a book. Google him under
www.Amazon.com also. Suggested:
``Please, Baby, Please,’’ By Spike Lee, Tonya Lewis Lee & Kadir Nelson.
``Spike Lee: Interviews,’’ By Cynthia Fauchs,
``Spike Lee’s Do the Right
Thang,’’ By Mark A. Reid. & ``Spike
Lee’s ``She’s Gotta Have It,’’ By Spike
himself. There are several other good books by Spike under
www.Amazon.Com.
252) ``The History of Modern Libya,’’ By Dirk J. Vandawalle.
253) ``Aftershock:
The Next Economy & America’s Future,’’ By Robert B. Reich (Labor Secretary
under President Carter).
254) ``The Empowered Patient: How to Get the Right
Diagnosis, Buy the Cheapest Medicines, Beat Your Insurance Company, and Get the
Best Medical Care Every Time,’’ By Elizabeth Cohen.
255) ``The Blue Zone: Lessons for Living Longer from the
People Who’ve Lived the Longest,’’ By Dan Buettner.
256) ``Painless
Writing (Barron’s Painless Series) By Jeffrey Strausser.
257) ``What’s So
Great about America,’’ By Dinesh D’Souza.
(Also available on Audio Book.)
258) ``How to Pay Zero Taxes,’’ By Jeff Schnepper.
259) Check out the nutrition and health books of Dr. Mark
Hyman. Google his name under www.Amazon.Com and discover a host of good healthy
books including: ``Ultramatabolism: The
Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss,’’ By Dr. Mark Hyman. (For really heavy
people, changing your metabolism will change your life drastically.)
260) ``Something to Live For: Finding Your Way in the Second
Half of Life,’’ By Richard J. Leider & David A. Shapiro.
261) ``The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding
Your Life Purpose,’’ By Dan Millman.
262) ``Something to Live For: The Music of Billy
Strayhorn,’’ By Walter van de Leur.
263) ``Encore: Finding Work That Matters in the Second Half
of Life,’’ By Marc Freedman.
264) ``Down in New Orleans,’’ By Billy Sothern.
265) ``How to Write a Children’s Book & Get It
Published,’’ By Brbara Seuling.
266) ``A Book Inside, How to Write, Publish & Sell Your
Story,’’ by Carol Denbow.
267) ``Lyrics: Writing Better Words for Your Songs,’’ By
Rikky Rooksby.
268) ``The Great
Deluge: Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans, & The Mississippi Gulf Coast,’’ By
Douglas G. Brinkley.
269) ``Hungry Girl:
Recipes & Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World,’’ By
Lisa Lillien. (Men and families can definitely benefit from this book as
well—especially single men living alone.)
270) ``The High Tide of American Conservatism,’’ By Garland S. Tucker III.
271) ``The Millionaire Next Door,’’ By Thomas J. Stanley
& William D. Danko.
271) ``Pigs at the Trough: How Corporate Greed &
Political Corruption Are Undermining America,’’ Arianna Strassinopoulos
Huffington.
272) ``Third World America: How Our Politicians Are
Abandoning the Middle Class & Betraying the American Dream,’’ Arianna
Strassinopoulos Huffington.
273) ``A Good Man in
Africa,’’ By William Boyd.
274) ``Crazy for God,’’ By Frank Scharffer.
275) ``The Almanac of American Politics (2010),’’ By Michael
Barone, Richard E. Cohen & Jackie Koszczuk.
276) ``Unfinished Business: One Man’s Extraordinary Year of
Trying to Do the Right Thing,’’ By Lee
Kravitz.
276) ``Black Man of the Nile,’’ By Professor Yosef
Ben-Jochannan.
277) GOD Is Red: A Native View of Religion, 30th Anniversary
Edition,’’ By Vine Deloria, Jr., Leslie Marmon Silko & George E. Tinker.
278) ``The World We Used to Live In: Remembering the Powers
of the Medicine Men,’’ By Vine Deloria.
279) ``Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: The Illustrated
Edition: An Indian History of the American West,’’ (Hardcover). By Dee Brown.
280) ``Spike Lee: That’s My Story & I’m Sticking to
It,’’ By Spike Lee & Kaleem Aftab.
281) ``The House of Rajani,’’ By Alon Hilu.
282) ``The Power of Your Subconscious Mind,’’ by author
Joseph Murphy.
283) ``The 3 Most Important Things In Your Life,’’ By Pastor
Mike Murdock & Deborah Murdock Johnson.
284) ``Giant Steps to Change the World,’’ By Spike Lee &
Tonya Lewis Lee. With Illustrations by Sean Qualls.
285) ``Harlem Is Nowhere: A Journey to the Mecca of Black
America,’’ By Shafifa Rhodes-Pitts.
286) ``Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention,’’ By Manning
Mararble.
287) ``Everyday Icon: Michelle Obama and the Power of
Style,’’ By Kate Betts.
288) ``Mobilizing Democracy: Changing the U.S. Role in the
Middle East,’’ By Greg Bates.
289)`` Citizen You: Doing Your Part to Change the World,’’
By Jonathan Tisch, Karl Weber & Mayor Cory A. Booker.
290) ``Reclaim Your Power: A 30-Day Guide to Hope, Healing
& Inspiration for Men of Color,’’ By Terrance Dean & Travis Smiley.
291) ``The Value of Nothing: How to Reshape Market Society
& Redefine Democracy,’’ By Raj Patel.
292) ``The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster
Capitalism,’’ by Naomi Klein.
293) ``Profit Over People: Neoliberalism & Global
Order,’’ By Noam Chomsky & Robert W. McChesney.
294) ``People-First Economics: Making a Clean Start for
Jobs, Justice and Climate,’’ By Naomi Klein, Walden Bello, Susan George &
David Ransom.
295) ``The Future of Power,’’ By Joseph S. Nye Jr.
296) ``The Road to Perfect Health: How Probiotics Balance
Your Gut and Heal Your Body,’’ By Brenda Watson.
297) ``Furious Earth: The Science and Nature of Earthquakes,
Volcanoes & Tsunamis,’’ By Ellen J. Prager.
298) ``Love Your Body,’’ By Louise L. Hay..
299) ``Half the Sky,’’ By Nickolas D. Kristof and Sheryl
WuDunn..
300) ``At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape,
& Resistance—A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to
the Rise of Black Power,’’ By Danielle L. McGuire.
301) ``The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love,
Character & Achievement,’’ David Brooks.
302) ``War Is A Lie,’’ By David Swanson…
303) ``Go Girl!!: Raising Healthy, Confident &
Successful Girls through Sports,’’ By Mark Jenkins & Hannah Storm…
304) ``The Revolution Will Not Be Funded: Beyond the
Non-Profit Industrial Complex,’’ By Incite Women of Color Against Violence…
305) ``King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror &
Heroism in Colonial Africa,’’ by Adam Hochschild…
306) ``Treasure Islands: Tax Havens & the Men Who Stole
the World,’’ by Nicholas Shaxson.
307) ``The Promise: President Obama, Year One,’’ By Jonathan
Alter…
308) ``Flash of the Spirit: African & Afro-American Art
& Philosophy,’’ By Robert Farris Thompson…
309) ``Harold! Photographs from the Harold Washington
Years,’’ By Salim Muwakkil, Ron Dorfman, Antonio Dickey & Marc PoKempner…
310) ``Freedom Cannot Rest: Ella Baker & the Civil
Rights Movement (Portraits of Black Americans),’’ By Lisa Frederiksen Bohannon…
311) ``Climbing a Great Mountain: Selected Speeches of Mayor
Harold Washington,’’ By Harold Washington…..
312) ``Ella Baker: A Leader Behind the Scenes (The History
of the Civil Rights Movement)’’ By Shyrlee Dallard…..
313) ``Here I Stand,’’ By Paul Robeson…..
314) ``Ella Baker & the SNCC: Grassroots Leadership
& Political Activism in a Nonhierarchical Organization,’’ By Joan
Charles…..
315) ``Paul Robeson Speaks: Writings, Speeches, Interviews,
1918-1974,’’ By Paul Robeson & Philip Sheldon Foner…
316) ``Ella Baker: Freedom Bound,’’ Joanne Grant…..
317) ``The Paul Robeson Collection (Black Studies Research
Sources)’’ By Paul Robeson & David H. Werning…..
318) ``Ella Baker & The Black Freedom Movement: A
Radical Democratic Vision (Gender and American Culture),’’ By Barbara Ransby…..
319) ``Our Kind of People: Inside America’s Black Upper
Class,’’ By Lawrence Graham…..
320) ``How to Love A Black Woman,’’ By Ronn Elmore…
321) ``How to Love a Black Man,’’ By Ronn Elmore…
322) ``Put Cash In Your Pocket: Turn What You Know into
Dough,’’ By Loral Langemeier…
323) ``Millionaire Maker: Act, Think, & Make Money the
Way the Wealthy Do,’’ By Loral Langemeier…….
324) ``Lies at the Alter: The Truth About Great Marriages,’’
By Robin L. Smith…..
325) ``The Price of Racial Reconciliation (The Politics of
Race & Ethnicity)’’ By Ronald W. Walters…
326) ``White Nationalism, Black Interests: Conservative
Public Policy & The Black Community (African American Life Series),’’ By
Ronald W. Walters…..
327) ``The Stoning of Sally Kern,’’ By Sally Kern…
328) ``Value-Centered Ethics,’’ By Charles Kerns, Sally
Farnham & Eileen Klockara…..
329) Law—``Questions & Answers on Real Estate,’’ By
Robert W. Semenow, 7th Edition, Prentice Hall, 1972.
330) ``Real Estate Principals & Practices,’’ By Arlyne
Geschwender…
331) Send away for a catalog from the Africa World Press. Go
to: www.TheRedSeaPress.com or www.AfricaWorldPress.com for details or write
them at: The Africa World Press; International Headquarters; 541 West Ingham
Avenue; Suite B; Trenton, New Jersey 08638—USA.
332) ``The Crown & The Pen: The Memoirs of a Lawyer
Turned Rebel,’’ By Bereket Habte Selassie… [This book can be attained from the
Red Sea Press.]
333) ``Take Time for Your Life: A Personal Coach’s 7-Step
Program for Creating the Life You Want,’’ By Cheryl Richardson.
334) ``Deadly Spin:
An Insurance Company Insider Speaks Out on How Corporate PR is Killing Health
Care & Deceiving Americans,’’ By Wendell Potter.
335) ``Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies & Bucks: An
Interpretive History of Blacks in American Films,’’ By Donald Bogle.
336) ``How We Live & Why We Die: The Secret Lives of
Cells,’’ By Lewis Wolpert.
337) ``Nature’s Way: Native Wisdom for Living In Balance
with the Earth,’’ By Ed McGaa…
338) ``Earth in the Balance: Ecology & the Human
Spirit,’’ By Al Gore…
339) ``Fat Shame: Stigma & The Fat Body in American
Culture,’’ By Amy Erdman Farrell.
340) ``Fire Up Your Metabolism: 9 Proven Principles for
Burning Fat & Losing Weight Forever,’’ By Lyssie Lakatos & Tammy
Lakatos Shames…
341) ``Total Leadership: Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer
Life,’’ By Stewart D. Friedman…
342) ``Ain’t No Grave: The Life & Legacy of Brother
Claude Ely,’’ By Macel Ely II
343) ``Head Games: Football’s Concussion Crisis from the NFL
to Youth Leagues,’’ By Christopher Nowinski…
344) ``Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother,’’ Amy Chua.
345) ``The Habits of Highly Effective Churches: Being
Strategic in Your God Given Ministry,’’ By George Barna..
346) Ellen’s Choices: ``Extremely Loud & Incredibly
Close,’’ By Jonathan Safran Foer… & ``Vaganist,’’ By Kathy Freston…
347) Oprah’s Book List: ``A Lesson Before Dying,’’ By Ernest
J. Gaines… & ``A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose,’’ By Eckhart
Tolle…
348) ``Trial & Heirs: Famous Fortune Fights!... and what
you can learn from celebrity errors,’’ By Andrew W. Mayoras & Danielle
Mayoras.
(Every Black Man and Black Woman on the planet should read
ALL of these books at least once. Young Blacks should also read most of them,
although some may have adult themes and adult subject matter. Again, parents or guardians should pre-read
them first for minor children ages 15 through 18. Many of these books are not
suggested for readers younger than 15 years of age... Many of the older books
(and some new ones) are, of course, available at the Free Library. If you need
some guidance as to how to aim the books listed here at your particular
problem, be it financial, emotional or organizational—call and tell us what
issue you want to read about and we will tell you what books to read that deal
with that particular subject. This is a
good idea because some of the titles are misleading. As the old saying goes, don’t judge a book by
its’ title!!! Call and ask for Brother Tracy Gibson at 1.302.276.2755 or e-mail
us at BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com we are more than willing to guide you to a book
pertaining to the subject matter you want to explore… Have a good day…)
``My Grandpa asked me one time if I cared whether I lived,
or died. Now I guess it’s too
late.’’ The last statement at the end of
the hit movie ``Menace II Society’’
Don’t let it be too late for you…read more & take
positive actions every day…
2-23-2011 (Wednesday)
Brother Tracy Gibson
Writer – Organizer – Businessman
214 Southwyk Road
New Castle, Del.
19720
1.302.276.2755
BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com
Sistah Oprah Winfrey
Harpo Studios
Chicago
Dear Ms. Winfrey:
I was a
bit surprised at your handling of a recent guest on your show. A Miss. Michelle
A. Rhee, the former Chancellor of Schools under Former Mayor Adrian Fenty of Washington, D.C. was a guest. You handled her with open arms and kid
gloves. You were very supportive of her
new initiative called (www.StudentsFirst.org) . You never asked the tough
questions of her like why was she so ostracized and disliked by the Black
parents in D.C. and why her students and student advocates had little say in
the formation of the school curriculum in D.C., yet the students were expected
to achieve and accomplish a great deal my utilizing that curriculum.
I don’t
know if you know it or not, but Mr. Fenty was defeated at the polls because of
Miss. Rhee’s continued tenure as Chancellor of Schools AFTER the people had
expressed their misgivings and lack of support for her. The parents of D.C. [or their representatives] were never asked to come on your show nor
were their opinions ever revealed fully to your audience. This is just a continuation of the
miscarriage of justice that we as oppressed, left out and disenfranchised
people have come to expect from the formidable powers that be in these United
States and throughout much of the rest of the world. This is why there is such an uprising in
Egypt, Libya (North Africa); and parts of the Middle East. This is why this ferment has spread to
Wisconsin and Ohio and this is why it is spreading to other parts of our
Union—PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF NOT BEING HEARD!! PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF BEING LIED TO
AND TIRED OF HAVING THE FACTS MISPRPRESENTED!! PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF BEING ONE OF
THE LEFT OUT, DISENFRANCHISED, DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, ABANDONED AND
FORGOTTEN!! This is why people are
speaking up and getting out of the house with their picket signs, fog horns,
banners and signs!! They have had enough
of the pretending, misconceptions, lies, deceit and misrepresentations….. You
should have had the parents of the students in D.C. on your show and / or a
representative of the parents. I was very sad that you have made such a
terrible error in your producing of the Oprah Show.
Another
thing I am very sad about pertaining to your show is the fact that you invited
Star Quarterback Michael Vick on your show and then you set a trap for him with
Dog enthusiasts, animal-rights activists and animal lovers to pounce on him
when he came on... HE SHOULD NOT HAVE
BEEN SET UP IN THIS MANNER!! Mr. Vick served 18 months of his life in jail for
what he openly admits was a mistake in hurting and killing innocent dogs… How long is the Brother supposed to pay the
price for that mistake? There are quarterbacks in the NFL who have committed
much worse acts of terror against women and other men, but they go un-provoked
because they are White. Mr. Vick has
very dark skin and I am sure he has paid the price for that on many, many more
than one occasion. If he were a White
quarterback for the NFL, and had done the Dog fighting things, I very much
doubt that he would have spent time in jail—especially since he was a leading,
point-getting quarterback for Atlanta in the NFL at the time. It just would not have happened. Yet you decide to drag him through the mud on
your show instead of dealing with the racism he faces every day as a Black
man. This is shameful. Mr. Vick had
every right to decide NOT to appear on your show.
Lastly,
what is also shameful is the fact that I have written you consistently for over
four years and I only got one response back and that was a rejection
letter. I think that as a professional
writer and a businessman, I deserve full respect from you & your staff, but
I don’t get it. This letter will go out to my 200 readers and I hope they turn
your new network and your Oprah Show off for a while in response. I also hope
they send this letter to their friends, supporters and family members…..Please
have a good day…
Sincerely,
Brother Tracy Gibson,
President & CEO,
Of Brother Tracy Gibson & Associates, INC.
Post Script: By the way, I would like to take this time to
thank you for ALL the wonderful and positive things you do every day to help
Black people and poor people of every color.
I would be remiss if I did not ``go there.’’ GOD Bless you…
We Are One Community: Nation of Islam Leader Needs to Be
About Forgiveness, LOVE, Unity & Healing—Not Hatred & Pain….
By Brother Tracy Gibson…..
I have
to respond to the Nation of Islam leader the good Minister Louis Farrakhan who
in a recent statement called gay & lesbian people ``swine.’’ For me,
personally, that is very ironic because as a child of 14 it was the Nation of
Islam and the Honorable Elijah Muhammad who helped me get away from the pork
that was featured in so many African American diets, and still is today. I have
not been a ``swine’’ eater since I was 14 [I’m now 54] so the last thing I’m
made of is ``swine.’’ I know of several gay people who were also positively
influenced by the teachings of the Nation in their early life.
I think
Minister Farrakhan and other people who hate & openly criticize
homosexuals, for no good reason, are kidding themselves & the public. The
holier than thou crap needs to stop…
They
are acting as though the sexual antics and exploits of straight people are
blessed by God, Holy and Sanctified just because they procreate and bring
children into the world.
Well, I
know first-hand that much of what some so-called ``straight’’ people do in
their bathrooms & bedrooms—behind closed doors—is often worse ethically
than anything any gay or lesbian person could ever dream up or think about.
When I
was in desperate need of financial support about 10 years ago, I used to work
for a cousin of mine as a driver when she and some of her staff would go out and
sell sexual paraphernalia and sexual toys at house parties in the Delaware
Valley / Philadelphia area. These
parties were mostly for private individuals and took place in the homes of
mostly Black, Middle income professionals. Mostly women had the parties and
attended.
Well,
some of the items they sold at these parties were pretty tame, but they also
included: chains with feathers on them, whips, handcuffs, potions, &
lotions to make your man ``stand at attention’’ longer, mystic perfumes &
powders and an assortment of other items.
Most of the people having the parties were just regular working
girlfriend types & wives of very ordinary Black men. One item that was also
radially available was a plastic penis that women could strap onto themselves
and screw their boyfriends & / or husbands with!! This was available in a
thick catalog that had an assortment of devices, games & sexual toys
available for a price.
Some of
the items in that catalog would make most Black homosexuals over the age of 35
hair stand on end. Many Black
homosexuals lead rather mundane, moderate and / or conservative sexual lives
and never venture into very kinky behaviors.
Certainly there are exceptions to this as well, but by the same token
there are so-called ``straight’’ people of EVERY race, religion (including
Muslim) & ethnic group, including Blacks, who are into some very kinky
sexual behaviors. Those behaviors can
include: S & M (Sado Masochism); slave / master domination; beating;
biting; kicking; burning; the use of some very exotic erotic toys & so
forth. Just ask any doctor who has spent time working in a hospital emergency
room and he or she will tell you some of the horror stories. This goes for
wealthy people, Jewish people and Whites as well.
So I
don’t need Minister Farrakhan telling me how immoral homosexuals are when he
forgets about other groups that are equally as kinky or worse. He needs to take
an honest look in the mirror along with other moralizing & condemning
leaders in the Black community & discover that the men who father all these
babies that our young girls are either aborting or taking to term are often 35
years old or older—that is child molestation and it is going on every day in
the Black community!!! The criticism
needs to be spread father and thinker, but ultimately we all need to be
forgiving and about healing and love for ALL members of our community. We need to be about telling the whole truth,
not just that which is politically expedient at any certain time. We also need
to sit back and take a breather on this issue which tends to get people very
hot under the collar to say the least.
We ALL,
as Black people, need to take more responsible actions in our sexual behaviors
and have sex with only one person at a time & try to maintain steady sexual
partners instead of having several sexual partners over only a year’s
time. If we cannot maintain
relationships we probably need to get psychiatric help and find out what was
going on with Mom and Dad and our other family members through early childhood
that makes us want to act out sexually—that includes gays and homosexuals if
they fall into such a category as well.
Were we being beaten or sexually abused by our parent’s? Were we being
sexually abused by other family members who were otherwise playing the straight
life? Were we being forced into behaviors we didn’t understand or want? These are some of the questions people like
the Good Minister Farrakhan need to ask our community in a healing manner, not
a hot-headed one.
We ALL
need a sexual healing in this crazy, sex crazed society we live in... That goes
for our gay and lesbian people as well as our straight people—male and females,
transgendered people and bisexuals as well. I once knew a woman who had three
or four male sexual partners who would interchangeably walk in and out of her
life over an extended period. That
sister needed help. She was acting out
about something her Father never gave her, most likely. Her Dad probably never touched or appreciated
her, so she was acting out on a need. It
will never be fulfilled unless she discovers it and talks to a good therapist
for an extended period of time about it. She needs healing.
There
are any number of Black gay men who act out similarly by having sex with an
endless array of men and spread STD’s throughout our community. Some of the men they are having sex with are
taking these diseases back to their wives and girlfriends. Certainly this is where some of the Good
Minister Farrakhan’s anger steams from. But there are straight men and women
who are doing the same things.
This
high level of activity is one of the reasons there is such a high level of
sexually transmitted disease within our community. And the STD’s are not only ramped among Gay
and lesbian people, but also among straight & bisexual people as well. More
of us—straight & gay or Same Gender Loving—need to be responsible in our
sexual practices & use condoms; have sex with a limited number of partners;
get to know who our sexual partners are;
and get tested for Aids / HIV on a regular basis if we are sexually
active. I’ll also admit gay people,
especially gay men, need to keep the damned thing in their pants more often and
talk with & enjoy the company of the person they are interested in while
getting to know them BEFORE ANY sexual act ever takes place at all. Some of us also need to stay out of bathrooms
& public parks and only use such facilities for what they were designated
for & designed for NOT for public displays of sexual intercourse.
But our
friends, Ministers, Pastors, Reverends, community leaders, government leaders
at every level of government, & our community political activists &
community organizers and radio hosts who work at making scape goats out of gay
& lesbian people ARE NOT HELPING matters at all with their homophobic
tirades….. Not one iota. Often they are
just throwing gasoline on the fire.
I never
understood and still don’t understand the fascination that the Good Minister
Farrakhan has with gay, lesbian and / or homosexual people. Maybe the statement
``He Doth Protest Too Much,’’ is appropriate here. Maybe he has something in his background that
he would rather the Black community not know about. I just don’t get it…..
Frankly I like the Good Minister Louis Farrakhan a great deal for the wonderful
things he has done for the Black community and for his sustained and consistent
criticism of the White power structure in this country…..[more later on that.]
Such
people, as Minister Farrakhan and several other gay bashers and gay haters,
should come to the table with an open mind & an open heart & talk about
love, healing & talk about living in committed relationships. Gay people
have been here since early times and we are not going anywhere, regardless of
what some might want to do to banish us from existence… None of the
aforementioned people including the Good Minister Louis Farrakhan should be
speaking with such vicious hatred and demean any sector of our community by
calling it ``swine.’’
Sometimes
I have to wonder why the Good Minister is so keyed in on gay and lesbian
people. He doesn’t lead such a life and
doesn’t begin to understand it AT ALL. He would do best to get together some
people who are experienced in the lifestyle and also progressive & educated
thinkers, scholars & lecturers to have an honest and open exchange of ideas
instead of shooting from the hip with such vociferous & hateful words.
Having such a forum on sexuality would be a healing force and that is what we
need—not the hatred and harsh words. We need to be about healing & love
& forgiveness—not spewing hatred, resentment & jealousy.
Let’s
leave the kinky stuff & the hatred to the White racist & the Tea Party
who seem best suited for it and who seem to really thrive off of it!!!
Additional
Note: I don’t mean to broadly criticize the Good Minister Louis Farrakhan, I’m
just making a point about his homophobia—which I still don’t understand.
Minister Farrakhan has made a broad, sustained & mostly positive imprint on
the world & on African & African American people and history. Were it
not for the Good Minister & the massive, mostly positive efforts he &
his people have made over an extended period we would be a great deal worse off
as Black people & we most likely would have never had a Black President
elected in 2008 in these United States. I thank the Good Minister for ALL his
good work & positive efforts over the years.
Brother
Tracy is a political activist and writer from the Philadelphia area. He can be
reached at BrotherTracy11@GMail.Com if you want to comment on this or any other
of his articles and / or writing. Look
for a positive, non-fiction book to help the Black community along its’ path
from Brother Gibson soon as well as a book of poetry……
Add to There is something Sad About Being Gay: To be a
homosexual you have to be very ready NOT to be very gay about life—at least at
times... What does it do to one to be
among a group of people who are hated and repulsed and rejected by a certain
segment of society? It takes its’ toll.
But we can build up resistance and a thick skin. Still, sometimes, when
we are along and sometimes suddenly, sadness sets in because we are so hated
and rejected, even as our acceptance in American society has grown.
Note About Diana Ross: As we get older it is funny how we
rediscover things—almost like experiencing them for the first time. The Diana
Ross tune ``Reach Out & Touch Somebody’s Hand’’ really touched me the other
day when I really listened to the words.
It is a song about helping the less fortunate and forgotten. It is a song about love, like so many others,
but it is a special song because Ms. Ross sings it with such heart and
conviction. It is a real feel-good song that talks about having hope in your
fellow man and woman kind. I hope you will listen to what it says and heed what
it says. It is a very special song.
Get Pope’s Address:
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