Black Butterfly.

long time.

i was sharing tunes with my mama.
and every song seems like somethiing ive lived before.
but this one song...mama says, "oh i remember this song..."
and proceeds to share a story about when she was driving over a bridge when
this deniece williams classic came on the radio. i wasnt yet born.
she said it "changed her life". and could i believe that music can "change your life"?
of course i do. i was really encouraged by that.
it almost instantly felt this song was also...my song...

this short rant was simply to say...whats your song? what encourages you?
i started running through my mind all the countless times i stayed up
as a teenager at late and early hours just listening to music...
alot of it...changed my life, encouraged my artistry and shaped who i am.
and im thinking, "my God. what is it that my children will be encouraged by?"
of course, Christ. but music that can truly stick with you...is that even alive for the youngsters anymore?

idk...it just ran through my mind...how different things were from what they are now.
i sometimes wish...we had those classic hits that came before me in our generation. this particular song didnt even release until 1984. i wasnt born until 1986.

i guess im just old school.. but i just wanted to share that.
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if you are interested...

Houston's African American Museum and Culture Center is hosting a symposium THIS weekend titled: Africans in America-The New Beat of Afropolitans! I highly encourage you to check it out and support these events. I have attached the link here: http://www.hmaac.org/afropolitan_schedule.html

Houston: Don't miss out!

If you're not aware, the City of Houston and HISD are hosting a Back to School festival this Saturday at George R. Brown Convention Center from 8-12noon. It's free admission, and that's not all that's free...

- School supplies & Uniforms (while supplies last)
- Immunizations (with valid shot record brought with you)
- Health screenings
- City resources and more!

I encourage all students and parents to attend...yes, even college students can go for grabs! It's essential to take advantage of these resources in the city when at a state and federal level it is difficult for cities to host events like these...so this is HUGE! And I'm loving it!

Get out there early! =)

If you'd like information about public transportation to GRB, please visit ridemetro.org. You can take the kiddies to Discovery Green (across the street) after! WITH HEAT ADVISORY CAUTION.

It's summer! What ru doing?

Summer has been in Houston since March/April, but it's officially in full force, and you should be enjoying all that it has to offer! So the question looms, what are you doing? Trying anything new?

I've compiled a list of upcoming events in the city and state wide you should be taking advantage of when you can! Aside from the usual, try some of these to add some quirky to your routine!

- Houston's Restaurant Weeks (August 1-31) If there's nothing more we like to do in Houston, we LOVE to eat! New eateries, dessert bars and interesting boutique style spots are all over the city! Check out more info here: http://www.houstonrestaurantweek.com

- Reggae Fest (October 15-16) Make your calendars! Houston is hosting the Good Karma Fest. Details are still pending and will be posted here: http://www.legendsofrastareggaefestival.com/

- Scott Gertner's Sky Bar (August 2011) You're probably saying, "It's closed!" Yes, the old location in 4th ward is closed, but the new location is being resurrected downtown at Houston Pavillion and way better than the one we all remember! You can "like" SkyBar on Facebook to stay updated. According to the website, VIP membership is being solicited. If interested, go here: http://www.scottgertner.com/scottgertnershoustonpavilions.html

- Do you love wine? (Every other Wednesday & special events) Attended some of these great events and had a great time! Opportunity to meet new people, sip a little wine and relax! I recommend ladies to attend: Women & Wine Wednesdays. You can receive the meeting dates at different venues here: http://www.womenwinewednesday.com/ but all are welcome to Water 2 Wine for dates, meetings and they also host an array of events. This week, they are having a gathering for happy hour priced wines by the glass, tastings and a movie! Need I say more? http://www.water2wine.us/houston/

There's plenty of venues that have great happy hours, networking events and gathering places to meet new people just search them out! Houston Press is a great resource for interesting things to check out!

excercise myths...BUSTED!

Happy Friday! This is the day the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it! (Psalm 118:24)



I woke up this morning and realized I lost some weight when I jumped on the scale. Sweet! That's what I thought in my head. Pretty good since I haven't hit the gym in a little over a week because my knee had become bothersome (thanks to an old knee injury from highschool cheerleading). So, I had to chill on those 6 mile runs and started subbing them for pole dancing (yes! pole dancing) & dance in general. Wow! These are indeed body shaping substitutes that I'm proud of! Needless to say, I'll probably be back in the gym soon, but my healthy eating (aside for cupcakes and ice creams weekly) I'm doing pretty darn good and I look pretty good too (if I do say do myself)!

ANYWAY, I was browsing CNN and came across this great article. I hate reading health fitness articles. Everybody has a different perspective, and I've come to the conclusion that if you know your body you know what works for you! However, this article helped put some long mystifying thoughts in my head (and from what i've heard) to rest! READ IT HERE. IT'S FRIDAY. Your boss isn't watching. =)

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CHECK THESE OUT:
1. Interested in pole fitness in Houston? Click here.

Events of the City (October) - Houston

HAPPY AUTUMN! Did you know that you can stay up to date with what's going on in Houston? I'll be posting any new events & places to check out! Here's what's going on in for October!

-- City Hall Farmers Market is now open! Every Wednesday from 10 til 2 about 40 vendors will be available with organic goods! Follow them on twitter: twitter.com/greenhoustontx

-- HELP at BARC! First Annual Animal blessings October 30, 2010 from 1-4pm. Food will be provided and you're welcome to bring your pets! However, you can always volunteer at BARC at contacting them via: houstonbarc.com

-- Houston Financial Planning Day is October 23, 2010 from 8:30 to noon. This is a free event supplying info on budgeting and various financial tools. iIt will be held at TSU School of Public Affairs - 3100 Cleburne

-- DON'T forget the Library Series for FREE Bilingual Financial Ed classes you must visit houstonlibrary.org/more-money-events for details

-- Looking for events during the week??! JONES PLAZA LIVE! Check out the schedule and events at jonesplaza.org

-- Our lage majority minority city is being celebrated with Citizenship Week Nov. 15-21, 2010 and all details are available houstontx.gov/cao/citizenshipweek.html

-- STATION Museum Oct. 16, 2010 begins a new showcase of James Drake: A Thousand Toungues Burn & Sing ..a reception is THIS Saturday from 7-10pm with refreshments and music

-- VICTIMS of Domestic Violence these events are being hosted for your support. Do you know someone who could use these? 1. Oct. 16,2010 1-3pm at River Oaks Plaza Hotel on 2712 SW Freeway there is a round table discussion with representatvies 2. Oct. 23,2010 11-1pm at Hilcroft between Harwin and SW Freeway there will be a human chainlink to join hands against domestic violence. Hundreds participated last year...you should come out and be an example!

-- DON'T FORGET! October 18, 2010 will begin EARLY voting. Houston, we need you to turn out and show up at the polls. Without realization, we make MORE impact in these elections than the Presidential election..ever! Being a majority miniority city, we can make some changes so hit those polls!

Recycle in Houston

Southwest Neighborhood Depository/Recycling Center

10785 Southwest Freeway

(59S @ Beltway 8)

Houston, TX 77074

The SWMD's Southwest Neighborhood Depository/Recycling Center is a facility where residents may bring junk waste items to be discarded and other materials to be recycled. There are now six convenient Neighborhood Depositories/Recycling Center locations where residents of the City of Houston can take their recyclable materials and junk waste for proper handling.

See http://www.houstontx.gov/solidwaste/depositories.html for a listing of all of the facilities.

Mobilizing Houston - A Vision of the Future

Wow, after attending the Urban League event on September 14th, it brought some awareness to things in the city that I wasn’t aware of. The events speaker, Professor Stephen Klineberg, provided some pertinent information that brings some reality to the reality of the Houston spectrum. Two topics that were the most concerning to me were education and career development not only the providing of jobs. In the black community of Houston of low income and certain segments of the middle class, the lack of awareness, access, understanding and familiar issues have put many of us in a category of a third world state. Things are happening around us, but we’re making any input. Why?


Here are some key items from Professor Klineberg’s Houston Area Survey I learned:

- In 2010, 67% of survey respondends agree that “There are very few good jobs in today’s economy for people without a college education.” In the 2008 survey, 74% disagreed that “A high school education is enough to get a job.” But when I hear this, I continuously wonder why schools with more minority students tend to have lower expectations and 4 year plans that don’t equip these students will the world’s extra high expectations.

- In a graph, he displayed the contrasting quarter centuries since WWII that really messed me up. The relationship between the increase in before tax incomes and the periods 1949-1979 and 1979-2003. In the 1049-1979 frame, the bottom 20% and other income levels were relatively steady and rising at faster rates than the top 5%. In the recent latter years, the top 5% income is raising at 68% while the bottom 20% is only raising at 4%. Wow. Dynamics change. I attribute many of it to capitalism, and the lack of GENUINE concern for the disadvantaged.

- More than 45% of high school drop outs are African American and Hispanic students in Houston that the survey attributes to social class versus race which is ESSENTIAL for our community to recognize. Many of us may consider that RACE is the prime factor, but it’s the economic class many minorities are in that creates the rift between them and us.

- Today’s seniors are primarily Anglos but have you ever wondered why? National Origins Quota Act of 1924 when immigration was dramatically reduced and newcomers were restricted almost entirely to Western Europeans who were Protestant. However, the Hart Celler Act in 1965 allowed immigration again for the first time to large numbers of non-Europeans based primarily on allowing them to reunite with family already in the states, professional skills or refugee status.

- I draw the conclusion that seniors are more inclined to vote and make an impact on long term decisions than the younger generations. Yet, Houston has taken for granted that we are a majority minority city! Among the other major immigration capitals, Houston is in the forefront. Of our youth and young adults in school, minorities account for about 80% but mostly low income. What does this mean? In the long term, our adults leading will be minorities yet uneducated and incapable of mobilizing the city to make a difference. WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

- In another graph, he displays that while the rate by which African Americans are gaining a HS diploma has grown, a college degree is still less than Anglos and Asians and just about ties with US born Latinos. In my opinion, the enhanced level of educational pursuit encourages more worldwide awareness on issues that affect our communities and our own lives. Why? Because we move from survival mode of our low income state to actually living and capable of providing CHANGE that we can be a part of.

At the end of the presentation and the discussion, the question was posed: what are WE going to do about it? One phrase that sticks in my mind from Professor K’s presentation is this that we are entitled to our own opinions regarding politics, religion and other world issues. However, we are NOT entitled to our own facts. Regardless of the sample size of the survey he presented, I take it seriously that in a majority minority city that we are rationing our effectiveness and power with the belief that we HAVE no power simply because we LACK the facts. I’m interested in making an impact in the city that encourages minorities that are not educated to be educated by other educated minorities similar to them to lead by example.

With the upcoming election of our Texas governor position, I highly encourage us to get out and vote, but let’s dialogue in our communities about how to continue to be a network amongst each other. Your local representatives are holding town halls that many of our faces are not attending. Let’s begin to be the change instead of expect others to present the change for us.

Helpful Links:

http://has.rice.edu/ << details of the Survey quoted above

http://www.haulyp.org/ << organization that hosted the event

* also helpful to Google information about the candidates - Rick Perry & Bill White

TEXAS INFO:

October 4 - last day to regist to vote

October 18 - first day of early voting

October 26 - last day to ballot mail

October 29 - last day of early voting

November 4 - election day

 

BUMP WORTHY: Tony Henry w/ love songs & such...

so after hearing this guy perform at church one before..i've put him back in rotation to some artists that i like and don't listen to that often. you should definately check it out. he has some other music, but this is the song that i first heard from him that's really on point. enjoy!

when i saw a ballerina dance...

photo courtesy of LA Times

im always in random awe at what love is capable of doing in people. and i dont mean romantic love i mean love..passion...for a something other than another person. like an art form, a cause or a mission. people who stand up for something simply out of love is an OVERWHELMING expression to me.

while visiting nyc a little while ago...i HAD to be at Alvin Ailey. after a semester of studying dance, visiting modern dance studios and actually having the opportunity to perform...i saw a new appreciation for what it is they do.

so while in nyc, i took a dance class which was...AH-mazing. so much fun. great class. kewl ass students i met and some waayyy more trained than me but the instructor was so in tune with us that the energy in there was crazy. like...nothing i ever experienced before. live drummers...all the movement and the sounds just suck you in. the hour just went by too fast. but while waiting for James to come...i got to see the REAL dancers dance.

do we ALL like to dance? duh. but the technicality of some of these people's work is outrageous. i saw REAL ballerinas and well trained modern dancers GLIDE across the floor. the fluidity of their bodies and damn...their bodies were AH-MAZING...i was just in awe struck. nothing like if i would have met a celebrity and although i was just sitting outside the room...i felt like i was sitting right in front of their rehearsal.

it made me sad & excited. sad because i was just an amateur. ugh, so far to go if i ever want to be like that. and then excited to just have shared the space. the energy they had was encouraging that when you chase after you're passions...you can glide across floors too. it's not like this came overnight for them. it took alot of hard work and Alvin Ailey isnt a run of the meal studio.

& seeing them work in such an intense and passionate way just showed so much LOVE that was there. love that they chased after and that as long as God had given them feet...there wasnt a soul that could take that kind of love away from them. isnt that was LOVE is all about? the passion? the essence of raw feelings that translate from the mind and into the limelight...or in their case...the dance floor? that's real, man and i was just so excited to know that this kind of love in its raw form can still blossom.

i figure this is the greatest lesson Alvin Ailey's class taught me: just be. feel it. embrace it. chase it. find the passion and take in the love.

tks <3