Last week Howard welcomed its annual Homecoming events. I'm not sure if it's just age or school making me anti-social, but I honestly wasn't interested in attending any of it. I hate crowds and am not really interested in spending lots of money on entertainment right now, a sista gotta prioritize.
While I was all set to do business as usual (books, papers, more books), there was a change of plans. Making good on my birthday wishes, my sisters came out to the DMV for the week and coaxed me out of my cocoon and into attending a few of the festivities.
On Tuesday evening I got to celebrate my little sister's 25th at the Poetry showcase where my big sister was actually one of the celebrity performers. After a day of school and meetings, I made it to the Lincoln theater just in time to hear her voice booming through the venue's speakers as I made my way inside and to my seat. It was cool to witness the campus of undergrads and older onlookers mesmerized by her craft. Clean metaphors and hypnotic movements drew the audience to listen keenly to her reflections on life, music, and our roles in much needed healing and global transformation.
A few more poets, Talib Kweli, and one interesting interpretive dance later, we were chauferred to the Washington Embassy hotel for a really fun girls night. Over brewskies (raspberry flavored ginger beer), snacks, and birthday cake, we laughed, reminisced, and helped make memories on my DMV turf.
Later that week we attended other events, including the fashion and step shows. It was an interesting array of performances. I must say though, I walked into the fraternity and sorority showcase with the images of School Daze and Stomp the Yard etched in my mind; I did learn, however, that church shoes can make quite the noise! While I was definitely among the older few amid the sea of high jumping, growling, and skee-weeing young lads in the crowd, MC Lyte was one of the hosts, so I did feel somewhat at home!
At the end of it all, I can't say that I changed my mind about wanting to be a part of the Homecoming madness, but I was truly grateful for my more personal opportunity to have some reminders of home. I had a great time travelling around the DMV with my siblings and inserting family quality time into my hectic study routine. If the alumni and college kids get the same feeling from celebrating their affinity for the University that I got when celebrating the love of family, then I can truly understand and respect all the hooplah and excitement for their version of coming home!
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Integrity.
So, a few months back I had an idea. After my week long qualifying exams my colleague and I went to see "the Help". This movie intends to capture the experiences of Black domestic workers during the Civil Rights Era. As the credits rolled on the movie, there was an interesting mix of silence and soft whispers in the theater; people either couldn't pry themselves out of their seats after witnessing the intense subject matter of the film, or they exploded with conversation with their movie partners. There had been a lot chatter, a slew of opinions darting all over the internet capturing people's feelings about their experience of the film and/or the book. After the movie, I was inspired to host a community discussion; I figured we could do a bit better than just throwing out our thoughts, we could actually engage in discussion with one another.
With the support and encouragement of my classmate, I set in motion to organize this event in my living community. After weeks of speaking with the movie theater manager and several community officials about partnering to put on this discussion, things finally came together. I invited the community at large via advertisements in local stores; I sent e-blasts to my building; my cohort member shared information with her networks, and finally, this past Sunday we gathered at Cake Love in Downtown, Silver Spring for the first of the Let's Talk About it Series. About 10 guests joined us for a very powerful, inter-generational, cross-cultural discussion.
There's a slogan on the movie poster for the film that suggests that "Change Begins With a Whisper". As we were planning and putting together an agenda, I realized that that slogan captured the essence of what was transpiring. This all began with a thought that I uttered to my friend, and that I felt compelled to put into action. Change begins with a whisper. Last month, as part of my birthday celebration, I shared with you all that I intended to organize this discussion group as part of my way of giving back. I knew that once I put it out there that I would be held accountable by a larger audience. After the event, I can truly say that this experience helped me process the power of integrity. Doing what I said I would do helped create an opportunity for people to come together for a powerful conversation.
Over the weekend, there were five other women who also kept their word. One of the things that I asked for for my 30th birthday was to have my college sisters to come stay with me for the weekend. This past weekend, the crew came through in full effect. I haven't laughed sooooo hard and eaten sooooo much food in a really long time! God really puts people in your life for a reason; nearly 13 years after we met, we remain valuable and vital parts of each others lives. Over our luncheons and dessert potlucks, we got updated on each other's lives and had classic girl-talk and constant laughs. To top off our weekend we took a midnight trip to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and shared in a beautiful experience, together.
Driving up to the memorial site, a huge statue emerges, unexpectedly, and immediately takes your breath away. I definitely didn't anticipate being soooo moved by this memorial, but the drama of the night lighting hitting the stone and marble fixtures transported me to a place of awe and gratitude. As we walked around, we engaged in conversation with other visitors and talked with each other about how the quotes on the walls spoke to different aspects of our lives. It was truly an amazing sisterly experience.
Yesterday, when they were all packed up in the car and ready to return home, I definitely had a little tantrum in my head. I didn't want them to go! But, the reality of my school journey awaited me in my girls' weekend impacted apartment.
This weekend created many wonderful memories. I will not forget how being my word, and using my words to ask for what I want and need, can invite so much power, love, and happiness in to the lives of many.
If change begins with a whisper, I will continue to create transformation with words, and then put action behind being and doing what it is that I say.
With the support and encouragement of my classmate, I set in motion to organize this event in my living community. After weeks of speaking with the movie theater manager and several community officials about partnering to put on this discussion, things finally came together. I invited the community at large via advertisements in local stores; I sent e-blasts to my building; my cohort member shared information with her networks, and finally, this past Sunday we gathered at Cake Love in Downtown, Silver Spring for the first of the Let's Talk About it Series. About 10 guests joined us for a very powerful, inter-generational, cross-cultural discussion.
There's a slogan on the movie poster for the film that suggests that "Change Begins With a Whisper". As we were planning and putting together an agenda, I realized that that slogan captured the essence of what was transpiring. This all began with a thought that I uttered to my friend, and that I felt compelled to put into action. Change begins with a whisper. Last month, as part of my birthday celebration, I shared with you all that I intended to organize this discussion group as part of my way of giving back. I knew that once I put it out there that I would be held accountable by a larger audience. After the event, I can truly say that this experience helped me process the power of integrity. Doing what I said I would do helped create an opportunity for people to come together for a powerful conversation.
Over the weekend, there were five other women who also kept their word. One of the things that I asked for for my 30th birthday was to have my college sisters to come stay with me for the weekend. This past weekend, the crew came through in full effect. I haven't laughed sooooo hard and eaten sooooo much food in a really long time! God really puts people in your life for a reason; nearly 13 years after we met, we remain valuable and vital parts of each others lives. Over our luncheons and dessert potlucks, we got updated on each other's lives and had classic girl-talk and constant laughs. To top off our weekend we took a midnight trip to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial and shared in a beautiful experience, together.
Driving up to the memorial site, a huge statue emerges, unexpectedly, and immediately takes your breath away. I definitely didn't anticipate being soooo moved by this memorial, but the drama of the night lighting hitting the stone and marble fixtures transported me to a place of awe and gratitude. As we walked around, we engaged in conversation with other visitors and talked with each other about how the quotes on the walls spoke to different aspects of our lives. It was truly an amazing sisterly experience.
Yesterday, when they were all packed up in the car and ready to return home, I definitely had a little tantrum in my head. I didn't want them to go! But, the reality of my school journey awaited me in my girls' weekend impacted apartment.
This weekend created many wonderful memories. I will not forget how being my word, and using my words to ask for what I want and need, can invite so much power, love, and happiness in to the lives of many.
If change begins with a whisper, I will continue to create transformation with words, and then put action behind being and doing what it is that I say.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Graduation Day!
Yeah, not mine...my cousin's, but it was just the perfect motivation and encouragement I needed to push forward in this academic process. At the ceremony, there were about five students who got the opportunity to walk across the stage and get hooded, signifying their completion of the requirements for their doctoral degrees; I definitely drifted off into the land of my imagination, just thinking about how great it will feel to accomplish this dream... Soon come!
...
I'm approaching the end of my seven day communication fast, and it's definitely been a journey. While academic obligations made it so I had to amend the original intention to really take the time away from all the noise, I really feel like I had an opportunity to work on two critical relationships; the one between me and me, and me and God.
As I look back over my week, while it was REALLY hard to break routine from speaking with friends, family, and loved ones with whom I regularly speak, I really had to strip down to the bare minimum to truly realize that the greatest relationship in my life makes it so that I'm NEVER alone. I realized how much I can cut out the clutter of everyone else's opinions and confusion, and listen in to my most perfect source of clarity, comfort, and support.
I have to be honest, I was really in a place where I was feeling asphyxiated by fear. I wasn't functioning fully in any area of my life. When you get down to those types of lows, you have a choice of remaining there or finding your way out. I guess every once in a while that valley presents you with the opportunity to choose. Over this week, as I prepared to climb out of the valley, I began to put together some of the pieces of what I've been missing.
What I will share is this, I found that every day of this week I was in a different sort of classroom. My consistent lessons involved building my spiritual base through revisiting who God really is in my life. This curriculum was an intensive on faith and seeing the power of God in all things, even my trials.
Today, I actually did have a sort of graduation of my own. My culminating ceremony, however, didn't happen with me being hooded on a stage in front of a crowd of people at Constitution Hall, but actually happened while I sat in the last row of the Rankin Chapel Sunday service at Howard. From this seat, I gathered lessons that serendipitously helped me conclude this seven-day rite of passage.
Ultimately, I learned that I can bring back my smile; I don't have to smile about where I am, but I can smile about seeing myself beyond where I currently find myself. I can be thankful even when God doesn't change everything in my life; sometimes I can see my trials as complements from a God who trusts that I can be given any circumstance and will still bless the Creator in the midst of my troubles. I know that life's challenges can also be an opportunity to demonstrate perseverance; by faith I can rest assured that God will walk me all the way through these tough times to something good.
While my 7 days are ending, I know that the true test will begin tomorrow. How will I use what I've learned to face the days ahead? How much will I enact and manifest all of the wisdom and power God has shared with me from this point on?
My prayer is that the remainder of this journey will be able to capture how my newly charged spirit will change the trajectory of my life. I now truly know that I have choice in the matter, and I know that I will always have God in the equation.
...
I'm approaching the end of my seven day communication fast, and it's definitely been a journey. While academic obligations made it so I had to amend the original intention to really take the time away from all the noise, I really feel like I had an opportunity to work on two critical relationships; the one between me and me, and me and God.
As I look back over my week, while it was REALLY hard to break routine from speaking with friends, family, and loved ones with whom I regularly speak, I really had to strip down to the bare minimum to truly realize that the greatest relationship in my life makes it so that I'm NEVER alone. I realized how much I can cut out the clutter of everyone else's opinions and confusion, and listen in to my most perfect source of clarity, comfort, and support.
I have to be honest, I was really in a place where I was feeling asphyxiated by fear. I wasn't functioning fully in any area of my life. When you get down to those types of lows, you have a choice of remaining there or finding your way out. I guess every once in a while that valley presents you with the opportunity to choose. Over this week, as I prepared to climb out of the valley, I began to put together some of the pieces of what I've been missing.
What I will share is this, I found that every day of this week I was in a different sort of classroom. My consistent lessons involved building my spiritual base through revisiting who God really is in my life. This curriculum was an intensive on faith and seeing the power of God in all things, even my trials.
Today, I actually did have a sort of graduation of my own. My culminating ceremony, however, didn't happen with me being hooded on a stage in front of a crowd of people at Constitution Hall, but actually happened while I sat in the last row of the Rankin Chapel Sunday service at Howard. From this seat, I gathered lessons that serendipitously helped me conclude this seven-day rite of passage.
Ultimately, I learned that I can bring back my smile; I don't have to smile about where I am, but I can smile about seeing myself beyond where I currently find myself. I can be thankful even when God doesn't change everything in my life; sometimes I can see my trials as complements from a God who trusts that I can be given any circumstance and will still bless the Creator in the midst of my troubles. I know that life's challenges can also be an opportunity to demonstrate perseverance; by faith I can rest assured that God will walk me all the way through these tough times to something good.
While my 7 days are ending, I know that the true test will begin tomorrow. How will I use what I've learned to face the days ahead? How much will I enact and manifest all of the wisdom and power God has shared with me from this point on?
My prayer is that the remainder of this journey will be able to capture how my newly charged spirit will change the trajectory of my life. I now truly know that I have choice in the matter, and I know that I will always have God in the equation.
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