Lo siento...por ti

Why is it that we are complacent in a society where we have been socially constructed to accept "Better late than never" as the normal response for gov't phuck ups and their delayed reactions/responses/etc. Then to make matters worse, WE’VE internalized this message and use it to justify our own shortcomings...towards ourselves as well as others.

I guess it's the readings in school, my return back to the city, shit, it could just be me realizing there's only 2 days left in Black History Month that's got me on edge. But damn... Better late than never??????????????

Naw…u gotta come better than that

tell that to the people who were in the Superdome, Convention Center, under their refrigerator in their flooded homes, left in the nursing homes, hospitals, the 9th wd, tell that to the bodies that'll never be found floating in the Mississippi, tell it to that motherless children that are walking around

lost.

While in Costa Rica, I came up with a saying "Lo siento...por ti" translated "I'm sorry...for you (if that’s the way You feel). I'm coming across as "the angry Black woman" right now...and that's cool with me...I AM. I'm tired of the lies and bullshitting that's been going on about my city, even though I tend to sometimes perpetuate em...the truth hurts. Someone asked me about the city the other day and I said, "It's coming along" I had to return to that person 5 minutes later to tell him the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. I heart The Boondocks, and one of my favorite episodes is The Return of the King. The most profound quote from that show was when Huey told MLK that he needed to tell people the truth...and not the pretty truth. the ugly truth that makes people angry and makes them get out and do something (i am sooo paraphrasing).

The truth huh?!?!?!?

Let me say Lo siento...por ti, if you feel that every one of my blogs focuses on the dark side, lack of recovery and negative aspects of New Orleans...that's what I'm living...Everyday!!!!

But let me also say that if I didn't feel I could make a change, I wouldn't be back here...in New Orleans. But in order to rebuild, we must continue to reveal the harsh realities of racism and classism that Katrina exposed. That's hard...especially when some people think racism is a thing of the black & white pre-technicolor "I have a dream" past, not linking it to the prison industrial complex that is overrepresented by Blacks and Browns especially when Blacks, Browns and whites commit crimes in proportion to their population, or that toxic sites are in majority Black/minority neighborhoods, or when a War on Poverty systematically criminalizes people who have been shut out of the work force due to the deindustrialization, or the outsourcing of jobs etc...just to name of a few of the ways that the prejudice and racism of the jim/jane crow era has reinvented itself to the institutionalized racism of today.

Vacation is over...time for da grind to commence

I've been this close:: holds thumb & index finger about a centimeter apart:: from saying one of the best angry quotes of all times:
"Die bitch nigga die I hope you bleed a lake
I'ma play x-ray, helpin' y'all see the fake" -Weezy "F" Baby...please say da baby

but I ain't gonna go there. Ain't no need. Just gotta sort through the emotions and make it to the other side of this here dilemma.

Holla!

Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans

It took FOREVER to get to the airport this evening...TRAFFIC ALL through the town.

I shed a tear with a stranger while on the plane. Listen up, don't be fooled and think Katrina was something that happened August 29 2005. Shit is complicated, but I shed a tear over something so simple...the right to return home. Again, don't be fooled because you see the city putting on Mardi Gras...TRUST! If you do your research on who puts on majority of these parades that are a part of PRIVATE organizations who pool from their OWN money...you wouldn't be that suprised to know those are the same people who were/are able to return to New Orleans without the assistance of federal monies. PEOPLE ARE NOT ABLE TO RETURN HOME New Orleans is so much more than the titties and Bourbon st, the french quarter, the multi million dollar homes on st. charles. New Orleans was founded upon a culture different in every aspect, french, catholic, check your slave history, check ya Treme history, check ya jazz history, check ya blues history, etc.

The right/option to return HOME

I've seen this sign all around the city since I've been back



Uh huh, I do...but I don't have to miss here from so far away. I wanna give other people that chance.

And PLEASE understand...there's a 9th ward, downtown, extreme poverty, racism,etc. in your city...What's your Katrina? What are you doing to prevent it from reaching Catagory 5 levels?

Mardi Gras '07

now let me try to get across town to catch my plane...holla!

 

AHh we partied like it was 1999

It was something like a high school reunion last night. 8 years since I've seen most of those people. good times. good memories. eh, good drinks...gasoline lolLOL, i think that really could run in my car

Ah, yesterday coulda lasted forever and it would've been good with me. I chilled and got some me time in.

And last night. Ha! I felt like a local celebrity...and please believe ya girl represented with her A game! shout out to my designer, my makeup artist, my hairstylest and so on and so on

hahahahaha

tony soprano is the king of bacchus (sp? eh, don't feel like lookin it up) this year, i wonder if he'd make me an honorary made chick?!? eh, doesn't hurt ta ask

One more thing before I begin my vaca

HBO documentaries are always on point, When the Levees Broke gave HBO my full loyalty.
Bastards of the Party is no exception

Raised in the Athens Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, Cle "Bone" Sloan was four years old when his father died, and 12 when he became a member of the Bloods. Now an inactive member of the notorious gang, Sloan looks back at the history of black gangs in his city and makes a powerful call for change in modern gang culture with his insightful documentary, BASTARDS OF THE PARTY.

I'm on Vaca(tion)!!!!

*****disclaimer*****
It's been a long semester already and I still got both my jobs (Ima husta...ask about me)! All that being said...I'm resting up tonight, cause starting tomorrow it's gonna be on like a pecan pie on the dessert table at Thanksgiving dinner! YA HEARDS ME!!!!!

And on that note

I'm out!

Once again its on!

The rain was falling and I couldn't see the seasons changing and the vibe slipping off its axis

aka some nickas recognize the light but they can't handle the glare

Intimidation is as double sided as a Sacagawean gold dollar.

But I see how intimidation can be confused with displaced anger from low self esteem.

I refuse to take blame for your misuse of words and your inability to correctly acknowledge and express your feelings.

You're meeting me at the time in my life in which I'm straight with ME. I still got a few hangups and insecurities (who did I steal this line from? eh) but I’m cool with 'em cause 99% still shows me that still have so much to be obtained in that mere 1%

Maybe I'm just like my father...too bold

So I'm known to hop on a plane, throw you the dueces and reveil my location on a casual phone call. Saying all this I am a regular on the following sites: kayak.com, jetblue, southwest and ticketmaster...in no particular order.

After much excitement over Prince's gangstarism during the Super Bowl halftime show (and NO, I am no bandwagon fan, I came outta da womb on Prince's Controversy) Ooh, long story short. I was on ticketmaster.com peeping the shows at 3121 and found the following:


Look For PRINCE : Live in concert at 3121 Tickets

Additional Information: IMPORTANT : Doors open at 10:00pm Prince does not have a scheduled time that he will perform.This is a GA show. No cameras or audio/video recordersUpscale Nightclub attire requiredMust be 21 or older with Photo ID to attend this event.

THIS EVENT IS WILL CALL ONLY * PICKUP YOUR TICKETS DAY OF EVENTAT RIO ALL SUITES HOTEL BOX OFFICE at 3121Only the Card Holder with Photo ID may pickup tickets. Must have credit card used and ALL guests in the party must be therein order to pickup tickets.Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

"no compass comes with this life, just eyes"

I've compromised my sanity for the week for a half day of relaxation. Ah, Mardi Gras Break next week...just enough time to catch up.

I went to a party the other night and felt sorta outta place at first. Was it the fact that I was the only black person there...naw...they were real cool people. But I was the only meateater in the hizzouse, half were vegetarian and the other half were vegans. Deep conversations about their choices, all in which i respect...but damn u Danielle for your visuals!!!! I threw away damn near my entire steak today after thinking bout that Alice Walker, eyelash/eye quote!!!! lol...but not really

The book for the day is...drum roll please...Iron Cages by Ronald Takaki. Republican purification and regeneration through violence...sounds kinda familiar in 2007, considering the fact that these were the words of "our" founding fathers to enforce (with a "new" american confidence) the termination and extinction of Indian tribes


isn't it ironic that R. Kelly would be featured in the Make it Rain Rmx...after all, isn't rain one of the reasons he's facing charges????

i'm just asking



I just can't sync my damn bluetooth with my phone ;-( and i lost my other phone...well, not really lost, but I REALLY can't find it....i promise, I have looked EVERYWHERE!!!!

well my new phone is da ish!! it does everything...even read my blog!!! lol

oh, i said i would take more pics this year...

i made some bbq shrimp last week..BOMB!! Ima fool in the kitchen

Only in New Orleans can you see a parade on your way to walmart

eh, that's a week in my life...or maybe that's all that i can remember

Support Our Troops!!!!!

Well, what if I want to support this one?

A conscious nicka with mac like steve jobs...oooh

unfucwitable.period.

now i got lots-o-reading to do

so i'll holla

Ya girl's doing it real BIG this summer!!!!

Just in case ya'll needed something to get into this weekend

Race, Gender & Class
Annual Conference at New Orleans
February 1-3, 2007

Race, Gender, and Class Solidarity across Borders:
Natural and Social Catastrophes



The 2007 Race, Gender, and Class Annual Conference is co-organized by SUNO RGC Project and ASA SWS Sociologist for Women in Society,
and sponsored by UNO RGC Studies, the Asia Baptist Church at New Orleans, and SUNO Student Government Association


Hurricane Katrina has been called one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history. The aftermath of the storm, however, uncovered human-made disasters of equal magnitude. As the world watched, the economic, political, and social systems of the U.S. were exposed, and amid this chaos glaring questions about race, gender and class inequalities became evident. What were also evident were the efforts of ordinary women and men to rebuild. And natural catastrophes, such as Katrina and the Tsunami – with their televised images of poor people left to fend for themselves provide a reminder that there are still race, gender and class issues in America and around the world, as well as what a vision of what the consequences of such RGC inequality can cause. This conference proposes to examine those issues across borders (U.S, Latin America, Asia…)


The struggle is always there.

It gets discouraging sometimes. It gets very disenchanting sometimes. Some of us are trying to build a society of social justice. We struggle against racial, gender and class inequality, but it seems that our head is going against a concrete wall. It seems to mean nothing … Well, that is the story of life. And the thing that makes us happy is that we can hear a voice crying though the vista of time, saying: “It may not come today or it may not come tomorrow, but it is well that it is within our heart. It’s well that we are trying.” We may not see it. The dream may not be fulfilled, but it’s just good that we have a desire to bring it into reality. It’s well that it’s in our heart.

Adopted and modified by Jean Ait Belkhir from “Unfulfilled Dream,” by Martin Luther King., April 3, 1968, in The Autobiography of Martin Luther King, Jr., edited by C. Canon, 1998, p. 356ff