Crying out Loud; Our HUMAN Right

I have been sitting with this Reflection for some time. There was and still is a lot of feeling behind it. I said it would be a busy year but it is feeling like a busy, painful year of situations and incidents that scream, What is going on?

We have the right to be treated as human beings, to not be judged while shopping or walking. I have been reflecting a lot on this statement and would like to share my thoughts out loud with you. We are now faced with the “Hoodie” becoming the symbol of walking while Black. What is next my Peoples?

We are critical of other countries and how they treat their citizens yet we are in a crisis. Racism is being defined by those who have power and control. We need to cry out loud and speak our truth.

While talking to Brandi about this, she shared something her Professor said in class. “We are still fighting a Civil War.” My initial reaction was; that is deep. I then went back and read some information on the Civil War to understand why that statement made so much sense to me and how it truly applies to what we are facing today. Here is what I found and what I think speaks to today.

“Lincoln said, "This question of Slavery was more important than any other; indeed, so much more important has it become that no other national question can even get a hearing just at present."

“Southern concerns included not only economic loss but also fears of racial equality(1-4)The Texas Declaration of Causes for Secession( 5-6)said that the non-slave-holding states were "proclaiming the debasing doctrine of equality of all men, irrespective of race or color", and that the African race "were rightfully held and regarded as an inferior and dependent race". Alabama secessionist E. S. Dargan warned that whites and free blacks could not live together; if slaves were emancipated and remained in the South, "we ourselves would become the executioners of our own slaves. To this extent would the policy of our Northern enemies drive us; and thus would we not only be reduced to poverty, but what is still worse, we should be driven to crime, to the commission of sin.” (7)

It’s in our face! You cannot ignore it or run away from it. Just when I was hoping a shift was coming, I read the tweets about the movie Hunger Games.

"why does rue have to be black gonna lie kinda ruined the movie."

"Kk call me racist but when I found out rue was black her death wasn't as sad."

"Awkward moment when Rue is some black girl and not the little blonde innocent girl you picture."
Come on now, what is going on?

In preparing to participate in a conference focused on the Human Rights work of the Network of Afrolatinamerican, Afrocaribbean and the Diaspora, I am having a difficult time focusing on Latin America because I am distracted by all the violations we are seeing here today. What happens here sets a tone and extends to other places. Are we being hypocritical?

A few months ago I wrote about protecting our young boys of color, now the nation is hurting from the shooting of a young boy of color. We are feeling it my peoples! If you have a young boy of color in your home, family, community, we are looking at them and saying, “Be safe.”

It has hit close to home as I have a 10 year old nephew who is bright and curious. My sister shared with me that she has a picture of Christiaan on her desk. The pain we are all feeling for Treyvon led her to place a picture of him with Christiaan. A co-worker walked by her desk and said, “Wow, Christiaan has really grown, he looks good.” Michele said, “That is not Christiaan, look closer.” He then said, wow, and walked away.

Why am I not surprised and why do I think we are facing dangerous, painful times? I have not shared this with many, not even those in my inner circle. Less than a year ago, I found myself in a very painful, scary situation.

I was standing at a corner waiting to cross the street. While standing there two white men in a car, decided to yell the N word at me. They went on to say, “Get out, the country is falling apart because of people like you.” Immigrants suck” I stood there in shock.

I began saying to myself, “I know things like this happen but why now, why me. I started looking at myself, is there something I have on that caught their eye? My hair, my clothes, what? It is important to note that this was in a predominant white community.

In that moment, I was angry. As I crossed the street, they continued their bantering. When I finally got to the other side, I turned around shacking and said, “You have no right to speak to me that way.” I saw the expression on these two men faces and for the first time, I felt physically scared.

So in sharing this I say; I am not surprised at the state of the world and daily violations of our HUMAN Right.

To walk with a “hoodie” over your head, to act in a movie, to stand at a corner, where is the cry for our HUMAN Right?

There is a lot of anger in the air. Where and how do we begin to heal? Can we truly heal in the state we are in? We are living in a society where a victim becomes a perpetrator in minutes.

As I shared in the reflection about protecting our young boys of color, whatever Treyvon did in the past in no way justifies being shot down.

They are so many areas of concern in this case but today, I will stand on the side of our HUMAN Right to be treated with dignity and respect. We should be able to walk free, dress however we want and express our talent.

I brought this conversation to the young women of the HER Project. They were engaged and clear in knowing one thing, the cards are stacked up against them. They already feel that things in our society are not fair and that it is a black and white state of mind.

It was very sad to hear but it was good to give them the opportunity to speak out loud and share their pain. We decided we would do something that would speak to the injustice and that although we cannot speak for all, we would do something to begin the healing in our community. I am proud of them for speaking up and hoping to move forward which is what I am hoping we can all do.

This thought came to me on Friday, “We have to be grounded in who we are, know our worth. Knowing this will build an awareness of what role that plays in society. This becomes important when someone pulls the rug from under you, brings tears to your eyes by their need to treat you less than human or call you anything but Queen or King. When that moments comes, stand strong, breath to bring the ancestor light into your being then open your eyes and say, I am a Black man- I am a Black woman in the Americas.”

I close with the words on Martin Luther King on the anniversary of his assassination, “The sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality.”

Spring is here familia. It is a time for growth and transition. May the sun shine in our hearts and expand our minds. May we find ways to heal our internal landscape and may that extend itself into our community garden.

Peace and Blessings,

Yvette





1.John Townsend, The Doom of Slavery in the Union, its Safety out of it, October 29, 1860.2. McPherson, Battle Cry, p. 243. 3. David Potter, The Impending Crisis, p. 461.4.William C. Davis, Look Away, pp. 130–140- 5. William W. Freehling, The Road to Disunion, p. 42. 6. A Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union, February 2, 1861 – A declaration of the causes which impel the State of Texas to secede from the Federal Union. 7. Winkler, E. "A Declaration of the Causes which Impel the State of Texas to Secede from the Federal Union.". Journal of the Secession Convention of Texas. http://avalon.law.yale.edu/19th_century/csa_texsec.asp. Retrieved October 16, 2007.

Amierdaca, What Kinda Country Is YOU?: A “Black Every Day” reflection by Sese of Treble Army

Amierdaca, What Kinda Country Is YOU?: A “Black Every Day” reflection by Sese of Treble Army

“You sound like you from the country.”

Without having rapped a single word, this was the first reaction to what I had to say in Boston. A young sister from a class at English High was referring to my accent in the middle of a conversation I was starting about the erasure of our people's memory. I prefer having this particular discussion with youth because it brings to light that the United States power structure imposes certain cultural and political puppets onto us as “leaders” (though these puppets have no direct influence on our daily lives except for being on the channel zero media day in and day out) while intentionally repressing the historical and present sisters and brothers who have fought for African liberation through the provision of basic human needs like food, clothing, shelter, medical care, and education.

America, what kinda country is you? What kind of country imprisons, exiles, and murders freedom fighters that implemented free breakfast for children programs, then steals those very same programs and renames them Head Start, and finally makes the heirs to the freedom struggle (African youth) see the true freedom fighters as somehow “bad” and “violent” as you drown them in Wendy Williams?

Amierdaca, that's who.

The conversation at English High got real when we weaved into the subject of Tupac Shakur, which catapulted us into a discussion of his mother Afeni and her Black Panther comrade, Assata Shakur. Assata's story resonated with these young sisters, and they came to not only identify with her story of revolutionary action, underground existence, and exile, but they also defended her and stated that they would never tell on her for the U.S. government, no matter how high the reward. When asked why they are not told about sisters like Assata by mainstream media and institutions, one of the students pointed out that, “'Cause if we knew about her, we'd want to be like her.”

Which is exactly what we need. Those young sisters ARE the ones who must continue the struggle for transformation of the entire society in which we live. And WE, as those with information derived from study and experience, must consistently engage their thoughts and actions towards that end. (I would first suggest we develop a semester-long curriculum that starts with the work of Assata Shakur and Safiya Bukhari, and expand from there.)

As time inched closer to the event, a train ride turned into a shouting match between a high-school age African brother and a 50-something white dude, which then devolved into fisticuffs, which immediately deteriorated into a contest of who could hug the other in the most hateful way. Others on the train might have characterized it as a fight. Scenes like this are multi-layered, but for me emphasized two things that I'll cite here: an oppressor-imposed meaning of manhood that causes males to view life in terms of aggression and empty terms like “respect/disrespect” (concluding in a U.S. empire built on hyper-aggression viz a viz land theft, mass genocide, enslavement of people, patriarchal subjugation of women, normalization of physical violence in the mass media and social life, military conquest domestically and abroad, etc.), and the larger twist that we are all in: fighting each other in horizontal skirmishes while fat cat oppressors who control our survival and perception sit on high on Wall Street balconies, Pentagon swivel chairs, and Tinseltown boardroom conference seats just laughing at us.

America, what kinda country is you? What kind of country inculcates violence in its population in service of capitalist domination, using the male species as its foremost vehicle for the physical manifestation of this violence to the detriment of all? What kind of country revels in how much people can hurt, destroy, and dispossess others who are just as enslaved to the pay-to-live standard of dying as they are? Amierdaca, that's who.

But, no need for defeatism, for some of the seeds to the neccesary restructuring of Amierdaca find fertile ground in intimate spaces of productive learning and mutual exchange of experience, such as the Black Every Day event. Community folks of all ages came out, and through poetry and music we all elevated expectations of ourselves and the work that must be done daily to change conditions and relationships on this planet from exploitation to sustainability.

Keeping ourselves to this standard will ensure our victory over the forces of global domination. And we will be the ones who decide, Amierdaca, what kinda country you is.

Or ain't.

Treble Army is comprised of Latido and Sese. Latido handles engineering, mixing, recording, and production. Sese produces and raps. The group has been making music since 2007, and their formal releases include The Recruitment (2010) and Amierdaca (2012). Our music is a weapon in service of people's liberation from imperialist hegemony and all the oppression that grows from that. Our responsibility is to agitate our people towards decisive actions that will release us all from the capitalist terror we endure daily.

For more exposure to Treble Army:

Amierdaca album online (full listen, one free download): http://bit.ly/yTgTpu
iTunes link: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/amierdaca/id499071750
Amazon link: http://amzn.to/ArKtD4
YouTube page: www.youtube.com/sesetreblearmy
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Treble-Army/301326787502
Good ol' email (general inquiries, booking, etc.): treblearmy@hotmail.com
Site: www.treblearmy.com

If you like what you hear, please write a review of our music on any of the sites you visit. And, without hesitation, please spread the word about our music. Look out for the Amierdaca DVD including music videos for every song from the album coming soon!

An Afro-Latina experience in Cartagena, Colombia and flying Avianca in Business Class

My reflections are inspired by real stories, real incidents. We are a few days away from our Black History Month event, BLACK EVERY DAY!!

The name was inspired by reflecting on the year that was assigned and the month given, we as people of African descent, Black Peoples, cannot choose to ignore our blackness and the positive and negative incidents that come along.

I was going to write something after our event but then my sister shared this with me. My sister’s experience speaks to the theme of our event. We can do our best to go through the day without over thinking our every move and the reactions to our presence. Yet, moments like these come up and as you will see from my sister’s experience, in her own words, it shakes you to your core and you cannot help but feel the pain. I kept it raw because it speaks to the emotions of the moment. She began to write this immediately after the incident on the flight. A true Modestin moment, I am so proud of her!!!

An Afro-Latina experience in Cartagena, Colombia and flying Avianca in Business Class

I had been planning this trip for months. I was invited to attend the wedding of a dear colleague. I knew it would be a trip filled with dancing and relaxation. I had business class seating so I knew it would be a comfortable flight.

WHOA!!!!!! My trip from NYC to Bogota left at 1pm. For those of you that don’t know me, I’m very vain when it comes to my hair:) On the early morning trip, I wrapped my hair. Upon my arrival to Bogota, I revealed my long shoulder length un-relaxed hair. At this point, the flight attendant gave me the acceptance look.

Bogota was the first place I have visited, that upon arrival, I was addressed in Spanish without hesitation. I guess my natural blown out hair made me look Latina. The city of Cartagena was just wonderful. The people are very helpful and forthcoming. I stayed with some of my co-workers at a bed and breakfast called Hotel Casa La Fe. It was a very quaint hotel with a great staff. The two days of partying leading up to the weeding day were marvelous. It is important to mention that I was the only Afro-Latina attending all the events.

On Sunday, afternoon, I began my trip back home. I took a flight from Cartagena to Bogota. I had a seven hour layover in Bogota. My co-worker and I toured the city. It was a great seven hours. Finally time to board the plane home.

I was assigned seat 5J. I thought I was in the correct seat until the flight attendant came to inform me that I was in the wrong seat. The woman assigned to seat 5K, choose to not ask me to move seats; she went to get the flight attendant. The person in 5K could not wait for me to move to seat 5J. When I got up to move and trying to get my bag , the woman decided to throw her bag over to her assigned seat. I guess she wanted to make a point that that was her seat. She seemed very annoyed about me sitting next to her. She huffed and puffed when taking out the bed.


The flight attendant at this point was also being very racist. As we prepared for takeoff, the flight attendant proceeded to ask everyone for their coats, so she could hang them up. I waited for her to come to me. She never did. I had to ask her to hang my coat.

The next revealing incident was around drinks. I had an aisle seat. Why are you offering a drink to the person sitting in the window seat first? Is it protocol or is it another racist act?

Finally, the captain announced that we were arriving to NYC. The woman in 5K decided to get up and get her overhead luggage. The luggage sounded heavy. The flight attendant came to her aid. I moved my head because I felt that the luggage could fall. Nor the woman or the flight attendant seemed worried. She spent the entire flight huffing and puffing. We finally exit the plane. Yeah!!!!

You might be asking yourself, what did I say or do. I said nothing and did nothing. I knew that if a ruckus had occurred, it would have been the “Negritas” fault. It is bothersome to me that in 2012, White Latinos still live by an entitled mindset with slave mentality. I have the right to be in business class. I have the right to travel with comfort. They were empty seats, she could have moved. Instead, she decides to make this one of the most uncomfortable flight I have ever taken. This painful experience will also be a reminder that we can hope to move with ease but they are those who move with negative and hateful intentions.

Peace
Michele

Protecting Our Young Men of Color: In the Spirit of MLK

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that” Martin Luther King Jr.

Peace my Peoples. This is truly a moment of thinking out loud and releasing it on paper. I move in the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

I thought my next Reflection for 2012 would be light and uplifting. The fact that I am already writing one means we will have a very interactive year.

I find the timing of this reflection necessary as I think MLK Day should be about how far have we come and where are we going.

This incident has stayed with me and the only way I know to release it, is to share it with you.

On Tuesdays I am at the high school for our HER Project. I try to leave sooner than when all the youth are at the train station. We can all say it, it gets loud and at times there is a tone of disrespect.

A few years back there was a report that youth of color feel harassed and profiled by the Transit Police. I brought this issue to the girls and I found that all agreed with the report. They even acknowledged that sometimes they are not at their best and the exchange gets intense.

In knowing this, on Tuesday as I entered the station, I smiled as I saw a group of young men of color just having fun. They were laughing and their spirits seemed so light. They were “jiving” and making fun of one of their friends.

Immediately after seeing this joyful visual, I saw a Transit Police officer walk closer to them and yell, “Get down to the platform”. The young men began to move right away. I thought, Oh good, nothing is going to happen.

I then look around and the officer follows them to the platform. We all arrive at the platform at the same time and the young men keep talking and laughing. The officer then begins harassing them, “Yeah, I’m watching you. I’m waiting for you to make the wrong move.” I am saying to myself, this is not ok.

One of the young men turns around and makes eye contact with the officer. The officer then begins to embarrass him, “I’m going to pull you by your ponytail and drag you out on your tippy toes.”

Why is he doing this? Why is he trying to create a bad situation? I then make eye contact with the young man and say, “please turn around, mira hacia el frente, no lo mires.” He listens to me. I then move closer and ask that they all please turn around.

I then walk closer to the officer and say, “This is not necessary. Whatever they have done in the past, whatever you think they have done at all or deserve, they are not doing it in this moment. There is no need to harass them or embarrass them.”

He gives me the deadliest look. His partner who has been standing next to him all along says, “Let’s go before this gets ugly.” I am thinking it is already ugly, he crossed the line.

I know some of you are probably saying, “Yvette has gone crazy.” You are also saying, “Yvette does not know these boys to be defending them.” True, I don’t know their past but it still does not justify such a behavior and No, I am not going crazy. All I was thinking about was the lightness in the spirit of these young men. Witnessing that level of injustice, it was impossible for me to turn the other cheek.

I then get on the train and all the young men, about six of them, sit around me and go onto to share that this happens every day. They share that they don’t respond because they know they would get arrested.

Too many of our young men are incarcerated because of this kind of injustice. If we want them to grow, learn right from wrong, then we as adults cannot behave in the way the officer did. He was misusing his power at the risk of ruining the life of a young man. The sad part also is that I don’t think he knew how to stop himself.

We all get off at the same stop and one of them says to me, “Ms. Thanks for standing up for us.” My heart was heavy and my eyes filled up with tears. It was at that moment that I realized why I wasn’t afraid to say anything or to “protect them.” This could have been my nephews Christiaan and Nicholas having fun with their friends.

My peoples, as we move in the spirit of MLK, let us think about our young men of color who need our support, guidance, wisdom and love. Let us all be a part of the solution. We want to see them graduate from high school and attend college. We want to see them standing strong and speaking their truth.

They are our future and on Tuesday, this special group of beautiful young men made me believe, that their future will be bright.

“Faith is taking the first step when you don’t see the whole staircase." MLK

In the light of justice,
Yvette