12th Anniversary of “My Life, My World, My Truth”

This month marks the 12th anniversary of the publication of my first book, “My Life, My World, My Truth.” To celebrate this, here are 12 things you may not know about me:

1) “My Life, My World, My Truth” is a collection of poems I wrote over the course of about 14 – 15 years.

2) A large chunk of the poems in the book were written while I was in college and law school.

3) I have a songwriting credit on an interlude titled, “Possessions.” Alexei did this whole album while we were in our first year in law school. #HUSL #Section3

4) I’ve been a vegetarian since August 2007. So, it is also the 15th anniversary of me being a vegetarian.

5) I am a vegetarian who does not like mushrooms.

6) I studied Japanese from the 6th grade through college. I still have many of my Japanese language books. The Japanese writing in the 5th pic is from my high school Japanese teacher, Mr. Sokoloff. It reads, “Jeison Kun Yoku ganbarimashita! Sokorofu Sensei” “Jeison” is the phonetic reading of my first name in Japanese in Katakana writing. Kun is kind of an informal/semi-formal way to address a young male. So, instead of using “san,” like “Daniel-san,” he used kun. “Yoku ganbarimashita!” invokes encouragement. The verb “ganbaru” roughly means to persevere, to do your best.

7) My second book, “Reflections in the Sun…” was never meant to be a book of love poems. I just found myself having written a lot of love poems at one time, so the few non-love poems I had written did not make sense to squeeze into the book.

8) The person on the cover of my first book is not me. That’s a stock photo.

9) The person on the cover of the second book is me. That is a self-portrait titled, “Bare.”

10) Around 2007-ish I used to spend many Friday evenings at Mocha Hut (which is now gone) on U Street performing at an open mic called, “The Front Porch.” I wrote a few Haikus that are in my first book while waiting to be called up to perform.

11) I actually got to guest host “The Front Porch” once when the original host relocated.

12) I was an editor for an online arts magazine called, “SpitFire! Magazine” back in 2008.

Black Resistance and the National Anthem

I have said on more than one occasion that African Americans have nothing to prove when it comes to love of the United States of America. Absolutely nothing. Whether a Black person’s family has several generations in this country or are first generation Americans, Black people have their different stories and our own unique reasons for loving America and why it belongs to us as much as anyone. However, it has annoyed me that some folks continue to use words like “disloyal” to describe the athletes protesting during the national anthem. I also find it disgusting when people react to these protesters by saying that if these athletes don’t want to respect the flag and the national anthem, they should go to another country, particularly a country that doesn’t have the “freedoms” we have in this country.

First of all, unless you have never read a damn history book in your life, you know that African Americans have a “complicated” history with America. That history has remained complicated for the last few centuries, even with a Black president. Secondly, how dare you have the flipping nerve to tell Black people about freedom in America? The only reason that America can boast about freedom and justice for all is because of the tireless efforts of Black folks and other “minorities” risking their lives and their children’s lives to PROTEST for freedom, justice, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” The freedoms in this country obviously didn’t come right away for Black people.

Colin Kaepernick kneeling during the national anthem with teammate, Eric Reid.

What good was the 1^st Amendment freedom of speech, religion, assembly and the press when, at the time of this nation’s founding, it was illegal for Black people to read or write, and Black people could be whipped and/or killed for criticizing a white man/woman or for walking outside of the property lines of a plantation or gathering with other Black people without the permission of a white person?

What good was the 4^th, 5^th, 6^th and 8^th Amendments guaranteeing the right to be safe from unreasonable search and seizure, and the right to due process, and the right to a speedy criminal trial in front of a jury of your peers, and the right to be safe from cruel and unusual punishment when Black people, from the days of enslavement right through the 1960s, would be dragged out of their homes or police stations or jails and be hung, burned alive or mutilated (or all three at the same time) for being *accused* of crimes? And many of these incidents did not involve actual “crimes”, they could be for looking at a white person the “wrong” way or for whistling at a white woman. The remains of these Black bodies would then be collected as trinkets and souvenirs like the body parts of a hunted animal. And of course, no white person would be convicted, or even charged, for these heinous acts.

Freedom? You want to talk about freedom? Black men had the right to vote in 1870 (women in 1920), but didn’t have the freedom to vote until 1965.

This country has never progressed without purposeful, uncomfortable, and in-your-face protests and rebellion. Black people have usually been on the right side of history when we tell the world that America is not living up to its ideals of freedom and justice for all. Black people have lead the way in rebelling against injustice on this land since before there was a United States. This moment and movement is no different. I will not lose any sleep about protesting a national anthem written by a “slave” owner who could not seem to fathom that enslaved people would dare take up arms for England to get freedom and “betray” the hypocritical nation that legalized their bondage.

Freedom does not come to people sitting back and waiting for it. Immigrant rights, women’s rights, and LGBTQ rights have only come through long battles of protest. If folks don’t like seeing Black people protest, then just say that. Don’t tell people that you “understand the cause, but you don’t agree with the method.” When we march and chant, “no justice, no peace”, you don’t like it. When we block the highways, you don’t like that. When we silently take a knee or sit down when the anthem is being played, you don’t like that either. So, we just won’t care what you like. We will demand and love justice in spite of your feelings.

On Remembering Amiri Baraka

I remember when Amiri Baraka came to Syracuse University for a lecture. It was a big deal that he was coming, and many students realized this. The place was packed and we were hanging on every word he spoke. This was also the first time I heard him perform his poem, “Somebody Blew Up America.” This poem was written in the aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001. The poem was pure fire! There was obvious controversy, but no one dared say anything to him that night. Baraka was unapologetic anyway… as always.

When I wrote “Can a Poem Kill?” back in my senior year of college, there were three artists who I cited as my influences for that poem: Nikki Giovanni, Audre Lorde, and Amiri Baraka. Without artists like Amiri Baraka, other artists would not have a framework to create art that could speak unapologetic truth to power. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to meet him for the brief moment we shared that evening all those years ago.

Rest Peacefully, Amiri Baraka.

For more on Amiri Baraka’s legacy, check out this article on NPR: Amiri Baraka’s Legacy Both Controversial And Achingly Beautiful

“12 Years a Slave” and Where Do We Go From Here?

Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in “12 Years a Slave”

I finally saw “12 Years a Slave” last weekend and I thought it was an excellent film. In fact, I thought it was brilliant. Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’O should receive every award and accolade for their amazing performances. Additionally, Steve McQueen will have a good shot at receiving a number of awards for “Best Director.”

With all of that being said, there has been some criticism of the film. Now, the film is not completely perfect. There could have been a little more in the movie about Solomon Northrup’s life before being kidnapped into slavery, and there are other complaints about the film that may indeed be valid. However, one of the more enduring criticisms is not about the quality of the film, but more about “12 Years a Slave” being another film about slavery.

Often the retort to this criticism is that Jewish Americans don’t complain about how many films are about the Holocaust of Jews in Nazi Germany. In fact, another film that premiered this month is “The Book Thief,” which is another film that takes place during the Holocaust. There seem to be very few Jewish folks coming out asking “why do we need another movie about the Holocaust?” Well, you probably haven’t heard anyone ask that question. There have been a lot of movies about the Jewish Holocaust, and the Holocaust lasted for several years. There haven’t been nearly as many films about the enslavement of Africans in the Americas, even though that lasted two and a half centuries. The reasons for the differences of how Jewish people and African Americans view their respective Holocausts probably deserve a much longer and thorough thesis, but it is a very interesting contrast that I will have to save for another time.

Stars of “12 Years a Slave” Chiwetel Ejiofor and Lupita Nyong’O, and director Steve McQueen.

In many ways, “12 Years a Slave” suffers from the recent success of “Django Unchained,” which was a movie that claimed to be about African American enslavement, but the only people who received any accolades for the film were the white writer/director, Quentin Tarantino, and the white supporting actors Christoph Waltz and Leonardo DiCaprio.  Though it received critical acclaim, “Django” left a bad taste in the mouths of many African American filmgoers for a number of reasons, including the film’s senseless violence and its liberal use of the “N-word.”

So then the question becomes, if we are concerned about too many films about slavery, where do we go from here? Because it is not just the movies about slavery that are bothering people, it is also the movies that have Black people starring as domestics. Think about it for a second; in the last three years or so, the movies with Black main characters that have garnered so much attention have been about a maid (“The Help”), a spaghetti western posing as a movie about slavery (“Django Unchained”), and a butler in the White House (“The Butler”).  However, there were several really good movies that premiered this year with Black cast members and Black filmmakers that have nothing to do with slavery or Black domestics, but have not been shown on as many theaters. Movies like “Fruitvale Station,” “Free Angela Davis and All Political Prisoners,” “An Oversimplification of Her Beauty,” and “Middle of Nowhere,” which was written, directed and co-produced by Ava DuVernay, who recently directed the eighth episode of the hit television drama, “Scandal.”

With the rise of social media and the independence that it brings with getting work to audiences, as well as providing avenues for fund-raising for small budget films, there will be many opportunities for Black filmmakers to make quality films. However, it will be up to audiences to do more than complain about there being another film about slavery or Black domestics. We will have to support those works that show the diversity of Black life from the Black writer, director or producer point of view.  Until then, films about Black life will be about how others view Black life or how others are comfortable viewing Black life. That will be a disservice to the many talented Black artists out there who are producing quality work.

On another note, how no one has asked why there will be another Madea movie (“Madea’s Christmas”) is beyond me. However, I digress.

Inside “My Life, My World, My Truth”

As of last week, my first book of poetry, My Life, My World, My Truth has been available for purchase on Authorhouse.com. I have been dreaming of my poetry being published for years and had been editing and writing this book since early 2008. Over the last couple of years, I wasn’t sure when I would finish the book. I had made my deposit for the book to be published in late 2007, not having any idea of how much material I had to publish. The Author House representative told me not to worry because he had a writer pay for a book and come back five years later with his finished product. Thankfully, I didn’t take that long.

There were a few times when I had to stop for a few months because of work and other responibilities. Plus, some of the poems were just difficult to get through because I remember many of the emotions I was going through at the time of their creation (especially the love poems). So, it took a while to get it right and ready for the world. I finished my manuscript first draft in February and finalized the manuscript in April. Thereafter, I had to figure out my ideas for the cover art and approve the final galley. Everything went to print in mid-July.

Below is a list of the poems in the book with the original date that they were written. Some of the poems in the book were changed a lot from the original pieces. However, most of the poems are very similar to their original versions.

I. Butterscotch & Now-and-Laters

We the Poets  – pg.1 (2005)

Sun Journal – pg. 2 (2000)

Jayku (Ode to the Dance) – pg.3 (2006)

I Am Africa (I Am the Motherland) – pg.4 (2002)

Haiku – pg. 6 (2006)

Follicle – pg. 7 (2007)

Haiku – pg. 8 (2006)

NGBA (No Good Brothas Available) – pg. 9 (2007)

Haiku – pg. 11 (2006)

I am Going to Fly Today – pg. 12 (2007)

Word Life – pg. 13 (2006)

The Truth – pg. 14 (2004)

Harm/Harmless – pg. 15 (2002)

Haiku – pg. 16 (2006)

I Want to Cry Today – pg. 17 (2001)

Why? – pg. 18 (2007)

Isn’t it strange? – pg. 19 (1997)

Haiku – pg. 20 (2007)

Haiku – pg. 21 (2007)

The Tragic Negro – pg. 22 (2005) 

Haiku – pg. 23 (2006)

Moody Artist Rains – pg. 24 (2008)

Haiku  – pg. 25 (2006)

They Never Told Me…  – pg. 26 (2001)

Hazy Moon – pg. 27 (2006)

Anniversary (9/11… ’02) – pg. 28 (2002)

Playas, Pimps, and Posers – pg. 30 (2005)

It’s a Black Woman’s World – pg. 31 (1999)

Nothing Nothings – pg. 32 (2008)

I Can Fly Higher Now – pg. 33 (2001)

On Gorgeous Day – pg. 34 (2009)

Butterscotch & Now-and-Laters – pg. 35 (2005)

II. Scorpio: Love Poems and Not-So-Ordinary Love Poems

Ode to the Sister I Saw on the Train Last Week – pg. 39 (2001)

Soul Mate – pg. 40 (2004)

Beautiful One: a goodbye letter – pg. 41 (2007)

Seasons Change – pg. 42 (2007)

Haiku Raw #1 – pg. 44 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 45 (2006)

Sensual – pg. 46 (2003)

Queen – pg. 47 (1999)

Haiku (for Tupac Amaru Shakur) – pg. 48 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 49 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 50 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 51 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 52 (2006)

Trust Love  – pg. 53 (2010)

Shortly – pg. 54 (2007)

A Poem for Kendrah D. – ‘Get Familiar’ – pg. 55 (2007)

Conversations – pg. 56 (2006)

Yo’ Chocolate – pg. 57 (2009)

Renaissance Woman – pg. 58 (2008)

Haiku – pg. 59 (2006)

Sensual pt. 2 – pg. 60 (2007)

Haiku (for Kelechi) – pg. 61 (2006)

Haiku (for Kayonia) – pg. 62 (2006)

Stand in Your Truth (LaTesha’s poem) – pg. 63 (2008)

Shining Star (Jada’s poem) – pg. 64 (2008)

Haiku – pg. 65 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 66 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 67 (2006)

You Are – pg. 68 (2002)

Khrishnuku – pg. 69 (2006)

Haiku -pg. 70 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 71 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 72 (2006)

Sweet Melody – pg. 73 (2009)

Haiku Raw #2 – pg. 74 (2006)

The Other Man – pg. 75 (2005)

Haiku – pg. 76 (2006)

Haiku – pg. 77 (2006)

No More Mister Love Poem – pg. 78 (2002)

Haiku (for the single mother) – pg. 79 (2009)

A Promise to my Future Child – pg. 80 (1998)

I have a new story to tell (Sio’bhan’s poem) – pg. 81 (2008)

Haiku – pg. 82 (2007)

Scorpio – pg. 83 (2009)

III Can a Poem Kill AND Give Life [?]

Can a Poem Kill? – pg. 87 (2001)

Reality Check – pg. 88 (2003)

Haiku – pg. 92 (2006)

My Revolution Has a Cause – pg. 93 (2002)

Haiku – pg. 95 (2006)

Put on Your Glasses for ‘07 – pg. 96 (2007)

Practicality – pg. 97 (2004)

Haiku – pg. 98 (2007)

SLAVE TO REALITY – pg. 99 (2006)

Sellouts with Guns – pg. 101 (2007)

Haiku (for the “Jena 6”) – pg. 102 (2007)

What it is – pg. 103 (2001)

Don’t Wanna be Scared of Brothas – pg. 104 (2006)

Corporate Sponsored Revolutions – pg. 106 (2006)

The Realness – pg. 107 (1998)

Haiku (for Obama) – pg. 110 (2010)

Contemplate – pg. 111 (2002)

Uncle Dubya’ – pg. 112 (2007)

Stand Up – pg. 114 (2004)

Haiku – pg. 115 (2010)

On November 2008 – pg. 116 (2008)

Blasphemy – pg. 118 (2003)

Haiku  – pg. 121 (2010)

Dream – pg. 122 (2003)

Haiku – pg. 124 (2010)

Toussaint’s People – pg. 125 (2010)

Poet-economics – pg. 126 (2009)

The Last Poem – pg. 129 (2008)

Oscar Grant and LeBron James – News of the Night

Oscar Grant, 22 year old, fatally shot by BART police officer, Johannes Mehserle, in Oakland, California.

It’s a shame that one of the more important news stories of the year is overshadowed by one of the most over-hyped moments in sports history. Tonight, a jury in Los Angeles convicted former BART officer, Johannes Mehserle, of involuntary manslaughter for shooting and killing Oscar Grant on a train platform. The video of this incident was viewed on the internet over and over again on YouTube, and for many viewers, it seemed like an easy determination that officer Mehserle clearly took out his gun, pulled the trigger and recklessly killed Grant. However, the jury determined that Mehserle involuntarily took Grant’s life, thinking he was shooting his Taser gun instead of his firearm. As an added bit of drama to this case, many activists are wondering why the 12 person jury did not have any African American jurors, though there were four Hispanics and one person of East Indian decent; the other seven being caucasian. This result reminds many African Americans about the other major police brutality cases of the last twenty years, with names that ring loudly in the “halls of injustice”: Rodney King, Abner Louima, Amadou Diallo, Sean Bell, and now Oscar Grant. Many African Americans are left to wonder what value do their lives have in this society when police officers continue to get away with these abuses of the members of the community. What will actually come of the rage and despair? We will soon find out.

In contrast to the Oscar Grant story, the nation was captivated by where LeBron James was going to choose to play basketball next season. He scheduled a one-hour program on ESPN to announce that he would be playing with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Miami Heat. Now, clearly this could have been done in a ten-minute press conference and saved all the dramatic commercial break teasers for the next season of “CSI.” However, that’s not what happened here because LeBron wanted to have the spotlight on him. He wanted it to be the event of the summer… almost like a blockbuster movie being debuted on basic cable.

Lebron James from his televised announcement, “The Decision”

Even though I think this was extremely unnecessary, there was some importance in the event. I just do not think it was enough to overshadow a major decision in the criminal justice system in America and the city of Los Angeles, California in particular, which has not had a murder conviction of a police officer in a police shooting case since 1983.[1] Sports will always be important in the world. It is one of the few things that can immediately bring people together or tear them apart. We saw this with the run that Ghana had in the World Cup tournament of soccer this summer. Ghana brought the whole continent of Africa behind them. In fact, maybe the whole African Diaspora was behind Ghana… because of a sport. Nelson Mandela always talked about this phenomena, and this was part of the story behind the movie “Invictus.” So, I can’t be mad that LeBron’s decision was a big story in this country, and possibly the world, because sports can do that, it can capture the attention of the entire globe.

With that said, I have a few words on LeBron’s decision to leave Cleveland for warmer pastures in Miami. I cannot blame him that much. LeBron did as well as any athlete could do for one team. He frankly never had a good enough team to win the big trophy. Even with that said, he was able to win two NBA MVP’s, lead a team with the best record in the NBA twice, and have some of the most impressive statistical seasons since Magic, Jordan and Oscar Robertson. However, he could not get over the hump, and in some ways, I think he felt like he had reached a ceiling with the Cavs. Additionally, the Cavs had done nothing to prove that they could break through that ceiling if LeBron resigned with them… they still had a barely average team of supporting cast members. Remember, Magic had Worthy and Kareem; Jordan had Pippen, Grant, Armstrong, then Kukoc, Rodman and Kerr. LeBron had… Mo Williams, who could do no mo’ once the team got to the playoffs. So, he went to Miami to have a chance to play with Wade and Bosh… to be the new triple threat of the league. Whether that will work or not still remains to be seen. Egos will have to take a backseat, and with this hour-long special, LeBron has shown he has quite the ego. I am heartbroken for the people of Cleveland – they lost their hometown hero. However, it was almost like LeBron decided it was time to move out of his childhood house and go out on his own, just like many twenty-somethings do everyday in this country. Finally, with all that is going on in the world, it is hard to say that people should feel like they have to tune into the heavy news of the day. People do want to have their escape time, and LeBron provided that, because even people who normally have no interest in basketball tuned in to this program. I am sure ESPN is thankful for the program because that was the closest thing to having a Superbowl like audience for a program on their network. Nevertheless, we cannot get so lost in escapism that we forget about the things that really affect our lives. Oscar Grant lost his life for no reason. There wasn’t even a reason for Mehserle to even take out his Taser, forget the gun. Grant was face down on the ground with his hands behind his back. Cuff him and be done with it. It’s a shame, but that’s the news of the night.

Former BART officer Johannes Mehserle, right, appears in a 2009 file photo. (Cathleen Allison / Associated Press)

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1. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-bart-verdict-20100709,0,4753049.story.