Tha Artivist: What It Means To Have 'Access' In The 21st Century...

ac⋅cess
   /ˈæksɛs/ Show Spelled Pronunciation [ak-ses] Show IPA
–noun
1. the ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use; admittance: They have access to the files.
2. the state or quality of being approachable: The house was difficult of access.
3. a way or means of approach: The only access to the house was a rough dirt road.
4. Theology. approach to God through Jesus Christ.
5. an attack or onset, as of a disease.
6. a sudden and strong emotional outburst.
7. accession.
8. public-access television.
–verb (used with object)
9. to make contact with or gain access to; be able to reach, approach, enter, etc.: Bank customers can access their checking accounts instantly through the new electronic system.
10. Computers. to locate (data) for transfer from one part of a computer system to another, generally between an external storage device and main storage.
–adjective
11. Television. (of programming, time, etc.) available to the public: Six channels now offer access services.

Origin:
1275–1325; ME accesse (< href="http://www.dictionary.com/">Dictionary.com
Unabridged Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.

"Rarely do we find men who willingly engage in hard, solid thinking. There is an almost universal quest for easy answers and half-baked solutions. Nothing pains some people more than having to think." ~Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Access is very important in not only creating opportunities for those who seek them, but for also creating options for a better life that can be enjoyed by all humankind. When people have access regardless of its implications or their occupation/ station in life, they are morally duty bound to use their access to not only benefit themselves, but to empower those who don’t have the access. Access means accountability and when you are accountable you are obligated to do what is fair and just. It is fair and just that everyone has access to a living wage, affordable housing, healthcare, education, a healthy environment and opportunities to give back.

When access is granted or favored to an individual or collective, they must be prepared to work and think hand in hand in order to ensure that they maximize and capitalize off the access to the fullest extent possible. However, access also means that ‘work smarter and not harder’ is the mantra and the law because knowledge applied is power manifested.

When one abuses one’s access it has a butterfly effect on the entire world. Recently, we have witnessed how greed and betrayal can undermine trust and support in the free market system of economics favored by western civilization. We now have a growing poverty class in our country and around the world. The middle class is evaporating because their pay doesn’t match the work and commitment they sometimes make to corporations where higher execs get bonuses whether or not their organizations make a profit or keep from laying off lower level employees. People personally and systemically abuse access when we can live in a country with first rate educational institutions and healthcare and yet many still receive third world educational opportunities and medical access.

To whom much is given much is expected. When one is blessed with access one should be blessed with the spirit of selflessness, compassion and empathy. We all must live, haves as well as have nots & have littles, in this global community together. Access means we should not be afraid of each other, but we should rather celebrate our differences, find solidarity in our similarities and hope in our disagreements. Having access means being diplomatic and thoughtful. Having access means letting others have their say while you attentively listen.

When one truly has access, one’s generosity should be limitless. A true legacy is not what you can empirically acquire and horde for yourself, but what you have done in the service of others. How has your life’s example and lifetime of giving impacted those around you as well as future generations not yet born??? Are you giving more and taking less??? Your legacy determines if you leave the world in a better shape than when you inherited it. Living a life of accessibility should allow you to plant seeds in different climates and environments that will heap bountiful harvests in different seasons. When one enjoys the luxuries of access one must think and act like Johnny Appleseed and not Ebenezer Scrooge.

Access means that it will be in the best interest of all to ensure that humanity has a chance to develop its potential by providing the correct stimulus needed for exceptional achievement and greatness to develop.

Access means we must come face to face with truth and reconciliation. If we are to truly be a more perfect union in terms of humanity then we must all admit to the inhumane treatment suffered in the past as well as presently by diverse members of our human family. We must commit our resources to make sure that these wrongs are righted and that our future generations don’t have to deal with the mess and fall off left by irresponsible and stubborn predecessors.

Access means that we as a society have economic opportunities for those graduating from Yale as well as for those coming home from jail. Access means creating an environment where teaching young people how to channel their passions and talents to become successful is the norm and not the exception. Access means socially engaging and training the people to control their own community’s economic destiny by becoming social entrepreneurs. Everybody should have access to become productive citizens of our society.

Having access means fighting for the things we can’t live without and compromising on the things we can live with. Having access means creating an open and transparent society where trust can be the foundational cement in building pro-active and ethical coalitions that will inspire others to put their best efforts forward and their individual and collective talents to good use for the greater good. Having access means being brutally honest with the person staring back at you in the mirror. Access means focusing on the constructive in constructive criticism. Having access means never resting on your laurels and always being open to evaluation, evolution and innovation, setting the benchmark for others to emulate and eventually break and top. Having access means the last will be first and the first will be last.

I always tell people that the revolution won’t be televised, but it will be blogged, podcasted and broadcasted online. With that said we must take advantage of the internet because it is truly one of the last frontiers in advancing a very humanistic agenda and philosophy. What makes it potent is the access of invaluable and even irrelevant information at a touch of a keypad. However, where it could be useful in terms of disseminating invaluable information, many of us unfortunately use it to produce impotent effects.

When you have access one must be aware of how to use their tools wisely. When you don’t discipline yourself to get the most and best out of your resources than you are truly limiting and marginalizing yourself and the greater world of possibilities that exist for imagination and invention. The internet is a valuable weapon in countering and eliminating the intergenerational divide as well as eliminating poverty of the mind, body and spirit. Those with access must take a proactive approach and lead in distributing this wealth of knowledge to the masses.

I myself have proclaimed the 21st Century to be the century of the cosmopolitan citizen. Our global community is really just that, a community. Technology has made it where talking to people across the oceans and continents is like talking to your next door neighbors in the backyard. With that said it is up to us, those with the access, to initiate a global neighborhood watch where we the people will be held with the duty of safeguarding our resources. We the people will be ethically accountable and responsible for our individual selves as well as for our collective future and destiny.

In conclusion, access means hope, change and opportunity all rolled up into one term: action. It takes action to make access work and make things happen. Noted global citizen and former U.S. President Teddy Roosevelt once said to “do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” So with that said we all must be active in using our access to resources to promote the change and hope we wish to see in the world. Access is not a privilege, it’s a necessity.

Remember The Revolution Won't Be Televised But It Will Be Blogged, Podcasted & Now Broadcasted Online!!!

Artastically, Communally & Revolutionarily Yours,

Tha Artivist
W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Founder and Minister of Information
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe
http://www.youtube.com/weallbetv
http://www.weallbe.blogspot.com

~~~~~~

To see or rather "hear" how far W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio has come please listen to the first broadcast, Jan. 7, 2007:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/01/07/tha-artivist-presents

Also check out how good we were in "2008 a.k.a. The Year Of Citizen Radio":
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2009/01/we-all-be-news-radio-made-2008-year-of.html

~~~~~~
*Support W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio!!!*

The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Needing Funds Drive For W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio Begins...
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-all-be-needing-funds-drive-for-we.html

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Supporting W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News & Radio: Buy Art & Gear For 'The Cause' Today!!!
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2008/12/we-all-be-supporting-we-all-be-news.html

Writing & Living The Time Of Eddie Noel: A Conversation With Allie Povall

 Eddie Noel Was Real!!!

How could a Black man kill 3 white men, elude a 1,000 man posse intent on getting him more dead than alive for 3 weeks in a forest during a harsh winter while never getting caught, being tried and sentenced to death in 1950s Jim Crow Mississippi??? Yes it is a true story!!! Tune in and find out!!! W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV interviewed Bro. Allie Povall, the author of  The Time of Eddie Noel which effectively explores the dynamics behind this incredible but true story which for some reason is not well known in the annals of American Civil Rights and Black histories...Bro. Allie Povall is a native of Holmes County,MS, and was only 12 when the events in the story took place...

#WEALLBETV: The Real Django Unchained & Before Emmett Till: Witnessing The Time Of Eddie Noel With Allie Povall

https://youtu.be/5KVfeKcPC6Q

About "The Time Of Eddie Noel"

 In January 1954, about eighteen months prior to young Emmett Tills' murder and only forty miles away, a young black man named Eddie Noel shot and killed a white honky-tonk operator named Willie Ramon Dickard.

Dickard's killing by Noel led to formation of perhaps the largest posse in Mississippi history, its members fueled by hatred, outrage, and in some cases, white lightning. Noel took on elements of the posse in two gunfights, killing two more white men and wounding three others. Noel was never caught, never tried, never convicted, and never went to prison.

This is the story of how and why these things happened. It is the story of a time and a place and a social system that are long past. And it is the story of a young man, who defied extraordinary odds and a system that had condemned him to a certain death from the moment he stood up to a white man. The Time of Eddie Noel is a rich history filled with colorful details of a time and a place when the Deep South stood at the threshold of the civil rights movement, which would forever change both the region and the social system that governed the lives of its people, both black and
white.

Own 'The Brotherhood': Artwork Honoring Dean McLeod, John B. Ervin and other St. Louis Education Pioneers.

Bro. Ron Herd II aka r2c2h2 tha artivist (Wash U, Class of 2002) presenting framed prints of "The Brotherhood" to the widows of Dean James McLeod (Sis. Clara McLeod, left) and Dr. John B. Ervin (Sis. Jane Ervin, right) @ The 25th John B. Ervin Scholars Banquet Celebration (The Marriott @ Union Station Banquet Hall, St. Louis, Mo, 9/15/2012).

The Meaning Behind "The Brotherhood"

"The Brotherhood" (2012) by r2c2h2 tha artivist aka Ronald Cortez Herd II

An original work of art created by r2c2h2 tha artivist (Ronald Cortez Herd II) to honor the incomparable late great Dean James McLeod and the league of extraordinary gentlemen he now finds himself in, true pioneers of education and empowerment in Black St. Louis History in particular, the St. Louis community in general and beyond...

Pictured from Right to Left Bottom:

Dean James McLeod (the former director of The John B. Ervin Scholars Program and former Vice Chancellor @ Wash U.).

Dr. John B. Ervin (the first Black dean @ Washington University aka Wash U in St. Louis and Dean McLeod's mentor). 

 Walter Moran Farmer (the first Black graduate of Wash U., Class of 1889---he received a law degree and became one of the first Black lawyers to practice before both the Missouri and U.S. Supreme Courts respectively)...

Vashon High School graduate Lloyd Gaines sued University of Missouri for entry into their law school in the Gaines v. Canada case that went before the U.S. Supreme where he was represented by Charles Hamilton Houston (Dean of Howard Law School and Thurgood Marshall's mentor) and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund...Ultimately the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in his favor stating that the separate but equal doctrine required that Missouri either admit him or set up a separate law school for African American students...However, Mr. Gaines disappeared on March 19, 1939, before he could enjoy his victory...

Prominent St. Louis Lawyer Homer G. Phillips led a successful grassroots effort in the 1920s that forced the city of St. Louis to allocate funds to build a respectable hospital for Black St. Louis...He paid for the efforts with his life being assassinated on June 18, 1931, by two Black assailants who were never charged for the crime...As a matter of fact no one was ever charged or tried for the crime…However his namesake, Homer G. Phillips Hospital which opened in 1937 by 1961 had trained more Black doctors and nurses than any place in the world...By 1948, its medical residents included more than one third of all graduates from the two American black medical schools, and in the 1940s and 1950s it was a leader in developing the practice of intravenous feeding and treatments for gunshot wounds, ulcers, and burns. Not only did it house a nursing school, but also schools for training x-ray technicians, laboratory technicians and medical record-keeping…It also began offering training and work to foreign doctors who were being denied by other hospitals because of their race...

Pictured from Top Left to Right:

During the 19th Century, pre-Civil War, when Missouri law forbade Black people from learning how to read or write, Rev. John Berry Meachum came up with an ingenious loophole: He turned a steamboat into a school house, called it the Freedom School and perched it on the Mississippi River which was neutral ground or should I say waters to the Missouri Law...

Henry Hampton Jr., a Wash U. graduate (Class of 1961), created the award winning and critically acclaimed ‘Eyes On The Prize’ documentary series which beautifully and exhaustively chronicles the American Civil Rights Movement…His film production company, Blackside Inc., became one of the largest minority-owned non-theatrical film production companies in the U.S. during the mid-1970s and until his death in 1998…Henry Hampton made a commitment to social justice with his documentaries which include Eyes on the Prize: America's Civil Rights Years (1954-1965); and Eyes on the Prize II: America at the Racial Crossroads 1965-mid 1980s; The Great Depression (1993); Malcolm X: Make It Plain (1994); America's War on Poverty (1995); Breakthrough: The Changing Face of Science in America (1997); I'll Make Me a World: A Century of African-American Arts (1999); Hopes on the Horizon: Africa in the 1990s (2001); This Far By Faith: African American Spiritual Journeys (2003)…Mainly because of Dean McLeod’s tireless efforts, The Henry Hampton Archives are now prominently housed in Washington University in St. Louis Film and Media Archives. In addition to Hampton's films, the collection contains all of the elements that went into the production process such as interviews, stock footage, photographs, research, producer notes, scripts, and Hampton's personal papers…On another note, Henry Hampton Jr.’s dad, Henry Hampton Sr., was the chief surgeon and director of Homer G. Phillips Hospital for a number of years…

 The Sankofa bird is a West African Symbol
The Sankofa bird is flying forward while looking backward with an egg in its mouth. The egg symbolizes the future. "We must go back and reclaim our past so we can move forward; so we understand why and how we came to be who we are today." "We should reach back and gather the best of what our past has to teach us, so that we can achieve our full potential as we move forward. Whatever we have lost, forgotten, forgone or been stripped of, can be reclaimed, revived, preserved and perpetuated."

The arch represents the gateway to opportunity that a real education (built upon a true knowledge of self) provides and is a reference of course also to the prominent Gateway Arch of St. Louis, Missouri.

Own ‘The Brotherhood’ Today!!!
For Just $25 plus $6 shipping and handling ($31 total) this commemorative piece of history can be yours…All 11" x 17" prints (10.5" x 14" in actual image size) are signed by the artist and are limited edition…

You can buy by using this PayPal link:

https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=Q6BGSBFZ3A6KL

Or

You can send a money order for $31 to the following address:
Attn: Ron Herd II
Brotherhood Print
P.O. Box 752062
Memphis, TN 38175

Also if you are interested.... 

 Own 'The Legacy' Today: An Art Tribute To Dean McLeod & Dr. John B. Ervin

 Link:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2011/11/own-legacy-today-art-tribute-to-dean.html

The Man Behind The Taboo: Meet Datrin Delaney.

 The Man Behind The Taboo: Meet Datrin Delaney.

A W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News Special

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” ~Malcolm X aka El Hajj Malik Shabazz

“The preacher want me buried why? Cause I know he a liar

Have you ever seen a crackhead, that's eternal fire

Why you got these kids minds, thinking that they evil

while the preacher being richer you say honor God's people”~2Pac aka Makaveli

The Video Saw Around The World…The World Wide Web That Is…

 

I first heard about the supposed Taboo sex scandal from a relative out of town via text…Actually the text instructed me to call her immediately…And so I did…Normally when I receive a text or call from this particular relative it is for a request for funds…Which I do not mind giving if I have it to give...However, I found in this situation that I was the one doing the receiving rather than the giving…She told me about a sex scandal that involved our cousin Datrin Delaney and his organization Taboo…Allegedly on June 23,2012, his organization was involved in a private sex party at Club Elements, a night club in Memphis…What made it scandalous as well as local and national news was that the event was taped and then uploaded to the popular user content driven video site World Star Hip Hop the following Thursday…The video instantly went viral and controversial which drew the ire of The Establishment…The video showed predominantly young Black adults engage in suggestive sexual acts deemed inappropriate and hedonistic by so-called proper society…To add more insult to injury this event took place just several blocks away from two of Memphis’ largest mega-churches, World Overcomers Ministries (with the large and (in)famous Statue of Liberation Through Christ) and New Directions Church…The district attorney, the Memphis Police Department and the Memphis Mayors’ Office immediately started investigations because some people suggested that some of the women in the video were under aged and that although the people in the video seem to be consenting participants that the acts displayed may have violated city ordinances concerning lewd and explicit acts in public places…

You can view the video here (viewer discretion is advised):

 

 http://www.worldstaruncut.com/uncut/48045

Of course some members in my family were divided by this whole affair…Some folks saw it as a disgrace and a source of embarrassment whereas others like me saw this as an invaluable teaching moment that should not be hampered and diluted with hyperbole and sensationalism that people miss the potential to truly educate, empower and liberate themselves from the tyranny of groupthink…The media should be informing not biasing folks about certain issues and subject matters, the media should be a facilitator and disseminator of information and not the sage on stage dictating to folks how to think and behave…This is one of the very reasons why W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News exist, to give folks the true choice to be free from doubt by being informed and empowered or to be a prisoner of their own ignorance, prejudices and bias because of a failure or desire to do so. To be a prophet one cannot be too concerned about profit for what profits a man if he gains the world and yet loses his soul in the process???

Datrin Delaney is no doubt a very charismatic fellow and natural leader which can also make him an equally polarizing figure…His Taboo movement, less than a year in existence , already has loyal membership almost 1,000 strong with thousands more in supporters and admirers from all walks of life…Delaney’s Taboo movement is more than the just sex party, he is actually reaching out to those folks who have been marginalized and forgotten about by the system, those folks who given an unique opportunity can actually contribute something grand and meaningful to our society and beyond…The elements present in Datrin Delaney’s organization has the ingredients to create a profound political statement and powerful social justice movement, the likes of which we have not seen in over 40 years (more on that later)…

Private Jessica Lynch & Shosana Johnson

4 years ago W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio interviewed Datrin Delaney, who is a proud U.S. Army veteran, about his honorable service to his country for our 2008 Memorial Day weekend radio special...Delaney was in the same unit, The 507th Maintenance Company, as famous P.O.W.s Private Jessica Lynch and Private Shoshana Johnson…On March 23, 2003, Delaney escaped certain death and possible capture when the maintenance truck he was riding in was cut off from a convoy due to a sudden sandstorm...Unfortunately, the leading Humvee was ambushed by Iraq insurgents and many people inside the Humvee were killed…This incident also led to the captures of the aforementioned Privates Lynch and Johnson…

Datrin Delaney went from being an underachieving high school student from a broken home, with zero male role models and with zero prospects to becoming an award winning college graduate with a 3.8 GPA and a role model/mentor for elementary school kids as well as a source of pride for his family and his neighborhood in Memphis, Tn…Datrin Delaney weighed the pros and cons of military service and also voiced his opinions about the supposed necessity of the Iraq War in particular and The War On Terror in general…Delaney also recalled the comrades he lost in the line of duty…You can listen to the whole interview here:
Before Taboo: Datrin Delaney's First Interview 
  http://soundcloud.com/r2c2h2/before-taboo-datrin-delaneys

On July 4,2012, W.E. AL.L. B.E. News was granted an exclusive interview with Datrin Delaney, the founder of the Taboo movement to tell in his own unedited words his side of the story…This is the first extensive interview that Mr. Delaney done with any news entity and W.E. A.L.L. B.E. is truly honored to deliver his message to the world…This is only the beginning…So stay tuned, stay informed, stay aware and stay alert!!!

 

Connected by blood: Datrin Delaney & r2c2h2 tha artivist

r2c2h2 tha artivist

Founder of The W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Movement

Check out the interview in several ways...

View the full interview:

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. TV: The Man Behind The Taboo: Meet Datrin Delaney.

 http://blip.tv/we-all-be-tv/the-man-behind-the-taboo-meet-datrin-delaney-6244755

Listen to the interview via podcast: http://soundcloud.com/r2c2h2/the-man-behind-the-taboo-meet 

Or watch it in 2 parts on Youtube:
Part 1
http://youtu.be/J-96DGOlxbA  
Part 2  
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1k0VaUGKA2c

Happy Life Affirmation Day My Phee Phee!!! (May 8)

5/8/2012

Happy Life Affirmation Day My Phee Phee!!!

 http://youtu.be/nAwNu0AsFuk

“Now that you're here with me
I want to keep you free
To do the things that you want to do
The joy in life is loving you
But now the day has come
To let you know where I'm coming from, yeah

The best of my years will go to you
It's the only thing that I can do
But these things don't come overnight
Lovin' you baby, and I think I'm right
Let me say before I forget
Lovin' you baby, it's where it's at, yeah”~Al Green, “Look What You Done For Me”

“Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa, men have named you
You're so like the lady with the mystic smile
Is it only 'cause you're lonely they have blamed you?
For that Mona Lisa strangeness in your smile?

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?

Do you smile to tempt a lover, Mona Lisa?
Or is this your way to hide a broken heart?
Many dreams have been brought to your doorstep
They just lie there and they die there
Are you warm, are you real, Mona Lisa?
Or just a cold and lonely lovely work of art?

Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa” ~The Song “Mona Lisa”

Hey Queen Isis aka ‘The Pheenom’ aka ‘Jedi Master Ebonee Fiyah’:

As you are reading this you already know I haven’t forgotten about your Life Affirmation Day…You are unforgettable…I am hoping that life is treating you well and that you are getting the peace of mind and happiness that has eluded you for so long…I wanted to wish you well on this day made special by your debut into this matrix…You are simply beautiful and beyond category…I hope those blessed enough to encounter you will truly enjoy and appreciate you as the gift that you are…

I just wanted to thank you once again for providing the lil’ sunlight and lil’ water that I needed to grow in this pivotal point in my life…Although I was already on the path you helped in your way to speed up the maturation process…For that I will always be grateful and humble for your help…With that said I hope that my relationship with you has been beneficial to you in ways both short and long term, known as well as unknown…I truly enjoyed our time together even when we argued or debated which actually meant a lot to me in very fluffy or sentimental terms…I hope one day you will realize that my intentions have been more honorable than spiteful…I was opened to the full experience of you, the good, the bad, and the ugly and I have no regrets for it has made me a better person…As they say no pain no gain…

I hope that you will really be good to you and give yourself the love and attention that you deserve…I hope you won’t settle in your endeavors or relationships and that you demand the same respect, exceptionalism and greatness from yourself as you do others…I hope you value your time enough that you do not waste it with people who do not see or cherish you as the rare beautiful gem that you are and that you see the value in being patient with those things, goals or people of which or whom may seem impossible, elusive or difficult but in the end will provide you with the greatest rewards and source of happiness…I also want you to understand the importance of not just looking for the right person but becoming the right person that the right person or people are looking for…

I want you to be free from your doubts, fears and worries to actualize and live your fullest potential…I want you to truly forgive yourself by forgiving the people who betrayed, disappointed and/or abandoned you when you needed them the most…I want you to be truly receptive to those good vibrations and positive energy that will help you to unlock the beauty that resides within…I want you to use your experiences (the good, the bad and the ugly) to create the wisdom and new knowledge that will provide you with the resources and the will power to achieve all that you desire…The Universe loves you Phee but love yourself more so that you can channel your spirit of discernment and gifts to do the greatest good for you and your loved ones…

As far as me is concerned well I am working out, eating better, losing weight, sleeping better and gaining clarity…I plan on ending this year in a big positive way…Right now I am contemplating the implementation of such a feat…I am making the most of my present but I am anticipating a future full of possibilities and wonderful adventures…I am in the spring cleaning phase of my sojourn…I will keep you posted…

  Phee's Brew

I am also including with this letter an original work of art entitled “Phee’s Brew” which is also a tribute to Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew cover art…Hold on to this work of art for it may bring you the 6 figures or more that you desire (Smile)…I promised to always do right by you and I like to honor those promises that mean the most to me…In actuality this is a better investment than me cutting your grass for this truly represents something that I am great at and is one of the reasons why I am here in this place and space…

I will always have a special place for you in my mind, heart and spirit…The welcome mat will always be out and the door wide open for you to walk back into my life…The choice is yours but the pleasure will be all mine…

Sometimes I ponder what would have happened if I decided to taste the cookies rather than draw them that day…But I have no regrets because skipping dessert allowed me to enjoy the meal…You are my Sleeping Beauty and I am your Prince Charming in frog form…But you are also my Isis and I am your Osiris…Thank you for resurrecting me and keeping the faith…I look forward to earning my empirical crown but most importantly your eternal love and respect…

Happy Life Affirmation Day & We Love You Madly!!!
Pheetastically yours,

Ron aka The Pheeologist

aka

Tha Artivist

Tha Artstorian: Educating Malcolm

Educating Malcolm

by r2c2h2 tha artivist aka tha artstorian

The autobiography of Malcolm X serves as a great testament to the man who once said that “people don't realize how a man's whole life can be changed by one book” (Haley & X, 2008). The book chronicles the extraordinary odyssey of Malcolm X, one of the most inspiring and polarizing figures in American history. Malcolm X was a man always in transition, always becoming but never being; always reinventing his character to fit the zeitgeist or tenor of the times to maximize his environmental situation but never letting said environment define or limit himself nor his objectives. Always updating his persona and strategy to keep from becoming outdated or obsolete but never distancing himself too much to become irrelevant or out of touch, Malcolm as icon, demagogue, charlatan or iconoclast (whatever your preference) represents many things to many people. Whether he was Malcolm Little, Detroit Red, Malcolm X or El-Hajj Malik Shabbazz, he was anything but boring, complacent or predictable. Malcolm in all of his transformations or manifestations understood the value unpredictability, wisdom and knowledge played in him maximizing his resources and roles. Malcolm once said that he learned early in life “that if you want something, you had better make some noise” (Haley & X, 2008). Whether he was running and hustling in the streets of his beloved Harlem like a predator looking for an easy dinner or speaking on the street corners of his same beloved Harlem like an apocalyptic street prophet with a passionate, urgent and colorful rhythmic rhetorical fervor urging Black folks to not be afraid of who they are and what they can achieve if they sought true unity and purpose among themselves or addressing and debating sometimes cynical  ivy league and privileged audiences in the hallowed halls of Harvard or Oxford with such silver tongued eloquence and sharp wit that even those who disagreed with his world view were nevertheless charmed by the sincerity of his beliefs, Cheshire cat grin and engaging intellect, Malcolm never lost fact that “education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today” (Brainy Quote, 2012). Malcolm believed “that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them and the basic causes that produce it, they'll create their own program, and when the people create a program, you get action” (Haley & X, 2008).

Reading Is Fundamental

I suppose that it was inevitable that my word-base broadened. I could now for the first time pick up a book and read and now begin to understand what the book was saying. Anyone who has read a great deal can imagine the new world that opened. Let me tell you something: from then until I left that prison, in every free moment I had, if I was not reading in the library, I was reading in my bunk. You couldn’t have gotten me out of my books with a wedge...Months passed without my even thinking about being imprisoned. In fact, up to then, I never had been so truly free in my life. (Haley & X, 2008)

Before he was a school dropout, Malcolm was a stellar student who had ambitions of becoming a lawyer. However, his dream was deferred and then destroyed when a white teacher told him that Blacks couldn’t be lawyers and that he should be a carpenter instead. It wasn’t until Malcolm serve extensive time in prison that he had the time to rediscover his love of learning and began to read books. According to Knowles, as a person matures, his or her self-concept moves from that of dependent personality toward one of a self-directing human being and the most potent motivations are internal rather than external (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007). Self-motivation is key in any endeavor involving potential individual human achievement, especially those individuals operating in adverse conditions. In fact, once he is motivated no one can change more completely than the man who has been at the bottom (Haley & X, 2008). Malcolm soon became a prolific reader, a bibliophile with a voracious appetite for knowledge. Malcolm stated “right there in prison that reading had changed forever the course of my life…As I see it today, the ability to read awoke inside me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive” (Haley & X, 2008). Knowles contends that an adult is more problem centered than subject centered in learning. It could be reasoned that Malcolm’s self-education in prison laid the foundation for what was to become his life’s work. Malcolm’s homemade education gave him “a little bit more sensitivity to the deafness, dumbness and blindness that was afflicting the black race in America” (Haley & X, 2008).

Race & True Islam

Transformative learning occurs when there is a transformation in one of our beliefs or attitudes (a meaning scheme), or a transformation of our entire perspective (habit of mind) (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).  Malcolm’s 1964 pilgrimage to Mecca is a perfect illustration of transformative learning.  Meizrow further states that transformative learning is “the process by which we transform our taken-for-granted frames of reference (meaning schemes, habits of mind, mindsets) to make them more inclusive, discriminating, open, emotionally capable of change, and reflections so that they may generate beliefs and opinions that will prove more true or justified to guide action (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007).  Malcolm who was a follower and national spokesperson of the Nation of Islam for a little more than a decade, often promoted the concept that the majority of whites were devils who could never be trusted nor respected as decent human beings due to the systemic oppression that they imposed upon people of color in America and around the world. However, when he separated from the Nation of Islam under questionable circumstances in early 1964, Malcolm found himself not only free from any organizational responsibilities and obligations but also free to pursue to form his own philosophy and organization as well as explore the possibilities of working with groups and individuals who he once was critical and apprehensive of due to their strategy and objectives but now can find common ground with in terms of trying to unify the diverse African Diaspora. The Mecca pilgrimage was definitely the beginning of this enlightenment phase in his sojourn. Malcolm after spending most of his life trying to survive Jim Crow and American apartheid expressed his utter shock and amazement in what he saw at Mecca in terms of racial harmony through the following statement:

I saw all races, all colors, blue eyed blonds to black skinned Africans in true brotherhood! In unity! Living as one! Worshiping as one! No segregationists, no liberals; they would not have known how to interpret the meaning of those words. (Haley & X, 2008)

Malcolm further reiterates his amazement when he describes that even in sleeping arrangements among his fellow pilgrims that discrimination as it relates to race and class was also non-existent:

I remember one night at Muzdalifa with nothing but the sky overhead I lay awake amid sleeping Muslim brothers and I learned that pilgrims from every land--every color, and class, and rank; high officials and the beggar alike--all snored in the same language. (Haley & X, 2008)

When Malcolm discarded or outgrown the old NOI ideology and started to embrace “true Islam” (in his case Sunni Islam) he started to see how religion can be used as a tool bring all races closer together instead of keeping them a part or divided.   Malcolm stated that true Islam taught him “that it takes all of the religious, political, economic, psychological, and racial ingredients, or characteristics, to make the Human Family and the Human Society complete” (Haley & X, 2008).  This epiphany also made him realize that all whites were not devils or the enemy and could be useful allies in eliminating the race problem and helping to create true justice and reconciliation for the human family.  True Islam for Malcolm helped him to see that one should be judged by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. He also felt that true Islam could be instrumental in helping to eliminate white supremacy and institutional racism in America and that its benefits should be embraced by his fellow white Americans:

America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white, but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all together, irrespective of their color. (Haley & X, 2008)

Once Malcolm saw ‘the light’ he knew he could not go back to being the same Malcolm as before. Light creates understanding, understanding creates love, love creates patience, and patience creates unity (Haley & X, 2008).

Conclusion: Why Am I As I Am?

Why am I as I am? To understand that of any person, his whole life, from
Birth must be reviewed. All of our experiences fuse into our personality. Everything that ever happened to us is an ingredient. (Haley & X, 2008)

In conclusion, Malcolm X was a realist - he had a way of looking at the world that was honed by years on the streets and in prison (50 Cent & Greene, 2009). Malcolm knew well that in order to solve any problem you must first find the root cause of it and diagnose it. However, he also soberly knew that America “goes in for the surface glossing over, the escape ruse, surfaces, instead of truly dealing with its deep-rooted problems” (50 Cent & Greene, 2009). With that said and against all odds he took it upon himself to be the change that he wanted to see in the world by first transforming himself. What made Malcolm so successful and effective as a leader was his willingness to change when he was confronted with or exposed to new information and his sincere humility when he admitted he may have made mistakes in reading or understanding certain situations. Malcolm’s legacy is truly about facing facts and accepting “the reality of life as new experience and new knowledge unfolds it” (Haley & X, 2008). In the end, through his example Malcolm teaches us why it is always important to keep “an open mind, which is necessary to the flexibility that must go hand in hand with every form of intelligent search for truth” (Haley & X, 2008).

References

Brainy Quote. (2012). Malcolm X. Last page update unknown. Last retrieved 2/12/2012 from

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/malcolm_x.html#ixzz1mF54PdnD.

50 Cent & Greene, Robert. (2009). The 50^th Law. New York, NY: HarperCollins.

Haley, Alex & X, Malcolm. (2008). The Autobiography of Malcolm X. Bridgewater, NJ: Paw

Prints/Baker & Taylor.

Merriam, S. B., Caffarella, R. S., & Baumgartner, L. M. (2007). Learning in Adulthood: A

Comprehensive Guide (3rd ed.). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

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The Reason Why I Left BlogTalk Radio (BTR)

Tha Artivist Says: Over the last several months fans and supporters have been calling, texting and e-mailing me to find out what has happened to the popular "Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio" program...I had decided back in January 2012 to sever ties with our broadcasting/podcasting platform partner Blog Talk Radio (BTR)...The decision was both business and personal...I decided that in the 21st Century I as a person of color wanted full control and respect over the product that I produced: Eliminate the middle man to become a better man and to truly control my destiny by controlling the economics of my culture...I believe in creating a leadership style and organization that sets the example and standard for others to follow and even surpass...With that said I have taken a short hiatus or vacation to create a strategy to implement such a vision as well as to get other elements/aspects of my life back into a healthy balance...I truly embrace my role  as a prophet/pioneer of the things to come and I look forward to helping make the transition or shift into a new matrix or paradigm an enjoyable and welcoming one...However, you can still listen to past episodes of our pioneering program at the following link: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe...The best is yet to come from W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Media...Be on the lookout and enjoy the journey...One heart!

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 My Response:

A gentleman will not insult me, and no man not a gentleman can insult me.
~Frederick Douglass

That message from John Sweet was 12/27/2011…As of 5/5/2012 I have yet to hear from John Sweet concerning my departure from the BTR premium host status as promised. As a matter of fact that has been the problem with BTR service: the promises of follow up never being followed through…

After 5 years and 230 shows I decided to call it quits as an active dues paying host of BTR…I think, especially in my case, that BTR takes many of its longtime hosts for granted…Before BTR became Hollywood it was Neighborhood: it was the everyday folks that created the content that built the platform that created the buzz that generated the interest from the powers that be…Lesson: Never underestimate the power of the people and never take the people for granted…

As much as I have enjoyed the BTR platform over the years I just can’t see myself paying for poor customer service for one more year…John Sweet is notorious for leaving me hanging…When I have a tech issue or concern he would always say he will call me back to resolve the issue but he never does and true to form he did not let me down…Hate to sound like a scorned lover but I am passionate about communication and although I benefited due to my association with BTR I need the relationship to be reciprocal and not one-sided with me giving it all that I got while BTR takes me and my efforts for granted…The key to any successful business is really customer service: giving the customer what she or he wants while at the same time showing same customer true value by treating them with the utmost respect and importance…This of course in many instances lead to brand loyalty and great word of mouth which in turn leads to not only repeat business but new business…BTR cannot last long with mistreating loyal customers because bad business practices cannot generate new and continued business and support…There are other options to podcasting meaning that BTR isn’t the only game in town and when the people have options they will respond accordingly…I really do feel that those who have been with BTR close to the beginning (5 years) shouldn’t have had to pay for premium services because those of us that consistently produced content at the start created the foundation for BTR’s current success…

I am also troubled by BTR handling of actual archive listen numbers as well as royalty pay…I remember last year seeing my listening numbers both live and archive as well as my royalties taking a weird dive after a spike which left me befuddled and concerned…I reached out to John Sweet for an explanation and as usual never got one or a follow-up…

Also I have had exceptional folks on my show, but ever since Phillip Recchia left, I have been out of luck in getting many of them featured or promoted by BTR…I understand that BTR is a business and that businesses should first and foremost be about making money but I also believe that businesses have a responsibility to the community that patronize it to make a difference...With that said the media should not only entertain but also educate, exposing  people to new ideas, people and ways at looking at their world and own potential…I know BTR has limited featuring capacity but it should strive for balance, the operative word is strive…

In conclusion, I must truly say that my overall 5 year broadcasting experience has been a positive one…I have been able to break stories and make a difference as well as many lifelong friends because of the BTR platform…However, I refuse to be treated or disrespected as a paying customer like this for another year…I spent 5 years adding value to the BTR Brand now it is time to add greater value to my own brand and platform…Alan Levy thanks for creating the BTR platform (out of a tragedy a true triumph was born) and setting the example,but I must now leave the plantation and be free to make my own way.

No hard feelings, but something you all needed to read and hear.

Ron Herd II aka Bro. Ron aka r2c2h2 tha artivist
Founder Of W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Media