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Mind Made Up?
Mind Made Up?
My grandmama taught me that prayin’ is good for the soul
Prayin’ ain’t nothin’ but sayin’ what’s in your heart
Some folks say faith can move mountains
I guess so if they know so
Other folks say that you can heal bones
But not a truly broken heart
What I believe is people need hope
They need to believe that love conquers all
And that if rain don’t wash away the dirt
A good glass of whiskey and Keb Mo might
People been chattin’ about meditation
Substitute for keeping your mouth closed
Paying attention to where you’re standin’
‘Cause If you ridin’ a wild buckin’ horse
You can’t be thinkin’ about Christmas
Sweet potato pie- and black-eyed peas
You gotta hold on to the reigns
You gotta focus on where you’re headed
My granddaddy could fix almost anything
Except the broken wings of his children
When his wife passed from having too many
Leavin’ their farmyard full of dandelion weeds
You know pruning is easy once you pick up a rake
I can’t put too much credit in people’s talk
Sometimes it sounds like coyotes howlin’
Hungry bellies can’t think too straight
While some animals will eat almost anything
If it’s lookin’ pretty and smellin’ sweet
My sister used to beg me to love her
Like she needed my feelings to have a name
She got fat with self-pity and faded dusty
My brother wanted to be a local marvel hero
Got himself a badge and a legal 45
Got his butt horse whipped with it by a junkie
But he survived chasin’ loose bad gals
My aunt who grew up in that barren yard
Got a bad case of religion in her mature years
Now she’s fanning her lonesome self away
With other sanctified found themselves again
On a hard wooden baptist church bench
A lot of people claim to know who God is
Seen him sitting at them famous crossroads
Picking her teeth with a tree branch
Others say they felt them on the last full moon
Some claim to know him her it personally
Because they read a good book
Lot of folks think they know it all
All I know is that if faith is our number one game
Then hope is our main pawn in it
If we lose that
Then we lose everything
Camille Elaine Thomas
January 02, 2022
Copyrights @ All rights reserved
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Blue Vote Cafe
Chatting with Jazz on Spotify here.
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James Lockett published Caucus Crossover Panel Discussion - AAPI + GBC in News 2021-11-02 09:12:14 -0400
Caucus Crossover Panel Discussion - AAPI + GBC
Nov. 15th - 21st 2021 the Global Asian American & Pacific Islander Caucus (AAPI) and the Global Black Caucus (GBC) are teaming up to take over each other's social media accounts to raise awareness of mutual issues.
First thing we want people to know is that solidarity is there. It's been there. We can trace the historical roots of Asian-Black solidarity back to 1955 with the Bandung Conference, where representatives of people from the Asian continent and folks on the African continent came together to talk about what decolonization was going to look like for both of us. Fast forward to things like the relationship between Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. King, and then all the way to the fight against the Klan in New Orleans in the '80s with Vietnamese fishermen.
In the United States, issues of race can often be cast along the lines of Black and White — and, especially at a moment when the world is being forced to confront the ways systemic racism is built into the nation’s history, the reasons for that focus are clear.
The AAPI caucus & the GBC are teaming up to dismantle mutual prejudices from within their own communities and are highlighting their common issues. By moving forward and securing Democratic wins during elections, our communities become stronger together.
During the Caucus Crossover Week, Nov. 15th - 21st 2021, both caucuses will be highlighting issues such as:
- Asian & African American Votes Matter
- Environmental Racism Climate Change
- Unconscious Bias
- Reparations
- Human Trafficking
- Immigration
- LGBTIQ+
We will finish with a Caucus Crossover Panel Discussion between the AAPI & Global Black Caucuses on Sunday, November 21st 11am CET on Zoom.
Sydney, Australia
9:00 pm
Seoul, South Korea
7:00 pm
New Delhi, India
3:30 pm
Berlin, Germany
11:00 am
Please RSVP here to get the Zoom link and to let us know you are interested! Be part of the discussion and follow the AAPI & Global Black Caucuses social media channels.
We all can learn so much from each other!
Join and follow the Global Black Caucus:
Join and follow the AAPI Caucus:
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The Trust Mantra
The Trust Mantra
I believe that rainbows appear after the storm
That in times of test loved ones are still the best
That being natural is staying close to nature
That standing up is not a solution for the cowardly
That trust is better than distrust
That love can conquer all
That living with joy is more appealing than the blues
That willpower checkmates all hindrances
That faith can move mountains
That compassion performs miracles
That justice will dismantle inequalities
That patience during trials is recommendable
That believing in yourself is paramount to survival
That black people will one day be truly free
That children should be lovingly cherished
That women should be held up not held back
That men should be honored as admirable equals
That knowledge is better than ignorance
That dancing is good for the spirit
That you are what you constantly think
That kindred souls are preferable to adversaries
That the company you keep defines you
That laws should be constructed to protect citizens
That being kind is kind of great
That loving yourself first is paramount
That giving to the needy protects from selfishness
That being resilient keeps you going strong
That staying grounded helps sustain humility
That laughter is good for the soul
That destiny is what you make it
And you?
Camille Elaine Thomas
October 21, 2021
Copyrights @ All rights reserved
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A Half a Tale
A Half a Tale
She knew she had a story to tell
The words seemed to evade her
Like a song about a harvest for the world
Lyrics and melody in commotion
The pandemic had left her tapped out
All she had was in her large pocketbook
Last week she had sold her old Ford
The living quarters for the three of them
Mary jane is not my name
Double dutch a childhood game
For a quarter and a nickel
You can get a sour pickle
There had been a time long past
When laughter was a daily remedy
Chasing away the daily grievances
Rent money, school fees, insurance
She felt the defenseless pressure
Leaving her senses desolate
Home is where the heart is
But the roof has to be kept
Step on the line
Your mama gets a fine
Take your money back
Fry the spinach black
She waited nervously in line
With her information filled-in form
All she wanted was another chance
A narration to nourish her yearning
There was a highly inebriated man
Yelling in the adjacent line
About what he would do
If he could do what he wanted
Jump up and down
Then do the turn-around
If you ain’t got it
Then it’s time to quit
A baby in a carriage bawling
Children jostling each other
Vying for attention
Which is all anyone wants
Sit in grandma’s rocking chair
Step on a crack if you dare
If you don’t like my baby
Then don’t you say maybe
It was finally her turn
She raised her wrinkled application
Which was greeted by a sullen frown
The testy refusal just a second away
But this time it was different
She was told to go and stand
In an even longer line
She took her request form
Pulled on her heavy handbag strap
And walked quickly to the adjoining line
Her doleful story just had to wait
For another day.
Two for the money
Three for the show
If your mama don’t like it
Then it’s time for your butt to go!
Camille Elaine Thomas
October 20, 2021
[email protected] All rights reserved
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Quarterly Global Meeting
During these meetings we CONNECT, LISTEN, SUPPORT & EMPOWER each other, exchange thoughts and ideas, plan possible co-sponsored events and ultimately strengthen our community. The Global Black Caucus is hosting an open roundtable discussion once every three months for DA leaders and volunteers, and you are invited to be a vital part of the collective advocating on issues of African-Americans not just in the U.S. but all around the world.
The meetings will be of duration of 90 mins and be held on Zoom.
Please RSVP here to get the Zoom link and to let us know you are interested!
The first Global Black Caucus Global Meeting will take place on November 30th, 7 AM EST Zoom (next meeting dates: 2022 -Jan. 30th, Mar. 31st, May 31st…)
Check the Global Black Caucus Wiki-Page or the Global Universal Calendar to find further dates for these meetings.
We are looking forward to having great conversations with you all.
If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me a message: [email protected]
Love and Light
Leedonal (Jazz) Moore
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21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
Have you ever made a successful change in your life? Perhaps you wanted to exercise more, eat less, or change jobs? Think about the time and attention you dedicated to the process. A lot, right? Change is hard. Creating effective social justice habits, particularly those dealing with issues of power, privilege, supremacy, and leadership is like any lifestyle change. Setting our intentions and adjusting what we spend our time doing is essential. It’s all about building new habits. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started. The good news is, there’s an abundance of resources just waiting to empower you to be a more effective player in the quest for equity and justice.
About the 21-Day Racial Equity Habit Building Challenge
- For 21 days, do one action to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity
- This plan includes suggestions for readings, podcasts, videos, observations, and ways to form and deepen community connections. Suggestions are in the following categories:
READ
LISTEN
WATCH
NOTICE
CONNECT
ENGAGE
ACT
REFLECT
STAY INSPIRED
TIPS FOR SUCCESS
- Choose one activity per day to further your understanding of power, privilege, supremacy, oppression, and equity.
- Diversify your habits by doing some of each.
- Use the tracking chart provided here to stay on course. You can download the editable spreadsheet or a PDF for printing.
- We think understanding white privilege and white supremacy is a powerful lens into the complexities of doing social justice work, so we’ve focused our resources on that specific issue.
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