This is my first posting. I'm new to the world of blogging, but it looks like fun and it might be the answer I need to keep the creative juices flowing.
I'm not sure what my overall focus will be on this site, but I'm sure I'll touch on politics, the news in general and just my take on the world in which we live. I would hope that at some point dialouge will occur and that my world will become larger by my interaction with others through this small space.
Here's to new endeavors!....
Well it's that time of year again! Spirits are supposed to be high and an overall mood of joy and happiness should permeate the air! Yet without fail once again the Scrooge is deperately seeking recognition.
As I contemplate the annual Holiday Gathering of the Literary Sistas, of which I am the host, I must battle thoughts of what if..how can I help...what do I do? Understanding that I can not solve the world's problems, let alone my own at times, I am going to be thankful that I have the ability to sit at a computer screen and type my random thoughts, the fact that I have a job that I enjoy on most days, I have a home, and usually a very loving family.
I am blessed to be married to a man who loves me unconditionally and to have both of my parents here to enjoy the holiday season with, and to make more memories to fill that bank started so many years ago. I have five siblings and double that in neices and nephews to bring joy, laughter and fun to my life.
So Mr. Scrooge you will have to take a backseat today as I kick-off my holiday season. I will trudge through the snow over to the West Side Market and plan for happiness in all that I do!
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You ask, who are the Literary Sistas? We are a diverse group of black women from northeast Ohio and we meet every 6-8 weeks to discuss books by and about blacks. I have hosted our annual Holiday Gathering for the last four years and it jumpstarts my holiday season. At this gathering we will discuss Michael Dathcher's Raising Fences - a wonderful look at a young black man's struggles with life, love and finding himself. If you haven't read it, I would strongly suggest you pick it up.
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As I wrote the last paragraph I began to contemplate whether I should be "pc" and use African American or if I would use the terminology that I am most comfortable with and that is black. This is for a number of reasons including I often wonder when one says they are African American have they researched their roots and determined from which wonderful country on that beautiful continent of Africa they descend from? As we are all aware our race is truly America's "melting pot". Every black person knows someone who has a great-great Grandmother who is Indian and lineage to slaveowners throughout the U.S. and so on. Keeping scenarios like this in mind, how then can you firmly determine that you are of African descent. Are you certain your ancestors did not come from one of the Islands...Jamaica, Barbados etc. While I understand that still does not negate some level of African heritage, because we all know that slavery was not limited to the United States. That's just my view.
Slavers dropped Africans off in the United States, the Carribean and South America. We're all cousins, connected by the African blood that runs through our veins. I find that some blacks feel ashamed to admit their African ancestry because many African countries are struggling right now. We have to learn more about our history to know that Africa wasn't always in the trouble it's in now. It was on par with Europe at one time. The only advantage they had over us was fire power. As a result, the African continent has been hurt by the slave trade and years of colonialism. Instead of trying to distance ourselves from our African family, we need to explore ways we can help each other.
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