Habari gani-Imani/Kwanzaa/reflection

Faith-To believe with our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

The #1 story of 2006-- the faith of the world in our leaders and the righteousness and victory in each and every one of our struggles.

I did say this about the colts at the beginning of the season,"My feeling is that Indianapolis is nursing Manning individual passing record instead of a team that will win the Superbowl."



Personal reflections:

my youngest granddaughter singing karaoke with granny

I was able to drive down the highway without road rage and cussing out drivers.

I enjoy eating yogurt..of course it's the kind with added flavor (sweetness added).

I better understand Ben Franklin saying about doing the same thing over and over again.

Prediction as I hear sounds of early new year's eve gun shots


I will be more organized.

I will walk twice a day.

I will write more.

I will have more patient with people.

I will simply do better.

The Fort Wayne Sheriff Department will implement drug testing

The downtown stadium will be a bust

The Fort Wayne-Allen County consolidation will fail

The renaissance pointe housing program will not materialize

Mitch Harper will take over the Allen County Republican headquarters

My steps are not ordered by man

But my steps will be more ordered

Hillary Clinton will not run for president

2007 will be better for AWB-R.I.P...because you know you're among the living dead

Habari gani-Kuumba/Kwanzaa reflection

Creativity-To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.



The 3rd place winner of Frost Illustrated Newspaper's New Year's Cover Child photo contest has come over to wish you bloggers out there..A Happy New Year.




Libation for Barbara Jordan, Fannie Lee Hamer

Habari gani-Nia/Kwanzaa reflection

Purpose-To make our collective vocation the building and developing our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.


Libation for Ed Bradley

More on Cooperative Economics

James Clingman, Kweku Akan and young male student at the Weisser Park Center Kwanzaa Celebration

James Clingman author of many books including Black-O-Knowledge and Blackonomic$: The Way to Psychological and Economic Freedom for African Americans


Akan holding up two of Clingman's books.





More Kwanzaa attendees

H.L. Gaulden, Member of the Tuskegee Airmen

Ramadan/Blue Marble/holding up game called cashflow

More attendees
Tamir/Furniture and More
and 6th District Council Glynn Hines and his wife Pamela Peterson-Hines




economic innovations/ making a way out of no way

Libation for Rosa Park, Coretta Scott King


Interview with James Clingman on Gabcast! Fort Wayne African-American Independent Woman #16 - Interview with James Clingman

Habari gani -Ujamaa/Kwanzaa reflection

Cooperative Economics-To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Millions of dollars leave our community because it so easy for us to be consumers of instant gratification. It is so easy to jump in a vehicle and seek out a bargain. So we think, but leaving our neighborhoods cost us time and other incidental expenditures that we fail to include in the purchase of a product. It is important for us to prevent a ghost town from happening in our community, by supporting those businesses that support our community. And it is important that we address our community's needs by crafting products based on those needs.

When I was a little girl, I went door to door delivering out-of -state newspapers, such as Pittsburgh Courier, Chicago Defender, Chicago Tribune, Indianapolis Recorder, and the Grits. Not only did I earn money for delivering the newspapers, but was able to read these newspapers. From the majority of these newspapers, I learned that African-Americans spoke their lives in newspapers, music and later magazines. These written resources were created from a people who earlier was forbidden to read or write. I was proud, peddling papers from a people, who not only could read and write, but dared to discuss issues that was impacting the African-American way of life in America !!! But, I got something else from selling those newspapers filled with diverse opinions, entrepreneurial skills. By the time I was 13 I was collecting my uncles' rent from apartments they owned.

James Clingman Read one of his articles.


Vendors celebrating Kwanzaa



Monte Patterson/filmmaker-Ghost Town


Vendors celebrating Kwanzaa




#1 Roots of Wellness/Kellie D. Hicks/#2 Urban Update


Sankofa Gallery, LLC/ Glynn Hines/Pam Peterson-Hines


Much Scents, Inc./Elizabeth

Reeta's Fragrance/African Paradise/Camille/L'Elegance Fine Jewelry/Inez Collin/no photos



Libation for Maria W. Stewart, Ida B. Wells, Zora Neale Hurston, Leanita McClain and Frank Burton.

Habari gani - Ujima/Kwanzaa reflection

Collective Work and Responsibility-to build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's our problems and to solve them together.



Minister Chike Akua



Biography
Chike Akua is a 1992 graduate of Hampton University and a 2003 graduate of Clark Atlanta University. With over 12 years of classroom teaching experience, Bro. Akua has distinguished himself as an educator, lecturer, and author. In 1995, he was selected as a Teacher of the Year for Newport News (Virginia) Public Schools. In 1996, the Dekalb County Board of Education (Atlanta, Georgia) awarded him the Achievement Award for teaching excellence and service to youth. Akua has since conducted system-wide staff development and was described as “a master teacher.” Selected as one of Ebony magazine’s “50 Leaders of Tomorrow” (November, 1995), Akua has appeared on radio and television talks shows sharing his perspectives on education, spirituality, and self-knowledge. Additionally, he has facilitated workshops on sexual abstinence, youth advocacy, and African cultural awareness for the Tavis Smiley Foundation’s annual “Youth 2 Leaders” Conference. Akua, a Christian minister and consultant with Imani Enterprises, is the author of several books including:
• A Treasure Within: Stories of Remembrance & Rediscovery
• A Treasure Within: Parent/Teacher Resource Guide
• A Kwanzaa Awakening: Lessons for the Community
• WORDS OF POWER: Ancient Insights & Modern Messages for Parents and Teachers
• The African Origins of Our Faith
Akua is a member of the Imani Christian Center (Tucker, Georgia) where he teaches “The African Origins of Our Faith.” He has served as an educational consultant for Georgia State University’s teacher certification program and the North Carolina Center for Advanced Teaching. Akua continues to train teachers and develop Afrocentric and multicultural curriculum.


Note Minister Akua's brother J.R. Fenwick's audiobook How I Quit My $100,000 a Year Job

Libation for Bebe Campbell Moore-Author

Habari gani - Kujichagulia/Kwanzaa reflection

Self-determination-to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.


I changed my name during high school. I changed my name again, years later. I enjoy explaining who I am beyond the label given to me or about me. I enjoy creating my expression through writing and sharing my opinions about how I perceive stuff through my own personal lens. From my personal lens, I don't see a box that I must fit in but a path that I am not free to walk toward and to encourage others to walk toward self-determination.





Weisser Park Center Staff and Friends-Ms. Mac

Ramon Stevens


Mr. Jones and Nigel Brown


Fully understanding that a leaf changes overnight, that a miracle may just be waiting for us if we just work together towards a collective goal. It is a philosphy to prevent our communities from turning into ruins.



Monte Patterson/filmmaker-Ghost Town


Vendors celebrating Kwanzaa




#1 Roots of Wellness/Kellie D. Hicks/#2 Urban Update


Sankofa Gallery, LLC/ Glynn Hines/Pam Peterson-Hines

African Paradise/Camille

L'Elegance Fine Jewelry/Inez Collin


Much Scents, Inc./Elizabeth

Reeta's Fragrance/

Libation for Johnny Cochran-attorney

Habari gani - Umoja/Kwanzaa reflection

#1 Umoja

The principle= to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

If we could start with family, I believe many of the other collective groups might fall in place. I find working with family and extended relatives a challenge, myself The problem I confront on a daily basis is when a disconnect occurs from family members taking on street values rather than staying true to helping family has harmed the stability of many families.

The community, I think will heal when families began healing and by not treating folks like street. Our nation will move forward when folks we elect to represent our country are held accountable.

Our race as the human race can only improve after we began to treat others as being part of this great big family in the universe.


Libation for James Brown=thanks for telling us that we should be proud people. Please, Please RIP- Godfather of Soul.

Psst, Have I ever told you my footsteps are not ordered by man

I was just wondering, because folks don't understand what I mean about not being mean but I will step to the line for an accounting of who I am. That's right, so yesterday, I might have been a little sensitive with the jerking around that I got at the courthouse. But, give me a break, I was not seeking the keys to Gates house. Now these folks have real money and power. Nevertheless, I took to the bed. But today I just learned that a special judge is assigned to the Shine family's divorce. I was thinking no way would Michael Loomis, attorney for the wife would allow Stephens Sims or some other sitting Republican judge locally hear this powder keg.

So, I am off to find that file, so that I can read it for myself, and not have to rely on gossip, rumors, or outright lies. Or what is spooned fed to the media, and AWB I will probably stop at one of my favorite eatries, and enjoy some good rich chocolate. So hurry on down, sound like you need a good treat. Perhaps, you can see for yourself that I ain't nobody little Sambo. N'all on second thought, you need to just drop in on a Kwanzaa celebration that occurs after Christmas, starting December 26 to January 1. A celebration for reflecting on the previous year and for reflecting on how to make the new year better. You think?

But back to the courthouse, you folks are not the President. I understand you live in communities where you don't have to live with, speak to, or even acknowledge that African-Americans exist in your world. But,I am here to tell you that when you come to work you are going to see them, hear them and we don't care if you don't feel well or you are having a bad day. You ain't at home, so you need to act like you got some sense. Isn't that what you tell your children when they are out and about with civilized folks? I thought so, and that's what African-Americans tell grown folks who act like little children around us civilized folks. I was not born on bended knees nor my footsteps ordered, so recognize.

Hippy Hop to the courthouse.

Weisser Park Center welcomes Dr.Maulana Karenga

Mrs. Timoyo Karenga,Dr. MaulanaKarenga, Zynette Paige, Kweku Akan


Below is Dr. Maulana Karenga bio

Dr. Maulana Karenga is professor and chair of the Department of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach. He is also chair of the President's Task Force on Multicultural Education and Campus Diversity at California State University, Long Beach. Dr. Karenga holds two Ph.D.'s; his first in political science with focus on the theory and practice of nationalism (United States International University) and his second in social ethics with a focus on the classical African ethics of ancient Egypt (University of Southern California).

He also is the director of the Kawaida Institute of Pan-African Studies, Los Angeles, and national chairman of The Organization Us, a cultural and social change organization. The Organization Us which simply means us Black people, is so named to stress the communitarian focus of the organization and its philosophy, Kawaida, which is an ongoing synthesis of the best of African thought and practice in constant exchange with the world. Dr. Karenga and Us have had a profound and far-reaching effect on Black intellectual and political culture. Through the teaching and practice of Kawaida, Us emerged in the 60's as a vanguard organization. Us has played a vanguard role in shaping the Black Arts Movement, Black Studies, Black Student Union Movement, Afrocentricity, rites of passage programs, the study of ancient Egyptian culture and the founding of the Association for the Study of Classical African Civilizations, the independent school movement, and African life-cycle ceremonies, the Simba Wachanga youth movement, and Black theological and ethical discourse.

Dr. Karenga and Us have also played a key role in Black United Front efforts serving on the founding and executive committee of the Black Power Conferences of the 60's, the National Black United Front, the National African American Leadership Summit, the Black Leadership Retreat and the Million Man March/Day of Absence. They also created the National Association of Kawaida Organizations (NAKO) as a cooperative framework for the many organizations who subscribe to Kawaida philosophy but maintain their own independent structures. Celebrating its thirtieth anniversary in 1995, Us continues its activities under the motto, "Anywhere we are, Us is" and with three basic focuses of "Struggle, service and institution-building."

Dr. Karenga is author of numerous scholarly articles and twelve books. Included in his works are Introduction to Black Studies, the most widely used intro text in Black Studies; his retranslation and commentary on ancient Egyptian texts which is titled, Selections From The Husia: Sacred Wisdom of Ancient Egypt, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, and The Book of Coming Forth By Day. An activist-scholar of national and international recognition, he has lectured on the life and struggle of African peoples on the major campuses of the U.S.A. and in Africa, the People's Republic of China, Cuba, Trinidad, Britain and Canada.

Dr. Karenga is also widely known as the creator of Kwanzaa, an African American and Pan-African holiday celebrated also in Africa, the Caribbean, South America--especially Brazil, and African communities in Britain and other European countries.

Moreover, he is the recipient of numerous awards for scholarship, leadership and community service including: The National Leadership Award for Outstanding Scholarly Achievements in Black Studies from the National Council for Black Studies and The Diop Exemplary Leadership Award from the Department of African American Studies--Temple University. He also served as a Visiting Professor in Black Politics at Stanford University and as a Distinguished Visiting Scholar in Black Studies at the University of Nebraska, Omaha.

Finally, Dr. Karenga, as chairman of Us, served as a member of the executive council of the National Organizing Committee of the Million Man March/Day of Absence and authored the Mission Statement for this joint project, as well as co-edited the recent book: The Million Man March/Day of Absence: A Commemorative Anthology.

Harambee! Harambee! Harambee! Harambee! Harambee! Harambee! Harambee!

Mrs. Karenga, Dr. Karenga, Ms. Paige, Baba Akan

Attorney Donald James, Ramadan, Helen Dunham, Mrs. Pamela Hines-

Dr.Karenga and Ramadan

Weisser Park Center honors Community and Friends

BaBa Akan Ms. Paige



Dr. Karenga, BaBa Akan

Dr. Karenga, Diane Rogers





Condra Ridley, Johanna ice-Gold





Mrs.Karenga, Dr. Karenga, Glynn Hines

Nguzo Saba

Celebrating the seven principles explained below