TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"In his sudden and amazing success in science and technology man outsmarted himself, concentrating almost entirely on his mind power at the expense of his humanizing spiritual power, becoming not the master of his machines but their servant; and, in the process of acquiring seemingly limitless power, this segment of the human race became as soulless as its machines and began to destroy or conquer other peoples, seizing their landsand their wealth while reducing them as nearly as possible to a state of perpetual dependency." -Chancellor Williams

Quote Of The Day

"Words may show a man's wit, but actions his meaning." -Benjamin Franklin

Video Of The Week

Coretta Scott King says, "We need to go back to our spiritual roots..."

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Word Pic Of The Week

Happy Birthday to Coretta Scott King.

Quote Of The Day

“The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members, a heart of grace and a soul generated by love.” -Coretta Scott King

Quote Of The Day

"The mere imparting of information is not education. Above all things, the effort must result in maling a man think and do for himself." -Carter G. Woodson

TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"The slave master will not teach you the knowledge of self, as there would not be a master-slave relationship any longer." -Elijah Muhammad

The African Constitution

The following is an excerpt from the book, “The Destruction of Civilization” By: Chancellor Williams. [SIDEBAR: I’m not certain which time period this came from.]

“Drawn from African Constitutional and Customary Laws. Different versions and modifications of the same laws occurred in different societies...

THE FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE AFRICAN PEOPLE

The following is a representative number of human rights, also drawn from customary laws or tradition constitutions:

Every Member had-

1) The right to equal protection of the law.

2) The right to a home.

3) The right to land sufficient for earning livelihood for oneself and family.

4) The right to aid in times of trouble.

5) The right to petition for redress of grievances.

6) The right to criticize and condemn any acts by the authories or proposed new laws. (Opposition groups, in some areas called “The Youngmen,” were recognized by law.)

7) The right to reject the community’s final decision on any matter and to withdraw from the community unmolested- the right of rebellion and withdrawal.

8) The right to a fair trial. There must be no punishment greater than the offense, or fines beyond the ability to pay. This latter is determined by income and status of the individual and his family.

9) The right to indemnity for injuries or loss caused by others.

10) The right to family or community care in cases of sickness or accidents.

11) The right to special aid from the Chief in circumstances beyond a family’s ability.

12) The right to a general education covering morals and good manners, family rights and responsibilities, kinship groups and social organization, neighborhoods and boundaries, farming and marketing, rapid mental calculation, and family clan, tribal and state histories.

13) The right to apprentice training for a useful vocation.

14) The right to an inheritance as defined by custom.

15) The right to develop one’s ability and exercise any developed skills.

16) The right to protect one’s family and kinsmen, even by violent means if such becomes necessary and can be justified.

17) The right to the protection of moral law in respect to wife and children- a right which not even the king can violate.

18) The right of a man, even a slave, to rise to occupy the highest positions in the state if he has the requisite ability and character.

19) The right to protection and treatment as a guest in enemy territory once one is within the gates of the enemy’s village, town or city.

20) And the right to an equal share in all benefits from common community undertakings if one has contributed to the fullest extent of his ability, no matter who or how many were able to contribute more.”

[SIDEBAR: How much would the greatness of our communities increase if we abided by the above stated rules.]

Black History Fact Of The Day

On this day in 1922; bassist, activist, composer, writer, and bandleader Charles Mingus was born. Here's a short biography on his life...[SIDEBAR: I love the quote that he recites towards the end of the video.]

Quote Of The Day

"When you want something in life, you have to focus." -Roslyn McMillian

[SIDEBAR: Beware of the counter-productive distractions that sometimes find their way on to our paths.]

Quote Of The Day

"A person without faith has no future." -Michael J.Cheatham

[SIDEBAR: Let's continue to keep our faith strong!]

Quote Of The Day

"We study our past for the express purpose of learning what things made the race great in the past, what explains subsequent failures and weakness, and what, in the light of that history, we can do now- if we have the will. This is what the study of history should mean for African people in particular." -Chancellor Williams

Video Of The Week- Part 2

THIS VIDEO IS A MUST WATCH! PLEASE CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON AND THINK DEEPLY!

Video Of The Week- Part 1

"We've been brainwashed [in order] to justify slavery within a democracy..."

I haven't read his book yet, but I definitely look forward to doing so.

Quote Of The Day

"Vile habits acquired in a state of servitude are not easily thrown off." -Richard Allen

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Word Pic Of The Week

Mary McLeod Bethune

Riddle Me This: The Twitter Edition

Several news outlets are reporting that The Library of Congress is archiving every single tweet ever posted on twitter. Will people consider this: An abuse of power, a violation of personal privacy, or the making of a record of personal information without consent? Will people still use twitter? Will people change the way they utilize twitter? Or, will business go on as usual?

TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"The course of history can be changed but not halted." -Paul Robeson

Quote Of The Day

"The best way to live in this world is to live above it." -Sonia Sanchez

Be Careful What You Put On Your Skin

I found the following excerpt on the website: http://www.coconut-connections.com/skin_care.htm

"Most commercial creams and lotions are predominantly water.  Their moisture is quickly absorbed into dry, wrinkled skin.  As the water enters the skin, it expands the tissues, like filling a balloon with water, so that wrinkles fade away and the skin feels smoother.  But this is only temporary.  As soon as the water evaporates or is carried away by the blood stream, the dry, wrinkled skin returns.  No matter how hard you try people will never be able to permanently cure dry, wrinkled skin with any commercial body lotion or body care products. 

Besides the water, most lotions have an oil of some type.  This oil is almost always a highly refined vegetable oil devoid of all natural protective antioxidants. One product in our food supply and in body care products that leads to a great deal of free radicals is oxidized vegetable oils. Our skin is made up of connective tissues.  These tissues give our skin strength and elasticity.  When we are young and healthy the skin is smooth, elastic and supple.  This is the effect of strong connective fibers.  As we age their fibers are continually subjected to free-radical attack which breaks them down.  As a result, connective tissues become hardened and lose both elasticity and strength.  The skin loses its ability to hold itself together and begins to sag and become wrinkled.  Once young, soft and smooth the skin turns dry and leathery.

Once a free-radical reaction is started it can cause a chain reaction which produces more free radicals, which ultimately damages thousands of molecules.  The only way our body has to fight them is with antioxidants.  When a free radical comes into contact with an antioxidant, the chain reaction is stopped.  For this reason, it is good to have plenty of antioxidants in our cells and tissues to protect us. 

The number of antioxidants we have in our tissues is determined to a large extent by the nutrients in our diet.  Having antioxidants in skin care products is important, too...

Conventional body care products that are made with refined vegetable oils which have all the antioxidants stripped from them are highly prone to free-radical generation both in and outside the body.  That is why eating processed vegetable oils can cause a deficiency in vitamin E and other antioxidants.  The antioxidants are used up fighting off free radicals causing permanent damage to connective tissues.  This is also the reason why you should be careful about the type of oils you use on your skin, and in your lotions, creams and lip balms. 

If you use a lotion, or cream with a refined oil in it you are in fact causing your skin to age faster.  The lotion, though it may bring temporary improvement will actually accelerate the aging of the skin and even promote skin cancer through the free radicals that are readily formed from  the refined vegetable oil."

Riddle Me This: The Census Edition

If the Census Bureau has enough information to report on how many people haven't filled out the census, then why do they need people to fill out the census so the can "count people?"

Quote Of The Day

"A problem well-stated is a problem half-solved." -Charles Kettering

Quote Of The Day

"Faith is the first factor in a life devoted to service. Without it, nothing is possible. With it, nothing is impossible." -Mary McLeod Bethune

Quote Of The Day

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves...self-discipline with all of them came first." -Harry S. Truman

Quote Of The Day

"The failures of one people should serve as a warning of what to avoid, and not as a justification for similar failures by another." -From, "The Destruction of Black Civilization" By: Chancellor Williams

Video Of The Week

Paul Robeson speaks on the role of Othello...

Black History Fact Of The Day

On this day in 1898, the great Paul Robeson was born.

TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"I'm private. But there were some public things I had to do because of his [Malcolm X's] commitment to the cause. I loved him and he loved the people." -Betty Shabazz

Quote Of The Day

"In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves...self-discipline with all of them came first." -Harry S. Truman

Quote Of The Day

"If you don't have confidence, you'll always find a way not to win." -Carl Lewis

Quote Of The Day

"Mistakes are a fact of life. It is the response to the error that counts." -Nikki Giovanni

Quote Of The Day

"The encountering [of defeats] may be the very experience which creates the vitality and the power to endure." -Maya Angelou

Video Of The Week

Dick Gregory Speaks: Lots of jokes, but check out the wisdom and history behind them..."We take stuff off of them, we wouldn't take from each other."

Video Highlights: Dick Gregory breaks down what he considers to be the top killers in America: (1) Sleep Deprivation (2) Dehydration (3) Lack of Physical Fitness. He Says: "All of them [are] free. All of them are gifts from the universe; but we don't have the time...Then we have to pay the price." He also drops this rarely spoken piece of information- stating that underneath Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch, there is more oil than what is in Kuwait.

TODAY IS...

PLEASE PASS THIS ON! (EACH ONE TEACH ONE OR TWO!) THIS IS PHASE ONE ON HOW WE CAN HELP TO STRENGTHEN & EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITY:The 2008 not guilty verdict in the Sean Bell case evoked outrage, emotion, and debate. It is not an anomaly that the police officers involved in the Sean Bell slaying were acquitted of all charges on all counts in State Supreme Court. I could run out of ink printing the names of people who have been victimized by the inaptly named justice system.

The American justice system has been especially terroristic towards the African American community. Many community members can cite historic and personal accounts to prove this. Therefore, it would be foolhardy (at the least) to turn to a system that has methodically oppressed us, and request that they free us. We can only free ourselves through extreme discipline and intelligent planning.

As a community we have been too compliant with leaders who organize ineffective, delayed reactions. The only strategy that can save us in this last hour is one that calls for a collective code of conduct that will be conducive to improving the conditions of our community, and shifting the paradigm of how we are treated by outside entities. The first step of this code of conduct should be based on economics.

The old adage of “money talks,” still reigns true in the new millennium. Any political scientist worth his or her library card will tell you that: “Economic powerlessness equals political powerlessness,” and conversely “economic power equals political power.” This means that if we continue to allow our wealth to be extracted from our community, we will remain impotent.

The power of the collective “Black Dollar” is often discussed. However, that power has been left unchanneled. Today is the day to change that. A one-time boycott is not going to bring long-term change and respect to our community. Our community has launched boycotts before. Our success and ascension will be based on what we consistently do. For this reason, we should initiate “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS.”

BUY BLACK FRIDAYS is a small step towards our community acquiring power via controlling our economics. Every Friday, people who acknowledge the injustice and oppression that the African American community has been consistently subjected to should do one of the following:

Option #1: Spend $0 on Friday
Option #2: Spend no more than $10 on Friday
Option #3: Only Shop at Black Businesses on Friday
[PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ABOVE OPTIONS CAN & SHOULD BE EXERCISED ON A DAILY BASIS. However, we can all at the very least focus on Fridays. This way we can take a collective stand and build our collective discipline. Please remember that this is only Phase 1!].

To the people who are tempted to label “BUY BLACK FRIDAYS” as racist, I say this: In the big scheme of things, this is about right & wrong, justice & injustice. The African American community is a strong, proud community that has endured the brunt of America’s iron fist. We must stop the pounding. I feel that any fair-minded individual will concur, and join in.

ANY business that is privileged to enjoy the support of the African American community MUST return that support.

I thank you in advance for your effort and dedication.

-Elsie Law AKA Starface

Quote Of The Day

"Could slavery exist long if it did not sit on a commercial throne?" -Frances Ellen Watkins Harper

Quote Of The Day

"God is just. When he created man he made him in his image and never intended one should misuse the other. All men are born free and equal in his sight." -Susie King Taylor