Happy Birthday Javaka!
Category Archives: Manhattan
The Bubble Show
My best friend’s little brother was picked to go on stage at the bubble show during the summer and kept the audience laughing.
Today is his birthday. Happy Birthday, Ardas!
Volunteering at the Langston Hughes Home
A week ago during the snow storm, I left my warm apartment and went to Harlem and volunteered with i, Too, Arts Collective which is a non-profit organization committed to nurturing voices from underrepresented communities in the creative arts. They are responsible for renovating the Harlem renaissance poet, Langston Hughes, home.
When I was in college, I went on a date with a young man who grew up in New Orleans. He was crazy about the Harlem renaissance because of his high school teachers. I, who grew up in New York, was crazy about Harlem because of the books I read alone (my high school curriculum skipped majority of my history…really America’s true history). In any case, he took me to Harlem for a date and I remember us standing outside of Langston Hughes home taking about his poems. Then we spoke about what it would take for his home to become a museum. Then, we stopped talking so the conversation pretty much died like a raisin in the sun. However, the dream didn’t because I am now apart of a team of people who are preserving Mr. Hughes legacy by opening up his space and reserving it for writers and other artist to gather.
Imagining Things
Mark
Stacy
Mailman Rafael
When I got off the train, I started walking the wrong way and got a little lost. Rafael was across the street. Usually I would pull my phone out and try to find the directions myself but it was too cold for all that.
I crossed the street and asked him the location of Langston Hughes house.
I had to repeat myself because I think I caught him off guard when I said the artist’s name. I then told him what I was into and why I was looking for it.
I am volunteering at the Langston Hughes House, I said, We are renovating it to open it up to the public as a historical site.
It turns out that he used to deliver mail there years ago. He not only gave me the address but also history of how the house looked 15 years ago: I’ve been in the house before. It was not being kept by anyone and all his things were sitting there just collecting dust. Papers and furniture just sitting there. He then looked at me and encouraged me: It’s beautiful to see a young sister like you involved with projects like this. You don’t see this everyday.
Chi Atanga
When I was in Harlem today, I ran into fashion designer, Chi Atanga, from Manchester, London.
Lovely accent, lovely outfit and beautiful personality. He told me he was on his way back to Manchester but still allowed me to photograph him and told me of his business.
check him out at www.wallsofBenin.com
Classroom Ideas
Some photos I took of classes during the Garden Conference, which was taking place in the Harlem Renaissance school.
Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference
I wrote a letter to my mom during the Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference.
Dear Mom,
I am at a Black Farmers and Urban Gardeners Conference. April asked me to tag along with her, so I am pretty much here to support your youngest daughter. We are in two different meetings right now having two different experiences.
This is my first time sitting in a room with a sign on the outside of the door welcoming only brown skin people… It’s also my first time I’ve been asked to give my suggested pronoun.
The commentator just ask me to name three things that make me. You of course were one of those three. I said: Christian, Mother (Family) and Writer (photographer) and she allowed me to take photos during the meeting.
The commentator speaks really weird like, as if she lives in her head. She likes the word, imagine. She is making me think about food in a different way and uses words I never associate with food to talk about food. Who uses intimacy in the same sentence as food? She’s making me think about food in a different way altogether. It’s almost scary.
“ You should create a real relationship with your food…outside of your mother, food is our oldest relationship. Eating should be centered in pleasure…you should know who your grower is and create intimacy with food…”
Mom, remember that time you and Minister Richards thought it was funny that I had a nightmare about cooking? Well, I think the dream is coming to pass right here. Who talks about food in this way?
Mom, I am beginning to like this speaker. While I don’t agree with everything she says about food, some of the things she say are empowering. She is talking about the word liberation and wants to know how we will define it.
There is a yearning to feel connected to the land and to be free…because we were tied to the land, we survived…whenever a people have to heal itself they have to go back to the soil…create a restaurant in your house…build power through stewardship and ownership… How do we own land…how do we break out of capitalism? We must be generous with what we have…
Mom, as I listen to this lady who lives in her head, questions about our family and land comes to mind. I will jot them down later because i don’t want to miss what she is saying about traditions…do you think I am generous enough? I think April picked up your generous creative side which is why we are here at this conference now. Okay, she’s talking…
How do we uplift our traditions? This is our right to steward the land, it’s in our DN. How do we use tools of the oppressors to tell our own story?
Book to Read: The Color of Food by Natasha Bowen
Websites to Visit: Bossip.com, Worldstar.com, Fresh2health.com, civileats.com
Love You Mom
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