playin' barefoot in a lush green park on a bright, warm sunny day with somebody's kids; hostin' house parties; readin' books that change me forever; sleepin'; kissin'; road trips; smilin'; laughin'; writin'; goin' to the movies; listen' to live music or poetry (um, slams not required) at local cafe's; watchin' melzinho play capoeira angola; drawin'; plannin' what i'll do in my "free time"!
my ancestors (especially the womenfolk); children with untamed spirits (and hair!); grannies with blue rings around their eyes; folks who smile often, and laugh even more; everyday sheroes and heroes who understand that service is the highest calling; artists who believe everyone's an artist; academics who don't take themselves too seriously; hip hop heads; house music fans; men who love dey mama's and adore dey lady friend (notice friend is singular :); beautiful sistas who don't hate on men (and ain't afraid to love women); afro-mexicans; afro-peruvians; afro-brazilians; afro-cubans; africans; dreamers; revolutionaries; prince; susana baca; you.
gospel music sung and play'd by my fam in charleston; prince; old mike; stevie wonder; mos def; talib kweli; black star; common; john legend; susana baca; fela; femi; bilal; van hunt; susie suh; sparlha swa; aretha franklin; sam cooke; nas; method man; may j blige; jennifer hudson; joss stone; T.I.; cee-lo; outkast; amos lee; alicia keyes; ciara; etta james; amel larrieux; anthony hamilton; angelique kidjo; bob marley; de la soul; damian marley; donny hathaway; nina simone; kirk franklin; mary mary; the roots; kanye west; lauryn hill; jill scott; erykah badu; goapele; me'shell ndegeocello; ahhh and so many more... Radio (Public access/communty sponsored/talk/news: NPR; WBAI; WRFG; Steve Harvey Morning Show; Michael Eric Dyson; Al Sharpton's Keepin' it Real)
my favorite movie is (yes!) the five heartbeats! ...but i also like: simon birch; whale rider; smoke signals; do the right thing; what's love got to do with it; malcolm x; beaches; rabbit proof fence; beyond beats & rhymes; on the outs; our song; napoleon dynamite; nacho libre; talladega nights; maria full of grace; million dollar baby; born into brothels; mo betta blues; love and basketball; ahhh and more...
law and order special victims unit; home extreme makeover; cold case; american idol; america's next top model; project runway; top chef; good times; south park; bernie mac; my super sweet sixteen; um, okay so TV is my drug of choice.
the bible; fire next time; love in the time of cholera; sap rising; souls of black folk; their eyes were watching god; a small place; pedagogy of the oppressed; teaching to transgress; the path; black ice; mama day; paradise; the purpose driven life; cane; the color purple; the bluest eye; brown girl, brownstones; manchild in the promised land
my moms and pops; my bruh; amber; jori; jesus; septima clark; ida b. wells; unknown freedom fighters; everyday folks who get up in the mornin', work hard, take care of family and community; gramma; frida kahlo; mlk; malcolm; black book store owners; shirley chisholm; intelligent peeps in school jugglin' life and fam and the books.