Hello World,

The weather in the A has been gloriously sunny over the last few days, and I’m feeling good…listening to the birds chirping as night fades to day…”Good Morning,” I want to say to them…okay, let me stop waxing poetical and get to the subject of this post…

As my typical custom dictates on Sunday mornings, I tuned my radio to V-103 to listen to “The Triple T (Tall, Talented and Totally Sold Out to the Lord) from Tennessee” also known as Larry Tinsley play the gospel hits as I drove to church last Sunday. (Incidentally, I worked with Mr. Tinlsey for a few months at AIR Gospel, a local record company, for a few months. Not only is he gracious on the air, he is a class act in person as well. ) Instead of hearing Mr. Tinsley’s warm and reassuring voice, I heard another familiar voice…I was a bit startled so I looked at my radio to ensure that I had tuned into the right station. But then, I heard Mr. Tinsley break in and I realized that he was interviewing Tavis Smiley. In characteristic form, Tavis seemed like he was about to stutter as he excitedly described a new exhibit which will be debuting in Atlanta on June 12.

America I AM: The African American Imprint highlights 400 years of African American contributions  to our country through artifacts, documents, multimedia, photos and music. The four-year traveling exhibition museum, which nationally debuted in Philly, will be housed at The Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center from June 12 through September 6. The exhibition was developed with the collaboration of  The Smiley Group Inc., Arts and Exhibitions International and the Cincinnati Museum Center. It seems like a must see!

Here are some of the highlights of the exhibit according to the Web site:

•    “The Doors of No Return” from the Cape Coast Castle in Ghana, which enslaved Africans passed through to board ships to the “New World”
•    The typewriter Alex Haley used to write the groundbreaking book, “Roots”
•    Objects representing the African-American troops that fought and impacted the outcome of major U.S. wars
•    Malcolm X’s journal and personal Koran
•    The door key and stool from the Birmingham jail cell that held Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. when he authored “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
•    Frederick Douglass’ clothing and letter from President Lincoln that enabled him to move among Union lines recruiting black soldiers
•    The robe that Muhammad Ali wore during training for the “Rumble in the Jungle,” where he defeated world heavyweight champion George Foreman.

Through a partnership with Northern Trust, 10,000 free tickets will be distributed to Georgia youth. Also, in partnership with Wal-Mart, discounted tickets are available at 125 Georgia Wal-Mart locations. (My nephew and I will be in the house! ) Atlanta-area seniors will also be able to visit the exhibition for free through various city programs courtesy of Wal-Mart.

Tickets are also available at Ticketmaster (www.Ticketmaster.com or 1-800-745-3000). Tickets are purchased for a specific date, and will be $12 for adults; $5 for children ages 6-17; and $8 for seniors over age 65, as well as for groups of 10 or more.  For more information about the exhibition and tickets, visit www.AmericaIAM.org.

Tavis said that he has worked on this project for several years, and I am deeply thankful for his efforts. People must have thought I was a strange child as I spent hours reading books about slaves as a third grader, but I had a seemingly unquenchable desire to know more about black history. Maybe it was because I was the only black child in my class and felt I didn’t quite fit in among the white students. How I would have loved to view this exhibit back then! Thankfully, I can go now, and I hope y’all do too.

Now, I know that Tavis has fallen out of the good graces of many black folk since the Barack Obama election controversy, but all is forgiven in my eyes. His life is clearly dedicated to the empowerment of black America without apology or compromise…y’all need to stop trippin’ and give him love…

Any thoughts?

P.S. Apparently, Atlanta is the only stop in the Southeast so y’all from the surrounding states better include the A in your summer plans or you will miss out!

Hello World!!!

A friend of mine sent me a link to this wonderful Web site, iamsecond.com, and it got  me thinking about these masks that are easy to wear at church…

At my church, it seems that I am eternally “the pastor’s kid,” although I am 35 years old. My church family have known me since I was six years old, but they don’t know all of me for sure…There are certain parts that I have kept hidden away because they don’t fit the image of “the pastor’s kid.” I’m not blaming them because maybe this is a self-imposed burden…no one ever asked me to keep certain parts of myself hidden, but nevertheless that is what I have done…

That is why I think this Web site is really cool because people are sharing their real stories and turning to Christ as their first line of defense against their struggles. Through the Web site, people share their stories of abuse, porn addiction, eating disorders, infidelity, divorce — and how they have been able to cope with these struggles through having a personal relationship with God. They have put Christ first, and their identities including their struggles are now second…

I have learned through various means how to be my authentic self, and it perplexes me how sometimes “church folk” try to make it seem that everything is always alright…That’s why it’s annoying when sometimes you ask “church folk” how they are doing and their standard answer, no matter what, is, “I’m blessed and highly favored.” Stop lying. You just ate a box of doughnuts, and you feel like you can’t stop eating no matter how hard you try…Or, you just spent the whole night looking at porn on the Internet…Or your marriage is a lonely facade although everyone thinks y’all are happy…Or your body is bruised courtesy of your husband’s uncontrollable anger…Yes, we are all “blessed and highly favored” for sure, but hiding behind that standard answer gets no one closer to the solution…

That’s why I was especially touched when gospel singer Kirk Franklin talked about his porn addiction with Oprah a few years ago…He certainly did not have to reveal his struggle…he hadn’t been caught in anything which is why many people reveal their struggles…Maybe being willing to confront struggles is one of the reasons why Kirk Franklin has teamed up with the American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association for the “Fight of Our Life Health Tour.” I heard Franklin talking about this partnership with Rev. Al on the radio last week. Rev. Al, who has lost a considerable amount of weight, commented that this partnership is particularly important in the black church where life can be preached upstairs and greasy, fried chicken and other artery-clogging foods are served downstairs. But that is probably true for many Southern churches, black or white….And let me not front, I love fried chicken, but I also know that we can be slaves to detrimental eating habits…I know that God doesn’t want us to struggle with that…

So who are you behind your “church persona?”

Any thoughts?

P.S. If you would rather not share your thoughts here, but need to talk to somebody, please go to the I Am Second Web site where someone is available 24/7.

Hello World!!!

Although it is a tad chilly here in the A, Spring has still sprung as of last Friday…Before you know it, it will be Easter – the most victorious time of the year for Christians! But I digress, today’s post won’t be long. I just wanted to hear your thoughts about a topic that is frequently discussed on The Michael Baisden Show, a popular radio program that I listen to almost daily.

His series, “Pimps in the Pulpit,” which is mentioned in the bio on his Web site, is always guaranteed to incite excitement! In this series, Baisden discusses his distrust of church leaders for a variety of reasons including some well-known scandals including pastors and the lavish lifestyles that some pastors lead. It seems to me his distrust is one of the reasons that he has shied away from Christianity and organized religion in general.

Apparently, Baisden isn’t the only one that feels that way. One of my Facebook friends posted an interesting link last week about a new book that is on the market. In “Clever Lives and Assumptions from the Pulpit to the Pews,” by Pastor F.L. Anderson, the pastor states that many men stay away from church  because ”the lavish lifestyles of some pastors are a stumbling block that keeps many of them away from the Church.”

“Too often we are presented with and are fond of church leaders with the persona and the charisma of the neighborhood, hoods, the used car salesman, or the cunning telemarketer on the other end of the phone. Too many have decided to be mirror images of the neighborhood gangsters and pimps of the ’60s and ’70s who flaunt their money, wear the flashiest clothes and drive the fanciest cars.”

Umm, umm, I didn’t say that…the pastor said that… What do you think?

Pastor Anderson goes on to say that, “In the book of Philippians, Paul gives us insight to the character of Christ. Paul tells us that Jesus made himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant. In other words, Jesus didn’t make it a point to draw attention to Himself. Though He was and is the King, His lifestyle was a modest one, unlike the lifestyle of then and today. I have come to believe that many love the Pharisees’ lifestyle because the Church is the only organization where the servant lives a lavish lifestyle.”

“Paul backs up the importance of the lifestyle that Jesus lived when he said, ‘Let your moderation be known to all men.’ (Philippians 4:5) He said moderation meaning ’avoiding extremes, temperate, not flashy, expensive or excessive. Here is one meaning of moderation that Church leaders should pay attention to: moderate indulgence of appetite or desire.”

Other topics discussed in Anderson’s book include: “Why is Your Church in Financial Debt,” “Controlling Ministries and Spiritual Abuse,” Giving Under Grace Not Under Pressure – New Testament Giving vs. Old Testament Tithing” and “The Truth Behind Spiritual Coverings.”

Y’all know this is some explosive stuff for a pastor to get into…

I have my own opinions, but I want to know what you think? I will say this…anyone who wears a pinky ring is trying to be a pimp…so not attractive, ha, ha

Any thoughts?

P.S. In honor of Spring, I have decided to post one of my favorite songs – Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World.” Classic. Enjoy.

Hello World,

Wasn’t it surreal to watch President Obama make his way down the center aisle of the House chamber last night? He looked like a rock star as everyone was clamoring to shake hands with him. And then when President Obama introduced his wife as the first lady…I still feel like I’m dreaming sometimes when I watch him speak on television…We have an intelligent president…and he’s black…and his wife is black….Wow! But I digress…As much as I adore the Obamas, they are not the subject of this post…

If you live in the A and listen to the radio, then you are probably aware that Rev. Al Sharpton’s and Warren Ballentine’s talk programs are off the radio. Their shows used to be on 102.5 FM, but now it is a gospel station. 107. 5 is now an R&B rather than jazz station and is being simulcast on 97.5, which is used to be the gospel station. Steve Harvey’s and Michael Baisden’s talk shows, however, were saved. Confusing isn’t it?…And sad too…Apparently Sharpton’s and Ballentine’s shows didn’t have high enough ratings…All I know is that I loved my daily dose of Warren Ballentine, Rev. Al and Michael Baisden during this past election process…They got me fired up and ready to take action…Because of their programs, I wore black on the day of the Jena 6 march…I learned about people like Troy Davis and others  from Rev. Al.  I learned more about CNN commentators Roland Martin and Donna Brazile. Basically, their programs spurred my latent interest in politics, civil rights and civil disobedience…

I must confess after Obama was elected, I didn’t listen with as much dedication, but it was encouraging to know that whenever I wanted to switch it up a bit, I could plug into either Warren Ballentine or Rev. Al. And then on Feb. 16, without much of a warning, they were gone. And all that is left alleged crackheads K-Ci and JoJo whining about loving somebody for life and other similar throwback R&B groups….now I love me some R&B, but during the workday, it would be nice to hear about issues instead of being lulled to sleep by love songs and what not…it almost feels like we’re drinking the Kool-Aid if you know what I mean…This is what the WORD has to say about it all…

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Hosea 4:6

I signed a petition to get them back on the radio. Does anyone know the status of this petition? If you haven’t signed it and want them back, take a moment to sign it. It’s easy….

On the national front, Farai Chideya’s News and Notes on NPR will be officially be off the radio waves in March although Chideya is not hosting the program in its final weeks. I sometimes listened to the engaging program as I drove to Bible study on Wednesdays. Black people from a broad spectrum of life were featured on the program, and it was delightful to hear a black woman in my age group have her say…The show was the victim of our country’s tough economic times…

Now if your views are on the conversative side, you can listen to Herman Cain on News/Talk WSB 750 from 7-10 p.m. weekdays. I am tempted to say bad things, but his bio is crazy impressive…so I will let you be the judge…

Anyway, if you see me snoozing in my car at the red light, honk your horn and wake me up…R&B all day puts me to sleep…I guess I could get satellite radio and broaden my choices…but I’m too cheap and not into techy upgrade stuff for all that…I guess my religious folk probably think I could listen to messages from pastors and what not…uhh, I think I will pass…don’t get me wrong, but I need an extra jolt during the day…and I like to be plugged into current events…guess I will be turning back to good ole Clark Howard…The Lord knows I could know more about money management…

Any thoughts?

Note: I know there are other talk radio programs hosted by black people on other radio stations…I’m just talking about the ones that have earned my interest…And I will attempt to listen to 1380 AM here in the A…but I prefer FM programs…