Travel & Leisure Getaway - Michael Herbert's Travel Line, Inc.

Hey Black Family,

My friend and ADODI brutha Michael Herbert is in the travel & leisure business and wants to introduce you to some competitive and alternative travel and travel rate possibilities for that special destination trip you might be thinking about.

In the spirit of the fourth Kwanzaa principle: Ujamaa (oo-JAH-mah-AH): Cooperative Economics, please check out Michael's travel & leisure website business called Travel Line, Inc. ---> http://www.ytbtravel.com/michaelherbert

Whether you're thinking about that cruise or beach escape in the Caribbean or big travel plans overseas, there's a bunch of options to look at on Michael's website.

Michael's travel and leisure website offers:

Top 20 Destinations
All Inclusive Resorts
Offbeat Retreats
Family Friendly Vacations
European Escapes
Flight Itinerary Look-up
Online Flight Check-In
Stay the Luxurious Way


So check a brutha out! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact him!!

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL ONLINE TODAY!
www.ytbtravel.com/michaelherbert
Ph: 561.306.6819
Michael Herbert
Referring Agent
m.a.herbert[at]gmail.com

Michael Eric Dyson's Radio Broadcast Critique of President Obama

This is an interesting video I came across and wanted to share it. I think Dyson has some real valid points. The video is quite powerful. No matter what your perspective on Dyson or Obama, I think it's always imperative to keep our critical thinking hats on.

ROD

I Loved Michael, But, I Don't Think he Did

I Loved Michael, But, I Don't Think he Did
by John-Martin Green

(A Guest Nubian Knight's Perspective)

We've lost Michael. Michael, the seventies singing prodigy who grew into the most visionary musical performer of our generation. Michael, who scaled untold heights of popular culture, rewriting the record books. Michael, who sang and danced his way into the hearts and souls of men women and children the world over.

I am torn about his departure. It strikes me that he left us a long time ago, actually. His retreat may have begun as long ago as the time of the infamous Pepsi commercial twenty-five years ago at which point he was said to have commenced his addiction to pain killers. Having been alcohol and drug addicted myself, I can attest to the fact that, when one is so afflicted, one is not really present. Perhaps it began a few years before that, with his first plastic surgery.

He was clearly a genius - a tortured genius. It frustrates me when I think about the extent to which, brilliant as he was, he seems not to have wanted to be who he was. It vexes and perplexes me that, with unfathomable resources and access to information - including African and African American History, all manner of progressive spiritual restoration models, and the best psychological support services the world has to offer - this uber-gifted man seems never to have opted to heal himself - to deliver himself of the self-hatred by which so many of us are stunted. For even a little of the incalculable psychological support of which he might have availed himself, he may not have had to remain psychologically trapped in boyhood.

While it is likely that the adults with whom he surrounded himself may not have been wont to challenge him to seek out help for fear of being dismissed, I can't imagine people like Quincy or Stephen or Diana being so cowered. Was there nobody pulling his coat? Nobody at all? If so, that's a tragedy.

Writers have conjectured about Michael's changing his appearance so radically so as to remove any traces of his father from his appearance. While he may have harbored some antipathy for his father, I think it's safe to say he learned his relationship to manhood and to Blackness from his father. His desire to escape the bonds of manhood and Black manhood were so intense that he went to extraordinary lengths to transform his physical self into something else. On a Larry King show one night this week, film director, John Landis told how, in approaching
him to direct the Thriller video, Michael told him, 'I want to become a monster.' Before his final departure, he would seem to have come very close to achieving that goal.


Well, in the end, we have his brilliant musical legacy to treasure.

____________________

John-Martin Green is Co-founder and Executive Director of The Black Men’s Xchange-New York (BMX-NY), an empowerment organization of same gender loving (SGL) and bisexual African descended men which works to bridge gaps and build dialogue and community with the larger Black community. BMX-NY is a pro-Black organization built on a philosophy that embraces same gender loving experience as an intrinsic facet of everyday Black life. Integral to BMX-NY’s approach is the understanding that, in order to decrease internal and external homo-reactionary thinking, and demystify differences around diverse ways of living, loving and being, homosexual, bisexual and transgendered Black people must engage in supportive dialogue with each other and the community.

John-Martin is also Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Blackberry Productions, Inc. Theatre Company (BP). Through BP John-Martin creates original theatre that reflects untold stories and history of African Americans, and uses the arts in schools and community-based-organizations to nurture the cultural health of our communities. An important facet of the cultural work John-Martin and his cohorts have undertaken lo the past twenty-five years lies in excavating the history and culture of Africans in the Diaspora, towards reconnecting us with ourselves. As we remember who we are, we are empowered to act as agents in our own struggle, our own progress.

As an educator, Mr. Green was a Co-founder and Co-Director over a decade, of Changing Scenes, an OBIE Award winning arts-based crisis intervention program for juvenile offenders. There he created a theatre workshop wherein participants explored their relationship to issues of human needs, power , control, self-concept, personal responsibility and societal expectations. At the Young Adult Learning Academy with BP, Mr. Green helped create interdisciplinary arts-based curricula that sparked creativity and receptivity to learning. Mr. Green has taught theatre at New School University, Brooklyn College, and SUNY campuses at Old Westbury and Nassau Community College.

He holds a BFA in Drama from Bard College and an MFA in Directing from Brooklyn College.

The 19th AnnualHOUSE OF LATEX BALL: VEGASSATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009ROSELAND BALLROOM | NEW YORK CITY

GMHC presents

The 19th Annual

HOUSE OF LATEX BALL: VEGAS

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15, 2009
ROSELAND BALLROOM | NEW YORK CITY

239 WEST 52nd STREET

(BETWEEN BROADWAY & 8TH AVENUE)

DOORS OPEN AT 7:00PM
ADVANCED TICKETS ON SALE NOW AT GMHC

119 WEST 24TH STREET 8TH FLOOR

WEDNESDAY- FRIDAY 12PM- 8PM

$10 ADVANCED TICKETS/ $20 AT THE DOOR

CALL 212 367 1284 FOR MORE INFORMATION

(PLEASE NOTE:

THERE WILL BE MORE CASH CATEGORIES SO STAY TUNED)

Like Ballroom, Las Vegas is a true original; there is nothing else like it in the world. Once you experience the thrill of SinCity, you want to come back again and again, sort of like winning your first trophy. This years Latex Ball categories are design around the activities, shows, and the people that make up Las Vegas. We intend that with the creativity that ballroom participants contain and the innovative categories of the night this year Latex Ball will go down as one of the most talked about balls in ballroom history. The House of Latex Project dedicates The Las Vegas Ball to the Iconic Legendary Octavia St. Laurent- we all will miss ballroom’s Heavenly Angel.

Talk Show Host Maurice Runea Harassed by NYPD

Maurice Runea's Spoken Testimony:

On Saturday June 27th, 2009 @ around 2pm, I entered BEST BUY on 23rd St and 6th Ave. to get my cell phone repaired and was in the process of speaking with the sales rep when this Afro -American older gentlemen approached me from behind and said put your hands behind your back, I not knowing who he was replied excuse me and he said in a threatening tone put your hands behind your back as he reached for my arm, I started to react but the clerk, who has assisted me many times before mouth to me "Don't fight, he's a cop", So I trusted her advice and he handcuffed me and NEVER NOT ONCE DID HE EVER IDENTIFY HIS SELF.




Now anyone who knows Best Buy on 23rd & 6th knows it is always a very busy store and to be handcuffed, humiliated, degraded and accused was down right wrong and humiliating.

The man preceded to walk me from the front of the store to the back in handcuffs as the customers all stopped and watched as he hauled me off from the front of BEST BUY to the back (and to add to the humiliation he walked me through the store, mind you he still didn't identify his self... I am saddened at how this unfolded, he could of approached me identified his self and asked to see my ID and that would of been fine, but he felt the need to try and humiliate me.

So we get in the back of the store and then he said he was Officer Robert's and pulled out this wanted poster and said you going to tell me this ain't you? I said you have got to be f%$king kidding me, that doesn't look like me the least bit, he took the cuff off and I'm fuming at this point... he asked for my ID, I handed it to him, he looked at it had too BEST BUY employees guard me while he stepped out and was gone for about roughly 4mins. He returned handed me my ID and said Miss. Harrison, here's your ID (Maurice Runea is my 1st and middle name, Harrison is my legal last name)... I took my ID and said this is just the beginning... He replied, what you going to sue? Go ahead the City got alot of money Miss. Harrison, I relied your going to stop calling me Miss and requested his full name, the precinct he works for and his badge# and I also got a copy of the wanted poster... Now this is the killer, when he found out that I am the host of a talk show, write for a magazine and extremely well known, he offered to give me two days of body guard service... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? He couldn't protect my rights or my dignity, I sure as hell don't trust him with my body!!!

To make matters worse, I'm am a frequent shopper at that BEST BUY, I work on the next block at The Gay Men's Health Crisis and I'm always in the neighborhood shopping, dining and just being a law bidding citizen... I am upset beyond belief with this whole unnecessary situation and the migraine I have proves it... Yeah I was cleared but my reputation is tarnished due to the fact that the customers who saw me being hauled off like a common criminal had long gone about there business by the time I was released and I'm humiliated. I have witnesses who witnessed the entire ordeal and thank God I was still thinking logically enough to get the the name and contact info .

To make matters worse I was scheduled to be at two functions, one a celerity mixer (which I was a 1 and a half late for due to my detainment and then I had to cover the red carpet for The 40th Anniversary commemorative concert and benefit @ the Nokia Theater... I did all this while trying to hold it together because work is work but to make matters worse I had on all white, so just imagine what my pants looked like. That night when I was trying to wind down I simply couldn't.. I would dose and jump up and the migraine got worse... Then Sunday I was scheduled to be at NYC Pride, which I attended still not feeling 100% but was even more uncomfortable seeing the police after my ordeal

I always thought the NYPD was suppose to Serve and Protect, but as of lately I'm feeling like they abuse there power and authority... They speak to you like you don't matter, they use excessive force and are just down right messy with there everyday antics and the city in my opinion the city allows this nonsense to take place on a daily basis. I'm also a little disturbed that this is the type of behavior allowed to take place in BEST BUY.

I am now in the process of handling this situation... I will keep you posted!

Contact the 75th Precinct and let them know we will not tolerate Officer Wilson Robert's handling of this situation:

75th Precinct
1000 Sutter Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11208
(718) 827-3511
http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/precincts/precinct_075.shtml

VERVE! Pride Slam 2009

Hey Y'all, I didn't do too much photography shooting, but I have a hand full of pics from VERVE! Pride Slam 2009. The event was really spectacular and held at it's regular and beautiful space called Brooklyn Society for Ethical Culture located at 53 Prospect Park West in BK (Brooklyn)!! BK, y'all! U betta recognize! LOL! The VERVE! series (this was number 5!!) that started late last year, is an event series that is filling a niche that is missing within the Black same gender loving community; a sophisticated, almost cabaret style of musicianship created by us and for us!

Trust me, if you're tired of the same ol' club and bar scene and wanna head out for a night of entertainment by yourself, with a date or maybe a crew of friends with a powerful session of grassroot artists along with a pre and post-receptions (yeah, there's food, too! LOL!) with a social networkings and "man musings" (LOL!) component then VERVE! is da spot. It really is original and it's produced by The Well Entertainment Group which is spearheaded by Mr. Joseph Tolton and Germono Toussaint. A serious shout out to these two bruthaz and the rest of the staff for really putting on a spectacular show. Das wassup!

Here's the pics! Enjoy...

All Photography © 2009 ROD PATRICK RISBROOK

VERVE! Pride Slam Host Cornelius Jones, Jr. (FLAG BOY)

Brutha Ty, Resident Videographer

Sean360x
Brutha Man Always Has An Outfit For Us! LOL! :-)

Sean360x & Urban spiRitual

Eddie, A Qool Brutha

Music Artist Dy'Ari
Doin' His Thing and Promoting His New Album.

And YES, Dy'Ari Signed My Copy of the Album!
Check Out Dy'Ari's Website

Dy'Ari is Definitely Sexy

The Jena 6 Are Free -- How We Made It Possible

Dear Rod,

Yesterday (Friday, June 26th, 2009), nearly two years after more than 320,000 of you stood up to protect them from Jim Crow justice, the Jena 6--Jesse Ray Beard, Carwin Jones, Robert Bailey, Theo Shaw, Bryant Purvis and Mychal Bell--are all now free to move ahead with their lives. We should all be proud.

The five remaining Jena 6 cases were brought to conclusion on Friday¹ when Jesse Ray, Carwin, Robert, Theo, and Bryant pleaded "no contest" to misdemeanor simple battery charges.² They will spend no time in jail, serve seven days of probation, and pay relatively minor fines and court fees.

It's an incredible outcome given that the young men were originally charged with attempted murder in small-town Louisiana and had neither the funds nor the connections to get high-quality representation or attention for their cases.

Luckily for the Jena 6, hundreds of thousands of you got involved, and the power of your participation changed the game. An amazing team of lawyers worked tirelessly to achieve Friday's outcome. Our staff helped recruit them, and your financial contributions--over $275,000--provided the bulk of the funds for their work. Jim Boren, the coordinating attorney, said this about ColorOfChange members' contribution: "None of this would have happened without you."

But it wasn't just lawyers and money. Over 300,000 of you wrote to Governor Blanco and District Attorney Reed Walters. On September 20th, 2007, more than 10,000 of you went to Jena. Members who couldn't make it to Jena held more than 150 rallies and vigils across the country, and made more than 6,000 phone calls to elected officials in Louisiana. And a few weeks later, ColorOfChange members sent almost 4,000 complaints demanding an inquiry into the DA's actions.

Your actions offline and online helped put Jena on the map and resulted in critical coverage in every mainstream news outlet. You started a movement that made it impossible for Louisiana officials to support the status quo.

Today we offer congratulations to these young men and their families, and we say thank you to the entire ColorOfChange.org community. We're also so thankful to the attorneys who took these cases but chose to stay out of the limelight. They and several others³ are the unsung heroes of this story.

As the young men of the Jena 6 close this chapter of their lives, we wanted to give you an opportunity to wish them well. Click the link below to leave a personal statement for the young men of the Jena 6, or to listen to the voicemail from Jim Boren thanking the ColorOfChange community for our work:

http://www.colorofchange.org/jenaresolution/?id=2316-147103

While this is a great moment, it's important to remember that if it were not for the extreme nature of this case, most of us wouldn't have known about it or gotten involved. The reality is that there are countless Jena 6's: young people--often Black and male--who are overcharged or unduly criminalized, and whose plight is unknown to most of the outside world.

It's the reason our work cannot just be about identifying and fighting for individuals railroaded by the system, but about creating systemic change in criminal justice in America. We are truly grateful to have the chance to do this work with you, and we're hoping for your continued engagement and support.

Thanks and Peace,

-- James, Gabriel, William, Dani and the rest of the ColorOfChange.org team
June 27, 2009

Help support our work. ColorOfChange.org is powered by YOU -- your energy and dollars. We take no money from lobbyists or large corporations that don't share our values, and our tiny staff ensures your contributions go a long way. You can contribute here:

https://secure.colorofchange.org/contribute/?id=2316-147103

References:

1. "Plea Bargain Wraps Up 'Jena 6' Case," 9-26-09
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/06/26/national/main5116800.shtml

2. The sixth teenager charged, Mychal Bell, pleaded guilty to battery in juvenile court on December 3rd, 2007.

3. Thanks are due to Alan Bean, Tory Pegram, and King Downing, who dedicated months to working with the families and getting the story out, and to our friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center who played a central role in putting together and supporting the legal teams. Without any one of them, our work would have been hampered, or in some cases not possible at all.