A "GEMINI" BRUTHA JOURNEYING & EXPERIENCING A PATH OF NETWORKING & COMMUNICATION FOR THE HUMANITARIAN WELL-BEING FOR AND ABOUT THE AFRICAN DIASPORA
~ AN AFROCENTRIC GATEKEEPERS PALACE FOR INFORMATION ~
Otta Benga, Formerly Enslaved The Epitome of a Nubian Knight
Followers of Nubian Knights Network "Thanks For The Support Everybody!!!"
QUOTATIONS OF "BLACK"
"Whenever I use BLACK it relates to some history of Africans in that particular place. It’s the idea of the color BLACK as a metaphor, or as a representation of African-Americans. It’s the notion of BLACK- BLACKNESS - and all its other meanings in relation to the history of race..."
- Fred Wilson
"Most of my fortitude to continue doing the work comes from the moral outrage I feel about the injustices that Black people endure disproportionately daily."
- N. Abdul-Wakil
"In the end, what matters is not skin shade but pan-African consciousness. Loving your complexion, your nose, lips, hair length and texture, no matter what the politics or trends decide, and simply be. That's the problem with us (African folks). We're still learning how to love ourselves. So used to glorifying others and putting others first..."
- Dredlocks Tree
The REEL Black Same Gender Loving Filmography Resource (A 24/7 ONLINE FILM DATABASE)
Click The Pic To Access The Film Library Database! (166 Films) LAST UPDATE: Monday, December 3rd, 2012
As a current member (and once part of the leadership) of the Black Men's Xchange-New York (BMX-NY) throughout my 7 years (since February 2003 to be exact), I had the honor of witnessing one of the more POWERFUL dialogue sessions on Friday, April 16th, 2010. The topic in question was:
"LOVING SAME GENDER LOVE: Fighting for Our Right to Be"
In conjunction with that I had the honor of escorting two beautiful young bruthaz (friends of mine) who are same gender loving partners for 8 years strong who were visiting New York City from Chicago. I was quite giddy that night because I was so happy to see them after not seeing them for 6 years (since a Black Pride event in Fort Greene Park in Brooklyn, New York), and I was able to bring them to BMX for their first time where they witnessed the hospitality and the deep critical thinking and cultural affirmation (CTCA) model work that we do there which always has a frame-work around unlearning "anti-Black" and "anti-homosexual" perspectives via societal conditioning...
As the night wound down Friday evening, the BMX gathering ended climatically with the following quotes (in green) below which are excerpts from a room full of POWERFUL and ENLIGHTENING Black same gender loving men when the last question was asked over and over and over...
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
That It’s Life – It’s Beautiful –
Like A Seed Sprouting – Watch It Grow. It’s Amazing.
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? The Affirmation Of It –
Who It Was Created By And Who It Was Created For.
When I Was Gay Identified, I Acted Out...
I Also Like The Connection To My African History.
All The Beautiful Contributions Of Our People.
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? It’s Light – Consciousness –
All The Sacred Secrets That We Talk About -
It Preserves Me, And It Preserves The Next Generation.
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? I Love The Freedom Of It;
The Passion, The Solace Of Being With Another Man.
It’s Healing. It Creates Community.
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? I Don't Know; I'm Still Finding Out
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? The Total Connection -
Body, Mind & Soul, And The Versatility.
If We Don’t Love Ourselves, How Can We Heal Our Community?
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? Indescribable...
I Guess There’s A Lot Less Judgment –
[It’s] A Lot More Peaceful
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? It's Ancient...
The Tenderness... African Men Are The Most Sensitive
Human Beings On The Planet
And When You Are Able To Experience That,
It Is The Most Wonderful Delight
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
The Physicality Of The Black... Male... Body...
The Mental: Someone Who Can Understand My Daily Struggles
As A Black Man Living In Amerikkka)
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? I Love A Kiss – A Deep Kiss…
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
You Have My Experiences, My Oppression
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
You Are My Mirror
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
I Feel I Love The Variety.
We Don’t Have To Be A One-Size-Fits-All Community
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
The Independence It Gives You
[When You Declare Who You Are, Or What You Like]
That’s Something No One Can Take Away From You
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
It’s Something I Desire,
Therefore, It’s Beautiful – Unique –
Has The Creative Potential Of Finding Its Own Form.
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
[We Are] Gatekeepers...
Giving Directions And Marching Orders
To Protect And Do What We Need To Do
[For Community]
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
Personal, Private, Public
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
A Rhythm
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
As A Man,
You’re Expected To Be Strong
And Go Out There Everyday…
It’s Nice That I Can Be Strong Sometimes
And He Can Be Strong Sometimes.
I Don’t Have To Be Strong All The Time.
And He Can Squeeze Me, And Hold Me Tight.
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
If God Made Anything More Beautiful Than A Black Male,
He Must Have Kept It For Himself
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
The Duality Which Is A Mystique And Familiarity
Which Has A Special Shape And Texture
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
The Limitless Beauty And Power
And Creativity That Flows Through Us;
That Gives Us The Capacity To Heal Ourselves,
Each Other, Our Family, And The Capacity To Love
Even As We Are Told We Have No Right
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE?
Wil and Lamonte On Their 8-Year Relationship
What's Beautiful About SAME GENDER LOVE? Carrying Wounds And Scars [As We Are],
There Is Filial (Paternal) Love,
There Is Agape (Selfless) Love –
Sometimes They Come Together –
To Embrace That And Get It Right With Each Other,
There’s A Melting Of The Soul That’s Just...
Butter
A SPECIAL THANKS to Mr. John-Martin Green for lending me his transcribed notes for some of the above quotes.
As these quotes were read back and REFLECTED to all of us, the Black same gender loving men in the room, it truly shows our capacity and capable light as GATEKEEPERS...
Previews April 15th & 16th at 8pm. Play starts April 17th and runs to May 9th at the National Black Theater 2031 Fifth Avenue (Between 125th & 126th Street) GOOGLE MAP For tickets visit www.nationalblacktheare.org or call (212) 722-380
Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre is proud to announce the celebration of its 42nd season. The season opens with an original work written by David D. Wright, entitled OSHUN. A Yoruba Dance Drama "OSHUN" represents the pinnacle of feminine power through drama, dance, song and music. The production is a biographical, and historical account of the often underestimated and misunderstood female orisa.
OSHUN promises to usher in the spirit of theatre founder, Dr. Barbara Ann Teer, through layers of color, folklore and healing power (all of which the "Pearl of Harlem" was known to add to the Harlem community). By dramatically revealing the rich legacy of Yoruba mythology, OSHUN's director Roderick Giles explores the many manifestations of Oshun and makes it relevant to audiences young and old. The show kicks off a pivotal season for the NBT as it continues the legacy of Dr. Barbara Ann Teer with a commitment to excellence and healing of our communities of which we serve.
OSHUN (OSUN) will be running from April 17th thru May 9th, 2010. Show times are Friday, and Saturday at 8:00pm, and Sunday at 4:00pm. Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre is located at 2031-33 Fifth Avenue (125th & 126th Street). For the limited run, all tickets are $35 for general admission and group sales are available. To purchase your tickets using your credit card call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 or visit our online box office at www.brownpapertickets.com. For reservations and information about group sales please call 212-722-3800.
Dr. Barbara Ann Teer's National Black Theatre holds the largest New Sacred Yoruba Art Collection in the Western Hemisphere. National Black Theatre's (NBT) Institute of Action Arts offers three programs: Communication Arts, Theatre Arts and Entrepreneurial Arts. NBT represents a collective creative energy that offers alternative learning in an institution that represents a global cultural perspective.
Osun (Oshun The Yoruba Dance Drama), is a historical account of the female Orisa. It is a story of power, love, betrayal, lust, and greed, . OSHUN the Orisa of sweet waters,represents all aspects of emotion as it relates to the human condition.
Private Dancer: The Practice Of Bacha Bazi ('Boy For Play') Is Growing In Afghanistan. Photograph: Ghaith Abdul-Ahad
The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan Premieres On FRONTLINE Tuesday, April 20th, 2010 On PBS (NYC @ 9PM On Channel 13; Check Local Listings In Your Associated City)
In Afghanistan today, in the midst of war and endemic poverty, an ancient tradition--banned when the Taliban were in power--has re-emerged across the country. It's called Bacha Bazi, translated literally as "boy play." Hundreds of boys, some as young as eleven, street orphans or boys bought from poor families by former warlords and powerful businessmen, are dressed in woman's clothes, taught to sing and dance for the entertainment of male audiences, and then sold to the highest bidder or traded among the men for sex. With remarkable access inside a Bacha Bazi ring operating in Northern Afghanistan, Najibullah Quraishi, an Afghan journalist, investigates this practice, still illegal under Afghan law, talking with the boys, their families, and their masters, exposing the sexual abuse and even murders of the boys, and documenting how Afghan authorities responsible for stopping these crimes are sometimes themselves complicit in the practice.
The Associated Press reports on the widespread homophobia across the continent of Africa that has reached an all time high with some Africans committing unconscionable crimes against gay men even after death.
The Associated Press reports:
Senegal- Madieye Diallo's body had only been in the ground for a few hours when the mob descended on the weedy cemetery with shovels. They yanked out the corpse, spit on its torso, dragged it away and dumped it in front of the home of his elderly parents.
A wave of intense homophobia is washing across Africa, where homosexuality is already illegal in at least 37 countries.
In the last year alone, gay men have been arrested in Kenya, Malawi, Sierra Leone and Nigeria. In Uganda, lawmakers are considering a bill that would sentence homosexuals to life in prison and include capital punishment for 'repeat offenders.' And in South Africa, the only country that recognizes gay rights, gangs have carried out so-called "corrective" rapes on lesbians.
Diallo was an activist and a leader of a gay organization called And Ligay, meaning "Working together," which he ran out of his parents' house.
He was HIV-positive and on medication.
When the tabloid published the photograph, Diallo went into hiding, according to a close friend who asked not to be named because he too is gay. Unable to go to the doctor, Diallo stopped taking his anti-retrovirals. By the spring of 2009, he was so ill that his family checked him into St. Jean de Dieu, a Catholic hospital in downtown Thies, says the friend.
He was in a coma when he died at 5:50 a.m. on May 2, 2009, according to the hospital's records. Although the hospital has a unit dedicated to treating HIV patients, the young man's family never disclosed his illness, according to the doctor in charge.
Several gay friends tried to see Diallo in the hospital but were told to stay away by his family, says the friend.
When the AP tried to speak to Diallo's elderly father at his shop on the main thoroughfare in Thies, his other children demanded the reporter leave. One sister covered her face and sobbed. Another said, "There are no homosexuals here."
Hours after he died, his family took Diallo's body to a nearby mosque, where custom holds the corpse should be bathed and wrapped in a white cloth. Before the family could bathe him, news reached the mosque that Diallo was gay and they were chased out, says the dead man's friend. His relatives hastily wrapped him in a sheet and headed to the cemetery, where they carried him past the home of Babacar Sene.
"A man that's known as being a homosexual can't be buried in a cemetery. His body needs to be thrown away like trash," says Sene. "His parents knew that he was gay and they did nothing about it. So when he died we wanted to make sure he was punished."
Statement from the filmmakers, Peter and Benjamin Bratt
Dear Friends,
It is with great pride in the efforts of literally hundreds of people that we write to tell you that our film La MISSION will have its national theatrical release beginning April 9th.
La MISSION pays homage to the neighborhood and people we grew up around, and captures the vibrancy, cultural pride, flavor and sound of this ever-evolving barrio. At the center of the story is Che, an old school reformed bad boy and single father who has dedicated his life to raising his 18 year-old son. Jess is a UCLA-bound honors student who is hiding a deeply-held secret from his macho father: he's gay.
La MISSION doesn't pull any punches. It takes a hard look at some of the prevailing attitudes that still thrive and do damage within our communities. But La MISSION also celebrates the humor, the sense of pride, and the passion for life that exists alongside the everyday struggles.
Opening weekend attendance is critical. The box office totals determine the life expectancy of the film, including its afterlife on DVD. If you, as we do, want to see more films that are authentically representative of our experiences and our communities, we urge you to support independent filmmaking by showing up at the theaters and buying tickets. It's the only message exhibitors understand--they only run films that will bring in large crowds.
Please check our website (www.lamissionthemovie.com) and also become a fan of La Mission on Facebook. There you will find details on what cities and theaters we are playing in, plus photos and information on the film and its crew.
Thanks for supporting independent cinema, and a heartfelt thanks from us for your support of La MISSION.
Special THANKS to Ralph Emerson of GBMNews.com for giving me a heads up and notifying me about this film.
I watched the trailer and the film looks pretty good and the cinematography looks nice as well, especially the LUSH night time scene I saw.
Part of Nubian Knights Network's mission is to promote positive stories and images about the African Diaspora (as well as other people of color Diasporas). So, with that said, it's a blessing to be able to post information about this film.
HOWEVER, my caveat or ONLY complaint upon seeing the trailer (haven't seen the film yet and just got word that it is NOW playing in New York City in two theaters) is theBULLSHITonce again with the trend of showing a person of color (in this case a young Latino male) with a white europeanLOVER/boyfriend interest. This continues to reinforce the notion (that I know is NOT true) that a person of color (African, Latino, Asian/Pacific Islander, Natve American, Indian, etc.) cannot have a successful, fruitful and loving relationship unless the person is white.
La Mission is written by Peter Bratt who is Latino (and from San Francisco which is overwhelmingly white in poulation), so I don't know if his thinking in having a white lover as a character was a personal and subjective idea or choice of how he sees what a "gay" (not talking same gender loving here) couple would look like, or perhaps he was playing politics by casting a white actor to draw and appeal to the white (gay) audience.
All speculation on my part in reference to this film, but this continuous trend is something that I have had numerous conversations with other Black SGL bruthaz from time to time ,and I am NOT the ONLY one who thinks this. This pattern of a Black/white or Latino/white lover couple has been seen in such projects as the HBO seriesSix Feet Under, the Indy film Brother To Brother (2004) (as much as I LOVE this film I gotta still call it out), the 1976 film Norman... Is That You?, Punks (2000) (bruthaz chasing after white boys in the clubs), Looking For Langston (1988), Young Soul Rebels (1991) and most recently the new Black comedy Death At A Funeral (2010) where we discover in the trailer that the Black male person who passed away (despite being married) was on the "DL" (down low) and had a white male lover on the side.
What's troubling is that some of these film and tv projects are made by Black filmmakers as much as white filmmakers. So... what does this say about the larger Black community and how they perceive us, the Black SGL community (which by the way, we are largely INVISIBLE when it comes to any public or political standings; and when we are seen in the media, we are usually paired up with someone white such as the "gay" marriage agenda).
I know how I see myself with cultural affirmation and self-determination of the African Diaspora which includes, but not limited to my sexual identity (same gender loving), but also... how does these images make us (Black SGL folks) perceive ourselves?
Just sayin' ...
In any event, this is not to take away from supporting and seein' La Mission. My friend Jair, The Literary Masturbator, saw it last year and thought it was well done. I'll check it out when it hits NYC.
As a young boy, when told that Black people had no history, Arturo Schomburgbegan amassing the irrefutable evidence… books, manuscripts, art, photos, film, music and more… that formed the foundation of the Schomburg Center.
In his quest, he understood that he couldn’t do this essential work alone. He called on his friends in Harlem -- Langston Hughes, Aaron Douglas, Zora Neale Hurston, and many more -- to help him. As a result, the Schomburg Center has become not only the preeminent intellectual center of the African Diaspora, but also one of the premier research libraries of The New York Public Library.
Like Mr. Schomburg, we are calling on friends like you to stand with us in support of the Schomburg Center, particularly now during one of the most fiscally dire times in the history of the Center.
Recent and proposed budget cuts have threatened critical key elements of the Schomburg's activities. These include our award-winning public programs —films, exhibitions, lecture series, symposia, and more. When our programs are cut, our ability to share stories of the African Diaspora in an authentic voice with audiences of all ages and races is put at risk.
You’ve been an active participant in the life of the Center, either online or at our locations in Harlem, and we deeply appreciate your involvement. Now we’re hoping you’ll increase your commitment to the Center during this time of need and become a member of The Schomburg Society today. Join with the many other people from across the country who have come to understand that protecting and preserving the legacy of Africana history and culture is simply too important to be left to others. I hope we can count on you to join with us. Thank you.
Warmly, Howard Dodson Chief
P.S.> Not only will your membership in The Schomburg Society afford you a variety of benefits, but you will also have the satisfaction of knowing that you are contributing to the sustenance of this remarkable institution. Thank you again.
Set for a soft launch in mid-May, DIGITAL DIASPORA FAMILY REUNION: ONE WORLD, ONE FAMILY(http://www.vimeo.com/6091788) is looking for new and experienced writers, bloggers and contributors for short posts, 250 – 1000 words, 4-5 times per month (once a week); interested in writing posts that cover African-American Photography, including:
* Transferring images to digital formats and image preservation (35mm slides, Super 8, 16mm, old Polaroids, Kodak Ektachrome; etc); * Family reunion event planning; * Family oral history telling; * Black genealogy and searching for ancestors; * Stories on photo collections, galleries, museums and exhibits featuring African American & African Diasporic photographers; and * Current updates on auctions and markets for Black Ephemera (photographs, videos, images, documents, etc.) * Willing to be part of our “Experts Panel” to answer user questions (regular monthly feature “Ask the Experts”)
This is an outstanding opportunity for writers seeking exposure for their work and a chance to build their portfolio. At this stage, there is no compensation, but as we monetize the site, that is a distinct possibility in the future.
Please send a brief bio/resume highlighting previous writing experience and 3 samples of recent work to: ATTN: PROJECT EDITOR at Don[at]chimpanzeeproductions.com
Over the last few months, we have been building tremendous support for and enthusiasm around our ambitious multimedia community engagement initiative Digital Diaspora Family Reunion: One World, One Family (DDFR), where individuals are invited to explore the rich and revealing historical narratives found within their own family photograph collections. The highlight of the initiative includes a touring DDFR Roadshow, combining the best features of PBS’ “Antiques Roadshow” and NPR’s “StoryCorps,” that activates Black family photographic archives and an online Internet Portal that creates community across time and space. DDFR brings to the forefront stories and histories suppressed and/or hidden that show the fullness of who we are. By uncovering the little seen images and seldom heard stories of our Black families and relatives, this important and timely project provides a gathering place where all these discarded shards of history can once again be seen, shared and appreciated. The goal of the DDFR initiative is to break down barriers between people and bring them together around the cultivation of their shared values and experiences. Conceived and founded by Chimpanzee Productions, Inc., DDFR and the related film project Through A Lens Darkly: Black Photographers and the Emergence of a People have received grants from the Ford Foundation, Sundance Documentary Fund, The Andy Warhol Foundation for Visual Arts, NBPC, ITVS, New York State Council for the Arts, The Fledgling Fund, Nathan Cummings Foundation, Cross Currents Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. DDFR will launch its Beta site in July 2010. Through A Lens Darkly is slated for a public television broadcast in 2011, with funding support from NEA, PBS and CPB, among others.
Don Perry, CIRA, LEED-AP Managing Director Shiva's Karma, LLC Green Business Strategists 5 First Street, #84 Warwick, New York 10990 P: 646 - 662 - 8409 F: 845 - 986 - 1748 E: dperry[at]shivas-karma.com www.shivas-karma.com http://www.linkedin.com/in/donperry2shivaskarma
One FUN thing I LOVE playing is a game called WARRI . It is the oldest game in the world and originated in AFRICA. It is played many different ways and called numerous names depending upon the region of the world. The play mechanics in terms of thinking is as challenging as chess YET incredibly easy to learn and play like the simplicity of checkers. I have two WARRI game boards (the bigger one shown above). I bought both of them and learned the rules of WARRI from my friend and mentor, Oba. Click the pic to find out more. Really qool!
The Term "Same Gender Loving" (SGL)
"Same-Gender-Loving" or "SGL", its meaning which was coined and derived out of the Black community "...emerged in the early 1990s to offer Black women who love women and Black men who love men (and other people of color) a way of identifying that resonated with the uniqueness of Black life and culture". READ MORE...
Basically, it's a CULTURAL AFFIRMATION SPECIFIC to PEOPLE OF AFRICAN DESCENT. We speak for ourselves and self-identify for ourselves.
I live its ideology through LOVE and ACCEPTANCE.
All The AFRICAN Resource Links Starting From Here & Downward Are Alphabetized By Category. HAVE FUN! | | | V
FIRE!! (Reprint of the 1926 Issue) In 1926, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Wallace Thurman, Aaron Douglas, Richard Bruce Nugent, Gwendolyn Bennett and John P. Davis Created The Publication Called FIRE!!
The 2009 List: 25 Film Festivals Worth the Fee (by MovieMaker.com)
Every moviemaker has dreams of his or her film landing at Sundance or Cannes and instantly acquiring the enduring acclaim that fests of that caché can offer. There ’s nothing wrong with striving for those rarified venues, but moviemakers need not get their celluoid in a bunch if it doesn’t happen, because now more than ever there are excellent alternatives—festivals that go the extra mile to make certain that a moviemaker ’s efforts are well compensated.
Whether the payoff comes in the form of a generous cash prize, the opportunity to hobknob with an industry titan, or just a fattening of one’s press kit and crew Rolodex, the festivals that are worth your fee and your time can make all the difference in your burgeoning career:
• Action on Film International Film Festival • Angelus Student Film Festival • Ashland Independent Film Festival • Austin Film Festival • Bermuda International Film Festival • Boxur Shorts Film Festival • Calgary International Film Festival • Dark Carnival Film Festival • DC Shorts Film Festival • Doorpost Film Project • Elevate Film Festival • L.A. Comedy Shorts Film Festival • Mammoth Film Festival • Marfa Film Festival • Myrtle Beach International Film Festival • Napa Sonoma Wine Country Film Festival • Ottawa International Animation Film Festival • Oxford International Film Festival • Palm Springs Shortfest • Poppy Jasper Film Festival • Red Rock Film Festival • Screamfest Horror Film Festival • SILVERDOCS • Syracuse International Film Festival • Whistler Film Festival
Harriet Tubman A Fearless Nubian Knight of the Night
Malcolm X An Intelligent and Vigilant Nubian Knight Hero
Orisha Art: OXOSSI A Nubian Knight
Orisha Art: OGUM A Nubian Knight
Orisha Art: EXU A Nubian Knight
Orisha Art: Orunmila A Nubian Knight
"Echoes of Eden" Art Piece by Michael Anthony Brown A Nubian Knight
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As a current member (and once part of the leadership) of the Black Men's Xchange-New York (BMX-NY) throughout my 7 years (since February 2003 to be exact), I had the honor of witnessing one of the more POWERFUL dialogue sessions on Friday, April 16th, 2010. The topic in question was:
Copyright © 2009 ROD PATRICK RISBROOK
Copyright © 2008 ROD PATRICK RISBROOK (ADODI Retreat)
African Men Are The Most Sensitive
Photo Copyright © Donald Agarrat 
Copyright © 2009 ROD PATRICK RISBROOK 
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