NUBIAN KNIGHTS NETWORK

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

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage > BRAZIL
A New Book Release

Hey Black Family,

I was window browsing at Amazon.com and discovered that Kehinde Wiley's latest book of art The World Stage: Brazil just came out. I have been waiting for this book for some time and about to place an order for it.

Kehinde Wiley is a young African-America male artist whose body of work encapsulate young men of African descent from around the world. I just discovered this brutha'z work a year or so ago. And believe me when I tell you, you cannot appreciate brutha Kehind's work until you see it in an art gallery. I mean the epic scale of his paintings are ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE!! The average painting is about 20 feet long (landscape or portrait).

A little over a year ago on Sunday, December 28th, 2008 I put together a social event called BIG ROD's Brotherhood Gathering / Social Outing -> Kehinde Wiley: DOWN for Black SGL bruthaz at the Deitch Projects Art Gallery venue in Manhattan. I figured it'd be a great way for bruthaz to meet one another around the subject of art instead of bruthaz meeting at the same ol' tired club and bar scenes!! It was a small gathering, but we had a great time and we went around the gallery and discussed a lot of the different pieces of Kehinde's art and what it meant to us personally. I had so much FUN and glad bruthaz came out for that. A very different and refreshing social gathering for Black same gender loving men.

I LOVE Africentric art of the Diaspora and as a result of seeing the

art exhibit twice I became a big fan of Kehinde's work. I try to pick up as many books as possible with his published works of art! I LOVE his choice of models which are just regular guys from different neighborhoods from around the world. I find a lot of his choice of men attractive and some of the works homo-erotic in nature; on he other hand some of his paintings are poignant in their portrayal of the demise of Black men. A lot of his works have eurocentric slant to them via some settings or stature because Kehinde emulates a lot of historically famous poses or settings; thus, he puts men of African descent in a context a lot of audiences of his work are not used to seeing and it creates an interesting dichotomy or juxtaposition.

So, if you haven't seen Kehinde's work in an art gallery, please keep an eye out for an exhibit in your area, or if you cna travel to a neighboring town or city, it is well, well worth it in my opinion. The brutha simply INCREDIBLE and is such a talent! Also, don't forget to pick up Kehinde Wiley's latest book of art Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage > Brazil The price is not a back-breaker and costs about $26.00. Be qool y'all!

ROD

Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage > Brazil

Book Description

This volume includes a selection of 22 new portrait paintings from Kehinde Wiley's multinational World Stage series, which has included Africa, China and India in the past and now moves on to Brazil. Immersing himself in the local culture of Rio de Janeiro, Wiley incorporates the people, history and aesthetic of the city in each of his monumental male portraits. His models, chosen from the favela slums, reflect historically significant public sculptures found within the city. Oversize tropical flowers in full bloom, appropriated from Brazilian textiles, inundate the work with saturated, brightly hued colors suggestive of Brazilian exoticism. Likening African-descended, young Brazilian males to canonical figures from Western art history as well as Brazilian public monuments, Wiley renders masculinity both august and noble. Text in English and Portuguese.

Hardcover: 64 pages
Publisher: Roberts & Tilton (January 31, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1427613737
ISBN-13: 978-1427613738
Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 0.5 inches

This Is One Of My TOP, TOP FAVORITES!!!!!
From Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage > BRAZIL,
This Is A Very Sensual Portrait
And Portrays Men of African Descent
In A Way In Which You Don't See
In The Mainstream Arts.
A REAL BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART!!

Definitely Another Favorite!!!
Brutha Kehinde Is So MAGNIFICENT!!

LOVE THIS PIECE, TOO!!

Kehinde's Signature Staple Is His Use of FLOWERS
In Most Of His Works

Monday, January 18, 2010

"Let's Stay Together" - An Indepednent Film
Spending 2 Days Behind-The Scenes With ME (ROD)

Hey FAM,

Just wanted to share some behind-the-scene pics of a film shoot I've been working on the past year called Let's Stay Together by independent film filmmaker (writer/producer/editor/director) Joshua Bee Alafia.

JB (as I call him) and I met a little over a year at a Thelma Hull Performing Arts Center (THPAC) dance theater event through my friend Alex Smith who's the executive chairman of THPAC. JB was a videographer for the dance event and we traded business cards and then a short time later he gave me a call and we've been working together ever since on his film project and other film/commercial projects.

So, I wanted to share these pics with family and friends. I hardly ever have pics of myself as I'm mostly behind my own camera and friends complain I'm hardly in any pics at events.

Also it's about putting out into the universe what I like doing...

1st Interior Location (Brooklyn), Sunday, December 20th, 2009:
ME Chillin' With The Boom and Mic
As I wait For The Next Scene Set-up.
The Basement We Were In Was Little Chilly.

1st Interior Location (Brooklyn), Sunday, December 20th, 2009:
ME ad Actor Lamont Having a Light Laughter Moment.
We Both Admire Actor/Martial Artist Jim Kelly
From Back In Da Day...
Dooooooooyyy!!!
LOL!

2nd Interior Location (Harlem), Sunday, December 20th, 2009:
Writer/Director Joshua Bee Alafia (left) Directing A Scene
And ME Miking It

All the following pics are another day's shoot of Let's Stay Together on Thursday, January 14th, 2010 in Brooklyn, New York.

Setting Up The Spiritual Consul Scene (1)

Setting Up The Spiritual Consul Scene (2)

ME Takin A Break Inbetween The Intimate Bedroom Scene.
I Wasn't Feeling Good That Day So I Was Resting As Best I Could!
LOL!

In This Scene We Were Shooting A POV (Point-of-View) Shot
Of Director Joshua Bee Alafia's Character Parker

ME Get Ready To Mic A Scene

ME (Left) and Malik (Right) Setting A Scene Up

ME and Malik Chillin Inbetween Scene Set-ups

Pictured Left To Right:
Actor Tanda, ME (ROD), Writer /Director Joshua Bee Alafia,
and Artist Malik
Smile For The Camera As We Shoot A Hallway Scene

This Was An Unexpected Picture (My Eyes Wide, LOL!)
Taken Of Me As I Looked At Amma (Our Photographer).
I Usually Don't Like Too Many Pics Of Myself,
But This Was Actually A Qool Pic.
I LIKE IT!

Cast and Crew Pic (Pictured Left To Right):
Joshua, Malik, Tanda and ME (BIG ROD)

Cast and Crew Pic (Pictured Left To Right):
Our Resident Photographer Amma Jelani,
Joshua, Tanda and ME (BIG ROD)

Morehouse Whiz Kid Is Causing a Stir:
13-Year-Old Dominates College

Morehouse Whiz Kid is Causing a Stir:
13-Year-Old Dominates College
By Boyce Watkins, PhD
Jan 13th 2010 7:45PM

At thirteen years of age, Stephen Stafford is causing quite a stir at Morehouse College. Stafford has a triple major in pre-med, math and computer science. Though he loves playing video games and playing his drum set, he is no typical teenager.

"I've never taught a student as young as Stephen, and it's been amazing," said computer science professor Sonya Dennis. "He's motivating other students to do better and makes them want to step up their game."

Stafford began his college career at the age of 11, after being home-schooled by his mother. Stafford's mother said that when Stafford began to teach her instead of being taught by her, she knew he needed to be in a college environment.

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about. Stephen Stafford, in my opinion, represents exactly what black men are about: Intelligence, ambition and high academic achievement. This is not to disrespect men in other walks of life, but the truth is that you will never see Stephen Stafford's accomplishments promoted like a rap music video.

We must, as a community, applaud and uphold this young man. We must cheer for him as if he averages 40 points a game. We should converse about his achievements as if he had released a platinum hip-hop album. He should get the same respect as every linebacker, point guard or hip-hop artist in America.

Corporate America will not blow Stephen's trumpet, but I will. I also want all the other Stephen Staffords to make themselves seen. There are hundreds of thousands of Stephen Staffords out there who've been convinced by a culture of thuggery that they should do their best to hide their greatness. Rather than acing math class, they've been taught to measure grams and kilos or to memorize football playbooks that are 100 pages thick. Our young men can analyze the triangle offense in basketball and break down a nickel defense, but then become mentally deficient when it comes to doing algebra, science and social studies. The time for mediocrity is over, since education is the key to making your dreams come true. Sports only creates more nightmares.

Stephen will make more money than all of his athletic friends, because education produces economic empowerment. He will also have more personal freedom and professional fulfillment. He will live the black American dream, and I encourage all of you to make your own sons into the next Stephen Stafford.

The recipe for our kids is simple:

1) Spend as much time studying as you spend playing sports or working at fast food restaurant jobs.
2) Don't let anyone convince you that you can't achieve whatever you put your mind to.

Just by studying 4 to 5 hours per day (less than the number of hours they would put in to working a minimum wage job), almost any child in America can get a college degree and become a doctor, lawyer or whatever they want. It's actually just a matter of doing it. I've taught college for 16 years, and I can tell you that the term "college material" needs to be abolished. Every child is college material if they want to be. That's the truth.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Dr. Boyce Watkins Talks With MSNBC Live
About The Need For A National Conversation On Race

TheConversationOnRace.com/

Yele Haiti!
HELP WYCLEF JEAN HELP HAITIANS!!
HAITI EARTHQUAKE FUND

www.yele.org

HEY FAM,

I just donated $25.00. If you can match that or greater we can sem the tide together! If you can only give less, then that's qool, too!

ROD

Wyclef Jean is taking the lead in asking for help and assistance for the millions of people affected by the massive earthquake that struck Haiti.

We thank you and gratefully acknowledge your generous contribution to Yele Haiti. Yele Haiti is a movement led by Wyclef Jean that is helping to bring hope back to Haiti. Projects are designed to make a difference in the fields of education, health, environment and community development. Yele Haiti (previously known as the Wyclef Jean Foundation) is a 501 (3) tax exempt charitable organization. No goods or services were provided, in whole or in part, in return for this contribution.Your gift is fully tax deductible as provided in the Internal Revenue Code. 100% of donations from individuals go to our assigned projects.

Thank you once again!

Sincerely,
The Yele Haiti Team

Organization Info:
Yele Haiti
P.o. Box 2345
New York, New York 10108
United States of America
Email: donation@yele.org
Phone: 212/352-0552

ANOTHER WAY TO HELP PUT:
Text YELE to 501501 to donate $5 dollars to help Wyclef Jean's (Haitian native musician) efforts, on his way to Haiti now. The $5 will show up on your cell phone bill.... Pass it on!

Yele Haiti Website: www.yele.org

CAN YOU PLEASE HELP?!!!

UPDATE:
MUCH MORE INFORMATION BELOW

ALSO, A LOT OF SCAMS ARE GOING
AROUND REGARDING HAITI,
SO VERIFY ANY AND ALL
INFORMATION

T-Mobile USA Waives Call Charges To and From Haiti

T-Mobile USA, Inc. announced that they will be doing what they can to lend their aid in the wake of the magnitude 7 earthquake that shook the Port-au-Prince area on January 12. The company will allow current T-Mobile customers to make phone calls to Haiti free of charge. T-Mobile is hoping to help unite family members by enabling phone calls without charges retroactively from January 12, 2010, until January 31, 2010. And any T-Mobile customers will also be able to roam free-of charge while in Haiti.

UPS is shipping anything under 50lbs. for free to Haiti. You can send food, clothes, or shoes.....

American Airlines is taking Dr's and Nurses to Haiti for free. Call 212-697-9767.....

Red Cross needs Creole speaking volunteers for a 24 hour phone bank.Call Mr. Wilifrid @ 305-776-6900 ASAP. Please re-post, spread the word

ASSISTANCE FOR HAITIANS IN AMERICA

Contact the Haitian Embassy at 202.332.4090
or the nearest Haitian Consulate office in your area to locate your loved ones.

ASSISTANCE FOR AMERICAN CITIZENS ABROAD

(How to trace family members in Haiti)
Call 888.407.4747 Department of State (US)

ORGANIZATIONS TO SUPPORT WITH MONEY & RESOURCES

I. Yele
Founded by famed Haitian-American GRAMMY Award winning rapper/musician Wyclef Jean (formerly of The Fugees). Visit www.yele.org for more information. Text “501501” then type “Yele” to make a $5 donation ASAP.

II. Haiti Support Project
Founded by Dr. Ron Daniels (President of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century) this relief fund will collect your cash donations and send it to grassroots organization.

III. Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees
Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Lakou New York, and MUDHA Movement of Dominican Haitian Women are organizing an immediate delivery of first aid relief. MUDHA is traveling to the Dominican/Haitian border, looking at how to reach affected areas. See first aid list of needs below and bring items to:

HAITIAN WOMEN FOR HAITIAN REFUGEES
335 Maple Street, 2nd Floor
Brooklyn, NY (this is not a mailing address)
718.735.4660

EVENING DROP-OFF HOURS ARE MON. & WED. 6:30-8:30 P.M.
DAYTIME DROP-OFF HOURS ARE MON. - FRI. 11:00-4:00 P.M.

Please use rear entrance on Lincoln Road between Nostrand and New York Avenue. Enter through St. Francis Church parking lot. To make a financial tax-deductible donation to Haitian Women for Haitian Refugees, Lakou New York, and MUDHA Movement of Dominican Haitian Women, so that they may take supplies to Haiti, please mail donations to:
IFCO/Haiti Relief
418 West 145th Street
New York NY 10031

You may also make a credit card donation designated for Haiti Relief at www.pastorsforpeace.org or by calling IFCO at 212.926.5757.

IV. The Global Syndicate’s Haiti Project
Give any financial support you can by donating to http://www.theglobalsyndicate.org/get_involved.html. All proceeds will be used to support relief efforts of Project Medishare and Yele (two of our partner organizations that have robust structures that offer direct support).

V. S.H.A.D. (Soin Humanité Amour Dévouement)
“S.H.A.D.” translated into English means Care Humanity Love Devotement. It is a non-profit organization (with 501c3 status) that is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life, while providing education, medical, emotional, and social support services unavailable to low-income Haitian women from 14-45 years old. Their work includes servicing pregnant women and those who live under poverty level who are affected and infected by the HIV/AIDS virus. All monetary donations are being collected via PayPal at donation: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-click&hosted_button_id=10554585

WHAT HAITI NEEDS

Americans and concerned citizens in the entire global community should ask friends, neighbors, religious institutions, social, cultural, or political organizations, local businesses, or your coworkers to begin to gather the following for the people of Haiti. MORE INFORMATION on how to get them to Haiti will be coming soon:

I. Nonperishable foods
WATER
Canned goods
Bags of rice, bags of beans

II. Clothing
New/clean underwear for women, men, girls, and boys
Sneakers/tennis shoes and socks of all sizes for women, men, girls, and boys
Shoes of all sizes for women, men, girls, and boys
Shirts and tee-shirts of all sizes for men and boys
Blouses and dresses of all sizes for women and girls
Jeans, plants, and slacks of all sizes for women, men, girls, and boys
Bras of all sizes for women and girls

III. Supplies
MEDICAL SUPPLIES
Blankets
First-aid kits
Diarrhea medication
Eye drops
Insect repellent
Hydrogen peroxide
Skin disinfectant spray
Flashlights, Candles, Matches
Batteries of all sizes
Tents (sold at Walmart and K-Mart)
Scissors
Book-bags and knapsacks and purses
Tape (both scotch tape, and thick electrical tape)
Hammers, nails, screwdrivers, pliers
Thick outdoor garbage bags
Water pails, pots, and pans
Paper towels
Cleaning liquids
Disposable utensils (plates, forks, spoons, knives, cups, napkins)

III. Toiletries

Toilet paper
Soap
Shampoo
Toothbrushes
Deodorant
Hair combs
Hair brushes
Rubbing alcohol
Hydrogen peroxide
Conditioner
Body lotion
Toothpaste
Sanitary napkins
Tampons
Cotton balls and cotton swabs
Wash cloths
Bath towels

RECOMMMENDED HAITIAN & HAITI EXPERTS (For Media Interviews)

I. MARGUERITE LAURENT, ESQ.

A foremost Haitian activist, Ms. Laurent’s daily online newsletter, Eli Danto, provides all kinds of info about Haiti. Contact her at erzilidanto@yahoo.com. Visit her website at www.ezilidanto.com. Follow her on Twitter at http://twitter.com/Ezilidanto.

II. DR. RON DANIELS

Scholar, historian, activist, and the most Haiti-involved African American in our country. He is the founder of the Haiti Support Project. Contact Dr. Daniels at ronmae@aol.com or visit his website at www.ibw21.org.

RECOMMMENDED MEDIA (Books and Films)

Many people following the earthquake are new to Haiti, its people, and its culture. Many people are being introduced to this great nation for the first time as the “poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.” The list below is our humble attempt to reframe the conversation and the context. Our first thoughts of Haiti are as the first independent majority-Black nation in the Western Hemisphere. We know it as a country that is rich with history and beauty. Their heroes and human rights activists, Toussaint L'ouverture and Jean-Jacques Dessalines, are our heroes and models of resistance. January 1, 1804 is the official declaration of Haitian independence and we celebrate that victory, too. We have compiled some background info about this Caribbean island that has long been tied to American history. In fact it was a Haitian immigrant, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, who founded the American city of Chicago.

BOOKS ABOUT HAITI
Danticat, Edwidge. Breath, Eyes, Memory and Krik? Krak!
Lawless, Robert. Haiti's Bad Press
Metraux, Alfred. Voodoo In Haiti
Ridgeway, James, Ed. The Haiti Files: Decoding the Crisis
Thompson, Ian. Bonjour Blanc: A Journey through Haiti

FILMS ABOUT HAITI

The Agronomist is about Jean Leopold Dominique who hosted Radio Haiti-Inter, Haiti's first independent radio station. Jonathan Demme puts together this documentary with historical footage and interviews. The result is a serious recount of Haiti during its numerous regimes.

Radio Haiti-Inter was Radio Haiti in 1960 and in 1969, it became Radio Haiti-Inter. It finally ended its broadcast three years after the assassination of Jean Dominique. His broadcasts were primarily for the struggle of democracy and he was able to capture the feelings of those who were poor and powerless.

The documentary starts with an interview where Jean Dominique recounts a day when he was able to broadcast gunfire outside Radio Haiti-Inter. Visit this site for ordering details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Websitehttp://www.thinkfilmcompany.com

Haiti: The Untold Story by Kevin Pina, chronicles the brutal daily human rights violations committed against democracy supporters in Haiti since the February 2004 coup d'etat. The film focuses on abuses in poor urban neighborhoods by the Haitian National Police and United Nations Stabilization Mission (MINUSTAH) troops in Haiti, especially the July 6, 2005 Cite Soleil massacre. It was produced at great personal risk by journalist/filmmaker Pina, who has covered the grassroots democracy movement in Haiti for the past ten years. It contains stunning footage not available elsewhere. For more information, or to view a trailer, see www.teledyol.net/KP/HUS/HUS.html

Aristide and the Endless Revolution by Nicolas Rossier (Baraka Productions): An hour south of Miami, the elected president of the Western Hemisphere's poorest nation has twice been forced from office with the complicity of the international community. Aristide and the Endless Revolution investigates the tragic events that led to the second violent expulsion of Jean Bertrand Aristide from Haiti. This documentary reveals the tangled web of hope, deceit, and political violence that has brought the world's first black republic to its knees. For more information or to view a trailer, see http://www.aristidethefilm.com.

Pote Mak Sonje: the Raboteau Massacre Trial (Christine Cynn and Harriet Hirshorn) is a few years old, but is an important reminder of the possibilities of democracy in Haiti. The film chronicles the tenacious, non-violent and ultimately (but temporarily) successful fight for justice by the victims of the 1994 Raboteau Massacre. The victims took risks for justice, because they saw it as a way of breaking Haiti's cycle of violence and transforming the justice system from an instrument of repression into an instrument of liberation. They succeeded in convicting the top paramilitary and military leadership of murder in a trial hailed as a landmark in the fight against impunity. After the film's release, all those convicted were freed following the February 2004 coup d'etat. For more information, see http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_raboteau-4.htm.

TIME LINE OF HAITIAN HISTORY

To get a quick and general sense of 500 years of Haitian history over the past 500 years, please visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Haitian_history

Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors 2010
Kyud Leon (Lakeim) Simmons
Honored with the "Execllence In Teaching Martial Arts" Award

Pictured Right: Kyud Leon (Lakeim) Simmons

YEAH, LAKEIM! GO BOY!!!!!

Saturday, January 9th, 2010 I went to Atlantic City for the Action Martial Arts Magazine Hall of Honors 2010. It was an awesome event and I as honored with the "Execllence In Teaching Martial Arts" award. What a way to start the New Year! I want to thank Grand Master Carlito Lanada, Kyud Bill Kossman and Kyudai Alice Kossman, Kyud Roberto Lao, Master Troy Barcia, my students, my family, and my friends for all their support and help whom without this achievement would not have been possible.

Kyud Leon (Lakeim) Simmons
Lakan Guro

New Africentric 44-Cent U.S. Postage Stamps:
U.S. Navy Sailor "Dorie" Miller,
Filmmaker Oscar Micheaux and
The Negro Baseball League

I finally got a chance to look through the new issue of USA Philatelic magazine that the United States Postal Service sends out quarterly and came across a few upcoming 44-cent stamps for 2010 that I wanted to share with the FAM.

Keep these stamps in mind when you go to your local post office and ask for them, or call TOLL-FREE 1-800-STAMP-24 (1-800-782-6724) tp place an order, order online from www.usps.com

First, as part of the Distinguished Sailor series
of postage stamps is Doris "Dorie"Miller.
Set For Release February 4th, 2010

I Found This Pin Image Of Dorie On A Google Search.
It Looks Vintage and So Qool And So I Wanted To Share It

Second,
Oscar Micheaux Was a Prolific African-American Filmmaker
Who Made 30+ Black Films (from 1919-1941)
Way Back In The Days
-
How He Was Able To Raise Money And Get Those Films Done
Is INCREDIBLE In And Of Itself For Those Days.

Truly KUJICHAGULIA (koo-GEE-chah-GOO-lee-AH):
SELF-DETERMINATION