Yolo Akili's Purple Galaxy Spoken Word CD And His Preachers & Power Video Blog Commentary

Spoken Word (SGL) Artist Yolo Akili

I found out about Yolo Akili through the progressive and well put together Black SGL blog called Wandering Caravan.

BronzeBuckaroo, who runs the blog always has some interesting pieces on there, but I wanted to hi-lite Yolo Akili (a young, mad cute & attractive, and progressive-minded brutha) who's a spoken word artist.

Official Website: yolothepoet.com

And check out Yolo's website, too. I went to Amazon.com and downloaded Yolo's new CD Purple Galaxy. CDBaby.com and iTunes also has his music as well.

Also, below is his first video-blog and where he speaks out about Eddie Long the preacher down Atlanta. However, regardless of the outcome of the allegations against Eddie Long case, the point of Yolo's video is that there are larger issues that he touches on regarding the African community here in America. It's a very good 5 minute listen for sure.

Yolo Speaks Out On Preachers & Power

PRESS RELEASE: The Future, The Nation’s Latest Media OutletAnd Network For The Black SGL Community

thefutureforward.net

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACTS:
Nathan Seven Scott, President
nathansevenscott[at]gmail.com

Cornelius Jones Jr., Vice-President
iamlifejones[at]gmail.com
The Future

The Future Announces The Official Launch of the New Website – www.TheFutureForward.net

New York, NY — August 31, 2009 — The Future, the nation’s latest media outlet and network for the black LGBT community, today announced plans to officially launch their new website on Tuesday, September 1st .

The decision to make TheFutureForward.net available on the world wide web was made by The Future’s President, Nathan Seven Scott and Vice-President, Cornelius Jones Jr., after receiving numerous requests during the past few years of the lack of media communication and connection in the black LGBT community. “We wanted to create a space were people could express themselves while voicing their opinions. The Future’s team have done a lot of soul-searching to make sure this was the right decision,” says Nathan Seven Scott, President of The Future. “We recognize the risk we are taking with this leap but have faith that it is the best decision for us, as well as adding another voice for the community as a whole. Currently, there are not many network titles available on a national or international level and we believe strongly that The Future will be filling a much-needed niche.”

Originally established as an events company for nightlife party goers in New York City in March 2009, The Future expanded its position and created a network which included the social media networks they were already apart of to include all major global cities. “Word spread quickly about our network” says Cornelius Jones Jr., Vice President of The Future, “and we found ourselves growing at a very rapid pace to accommodate special events like; Why Am I Single to Greet the Press and filming The Future TV, We Are The Media. We started promoting our original context weekly like ; Dishin’ with Dwight, The MEGA World of Lil Mogul, Arts, Advocacy + Wellness with Cornelius Jones Jr. and Notes from Nathan with a successful following.”

In preparation for its national network launch, The Future have formed alliances with media partners from all around the global to give us a clear view of the world with a COLORFUL eye. Contributors by: Giovanni Centurione, Nathan James, Tweet This with Drama Dupree, Hayward Aaron, BoysandClothes.com, BlackGayGossip.com, International News from Karanja Gacuca & Antoine B. Craigwell of GBMNews.com, Made in Brazil and JC Report, Special Features by Lonnell Williams; In Our Ear with Doo Dirty Show, Better Days Radio and The Pride Cast ; destination finders VIPListers.com and ZenBiz Travel and special editorial photo journalist Dexstar G | The Peoples Photographer. “As individuals, we both have a lot of personal integrity and wanted to make our network’s national debut with real credibility,” says Jones. “Whatever our circulation and viewership are, we want our advertisers to know that we have been honest from the start.”

The Future will debut online, as well as begins the season of original programming scene on The Future TV. The Future will market itself and make several appearances at select PRIDE festivals and special events in 2010 to promote the network and build its viewership base throughout the world.

About The Future
Based in New York City, The Future is a new multi-media company targeting the Black LGBT consumer. The Future’s mission is to be leaders in the community by informing people around the world about whom we are and then empowering, entertaining, and engaging these people so that they may face the challenges of today’s society. We do this by reflecting a spotlight on stories about us that will encourage others to seek respect from a diverse and complex world. We are targeting the diverse interests within Black LGBT culture spanning entertainment, news, social networking, business, travel, fashion and sports.

Richard E. Pelzer II
President and Founder
MEGA Management Inc

Website: www.MEGAManagementInc.com
Blog: http://thefutureforward.blogspot.com/2009/08/every-tuesday-with-lil-mogul.html
Twitter: www.twitter.com/lilmogul
Social Site: www.myspace.com/Think_MEGA_Now | Face Book - Rick Pelzer
In partnership with MEGA Dream and Catch A Dream Entertainment Inc
MEGA Management Inc is proud to celebrate 15 Years in business in 2009

I LOVE THESE ADS!GOSH, THEY ARE SO SAME GENDER LOVING AFFIRMING

I just absolutely love these ads. They are so adorable, sensual and same gender loving. I wish I had seen these kinds of ads growing up in the 1970s and 1980s. It would have done so much for my self-esteem and confidence as I grew up struggling with my own sexuality.

Beautiful ads!





I have to quote Kenyon Farrow, a friend, who said it best "This is the way to do social marketing for HIV prevention for Black and Latino Gay men. My friends at the Institute for Gay Men’s Health at GMHC continue to break the mold in terms of how to do effective, interesting, and NON-STIGMATIZING HIV prevention."

_____________________

This "I AM GAY: AND THIS IS WHERE I PLAY" ad was absolutely brilliant and groundbreaking to me. I can identify with the sports element in this ad as a Black SGL brutha who does play sports. Also, it depicts masculine (all things being relative) bruthaz around the idea of sports play, too. A total connection for me and hopefully others less informed or playing into stereotypes. I have blogged (twice already in July 2009) about my LOVE of sports and how most Black SGL bruthaz in my circle aren't really into sports. And you don't really here about Black SGL men in sports reported on in the mainstream (unless a player retires and reveals himself after the fact to be homosexual - and I have no value judgment on that. It's most certainly a personal decision).

Well, I had the privilege of seeing a huge 80 foot long (I'm guessing) monstrosity (I mean that in a most excellent and grand way) affixed to a building wall at the corner of 125th Street and Lenox Avenue - If you never got to see the ad below in person, can you image it in the middle of the heart of HARLEM, USA?????! It blew my damn mind. YOU READ ME?!!! YOU HEARD?!!! The scale was huge and it was most certainly in your face and totally unavoidable. It no doubt sparked a lot of dialogue. And dialogue is definitely needed in the Black community.

I personally don't identify with the word "gay" at all,
instead I use the self-naming, cultural affirmation and pro-Black term SGL (Same gender loving). You'll see MY use of the term throughout my blog and if we communicate via email or in person. However, this ad caught my total attention as I stopped on the corner, stared at it for many moments and looked around to see if anyone saw me looking at it. LOL! There hasn't been anything bold like this since I saw the controversial (wording) "I Know My Son Messes Around With Other Men..." ad back in the late 1990s on the inside of the trains themselves. Phenomenal! Dat's wassup!