A Damn Shame

While sitting at my desk during my lunch break, I like to take time to read the news and find out about what's happening in the world. Yet again, I was appalled when I came across an article about Henry Louis Gates being arrested.

If you're not familiar with Mr. Gates, he's a leading African American writer and scholar who works at Harvard. He was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct at his home in Cambridge, MA after accusing a police officer of being "racially biased". The arrest was sparked by a woman who reported seeing "two black males with bookbags on the porch". Two men with bookbags, hmm, is that really so odd for a college town? Who could really think that was suspicious behavior? Come on now.

Maybe it's just me but I find it quite ironic that someone who's written numerous books on race relations as it relates to African Americans and how we've shaped this country was racially profiled while entering his own home.

Thankfully, the charges were dropped today but this is yet another sad day in America.

To read the full story, click here

Things to Do: Jazz In The Garden

Last Friday, I went to Jazz in the Garden for the first time. Jazz is an event held every Friday during the summer month from 5:00-8:30 in the garden behind The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.

I would highly suggest getting there early because we got there around 6:15 and the grounds were already blanketed with hundreds of couples and groups of people. We finally found a nice spot by a hedge and laid down a blanket to enjoy the picnic we brought with us. Only thing was it was hard to hear the jazz band since there were no speakers set up, you could only faintly hear the music off in the distance.

They sell food, bottles of wine, and pitchers of sangria in the Garden Cafe but they allow you to bring in your own food. There's a sign at the entrance saying alcoholic beverages are not allowed to be brought it, but we along with everyone around us didn't follow that rule. No one checks at the entrances but they do have security patrolling so if you BYOB make sure to keep it out of sight. I had my bottle of Moscato & he a bottle of Merlot. Needless to say, we polished off both bottles.

My advice...try not to don't drink too much. The lines for the restrooms are extremely long. They have porta-potties, but the smell eminating from that area was horrid. Hold it if you can.

I definitely recommend this as a recession-friendly and romantic date idea. The next Friday I'm free, I hope to go again. Good times!

This is 2009, NOT 1959!!!

For the life of me I don't understand how or even why racism still exists in America. The glorious United States of America of all places, which is considered to be a "melting pot" of all different races, cultures, and religions.

I was seriously appalled to hear the latest news story about a summer camp of black children being turned away from a pool in Philadelphia, PA and were told "they'd change the complexion" of the pool. WHAT? Are you kidding me? First of all, who says that? Secondly, who says that and is serious?

When I first heard this story, I was thinking it had to be just a joke. But no, I was wrong, I googled it and found tons of hits from local media stations who've covered the story as well as several blogs and websites that have mentioned the story. I find it quite interesting how the swim club accepted nearly $2000 from the program to allow the kids to swim there but when they showed up they were told to leave, were refunded their money and told not to come back.

I plan on sending an email as well as a letter to The Valley Club expressing my shear disgust in how they treated these children and my concerns with what has occurred. I hope that others will take a similar stand to let them not that this is NOT OKAY and will not be tolerated. Just because this is 2009 and not 1959 and we're not still holding boycotts and staging sit-ins, we can't just sit back and let events like this continue to happen and go unnoticed. We have to remain vigilant in ensuring that there is no place for racism in today's society. Below is the contact information for the Swim Club that turned the children away.

The Valley Club

Physical Address: 22 Tomlinson Road, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 134, Huntingdon Valley, PA 19006
Club Phone Number: 215-947-0700
Club E-mail: info@thevalleyclub.com

It still amazes me that someone would have to nerve to say something like that and think it was alright. Just when we think this country has come so far, there's always evidence to prove otherwise.

Link:http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Campers-Complexion-No-Problem-for-New-Pool.html
YouTube Video discussing the incident (Note: There is some strong language towards the end)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saTCMJVYljU

Al Sharpton Go Sit Down!

I truly can't stand, or better yet I despise, the Rev. Al Sharpton. Out of respect, I will refrain from referring to him as "Big Perm" as I've been known to in the past. He's an utter embarrassment to me as a Black person and he does not represent me nor anything that I stand for.

As I sat and watched the memorial service held for Michael Jackson yesterday, I felt sick to my stomach when ole Al got up to speak. All I could think was what foolishness is he going to spew from his mouth today. So as I sat there thinking, wait for it...he dropped the bomb. He looks towards Michael Jackson's children and says "I want you three children to know, what’n nuttin strange about your Daddy.” (You can see the Video on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_MAKLq865bk, he makes the comment at 5:21)

Really Al? Everyone was sensitive to the family and did their best to keep the mood light and positive. But there he goes with his controversial commentary. Maybe I’m being critical because I can longer see past his ignorance or need for self-promotion but he really could’ve worded what was supposed to be positive message to make his point sound less harsh. Instead, he made a point of drawing a reaction from the crowd in usual Al Sharpton-fashion.

Seriously, did he really think that was appropriate to say to someone's grieving children? Did he think it was appropriate to make a comment like that which would be heard by millions, if not billions, of people all over the world?

Why do people keep encouraging him? Why do people call on him to speak at any event where there’s going to be media scrutinizing his every word and action? I just hope “others” realize that he does not speak for all Black people. In all respect, I know he’s done his part in bringing discrimination issues to the media (i.e. Jena 6 and any other racial injustice that would allow him to stand on his pulpit to have his 30 seconds of fame). Will someone please tell Al Sharpton it’s someone else’s turn to be in the spotlight and hopefully someone who’s a little more articulate and is more representative of the black community as a whole! To the Rev. Al Sharpton, I wish you’d just go sit down somewhere and be quiet for a change!

Where is the Justice for Jada?

My name is DynamicDiva and I'm addicted to Twitter. I love it not because I like to hear myself talk (or tweet) but because I learn so much while on it and find out about breaking news stories before it even hits the mainstream media.

Recently, the people I follow on Twitter alerted me to the Shooting at the Holocaust Museum (which is only blocks from my job); the accident on the Metro's Red Line; and most recently the story about a missing black girl named Jada Justice.

Jada Justice is a two-year old girl from Gary, Indiana who was reported missing on June 16, 2009. What breaks my heart the most is that it's been over a week and I am just hearing about this. I'm a digger for information and pride myself on being knowledgeable about what is going on locally and globally. The media has all but ignored this case. I'm not going to say it's because she's a poor, Black child from Gary, Indiana but I have a feeling that has something to do with it.

It's disappointing that the media doesn't feel the need to draw any attention to Jada Justice's case. This child been missing for over a week and it is just now getting the attention of people like CNN's Nancy Grace? Here's the link. A week is a long time for a child to be missing. How can we be vigilant and on the look out when we don't even know she's missing?

Everyone knows about the Caylee Anthony case. It was on the news every single day all across the country for months, from the day she was reported missing July 2008 until it was announced her body was found in December 2008. Little Jada has been missing for a week and I have yet to hear about it in my local newspapers or local television stations. It's amazing to me how they can run a segment on a Nun who's running across the dessert for charity but they can't mention that a two-year old girl is missing. All I can say is someone's priorities are messed up!

If you're reading this and you're on twitter please RT the following:
Where's Jada? Missing Black Child Ignored by Major Media http://bit.ly/1410s5 Help Find #jadajustice

If you use Facebook, MySpace, or are a blogger, please make sure you let your network know about the Jada Justice case.

We cannot let the case of Jada Justice continue to go unnoticed. It is up to us to stand up and voice our concerns about the lack of media coverage for this innocent child. We must ask ourselves, where is the Justice for Jada?

Interesting Statistics on Missing Children
(information from http://www.kidsearchnetwork.org/research-statistics.html)

The Kidsearch Network believes that Immediate Response by an experienced search team is necessary. because,

• There is typically over a two hour delay in making the initial missing child report (60%)
• The vast majority (74%) of the abducted children who are murdered are dead within three hours of the abduction. (Source: Attorney General of the State of Washington, who did a study of cases reported to law enforcement in 1997)
• There are estimated to be about 100 cases per year in the US where a child is abducted and murdered.
• The victims of these cases are "average" children, leading normal lives, and living with normal families, typical low-risk victims.
• The vast majority of them are girls (76%), with the average age being slightly over 11 years of age.
• In 80% of cases, the initial contact between the victim and killer is within 1/4 mile of the victim's residence.
• Family involvement in this type of case is infrequent (9%). However, the relationship between the victim and the killer varies with the gender and age of the victim.
• The youngest females, 1-5 years old, tend to be killed by friends or acquaintances (64%), while the oldest females, 16-17 years old, tend to be killed by strangers (also 64%).

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

A couple of weeks ago, I had lunch with a guy who mentors in the same program as I (College Bound). He was working at a huge law firm that has offices across the country, just down the block from me. He'd been working for the law firm for 10 years, since graduating from college. After lunch, we exchanged a few emails back and forth. Next thing I know he calls me the following Monday saying he got laid off. I was like what? How did it happen? What did they say?

It made me instantly realize that anyone and everyone is susceptible to getting let go, laid off, the pink slip, down-sized, fired, or whatever they want to call it these days at anytime.

Fast-forward to the following week, I'm sitting in my office getting ready to go upstairs for our bi-weekly staff meeting. Next thing I know my boss sends out an email saying the meeting is cancelled and closes her door. This was strange because in our office we rarely close our doors and if we do it's usually cracked not completely shut. Since I was supposed to lead the meeting, I'd brought snacks and decided to walk around to share them with my co-workers.

While three of us are gathered in one office, I see this vaguely familiar woman walk by. Next thing I know, my co-worker in the next office closes his door. So by this point I'm like what is really going on? Again, it's rare that any of us shut our doors, so the three of us look at each other knowing that something's about to happen.

I go back into my office and the Admin Asst. comes into my office and starts whispering to me, and tells me who's in the office with our co-worker. All of a sudden my heart sank. I figured out why she looked familiar. I had seen her on the elevator once and after she stepped off the people I was riding with were like someone's about to get fired. That was the day our HR Director was "let go" after working for the association for over 25 years. Apparently, she flies in from our HQ to let people know their services are no longer needed.

So the woman from HQs walks out of one co-workers office and into another. The Admin and I looked at each other like, okay someone really needs to fill us in on what's happening. At that moment, she tell our other co-worker she needs to speak with her and closes the door to her office. This time my boss walks into my office and lets us know that two of our co-workers were being "let go" due to "budget cuts." She then tells us it wasn't because of anything they did, yada yada yada. Still not quite sure if I believed that. Both of them had been with the company for a while, 5 and 9 years, and both, from what I was told, had run-ins with the higher ups over the years.

It's surreal to see your co-workers there one minute and the next they're gone. Coming into the office the next day it felt strange, almost like someone had died. Their once vibrant offices filled with art and photos collected over the years were no more. It was back to being a generic space waiting to be occupied again one day.

Considering my department only had 7 staff members plus a summer intern to begin with, it's going to make a huge impact on our day-to-day. Everything is so new we haven't even discussed how our titles/roles/job duties are going to change. It's easy to be selfish and think wow that's really going to increase my workload, but in this economy, I sure rather be busy than unemployed.

There are hundreds of thousands of people in this country who are not as fortunate and would love to be in my shoes and sitting in a chair behind my desk. Constantly remembering this helps me to keep a level-head and realize that I'm blessed to still be gainfully employed. I pray that everyone who is dealing with the consequences of the state of the current economy will have the strength to make it through this. I hate watching the news and hearing stories about people committing suicide or even worse killing themselves and their families because they couldn't deal with the stress of losing a job.

I pray and said thank you to God every night for having a job. I also pray that our economy will turn around soon so the U.S. can go back to being considered one of the most prosperous countries in the world, a title that we worked so hard to attain. For all those who have been affected by the downturn in the economy, please keep believing that things will get better because we all know they will.

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. (Psalms 30:5)