Andre D. Wagner.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Miss B The Griot - Bilingual Storyteller.

Amazing writer and an educator. A Graduate of Columbia College Chicago; B.A. in Poetry and Roosevelt University MFA Creative Writing /Fiction. 

"I write because I have too, it is neccessary it is imperative. 

It's my passion, my "feel good"!

She began her journey writing Poetry at age 11 

however also adores creative writing 

and the short story. 

To allow my imagination freedom 

without boundaries is like 

squishing sand between my toes.....

it's comfortable and it feels good! 

Write, speak & sing in Spanish.

 Name means Brilliant, First Born. 

 Everyday I wake to maintain my namesake. 

I love hard & I love Poetry!

take a peek...

Miss B. The Griot - Bilingual Storyteller.

What you should know about me?

Hmm...

 the Beach and the Library are my

most favorite local places. 

See you there;)

I 

Rashidat.

After my extremely brief experience with the art of yoga, 

I have come 2 appreciate the complexity. 

It's not as easy as it may appear folks.

Muscles were used that haven't been since...

Took me nearly a week 2 recover. lol

Anyways, here's an upcoming sensation 

with a real knack for the craft.

"Rashidat" 

is her name & a Chi town native at that!

Here's a PW2 video edit showcasing her personal side.

Oh yeah! Go check her out.

Whaddup gurl!;)

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Hero.

Looking back in time we are in debt 2 the leaders.

Angels of mercy everyone.

Good folks who believe there is no good & evil

fought long & hard until the 

battles are were won.

Heroes make the sun rise in the morning

Heroes make the moon 

shine bright @ night.

Heroes makes our lives a little stronger

In the soul of everyone he can be found.

Give us an anchor or 

a rock 2 lean on.

A captain 2 take us through the storm.

What makes a soldier ride 

alone into battle?

Can anybody tell me where he's coming from?

He's that stranger on the street.

He's that child who's @ your feet.

Searching for freedom & justice.

You've seen him time & again

You know they only fight 2 win.

They're the challenger's evil

& I'm glad we know them.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Power & Equality.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Betta.

There’s been many social changes since The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s with the struggle for human equality but remains difficult 2 comprehend how another person can ever claim superiority over another.

The audacity.

 Fast forward to 2016 where rights remain violated due to the color of a person’s skin, gender & faith. 

Seriously?

This is why I see an importance of keeping this particular segment of history alive & brought to the forefront. 

With the recent pulse of bold ignorance exhibited by insecure grumpy men young & old, the sacrifices of those before me who laid their lives on the line cannot & will not be dismissed.

Betta. (1955-1965) from The Weddington Adventures. on Vimeo.

Despite the dangers during that period, peaceful demonstration displayed the power of the human spirit & exposed the foul attitudes of those who oppose. 

Regardless, heads remain high….  

Sprayed with high powered water hoses, beaten with police batons, mauled by dogs, even killed clearly shows the true face of injustice that continues 2 this very day. 

So ask yourself, are you part of the solution or part of the problem?

C’mon man!!

Why should we even have to explain such a basic life principle that should be considered common decency?

History has the tendency to repeat itself but is our responsibility 2 prevent such painful events from reoccurring. 

So now is the time for all of us 2 do “betta” yall.

Here is the first installment of a series explaining the relevance of that time & what it means 2 be me.

Peace!…with 2 fingers;)

A Man.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Thinkabout.

I couldn't ask for anything more 
in regards 2 son Khalid. 
People have shared horrid stories about the trails & tribulations of raising a 16 year old  
but thus far on this end, I'm set...

(So I like 2 think.)

I can remember when I was 16 when everything was confusing but still I believed I knew it all. 
Poor choices were made & petty matters were more difficult than they had 2 be...
so looking at it from that perspective, yeah, we're good.

Thinkabout. from The Weddington Adventures. on Vimeo.

I know young people need 2 have a personal choice for empowerment 
but remember I'll always be dad.Readily available 2 teach you about the things you're not so sure about even if I don't even know myself,  protect you from the ills of this increasingly nasty world & just be THERE.

It's getting stranger by the minute & a whole lot going on in theses times so 

it's best 2 be that way. 

Would you think?

Thinkaboutit.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Family Tymes.

Finally, finally had the chance 2 

meet up with younger brother Ken 

& family for some convo, beer & cheers.

It's been several years since last getting together 

so this was pretty special 2 say the least.

This place has brought countless 

memories of backyard barbecues & simply enjoying each other's company in our own strange sometimes unusual way.

...wouldn't spend my 45th 
birthday any other way...

that's right...45;)

Anywho, lil' Ken appeared mighty 

excited about his upcoming journey away 

2 college. 

(enjoy the microwave, you'll definitely put it 2 use.)

As for niece Kayla, I was 

totally impressed with her

amazing knack for 

musicianship. 

(Just keep at it....)

I even had the privilege 2 see 

older niece Roshunda who just 

so happened 2 stop by. 

Now how often does that happen? 

Hardly ever...

Ken & Danielle, 

thanks again for everything. 

You guys are amazing!;)

Well I guess it's time 2 pull 

out the trusty Canon cause 

there's no way I'm gonna 

miss this.

It's all about family.

My family.

That's right!

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Kenya.*

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Scars.

When 29 year old actor Lee Thompson Young didn’t show up on the set of TNT's Rizzoli & Isles, the show’s producers were concerned and contacted the police. Soon after, Young was found dead, believed to have shot himself. He didn’t leave a note.

Perhaps the “mystery” was depression  Sources close to Young claim that he suffered from it for months leading to his death.

Young isn’t alone. Over the past few years, we have lost a number of Black men to suicide: Soul Train’s Don Cornelious, Capital Steez, Freddy E, Violator Management founder Chris Lighty and Kansas City Chiefs player Jovan Belcher.

And yet, this issue isn’t often talked about. But what more do we need as a community to start taking this issue seriously? How long are we going to keep labeling mental health issues as The Other Person problem?”

The unwillingness to discuss & acknowledge mental health has become another unfortunate hurdle especially given that the data is clear that suicide rates are on the rise.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third cause of death among African-American males between ages 15 and 24, behind homicide and accidents. And while suicide rates among Black men are lower than their white counterparts, the rates have increased dramatically.   

Meanwhile, Black men are least likely to access mental health services. Why?

Poor access to quality health care/counseling is a major factor to why seeking early detection is a nonpriority. Another barrier is the cultural stigma that states no need for therapy / medication for 

religiosity will make a way.

But one unseen factor that deserves attention is how Black masculinity serves as a huge barrier to seeking care.

Whether the media or just daily conversation, Black men receive messages daily to be hyper masculine, super strong & angry.

“Man up!”

“Real men don’t cry.”

“Showing emotion makes you soft.”

“Being vulnerable makes you weak.”

These types of attitudes continue to help foster a culture of silence that allows for Black men to sit and suffer in silence.

There's a greater need to begin serious dialog where people are able to express themselves, be vulnerable & speak about their pain. 

So...lets stop equating being "devoid of emotions" with manhood & step up.

Possible!

What could be done 2 negate the 
unfair assessment & portrayal of us as 
black men?.... 

It's slanderous, slighted & incorrect. 

The real question is WHY?

Hmmm....(I can think of many reasons.)

Move forward, persevere, believe, have faith, 

dream, be inspired & shatter the grossly 

false misconceptions that have the tendency 2 

follow us wherever we go.

Possible. from The Weddington Adventures. on Vimeo.
That's the very reason why it's been our 
mission 2 share a lil' somethin' positive 
on a regular in our little corner of the web.  

I would like 2 believe that somehow, someway 
we've been able 2 saturate the nonsense & show 
that men do love their boys.

No one other than ourselves could ever change the condition. 

It's our responsibility.

Just keep believing & keep your head up cause anything is "POSSIBLE".

That's right!

Peace!....with 2 fingers;)

FathaSon.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Suit & Tie.

A group of young men are letting the world know that they are far from the image of violent, uneducated and unkempt individuals that the media often makes them out to be. 

Dressed in suits, button-down shirts and bow ties while serving plenty of bravado, 34 juniors and seniors from Illinois’ Central High School recently created a short video called “Suit & Tie In The 217″ to combat the negative stereotypes they face regularly -- and we love every second of it! 

Set to Justin Timberlake's hit song "Suit & Tie," the fellas show off their superb style while the messages "we are not gangsters and thugs," "we are employees and volunteers," "we are scholars" and "we are athletes" appear across the screen. To be specific, they are Honor Roll students, poets, future collegiate athletes and National Honor Society members, just to name a few of their talents and accomplishments.

“The negative stories told daily in the media and in our culture about our young African-American men tend to ignore their successes and don’t tell the full story about how young Black men are becoming leaders within our community schools,”  

The Huffington Post  |  By Julee Wilson 

The Remarkable Story of Ernestine Shephard.

If you ever wanted real-world proof that age is nothing but a number, you've found it. Meet Ernestine Shepherd. 

With her flat stomach, toned arms and excellent health, you'd never guess that this female bodybuilder is in her late 70s. But she is -- 77, to be exact.

As impressive as her physique is, one of the most incredible parts of Shepherd's storyis that she didn't even start working out until she was 56. 

Shepherd and her sister, Mildred Blackwell, decided to get fit after they tried on swimsuits and weren't happy with what they saw in the mirror. 

The sisters set their sights on becoming two of the oldest female bodybuilders. 

However, after Mildred died, the devastated Shepherd ended up with high blood pressure, panic attacks, acid reflux and depression. 

Then, Shepherd says her sister appeared to her in a dream, urging her to follow through with the bodybuilding dream they had conceived together.

Shepherd did, and was declared the World's Oldest Performing Female Bodybuilder by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2010. (Edith Wilma Conner now holds the title.)

Since then, Shepherd says her health had dramatically improved. "I do the same thing day in and day out.".... 

"No high blood pressure medicine. No medicine for panic attacks. No medicine for acid reflux. By me out running and walking, the depression and anxiety just left me."

Part of Shepherd's everyday routine includes waking up at 2:30 a.m. and reading devotions from her Bible. 

In addition to running and working out, she eats 10 egg whites (scrambled) along with a handful of walnuts and drinks 16 ounces of water. She also teaches classes at her Maryland gym, Energy Fitness.

For her students, Shepherd encourages exercise in any shape or form. 

"Not everybody wants to be a bodybuilder. Not everybody wants to be a runner," she explains. 

"But find what you like to do. I say to my senior ladies -- and the men -- 'Don't forget: Age is nothing but a number and you can get fit.'"

I think it's time for the gym. Not just myself but  everyone....let's go! lol;)

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)