Black Caesar. (1973)

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Monifa Jansen.

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Thalight.

Diggin' through the video archives, 

I find old footage with son Khalid. 

Shooting so much stuff 

some tend 2 slip through the cracks.

(ya know?)

Fatherhood has been the most fulfilling experience

while continuously learning on the fly.

Hard 2 believe he's nearly 21 

& doing his own thing. 

Whew!

 Think I finally see "Thalight".

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;)

Pantha.

In this dire time where human rights are jeopardized & lives seem not 2 matter, I find it appropriate 2 reintroduce a period where people actually fought for what they believed in.

The Black Panther Party's bold approach to gun rights & police brutality has absolute relevance 50 years later! 

Pantha. from The Weddington Adventures. on Vimeo.

Have things actually chanced since then? 

Depends on who you ask.

From my experience in this life history has the tendency 2 repeat itself while learning from previous mistakes & making necessary adjustments. So where do we go from here?

Peace!...with 2 fingers;)

Pantha.

In this dire time where human rights are jeopardized & lives seem not 2 matter, I find it appropriate 2 reintroduce a period where people actually fought for what they believed in. The Black Panther Party's bold approach to gun rights & police brutality has absolute relevance 50 years later! Have things actually chanced since then? Depends on who you ask.

1966

- Black Panther Party was founded by Huey P.Newton and Bobby Seale on October 15,1966 

1967

- The first BPP office was open at 5624 Grove Street, Oakland, CA in January

-Denzil Dowell is shot and killed by sheriff's deputies on April 1. Black Panthers respond in protecting the Dowell family. 

-First newspaper is published on April 25 with headlines "Why was Dennzil Dowell Killed?"  

- 30 armed Black Panther Activist go to California State Capitol, on May 2 to protest the Mulford Act which was a bill banning the display of loaded weapons. 

Pantha. from The Weddington Adventures. on Vimeo.

1968 

- On February 8,  Black Panther activists in south carolina at South Carolina State were shot by local police and National Guard 33 were shot, 3 were killed. 

- On February 17, "Free Huey" rally was held at the Oakland Auditorium on his birthday. Over 5,000 people attended.  


- In April New York Black Panther Party chapter is organized.


-On May 6, Bobby Hutton is killed during a shoot out with the police. 

-In March Arthur Morris, was shot and killed by the U.S. government. He was the first member of the Black Panther Party to be killed.

- 6,000 protestors came out and supported Huey Newton on the steps of the Alameda County Courthouse in Oakland.  

-On September 28 Huey P. Newton is sentenced to 2 to 15 years in prison 

- In Newark the BPP office was bombed on December 7

- On December 21, Denver police raid Panther office searching for weapons, but none is found. Officers burn food and clothing were to be given to poor during the holidays. 

1969 

-In January the Free Breakfast for Children Program (FBCP) is established at St. Augustine's Church in Oakland.

- In Vallejo, CA, Black Panther Party starts off the Breakfast program with 35 children within one week the number of children increases to 110 

-On March 19, Panthers Bobby Seale and Masai Hewitt visted the Scandinavian countries. Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland. 

- On May 4, the "Free Huey" rallies were being held in 20 major cities at U.S. federal district courts.  

-On June 4 the Liberation School, one of the BPP survival programs is started 

-Bobby Seale is kidnapped after leaving the Masai Hewitt and Shirley Neely wedding. 


-In Chicago BPP open a free medical health clinic. Another one of the major survival program on September 4. 

1977

-On July 1st 1977 Huey P.Newton arrives back to California 

1979 

August 22 Huey P.Newton is murdered in West Oakland, California

From my experience in this life history has the tendency 2 repeat itself while learning from previous mistakes & making necessary adjustments. So where do we go from here?

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;)

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.