It's the Little Things...

This year I have challenged myself to be deliberate and conscientious in a commitment to myself to perform daily and random acts of kindness for others when and where ever I can. I am convinced that that it is the total of the little things we do that make the biggest impact. So I am committed to extending myself when I can. So yesterday following my tour at Freedom Park in Pretoria, South Africa, the concept for which was offered by President Mandela and whose theme is centered around peace & tranquility, spirituality, reconciliation, forgiveness and such, I am walking around the square where I am to catch the train back to Johannesburg. A young woman walking alongside me starts asking me about blood testing. At first I was not sure to what she was referring. I thought she wanted to know if I wanted my blood tested. Having an understanding however of the AIDS crisis here, I quickly understood that she wanted to know where to get tested. She assumed that I would know because they can tell by sight that I am American. I am happy to report that there are Black Americans over here doing good work around HIV & AIDS. Not by chance, I just happen to know one, Dazon Dixon Diallo, Founder of Sister Love, an international organization working to educate women regarding HIV & AIDS. So I called her to find out where this woman might go in Pretoria to be tested.

After speaking with the lady, Dazon made a call and quickly ascertained where she could go in Pretoria. She had two options, one was free but she seemed reluctant to go to public health. She is from Zimbabwe and might be here illegally. Who knows? I did not ask.  Her other option was to go a pharmacy and get tested for 15 Rand ($1.68 US). This woman asked me for nothing more than advice on where she might be tested. She seemed genuine in her desire to know her status and having just been tested myself, I knew that I was going to help her find out.

 

I wanted to walk with her to the pharmacy but as it was getting dark and I do not know the area, safety and good judgment prevailed. Truthfully too, I was not sure how I would react or what I would say if this woman were positive. I am no expert in the field and Dazon was back in Jo’burg. So instead, I gave the woman the 15 Rand and asked her to make a promise to herself that she would be tested. She owed me nothing. She said she would and that she would call me with her results. I assured her that her status is her business but that if she needed to talk to someone I could surely help to make that happen. She was most appreciative and assured me that God Loves Me…  I gave her a sincere hug and we went our separate ways. It’s the little things folks…

Have a Terrific Thursday!

 

 

South Africa ~ Week One

One month seems like plenty of time to leisurely meet all the people you want to meet and see and do all that you plan until Father Time chimes in and gives you a wake up call that his clock is ticking faster than you'd like. Slow down Father Time, slow down... 

After accepting the fact that perhaps Father Time has also visited my body and maybe, just maybe, I am no longer immune to the affects of jet lag, I settled into a really good first week in Johannesburg. Seems I need to rest and allow my body to recover following long flights across the world on minimal sleep and a seven hour time change to boot. Imagine that! I might be getting old... Who knew? LOL!!! While age may be affecting the body, I am grateful that the spirit and mind remain intact and are as young and free as ever!!! I am most appreciative however to whatever is the "special" ingredient in South African Ibuprofen. I swear it worked miracles and almost immediately took away aches and pains that seriously threatened to ruin those first few days of my trip in record time! Do know that I WILL be carrying a bottle home with me and No, I cannot bring any for you, so don't ask. (smile)

During my first week in Johannesburg I have not only seen the sights, I attended a women's rally held at Constitution Hill, a historic and now defunct women's prison with a very sordid past of torture and abuse, I met and enjoyed a wonderful concert by Judith Sephuma, a South African superstar who is as gracious as she is talented, I had an Oprah moment as I visited, posed with and hopefully inspired a few girls at Parktown Girls High, I had the honor of being in South Africa on a very special day in the life of Nelson Mandela and photographing his homes, past and present, which paint a very telling story, I attended a lively and spirited church service, visited and volunteered time with school children in Soweto, grooved to the sounds of good soulful American music, including Frankie Beverly, as I enjoyed good soulful South African food and the freshness of the night air dining under the stars with new Friends, South African and American, at Sakhumzi, a trendy sidewalk cafe in Soweto, and so much more! The first week was a whirlwind. I am grateful to the wonderful people in the states who have referred me to wonderful people here who have made it their business to ensure that my trip to the Motherland is one that is filled with beauty, fellowship and lots of culture. This is good...

I was especially honored to be in South Africa on February 11, 2013. This day of commemoration was exactly 23 years to the day that Nelson Mandela was released from 27 years of political imprisonment. The inescapable irony was that on the same day in 1990, I sat glued to my TV set in Alexandria, VA waiting for even a glimpse of him to emerge from Robben Island, the prison where he was incarcerated and which I will tour during my visit to Cape Town. I vividly recall being very anxious for him as tears of pride streamed down my face. I watched as this valiant Black man, a living hero, took his first steps on that Long Walk to Freedom, the title of his subsequent autobiography. His resilience, dignity and grace exemplified for me what it meant to be an unbroken man of true honor, integrity and strength. His head was not bloodied but more importantly, it was not bowed! He continues to so inspire me. Fast forward to 2013, a day in which I find myself just blocks away from his sprawling home in Johannesburg and wishing again to be so lucky to catch even a glimpse of him taking just a few more steps. What an honor that would be.! Life is so wonderfully unpredictable. I am appreciative. Thank you Mr. Mandela!

Because I love my life and value that of others, I have decided not to drive while in South Africa. Not only do they sit on the "wrong" side of the car, they drive on the "wrong" side of the road! (smile) Not to mention that I have never driven a stick, which seems the norm for most cars here. While it is killing me not to be free and independent, I have turned this into an opportunity. On several mornings I have gotten up to enjoy very long and scenic walks exploring my immediate and surrounding neighborhoods. These walks have provided opportunities to see and photograph many scenes and to meet and chat with people I would not have otherwise seen or met.

During my walks I met John, a shoemaker who pitched a tent and created a shoe repair shop along the roadside. He literally rebuilds shoes for folks from near and afar. I sat, took photos and watched him work as he shared stories about his experiences living under apartheid. Interestingly, I did not ask, he volunteered. I am guessing that he identified with me as a Black American whose legacy of slavery is much like that of apartheid for Black South Africans and that here too, many here are still deeply and permanently affected by the brutality and indignation they endured. A few nights later however, I had the pleasure of dining with two young South African women and ironically their White male companion from Germany. The ladies expressed that they give little regard to apartheid because it "did not happen to them and therefore does not affect their lives", I am paraphrasing. Sadly, much is the same attitude regarding slavery in America amongst far too many Blacks, especially our youth. I wanted to believe that because apartheid is not so far removed, that such was not the case here. How do we overcome apathy and a lack of appreciation for a history that should make us strong and proud? Needless to say, dinner conversation was lively on that night! It ended well however. My new Friends offered to show me around on Thursday of next week. Folks here are quite friendly. As I had walked for far too long and much too far on the day I met John, one of his customers was gracious enough to give me a ride home. She raved about the quality of his work and then shared that for 40 Rand, less than five US dollars, she had four shoes repaired, one pair and two odds. Try getting that bargain in the US!!! 

My walks allowed me to meet three couriers preparing for their delivery routes but who were kind enough to stop and chat with the American who had lost her way. Before giving me directions on how to find my way home, one was excited to show me photos from the US of 25 inches of snow in Boston. I shared with them that I had just made it out of the US before the blessed event. After exchanging a few stories and questions on both sides, they instructed that I should "walk to the busy intersection" and at the 3rd "robot" make a left. A robot? What is a robot you ask? So did I. They pointed to what we call a traffic light. That was my traveler's tidbit for that morning. I had no idea to what they were referring. Further along I stopped in a beauty salon where I met three lovely young women who were more than willing to share with me even more important tidbits, hair care tips. Girl talk is universal!

On a grassy path along a highway congested with morning rush hour traffic, I met three more young women who stopped me looking for work. I explained that I was a tourist and had no work for them. We chatted a bit about their lives in South Africa and how hard it can sometimes be. Of course everyone wants to know about America and how they might get there. Conversely, later in the week I had the pleasure of having a business lunch at the airport with a wonderful woman from Cape Town. I was quite pleased to hear her say that she is quite pleased with life in South Africa. Her worldly travels, including to the US, have resulted in her appreciating the richness of her country even more and confirmed that she would live no where else! My message to all I meet, including those women on the path and young girls I would meet later in the week at a private school, is to travel and see the world yes, but return to, love, support and develop your homeland...

I have seen the opulence of quality living and the heart break of poverty. I watched with pride as President Obama delivered the state of the union address and two days later absorbed the state of the nation address as delivered by President Zuma to the South African people. I am here to witness the unfolding of what seems a horrific crime that has everybody talking, a popular and internationally known athlete is accused of murdering his model/actress lover. I have participated in a protest against rape and violence against women, which is a HUGE issue here heated up by another horrific crime, the rape and tortuous murder of a 17 year old girl in Cape Town. Her attackers cut her open and dismembered her body after raping her. Her will was strong. Although they left her for dead, she lived long enough to identify her attackers, one of whom was a former boyfriend. The country is fed up! Similarly, I verbalized and wrote a letter of protest in support of local women in Soweto who were denied access to school facilities to conduct their weekly volunteer tutoring and mentoring program on a very hot Saturday in Soweto. I have wined, OK I drank soda, and dined, laughed and worshipped with new Friends from the states and South Africa. Church in Africa with a twist of Zulu praise and music is quite an uplifting experience! Enjoyed It!

I'd say that was quite a lot for week one! I am pleased with my travels so far. Good people, great conversations, a little bit of politics, a sprinkling of advocacy and some touristy stuff too! My kind of travel! Week two will be more focused on exploring the possibility of living and working here long term and plotting my schedule to complete the "must do" tourist excursions before Father Time steals away with the little time I have... Until then, I will try to blog more regular. As always, the days just fly by and I lose all track of time. For those who are Facebook Friends, I comment and post photos on that site more regularly.

I hope you are enjoying this jouney with me and that you too are having a Fantastic week!!!

Sojourn to the Motherland...

Good Morning From Johannesburg, South Africa! I have committed that while I am on travel I will blog regularly. I left yesterday morning from JFK just before Storm Nemo hit. Sure that ours was one of the last flights to leave. We de-iced and thankfully got out of there safe and sound for a 17 hour flight... 

Flight down is interesting. I am seated next to a former colleague and administrator from law school who is hosting a group of American tourists. What are the odds of getting on any flight, much less an international flight, and being seated next to someone you know? Another sign that this is a journey this is meant to be. Enjoyed catching up with him between bouts of much needed sleep. Such a small world!

We leave early Friday and fly safely and soundly into Saturday morning, landing on another continent. I am happy and proud to be in the Motherland, especially during Black History Month. Johannesburg is sunny and beautiful. Thankfully customs was uneventful. Sailed right through. Luggage retrieval was timely and drama free too. Imagine that! Hats off to South African Air which not only offered a very reasonably priced ticket but also had wonderful staff from the agents I booked with, who were more than helpful, to the on-board staff who were quite pleasant and professional. Keep that in mind for your future travel needs. Icing on the cake however, was being greeted by a friendly and very familiar face. Upon arrival I was reunited with an old friend from my days at Howard University, Zanele Mamba! We had not seen one another since graduating more than 20 years ago. She was there to pick me up and take me to my guest house. Howard connections are abundant and infinite... Thank you Zanele!

As we drove along catching up and reminiscing about times and people of old, she pointed out to me places and things of interest that I will want to visit while here, including the residence for Nelson Mandela. Should I be so lucky to catch even a glimpse of him? I Wish. Fingers crossed... As it turns out, Zanele will be surprised to learn that a local Friend of hers is also staying at the same guest house. I am in good hands...

A few years back I saw a documentary on HBO depicting Black Americans who had relocated to South Africa and made very good lives for themselves, Blacks Without Borders. It is now on youtube, check it out. I was hopeful even then, to connect with these other adventurous souls and certainly intended to try meeting them during my visit. As luck would have it, I knew someone, who knew someone, who knew someone and I will be staying at Lemurian Guest House which is owned by one of the entrepreneurs featured in that documentary, Cora Vaughan. While here, Cora is planning a big party for her husband so it appears that I will meet at least 3 of the other featured entrepreneurs as well. I am hopeful to spend a non-touristy day in Soweto truly seeing how the locals live and exploring the social issues with one of the featured gentleman who has committed himself to working and doing great community service there. So much history to explore in Soweto coupled with the opportunity to do a little volunteer work helping others while there. I am excited!
 
Also staying at Lemurian are two other Black American women, Dorothy and Toni. Like me, Toni is from NJ. They are wonderful and resourceful women who have both been in South Africa for quite a while. They are proving to be quite friendly and willing to help make certain that my visit here is productive and fruitful. I am blessed!

Day one was filled with the usual first day travel stuff, meeting folks and checking out the surroundings. Surprisingly I did not sleep or take a nap. I am feeling quite at home as I engage in lively Sistah' talk with Zanele and the ladies at Lemurian.  I spent the evening with Dorothy visiting the home of her Friends who are a husband and wife film producer team. Loved talking with them. She is South African "Coloured". He is a history buff who is Jamaican by way of UK. He has lived in South Africa for over 15 years. His Mother lives in North Carolina. As I am interested in doing a comparative analysis of race relations between post apartheid South African and "post" civil rights US, I enjoy our thoughful and provocative exchange. Although I have formed my own hypothesis, quite naturally I am intrigued as we share perspectives on race and politics in both countries. No surprise that everyone here is a huge fan of Barack Obama, much as most Americans are huge fans of Nelson Mandela. Two Great Black men. Two great nations lucky to have benefitted from their leadership. 

Day One ends on a happy and grateful note. I fell fast asleep when finally I hit the sheets after a long and exhaustive day. Slept very well at Lemurian. Woke up well rested and looking forward to day two.  

Stay tuned...  

Acts of Kindness...

A commitment to myself this year is, that where possible, I will do a good deed or random act of kindness daily. Recently before I could even get out of my parked car, a young man (39) approached trying to get my attention through my passenger window. I was parked and talking on the phone. I let the window down wondering who he was and what he wanted. He wanted me to know that he was hungry and asked if I could help him. I told him to allow that I finish my phone conversation...

As I walked into Negril on Georgia Ave, one of my favorite eateries while a student at Howard, I told him I would buy him some rice and peas that also comes with a salad. I would have bought him a nice hot meal. He responded by saying "so you won't give me money?" To which I responded no, you said you were hungry. Incredibly, he then asked if could I instead please buy him McDonalds, which is directly across the street. At least he said please... I wrinkled my brow and looked at him in amazement, did not respond and walked in the restaurant. He did not follow.

My first thought was to buy him what I wanted him to have. How dare he tell me what he wanted. Then I questioned my motive. Was it to help and be kind or was it to satisfy some need of my own? Hell, I was gonna' buy him dinner no matter so what did I care what he ate? I took my ego out of it and bought the guy Mickey D's! Of course I engaged him in conversation, told him that most would not take kindly to his choosy begging, if you will, and asked how he got where he is and what was his plan to make a change in his life... At the end of the day, a hungry man got a meal, hopefully a meal that made him happy and I got to be kind. Isn't that what its really all about? But for the grace of God...

Happy Sunday Folks!!!

Whatcha' Reading?

In 2013 my challenge to my Friends is to commit to reading and sharing your new knowledge or literary adventure with others. What better way to expand your mind and similarly provoke that of others?

Currently I am reading Walking With the Wind:A Memoir of the Movement by Congressman & Freedom Rider John Lewis. I am a HUGE supporter of the Congressman, even securing him as guest speaker at my law school graduation and having the honor to pay tribute to him before my graduating class. I want(ed) everyone to know who were/are our REAL leaders, those who took the blows and paved the way so that I could don a cap and gown, walk across a stage and dare to call myself "lawyer". We have real heroes who exemplify strength, courage, dignity, valor and determination. If we don't celebrate them, who will? I want that our history and persons like Congressman Lewis be common knowledge, that their sacrifices be known and appreciated by all. I take every opportunity to celebrate our heroes.

I begin 2013 being reminded and proudly re-walking the winds of the civil rights movement with the road map Congressman Lewis has provided. I invite you to pick up a copy and be reminded that the struggle is not over...

Thank You Congressman John Lewis!


So Whatcha' Reading?



    Walking With the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement

A perspective of the civil rights movement from someone who served on the front lines. Born the son of an
Alabama sharecropper, he became a courageous and heroic Freedom Rider and is now a long term and well respected United States Congressman. John Lewis has lived an extraordinary life and graciously shares his first hand account of the civil rights movement, the triumphs and the struggles, wherein he was arrested more than forty times, severely beaten on several occasions, and is noted for being the youngest person to speak at the infamous March on Washington. He is a walking legend, a true American hero.

Be The Voice...

On Friday I went to see "The Central Park 5", a documentary about the 1989 wrongful conviction,  coerced confession, media persecution and false imprisonment of five innocent Black and Puerto Rican boys for a brutal rape and near fatal assault of a female jogger in New York's Central Park. The real assailant came forth in 2002. Details of the assault and DNA confirmed his confession. Despite being exonerated and having their convictions vacated, the city of NY has yet to apologize or settle a civil lawsuit filed in 2003 on behalf of these young men who physically lost as much as 13 years of their life and so much more emotionally and personally. Family relationships were destroyed, parents endured sickness, even death and one of these boys was tried as an adult and sent to Riker's Island at the tender age of 16. One can only imagine the horror he endured. 

The documentary, which I am careful not to reference as a "movie", so not to suggest in any way that any part of the travesty depicted in the film is a fantasy, untrue or is not a reflection of what happens daily in court rooms and police interrogation rooms across America. Defendants, many of whom are minority, are coerced or intimidated into taking a plea for a crime they may not have committed or at least a crime for which there is insufficient evidence to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Defendants lack the knowledge, the resources and/or the will to fight what has become a very broken legal system that seems less concerned with advancing fairness and justice as it is with advancing careers, personal agendas, notoriety, public opinion and media sound bites. 

These young and innocent boys were demonized in the press, accused of committing "the crime of the century". Their families were destroyed and they were robbed of youth, innocence and life experiences never to be restored. The documentary clearly identifies the cast of characters who orchestrated this atrocity against these boys, the gravity of which by the way, cumulatively is far worse than the crime for which they were accused, as none other than key members of public trust, the NYPD to include minority officers, members of the press for admittedly not doing their job, and Manhattan District Attorney, Robert Morgenthau and his two female assistants, Linda Fairstein and Elizabeth Lederer. That women and minorities can play roles in such atrocities is hurtful and deeply disturbing...

The documentary is highly emotional. In the dark theater one can hear the gasps and expressions of horror and disbelief or name calling at persons on the screen as the story unfolds, a few women even cried. The audience was so moved by the film that at its conclusion, they just sat there. Stoic. Only two persons exited the theater before the credits rolled. I was so moved and emotionally spent by the film and what I know to be true of the legal system that I made an impromptu plea to the other movie goers to not just walk out the theater as though they had just watched a film with an ending but instead to be moved to do something about what they just saw and realize that what happened to these boys is not an isolated incident but a daily occurrence for far too many in our society. A Friend shared that persons who make impromptu speeches in crowded theaters are either passionate or crazy. At times I am guilty of both. For this occasion however, I claim the former. Although unintentional, to unwind and to release my passion and overwhelming sense of helplessness on this evening, following the film I walked more than 40 blocks to catch the bus back to NJ, from the IFC Center on West 3^rd Street in Greenwich Village to the Port Authority at West 42^nd Street. Getting lost in thought, taking in fresh air and enjoying the splendor of Christmas sites and last minute shoppers along the way changed my mood and helped to relax me.

The film is playing in limited theaters around the country. During this holiday season, I strongly recommend that you not only go see the film but get involved and demand reform of our justice system and over crowded prisons that disproportionately affect minority and poor communities. If you are a New Yorker demand of Mayor Bloomberg and the courts that these young men be compensated for the blatant and irretrievable theft of their youth and their innocence.

Yours is the voice that can lead the change. Believe It…        

Getting to Know Lincoln

Prompted by the movie "Lincoln" to learn more about the man and his legacy, on my way home from the theater I stopped to purchase a few noted books on President Lincoln. In my search for literature, I came across a book entitled Douglass and Lincoln, How a Revolutionary Black Leader and a Reluctant Liberator Struggled to End Slavery and Save the Union by Paul and Stephen Kendrick, a Father and Son team. This book seemed a good place to start in my journey to explore and make my own assessment of who was our 16th President and what exactly was his position on Blacks in general and freeing the Slaves. Who knew better than Frederick Douglass? He was there and unquestionably committed to the cause of Black freedom.

As the book traces the history and development of both men, it illustrates an evolution of minds, an evolution of hearts, influence and understanding, it conveys a deep and mutual respect that evolved between these two men. It proved a good read and I recommend it to others whose interests may have been similarly peaked following the movie and the lively, sometimes controversial, discussions that followed.

While I do agree that the movie should have at least referenced the relevance of the Lincoln/Douglass relationship and how Douglass influenced Lincoln's ultimate decision, I still I loved the movie and fully expect that it will receive many well deserved awards. Team of Rivals, The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, a few chapters of which the movie was based, is next on the reading list regarding this subject as is Forced into Glory: Abraham Lincoln's White Dream, by Lerone Bennett, Jr.

There are many opinions regarding the legacy of President Lincoln and what was his true motivation for signing the 13th Amendment; a desire to end slavery vs a desire to save the Union. While the debate may continue, what is inescapably true is that he lost his life for daring to, shall I say having the audacity to, advance the amendment and his ideology that "mankind everywhere be free". For that, he has undying respect and gratitude from me and, I am pretty certain, from my ancestors... 

Miss Higgi says where there is question or doubt, or where curiosity is peaked, do not rely on the opinion of others. Do the research and READ, READ, READ...  

In the interim go see the movie!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiSAbAuLhqs