« July 2005 | Main | September 2005 »
Introducing....
Brother Archie Andrews
Ace Club (Solo)
Spring 2005
Riverdale University
(Moose and Jughead went Que....)
Posted by Rashid on August 31, 2005 at 8:03 AM | Comments (4)
Cottonmouth returns....
Yattimaina!
Posted by Rashid on at 1:19 AM | Comments (1)
Recap
Work was cool yesterday....sort of exhausting, but a lot of fun.
Highlights:
**The little boy who had never been away from his great-grandparents who kept saying "I want my mommy" every time we asked him a question.
**The little girl who started crying during her nap -- I taught her breathing exercises. Later, I would realize how ridiculous this was, even though it worked, dammit! It worked!
**The boy in first grade who speaks NO English! But he speaks Spanish like we're all supposed to know it and GOSH we're stupid if we can't understand him.
**Running into one of my classmates from high school (she actually spoke to me! lol). Her daughter is in one of the Kindergarten classes.
All in all a great day.
Gotta go....other stuff to do today -- peace!
Posted by Rashid on August 30, 2005 at 6:11 AM | Comments (4)
Save the Date: Tuesday, October 18
LGBTQ Issues at Georgetown: A Community Conversation
Tuesday October 18th at 7 pm
Location TBA
Moderator: Bonnie Morris, Women’s Studies
Discussants:
Rashid Darden ’01, Georgetown GLBT Alumni
Mónica Escobar ‘07, co-president, GU Pride
Jennifer Natalya Fink, assistant professor of English
Linda Ichiyama ‘07, co-coordinator, OUTspoken
Bill McCoy, LGBT community coordinator
Ricardo Ortíz, associate professor of English and American Studies
Jill Robinson, director, GU Women’s Center
Anne Sullivan, assistant dean of the College
Sponsored by the Women's and Gender Studies Program
For more information contact
Dana Luciano, English Department (dl234@georgetown.edu)
Posted by Rashid on August 29, 2005 at 7:11 AM
First Day of School!
I was so tempted to walk up and down my street last night with a bell, ringing it and shouting "FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TOMORROW, YA LITTLE BASTARDS!!!!"
hee hee hee
I got up at 6am as I wanted to so I would have enough time to do everything I needed to do before school. I am lovin' the Russ Parr Morning Show. That's one of my favorite parts of the school year.
Anyway, here are some announcements:
Did you know I have a yahoo group? It's located here: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RashidDarden/. Just click on it and follow the directions if you want to join. It will give you the latest info about Lazarus, Covenant, and my appearances.
The Rawsistaz gave me a 3.5 out of 5 stars. Not too bad.
But I got a great review at HitDatSPOT! I am so happy.
One of these days we're going to talk about "audience" at length. I know two gay black authors who got negative reviews from a straight black reviewer -- this same reviewer also told me that she doesn't read my "type" of novel. Yeah, I'm implying that she's a homophobe. So now when and where I can, I will discourage other gay writers from submitting to her. Why send your book to someone you know will give a bad review to gay authors?
Also, there may be other reviewers who are not homophobic, but just won't "get" it and therefore give you a lukewarm review. Me and another author got average ratings from a reviewer, but when we compared our scores to other authors, we found that inspirational books and straight black relationship novels got top honors. Will I submit to them again? Probably so, because it's more publicity, but I won't expect an A+ rating because I know they'd rather read straight fiction or inspiration.
I've gotten some really fair reviews from time to time, though. They point out some flaws that I knew about, but appreciated that they didn't gloss over. Getting GREAT reviews all the time will give you the big head.
But we can talk more about that later.
I am really excited for Atlanta! Scared to fly, but happy for the trip!
And now, I leave you with a quote from Rev. Barry Hargrove, my frat brother and friend: "That's the way life goes. Sometimes it sucks to be you, sometimes it sucks to be the other person."
AMEN!
Posted by Rashid on at 6:33 AM | Comments (0)
I Don't Know You!!!!
I was at the CVS this morning and as soon as I walked in, I saw the valedictorian of my high school waiting in line there. Since she was in line, I didn't want to disturb her, so I lingered a bit until she was done and started filling my basket. When she got her bag and began walking out, I smiled and said "[_____]!" (her name -- she's Nigerian).
Why this broad said "I DON'T KNOW YOU!" all crazy like?
So I threw up my hands in front of me and said "Okay."
But I KNEW it was [_____ _______], the Valedictorian of Calvin Coolidge Senior High School's class of 1997 -- her accent alone betrayed her identity. So I am thinking to myself "Bitch please, you KNOW you know me!"
So I was kinda hurt! LOL Angry, but not Cottonmouth levels of anger. Just like damn, no she didn't try to play me in the CVS!
I NEVER did anything to that girl in high school...never teased her, never clowned her shoes or her braids or her looks -- nothing like that. Sure, I thought she was rather unfortunate looking, but you know how they say the ugly duckling becomes the swan? Well....some ugly ducklings grow up to be ugly ducks. At least in attitude.
I happen to be privy to some things that she may or may not have gone through as an undergraduate. In fact, I am cool with her college roommate. Let's just say even if [_____] went through the things she alleges she went through...shit, I didn't do it! And that was seven years ago. I understand that people do things differently, but there's no need to be rude about it.
Her former college roommate tells me that [_____] did the same thing to her at the bus stop, more or less. Saw her and then put a piece of paper in front of her face to hide herself. Then she went so far as to not even get on the same bus with her, yet stared her down when my friend got on the bus.
Craziness. Mental illness is real, y'all.
Posted by Rashid on August 27, 2005 at 1:38 PM | Comments (10)
Fred Smith Event
Please join Frederick Smith as he reads and signs his debut novel, DOWN FOR WHATEVER, at University of Southern California (University Park Campus, south of downtown L.A. , 110 Freeway) on Wednesday, August 31, 2005 at 7 pm in the Norman Topping Student Activities Center. The event is free. Light refreshments will be served.
DOWN FOR WHATEVER is a mesmerizing first novel that follows the lives of four friends in L.A. , who wonder if true love can be found where Black, Latino, and Gay Pride collide with the intricacies of family, community, ethnicity, and class issues. It has also been described as a Black and Latino 'Queer as Folk' meets 'Sex and The City' set in L.A.
The novel is published by Kensington Publishing Corp., and has received positive reviews from both readers and literary reviewers since its debut in July 2005. DOWN FOR WHATEVER is available in independent and chain bookstore nationwide, as well as at several online retailers.
This event is being presented as a part of USC's Welcome Week, and is sponsored by the USC LGBT Center, Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs, and El Centro Chicano. While the event is free, there is a nominal cost for parking on campus. Guests are asked to enter Gate 3 off of Figueroa St. and park in the nearby structure.
For more information, please contact the USC LGBT Center at (213) 740-7619, the Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs at (213) 740-8257, or El Centro Chicano at (213) 740-1480. You may also visit the USC website at www.usc.edu for event information.
www.fredericksmith.net
www.simplyfredsmith.blogspot.com
www.kensingtonbooks.com
--
Fred's novel, DOWN FOR WHATEVER, a black and Latino 'Queer as Folk' meets 'Sex & The City' in L.A., released July 2005 on Kensington Books. www.fredericksmith.net or www.simplyfredsmith.blogspot.com
Posted by Rashid on August 26, 2005 at 5:32 PM | Comments (0)
Names
I stole this from Fred Smith's blog. Have I told you how wonderful he is?
Very few men in the US are named Rashid.
Be proud of your unique name!
source namestatistics.com
RASHID
Gender: Masculine
Usage: Arabic
Means "rightly guided" in Arabic.
"Ethnic" hurricane names are cool with me, including Arabic, Swahili, and just plain made-up names.
I DO believe that there is corporate racism, so until people with "ethnic" names have equality, they need to be mindful of that while on job searches.
Ten random names:
1. Isabel Dugmore
2. Sherman Moore
3. Marcus Shallenberger
4. Benita Mildred
5. Sherry Kuster
6. Nick Swabey
7. Justy Bryan
8. Elsie Bratton
9. Roy Burney
10. Georgina Keener
Posted by Rashid on August 25, 2005 at 5:39 PM | Comments (3)
Another hazing lawsuit....
Ex-SLU student sues sorority over initiation
BY ELIZABETHE HOLLAND
Of the Post-Dispatch
Thursday, Aug. 18 2005
A former St. Louis University student has sued one of the nation's oldest and
most prestigious African-American sororities, claiming a hazing ritual prompted
a car accident that resulted in permanent injuries to her.
The woman, Courtney Easter, filed the suit Wednesday in St. Louis Circuit
Court. Easter is claiming that the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, its top officers
and several of its members had roles in a car accident on Oct. 31, 2003, in
which she was severely injured.
Easter was being initiated into the sorority along with several other area
college students. She was a passenger in a car driven by fellow initiate and
SLU student Tracey Randall, the suit says. James A. Fox, Easter's attorney,
said the two were among a group of women being hazed by sorority members.
That hazing, according to Fox, included sleep deprivation. Sorority members
made the initiates stay in the same apartment and then repeatedly called their
cell phones over five consecutive nights, forcing them to stay awake.
"They hadn't slept in days," Fox said.
When four of the women, all SLU students, got into a car to go to classes early
that Halloween, each fell asleep - including Randall, the driver, Fox said. The
car crashed into a traffic control box at or near Grand Avenue and Delmar
Boulevard, he said.
Easter, a senior at the time, nearly died, Fox said. She suffered head and
chest injuries, including brain damage, he said. She now lives with her parents
in the Chicago area and is enrolled in a community college, Fox said.
In addition to those believed to be directly involved in the accident and what
led up to it, Easter is suing the Chicago-based sorority, the sorority's
executive director, Betty N. James, and other officials.
The sorority's national officers "haven't chosen to accept responsibility," Fox
said. "They just said our investigation showed . . . that there was no improper
behavior.
The suit also names the sorority's St. Louis-based Beta Delta chapter, some of
its officials and several members, including Randall.
A call to James in the sorority's Chicago office was not returned Thursday.
Randall returned a phone call but said she could not comment on the case.
A SLU spokesman said the sorority is not considered a SLU organization, nor is
it associated with the university. A Washington University spokeswoman said the
university does recognize the sorority, along with three other citywide,
historically black sororities and five such fraternities.
Alpha Kappa Alpha, which claims Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and Jada Pinkett
Smith among its alumnae, was the subject of a hazing-related lawsuit settled in
November.
The sorority was sued after the deaths Sept. 9, 2002, of two Cal State-Los
Angeles students who drowned in what their families claimed was a hazing ritual
at a beach. Kristin High and Kenitha Saafir drowned during what police
detectives and coroner's deputies concluded was a group exercise involving
sorority members, according to the Los Angeles Times. High's mother believed
that sorority members led her daughter and the other victim into dangerous
waters tied and blindfolded.
Angela Reddock, the attorney who represented High's family, said the sorority
had agreed to settle with the families for a confidential sum of money and with
the understanding that it would make anti-hazing and initiation-related
reforms.
The sorority's Web site details an "anti-hazing policy," which says anyone who
violates the policy risks suspension or permanent expulsion from the
organization. The Web site also lists suspended chapters; Beta Delta chapter is
not among them.
Reporter Elizabethe Holland
E-mail: eholland@post-dispatch.com
Phone: 314-340-8259
Posted by Rashid on at 7:59 AM | Comments (0)
A Rage in Literature
A Rage in Literature – Gay Authors Ascend Into Midtown Atlanta
Atlanta, GA. In The Life Atlanta cordially invites you to a Reading and Book Signing for GLBT authors. The Literary Café is scheduled for Sunday, September 4, from 5 – 7 pm. Meet and greet the authors at the Sheraton Colony Square Hotel during the 2005 Atlanta Black Gay Pride Celebration. There is a $5 donation and it is open to the public. Books will be available for purchase. Event Sponsor is Outwrite Bookstore & Coffeehouse.
Black gay and lesbian literature is not just for black gay and lesbian people. It is for everyone who recognizes the humanity in all people, everyone who wants to understand the whole of the black experience, and everyone who refuses bias, prejudice and hypocrisy in their lives and in their reading.
Invited authors are:
Dayne Avery, I Wrote This Song
Samiya Bashir, Where the Apple Falls
Laurinda D. Brown, Fire & Brimstone, Under Cover
Rashid Darden, Lazarus
Imani Evans, Today is a Miracle
James E. Hardy, A House Is Not a Home
Ken Jackson, Colorful Matters
Trent Jackson, At This Moment
Jazzy, Introducing ROE: Rules of Engagement
Frederick Smith, Down For Whatever
Toy Styles, Rainbow Heart
Eric Ware, The Hollywood Colored
Fiona Zedde, Bliss
• Mistress of Ceremonies – Trish Carter, Linger…Lust is Surface
Posted by Rashid on at 7:14 AM | Comments (0)
Kids for King
If you work with children, the Kids for King program will be an excellent ongoing project!
Students to raise money for MLK memorial
By KRISTIE A. MARTINEZ
Cox News Service
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
WASHINGTON — Backers of a permanent monument for civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. kicked off a program Monday challenging students across the U.S. to raise money for the project.
The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial Project Foundation unveiled the "Kids for King" program less than a week after King's widow, 78-year-old Coretta Scott King, suffered a stroke in Atlanta. It also came in advance of the 42nd anniversary of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, which he made Aug. 28, 1963 on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.
The "Kids for King" program encourages elementary and secondary school students across the U.S. to collect donations and write 75-word essays about their "dream for a better America." The foundation will choose 12 of the students to fly to Washington D.C. for the memorial's ground breaking next November.
The monument will be a granite boulder with an image of King emerging from one side of the rock, said Harry Johnson, president of the foundation. The monument memorializes the sentence, "With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope," from King's "I Have a Dream" speech. The monument will also feature 24 panels with King's words written on them, Johnson said. He expects the project to be finished in 2008.
The King memorial, which will stand near the Lincoln, Jefferson and Roosevelt memorials, will be the first on the National Mall — the area stretching from the U.S. Capitol to the Lincoln Memorial, and from the White House to the Jefferson Memorial — that does not honor a president or a war. It also will be the first on the Mall to honor an African American.
"I feel personally that once this memorial is complete, that the Mall itself will be reflective of America," Johnson said. "I believe it's just right to have him there with the other heroes."
Sheila Johnson, co-founder of Black Entertainment Television and owner of the Washington Mystics women's basketball team, announced she is donating $1 million dollars to the project on behalf of her children.
"Martin Luther King is not with us physically," Johnson said at a press conference at the Tidal Basin, "but standing here on this memorial site, he will continue to speak to all of us, to all the children and the generations to come, to challenge you to become leaders and to love not only yourself, but all mankind."
The memorial will cost $100 million to complete, and the foundation has raised $39.5 million in private funds so far. General Motors is currently the memorial foundation's lead sponsor.
Last month, lawmakers in Congress agreed to provide $10 million in matching funds if the foundation raises $10 million in the next two years. Johnson said he expects the "Kids for King" program to bring in at least $3 million by next June.
Some lawmakers opposed the matching funds, saying they should be used only for presidential memorials.
Judy Scott Feldman, chairman of National Coalition to Save Our Mall, a group seeking to preserve the National Mall's "historical and cultural integrity," said the group does not oppose the construction of the King memorial.
"I don't think there is any opposition and I think everyone feels that this kind of memorial is deserved," she said of the King monument. "We're just going to be watching as the design develops. That's going to be the only concern."
In addition to the "Kids for King" project, the foundation is raising money by selling blue "Build the Dream" bracelets similar to Lance Armstrong's yellow "Livestrong" arm bands. And in New York, Texas and Illinois, the organization is airing commercials featuring black celebrities, including actor Morgan Freeman and rapper Nelly.
In 1996, King's fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha, set up the memorial project foundation and former President Bill Clinton authorized the building of the memorial two years later.
Posted by Rashid on at 7:08 AM | Comments (0)
Day #2
Day #2 went off without a hitch. I was exhausted by the end of the day, though. Moved a lot of textbooks from the makeshift book room to the classrooms I work with.
I am really fond of the music teacher. He is a really cool man. I know I always say that about him, but I really mean it. He's somebody I wish I hung out with outside of work, you know?
Came home, then went to the post office. Shipped four boxes of books to Atlanta via media mail -- they should get there in a week, which will be the day before I get there. I will also send two other boxes to other locations in ATL as my "insurance" just in case my four boxes magically disappear.
That would suck.
Got dinner from a nice Middle Eastern restaurant near the post office.
Had an incident with a shop girl....but you know what, I don't even feel like rehashing that. COTTONMOUTH be coming out...
Positive thoughts.
Posted by Rashid on August 24, 2005 at 6:40 PM | Comments (1)
First Day Back: Fun and Productive
Lord I need to find a way to get more sleep.
Yesterday was a good day. All morning we had a staff meeting and it was cool. We have two new staff members -- a new special ed teacher and a new mental health clinician. Thank god for that. We had a horrible shooting over the summer and I was concerned about how the kids in general would be handling that. This neighborhood is pretty quiet, although there is a drug presence.
I had lunch with one of my coworkers and that was cool. All my other coworkers were either busy in their rooms or had gone out for lunch. There were a few who were being gloomy about the start of the year, but I was like to hell with feeling bad. Sure, I'd rather not be working, and yeah, I get paid SHIT, but you know what? It's a job with benefits, I like children, and it could worse in today's Bush economy. I'm glad to have any job AND be able to sell a few books on the side.
After lunch I helped each of the teachers I am assigned to. They are great. It will be a mostly low stress year.
Got home and was hungry as hell, even though the ESL teacher said "You gained weight over the summer, didn't you?" ILL! Do you say that? That was so rude. YES I gained weight, bitch. Ugh.
I called myself going to bed "early" so that I could get up at 6am if I wanted to. Not! After sleeping for about 45 minutes, I got a phone call. I only left it on in case my friend called but it was my frat who writes. He has sent me some information in email, which I had responded to, so I am like half sleep asking what the hell he wants, lol. But we had a good 45-minute conversation. I know he's really busy, so I don't mind the interruption. But I swear he didn't give a rat's ass that I was asleep.
Oh yeah, the oh-so-hot co-worker never did come out of the closet, LOL. Not that I expected him to. But I'm quite fond of him in general, so it was good to see him again.
I am going to the post office today. I have to send boxes of books down to Atlanta, and I am really not trying to have to pay for priority or express shipping. Media mail is only supposed to take four days from DC to Atlanta, but I am going to talk to the postal workers myself about that. I'm not trying to be in Atlanta with no books! That would be a nightmare!
I fell asleep (both times) last night trying to visualize scenes from a book I was inspired to write. I had been vaguely inspired to write this story a few months ago, but somehow things crystalized for me yesterday at work. I can really "see" this polt unfold, so I'm happy for that.
Jeez, if I had the leisure, I'd be hella prolific!
Posted by Rashid on at 7:02 AM | Comments (1)
Woo hoo!
I sooooo didn't get enough sleep, even though I made sure I slept an extra hour. Not used to it! I planned on getting up at six, exercising for half an hour, checking email, write a blog entry, then have a leisurely shower, figure out what to wear, etc.
Well, six in the morning was WAY too early, so I reset my alarm for seven. Real exercise went out the window for today! I can barely keep my eyes open. It's all good though.
I'm hoping all my coworkers read Lazarus over the summer and have good things to say about it.
Okay, time to shower...maybe that will wake me up.
Oh yeah, we allegedly will get breakfast this morning.
Oh snap, one last thing, here is part of my dream from last night: so I was at Coolidge (big surprise) on the first day of school. Crap, at first it seems like I was a teacher, then by the end it seems like I was a student. Well, no matter. The two main parts were that one teacher was new and was straight cussin' students out! Not like in a ghetto way, but in a suburban "Fuck, man!" kinda way.
The other important part was that one of my coworkers was also there and came out of the closet.
I was like.....YESSSS!!!!!!
:-D
Posted by Rashid on August 23, 2005 at 7:10 AM | Comments (3)
All these people can't be wrong
I finished reading Lazarus about a week ago. It is such a well-written book and it kept my attention the entire time I read. Rashid Darden is indeed a writer to keep an eye on. His writing is mesmerizing...
The story of college student, Adrian Collins, is one that will resonate with anyone who has attended a university. But it will appeal especially to those students who are black, highly involved on campus, interested in Greek-letter organizations, and dealing with managing friendships, relationships, and the inevitable questions of sexuality and sexual orientation.
While this is fiction, I couldn't help but to reminisce on my own college experiences and days... and those of my friends and cousins. This novel puts you there again... or, if you haven't gone yet, gives you a picture of the struggles and challenges of being a college student today.
Lazarus is a novel that I am recommending to many people. Good job Mr. Darden.
--Frederick Smith, Author of Down For Whatever
There are no down low predators wounding female coeds in the pages of Lazarus. These are brothers who are deeply entrenched in campus life as leaders, frat brothers, and star poets. These are men who are discreet and brave. These are real “big men on campus” who just happen to be gay. Their journeys to coming out are fascinating reads. You must read this book today.
--Alicia Banks, Columnist
…Rashid Darden is ushering in a new day in Black literature!
The debut novel, Lazarus, is an authentic, engaging work. It displays Mr. Darden's finely honed writing skills and showcases his accessible literary voice. The tale is inhabited by smart, witty, aware and responsible characters, which Darden couldn't have written about if he didn't possess those qualities himself.
Thank you, Rashid, for a wonderful read--for the opportunity to flex my brain and ponder life while being thoroughly entertained. This kind of writing has been conspicuously absent from bookstore shelves. I look forward to more from you. It is a new day!
--Lori V. Lincoln, Author of The Era of My Youthful Ways
When this book was turned over to me, I was told it was a “quick read.” This is true, not because it is a short book, but because when you pick it up—you can’t bear to put it down! By the time you finish it, you will realize how much we are all ‘slaves’ to society. You will also recognize just how much masquerading we do in everyday life just to “fit in”. Rashid Darden paints an exquisite portrait of college life, urban youth and the secrets we all hold from the world to maintain the image we wish to portray.
--Robert Denson, III; Sunpiper Press
Click here to download the full Sunpiper review!
...his generally plainspoken writing style achieves a certain simple beauty when used to describe the various firsts of new love: first eye contact, first physical contact, first tentative confessions of love. He writes about man-to-man lovemaking with sensitivity and sensuality, never escaping into the medical or sinking to the pornographic.
--Larry Duplechan; Author, Eight Days A Week, Blackbird, Tangled Up In Blue, and Captain Swing.
The novel takes the reader on a journey through one young man's rite of passage from being an ordinary college sophomore, through a relationship, into the trials of pledging a fraternity, and to the ultimate triumph of his personal character. I'm trying my best to avoid giving any spoilers; readers should experience Lazarus for themselves. Let me just say that in the hands of a lesser author, several of the characters might have read flat and the ending probably would have been all roses and skipping off into the sunset. Not so with Rashid Darden. He gives us a story that is believable and filled with individuals who remain true to their character throughout.
--malik m.l. williams; Artist, Poet, Performer
Rashid Darden is one of the brightest writers of the new millennium. His strength shines superbly in every sentence, his passion in every paragraph. Reading Rashid is reading into the depths of your soul.
--Omekongo Dibinga, Spoken Word Poet
It was hard to stop reading it because it felt so real to me. Lazarus exemplified my experiences as a black gay male in college and I could easily identify myself with the main character.
--Grad Student, University of Michigan
Wow, I've read just about every African American Male same gender loving novel out (at least 30) to date, and not one story has captured me with the contempory essence that Lazarus has....For this to be an independent release, I must first say that the writing is practically flawless and the quality of the total package is completely professional.
--A Reader in Richmond, VA
...a ground breaking story with colorful characters and a captivating storyline. It takes you on a enthralling roller coaster ride as you follow the journey and the battles of Adrian, the protagonist, as he tries to balance school, his embryonic love life and an arduous pledge process. Lazarus also takes many on a trip back down memory lane; to the college days, when there was nothing better than a BANGIN' college party or watching a fraternity or sorority probate on the Yard (Quad).
-- Higher Education Professional, Los Angeles, California
Rashid Darden has an extraordinary ability to focus his readers on several important challenges - when to acknowledge same gender preference, balancing relationships with a significant other vs. one's own aspirations, dealing with homosexuality in the college setting and in the black fraternity world. This novel follows in the footsteps of works by E. Lynn Harris and is a must read if we are to move toward a reasonable dialogue on a highly controversial subject.
-- Educator, North Carolina
The humor, believability and diverse nature of the characters revealed through the engrossing story line and unpredictable turn of events are what make this novel such a treat. In addition, the realistically interwoven themes conveyed through earnest narrative of the main character make this novel a delight.
-- An Alpha Phi Omega Brother in Miami, Florida
This novel is very alive and compelling. The characters are real, the situations are plausible, the action is exciting. As a student on a college campus, it rings almost too true. Nevertheless, it is a book that I will reread again, and again, and share with many friends. Rashid Darden, your ascent to the top has commenced.
-- A Reader in New York
Darden presents many pressing issues including fraternity pledging, connecting with family, finding love and soul searching all with astounding accuracy. I am willing to bet most student leaders at any college campus can relate in more than one way to the struggles that Adrian endures throughout the novel. This work is a masterpiece for those entering college, current college students, and college graduates alike.
-- Alumnus, St. John's University
Ever read a book so good that you refused to eat, sleep, or take care of any other basic bodily functions because you refused to stop reading? A book so interesting that you couldn't stand to be away from it for one minute, because in that one minute you were missing out on the opportunity to find out what happens next? Lazarus is that type of book - I hate to even call it a book, because Lazarus is an experience.
Rashid was able to capture my attention from page one and held me captive throughout this wonderful piece of literature. The characters were so real and the situations were so intense that I often forgot that these were fictional characters in a book. I feel truly blessed to have been able to read Lazarus and I highly recommend that others get ready for its official arrival on the scene - yes it is that serious.
-- Student, American University
I just couldn't stop reading it! His style is unique!
-- Alumna, University of Pittsburgh
This book is the epitome of that book that you can't put down...definitely a great entry from a great author. Lazarus is one of those stories that we can all relate to in some ways....from the pledging, to the crunk college party, to the various issues you face while coming of age...Go get it, the author did a WONDERFUL job!
-- An Alpha in Texas
Darden is a wonderful, articulate and imaginative writer. His unique ability to integrate themes that transcend both gender and class will certainly earn him a place among the best fiction writers of our time.
-- Alumnus, Georgetown University
Darden holds no punches. It is this true and raw emotion that makes you eager to keep reading, even after the story has ended. Every word on the page is real, breathing life into each character and emotion into each experience. You become attached to the characters and invested in the experience as if you were right there when it all happened.
-- A Zeta in Washington, DC
I just finished this novel and I can honestly say that I anxiously await the sequel. This book is definitely a page turner and has continued to hold my thoughts hours and hours after I finished it. This book is for any prospective or member of a BGLO seeking the ‘hood, any African American who has (or wants to attend) an institution of higher learning, and/or anyone who desires to get a mere glimpse of the inner turmoil of someone questioning their sexual identity. This author magically weaves together a story the reader can visualize because we have all ‘known’ these kind of people. The writing makes us fall in love with his characters. I love this book because the characters are flawed yet sincere, and the story is one I can especially relate to as a graduate of Predominantly White Institutions.
It seems this author has created a voice for those previously unheard...I most certainly look forward to adding his many future works to my personal library. Definitely purchase this novel!!!!! You will be left quenched, but thirsty for more.
-- An AKA in North Carolina
Author Rashid Darden tells a tale of brotherhood, courage, determination and love in his well written debut novel. The story’s colorful characters will keep you entertained. When you finish reading this story, you will feel as though you went through the ups and downs of pledging. This is truly an emotional story.
-- Tracey Marshall
The dialogue creates an excellent chemistry between the reader and the book--I didn't want to let go.
-- Senior, Georgetown Univesity
The book is awesome. With each page, you felt as if you were on campus with the brothers. When they were on line, I could almost sense their stress, anxiety and pain. Great reading. I could not put the book down. Looking forward to your next publication.
-- Pattie, Baltimore, MD
I just got my book yesterday, and I read it all in one sitting. I literally could NOT wait to see the story unfold....Being a part of a BGLO, I found a personal connection with the Adrian and his LBs; I felt like I was a part of their process. The book made me reflect on my own process and my experience in the Black Greek community, and how my process affected those around me. I think Darden did an excellent job portraying the two basic attitudes an aspirant will encounter from friends and family: they are either excited, supportive and understanding of the time constraints; or they want to be supportive of you, but cannot handle the pressure of your absence. This story is universal for all of us who have gone through any type of process in life that caused great stress and sacrifice. The only question I have left is...where is Calen, and how can I get in touch with him?! LOL
-- A Sigma Gamma Rho in Maryland
...As a non greek, I enjoyed reading about their trails and struggles to become greek. A book that I have read twice since it arrived last week. You will get caught up and wont put the book down. Great job...
-- Alumna, Gallaudet University
What I liked most is the use of similes and metaphors. They really helped to paint a picture, yet are not overused. Rashid Darden does a superb job with the level of descriptive detail in his writing. It's almost as if you are right there in the same room with the characters.
...Many men have had to deal with the very issues that Adrian faced in Lazarus , and I thought Rashid was brilliant with the way in which he handled some very tough social issues.
I encourage everyone to get their copy of Lazarus today. It's a decision you won't regret.
-- Will Saunders, Suburban Maryland
This book was great. I think Rashid did a great job at capturing the process of becoming interested in the greek world on college settings. This book left me wanting more. He was great at capturing the life of fraternities while at the same time having a GOOD storyline that was not dependent on the pledging aspects. Great Read!
-- A Delta in Chicago
I've missed my stop on many a train reading your book.
-– A Reader in Brooklyn, NY
Damn good.
-– A Reader in Silver Spring, MD
Rashid's skillful writing style brings together characters and plots seamlessly and I am thoroughly enjoying the book thus far. The way he is able to intersect the multiple identities of his characters is masterful. As a gay Alpha, the book is resonating LOUDLY with me. Go frat!
-– A Resident Director in Washington, DC
I couldn't put it down. I began reading it at the airport in DC and finished before I made it to Memphis. And that's a record time…bout 5hrs!
-- A Zeta in Memphis, Tennessee
Rashid, you've renewed my faith in fiction. After being a Georgetown English major, I've experienced a major burnout when it comes to reading for pleasure. "Lazarus" has not only ignited the flame, but now it's burning strong.
–- Alumna, Georgetown University
I haven't read a novel this year that comes close!
-- A Reader in London, England
The book was off the chain! From start to finish I was hooked and couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next one.
–- A Reader in Chicago, Illinois
What would a white, straight, woman take from a book about a black, gay, man? Granted, we're both Greeks, but would that really be enough to pull me into the book? While I definitely related to the greek aspect of the book… the book touched me in a much deeper way…You are truly a wonderful writer, and I am certain you will exceed even your own expectations.
-– A Reader in the Bronx, NY
Lararus is one of the greatest books that I have read in a long time. It’s very emotional and connects with the [plight] of African Americans, the fraternity life and coming out.
--A Delta in New York City
There is true warmth in this man's writing. The characters are full and rich, the emotions are pure and heartfelt, and the problems are real and not bound by the barriers of race, gender, or preference...Kudos to an author who has no choice but to be a legend in the making with this wonderful addition to Black Literature.
– Teacher, Baltimore, MD
The novel Lazarus was truly unlike any other work of fiction that I have read in a while. As a college-educated black male, it was refreshing to have a story that was set against a relatable backdrop. Often times we read stories black literature with characters with lavish jobs and lavish homes and their soap opera like dramas. This tale has characters and situations right out of our own experiences. I appreciated the consciousness of the characters who struggled with issues of not only sexuality, but being black on a white college campus, as well as the relevance of the fraternities and sororities. Adrian, Savion & crew are characters that I can truly envision walking among us. Adrian’s journey is definitely one that I look forward to experiencing. While it didn’t take long to read the book, it was a lasting story and one whose continuation I am anxiously awaiting.
--Financial Professional and Florida A&M Alumnus
Posted by Rashid on August 22, 2005 at 2:53 PM | Comments (2)
Six Feet Under
Six Feet Under was so good last night.
I won't ruin it in case you missed it, but the ending was so unexpected to me. I just sat there with my mouth wide open for the last ten minutes.
Posted by Rashid on at 10:27 AM | Comments (4)
"Freedom"
Today is my last day of "freedom" before I go back to work. Sure did sneak up on me. I'm actually looking forward to it. Although I love working on Lazarus related stuff full time, I think I will be more productive the less free time I have. You know...having less free time forces you to use it wisely.
On the other hand, I don't know how I will have time to do all the things I really want to do in the course of a day. Luckily I don't have to waste a lot of time on the commute.
I'm looking forward to seeing all my old coworkers again, too. They are a fun bunch.
Posted by Rashid on at 9:12 AM | Comments (1)
Atlanta, baby!
Don’t forget that if you will be in Atlanta on Thursday, September 1 at around 7:00pm, I want to see you! Come on over to a very informal meet and greet at the Red Chair Restaurant in Midtown Atlanta. I hear the food and drinks are really good so come on out and support a local business and a new author (me!) at the same time.
If you miss me on Thursday, I will be selling copies of Lazarus at the Black Pride Marketplace at the Sheraton Colony Square Hotel, also in Midtown at 118 Fourteenth Street, Northeast, on the following dates and times:
Friday, September 2 from 4pm to 11pm
Saturday, September 3 from 10am to 10pm
Sunday, September 4 from 12 noon to 4pm
And finally, I will be participating in the Black Pride Literary Café from 5pm to 9pm on Sunday, September 4, also at the Sheraton Colony Square Hotel. It would be so great if I could have a big showing there from any and everyone who supports my work as an author.
This is my first time in Atlanta in over ten years – make sure you stop and see me at one of these events so my trip can be a memorable one!
Posted by Rashid on August 21, 2005 at 9:13 PM | Comments (0)
Changes
by David Bowie
Oh yeah
Mm
Still don’t know what I was waiting for
And my time was running wild
A million dead-end streets and
Every time I thought I’d got it made
It seemed the taste was not so sweet
So I turned myself to face me
But I’ve never caught a glimpse
Of how the others must see the faker
I’m much too fast to take that test
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Don’t want to be a richer man
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Just gonna have to be a different man
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
I watch the ripples change their size
But never leave the stream
Of warm impermanence
So the days float through my eyes
But stil the days seem the same
And these children that you spit on
As they try to change their worlds
Are immune to your consultations
They’re quite aware of what they’re going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Don’t tell them to grow up and out of it
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Where’s your shame
You’ve left us up to our necks in it
Time may change me
But you can’t trace time
Strange fascination, fascinating me
Ah changes are taking the pace I’m going through
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Oh, look out you rock ’n rollers
Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes
(turn and face the strain)
Ch-ch-changes
Pretty soon now you’re gonna get a little older
Time may change me
But I can’t trace time
I said that time may change me
But I can’t trace time
Posted by Rashid on at 10:57 AM
My Legends Ball
Yesterday, me and Fred Smith were discussing Oprah's Legends Ball, and he asked me if the event were all men, who would I invite? Well, I told him I would put my answers in a blog, and here they are, in alphabetical order.
Babyface
Ernie Barnes
Paul Beatty
Tyson Beckford
Julian Bond
Cory Booker
Keith Boykin
LeVar Burton
Ed Bradley
Dave Chappelle
Don Cheadle
Kenneth Chenault
Kevin Clash
Sean Combs
John Conyers Jr.
Percival Everett
Louis Farrakhan
Harold E. Ford, Jr.
Jamie Foxx
Lawrence Fishburne
John Hope Franklin
Henry Louis Gates
Berry Gordy
Al Green
Dick Gregory
Robert Guillaume
Hill Harper
E. Lynn Harris
Rich Harrison
Jay-Z
Jesse Jackson, Jr.
Jesse Jackson, Sr.
Samuel L. Jackson
Michael Johnson
Edward P. Jones
James Earl Jones
Quincy Jones
Michael Jordan
Vernon Jordan
Lenny Kravitz
LL Cool J
Spike Lee
Carl Lewis
Joseph Lowery
Aaron McGruder
Kwesi Mfume
E. Ethelbert Miller
Paul Mooney
Marc Morial
Imam Warith Deen Muhammad
Mos Def
Eddie Murphy
Barack Obama
Stanley O’Neal
Richard Parsons
Sidney Poitier
Colin Powell
Prince
Richard Pryor
Charles Rangel
Antonio “L.A.” Reid
Tim Reid
Eddie Robinson
Chris Rock
Reverend Run
Robert C. Scott
Al Sharpton
Russell Simmons
Denzel Washington
Cornel West
Emil Wilbekin
Pharrell Williams
August Wilson
Stevie Wonder
Tiger Woods
Add your own! The invitees must all be living. In the spirit of Oprah's Legends Ball, my invitees are all African American. In a slight departure, I have included a list that in not only entertainers and civic leaders, but also a few athletes and businessmen and faith leaders.
Posted by Rashid on August 19, 2005 at 9:37 AM | Comments (6)
Grade Changing Scandal at Miami HBCU
I post good news all the time. Now it's time for a good, old-fashioned scandal.
HERALD EXCLUSIVE
Two FMU employees accused of changing grades
By SUSANNAH A. NESMITH
snesmith@herald.com
Florida Memorial University student Tricia Lockhart wanted to raise her grades and turned to a sorority sister whose boyfriend was more than willing to help.
Some $600 later, 14 of Lockhart's grades magically went up.
But there was no magic involved, according to Miami-Dade police, who say Lockhart was one of 122 students who paid to have their grades changed in a long-running, grade-fixing operation at the small university in Miami Gardens.
A pair of Florida Memorial employees and five students, using employee passwords to break into the school's computer system, bolstered grades for basketball players, friends and fraternity brothers. Four of the seven were arrested last month; police are still looking for the others. They all face racketeering charges.
Students wanting better grades paid anywhere from $150 to $2,000 to improve their report cards. One woman twice had sex with an employee in exchange for raising seven of her grades enough to allow her to graduate, according to court records.
REGISTRAR'S DISCOVERY
The scam began to unravel three years ago when the school's registrar noticed that some grades had been changed after 5 p.m., according to the school's vice president, Harold Clarke. ''The registrar brought the matter up to senior leadership and we determined that yes, indeed, something was certainly going wrong,'' he said.
After interviewing several students and employees, the school brought in an independent auditor, Robert Leopold, to investigate in October 2002. The audit found the 122 students who had grades fixed and identified the two employees who were responsible, Clarke said.
Ellis Peet, 37, a former Florida Memorial student who worked in the admissions office and the campus computer center, was fired by the university, Clarke said. Clifton Franklin, 22, also an alumnus who worked in the registrar's office, resigned during the investigation, Clarke said.
Peet changed a total of 580 grades, including seven of his own, according to court documents. Franklin changed 73, including three of his own.
Peet and Franklin acted independently, Clarke said, although police said that both were members of a campus fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha. Two other fraternity members William King, 25, and Terrance Bell, 28, were also charged in the case for allegedly finding students willing to pay for better grades.
Ben Simmons, 22; Eric Marshall, 24, and Quabinor Campbell, 25, all students but not members of the fraternity, were also charged with allegedly rounding up students who wanted better grades.
Peet, Simmons, Marshall and Bell have all been arrested. Police are still looking for Franklin, Campbell and King, police spokesman Juan DelCastillo said.
None of the seven could be reached for comment, nor could any of the students who had their grades changed.
Simmons had 12 of his own grades changed, King had 19, Campbell had 20 and Bell had nine, according to court records, which do not say whether Marshall had any of his own grades changed.
After the school discovered the problem, officials suspended some of the worst offenders and set up a system to discipline all students involved, Clarke said.
Clarke said school officials at the historically black university were extremely dismayed by the scam, especially since the two employees are Florida Memorial graduates.
''I think disappointing is an understatement,'' he said. ``We were very disappointed that folks that we entrusted with that level of responsibility decided to take this course of action.''
`INVOLVED YOUNG MAN'
Peet was once featured in The Herald for his work in a Florida Memorial role-model program for young black men.
''He was a very involved young man when he was here as a student,'' Clarke said. ``And a very accomplished young man I might add. That's why when he graduated, he was able to get a job in our [information technology] office.''
Clarke said the information technology office set up a series of safeguards, seven steps in all, to make sure no one can get into the system to change grades in the future.
''I think we were all taken by surprise that a student would take advantage of something like this. Whether it was nine or 109 it would still be a shocker and a surprise to us,'' he said. ``Keep in mind it was 122 and we're talking about a student body of 2,100 to 2,200. But yes, we were very disappointed that the 122 would be involved.''
Herald staff writer Scott Hiaasen contributed to this report.
Posted by Rashid on August 18, 2005 at 10:27 AM | Comments (6)
Yet ANOTHER Coolidge Dream
This one was SO vivid....I actually woke up at like 4:30am kinda taken aback.
It wasn't long or especially earth-shattering. I had gone back to Coolidge for a reunion reception that some of the slightly older alumni had planned for us.
Everyone was there...I mean EVERYONE. It was almost as if we had never left.
And the funny thing was that they were all so welcoming and I didn't have to do ANYTHING. And everything went well! You know that would never happen in real life...I am always behind the scenes helping out in some way, so much to the point that I'm not used to kicking back and let others work.
I guess it proves that I really do want to see many of those people again.
Posted by Rashid on at 4:59 AM | Comments (0)
Tag: Gimme Five
What were you doing 5yrs ago?
** Getting ready to start my senior year at Georgetown.
** Wondering why Julio wasn't returning my calls.
** Falling for a sociopath at Cornell
** Working on the website for my APO chapter
** Getting over jet lag from travel to England
Yesterday?
** Got fingerprinted for my job
** Ran into this HOT guy I knew from a poetry reading at DC Pride last year
** Ran into Jessica, who just graduated from Georgetown
** Dropped off some information at The Guild, Inc.
** Talked to Fred and Brandon
5 snacks I enjoy?
Funyuns
Peach Slices
Planter's Spicy Trail Mix
Three Musketeers
Reeses Peanut Butter Cups
5 songs I know all the words to?
"Darling Nikki" by Prince
"Milkshake" by Kelis
"Wild is the Wind" by Nina Simone
"Oops Oh My" by Tweet
"If I Were Your Woman" by Gladys Kinght & the Pips
5 things I'd do with a million dollars?
Invest in something or other just so my money can make money.
Invest in Old Gold Soul Press so I can be the next Martha Stewart, bitches!
Charity
Shopping
Student loan repayment in full.
5 bad habits I have?
Too much like Martha Stewart when it comes to my brand identity. (Not always a nice person.)
Picky
Stubborn
I talk a LOT when nervous/panicky/anxious
Emotions show on my face a lot
5 favorite TV shows?
Law & Order: SVU
The Wire
Six Feet Under
Days of Our Lives (still!)
Girlfriends
5 biggest joys of the moment?
Being published at the age of 25
Kindergarteners
Talking to a special person every day
Hearing a new person say "I loved your novel!"
The successes of my friends
5 favorite toys?
Pen
Paper
Laila (the cat)
Maxwell (the other cat)
Computer
5 people tagged now:
Whoever wants to do this.
Posted by Rashid on August 17, 2005 at 1:10 PM | Comments (3)
Why Alpha?
I don't generally write about my fraternal experience in my blog. It's a rather personal thing to me and most of the time off limits. However, since my fraternity has been mentioned so much in the past few weeks lately, I wanted to share with you why I chose Alpha and how Alpha chose me.
My mom is a Delta. One of my earliest memories of my mom's life as a Delta involves me seeing these weird symbols that looked like they COULD be letters of the Alphabet, but not quite. I asked her what they meant and she said "Delta Sigma Theta -- my sorority." I'm sure I asked he what a sorority was and she probably said something like "A club just for women and girls." That was enough for me.
Later, when I transferred to Keene Elementary School, I noticed that sometimes, different teachers would wear t-shirts with the same letters on them. So I would go up to them and say "My mommy is a Delta!" and their ENTIRE demeanor changed. This one teacher, Ms. Gilchrist, had to have been the meanest lady I had ever met to that point. Well, not mean, but definitely not a friend, lol. She smiled SO WIDELY when I told her that. Well, this other teacher that was with her, Ms. Washington (the first grade teacher, not fourth) said "Oh, so you're gonna be a Que?"
Ms. Gilchrist said "YOU BETTER NOT BE!!!!"
Confused, I went home and asked my mom what a Que was. She said it was a fraternity, Omega Psi Phi.
Neat-o.
In high school, I was exposed to Greek life more, mostly through teachers. And let me just be honest -- teachers at Coolidge were PRESSED! Not all of them, but there were always a handful that just took it too far. (I found out recently that one of them is a licensed vendor for their sorority!)
By too far I mean the art teacher (who happens to be frat) made door signs for all the teachers with their names in really big letters. Instead of the school colors, he made them in that person's sorority colors. So it's like mentally, the "battle lines" were drawn in the sand any time a kid walked around the school. And (in my 14-year old mind) all the "cool" teachers were Deltas and all the bitchy teachers were AKAs.
Which actually wasn't always true -- Ms. Griffin was one of the strictest teachers in the school (higher level math) but she was so down to earth. She was also the Athletic Director and, at the time, Vice President of the Federal City Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta. Whenever we had short periods (45 minutes as opposed to 90 minutes) we knew a GREAT way to get out of doing real work. (Too bad she's moved on up in the world and isn't in the classroom anymore, I'd tell all Coolidge kids to try this out.) This plan was great when more than one student was on board:
Random student: Ms. Griffin, what does that elephant mean?
Griffin: That's one of the unofficial symbols that means I'm a Delta.
Student 2: A sorority? Don't you have to be HAZED to be a member?
Well, the hazing conversation always set Ms. Griffin off into a tangent about Greek life. It was GREAT! We wouldn't NEVER get work done on those days. We'd do the warm-up and that was it. Okay, so that didn't happen all too often, but she taught us some really good life lessons and ALWAYS told us we never ever had to be hit in order to be someones frat or soror. So responsible, that Ms. Griffin.
Then we had the AKA teachers. Let's just say I ain't like them too much.
We had more Alpha teachers than anything else, but there were only two, and frankly, I thought they were a little saditty. No, not arrogant. But saditty. We had one Que, one Kappa, and one Sigma. To be honest, the Sigma was the absolute coolest man in the school. He was the track coach, Adrian Dixon. Everyone love him and his wife Alice, who teaches business classes.
Anyway....gosh, you know how long my stories are.
So the Alpha/AKA teachers used to always plan this step show and they ONLY invited AKAs and Alphas! I thought this sucked and was blatantly biased! True, they were just exhibitions and not all-out step shows, but come on -- I was sick of seeing Alphas and AKAs at our talent shows. What about the Deltas? We liked those teachers better anyway.
So, when I became class President, we had our own talent show and we invited the Alpha Chapter Deltas and Ques. Well, in 1996-97, the Deltas were just beginning their four year suspension, so they were out. But the Ques were down! Let me tell you, those were some of the greatest guys I had ever come in contact with in my youth. They were all about mentoring youth and making them feel like yes, YOU can go to college and yes, YOU can be what you want. They were laid back, but still about business. They used the opportunity to really "Uplift" the youth.
Some cool dudes from Alpha Chapter took me under their wing as I made the transition from high school to college. Although I was at Georgetown, I knew that La'Mont Geddis was only a phone call away. And in fact, when I had an issue with one of the white boys at Georgetown, I really think I had to keep La'Mont FROM coming to campus to beat his ass. I was like "Naw, please stay at Howard, I am cool!"
So Freshman year, I am bitten by the brotherhood bug. I know that being part of a black fraternity was for me! I wanted that unconditional brotherhood that I saw the Ques from Alpha chapter exhibit toward one another. So logically, Omega Psi Phi was the first organization I researched -- and I researched it HARD.
By the end of my freshman year, however, I knew that Omega wasn't for me. There were lots of reasons why that was, but mostly, it just wasn't in my heart. I wanted brotherhood, but not necessarily theirs. Had I been in another place at another time, maybe.
All in all, and no offense to the Greeks who were at Georgetown at the time, I just really wasn't impressed. I didn't see them doing much on campus, so I couldn't make a decision on where I felt most comfortable. And forget the hype -- you can't make a life-long decision on a fraternity based on a website. So I was like "Eh, maybe a grad chapter."
When I least expected it, Alpha Phi Omega, the national service fraternity came into my life. That's another story all together, but the point is that I had finally found something to fill my time, to create brotherhood with a diverse group of people, and new people to socialize. And of course, performing service that I didn't physically see other Greeks performing, though I believed they did it.
APO and school took up lots of my time, so my "quest" for a black fraternity was postponed.
Okay this is too long now, the rest will have to be in a Part II. Maybe later!
Posted by Rashid on at 9:53 AM | Comments (6)
How Come: Blunt Blog Honesty
How come I read some blogs every day because they're like road kill to me. You know it's nothing but a dead animal, but you keep on looking like all of a sudden it's not going to be a dead animal anymore. No surprises. Same old shit.
How come I be thinking some folks just straight up LIE in their blogs??? Like off the "Blair Witch" docu-drama tip.
How come I think that's sad? :-(
How come blogging is a serious addiction for me?
How come I think blogging is secretly narcissistic but none of us want to admit it?
How come sometimes I have a really strong desire to help folks edit their blogs?
(How come I used to have an editing/proofreading business on the side? Did y'all know that?)
How come I really, really enjoy the blogs of brothers over 40-45?
How come there is so much wisdom there that we can all learn from?
How come people go through some real life shit in their blogs?
How come that's sad, too?
How come I want to give them a hug?
How come y'all are still sleeping on the Salvador Gabor Project?
How come I really want Black Martha to really win something on the Black Weblog Awards?
How come her blog recently taught me how high quality bootleg DVDs hit the streets so soon after movies are released in the theaters?
How come leave it to black blogs...lol
How come Steven Fullwood and Larry Lyons MAKE ME SICK!!! LOL
But how come black gay love is a beautiful thing and their love makes me happy?
How come.....y'all, how come? :-)
Posted by Rashid on August 16, 2005 at 8:16 AM | Comments (5)
Prince...what happened, man?
Dearly beloved
We are gathered here today
2 get through this thing called life
Maybe it is because I listened to certain Prince songs at a certain period of my life that some of his music so deeply resonates with me. And maybe because my musical interests expanded during the period in which Prince was doing different things....well, maybe that's when I outgrew Prince.
To me, Prince will always (and only) be the time from Purple Rain to The Hits/The B Sides.
Apollonia was the epitome of womanhood to me....thick, light-skinned, long hair, bustier, and a cape. I mean, can it get much better than a cape? I was five for Christ's sake!
When my uncle drove me around town, he always had the window all the way down. I closed my eyes and looked at the way the sunlight lit up my eyelids. Everything was crimson. The wind whipped around my face, and I imagined I was Apollonia or Prince riding on the back of that motorcylce through Minnesota.
For years I didn't know what "master baiting" was and how you could do it with a magazine. Thanks, "Darling Nikki."
I wonder if listening to Prince albums at a young age turned me gay?
Even though there were three albums after Purple Rain, the next one I have vivid memories of was the fourth one, Lovesexy. Remember the cover? Was he a man? Was he a woman? What the hell was he? And what does Hundalasiliah! mean? Is it like hallelujiah on crack?
"Alphabet Street" reminds me of Nickelodeon. Grandma and Pa-Pa finally decided to pay for cable and I used to RUN to their house after school until my mom picked me up at around 4:15 or later if I was lucky! Nick used to play videos sometimes and Alphabet Street was one of the most popular ones.
But my favorite one was "I Wish U Heaven"....the video was mesmerizing. Prince was...Prince...hypnotic falsetto...doves...apples...
Then Batman came out. It was bad/good enough that the movie itself was coming out and would be GREAT (we all knew it) but when it was announced that Prince would do the soundtrack....oh. My. God.
I guess I was in the fifth grade when I really got into the soundtrack...and the video for Batdance was off the hook. Budget -- but off the hook. I liked the fact that it had elements of a lot of the rest of the songs on the soundtrack.
"Stop the press, who is that?"
"Vicki Vale."
I consider Graffiti Bridge to be the last album of my childhood...it was innocent, playful, but deep...the movie SUCKED, but the album was classic. I liked it because it wasn't just Prince. It was Morris Day, Tevin Campbell, and Mavis Staples...I mean come on! Legends! Well, Lil Tevin wasn't a legend yet, but who didn't love "Round & Round"? That song reminds me of the Brooks family that lived across the street. (If anybody knows what happened to Mary, Freda, Gus, Laura, and Sarah, please let me know.) It reminds me of the summer time and a whole lot of other songs that were out. It reminds me of ending elemntary school and being afraid to start Junior High because of gym class and showers and bigger kids.
Some of those songs....man, they still move me. They move me.
Diamonds and Pearls came before this album, but it just didn't move me the same way. I guess we'll have to call this one the "symbol" album. This is the one...this is how I knew I was a man. And this was the beginning of the end of my love affait with Prince.
He had a new woman -- Mayte. Was she really his girlfriend or was it just a Blair Witch-type of publicity stunt?
He was hip-hop..... my name is Prince...and I am funky!
He gave me hard-ons with "I Wanna Melt With You" and "The Continental":
Baby, how u wanna how u wanna be done
Just say the word and we can start from number 1
And go the distance baby, until u tell me stop
I'll lose myself inside u till u get all I got
Talk 2 me baby, tell me how u wanna be done
And he even had Kirstie Alley on there....man, this album was everything to me. I came...of age...to this album.
And there I was in Junior High School....not really a man. But a man.
In 1993, The Hits/The B-Sides came out. That's how I caught up with all his early stuff, songs I missed on Sign O The Times, and fell in love with some B sides. I wore those tapes out until I finally had to get the CDs years later. I ushered in my high school years with Prince's finest moments.
I had a friend, Liana Jones. When I connected with her, I knew what it meant to be a Prince fan. She and I used to bug out listening to all of his more obscure work, like Come. I miss Liana. Last I heard she went to Parris Island. This was in 1997.
I grew. I started listening to all kinds of other music, even outside of David Bowie. (My pretend-father, in case you didn't know.) Listened to go-go...a little Biggie, a little Tupac. Puffy, Lil Kim, Foxy Brown. Anything that was on VH1, anything that was on MTV, and anything that the Russ Parr Morning Show played.
Now, I can't even listen to Prince. I just don't get him anymore. Yeah, Emancipation wasn't bad. Crystal Ball had its moments. But it just wasn't the same. I had already come of age....his music just wasn't forbidden anymore, not in the age of nasty rap from Luke, Lil Kim, etc.
I don't really have a profound statement to wrap this thing up. I used to really like Prince's music, and from time to time I still listen to some old songs to remember what it felt like to be seven, eight, nine, or ten, or just hittin puberty. Those memories are still vivid to me. Sometimes I remember things I planned on forgetting, and other times I remember things I am sorry I had forgotten.
Maybe Prince and I just grew apart. I'm thankful for the music he did give me while we were together though -- I wouldn't be the person I am without it.
Posted by Rashid on August 14, 2005 at 12:19 AM | Comments (7)
Hi!
Hello there!
It's Saturday morning and I am tired. And I ain't even go out last night!
I felt a little bit under the weather yesterday, mostly because of a lack of sleep, I think. I took a chill day -- didn't work on level ten like I have all week. Went down to level three, took plenty of naps, and let other people do the work for a change.
Today I'm going to the post office to mail off three orders. That's the extent of the business of my day. The air quality is code red here in DC and yeah, my poor respiratory system doesn't do well in this kind of weather.
Today, in addition to some much needed cleaning, I will be continuing work on THE LIST. No, not my list of prior sexual partners, silly. My list of Black Student Alliances, LGBT clubs, fraternity and sorority chapters, and English departments. The people on this list will receive a media kit introducing them to me and Lazarus. This will be sent out after I return from Atlanta. I'm really excited about this mailing. If it goes well, I might get invited to a lot of events in the coming year, either for readings/signings or if an organization has an event that needs authors -- I'm so there! But we shall see, eh?
I guess I should get started!
Posted by Rashid on August 13, 2005 at 9:16 AM | Comments (2)
Ha!
For the first time in a few weeks, I don't have anything in particular to write about.
Holla!
Posted by Rashid on August 12, 2005 at 9:37 AM | Comments (3)
From the Vault: i am crazy
i
am
crazy
i was born in diana’s tide
with a caul over my third eye
and my umbilical cord around my neck
i was wet
like the forests of the hesperides
i inhaled and swallowed neptune’s froth
drunk with his children, i envisioned our love
underwater
an octopus crowning your head
we became one
i am touched in the head
i grew to the age of twenty-one
in as many seconds
ejaculating myself from the tide pool,
i exhaled and created you
one sliver of my thoughts yielded you
this is why i own you
i must be psycho
because i followed my visions of sameness
and conquered my fears to be with
me
you are me
because you are crazy
if we were to join, we would not cancel out
but multiply like crabs on the ocean floor
i would kill your thoughts
before i kill myself
wipe your slate clean and re-assimilate you
into my collective
i am loco
because i had a vibe
a premonition
a feeling that things were right again
but again comes the pain
look in the shallow mirror of narcissus
and see me
you cannot live without me
you are dead
you are a zombie
you cannot tame me
i own you
i am insane
because life is a plane
infinitely expanding
and you can run
but you cannot jump into the next dimension
because i created you to be inferior
i am your god
you are god-fearing
you are mortal
when i kill you
i – me – insanity
lives on
insanity is reality
your fantasy is your fallacy
i am your prophet
i am your commandment:
pray that i decide to turn back the hands of time
because i pimp the fates
i am the sheep from which they gather the wool
that they spin to thread
i hold your soul in my hand
this is why you run from me
you jump
but five brown pillars stop you
i can swallow you whole
and pass you through my system
you are more perfect as my shit
i am your last lost marble and your loosest screw
i am your garden of eden and your armageddon
i am your evil genius
i
am
you
Posted by Rashid on August 11, 2005 at 12:30 AM | Comments (1)
From the Vault: Maya's Elegy
she was the beauty that existed in
the harshness of words
and the anger of arguments
she was the elegance in silence
she was…
Posted by Rashid on at 12:27 AM | Comments (0)
From the Vault: untitled
I write this knowing that
if you ever see it,
it is because my heart
overruled my head,
or else I am dead.
Posted by Rashid on at 12:10 AM | Comments (0)
N.O.I. -- You want some of this???
From Jasmyne Cannick:
On Friday evening, during the shooting of Noah’s Arc, America’s First Black Gay Television Series (MTV Logo), the Nation of Islam, led by Minister Tony Muhammad, led a protest against the show resulting in the show having to stop production. Approximately 150 Black Muslims along with Muhammad protested against the show near the intersection of Rodeo and 6th Avenue in Los Angeles.This is very serious and could happen again. Bigotry and intolerance cannot be ignored and accepted in our community any longer.
We cannot depend on the gay community at-large to take up our battles in our own community. We need to lead that fight. The Black community needs to see us.
If a community response if mobilized on behalf of Noah’s Arc and the community at-large, would you participate?
Because we are dealing with the Nation of Islam, it would be a disservice to organize a counter-protest to only have it attended by a handful of people or people that are not African American given the Nation’s history with people who are Black. I know it’s not pretty, but the facts are the facts. And this is not to exclude anyone from participating, but to make it clear that if this is going to work in favor of our community, then the Black LGBT community is going to be instrumental in making that happen.
Please post your response. If the community isn’t in support of such an effort then we will not move forward.
If the Nation of Islam can get 150 people out in 15 minutes, we should be able to do that plus more.
As Maya Wilkes from Girlfriends would say...
"Oh...HAYLE no!"
In this country, people have the right to protest. You know, freedom of speech and all that. But you know what? I have a REALLY big problem with mofos infringing on my right to create art, no matter how controversial that art is.
I mean, what if the Nation decided to come to my house and cut the power off?
What if the Pope ran a magnet over my hard drive?
What if a gang of Hassidic Jews came to Riggs Park and trashed my little "home office?"
Or worse yet, what if Rev. Daly Barnes (my former pastor once upon a time) just stood over my shoulder as I wrote and just told me how wrong, wrong, wrong I was and how I'm going to hell?
That would suck and it's not fair! You can't just do that to artists.
Now, I've only seen one trailer for Noah's Arc, and that was a year ago. Was I impressed by the acting? Eh, not so much. But I was impressed by what it was -- the first. Star Trek is not impressive, but we can appreciate it for what it is and what it means. In the long run, I don't think Lazarus will be my most impressive work, but I had to get my start somewhere, eh?
It's not cool to force this show to stop production through protests. Just don't watch it.
Ugh, now I'm pissed off.
Update: It is possible that this wasn't an anti-gay incident. Read Keith Boykin's blog for more reporting.
PS - This is my 400th post!
Posted by Rashid on August 10, 2005 at 8:33 AM | Comments (1)
The Salvador Gabor Project
Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to introduce you to The Salvador Gabor Project.
I am not kidding when I say that this guy is one of the funniest, most humorous, and wittiest satirists that I know. Okay, so he's the only one I know, but he is also the most gifted of the ones I don't know.
Here are a few snippets from recent entries that had me ROLLING out loud.
From Folks to Stay Away from in the Fall of 2005:
* LADIES WEARING PONCHOS - YEAH........I KNOW I MENTIONED THIS ONE MANY TIMES BEFORE.........SO WHAT! IM SAYING IT AGAIN, AND WHAT? Im not gonna stop till the people making these dont make NO MO MONEY. Im tired of yall women and this hairy sheets yall wear over yall. And the attitude yall attain once you put them on. You can't say nothing to a woman with a PONCHO on. It must be the material. Like my mother always says "Im a FIX you". Im a start cutting up rugs and putting holes in em and selling em. If I gotta deal wit yall women this fall and these ponchos, Im gonna at least make some money off them
From Washington, DC: The Name Game:
2) DREAM (NIGHTCLUB) - *DEEP BREATH*........stop saying "DREAMS". Its DREAM. Why the unneeded "S"? Like for real!!!!! You can tell folk that dont get out much. They might hit the town ONCE a year cause they finally found a babysitter for ONE night to watch all 7 of their kids. "Girl we going down DREAMS tonight, celebrating my girl Gina's 43rd Birthday". First of all, yall need to be somewhere besides the club at 43. How bout brunch, a boat ride or a restaurant on the harbor. But no..........Earnestine and Gina going down "DREAMS" tonight. I've driven passed New York Avenue many-a-days and Ive never seen an Apostophe and a "S" on that sign. Its ONLY D R E A M. No "S".
And from I'm Over It (Subsection United Nation of Thug Niggas):
* Under no circumstances should a Thug Nigga eat Yogurt. Not even during a tonsil infection. Thug Niggas dont even have their Tonsils taken out!
I hope I don't jinx him by saying this, but I really do believe that my boy is a Toure' or Paul Beatty in training. Look to hear more from him -- big things!
And check out his blog at The Salvador Gabor Project!
And you should vote for him at the Black Weblog Awards for Best Humor Blog. I know I did!
Posted by Rashid on August 9, 2005 at 11:45 AM | Comments (1)
Summer Allergies and other fun things
I really had a rough sleep last night....a very deep sleep, but I was very conscious of the fact that I couldn't breathe through my nose. My mouth was so dry from breathing through it. I woke up with cottonmouth.
Did somebody say COTTONMOUTH????
As your leader, I encourage you from time to time -- and always in a respectful manner -- to question my logic. If you're unconvinced that a particular plan of action I've decided is the wisest, tell me so. But allow me to convince you and I promise you, right here and now, that no subject will ever be taboo. Except of course the subject that was just under discussion. The price you pay for bringing up either my Chinese or American heritage as a negative is...I collect your fuckin' head. Just like this fucker here. Now if any of you sons of bitches got anything else to say now's the fucking time! I didn't think so.
But I digress.
Had some dreams about being at Howard during the end of the academic year and gripping my APO Brother Bill Keene. (Wrong grip, but we won't get into that.)
Speaking of grips....I'm adding a new section to my website. Well, it's already added, but I'm not linking it to the main site as of yet. It's not private or anything. Just a new home for the content that used to be on my chapter website. [Comments deleted in the interest of fraternalism.]
I've been very productive lately, considering I haven't done a bunch of travelling in the past few weeks. Lots of things are in the air, but announcements will be made by the end of the week. A little ticked off that the restaurant where I want to have my meet & greet hasn't gotten back to me yet, but it's not a disaster situation, so I'm not worried.
Atlanta is going to be off the hook. I have lofty sales goals but I think they are achievable. Five days, four nights, and ___ books sold would be pretty good. [number deleted because that would just be tacky, not wouldn't it?]
I was talking to my friend last night and realized something. So a few years back I was in Lambda Rising Bookstore in DC and picked up a postcard at the cash register. It was advertising Elliot Torres' first volume of poetry. It was professional and Elliot was handsome, so I figured he'd do well. But what I realized was that before this year, I hadn't been in Lambda Rising for YEARS! Part of that is because I just didn't have much reason to be in DuPont Circle very often. But I realized that I had a black book fetish, and Lambda wasn't selling many black books. But now they are. (And I'm one of them, he he) And I think that's a beautiful thing. Growing up, Lambda felt lily white and "alternative." Now it's like a small Borders, you know? I really like it and I'm glad I can get black books there, especially since I don't really see gay black books in black bookstores.
Speaking of which....I need to contact those fuckers. My national chain (still unannounced, but stay tuned) got back to me just about the same day they got my inquiry. I'm hoping this particular black bookstore is being slow and not homophobic. I doubt they'd carry it like that -- that's less money for them. But who knows...in the back of my mind, I'll always be concerned about African American stores and media outlets.
Anyway...today I have even more work to do, but it's been going smoothly, so I'm not worried.
Somebody I know keeps calling me "the hardest working man I know in this book thing." That's really flattering! I do work pretty hard. Maybe one day it'll pay off. :-)
Posted by Rashid on at 7:52 AM | Comments (2)
An interview!
I have been interviewed on sororitysister.net by Dorrie Williams-Wheeler!
Check it out here: http://www.sororitysister.net/rashiddardeninterview.htm
Here are some previous reviews and interviews:
Interview At Steven G. Fullwood's Blog
Interview At Sunpiper Press
Review by Alicia Banks
Review and Interview by malik m.l. williams
Review at Books to Watch Out For
Review at Rod 2.0
Posted by Rashid on August 8, 2005 at 10:05 AM | Comments (1)
RIP
We'll miss you, Mr. Jennings.
Posted by Rashid on at 12:12 AM | Comments (0)
Fire and Ink -- Postponed!
Ugh, I am so ticked about this. The Fire and Ink Conference (for gay black writers) has been postponed. It also seems it's not going to be held in Austin, TX, anymore. I can't lie, that's a relief. Ain't nothin in Texas with queers and steers, and I don't have any horns, so I must be a queer!
Oh yeah...I am! lol
Okay, but seriously, I was really looking forward to this, and it sucks that it's getting postponed. And honestly, though I really have no desire to visit Texas, I was looking forward to Austin. (See how The Real World improves commerce and tourism?)
Now, what would be HOT is if they had Fire and Ink at Howard! Not only because I only live ten minutes away from Howard....not only because I selfishly want all of my conventions to be in DC so I don't have to spend plane fare, but because I think it's pretty revolutionary to have a GAY black literary conference at the so=called "Mecca." I mean, this is the place where Zora Neale Hurston walked....and plenty of other talented black writers, gay or not.
ALSO....I am always contemplating the messages we send to LGBT/SGL youth. Imagine the buzz at Howard if they knew all these gay folk were having a conference there. Imagine if BLAGOSAH (the gay organization at Howard) was enlisted to help out.
Imagine if the call was sent to black professors everywhere to try and recruit their gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered/same gender loving students to come to this conference. Sure, they might not know who's livin' who, but just announcing the event before class starts would do so much to promote Fire and Ink. Students have access to departments and departments have access to funds. The savvy gay writer who is an undergrad or grad student would be able to convince their department or their Black Student Alliance to send them to Fire and Ink.
Or even their Multicultural Centers...or Minority Centers...or whatever your school calls it.
By the way, when all else fails, ask your Dean. Deans have discretionary funds. Know your Dean. Love your Dean.
AND....(sheesh I'm excited about this).... when you include undergrads and grad students in an event like this, you are helping them kick start their careers. Lots of writers in general don't really get started until they're in their 30s or 40s, at the point where they have the leisure or savings to actively pursue a writer's life. Well, what if we could show young aspiring writers that writing itself can be a career?
If I had truly known about Fire and Ink in 2002, and I mean really encouraged to attend, I think Lazarus would have been on the shelves in early 2004 instead of 2005. I bullshitted and bojangled on my career while I was in grad school. (But that's another entry.)
But of course, Fire and Ink isn't just for aspiring gay black writers....it's for published ones, too. Which is why so many of us are going. It's our biennial chance to network with just us. Prides are great for networking, too, but everyone can't go to ALL the Prides. Everyone CAN go to Fire and Ink if they MAKE it a destination.
I hope the new date and location is established SOON. I am eager to do this damn thing!
Fire and Ink Postpones Festival
Posted by Rashid on August 6, 2005 at 8:48 AM | Comments (5)
My Personality Defect
| Schoolyard Bully You are 14% Rational, 57% Extroverted, 57% Brutal, and 42% Arrogant. |
You are the Schoolyard Bully! You focus more on feelings than rationality, and thus tend to be driven by your emotions. You are probably easy to anger or annoy, for instance. You are also an extrovert who wouldn't mind having a lot of attention, although you may not always get it. Another character trait you possess is your brutality, manifested by the fact that you tend to be aggressive and do not care about the well-being of others. Also, you exhibit signs of humility, leading one to conlude that you are actually insecure, because very few people are truly humble AND brutal. Thus, like any schoolyard bully, you seek constant attention for yourself and have no issues with administering beatings because you are quite emotional and easy to upset. Not only that, but your insecurity may be a prime motivation for your brutality. As psychologists have noted, most schoolyard bullies only pick on others because they have a negative self-image. This could possibly be true of you. In short, your personality defects are your brutality, extroversion, irrationality, and your possible insecurity. Go pick on someone your own size!
1. You are more INTUITIVE than rational. 2. You are more EXTROVERTED than introverted. 3. You are more BRUTAL than gentle. 4. You are more HUMBLE than arrogant.
Compatibility:
The Emo Kid: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. The Starving Artist: Intuitive, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Bitch-Slap: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Brute: Intuitive, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hippie: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. The Televangelist: Intuitive, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Schoolyard Bully: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. The Class Clown: Intuitive, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Robot: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Humble. The Haughty Intellectual: Rational, Introverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Spiteful Loner: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Humble. The Sociopath: Rational, Introverted, Brutal, Arrogant. The Hand-Raiser: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Humble. The Braggart: Rational, Extroverted, Gentle, Arrogant. The Capitalist Pig: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Humble. The Smartass: Rational, Extroverted, Brutal, Arrogant. |
 |
My test tracked 4 variables How you compared to other people your age and gender:
|
| Link: The Personality Defect Test written by saint_gasoline on OkCupid Free Online Dating |
Posted by Rashid on August 5, 2005 at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)
My Philosophy
I know how I am.
And that's a good thing. A lot of people just don't know how they are. They don't recognize the patterns in their lives and therefore repeat the same mistakes.
For example, I know I need to lose weight. I also know that I cannot lose weight if I don't work out. My choices are either to work out or accept my weight. See, the choices are there. And because I know me, I am somewhere between the two. I'm not totally unhappy with my weight and somewhat unmotivated to lose it. I know I will one day, but I'm not trippin' about it. I know how I am, so it's pointless to trip about it at this point.
Because I know how I am, I try to lead a very simple life. Seriously. Not like Amish simple, but I like to avoid negativity if at all possible. I try to speak with logic and level-headedness. Because....I know how I am. I have the potential to become incredibly angry or incredibly sad. I think a lot. I analyze a lot. I rarely think about myself as much as I think about the collective -- which is why I see one colleague fuckin up, I dissect the situation and figure out what can be done about it. I feel like somehow I am saving the whole craft if I can save one writer, lol.
But I know that's not normal. (For the record, nobody said I was normal, either.)
I don't surround myself with drama -- it's never been my style. I don't thrive off of it and don't find it funny. I never liked one frat dissing another at step shows. I never liked that show "snaps" where people are jonin' on each other. And I can't stand the freestyle competition on 106 & Park.
Some people call me moody. I call myself sensitive.
I don't like arguing with my friends, and in fact, I don't. I think it's more important to be friends that to be right. As me and BlackMartha were talking about yesterday, why does it seem like so many people don't understand that two people can read the exact same text, have two different interpretations, and both STILL be correct? How's that for revolutionary?
I have a friend who read Sons by Alphonso Morgan and hated it. That's not an exaggeration, either. Moreover, this friend knew I loved it and purposefully didn't engage me in a debate about it because, hell, what's the point? (We ultimately did discuss it, and I think he was surprised to learn that I had the same challenges with the text as he did. I just happened to thing the good parts were really really good.)
It's not just text, either. It's like....life itself.
I have six close friends, three women and three men. And I have a couple of really really close friends who are mostly men. I've never had a best friend -- I happen to think the concept is a little unrealistic, but if you have one, that's great! I think it's beautiful when two people can rely on each other platonically.
At any rate, me and the six close friends (who I call "The Wedding Party") NEVER argue. When I say never, I mean neeeeever.
And that's not weird to me. From 1994 or 95 when I met Joel to 1999 when I met Shari, I can count less than five heated debates among all six of us. And if I was ever pissed off at any of them, they redeemed themselves without even knowing I was mad at them. I like it that way. I don't have to speak and they know how I am feeling.
It's hard to find people to click with like that. So I keep them close and keep them happy.
Life is too short to surround yourself with people who don't make you feel happy.
I know how I am -- keeping my life simple is best.
Posted by Rashid on at 8:00 AM | Comments (0)
Justice Still Sought in Murder of Iota
The Iota Phi Theta member in question, Damon White (aka "Sermon" #1-Beta Tau-Spring '95), is thought to have been murdered by his lover, Anthony Jackson, in 1999. Jackson was recently convicted of murdering his more recent lover, Rahmaan Belton, in 2003.
Read more here: Sisters still hope for resolution in tragedy.
In doing additional research for this story, I found some interesting tidbits. The above, 2005 article portray's White's sexuality as an afterthought, if that. It simply reports the facts. But apparently, in 1999, his campus didn't know that he was gay -- the campus paper that featured an interview with his mother, essentially "outing" him, was stolen right off of the stands to the tune of $1,500 in losses.
From Newspaper Thefts Multiply on Campuses:
At the University of Missouri at Columbia, thieves stole 6,000 copies of the Sept. 9 issue of the student newspaper, The Maneater, that publicly outed a missing student as a homosexual.The stolen issue featured a controversial cover story about the missing student and a theory behind his disappearance.
Jake Wagman, editor of The Maneater, said the newspapers were stolen sometime during the weekend after Friday's publication. The stolen papers were worth approximately $1,500.
The feature piece, "Six Months Later," which Wagman believes may have prompted the theft, told the story of the disappearance of Damon White, the former president of the university's Legion of Black Collegians and Iota Phi Theta fraternity, through an interview with his mother, Janet White. The story included the progression of the case since White's disappearance on March 2.
Janet White told Maneater reporters that her son's boyfriend, who claimed White gave him the HIV virus, may have had some responsibility for Damon's disappearance.
"The campus did not know [he was gay]," Wagman said. "As far as we know, we outed him [by publishing his mother's comments]."
Wagman said The Maneater does not know who stole the papers.
"It's not a stretch that [the groups White was involved with] were unhappy about the article," Wagman said.
The Maneater is not planning to pursue the case.
"The next day is a new day and a new issue," Wagman said. "Rather than focus on the past, we are just going to keep publishing."
This is an article from before Damon was found and there was still hope he could be alive. In it, his sister describes Jackson as an "ex-friend."
Another article was published last year -- called The Search for Closure. Please be advised that it is very disturbing.
This is one of the saddest stories I've heard in a long time. You all know I have a soft spot in my heart for gay Greeks, even if this man didn't outwardly identify as gay to his campus. I've been there. Adrian Collins has been there.
I hate that I never heard about this before.
The whole thing makes me think about public and private lives of gay black men on college campuses. What if I had died before I had come out? What if Damon White was me? Although I can only speculate on what happened to those missing newspapers, had I been an Alpha at the time, would the Bros have tried to destroy evidence of my sexuality in order to "preserve" my image? How about the Black Student Alliance? My close friends?
I hope that now that the murderer of Rahmaan Belton is behind bars, maybe he will confess to murdering Damon White. Maybe new evidence will be found.
I hope....I hope so hard...that this statement from Damon's sister isn't true, that ..the Kansas City Police Department mishandled her brother's murder case. 'They botched it,' Dulin said. "It was like they didn't care. It seems that they were like, "He's gay, he's black, he's poor, so what?"'
Posted by Rashid on August 4, 2005 at 7:14 AM | Comments (11)
August 4 Round-Up
Delta Sigma Theta: Minneapolis/St. Paul Wins Midwest Alumnae Chapter of the Year!
Alphas in Houston Battle Prematurity
Oklahoma AKAs get License Plates
Posted by Rashid on at 7:03 AM | Comments (0)
Looking for Nell Carter
White boys are so pretty
Skin as smooth as milk
White boys are so pretty
Hair like Chinese silk
So last night, I was watching/listening to one of my favorite musicals of all time, Hair. I used to have a VHS tape of Hair from when it was on the A&E channel this one time. I swear I wore that tape out from fast forwarding through the commercials and watching it over and over again.
Luckily, I got a DVD player and sometime last year finally got Hair on DVD. It’s one of the DVDs I will pop in and listen to while I am trying to get other work done. You know…for noise effect, as they say.
But this time was a little different. It felt like the movie was speeding along. Next thing I knew we were at the scene at the draft board and the musical number “Black Boys.” Intercut with scenes of the naked white boy and the black members of the draft board were shots of three black women in central park, ogling and cat-calling the white boys there. One of those three black women was a slimmer (but still thick) Nell Carter. I couldn’t turn my head as she sang the opening lines of the song:
White boys are so sexy
Legs so long and lean
At this point she grabs her thigh and looks at the white boys like “oops!” It is one of the best moments in the entire movie for me.
Love those sprayed-on trousers
Love the love machine
And she does this bump and it’s just like ahhhhh man, that is one sexy woman. She owned her sexuality – I don’t think I knew what it meant to own your sexuality until that moment. No, she wasn’t perfect – she was short and always had a weight problem, but in 1979, this was just a little thick woman who was so confident, so beautiful…
Most people from my generation know Nell Carter from the show Gimme a Break! And that’s cool, Gimme a Break! was a great show. At the time, I think black folks may have been up in arms about this fantabulous Broadway actress with the full, rich voice portraying, of all things, a maid. I’m sure people were like damn…again? Why must we always be servants to white folks, even when we’re the star of the show?
But to me, a kid in Kindergarten, I didn’t see race. In fact, when my mom asked me “What color is your teacher?” I said “Oh, she’s about your color.” So I didn’t see a modern-day “Mammy.” I saw a lady who took care of her friend’s husband and children after she died. (Sidebar: People were sho nuff dying all the time in 80’s sitcoms, weren’t they?)
Though the “sassy housekeeper with a heart of gold” archetype had been done before (and still is done), Nell Carter brought to the role confidence and sexuality. Maybe I am remembering this wrong, but didn’t she always have a thing for Billie Dee Williams on the show? She was never androgynized or desexualized like Paula Kelly or Marsha Warfield on Night Court, nor was she made into a vamp like Jackee’ on 227. She was in many ways just an average single woman.
Almost all of my favorite moments from Gimme a Break! involved her singing. Damn, her voice was beautiful – is there a Nell Carter album somewhere? Gotta be. Anyway, I remember this one time that she sat in front of the piano and started singing “Memory” from Cats.
Memory…
All alone in the moonlight
I remember the old days
I was beauuuutiful thennnnn….
She was such a ham – I loved it!
Then of course the men who were always trying to marry her. Remember: “This is the church, this is the steeple, open it up and here are all the people waiting for us to get married, Nell!”
And how about when Nell and Addie (Telma Hopkins) went to Mississippi (or Alabama?) to visit Nell’s sister (played by the late, great Lynne Thigpen), who for some reason, always had beef with her. What finally brought them together was when they played some old records and started singing along. It seemed so natural, like they were really all best friends.
Then of course the show jumped the shark when they went to New York. It was still good to me (I mean hey, I was in elementary school, nothing really sucked about television). But it was eventually cancelled.
Nell Carter also appeared on Hangin’ With Mr. Cooper and Reba after Gimme a Break! went off the air. Before that, she appeared in Hair, Ain’t Misbehavin’ (on and off-Broadway as well as a television version), and later as Miss Hannigan in a 20th Anniversary revival of Annie.
On Thursday, January 23, 2003, we got the news:
BEVERLY HILLS, California (CNN) -- Actress and singer Nell Carter, best known for her role as the housekeeper in the TV sitcom "Gimme a Break!", died Thursday. She was 54.Carter's publicist Roger Lane said Carter collapsed and died of natural causes in her Beverly Hills home.
She had suffered from diabetes and had recovered from a near-deadly bout with a brain aneurysm in the 1990s. Lane said he did not know if her diabetes contributed to her death.
I think I was pretty hurt by it, as much as I would be by any actor dying before their prime, but especially one I had grown up watching nearly every day in syndication.
I didn’t find out until months later that Nell Carter loved women the same way that I love men. Damn you, E! True Hollywood Stories.
I remember watching it with my mom and in the very last thirty seconds of the program, they said almost verbatim what you can find on the internet now:
When she died, friends and family were surprised to discover barely $200 in her bank account. They were further startled to discover that Carter had been living as a closeted lesbian, and that custody of her children had been left to her domestic partner.
My mouth fell open and my mom said “Uh-huh! Betcha didn’t know THAT one, didya!” (She had only found out a week before, I was watching the re-run.)
I wish that I had always known that Nell Carter loved women. Yes, she had been married to a man at one point. (Which is when she converted to Judaism, but that’s another story.) But I don’t know…did she really ever love men? Did she always love women? Was she on the “DL?”
I hate that I’ll never know the answers to these questions.
It’s like maybe in my subconscious mind, I always knew that she was one of us, no matter how many men proposed to the Gimme a Break! Nell, no matter how many white men she cat-called in Hair. She owned her sexuality on stage and in private. She lived with her woman at the end of her life. The custody of her children went to her partner. That’s love…
I want to meet Nell Carter. I want to know if she identified as a black Lesbian. I want to give her a hug. I want to help her manage her money better and get good health insurance and help her keep her weight off. I would stop her from eating those “funeral foods” that are killing black folks.
But she’s gone, and been