Kwanzaa

Today is the last day of Kwanzaa and its principles are the principles we need to embrace year round to build sustainable progressive communities:

NGUZO SABA

(The Seven Principles)

Umoja (Unity)
To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

Kujichagulia (Self-Determination)
To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility)
To build and maintain our community together and make our brother's and sister's problems our problems and to solve them together.

Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics)
To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.

Nia (Purpose)
To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.

Kuumba (Creativity)
To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.

Imani (Faith)
To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.

*From -- Maulana Karenga, Kwanzaa: A Celebration of Family, Community and Culture, 2008, Los Angeles: University of Sankore Press (www.sankorepress.com)

Back Again

This fall I worked both a full time and part time jobs = 7 classes, 4 days a week, 3 campuses, 8 am class, 3 night classes, 2 hour commute, and a partridge in a pear tree :-) The bad news: I BARELY survived! The good news: it’s OVER! :-) Due to the “SEMESTER FROM HELL” I have not updated this blog in a long while, but will do better in 2009. My plan is to post links to articles and videos of interest daily and write a new op/ed essay at least once a week. This is my early new year resolution :-)


It's been a long time, I shouldn't of left you...Time's up, I'm sorry I kept you... - Rakim





but, I'm Back Again - Dilated Peoples

Someday at Christmas

Season's Greetings!

In 2009, may we all coexist peacefully for the good of our planet and humankind!
Have a blessed new year!

Tina

Someday at Christmas, there’ll be no wars....
When we have learned what Christmas is for...
When we have found what life’s really worth,
there’ll be peace on Earth
– Stevie Wonder

And for my hip hop peeps, this classic: