50% of All Fela Apparel October 15-31

Over here at www.one3snapshot.com the FELABRATION is not over. For the rest of the month get 50% of All Fela Apparel. At these prices you gotta get them all!

Kehinde Wiley | The World Stage: Israel

It's crazy how time flies and I'll look back and I'll see that my last post was in March...and it's May now. Just like that. Crazy. Coordinating hundreds of people to get ready for San Francisco Carnaval Parade. Planning a wedding. Getting used to holding down a family/household. Chasing a speedily growing baby who at 9 months is giving me a run for my no-money. Trying to maintain some level of physical and mental health. and on and on...

Ya it's spring time and my life is just that. Still, I am going to trying to check this out before it ends on May 27, the bills at the BART station has been catching my eye for months. I was firstly intrigued by this bright image (of course), but mostly drawn by the Yoruba twin name Kehinde....but was like wtf does a Nigerian first name with a non Nigerian last name, got to do with Israel... I was hella confused.

But I did my research and found out. And I'm there. Someone who's all about putting images of black men into the "high" class of art and culture. So the shi shi pinky up side of me thinks I ought to dress cute and get out to see this, and nod my head solemnly and ask my hubby what room he thinks one of these may look good in.

Read about it

Check this article about him in GQ

Chinua Achebe

Yesterday Mr Chinua Achebe, A Man of the People went to visit Chike and The River to explain How the Leopard Got his claws. As he was doing so, The Anthills of the Savannah started to bite him all over which made him No Longer at Ease. As he fought and fought, the situation only became worse and even put the boys and Girls at War. He thought he would still try to reason with them by playing The Flute, until he was struck by an Arrow of God. Achebe decided that he could not win this battle and realized this was the Trouble with Nigeria; it would always be filled with false Hopes and Impediment. He decided all he could do was walk away and watch all Things Fall Apart.

November 16, 1930 - March 22, 2013: Chinua Achebe RIP

An inspiration, motivation and a strong example that OUR stories should be told by US.

OMG There's a mf Blog on this mf Plane!!

Remember in the old old days of yore when flying was actually a pleasant experience? You would get all dressed for travel and with your luggage set head to the check-out counter and say something like “May I please buy a ticket to ….....?”

Remember when after you did pack your luggage you could just had it over to be checked in and tagged and they wouldn't cuff your wrist and rob you of another $35 dollars for one suitcase? $50 for the second?

And seeing that you were in fact all dressed you wouldn't have to get all undressed again in public and be herded through the cattle gate, and then have to empty out all your luggage because had a bottle of the really expensive perfume you got as a gift for your mother-in-law which you won't be able to give her anymore because the cattle herders just informed you they suspect you have plans to bomb the plane?

Remember when travel was a GOOD experience? Complete with this seemingly archaic notion called 'customer service'?

Don't get me wrong (as I stand on my soapbox here). I am the ultimate technology-for-everything is better and people NEED TO LEARN HOW TO NAVIGATE THE AIRPORT and yes keep the line moving that window is open omg can't you learn how to just go and check and not stand there like a moron KEEP IT MOVING. GAH! Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Down girl! Right...right okay I'm conflicted of course because I am one of those people who appreciate the use of technology in getting things done. Blame it on the 'awkward' black girl in me, and my intense fear of dealing with various customer service personnel. But that's for another post another day. Just take my word for it now. Please, let's focus on what we came here for. Back to the story

As a kid and into my teens I traveled a fair amount. With my family and also by myself. I remember how exhilarating it was walking around the airport, seeing and meeting all different types of people, and when you got on the plane that was an adventure in itself, making friends (gasp) with people, learning about where they were from and going, playing games, watching movies, looking out the window and wondering where in the world we were.

{Insert self reflection and guilt trip}

To be frank these days I do my fair share (okay large greedy portion) of “don't talk to me, I'm: reading a book/listening to music/actively trying not to talk to you”. But these days the feelings of airport and airplanes (still somewhat exhilarating because it usually means that I'm going somewhere) makes me sad and disappointed in the world, people, corporations (news flash), all of the above.

It may be due to the fact that I'm getting older or that I'm simply getting more aware and invested in what I've decided is the simple cure for a lot of societal trauma: 'talking' to each other and being kind when we do. Over simplified? Okay! Idealistic? Why Yes! Utopian? Of course! But on a serious note, I'm starting to feel this way. Obviously not enough to actually practice it but (don't judge me yet) I'm working my way there.

Okay back to Story.

Oh look! you finally made it to the plane that you're not going to bomb. For entertainment maybe everyone will have their own individual TV screen, or else have various personal zombie gadgets. Remember when we actually just watched a movie on the few big screens? I can't help but feel that at least as a group we shared something. There was always going to be that weird guy laughing too much too loud, but a lot of time we would all be laughing, or ooohing or sideways sniffling together.

These days all we share are disenchanted looks from flight attendants, impatience and the feeling that finally as cattle we had arrived on the trailer and were waiting to be deposited to the butcher.

Gosh this woman. Keeps straying!! Will you just stick to the story?

Okay story: When I was 11 (I think) I was on a flight from Nigeria to Spain and developed an intense case of food poisoning. Asides from the fact that it was probably one of the most awful experiences of my life at the time, all I really remember today was how nice, caring patient and helpful the flight attendants were to my mother and I. They kept checking up on me, cleaning up again and again, and finally making me a make-shift bed in the flight attendant area, where after puking my guts out I finally was able to sleep my way back to health and a resolution never to eat chicken again.

These days I think about this and wonder: were they nice because they were non-Americans? No that can't be. So because the answer is not that simple I have to explore it more, on a pseudo-philosophical level that is.

But before I do, one more gripe. Remember when we would have warm meals on long flights where you'd had to dig your fork in and wonder if that in fact was 'chicken' or 'beef'? Now you're left to pay $10 dollars for a dry too-cold 'chicken' sandwich or $15 for 4 cubes of cheese and 6 even smaller cubes of fruit that look nothing like it was pictured on the inflight 'menu'.

Back to waxing philosophical.

So are they (the flight attendants) and us (because we're not nice to them or ourselves either) just overworked? By our jobs? By the System? By each other?

Because through all of this I can't help but have this childish tantrum feeling that “Everything sucks!” Humanity is diminishing as capitalism is idolized

Kaiser Permanente is more interested in getting my $25 co-payment and pushing me out in 15 mins or less than they are about actually helping me to get better.

p.s. This post was written on a plane. I promise next time I fly I'll say a few words to the person(s) sitting next to me and maybe even make a pen pal.

p.p.s This post was also originally written a week before #occupy Wall Street began

A Reason to Live: The Future is Greater

Have you ever been asked the question: "What keeps you going?" ? What is your typical answer to that?
 For me depending on where I am or the context of the question, the answer varies but is usually the same.

What keeps me going?

1. My immediate family, whom I adore and admire
2. The future/Youth

Working with youth for me has increasingly grown over the years to be akin to eating and breathing. What is the point of life if I'm not investing in the future? Why even bother? They are hope, that in a fucked up world that we've created we can still make something better.

My mom almost always says to me in those 'what are you doing with your life?' phone conversations "I want my kids to be better than me." At first I would sigh and want her to stop blabbing but now I'm repeating the same thing to my youth. She also named me 'Nkeiruka' which means: 'What is coming (the future) is greater'. Little did she (or I) know at the time that I would manifest this almost to a fault (at least if you ask her sometimes).

I know it's a cliche saying that 'Children are our future' and a lot of times it's said without the meaning or weight that it carries. But for me it's pretty much one of the few phrases that matter to me in life, and almost everything I do has to be branched with that as the root.

Sometimes I lose sight or I get frustrated with the process, but watching videos (below) like these makes me inspired to see that other people are working with the same value.

So I can keep it in my head that the only thing that matters in this world is the young people coming after me. 





Happy Mardi Gras!

your neighborhood bleeding heart radical,
N

Romanticizing My Heritage: Igbo

Nairaland is the place to be to talk about all aspects of Nigerian culture. Sometimes I get too sucked in, it ends up being a time warp. A lovely one nonetheless. I've found myself here from random google searches, to my husband and I doing research for our Igba Nkwu wedding ceremony, and to creating atmosphere for my book (*cough*).  Was just looking at some really cool photos folks posted of Colonial Igboland. Make me both smile & tear up. (More about this in another post)

 Check out that hair!

See more

I was losing hope in the concept of music videos

And then Ramon & Jessica took me to church.

The Only Redemption to Gangham Style: Condom Style

Jamaica Condom Time

All my favorite things in one video: Jamaicans, Dance for Social Awareness, Public Health, STD Prevention and Sex. Wow. Is there any better?

This Show Rocked my World

 Thank you! Our Daily Bread show for being so awesome! Thanks to Amara Tabor-Smith and an amazing cast and CounterPulse for sharing life with us and bringing us amazing shit. I balled my eyes out. This weekend is sold out, but I really think there needs to be a few more weekends of showings. A special bow for my dear dear friend and fierce woman Tossie Long. Her singing makes me want to change my life for the better! 

p.s. this is where the 'Sneeze of Shame' took place. *cringe*

How to MOVE your Money To a Local Credit Union & Not Die Trying

By now everyone in the world knows that Oakland law enforcement went crazy with the tear gas, sand bags and baton smashing on non-violent citizens who were expressing their right to assemble and speak freely.   Two posts ago, I wrote about some action items that the regular average joe like me can take to make some change (or at least be part of making some change). If you know anything about me, I'm an action bunny. I can do my own share of talking any day but a lot of times, I feel helpless if there aren't any action items. I'm still working on my ten things we can do to make change in the 99% #Occupy Movement.   But I wanted to focus on one that folks are talking about and that is coming up pretty soon:

Change from a reg corporate Bank to a Credit Union and TWEET about it...

Now most folks (me included) have been trying to figure out how, where, when, can I make this happen. The facebook page BANK TRANSFER DAY has some resources and talking points around this. FYI Bank Transfer Day is coming up Saturday November 5th.

Here's the message from the Event page for November 5th with some steps you can take.

Together we can ensure that these banking institutions will ALWAYS remember the 5th of November!! If the 99% removes our funds from the major banking institutions to non-profit credit unions on or by this date, we will send a clear message to the 1% that conscious consumers won't support companies with unethical business practices.

• Research your local credit union options
• Open an account with the one that best suits your needs
• Cancel all automatic withdrawals & deposits
• Transfer your funds to the new account
• Follow your bank's procedures to close your account before 11/05

FIND A CREDIT UNION
USA: http://www.findacreditunion.com/
CANADA: http://locator.cucentral.com/
UK: http://www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk/

Peace!!

How Can the 99% Occupation Movement Actually Change Things?

Yesterday I was at an amazing action.  The Foreclose on Wall Street West/ Shutdown of Wells Fargo Headquarters in SF (business at that site was paralyzed by protesters for the day). This was organized by a coalition of organizations in the Bay Area including but not limited to Causa Justa Just Cause, Chinese Progressive Association and East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy,
Groups and personalities like Naomi Klein, SF Supervisor and Mayoral Candidate John Avalos,  Brass Liberation Orchestra and Homoeconomixx were around to help fire up the movement with speeches, live music and remixed renditions of Shaggy's 'It wasn't me' with lyrics like "(the) Federal Reserve... were all buck naked banging on the trading room floor".

I went to this action filled with an arm-load of criticism that I will not go into in this post, and a feeling of 'here we go again'.. oh I also had my good ol' camera with me

I left with tears in my eyes, butterflies in my stomach and a bounce in my feet.

Check out the photos I took and please keep reading, because I have a question I need answered

So maybe I'm not as plugged in as I could, and haven't done my research. Although I think what is going on right now in the US is powerful I've been also having this feeling that is typical for me... that of being overwhelmed. stuck. hopeless. What next?

These days I shy away from waxing politics/activism that much and frankly my rhetoric is not sophisticated when it comes to political and social discourse, so I typically save my thoughts to conversations with close friends and my various alter-egos.

What I do mildly well though is try to walk part of the walk.  So that's what I'm asking for.

What do we do? How can we play a part in making ACTUAL change. What are the action items? What are the small and big things we can do? Short & Long term goals. The occupy movement as it stands is not sustainable (in my opinion) so I would like to see some sort of 10 commandment list.... what the 99% can do now to walk the walk.

I've started the list...I need help

1. Take it to the streets and pose for pictures while looking and acting rad. Make sure the News talks about it. Check!
2. Change from a reg corporate Bank to a Credit Union and TWEET about it... getting ready to do that 
3.  ?? 
4. ??
5. ??
6. ??
7. ??
8. ??
9. ??
10. ??

I'm calling all all my organizers, youth, parents, teachers, writers, workers. Let's get this going!

the 99% ignored in Arts Funding #Occupy

REUTERS/Mike Segar

 Even if you were living under a rock. You know about the occupations happening around various cities in the US. What we're also talking about is the various ways this crazy 1% plays out. This Washington Post article talk about how Foundations basically pretty much fund more wealthy-white serving institutions than it does diverse communities. This funding trend does not match up with the growing population of said diverse communities.

“It is a problem because it means that — in the arts — philanthropy is using its tax-exempt status primarily to benefit wealthier, more privileged institutions and populations,” wrote the report’s author, Holly Sidford.

Talk about keeping it in the family.

Of course it's not telling me anything that I don't know. The money just circles around and 'philanthropy' is just a guise that rich people use to keep the things that entertain them alive.

Even though seemed like an ad for the Ford Foundation (which hopefully may encourage them and others to continue diverse funding) at the end, the point of the article is still something to that can be paid attention.

Chinua Achebe forces 50 Cent to rename movie

"You know, sometimes it's not the actual story/publication but the comment box that tells you what's really going on in the world"-N

Things fall apart for rapper as Nigerian writer makes him change forthcoming film title to avoid conflict with 1958 novel

50 Cent has been undone by one of Africa's greatest novelists, Chinua Achebe. The rapper's latest movie has been renamed ahead of its release, due to a conflict with Achebe's most famous work.
Things Fall Apart, published by Achebe in 1958, is Nigeria's most famous English-language novel. It has sold more than 8m copies worldwide. Unfortunately, 50 Cent was not aware of this. He spent much of 2010 shooting a film of the same name, the story of an American football player diagnosed with cancer. "It's a project that I wrote, produced and financed myself," he explained last year. Directed by Mario Van Peebles, it premiered at the Miami film festival in March and is expected to be released soon.
Read More..

 -p.s. I stole the title of the blog post

The Murmur of Oakland...A Place to Be

First Friday of the month just went by and I can't believe it has been a month since I went on my first First Friday Red Bike & Green ride.  This post could be very long but I'm not able to do that these days, but I just want to say that some of my thoughts and feelings that color this post are very well written by Chinaka Hodge in this blog post. Where she talks about Red Bike and Green and some of the things it opens up for her.

Well last night I went out on my first Oakland Art Murmur stroll (*collective gasp* from the people). I love living in Oakland and for the past few years have been internally passionate about creating a social connection here mostly in the form of trying to get my SF friends to come out this side of town to party, and hosting parties and other events in Oakland. I still am not up to par as far as really being immersed in the political, youth development, and art world that is unique to Oakland. I wish I was...but as a lot of my work and connections are in SF right now...well that's the way it is.

Artwork by Scott La Rockwell from the Smashbox Contemporary 1st Year Anniversary

ANYWAY so I went to Art Murmur because ms Tossie called and made me aware that it's possible to actually get dressed and go out and be involved, and see, and talk. Gosh. Sometimes I forget that. I am really such a homebody it's ridiculous.

 Oakland is changing y'all...or trying at least. And I'm still in the 'I don't know how I feel about it' phase. I'm not a native, nor have I lived here long enough to say 'I am Oakland'. But for the past four going on five years I've paid rent here, partied, thrown parties, have a lot of friends and 'community members' that also live here, and more recently ride my bike to the BART station. The look and feel of it has radically changed even in just the past 2 years.

Can't wait to get my Los Rakas Cd!

 Art Murmur was awesome, the persuasion being the inclusion or increase in display of Art from Black people and other people of color, hence increase of color in the stroll.

I went late (haha), and I'm still so shy with taking pics so there are not a lot of photos but I connected with some old and newly acquainted folks doing 'things'.
Anyka of www.bettiono.com celebrated the one year anniversary of Smashbox

Tossie and I ran into Alanna of www.uptownrunway.com who is hosting an event at Mosswood Park on Monday Sep 5.

 All in all it was a lovely time out. I didn't do the First Friday ride but I did bike to the Art Murmur...
Check out the rest of the photos on good ol' fb

*Pouts*

I feel so sad...the whole world is clearly and completely falling apart around us and we're just going on as if. Makes me want run around screaming at the top of my lungs: "Everybody shut the fk up, and stop anything you're doing, because nothing we are doing right now matters!!!" But then I decided I'd just update by Facebook instead before going shopping...

 

Red, Bike & Green First Friday (August 2011)

I adore my bike. I do I do.

Oh gosh. I can't believe I'm writing a freaking blog post about my bike. This may be worse than posting pictures of food (lol I'll need to check with my sister).

Anyway back to my bike. One thing I love more than my bike.
Oakland.
One thing I love more than Oakland
Black folks.
One thing I love more than Black folks
My friends.

So...
My Bike + Oakland + Black Folks + My Friends = Hella Love!

So I just want to give a shout out to Red Bike & Green and myself and my friends for finally doing our first ride with that crew!

Red, Bike and Green is a community-building collective of Black urban cyclists seeking to improve the physical and mental health, economy and local environment of African Americans by creating a relevant and sustainable Black bike culture. (Learn more)

Almost 11miles in Oakland. It was so delicious. Took some photos throughout the ride (look ma no hands). There were a few hiccups in my ride...i.e. my gears being messed up so that 1st gear the easy gear is as hard as my 3rd gear, and my bike is the heaviest bike on the planet, so when I tried to go up that steep uphill freeway overpass...it was a wrap. But thanks to the guy who was sweet enough to trade bikes so I could make it over...lol even though that was a disaster because then I was so used to riding on this hard gear that his easy gear was like flipping me out...

all in all it was the best time ever. check out the rest of the photos on good ol' facebook.

Rioting in London: Police vs. Black Man

 This is basically a bit of a stream of consciousness surrounding the recent London riot after police shot a Black man (London riot you say? What pray tell is it?) Colorlines has a "short and sweet" report about it.

Photo from Colorlines

I'm way past sick of this police vs. black man; colonist vs. black lands phenomenon. It makes me want to throw up and I feel I'm simply so over this human 'race'. And the news around the after-effects drives me crazy, aren't people tired of sick of just narrowing it down to something done by those savage-black-gang-involved-tennis-shoe-stealing youth? We're such a lazy group of people who never will actually fight for change because our lives are really just great, so we pass the blame. And so the media goes ahead and puts up their template news and we go deeper into our discrimination. But sometimes I wonder maybe that's just what we need, for everything to really go to complete shit, and for people to become REALLY uncomfortable so they can pay attention.

Here's one article that begins some exploration of the causes and effect of blaming the youth, it's not that deep (neither is this blog post) but a lot of this is very emotional for me, the comments to the article make me angry and illustrate what is messed up about our societies and how far we have to go in terms of regard for humanity.

This article is particularly interesting to me. I've been intrigued out how much the blackberry is a huge thing especially from the point of Nigerians in Nigeria and the Diaspora. If you know the half of it, you know that blackberries are now getting something akin to a human right.

Because these days twitter and facebook can get you in big shit, and BBMs are less traceable by the authorities (for now), Blackberry is saying that they would give information to the police about people's BBM messages to help aid the arrest of folks who are passing on info about the London riots. So these hackers threaten Blackberry... i.e.

"You Will _NOT_ assist the UK Police because if u do innocent members of the public who were at the wrong place at the wrong time and owned a blackberry will get charged for no reason at all,"

"If you make the wrong choice your database will be made public, save yourself the embarrassment and make the right choice. Don't be a puppet," 

(read the article for more)

Like I said most or all even of the people I know who have Blackberries are Nigerian/African/Caribbean. We support Blackberry, one (too many) of us gets killed, we up-rise, the company that we fish over our moola to fecks us in the ass.

dog eat dog sucka.

the Pencil vs. the Gun

On this past weekend the SOS Rally/March happened in Washington D.C. Lots of things were said. Lots of things happened. Below are two videos I've selected to highlight.

Okay see now the problem is. Goodness! Okay I'm glad that the people in this video are the ones who are doing it, because if that was me, there would have been some weave pulling and butt kicking. I know I know, not a good example for the kids. sigh. woosah. meditate. visualize.
If you know half of anything about me, you know that I don't joke with providing the best and equal opportunities for all! But I'll just let you watch the video.



Jose Vilson (click to visit his blog) who is one of my favorite educators and activist that keep me going from afar had this to say:



p.s. Jose you need a "Teacher  Don't Teach Me Nonsense" tee

Art + Social Change: Turf Feinz for Oscar Grant

When people ask me what we (one3snapshot.com) are about; I can show them this video. Sometimes I get crippled with feeling like I can't do anything about the fkd up state of the world we live in. This is the kind of thing that keeps me going...

If You Ask Me...

Sometimes I find it challenging or hopeless finding the way to bridge that gap: art & social change. A lot of times it gets all fuzzy. What does it mean? Is it possible to have one with the other? Without compromising the other? But then I watch videos like these...and I get rejuiced.

One3snapshot approved. Culture. Art. Expression elopes and gets married to Social Change.

Omawumi is so One3snapshot!

Here's what I said:

" VIDEO OF THE YEAR. I got goosebumps watching this... I used to be light weight not quite feel Omawumi but this song is pretty dope...I love the approach to the issues she brought up, and this video is pretty freaking cool. I wish we would have more naija vids like these as opposed to those useless pop champagne and girls in the club."

 

Art is Health. Health is Social Justice.
Culture. Art. Expression.

,N