Once again, the Vallejo Community came together on Saturday and created a day of inspiration, motivation and collaboration. The newly, “Watch Me Grow Inc.” community center was vandalized, which shocked the community and took us by surprise. This community center is one that is much needed for our community and children. Our children need a safe place to gather to just be children. Our children need a place to express their feelings and emotions to help cope and deal with life stresses.

Growing up in the city of Vallejo back in the day, there were always activities for children growing up. We had the North Vallejo Community Center, that offered cooking classes, sewing classes, pottery classes. The community center also offered all types of dance classes (Modern dance, African dance, Contemporary Dance) just to name a few. The community center was a place where it also had dances for high school students. There would be a small fee to attend, but boy did those dances represent all parts of the town. Then there was the Continental Omegas Boys Club. This was the place where everyone gathered after school to hang out. Whether it was doing homework, attending performing arts classes, working on craft projects or just sitting around reading books or talking to your friends, it was a safe place. It was also where we all gathered on a Friday or Saturday night and enjoyed some good music and danced like we were on Soul train. Man, we looked forward to those dances. Every little neighborhood in Vallejo was represented at those dances.

The “Watch Me Grow Inc.” Community Center is a value to our community. The Founder/Owner Jameelah Hanif has put in lots of work to make her dreams come to fruition for this community. She has worked tirelessly with community leaders to increase the safety for our children and give them a space to feel safe. This community center will offer Web Design, Photography, Coding, Podcast, Tutoring, Cooking, Graphic Design, Screen Printing, Creative Writing and so much more.

The “Watch Me Grow Inc.” Community Center will be an asset to our city. Saturday was a day of coming together. There were dozens of community leaders, union workers, businesses and non-profit organizations who came together, picked up a paint brush and got busy. The center has color coded rooms that stem from green, blue, pink, orange and so on. I would like to shout out all the helpers I came in contact with: Lamar Griffin/Shavonne Griffin (Sole Pickles), Jeff Valdez, Marcus Simpkins, Brad Brown, Clarence Martin, Fatima Hanif, Mireya Deleon, Carlos Flores, Patricia Flores, Iman Hanif, Lula -Momma, Ryan Lexing, Paul Lamb, Brad Myers. I am sure there were more helpers than what I have stated, and we the community appreciates each and every one of you. Thanks to all who brought donuts, senorita bread, coffee, orange juice and monetary donations. IT TAKES A VILLAGE

On February 9th, a young black male, Willie McCoy, 20 years old, was killed by the Vallejo Police Department in what some would say to be the most AWFUL, APPALLING, HORRIBLE, SHOCKING way any person should have to die. Most of us have heard several different versions of how the entire situation went down. This incident has now gone viral and it is being discussed, talked about, shared all over our countries social media.

What saddens me is that 6 police officers unloaded their weapons and filled this young mans body with approximately 20-25 bullets…..OVER KILL!!! Why should any mother view her son’s body in this way. To any mother or any other family members, this is DEVASTATING. This is UNACCEPTABLE.

Yes, we know that the incident is under INVESTIGATION. Who’s investigating this incident? How long does the family or public have to wait to see the outcome of this investigation? Are the officers still on work duty? Are the officers on paid leave? Give the public some news as to this HORRIFIC incident that happened to a young black male who did not deserve to die in this manner.

Could the officers have handled this situation differently, I say YES.

Do police officers handle incidents with black people differently than they do with white people? I say YES.

When watching videos of how police officers interact with blacks I see a lot of aggression towards our black race. I see a lot of disrespect, some may say on the part of the black people, but you have to remember if you approach me and give disrespect than in turn that’s what you are going to get. The police need to change the way they police our neighborhoods or don’t police our neighborhoods at all.

We the people of Vallejo, the citizens of Vallejo, we want JUSTICE for Willie McCoy.

I attended a Celebration of Life, (funeral service), of a childhood friend. He passed away of a senseless act of violence which took him away from his 10 children. He was a family man and a man connected to his community. His presence will be missed. Rest on Keith Jackson. 

Growing up, my father ( Deddy, as I will refer to him throughout the remainder of this article), meant the world to me. My sisters and I were all daddies’ girls and there was nothing that my deddy would not do for me or any of my sisters. When I would forget my lunch money for school, I would make a simple phone call and my deddy would bring it up to my school. I would get a call from the office and I knew my deddy had once again saved the day. During the rainy season, I would hand him the keys to his truck and he knew he had to take me, Teresa and Ronda to school with no questions asked. 

My deddy would take our family, and kids from the block, up to Clearlake and Lake Berryessa, where we would swim and live off the land for the entire weekend. As soon as fish were caught, my mommy would clean them and into the cast iron skillet they would go. 

Father’s have a huge impact on their children’s lives. Boys will model themselves after their fathers. The will look for their father’s approval in everything they do, and copy those behaviors that they recognize as both successful and familiar. The father-son bond is an important first step in a child’s social growth, it can influence their friendships, their work ethics, their romantic involvements and so many more aspects of a boy’s life. Having a present and involved father allows a boy to be involved in social, academic, scouting and athletic activities. This involvement keeps a boy busy and well-rounded, which in turn helps the boy stay out of trouble. Additionally, the emotional benefits from a present father are innumerable to a young boy, and directly impact their emotional and behavioral stability throughout their lives. 

It’s said that girls marry men that have similar characteristics like their father’s. Girls will look for men who hold those same patterns as their father’s. The father-daughter bond is one of the most important emotional bonds a girl will make. Girl, like boys, will cycle back and forth between loving mom and pushing away dad, then loving dad and pushing mom away. Without a present father, she will be left pushing away from her mother with no one to attach to during that time. This bond also sets the daughters ideal for future partners, in play, school and eventually in Love. Girls, more than boys, develop their sense of self-worth and self-esteem based in a large part on the attention and love they perceive from their father’s. With a present attentive father, girls tend to have better self-esteem and therefore stronger emotional health in all aspects of the development.

A Father’s presence is also felt within the community. Every father figure on our block had the RESPECT of every child and adolescent who ran those streets. We knew not to talk smart, talk back or cuss in the presence of grown folks or you would definitely get a whooping.

I would like to thank all Father’s, Dads, Papas, who are actively teaching their children important life skills. This, after all, is what makes life worth living.
Thanks Deddy

Queen Latifah and Nicci Gilbert teamed up and produced a new centric show titled, “From the Bottom Up.” The docu-series followed five women, Christine Beatty, Kimberly Smedley, Stacii Jae Johnson, Chrystale Wilson and Sara Stokes, who made it to the top, but now find themselves at the bottom due to this thing we call “LIFE.”

I don’t watch a lot of reality shows, but I am a fan of Queen Latifah and I support her and her production company Flavor Unit Entertainment.

Queen Latifah teamed up with Nicci Gilbert to produce the new Centric show. I didn’t watch every episode, but I was able to catch the last episode and the reunion. I’m here to talk about the reunion episode.

These ladies were brought together to support one another. Encourage one another. Uplift one another. A POSITIVE BLACK WOMEN’S reality show. How many times do we see that on television? I would rather see BLACK WOMEN uplifting one another than tearing one another down.

I would have to say, all the ladies on the show have had to deal with their own issues, fall backs and come backs. I enjoyed each one of them. No, I do not have a favorite nor do I have one that I like the least.

I do have to say, the favorite part of the reunion episode I enjoyed was when Christine Beatty walked off the stage because shade was being thrown and she wanted no part of that. I applaud her as a woman and as a black woman for not wanting to be seen in the negative as media would have us. She stood for positiveness. I don’t think she cared about ratings. Her self-worth, self-pride and self-respect was far more important than ratings and that’s a GOOD thing.

I would love for this docu-series to come back for a second season. I think the women on this show have a lot to offer and the viewers want to see where it goes.

NO NEGATIVE DRAMA…NO JUDGEMENT…NO SHADE

Let’s talk about life insurance — it’s never a “fun” conversation to have. But when you sit down with an expert who has your best interests in mind, you may find that life insurance is something you not only need, but truly want, as well — to protect your family, dependents, business and legacy.

Why?

1. You never know.

Dying suddenly — in an accident, by unexpected illness or even of natural causes — can happen at any time. Life insurance helps your loved ones pay the mortgage, bills, even college costs, after you’re gone. It also provides tax-free cash to pay estate and death duties. Nothing can replace you in their hearts, but planning ahead with life insurance can make things easier for those you leave behind.

2. Funerals are expensive.

In some cases, upwards of $7,000 to $10,000 — and we’re not talking about extravagant funeral services. This is the average cost of a burial ceremony that will be faced by your loved ones.  At an already difficult and emotional time, your life insurance can cover these expenses without financial hardship or further stress.

3. Protect those you love.

In your life, you work hard to make sure those you love — spouse, partner, children, family members — are taken care of. It’s just as important to consider providing financial support for the future living costs of surviving dependents. After all, they will have to go on without you. Make sure they’re protected, too.

4. Death shouldn’t mean debt.

Life Insurance can help your dependents cover any financial responsibilities that are left after your death. Debt can be a tremendous burden, on top of the already emotional toll your absence creates in their lives.

5. Anything can happen.

If you develop a serious illness, you may not be able to get life insurance to the extent you need it — or at all. If you have a terminal illness, life insurance can provide you with financial support. Life insurance can also be used in case of emergencies by requesting a withdrawal or loan.

6. Take care of business.

Life Insurance isn’t just for individuals. It can protect a business from financial loss, liabilities or instability in the case of the death of a business owner/partner. Whether providing necessary short-term cash or keeping operations going until things settle, life insurance can be invaluable in maintaining the business you’ve worked so hard to build.

7. Supplement your retirement.

You can use life insurance to make sure your retirement savings lasts as long as you do. An annuity is like a do-it-yourself pension plan — you put an amount of money into a life insurance product and in return you get a guaranteed stream of income month after month, for as long as you live.

8. It makes financial sense.

Life insurance is considered a financial asset, which can help increase your credit and help you to get a loan or health insurance. Many policies have cash value, which even in case of bankruptcy cannot be touched by creditors.

9. Give to charity.

Life Insurance can enable you to leaving a lasting gift to a favorite cause or charity that is much larger than you would otherwise set aside for donation.

10. Peace of mind, plain and simple.

No amount of money can ever replace a person. But more than anything, life insurance can help provide protection for the uncertainties in life.

IGNORANCE is no longer an excuse or acceptable. If you find yourself without insurance or know of someone who does not have insurance here are some recommendations:

UNITED INSURANCE, Elizabeth Ann Thomas, Senior Agent, 510-223-3834, 415-279-8770

UNITED INSURANCE, Kasiaa Thomas, Agent, 510-223-3834, 510-612-1338

TRANSAMERICA, Leland Rubin, 925-286-6292

Ask, and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7).

Some of you may know I have a non-profit organization called “Love the Skin You’re In.” We are embarking on our first 5 day/4 night Nature/Science/Environment Camp at Nature Bridge at Yosemite National Park in July. The cost is $465 per student. I spoke to 3 of the parents, who informed me that it is just not in their budget to send their child on this trip. I asked myself what can I do to help. Well, I’m reaching out to my blogging family, facebook family and twitter family.

I know most of you are asking the question, What do they do at a Nature/Science/Environment Camp? I can show you their itinerary, but it is very detailed day by day. I will give you some of the objectives: Teambuilding and Getting to Know their Team, Establishing and Honing in on the Ability to Notice and Observe Natural Features, Exploring Water as a Life Force that Connects Everything, Develop a Natural and Deeper Way of Viewing the Sceintific Process, Design a Scientific Experiment to Monitor Change Throughout the Day, Work Together as a Team to Achieve a Challenge, Understand the Geological Processes that Formed Yosemite Valley, Create and Plan for Ways in Which Students can Make an Impact at Home.

WOW, what a lot to observe, right? Just think, they will learn about things we as parents don’t even know. A degree in these fields may allow our children to become more self-sufficient. The difference from making $50k – $60k  a year compared to $90k-$120k a year is worth exploring. It is our responsibility as Community Leaders, Community Activist and Parents to engage our children in these types of CAMPS. Plus, Yosemite National Park is a beautiful place to visit (I hear).

Our parents need your help. Every parent wishes they could give their child extras in life, but sometimes life doesn’t allow for that. My plea is that you help our youth EXPERIENCE a CAMPING TRIP of a LIFETIME. Some of us as adults would have benefited from a trip such as this if it was introduced to us when we were youth. Our college choices would have been different. Our career choices would have been different.

Our organization has set up a Go Fund Me account: GoFund.Me/PN9oc0. If you are the type of person who don’t like giving online, you can send your donations to: Love the Skin You’re In, P.O. Box 1873, Vallejo, CA 94590.

PLEASE PASS THIS TO ALL YOUR FRIENDS (FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, TWITTER AND ETC.)…..INVESTING IN OUR CHILDREN IS PRICELESS.

Today is the first day of BLACK HISTORY MONTH. We all should be proud of our African Heritage. We can combine our African Heritage and our American Heritage and also be proud of our African American Heritage.

Proud: Feeling deep pleasure or satisfaction as a result of one’s own achievements, qualities, or possessions or those of someone whom one is closely associated; having or showing a high or excessively high opinion of oneself or one’s importance.

Angela Davis is an American political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as a prominent counterculture activist and radical in the 1960s as a leader of the Communist Party USA, and had close relations with the Black Panther Party through her involvement in the Civil Rights Movement.

In October of 1966, in Oakland California, Huey Newton and B0bby Seale founded the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense. The Panthers practiced militant self-defense of minority communities against the U.S. government, and fought to establish revolutionary socialism through mass organizing and community based programs. Read more at http://www.aaregistry.org.

“I’M BLACK AND I’M PROUD”, If we are to be a proud people, we have to not just say it, we also have to display it. It’s time out for us not supporting one another. It’s time out for us posting negative images of black people on social media. It’s time out for other cultures telling us we don’t support one another. It’s time for us to prove them wrong. We are a strong people. Our dollars counts as well as theirs. If we keep our dollars in our communities than more of our children can go to college and get through college. More of our children can be entrepreneurs, homeowners and business owners.

I have attached several links that I hope you will use as resources:

http://www.famousscientists.org

http://www.black-inventor.com

http://www.one.org

http://www.konequessweetreatsandthings.com

http://www.blackwallstreet.org

http://www.officialblackwallstreet.com

SAY IT LOUD, “I’M BLACK AND I’M PROUD”

The Stacey Dash controversy is buzzing around the nation like a wild fire. The controversy is about statements she’s made on Fox News regarding, BET NETWORK, BET AWARDS and BLACK HISTORY MONTH.

BET Network has given Black Americans a since of pride since first launching in 1980 on Nickelodeon for two hours a week. In 1983 BET Network became a full-fledge channel which consisted of music videos and reruns of popular BLACK sitcoms. Black Americans were not being seen on most major networks. When you turn on the television and not see people of color represented on any major network that bothers the SOUL of an individual.

BET Awards were established in 2001 by the network to celebrate BLACK Americans and other minorities in music, acting, sports and other fields of entertainment over the past years. Once again, when watching other award shows on major networks and to not see BLACKS be awarded for the hard work they’ve put in is disappointing to say the least.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH is AMAZING. The precursor to Black History Month was created in 1926 with the second week of February to be “Negro History Week.” In 1976 Black History Month was officially recognized by the U.S. government.

Many people think black history should be integrated with US history. I agree, it should be integrated if the TRUTH is to be told. We know from growing up in school, unfortunately the only Black History that was shared in school was SLAVERY.  As we grow older and have more access to resources, we know that blacks were not only slaves. We were KINGS and QUEENS, PRINCE AND PRINCESS.  We were landowners, we were entrpreneurs AND WE STILL ARE.

To sum this up in a nut shell, I believe every race should have their own month to be celebrated in the way they choose. These celebrations bring pride to communities that would other wise be overlooked by our society. These celebrations bring pride to individuals who would other wise not feel valued. When a person feels valued they are more likely to have a profound effect on becoming successful.

KNOWING, MINDFUL AND INFORMED IS THE PATH WE CHOOSE.

Martin Luther King Jr. gave his “I Have a Dream” speech on August 28, 1963.  A few of his dreams were: “his little 4 children will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the  content of their character; sons of former slaves and sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down at the table of brotherhood; little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. Some of his dreams have partially come to fruition and others are still progressing.

Martin Luther King Jr’s. “I’ve been to the Mountaintop” speech was delivered on April 3, 1968 and he was assassinated on April 4, 1968. In his speech, I see the current state of AMERICA. The WORLD is all messed up. Our NATION is sick. Trouble is in the LAND. CONFUSION is all around us.

When we see injustice, we have to speak up against injustice. We have to have the courage to change the systems that are against us. Some doors will not be opened to you because of your blackness but, we have to kick those doors down to get in and make changes. We are determined to be a people who demand their right place in AMERICA. The days of rhetoric and lip service is over.

Are we committed to change? Are we committed to political change? Are we committed to economical change? We need more VOICELESS people engaged in the political policies.

The Old Negro Spiritual lyrics: “Free at last, Free at last, thank God Almighty were free at last. We can only be free when we have ECONOMICAL FREEDOM AND POLITICAL FREEDOM. We must continue to work together. Things get better when we get involved in our COMMUNITIES.

Honor Martin Luther King’s dream by honoring your dream.

When I think of the color of black folks it’s “BROWN SKIN.” India Arie’s lyrics come to mind: “Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin, I can’t tell where yours begin, I can’t tell where mine ends…etc.

LisaRaye McCoy, co-directecd her first feature film “SKINNED”, which deals with colorism within our black communities. Dark Skin vs Light Skin. The Brown Paper Bag Test. Dividing our race leads us to developing racism within our own communities and truthfully we can’t afford the separation.

Our views on the way we see “BLACK FOLKS” “BROWN SKIN” people goes further back than what we can imagine. The William Lynn speech ( a discussion for another time) is an address purportedly delivered by a certain William Lynch (or Willie Lynch) to an audience on the bank of the James River in Virginia in 1712 regarding control of slaves within the colony. Some say the letter is a hoax, but you be the judge of that. I know most of us have friends of all SHADES OF BROWN and we treat them all the same. Let us not let SOCIETY dictate to us how we should treat one another because of the color of our SKIN….IF HAVING BROWN SKIN IS DAMN DEGRADING THAN WHY IN THE HELL DO WE HAVE ALL OF THESE TANNING SALONS AND PRODUCTS.

OH, BY THE WAY, FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA LOOKED STUNNING TONIGHT IN HER YELLOW DRESS AND BROWN SKIN.