Thursday, February 28, 2013

The UniverSoul Circus Comes to a Town Near You


UniverSoul Circus has started their new season for 2013 with an international array of acts.  They will be traveling through North Carolina, Atlanta. Florida, California,  New Orleans, Virginia, and New York.  Check out their schedule for this season.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Building on Our Legacy




For those of us who celebrate our African American history this year started off quite remarkably with some historic landmarks.

First there was the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.  The Emancipation Proclamation is not just President Lincoln's story but the story of all those who spoke out against the evils of slavery...abolitionist, freemen, run away slaves, Black churches and everyone who risked their lives to dismantle slavery.  This year I learnt about the Watch Night Service which was first celebrated on Dec 31, 1862.

"At the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863; all slaves in the Confederate States were declared legally free.  When the news was received, there were prayers, shouts and songs of joy as many people fell to their knees and thanked God."   For more information visit African American Registry and  NPR. January 1 was also a symbolic day for those enslaved because the new year was also the day when slave owners would pay their debts which meant that families members could be sold away from each other read CantonRep.com.  So I can only imagine what our ancestors were thinking and feeling on that historic day.






This year is also the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech, I Have a Dream.  This speech was delivered on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963. Today it is considered one of the landmark speeches of the 20th century.  There will be programs throughout the year celebrating this historic event.  I love the fact that Martin Luther King's birthday has been made into a day of service. Share his speech and his dream with your children so that they can hear his prophetic words. 



In January, we celebrated another milestone the second inauguration of Barack Obama, the first African American president.  He started out as a community organizer, and his election was the result of getting people involved in politics on a community level, reminding everyone yes, we can.

As we check the milestones of our history this month we can see that we have participated in the struggle for freedom and justice from the early abolition movement through the civil rights movement until today.  African American History can not be celebrated in a day or a month but February does remind us that when we come  together we can do great things.





Special Discounts to Celebrate African American History




To celebrate African American History, Hue Man Bookstore and Black Ancestry are offering discounts for their products.

Hue Man Bookstore is offering a discount on the Ethidolls, Makeda®, The Queen of Sheba and Kumasi, Queen Mother Yaa Asantewaa through March.  The dolls are collectors items representing the Queens of Africa. They come with a book and audio tape which tell their story. A wonderful keepsake for the little princess in your life.  For more information visit http://www.huemanbookstore.com/ethidolls.

African Ancestry.com is offering a 25% discount for their Ancestry Test Kits this month to find out where your roots are in Africa.  Give a gift to a family member.  Get your kits at http://ow.ly/hHyDM

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Quvenzhane´ Wallis is a Multi-talented Actress and Now Fashionista




Quvenzhane´ Wallis’ star looks bright tonight whether she wins the Oscar nomination for her role in “Beast of the Southern Wild” or not. She will still be the youngest actress ever to receive a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress. Wallis was just five years old when she was cast as Hushpuppy fighting for survival in a flooding bayou town in her breakout role in “Beast of the Southern Wild”

She is now also one of the youngest fashionistas with fashion designers like Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, and David Meister vying for her attention. In her interview with Andre´ Leon Talley she seems relaxed about all the attention she is getting. However, Quvenzhane (kwuh-VEHN’-juh-nay) must be doubly excited today since Sony Pictures just announced that she will play Annie in a contemporized adaptation of the Broadway musical and the “Little Orphan Annie” comic strip. “Annie” is planned for release during the 2014 holiday season. Will Smith, Jada Pinkett Smith and Jay-Z are among the producers. The coveted title role of Little Orphan Annie will be an opportunity for her to showcase her talent in acting, singing, and dancing. She's also an animal lover, which will help in working with the canine cast as Annie's beloved pooch, Sandy.

As for her fashion preferences she likes dresses that twirl and her signature dog purses.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Goggle Science Fair 2013 has launched!

 
Google Science Fair 2013 – It’s Your Turn to Change the World

Calling all parents and teachers here is info for the budding scientists in your life from
Google. Watch the video and be inspired.

The Google Science Fair 2013 has launched!

We are pleased to announce that the Google Science Fair 2013 in partnership with CERN, The LEGO Group, National Geographic and Scientific American, is now LIVE!
 
Students aged 13 - 18 from around the world are invited to ask questions and answer them through science experiments with a chance to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences, scholarships and real-life work opportunities.

This year we are accepting entries in English, German, Italian, Spanish, French, Arabic, Hebrew, Polish, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese (BR), Korean, or Chinese (Hong Kong or Taiwan). Note that some additional eligibility requirements may apply in your country; check the Official Rules for details.

Go to googlesciencefair.com to find out more information, and follow us on Google+, Facebook and Twitter to stay up-to-date.

Register now or tell your kids about it...
It's your turn to change the world

The Google Science Fair Team


Friday, February 1, 2013

Langston Hughes


Today is the birthday anniversary of James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1902 – May 22, 1967).  Langston Hughes as he was called was an African American icon of the twentieth century. He is also one of my favorite poets and writers. He wore many hats as an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist. Hughes is best known for his work during the Harlem Renaissance.  He was one of the earliest innovators of the then-new literary art form jazz poetry. "

I interviewed him when I was in high school, and he asked to see some of my writings. We met at the Schomburg Library and he took time to read and encourage my work. He told me I was  a writer and he would love to work with me. I was very curious and impressed by his generous spirit since I had not thought of myself as a writer. We stayed in contact for only a short while because he passed away in my first year in college.  I am so grateful for that short encounter with this munificent icon.

Recently I learned that "his ashes are interred beneath a floor medallion in the middle of the foyer in the Arthur Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture in Harlem. It is the entrance to an auditorium named for him. The design on the floor is an African cosmogram titled Rivers. The title is taken from his poem, "The Negro Speaks of Rivers". Within the center of the cosmogram is the line: My soul has grown deep like the rivers'."

Maple Sugar Child takes its' name and inspiration from his poem, Winter Sweetness.



                                          Winter Sweetness

                                      The little house is sugar, 
                                      Its roof with snow is piled.
                                      And from its tiny window,
                                      Peeps a maple-sugar child.