This is chess, not checkers

Who pulls the puppet's strings?

Today is Halloween. Four days until an Election Day of astronomical significance. Three days after a Massachusetts State Senator was arrested and publicly shamed for a bribery scandal. Which was the same day a former Detroit mayor was sentenced to 120 days in jail.

They say a mind is a terrible thing to waste.

But a mind divided against itself is in fact a crime against humanity.

To be in Boston this week, it's hard not to have politics on the brain. Barack Obama is on the verge of winning the hearts of the world if he wins next Tuesday. Anyways, what I do know is that we have to resume our focus and re-commit even more. The integrity and moral fabric of black leaders is being challenged across the country as we have seen plenty of failures of the public trust. Dianne Wilkerson has let her folks down and has unanimously been asked to resign by her peers; yet she refuses despite originally indicating she'd accept their decision. Kwame Kilpatrick has gone from being a shooting star to a plummeting pile of poop. There are plenty of folks who were already working towards a goal of really shaking things up next year. It is time for us to really put that into high gear. We are the change we've been waiting for, right?

The say absolute power corrupts absolutely.

How do you deal with the mixture of emotions and all of the clashing ideologies that rise to the surface when you juxtapose the good and the bad? Is it the power that goes to our head?

The world will continue to orbit the sun next Wednesday, yet all of our heads will be spinning. If Obama wins, the rush of emotion is sure to be monumental, all-consuming, and worrisome. There have always been folks skeptical that there will be assassination attempts. Or that he won't be able to bring about all of this change in which he so often asks you to believe. Or maybe he is really pro-Black and Jeremiah Wright will be tapped as the next Secretary of State and George Clinton will perform "Paint The White House Black" at the inauguration.

Who knows? Is he a Manchurian candidate or not? Time will only tell. And the clock is ticking. My Boston folks know this all too well. A lack of civic engagement will corrode the continuity of progress in our communities if all these young urban professionals don't start really rolling up the sleeves and move beyond meetings to take action. Strategic planning is a helluva drug indeed.

you do us a disservice when you become sheep

So said my mellow my man, Sirius Black. Truer words ain't never been spoken.

I had what may go down as one of the most professionally challenging dilemmas I have ever encountered.

I was out around the way for most of the day. My morning stop at a middle school entailed some real productivity. I managed to resolve some of the principal's technology issues on-site. I got clarification and a plan of action for some small tech projects we have in progress at the school. I checked in on a teacher who I assisted my prior visit and she gave me the thumbs up. I assisted another teacher with some robotics kits and curriculum and answered some questions to help her get an after-school program off the ground.

And then it happened.

These two kids were hemming each other up on the hallway. And when I say hemming I mean straight YOKE CITY up in this piece. Now, about 30 minutes earlier or so as I was waiting for the teacher to finish class, I did casually notice a couple of hallway straggler but thought nothing of it. I also threw in my own little, 'yo watch your mouth' when one kid was bumping his gums a little too loosely. So anyways, back to this little scuffle in the hall. Now, mind you, our arms are full with the kits from the trunk of my car. To my right is this big black dude; literally. He stood about 6 feet solid and was a good 250. That's my word. And he was motionless. And I was dumbstruck.

The kids eventually fell back and chilled after we walked by and resumed our work. Some of the other kids follow us to the room asking what the kits were for. So me being me, I just start rapping with them.

And then it happened again.

This one kid feeds off my questions and blankly states, 'i don't go to class.' I kinda ignore him and then pounce on him with more questions. I took the career approach on what he'd like to be in life and he literally made my soul cry. He was obviously very bright, but I could smell the bullshT on the tip of his lips. He gave me some very straight-up answers and I came right back with my matter-of-fact jawns. Then he gave me the 'you're entitled to your opinion and I'm entitled to mine' line and kinda dismissed me. I couldn't decide between punching him in his fuqing nose or hugging him. It was the most unnerving situation I have encountered in a long time. And rarely get uncomfortable because I do not like it one bit. Yet, I had to keep trying. Turns out, he wants to be a mechanic, yet admits that everyone then tells him you still need school for that, to which he shrugs it off. So I even resort to some last-minute reverse psychology shT and tell him to ask the questions because he seems to already know all the answers to get his shT together. He fell for it for a full 10 seconds; tops. So then I drop the disservice/sheep line on him that the homie Sirius Black dropped last night at Poetic Escape. He soaks it in and I ride out letting him know how to reach me when he's ready.

And then I see the big black dude. And for a good five minutes I am torn between calling him out for just standing there earlier or just letting it ride. So I do a little investigative work and decide to say something. I tap on the door and we speak for about 10 minutes. And I get the full story. I've never truly understood what 'lab cluster' means, but now I know. And he opened up to new perspectives on how such issues can and should be addressed. I won't say I agree with everything he said, but he did make valid points. Do you really want to break up a fight every 30 minutes? When it's the same kids fighting one day and sitting next to each other in class joking 30 minutes later? When you're not even supposed to truly jump in the foray? When there are past examples of teaching getting injured? When there is a lack of ground rules and non-negotiables? Even when a big black dude - a potential role model to these young black boys teeter-tottering on the each of manhood - is virtually helpless amidst of an environment where it literally seems like a pre-prison summer camp?

I often say, you learn something every day. And I love the feeling. I bask in the glow of those light bulbs that go off in my head when something new makes something old click. Today was a learning experience that I'm going to have to let marinate and digest for a hot minute. Because right now, I've got indigestion like a mutha....

Bring the White House dudes around the blacks that's poor

"Warrior kings sent to the bing and left to die
Girls confuse sex with love so they extra dry
And got birth control stuck to they necks and thighs"
-Styles P & Talib Kweli, "testify"

With a scant few days before this whole presidential brouhaha, I'd like to campaign for change. Change in the way that educations gets talked about. As a product of inner-city schools aka a child of the ghetto, myself and others know full well of the realities of urban education and its inequities. It is the reason many of my friends do the work they do in an effort to right wrongs. The old David versus Goliath process at work again. Yet, we still working on the aim of our stones. Jay Matthews briefly mentions the need to refocus the scope of how education reform is mentioned and framed. The ED in '08 movement looks promising, but then what? After all the confetti hits the floor, who is going to bust out the brooms and vacuums and get to work? I'm feeling a bit numb kind of like how all the debate talk about Iraq and Afghanistan left me wondering what about all the dead bodes piling up in inner city America.

Here's the trailer for the documentary, 2 Million Minutes:

Diversifying Architecture

So, I'm heading to the statewide STEM Summit today. i hope to make some great connections and do a littl ebit of networking, eavesdropping, and note-taking. The last time around, I got some great insight on the value of service learning and tried to integrate a lot of its tenets into some of our programming. Plus, I saw a great piece in Monday's Herald (pdf) covering Ted Landsmark's attempts to diversify and expose more students of color to the architecture profession. I highly admire Mr. Landsmark. He is a great mentor and inspiration to me. I ran into him last week at Mel King's birthday celebration and had a quick second to shake his hand and briefly catch up. As a matter of fact, he has spoken to the NSBE Boston chapter the last 3 years. I completely feel his cause and the urgency with which it is needed. I once referred to myself as an engineering evangelist. After the laughter subsided, I pleaded my case. Too many youngsters around the way may seem tech-savvy, yet they are keyboard peckers with little awareness of anything beyond the power button. Every time I visit a class or school, I am constantly voicing the need for students to wo/man up and become producers as opposed to merely consumers. Some get it and want to be down. And unfortuately, with just a week away, I don't think enough attention has been paid ot the need for a national heightened sense of urgency in ensuring these professions have a pipeline of students in order to keep this country competitive on a global scale. My NSBE peoples, if you willing to step it up a notch and put some more sweat into your giving back endeavors, feel free to fill out a mentoring program form and holla at me.

i don't fuq with politics. i don't even follow it.

on some KRS, Ice Cube, Chris Wallace shT
De La Soul, Too Short, bumping 2Pacalypse
-kweli

here's my futile attempt at quasi-live blogging.

so, i'm at this political forum at RCC that was scheduled for a 6:30 start, but kicked off at 7. The lil homie and I are here.
Definitely got off to an interesting start with DW asking where the 2 cameras were from. One of them was from an SCD volunteer. He pretty much got sonned into turning it off. Comedy.

I do recall seeing plenty of names on the announcement invite. However, only 3 folks are on the stage/dais: Dianne Wilkerson, Gloria Fox, & William Leonard.

Lead-off: financial crisis & the impacts of Governor Patrick's cuts. Pretty standard progressive fare.

Foreclosure issue: i'm feeling Fox's response about saving ourselves.

730: SCD just rolled through.

question about criteria on evaluating budget cuts. ho hum. Wilkerson makes good point aout diversity of input/advocay at the cutting block table. however, it seemed like a forced attempt when she mentioned some latino grup she helped.

7:50: Liz Malia & Antony Galluccio rolled through.

Bailout question. The $750 billion elephant in everybody's kitchen cupboard. all good points, well at least points that make sense. got a lil fiesty with some subliminals thrown in for dramatic effect. Leonard is straight up grass-roots; against damn near everything. Chang-Diaz makes good point about rolling up the sleeves, although she seems to be campaigning (what i'll do) as opposed to giving her ideas.

Liz Malia is a nice lady; and quite competent. I've met her several times at the neighborhood cookout. She's always personable and friendly. She doesn't talk for applause or seek them out, but she gets them because the words out of her mouth make sense from truly realistic perspectives.

Galluccio made a good point about public safety and talking TO troubled folks as opposed to talking about them.

had to bounce before it was over. i give it a B. probably put together last week. holla.

Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?

The following article is quite long, yet quite provocative. It is very high-level and focused, but has the cpacity to learn you something. Word.

Read: Can Obama See the Grand Canyon?

Thinking you entitled, about to tie your own noose

"Call myself putting all my faith in Christ
I just preserve my demons, put my faith in ice
Calculated the price, of sacrifices I made
Now i'm in the shade, seeing how the game is played"
Little Brother f/ O-Dash, "One Eleven"

just a brain dump from the last few weeks of lapsed blogging

work: I am at full throttle and going hard. Plenty of projects galore. On one hand, I feel more connected than ever to the district's overall efforts to impact learning. I've always felt that what we did in my department was unique because of the deep connections and relationships we were able to forge with teachers and students. But now I am starting to broaden the scope of our outreach beyond just the techies. And it has been an enthralling ride of dismay and disillusionment; empathy and excitement.

politics: What more can be said that hasn't already been hashed and rehashed on a daily - if not hourly - basis. Obama is poised to literally flip the script. Hope is one helluva drug, ain't it? I'm just wondering if we'll be hearing James Weldon Johnson's anthem at the inauguration. Speaking of which, if this thing goes down as expected, I'm going to have to roll down to DC for that. My moms took a leave of absence and bounced to Ohio to work on the campaign. She's geeked to the tenth degree, to say the least. I am just very, very concerned that for all the inspiration and pride that this election can possibly bring, things won't change much.

bball: I got a team together to play in this league. Finally, I thought, put my crew of homeboys together on one squad so we can chill beyond the club and Football Sundays. Alas, we have no chemistry. Le sigh. We'll get it together eventually, I suppose.

Games: I used to enjoy playing Scrabulous on facebook until Hasbro started suing folks. They got shut down, but apparently the real Scrabble finally hired a technology team to develop an app. So of course I had to try it out. So far, it seems okay but in the back of my mind I am thinking, yo, this shT sucks to high hell, son. Le sigh.

Connecting The Dots: I have been paying some attention to South Africa lately. President Mbeki was forced out and it seems that the ANC may be splitting into rival factions soon. Apparently, the younger generation is grateful for the ANC's legacy of fighting against apartheid, yet aren't that connected to its causes and are even a bit suspicious of some its ungrounded motives. Hmm. Methinks that sounds eerily similar to our very own NAACP and its struggles to woo my peer generation into its movement.

Music: It will BEHOOVE you to check out the Foreign Exchange. If ever I was more serious about embracing something so intangible that it could compel you to change your world view, go listen to this album. You don't even have to buy it, unless you happen to like it. And you will. Seriously though, Phonte is truly one of the most formidable artists f our time. And he definitely doesn't have the widespread recognition that he should. Speaking of which; the same could be said for several others. Chaundon is super ill with the wordplay. Elzhi is simply amazing with his delivery. Jean Grae is a phenomenal lyricist and storyteller. Wordsworth will probably never get his just due and the attention he so very much deserves. Blitz has an uncomparable amount of passion and soul. Toni Blackman is utterly talented to the nth degree. And Pharoahe Monch is still a slept-on living legend. Whew.

how to make a transformer car halloween costume

why not?

Another Opportunity: Boston School Committee

Here's another opportunity for young professionals of color to consider. Back in the day, the city council wasn't the most heavily contested elected office. That place was reserved for the Boston School Committee. You ever heard the stories about all the drama that encircled the city after the open process was done away with and the group became an appointed body. Well, here's your chance to step in the shoes of other Boston leaders like Ruth Batson, Felix Arroyo, and John O'Bryant, among others.

The Boston School Committee is the governing body of the Boston Public Schools. The School Committee is responsible for:

• defining the vision, mission and goals of the Boston Public Schools;
  
• establishing and monitoring the annual operating budget;
  
• hiring, managing and evaluating the Superintendent; and
  
• setting and reviewing district policies and practices to support student achievement.
  

Applications are currently being accepted for one position on the Boston School Committee. The term of Michael D. O'Neill will expire on January 5, 2009. Mr. O'Neill was appointed last July to fill the vacancy of Michele Brooks, who resigned to become Assistant Superintendent for Family & Student Engagement with the Boston Public Schools.

Boston School Committee members are appointed to serve four-year staggered terms. When vacancies exist, the Mayor appoints members from a list of candidates recommended by a 13-member Citizens Nominating Panel composed of parents, teachers, principals, and representatives of the business and higher education communities. Under the legislation that established the appointed School Committee, "the Mayor shall strive to appoint individuals who reflect the racial, ethnic and socioeconomic diversity of the city." Anyone interested in applying must submit an application by 12 noon on November 17, 2008. All applicants must be residents of Boston. Application forms are available for download.

Turn Off The Radio

"Platinum don't mean that it gotta be hot
I ain't gotta love it, even if they play it a lot"
-Dead Prez, "Turn Off The Radio"

Felt like digging in the crates...I mean...calendars and post-it notes...and share my love for concerts. Here's a listing of the ones coming up in the next month or so around Boston. If you get a chance to catch any of these, don't forget to holla.

10/23, Thu - Talib Kweli, David Banner @ Clark U, Atwood Hall, Worcester, $12, 8pm

10/24, Fri - Little Brother, Talib Kweli, BOB @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, $30, 8pm

10/24, Fri - Jedi Mind Tricks, Outerspace, Reef the Lost Cauze, King Magnetic w/ Adlib @ The Middle East (Downstairs), $20

10/28, Tue - Murs, Kidz in the Hall, Rapper Big Pooh, Isaiah @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 8pm, $12

10/31, Fri - The Roots, Estelle, Gym Class Heroes @ The Palladium, Worcester, 7:30pm, $36

11/1, Sat - Ali Shaheed Muhammad & Moe Pope @ The Middle East (Downstairs), Halloween hip-hop dance party, 18+, $20

11/2, Sun - Mr. Lif, Blak Madeen, D-Tension, True Indeed @ The Middle East (Downstairs), 18+ $15

11/4, Tue - Edo. G, Slaine, Akrobatik, Indifferent Arts @ The Middle East (Downstairs), 18, $15

11/8, Sat - Cormega @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $15/18

11/11, Tue - Wale @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $15/18

11/15, Sat - Freeway @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $25

11/18, Tue - Shwayze @ Harpers Ferry, Allston, 8pm, $25

11/18, Tue - Anthony Hamilton @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, $25, 8pm

11/19, Wed - Devin the Dude, Coughee Brothaz @ The Middle East (Downstairs), 18+ $15

11/21, Tue - Al Green Hamilton @ Showcase Live, Foxboro, $80, 8pm

12/5, Fri - Method Man, Redman, Termanology @ The Palladium, Worcester, 7pm, $27

12/30, Tue - Soulive @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 8pm, $23

1/24, Sat - Collie Buddz @ Paradise Rock Club, Boston, 9pm, $25

Be sure to explore the hardcore that came before Columbus

"Preserve the herb, never kick it to the curb
Vocalize a verb and the return of the word"
-Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth, "Return of the Mecca"

discover. a verb. to make known or visible. to obtain sight or knowledge of for the first time.

I had today off, yet I still had a LOT of work to do. Nevertheless, I came across some great stress relief. If you don't 'get' it, don't feel bad. No harm; no foul. If you do 'get' it, wipe the tears from your eyes and have a good week.

And regardless of whether you are working four or five days this week, make sure you always take some time for yourself to seek the real story, truth, and meaning instead of being spoon-fed some poop (as the midget would say). Stay up.

link: Uncomfortable Music

Interested in Board Service?

I have served on the board of a local community organization for the past four years. It has been an eye-opening and rewarding, yet very challenging experience. I enjoy it and have grown personally and professionally in the process. I once participated in a great program, Next Generation, that was specifically focused on recruiting, training, and placing young people of color on the boards of local schools, organizations, and companies. For any of the old Next Generation folks or my peoples in Boston looking to take their leadership to the next level, I have an opportunity for you.

My son's school has a governing board that consists of parents, teachers, and community members. I am hoping to find 1 or 2 interested community members who would be interested in joining the board. The time commitment is one meeting a month. If you are a young professional and are serious about truly stepping up to the mantle of leadership in this town, board service is a great avenue for you to truly gain some valable breadth and depth to complement your professional experience. It can truly be a mutually-beneficial networking and career development opportunity as well as a way to volunteer with focus. Holla if interested.

The world's a song, you'll get it back you just lost your verse

"Ask God when he stopping the pain
A fiend got a shoelace on his arm and he popping his vein
and the needle look dirty but I'm close to reaching thirty"
-Styles P, "Black Magic"

We still huffing and puffing over here. I've been sick for over a full week. What started out as some basic sniffles went into some straight other ish. But I think I'm almost over it. I got two tooth fillings as well so my mouth is a bit crooked because of how it changed my bite. That's been a bit disconcerting. I've been eating a little better in terms of home-cooked food and such. I even have been manning the stove a little more often lately. My scrambled egg game is hella nice. Reminds me of how I used to hold it down in middle school as the pre-teen babysitter of the family.

Work is mad-stupid-busy-crazy-hectic-fun all in one breath. I'm loving it. Cylinders are clicking. Change is happening. Moves are being made. I'm ticking off more goals on the intangible to-do list of life. I start teaching again next week. Yet, I definitely need to get prepared for that; materially and mentally. This time, it is at a church in Roxbury as opposed to a school. But I'll still be dealing with adults. We'll see how that goes.

Life is going well. I've been trying to be more healthy and focused on that front. Aside from the eggs, I've been trying to eat more fruits and nuts and cut down on my juice intake. I used to think I was doing alright, but all that sugar could catch up to me. And here I was thinking I was fly drinking all that 100% juice. Silly me. I've got a doctor and a dentist. My dentist is Black, my doctor is not. My president's about to be black, my quasi-Lambo looks blue depending on the angle. It's really black though, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to mention some random verse in a sentence in context. Context is everything, right?

No disrespect to you, make sure your word is true

"You feel my triumph never, feel my pain I'm lying
Low in the leather Zion, the best that's ever came
The game changes like, my mind just ain't right
We 'gwan get this dough, I guess it ain't your night"
-Jay-Z, "Politics As Usual"

This is my latest letter to the editor. It concerns the race for the 2nd Suffolk State Senator District here in Massachusetts. The two opponents are incumbent, Dianne Wilkerson, and challenger, Sonia Chang-Diaz. You can do the knowledge to get the background details, but basically Wilkerson has served for eight terms, yet Chang-Diaz won the Democratic primary in September by just over 200 votes.

As a young boy, two of the most important lessons I learned from my family
were of the importance of respecting your elders and of the value in the
power of example. I have a great deal of respect for Dianne Wilkerson and
her impassioned legacy of being a champion of causes I hold dear, but
there also comes a time when the young folks need to simply say enough.

In thinking back to a certain special election a mere three years ago, I
can clearly recall the pleas for some of the candidates to step aside in
order to not dilute the votes and clear a path for victory for a candidate
with a unified community in tow. Sonia Chang-Diaz's victory in the
Democratic primary seems to me to be an identical situation and is a sign
of the changing times that were festering ever since the news media began
throwing around "New Boston" as its phrase-of-the-day.

Communities of color need fresh ideas and energy. We need more active
civic engagement by the legion of young professionals who live and work in
this city. We need more heavily contested campaigns. I am tired of seats
running unopposed as though incumbency is absolute. Is this not the great
Commonwealth, where much of this country's independence was forged
resistance to the status quo?

This is not an endorsement, but more a public challenge. Why not cheer the
persistence of Chang-Diaz to run again and mount a strong campaign. Let's
continue to encourage her peer generation to continue to reach for not
only the low-hanging fruit, but also to dream a better world than the one
in which we live. We see the gray clouds of the economy's collapse and the
bailout plan looming overhead. This region cannot grow or mature with
stubborn minds or mixed-up priorities. No politician is free from the
criticism that comes with serving in public office.

Much like personal responsibility is a root cause of the financial
breakdown, it is also a call to action that citizens and elected officials
must heed to truly be effective leaders. In a relay race, batons are meant
to change hands. Torches are supposed to be passed from one generation to
the next. There's a give-and-take that can respect all generations; with
the old guard as coach and mentor to a new breed receiving guidance and
advice on what it means to have wisdom, honor, integrity and esteem. It is
time for all of us to "wo/man up" and represent.