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Showing posts from January, 2015

Literature with a Jamaican Focus

Sylvia Wynter grew up in Jamaica and is a noted scholar on Jamaican history, literature and culture.   Her novel The Hills of Hebron “was one of the first attempts to present the lives of black Jamaicans not as colonial subjects but as independent human beings.”   The novel focuses on the leadership and lives of members of the Church of New Believers' inner circle.   I’d be interested in a response from folk currently entwined in the politics of their churches to this work. I care for these characters and understand their motivations.   This is a classic ****.   Check out Jamaican novelist Marlon James’ work.   After reading the novel   The Book of Night Women , I find this novel believable and asked myself is there anything in  the  construction of the female characters to suggest the writer is a male? This historic novel is a tale of enslaved women with the heart of warriors—two women specifically—Lilith and Homer.   Highly recommended **** Currentl

Love 4 the Week...?

When we view the film Selma, hear the remaining Freedom Riders speak,   hear our parents or grandparents speak about or see film footage or pictures of individuals involved in the protests for civil rights in the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s we witness a collective group of individuals who were willing to passively confront injustice and die for what they believed. Greater love has no [wo]man than this, that a [wo]man lay down his [or her] life for [her or] his friends.   John 15:13 It takes a special type of ethical, moral character to stand strong and expose or confront violence, abuse and injustice.   Particularly when one could live in a relatively peaceful existence by being compliant yet knowing that others have it worse.    Popular culture dismisses history and wisdom for what is believed to be the here and now.   Consequently, people are easily misled by false images and false prophets.   Observing human rights abuses around this country I don’t want to

200 years ago in 1815 (Part 1)

Edward James Roye was born in Newark, Ohio, (1815-1872), he became the fifth President of Liberia in January of 1871.   He arrived in Liberia in 1846, became a leading merchant; in 1849, Speaker of the House of Representatives; then Chief Justice from 1865 to 1868. In 1870 he had gone to England to negotiate a loan, and received $500,000.   The secretive terms created great   resentment in Liberia. He was accused of embezzlement.   When he attempted to extend his term of office by edict, the people rose in insurrection and deposed him from office, recalling Joseph J. Roberts from retirement.   Summoned to trial, Roye escaped but he drowned in an attempt to ride breakers in a native canoe to reach an English ship.    Kentucky prohibited the introduction of slaves for sale.   Free Blacks in Virginia were required to pay a poll tax of $2.50 When the British abandoned Fort Blount, on the Apalachicola Bay, Florida, about 300 fugitive slaves from Georgia who farmed in the area,

Can You Complete or Answer These Folk Saying/Superstitions?

     Blood is thicker than ----    Apple  don’t fall to far from the ---      Right hand itching means you gonna get ---      What are you supposed to do with hair after combing it?      Don’t wash clothes on New Year’s Day because---      You have a son till he marries a wife;   You have a daughter ---       I laugh and joke, but ---       What does it mean to jump the broom?       There’s no fool like an --- fool       Eye itching mean ---- coming       Bonus: It’s good luck to eat what on New Year’s Day We would like to welcome the new viewers and commentators who joined us yesterday, particularly those from Canada.   Know that we welcome your comments   water; tree; $; burn it; will wash somebody out of your life; all of your life; I don’t play; get married; old; somebody is; black eye peas and hog jowls