Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Living In a Bubble...R.I.P. Derrion Albert


I sometimes wonder if many of us are living in a fragile little bubble, so caught up in our own lives that we fail to realize what’s really going on around us. Our kids are killing one another at an alarming rate, but some of us only seem to care when it’s one of our own who are victimized. Many of our communities are becoming dangerous wastelands, compelling the vast majority of us to strive to move out and never look back. I wonder, does that make us any better than those Caucasians who vacate a community as soon as a minority family moves in?

Countless school districts (partly) responsible for educating our children are inadequate, but what do we do? Most do nothing. A few complain and blame the overburdened teachers, while some others who can afford it go the private school route. I wonder how many of us recognize a need and educate our own children at home, sacrificing our own time and energy to ensure their success? How many of us mentor a child who isn’t our own but has a need for guidance, in order to give someone else a chance at success?


Many parents today don’t know the first thing about raising a child. A lady told me the other day that she wouldn’t be able to get her son to put down his videogames long enough to read my book, The Barack in Me. Meanwhile, when she was talking to me, she was clutching a Game Stop bag in her hand, with more videogames tucked inside. Who’s the parent? Who’s determining what’s vital in your young child’s development? Derrion Albert was an honor student who was murdered for no reason whatsoever, by four children. These four children will undoubtedly get charged as men and spend a good portion of their lives rotting away in prison like so many other African American boys.


However, between now and when (not if) the next Derrion Albert is killed, we need to honestly ask ourselves some questions. What are we doing to keep our own children safe? Are we playing an active role in their development? Are we willing to be hard on them if it is for their own good, or do we defer to them when a tough decision has to be made? Also, are we actively engaging other children and young adults who desperately need our guidance? Our communities were once built on the concept that it takes a village to raise a child. Where’s the village? Where are the leaders? As a matter of fact, where are the black owned businesses in our neighborhoods—another issue altogether, but a burdening concern nonetheless.


Hopefully none of our children will be impacted by violence brought upon them by a child who belonged to someone else. Hopefully none of us will ever have to wonder what we could have done differently, what we could have said, or what more we should have done? Five lives ended on the day Derrion Albert was killed. One was lost involuntarily. Four other misguided children figuratively committed suicide that day as well, when they took his life. Sure, they will live on, but trust me, their lives are over. Where were their parents? Where were their advocates and mentors when they needed them? Hopefully the day will never come when we’re sitting in a room teary-eyed asking these same questions and receiving no response.


The unfortunate reality is that unless we figure out a way to restore our village through hard work and commitment on all of our parts, one or more of us may be faced with the same pain Derrion’s loved ones are undoubtedly plagued with now. A child’s life taken by the child of someone else. When will we realize that they’re all our children? When will more of us step up and play our part in helping to mentor and guide them all? Today more than ever, it takes a village to raise a child. Please, stop living in a bubble.

Written By: Moses Miller

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

some things just never CHANGE

(Click on picture to view larger image)


I don't know what else needs to be said in order to get people (my people) to stop supporting The New York Post, Fox News Network, Star Magazine and anything else that Rupert Murdoch has ownership of. He doesn't respect us as a race. If you've ever had the pleasure of watching the SlyFox Network, you'd know exactly what I am talking about. Here's some interesting information I found on Wikipedia:


Early Summer 2008; a "tentative truce" was brokered during a secret meeting between Barack Obama, Rupert Murdoch and Roger Ailes (President of the Fox News Channel) at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York. Obama had initially resisted Murdoch's propositions, despite senior News Corp executives having recruited the Kennedys to act as go-betweens.Obama resented Fox News's portrayal of him "as suspicious, foreign, fearsome - just short of a terrorist," while Ailes said "it might not have been this way if Obama had more willingly come on the air instead of so often giving Fox the back of his hand." A "tentative truce" was agreed upon; Obama would be portrayed more favorably, while Obama would be more willing to appear on Fox.


I guess the truce is off Barack. Time to have your people take the gloves off and go in!

Friday, February 13, 2009

Sistah Friend Book Club Black History Month Interview


What does Black History Month mean to you?


Black History Month has more significance this year than it probably ever has for me, just with the climate of the country and the recent historic events. In the past I was always one that felt a little slighted by having the shortest month in the year be the one that was chosen to celebrate the great accomplishments of our people, but I've let go of that bitterness. It's an incredible time to be African American and reflect on the many things that our ancestors were able to achieve, even while the odds were stacked against them. It's a humbling and sobering time, because I really can't imagine what it was to live through some of the challenges that they faced. Oftentimes we take for granted what we have, without acknowledging the sacrifices that were made by those that came before us. So, Black History Month means a time of celebration, reflection and appreciation for me.


February is also the month of LOVE. How do you incorporate the L-word in your work?


Every one of my stories are rooted in love. As a matter of fact, on most occasions, the decisions we make in life are based around love of some sort. For some it's the love of money or some form of material item. For others it's the love of the opposite sex, or just being in love with the concept of being loved. So, when I write, I try to make the reader understand each of my character's motives. No two people love the same, and rarely do we think the same. An outsider may question someone who stays in an abusive relationship, wondering why they would allow themselves to be treated like that. Undoubtedly, love plays a big role in their decision making, even if it's a lack of love for self. I write from the inside out, so you understand a character's motivation whether or not you share their beliefs.


What's new for you in 2009? Where can readers purchase your latest work?


My next book that I will release is called The Barack in Me, which is a motivational novel for my young African American males. I'm really excited about that project and the opportunity to reach back and pull others forward. Nan: The Trifecta is my fourth fiction based novel that I'm currently working on as well. Readers can purchase my books at most bookstores and every online outlet from Amazon.com to Target. If you don't see them in your favorite bookstore, just ask. Most distributors carry them, so they can order them easy enough. Also, visit MindCandyMedia.com for details on each of my works, to place orders or to book me for a book club meeting or speaking engagement.