My mother always told me, even if a song has been done a thousand times, you can still bring something of your own to it. I’d like to think I did that.

Etta James, born Jamesetta Hawkins, has died at age 73 due to complications from leukemia just a week from her birthday.

As soon as I heard the news, I turned to listen to the song that has blared from my Itunes many times before…”At last/ My love has come along/ My lonely days are over/ and life is like a song…”

James’s bluesy voice was filled with raw emotion and power.  Her lyrics spoke of God, love and heartbreak.  Her range was limitless and each note she sang moved you to feel the way she felt.

Like many other singers of her time, James had a strong background in gospel music.  Named a gospel prodigy, she began singing in her church choir and on the radio at age five.  Her career had many ups and downs, yet she still managed to accumulate four Grammy’s and a lifetime achievement award.

Although drugs found their way into her life, James’s voice still held a dynamic that many aspiring singers try to imitate to day.  She is truly an icon for African Americans and an icon for musicians.  Her great voice will always sing on…

At Last… An angel has gone above… Ms. James’ suffering is over… but her life sings on through song….

Rest In Peace Mrs. Jamesetta “Etta James” Hawkins

“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.”  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

On Jan 16, 2012, I gathered with more than 100,000 other individuals along MLK Drive in San Antonio, Texas to march 2.75 miles to honor the Late Great Martin Luther King, Jr.  Going into its 25th year, the San Antonio march is the largest in the country.  It was beyond humbling to stand beside generations of people from different races who all stood for equality and justice. Here’s a snapshot view of what went on through my personal lens…

He’s not like the others

He calls me pretty, not sexy like I’m so accustomed to hearing

You see sexy is a synonym for “I’m attracted to your body.”

But he took the time to get to know my face,

He can tell you the shape of my eyes when I’m trying to get what I want

He values my smile

And more importantly, he dug inside to get to know my soul…

He’s not like the others

He respects me to a level that I thought was dead to this generation

Never once has he raised his voice

Or even ventured to touch me inappropriately

When he has me in his arms, he holds me tight and caresses my face

He massages my scalp, and when his hands move- they never go pass my back

He’s not like the others

Not even a kiss he has stole

And my guess is he’s waiting for that perfect time

Because his goal is to make me feel special

He’s not like the others

He didn’t attract my attention with his body, but the size of his heart

From the moment I saw him care for infants with different circumstances with the same level of nurture their parents would offer, I was brought into his trance

He mesmerized me with his will to always catch me when I have fallen

And his desire to give me the world just to make me happy makes my heart skip a beat…

He’s not like the others

“Don’t worry about it, it’s too much” I always tell him

He simply answers, “I don’t mind it”

And the amazing thing about it is he doesn’t

He’s not like the others

I’m a fly caught in his web of affection

Trapped in a place of happiness that I’ve been on the search to find for so long

Yet I can’t help but feel a chill of fear

What he doesn’t know is these are not uncharted waters

In my past, Guys gained my trust by injecting me with poisonous lies therefore luring me into a false sense of security.

The end result of their venom left my head spinning with thoughts of betrayal and defeat.

So I have to ask my self, can I really trust his treats?

He’s not like the others

I find comfort in this thought.

It makes me feel safe.

Although our future right now is uncertain, I hope this one thing remains the same…

He’s not like the others

Step…

Twenty percent of this ten month journey is complete.  Yet I’m still in the same position.  I need to find my place- hurry up and take a seat! 

People always wonder whats my end goal, and I’m cautioned not to say I don’t know.  But the truth is… I don’t!

Choices, choices, decisions, decisions

The easiest one is to say I’ll do this again. Change the life of one more kid.

Or better yet higher education could be the way for me.  After all, I already took the GRE.  But my field I can’t imagine…

I need a hinter!

The truth is, by the end of this dream, all I want to be is a better me.

Front Page of New York Times on Sept 11, 2001.

historical event that I witnessed through television chronicles, I probably would of laughed.  Yet here I am.

September 11, 2001 was a normal day for me.  I got up and went to my 8th grade class like everyone else in my grade.  I changed from my first period, to second period and then to third completely oblivious to the fact that the world I knew was crumbling outside of my brick school walls.

It wasn’t until last period, when my teacher walked in baffled by our laughter and playful gestures, that I was even clued in to the fact that something was wrong.  ”Do you guys know what is going on?” he exclaimed.  We looked and shook our heads no as he headed and turned on the t.v. to the local news.

Mesmerized we watched replays of the planes crashing into the twin towers.  Feeling helpless, we watched as billows of smoke filled the air and both towers quickly burned to the ground.  We watched as survivors fled from the rubble, and those less fortunate were carried away.

Before this day, I had no clue what the twin towers were.  Now I wish I could have seen them before the fall. Unfortunately, my only memory will be their final collapse as they were consumed by fire due to the impact of two hijacked planes.  However, this is a memory I can pass on to future generations as they learn about these events in history books.

Close to 3,000 people lost their lives on this day.  These people were business leaders, teachers, firefighters, nurses, policemen, friends, family, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles and cousins.  They were innocent bystanders who served our country in some type of way, taken from us in a way they didn’t deserve.

As we reverence those heros who gave their lives lets not forget those who stepped up to the plate afterwards and are currently serving on our behalf.  They are the reason we can live the free life we do, and the reason I choose to give back to daily in an effort to rebuild our torn communities.  I am second, God and people are first.

Indeed, the last decade has been a challenging one for our country. But we have also seen the strength of the United States — in cities that have refused to give in to fear; in communities that have persevered through hard economic times; and, above all, in our men and women in uniform and their families who have borne an extraordinary burden for our security and our values.

The perpetrators of those attacks wanted to terrorize us, but they are no match for our resilience. Today, our country is more secure and our enemies are weaker. Yet while we have delivered justice to Osama bin Laden and put al-Qaeda on the path to defeat, we must never waver in the task of protecting our nation.

-President Barack Obama

I will never forget the day of September 11, 2001.  I am just grateful that ten years later we have rebuilt and moved forward as a strong nation.

To all the victims: This one is for you! Your deaths were not in vain. May you rest in peace…

Facebook and twitter lit up with rapid updates about the 2011 VMAS which aired a few hours ago on MTV.  In case you missed it, here are ten things I remember about this year’s show.

1.)  Beyonce is pregnant. After showing off her pregnancy bump on the “black” carpet, Beyonce gave a powerful, upbeat performance to her single “Love on top.”  Following her act she opened her sparkly jacket and rubbed her stomach reinforcing the news as her husband of 3 years, Jay-Z, went wild in the crowd.

2.)  Lady Gaga continues to be weird. The VMAS opened the show with Gaga giving a monologue dressed in her male alter ego, followed by her performing to “You and I.”  She continued the show dressed as this male character, even when she presented Brittany Spears her Lifetime Achievement Award.  At this point she even urged Spears to kiss her as she did Madonna. Spears politely declined by saying she’s done that before but Gaga later got her kiss from an old grandma who no one from my generation recognized.

3.)  Adele proves gimmicks are overrated.  Armed with a piano, spotlight and her voice, Adele delivered an emotional performance to her single “Someone Like You” that left both the crowd and viewers with goosebumps.  She showed the nation that the voice does not need to be overshadowed with fancy lights and techno beats.

4.)  Jessie J can rock a show despite an injured leg.  For some reason MTV decided there was no need to have a host and that one person could supply all the commercial music.  This person was newcomer Jessie J.  She played not only her songs but classics, all with a bedazzled boot on her foot.

5.) Acceptance speeches are not as important as they used to be.  First Justin Beiber decided it was not enough to thank God, but Jesus needed credit too.  Next Tyler the Creator delivered a profane acceptance about who knows what because MTV had to bleep it out.  Let’s not forget Brittany Spears who used her moment to introduce Beyonce (guess she thought she was more important).  Finally, Gaga got up to say something that sounded important about music with meaning but her speech feel on deaf ears that couldn’t get pass her awkward speech pattern as she tried to stay in costume.

6.)  Chris Brown can fly. Chris Brown began his obvious lip synching journey with his hot dance track “Yeah 3x.”  He then took a trip down 90′s lane with a Wu Tang Klan and Nirvana tribute that featured people in flannel shirts jumping on trampolines.  Finally he did an acrobatic performance to “Beautiful People” that consisted of him being lifted up and flipping in the air several times.  As one of my tweeters said, “If this music thing doesn’t work out, Brown has a career with Cirque du Soleil.

7.)  Kanye West is still cool under pressure. After last year’s mishap where Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift all eyes were on him to see what would go wrong.  In response Kanye played it cool.  Dressed in regular street clothes, he gave an ok co-proformance to “Otis” with Jay-Z.  Katy Perry dissed him later by saying “Now this is the time to interrupt me” when they won an award together.  He let that one slide but quickly corrected her when she tried to play him by saying this was his first win.  Our final glimpse of Kanye came after Beyonce’s performance as he celebrated jubilantly with Jay-Z.

8.)  Amy Winehouse even in death can be bashed for her addiction.  Although she was praised for her great musical talent, Russell Brand reminded us that Winehouse will forever be known as an addict.  He even used her death as a plug to help others seek help.  However, the message seemed mixed as his speech was followed by a tribute from known junkie Bruno Mars.

9.)  Lil Wayne may really be from Mars.  Lil Wayne’s closing performance was just as all over the place as the show.  He began by serenading the crowd with his single “How to Love” or what has been coined by my friends as “How to Slur” because you can never understand the lyrics.  Halfway through the song, Wayne rips off his shirt and begins jumping around to “If I die today.”  Luckily Rick Ross did not join him, I could not have taken him with his shirt off again today!  Finally, Wayne throws on a guitar but doesn’t play it then throws it off, thus ending the show.

10.)  It’s no longer cool to dress in normal clothes. This lesson I learned from non other than Katy Perry, who accepted her award with a cheese block on her head, and Nikki Minaj, who dressed as superman icecream.  I guess Gaga fever is crazy and all of the pop scene is her monsters.

I just gave you a snippet, but there are many other things about the awards show that caught my eye.  In the event that you missed it, no worries its MTV.  They are bound to repeat it at least 10 more times!

 I know you hurt me, but F you! You stabbed me in the back, F you! You walked out of my life, F you! You left my for dead, F you!!!!!

Phrases such as these have become common in American language. Its no coincidence that artist Cee Lo Green won a grammy for his song FU.  These two letters are so ubiquitous that we don’t even need to spell them all the way out to get the full meaning.

Today I’m challenging you to let the F take on the new meaning. Instead of cursing those you feel wronged them, FORGIVE them.  

I first saw this video from a family friend a few months ago, then I heard about it again on a radio show.  The message is something that is simple, yet powerful when actually applied to life. Just by forgiving my enemies I feel so much more at peace.  Why? Because forgiveness is not for others, its for you and your health and well-being.  Forgiveness clears your mind of petty fights and opens it to all the positiveness the world has to offer.

I leave you with one more word of advice told me from the movie “Just Friends:”  Forgiveness is more than saying “I’m sorry.”  To for give is devine!

To all my friends, family, haters, congratulators and readers:  F You because I love you!

After doing several national interviews, breaking a twitter record of followers, shooting a cooking show, and going live on USTREAM, Sheen packed up to take his show on the road.  Fans in Illinois jumped at the chance to see this superstar on stage, selling the show out in only 18 minutes.  However, those in Detroit left wishing they had spent more than a few minutes debating the tickets. Sheen wanted a torpedo of truth and he got it in the form of boo’s, walk-outs and requests for refunds.

The 20 stop live tour featured an unpopular rapper and clips from Sheen’s self made movies.  The show has been described as “sucking,” “boring” and “awful.” One person said that Sheen was “babbling on and on until I wanted to throw up at my seat.”  This brings up the big question, What were patrons expecting?  Sheen is famous for being a junkie and alcoholic who parties hard and rants about those who oppose his lifestyle.  Even on “Two and a half Men,” he got his laughs for being a rich drunk who spends all his money on hookers.  Take away the Hollywood glam, and all you are left with is an addict with a mic talking about warlocks and tigerblood.  The whole thing screams disaster. 

Sheen’s not going to change his slogan to “failing” just yet.  As the other part of his title suggests, Defeat is not an option.  The Chicago show was revamped, and received better reviews.  Although I doubt he’ll sell out again, the show will go on.  For how long you ask? Now that we’ll just have to wait and see.

In this time, the possession of dark skin was thought to be a curse and mandated subjection to second class treatment and undeserving cruel punishments. When someone said KKK, they were not uttering extreme agreeance, but alluding to the white hooded night riders who terrorized neighborhoods in the name of white supremacy. Black leaders had to face the realization that they would by beat, jailed, executed and lynched for speaking their beliefs. 

As I take this journey back to the 1950′s, a verse from the Negro spiritual comes to mind:

Sing a song full of the faith that the
dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us

Of course at this moment I am not singing a song, yet I am doing another form of expression.  I am blogging a blog to reflect on the journey my ancestors took to equality.  I am blogging a blog to express gratitude to those leaders who stood in the face of adversity and fought so my generation can be the best we can be.  I am blogging a blog to honor a great American Hero, The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

King once said, ”A man who won’t die for something is not fit to live.” He did not let fear cause him to waiver in his actions, and made sure he lived a life of purpose. Armed with the teachings of Gandhi, he brought together a whole race of people and organized peaceful protests that achieved lasting results.  Even though his journey was rough, he inspired his followers by saying, “Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability, but comes through continuous struggle. And so we must straighten our backs and work for our freedom. A man can’t ride you unless your back is bent.”

He knew in order for things to get better, he and his people had to hold their heads high and work diligently without rest- despite any obstacles that appeared in their way.

Freedom, Respect, Equality:  Three words with powerful connotations.  King stood for these three things, and he conveyed them through a dream.  School children have dressed up and recited the words from Kings 1963 speech which he delivered across the reflecting pool of the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington.  We continue to draw inspiration in own lives from this vision.  We still long for the world he described where the playing field is flattened and a person is judged by their actions as opposed to their looks. 

We have come over a way that with tears have been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered

On this day, April 4, 43 years ago, King was assassinated on the balcony outside his Memphis hotel room.  Many tears were shed to mourn the innocent man whose life was taken by someone whose hatred got the best of them.  We as American’s have come a long way since then, but there is still a ways to go. We must continue to march, pressing toward the dream land our Hero told us about. 

King’s inspiration drives us and his spirit directs our way.  He lives on as  more than just a memory, but as encouragement to overcome.