And The Work Continues

I began writing this blog for a myriad of reasons, but towards the forefront was to get into the habit of creating thought provoking content to elicit feedback to get the juices flowing to complete the books which I have been working to complete.

It has done the trick.

Over the yeas I have published several articles about on a number of different subjects, but most of them have been about living as young gay man here in Cincinnati.

The result is my non-fiction book pertaining to some of the struggles people face for being young, gay, or African American living here in the States.

I am in the process incorporating real-life experience into my book, s if you have any, and would like to see it published, let me know.

Are Gay Men Smarter?

Just a question. What do you guys think?

I would have to say no, but on the other hand, those who are musically inclined or have a passion for the arts tend to score higher on standardized tests.

Would it be the same for gay men?

The "Beloved" Margaret Garner is Back In Action

“Beloved”, written by Toni Morrison and published in 1987, won the Pulitzer Prize and loosely follows the story of escaped slave Margaret Garner. Garner’s Medea-like heroics when she was captured in her attempt to escape from slavery threw the city of Cincinnati, OH to the forefront of the Nation’s attention.

Garner made the ultimate sacrifice and instead of seeing her child be taken back into slavery, decided to take the child’s life with her own two hands.

Morrison’s fictional reproduction of this real life drama was so popular; Oprah Winfrey redeveloped it into a screen play in addition to a Michigan Opera house creating a theatrical stage production of the novel in the form of an opera.

I became interested in the story for two reasons; (1) it was a true story and (2) the story occurred in the part of the country where I was from. In my infatuation with the story, I spent years researching all the nuances of the story to even traveling to the farm where Margaret Garner lived (yes it is still there). I even gave seminars on this topic, going over the similarities and differences in the real life story and fictional adaptations.

I have decided to reprise the seminar this upcoming Black History Month. There are few new developments that I have found, and I feel that it would be cool to remind people in this area of Southern Ohio that the Nobel Prize winning “Beloved” came from a story from this area.

Secrets to Writing the Perfect Resume --- Seminar

Here is information about the first seminar that I am offereing through my small business ION Consultants.

The following is what it is about, but more info can be found at http://ionconsultants.googlepages.com

Searching for a new job, whether you are an entry level candidate or someone with experience, can be a very disheartening experience. With the number of unemployed on the rise, coupled with many employers scaling back its workforce; employers are looking for any reason to discard your resume.

Should your resume be emailed or snail mailed?

Is more than one page okay?

What style of resume is appropriate?

Should a thank-you be handwritten?

At this seminar you will learn how to stand out in a pile of applicants.

You will come out armed with skills to produce a resume that reflects your best self, an engaging
and provocative cover letter, and all the proper follow up.

In this seminar we will examine:

- The resume, both in its hard copy and electronic form - The cover letter - The Thank You
Letter- Any Additional Correspndance

-Newly Added Portion* Innovations in Resumes

HIV in Cincinnati's African American Community

The Enquirer has a great article in today's paper chronicling some of the fears and misconceptions about HIV.

Kudos to them for publishing it.

I just hope that leads to more aggressive approach to HIV testing and AIDS awareness in our African American community.

Kindred and the Spirit of Black Women

There are a couple of sayings that are prevalent in our society. “Black Americans are the backbone of our society” another is, “Behind every great man, there is a great woman”. Taking these sayings into consideration, it could be concluded that Black women have had a large part in the establishment of family life in this country.

Octavia Butler exemplified this in her novel, Kindred (1979), with just a minimal number of characters. By the introduction of the slave character named Sarah and Alice in addition to the main character of Dana, Butler showed the great strife that Black American women have went through to keep their family together.

Sarah, a slave on the Weylin plantation was a dominant figure in the novel, established as being the one who worked in the cookhouse on the plantation. Dana, a woman of the 1970's was introduced to Sarah on her third visit to the past when Rufus, Dana’s past relative and heir to the Weylin plantation, unconsciously called her back to the past in order to help him after he fell out of a tree. Despite the presence of Rufus’ mother, Margaret Weylin, Sarah made sure that the household chores were in order and did not take care of her master’s household out of love or kindness, but out of the love for her own family's well being.

After having two of her children sold away from the Weylin plantation, Sarah did whatever she could to try to keep her last child, Carrie, close to her and away from the auction block. Sarah tried to keep what was left of her family by being obedient to her owner, bringing the first example of how Butler shows how Black women went through strife to keep their family together.

The next example can be fund in the the character development of Alice who was introduced in the novel early on. It was Dana’s second visit to the past where she was introduced to her, then a free Black, while patrols were accosting Alice’s mother and her husband. As Alice grew, Rufus began to take a liking to her, and eventually bought her. Rufus had children with her, and even though these children were half white, Alice still regarded them as part of her.

There was a point in the story where Alice had the impression that Rufus had sold her children away, causing her to become so distraught that she took her own life before she found out the truth that her children were still close to her. This example shows the ramifications that are brought on to a person when their family is broken apart. Alice saw that her duties as a Black woman had been usurped with the “selling off” of her children, becoming so heart broken from this that she thought it best to end her life rather than to continue living.


The next example of Black woman cherishing their family structure that Bulter gave to her reader is brought to light with the character of Dana, a Black woman living in 1976. She is a modern woman and is married to a white man living in California, making her living as a writer. All of a sudden Dana started to be snatched back to the past and the reason of this displacement, Dana soon realized, was to ensure the survival of her heirs.

Dana was repeatedly compelled to save the life of Rufus, a white plantation owner, and also her relative, despite the repeated mental and physical abuse that was inflicted on her by him and his family. Bulter used Dana as the ultimate example of the way that Black women have been a major factor for keeping their family together. Dana endured the physical and mental abuse from the Weylin family when snatched back to slave days, not because wanted to, but because her entire family's survival was dependant on her strength.

My Own Stimulas Package...No Pun Intended

For the past few months, I have been getting Black Enterprise magazine delivered to my apartment. I am not sure how I got on their mailing list because I do not pay for it, but I am not complaining.

Not surprisingly, this month's issue focuses on the economy and ways that regular folks can save a few dollars here and there. The issue takes a look at the situations of families, singles (with and without children), divorcees, retired couples and even widows and shows them ways to save money in these tough economic times.

Though I have respect for BE, mostly due to the fact that I am an African American business owner (shameless plug: ION Consultants), they do have a way of perpetuating the Black community's blind eye towards gays.

I guess that is what I am here for.

Earlier in the year, I formulated a simple four step financial plan that will assist gays around the country in navigating through the economic downward spiral in which our nation will be facing in the upcoming months, while still keeping up with the Jones'.

Though mostly written in a satrical fashion, there are key points that can be used to save money.

Step One: Check Up On Your Checking Account

One way of saving a couple of duckets is to go through your checking or saving accounts and take a good inventory of all the automatic deductions that you have established. Do you really need to spend $45 a quarter for your Gay.com subscription? How about your Netflix account? I know
that $20 per month is not a lot to spend on three movies at any one time, but when was the last time you visited your local library? You know they have DVD's as well, and they are free. Not only that, they have those things that go on bookshelves. You could even learn a thing or two in the process.

Step Two: The Smaller The Better

It's not always the size that matters. Speaking of Netflix, if you simply cannot live without your subscription, how about cutting your movie delivery from 3 to 1 at a time? I am sure that the extra two movies will still be waiting for you in your que when you are ready for them. You can also take a good look at your cell phone bill. If you are paying for 600 minutes per month but only use about 250 minutes on average, maybe it's time to switch to a less expensive plan.

Another area to investigate is that of your gym membership, which I know you must have.

Ask your gym if there is a way to save on your monthly costs by only paying for a membership to one of the gyms in town instead of having the all inclusive package.

Step Three: Entertain Yourself

Get your mind out of the gutter bois. I am not saying become a hermit and only leave your apartment to go grocery shopping. What I mean is, take a good look at the money which you shell out each time that you have a night out on the town, and see where you can save a little bit of cash. It may be as simple as passing on one round of drinks or even guzzling down a domestic beer verses the expensive imported microbrew which you are accustomed.

Step Four:Put Your Money To Work

All that hard work to save money will do no good if you just go out and blow it all on a new pair $300 designer Seven jeans or your next trip to Cabo San Lucas. Why not make that extra cash start working for you? Explore some investment options that will foster financial returns such as money markets, certificate of deposits or savings accounts. For those who find that they have a bit more cash after the afore mentioned saving strategies, you may want to stash your cash into more lucrative investment ventures such as real estate or 401k plans.

By no way are these steps a complete and all encompassed financial strategy. There are several different variables which must be factored into your individual financial saving's equation. But, by taking these baby steps in the financial walk of life, with a little help with a professional financial advisor you will be sprinting to financial freedom in no time.

Public Libraries and the Digital Divide: Part 1

The ever changing discoveries in science and technology are changing the way that we all live around the world each day. No other aspect better exemplifies this than computer technology.

Over the past 50 years we have seen this technology lead us from a one of the first computing machines which weighed as much as five adult male elephants to the computers of today which now is smaller than one’s fingertip. Not only has the computer come a long way in its development, but its advancement has changed the way that people all over the world communicate with one another.

In the process of this stellar advancement, there have been a segment of the population which has lagged in the access of all of the technology available. Those left behind have traditionally been lower socio-economic levels.

This lag or disparity in access to computers and the Internet has been labeled the digital divide.[i] There have been several rules of thought as to if the continued advancement in computer technologies and The Internet will continue to widen the Digital Divide or make that chasm a bit narrower.

Whether or not you think that the Digital Divide is widening, non-profit organizations and other organizations serves an invaluable role in adding in bridging the gap between the Have’s and the Have Not’s. With these organizations providing much needed assistance to those who would not otherwise be able to gain access to computers and The Internet.

Public Libraries are a perfect example of this. For example, just in the past two decades, the number computers in the average public library has increased insurmountable compared to the increase in literary material and has caused some libraries’ attendance to rival the attendance some small amusement parks.[ii] In a series of blog posts, I will attempt to explain advancement in computer science and shed some light as to what public libraries’ roles are and can be in the narrowing of the Digital Divide.

[i] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/digital%20divide
[ii] "Information: The Perfect Economic Good" Kareem A. Simpson (2004)

University of Cincinnati Student Lands National Title

I was checking my admission status to UC this afternoon and ran across this article on thier website. Sometimes I forget how pretigious UC can be.

Photo Curtesy of University of Cincinnati

Children and Youth in America: A Documentary History, Volume III, 1933-1973: Vol. 1 Parts 1-4; Vol. 2 Parts 5-7 (Children and Youth in America)

Children and Youth in America: A Documentary History, Volume III, 1933-1973: Vol. 1 Parts 1-4; Vol. 2 Parts 5-7 (Children and Youth in America) written by Robert H. Bremner, John Barnard, Temara K. Hareven, and Robert M. Mennel was a great informative read.

As the title states, it chronicles the way that youth were perceived and treated during the years of 1933 through 1973. A bit too laden with correspondence, I think it is an OK source if you are researching the way that children were perceived during this time period in American, which is what I am doing for my upcoming book, Triple Threat: America's Misconceptions of a Misunderstood Society.

Though a good resource, I would not take it on vacation if you are in search of "light reading"

Rothenberg School Meeting: A re-cap

Last Thursday's Over-The-Rhine Community Learning Center Process meeting went well.

Going into the meeting, I thought that the gathering would be over shadowed with hot headedness, causing the process to be stalled.

That was definitely not the case.

The meeting ended with defined action items and committee meeting times to set up and develop both the design and curriculum of the proposed community learning center.

Unfortunately, I do not have the expertise to help with the physical design of the school and am unable to make the meeting time designated to talk about the curriculum, will continue to follow the process as closely as I can, adding input and suggestions when I can.

If you would like to put your input on either the design or curriculum of the new Rothenberg Community Learning Center, you can do so and either one of the following meetings:

Curriculum Committee will meet on April 17, 2008 at 3pm at Rothenburg

Physical Design Committee meeting time is soon to be determined.

There will be a Parent Dinner/Pep rally held on March 23 from 4pm to 5::30pm at Rothenberg

Jews & Blacks: Book Review

Jews & Blacks: A Dialogue on Race, Religion, and Culture in America, by Michael Lerner and Cornel West chronicle the similarities of and differences in the struggles that both Jews and African-Americans have faced here in the United States.

Chapter by chapter, these two academic leaders in their perspective societies take on specific issues that have been of concern in both societies and give their unique and collective perspective of the societal concern. In addition to introductions of the two intellectuals, some of the issues covered in this book include (but not limited to) Black and Jewish Nationalism, Jewish Racism/Black Anti-Semitism, and economic conflicts hindering/helping the two societies.

As an African-American, I have always known the struggles of the Jewish in the United States have paralleled those of Blacks, but this book gives me a greater perspective of the similarities and differences in the two society’s struggle for equality and inclusion.

This is not light reading and I would not take it if I was going on vacation, but you are giving a speech on either two societies, I would definitely use this as a reference.

Thoughts Of A Younger Me

Way back in college, when I attended the University of Cincinnati, part of my education was focused Sociology, specifically, Black Folks.

Here is a short essay I wrote. I think it was one of those "write up an essay 5 minutes before class" deals, but I think I made a few good points.

Racism: Deconstructed

People have been trying to analyze the reason why people are racist for a number of years now. They have also tried many different ways to measure the level of racism in schools and in the workplace. The conclusions from these types of studies have lead to many different hypothesis. One of those hypothesis has lead to the answer of hate. Other hypothesis has lead to other causes of racism such as ignorance of the unknown. I believe that the arguments that has lead to the figuring out of both cause are valid, but there is a prevailing reason that I feel stands out more than all of them and that is the struggle for power.

Mankind has an undeniable history of struggling for power. Many scientist even believe that the struggle for power is an innate thing that is embedded into the psyche of the human mind. Whether it was the struggle for power over land, natural resources or simply the human mind. These people who were trying to gain power thought that it would be easier to do so if they justified their reasoning for gaining power and why the other group did not deserve to have any. This way it would be easier to make the lower class people believe that they were not entitled to the power, making the power hungry peoples job a lot easier.

Some groups in power looked at many different criteria to justify the haves and the have-nots, like class designations, living conditions, living areas, family lineage and physical characteristics.

This determination to the accessibility to power, today, has manifested into the designation of power based on race. We commonly call this racism. Through out the history of the United States, we have seen the group with a lot of power (whites) continue to persecute those with seemingly no power (African Americans) so that power could stay in the hands of the whites and out of the hands of the African Americans.

The first evidence of this accrued during the slave period that was witnessed in the United States. During this time period, it was illegal for slaves to be given the skills that would enable them to gain power later on in life. African Americans were not allowed to learn how to read, or even go to school. They were banned from having their young masters and mistresses teaching them the things that they learned at school, and were beaten and even killed if they were found to be learning to read.

A reason why slaves were persecuted for learning how to read because it was very easy to tell whom where not able to partake in these adventures because the difference in skin color in whites and African Americans were so noticeable.Another area where evidence of whites being racist because of their need for power is seen during the Civil Rights Era of the 1950’s and 1960’s here in the United States.

African Americans implemented a massive effort to gain power with the right to vote and the integration of schools, but were continually thwarted because whites did not want them to have the power to do so.Racism can be many things. It could be name calling, discrimination, have a person purposely give you incorrect information, but the underlying thing that makes an action racist is if it is done primarily because of your race and it causes you to not have power and the other person to have power.