Arts Today Ezine vol 2 2 by Arts Today Ezine

Vol 2.2 April 4, 2015

Sonja Evans FEATURED ARTIST:

pg #56

View this and past issues from our website.

Thank You African Film Fest. pg. #12

Hip Hop

Compagne K채fig pg. #52

Happy Easter ESG Models pg.#90

IN THIS

ISSUE:

IN THE NEWS TBA

1 AFRICAN AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL 2015

72 TL Willihaamsesr& POETRY READING GROUP... DR. HOWARD RAMBSY, II

C m r o t A the S R T S HEpg.#14 RCBOYCOTT” O“TANDY’S PIERRE BLAINE

Dr. Tracy

The Violinist

The Art of Self Lovepg. # 6

Gaslight Theater pg. #10

140

102 A QUILTER ANGEE TURNER

DR. BEN BERNIE HAYES

pg.

LIVE / WORK / PLAY NATE JOHNSON

DANGEROUS LIAISONS DR. MCCARTHY

SWEET POTATO RICE PUDDING LENA JACKSON

WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT

“. . . for u, the sky’s the “unlimit”...” Baba Sherman Fowler,

Griot and Poet

Established 2014 Volume 2.2 St. Louis, MO www.the-arts-today.com/ Layout/Design www.bdesignme.com

NOTE:

As the publishers of The Arts Today Ezine we take care in the production of each issue. We are however, not liable for any editorial error, omission, mistake or typographical error. The views expressed are those of the contributors and not necessarily those of their respective companies or the publisher.

This Ezine and the content published within are subject to copyright held by the publisher, with individual articles remaining property of the named contributor. Express written permission of the publisher and contributors must be acquired for reproduction.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Rebecca Wanzo, Washin

The Content of Our Caricatu

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ngton University

Libraries; and the Missouri History Museum.

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m u i s o p m y S al Culture

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Thursday, April 23

Friday, April

7:30 pm, Steinberg Auditorium Film Screening

Women’s Building Fo Symposium

Scarred Justice: The Orangeburg Massacre, 1968 and Q&A with producer Judy Richardson

1:00 pm: Introductions a

Related American Cultural Studies Event

1:10–2:30 pm: Resistance and Its Afterl and Performance

Page McGinley, Washing

Rehearsing Nonviolence: Tow History of the Civil Rights Mo

3:30 pm, Danforth University Center, Room 276

Michael Gillespie, Ohio U

Photography as a Medium of Change: Practice, Politics and History

Bear Witness: Contemporary Civil Rights America

Featured Panelists:

Courtney Baker, Connec

Matthew Fox-Amato Washington University

Disobedient Cinema: Film as in 12 Years a Slave and Selm

Angela Miller Washington University

2:45–4:15 pm: Framing Civil Rights: U.S Civil Rights Movement

Leigh Raiford University of California, Berkeley

Qiana Whitted, Universit

Adrian O. Walker Photographer

Comics and Emmett Till

Jonathan W. Gray, John J

Representing Reform: Sam W and Nixon’s America

Rebecca Wanzo, Washin

The Content of Our Caricatu

pg.

ormal Lounge

and welcome

life: Art, Film

gton University

wards a Performance ovement

University

4:30 pm: Keynote Address Leigh Raiford, Associate Professor of African American Studies, University of California at Berkeley Watching with Dispassion: Civil Rights Movement Photography and Its Legacies

y Art and

Saturday, April 25

cticut College

2 pm, Missouri History Museum, AT&T Multipurpose Room

s Terrain of Struggle ma

S. Comics and

ty of South Carolina

Jay College

Wilson, Luke Cage

ngton University

Salamishah Tillet, University of Pennsylvania “My Ghost Is Holding On”: Nina Simone, Freedom and the Art of the Contemporary Post-Race? Interrogations, Provocations & Disruptions Lecture Series A Law, Identity and Culture Initiative in the School of Law event, co-sponsored by American Cultural Studies and African and African-American Studies programs, the Department of Art History and Archaeology, and the Center for the Humanities in Arts and Sciences; the Office of the Provost Diversity and Inclusion Grant; Washington University Libraries; and the Missouri History Museum.

ure

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

In The News

Lunch Time Rush Special

(Buy one ticket for $25.00 and get a second one free) Call The Black Rep Box Office Monday and Tuesday between Noon and 2 PM. Buy one ticket for $25.00 and get a second one free for the Wednesday Preview Performance, April 22, 2015 only.

pg.

Your Source for Art Appreciation

Volume 2.1 March 4, 2015

Please support our sponsors, many

offer events or programs with an emphasis on the arts and creativity.

#ArtsTodayEZ

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Volume 2.1 2.2 March April 4, 2015

Thank you

for supporting the 2015 Af

We had an excellent festival run and it is because you came out, brought out posters, advertised on social media, contributed to our post- discussions and brought a friend. We especially appreciate our local film and arts journalists and media for getting the word out to everyone. We were so fortunate to have had a visiting artist and film scholar in Saint Louis this weekend. We hope you enjoyed the festival this year. We are an extremely small operation and only can be with your assistance. We have posted all of our “red carpet” pictures are posted on the Washington University African Film Festival Facebook fan page. Like us so you know about next year’s event and other items of interest for African cinemaphiles. If you are not on our snail mailing list, please email toliverdiallo@wustl.edu with your address to receive your postcard next year! Thank you for supporting African filmmakers telling stories from their perspectives.

“Knowledge is like a garden. If it is not cultivated, it cannot be harvested.” Wilmetta Diallo

pg.

u, Saint Louis,

frican Film Festival.

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Liaisons

Dangerous

Deconstructing the Psychodynamics of Pathological Narcissism and the Transmission of Trauma Dangerous Liaisons: Deconstructing the Psychodynamics of Pathological Narcissism and the Transmission of Trauma

by Dr. Tracey McCarthy, Psy.D., DCFC, J.D., M.A. Psychologist/Attorney/Educator Webster University – College of Arts and Sciences – Legal Studies Department www.drtraceymccarthy.com

Invisible Wounds “There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.” ― Laurell K. Hamilton No one who has entered adulthood arrives there unscathed by the childhood and adolescent years preceding such. Some, however, enter adulthood significantly more injured and challenged than others due to significantly more injurious experiences and challenges that comprised some critical period in early life development. Though some wounding is unavoidable, the manner in which we, as humans, respond to the wounding determines the extent to which we continue to suffer and the extent to which we injure others resulting from our suffering. While clinical psychology focuses on the evaluation, study, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of human challenges, many of the behavioral manifestations of psychological challenges are rooted in invisible wounds. When humans are injured externally, the hurt is clearly visible; the one injured and onlookers automatically know that harm has occurred. When one has been wounded at the soul level, however, such is often easy to conceal and miss. What signals the existence of deep invisible wounds are the visible emotional and behavioral challenges that emerge subsequent to the hidden hurt. Invisible wounds include various forms of child maltreatment involving, but not limited to, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse and trauma and physical and psychological neglect by parents and caregivers. Invisible wounds are often carried into adulthood where those who have been invisibly wounded tend to inflict substantially similar wounds upon those with whom they engage in the home, in romantic relationships, in the workplace, in platonic relations, and in the world in general. This is because hurt people rarely hurt in silence and they never hurt alone. One of the serious psychological and social consequences of childhood maltreatment is the development of pathological forms of self-involvement and pathological forms of social engagement that verge on the megalomaniacal. The Walking Wounded Pathological forms of adult narcissism are rampant and there appears no simple remedy in sight. While there are many psychological challenges which are considered more severe and personally debilitating, pathological narcissism ranks high among those psychological challenges that wreak havoc in the lives of narcissist victims. Narcissism is a problem of emotional vampirism and extremes in vanity, self-admiration, egotism, selfabsorption, conceit, self-importance, self-centeredness, and callousness. While it, on the surface, appears as a problem of extreme self-love and self-confidence, it is anything but. Pursuant to Kealy, D. & Ogrodniczuk, J. S. (2014), pathological narcissism is a dysfunctional pattern of self-regulation that significantly obstructs a person’s ability to truly love self and others.

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Clinical work with young, budding narcissists and adult children of pathological narcissists has revealed that being exposed to pathologically narcissistic parenting in infancy, childhood, adolescence, and adulthood results in snowballing relational trauma, which undermines a person’s ability to develop healthy capacities for platonic, vocational, romantic, and parental relationships in life (Shaw, D., 2010). It does not matter how healthy one may believe they are, when involved in any relationship with a pathological narcissist, the relationship, itself, is doomed to general pathology and dysfunction, regardless of what it looks like initially, on the surface, or to the public. This is because no matter what one may be led to believe, a narcissist does not have normal or healthy relationships. They only have social entanglements that involve the narcissist using and another being used by the narcissist to pacify the narcissist’s vacuous self-esteem needs, which are many and unending. Narcissists are like self-esteem black holes and they require a constant human supply of self-esteem bolstering to feel a modicum of normalcy. They can never be complimented enough, esteemed enough, coddled enough, condescended to enough, gloated over enough, catered to enough, capitulated to enough, placated enough, glorified enough, pathologically needed enough, thanked enough, listened to enough, sacrificed for enough, pampered enough, or bolstered enough. Whatever a narcissist needs, which varies according to the narcissist, such can never be given enough...ever. Momentarily engaging a pathological narcissist on the street, or in a one-time business meeting, may simply be a passing annoyance, inconvenience, or irritation. If, however, the narcissist happens to be a parent, a spouse, a romantic partner, a sibling, an adult child, a close friend, a supervisor, a supervisee, or a close colleague, one’s life can become a daily living hell on earth to endure. Pathological Parenting “Instead of treating your child like how you were treated. Treat them with the same love and attention you wanted from your parents while growing up.” ― Jonathan Anthony Burkett While there are, clearly, no perfect people or parents, narcissistic parents are the worst narcissistic relationships to have to withstand, because of the adverse foundational impact of such for one’s overall human growth, development, and life adjustment. Romantic, marital, and sibling relationships with a pathological narcissist are a close second in terms of life trauma and detriment to the mate or sibling victim of the narcissist. Pathologically narcissistic parents do not have children for the same reasons that relatively psychologically healthy parents have children. Narcissists have children for reasons that tend to only make sense to the narcissist. Perhaps, their current partner is conventionally attractive and they believe that a union with such a person will net an attractive child. Perhaps, they are bored and would like some company. Perhaps, they simply want to see a little “mini-me” walking around. Perhaps, they need someone new to control. Perhaps, they have a sudden need to make sure they are cared for in their elder years. Perhaps, they have an overwhelming need to create competition between their current children. Perhaps, they need someone new to abuse, ignore, or otherwise neglect. Perhaps, they need a new source of government or child support income. Perhaps, they need someone new to “scapegoat” or to put on a pedestal as a “golden child.” Perhaps, they need someone new to need them. Perhaps, they need new boundaries to violate. Perhaps, they need someone new to believe their old lies and current fictions. Perhaps, they need someone else to engulf in their incessant neediness, depression, anxiety, or other pathology. Perhaps, they want to play house, for a moment. Perhaps, they want someone to emotionally

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DANGEROUS LIAISONS cont.

suck dry. Perhaps, they just slipped up. Perhaps, they are in need of more social attention, gifts, fawning over, or deference. Narcissistic parents are so deeply needy that the reasons for having children could be few or many. Their rationales for bringing children into the world, however, upon deeper inspection, will always be less than situationally sane. Whatever the surface reason, such will internally have very little to do with developing and healthily nurturing and loving a growing soul or with positively and healthily contributing to the world. No matter what a narcissistic parent does for a child, or with a child, it is never really about, or for, the child; it is all about, or for, the narcissistic parent. The narcissistic parent’s mind is on automatic selffocus pilot at all times, even when such inadvertently results in benefit to the child. Some narcissistic parents are so self-involved that they think nothing of abandoning their children for life. This is one of the reasons many adults do not know one or both of their parents. Parents who abandon their children care nothing about whether the children live or die, whether the children eat, sleep, or attend school, or whether the children are living under a bridge or a highway overpass. If they never saw their children in life, such would be too soon for them. That is, unless an abandoned child achieves some public notoriety that can be exploited or taken credit for by the narcissistic parent. Parental narcissism has, in fact, been implicated in paternal disengagement from children subsequent to a divorce (Cohen, O., 1998). When a father has strong narcissistic tendencies, such may function to preclude the father from maintaining continuously stable relationships with their children after a divorce. This likely results, in small part, from the damage to a narcissist father’s fragile ego resulting from the divorce itself and from the loss of sole or joint custody or voluntary relinquishment of such. Children of non-marital narcissistic fathers are at increased risk for abandonment and the trauma that follows. This trauma includes possible increased neglect or abuse by a remaining mother who is unhealed from the trauma of engaging the narcissistic father or from a remaining mother who, also, suffers from her own pathological narcissism or other personality dysfunctions. As hurtful as the reality of narcissistic parental abandonment may be, being raised by a single narcissistic parent or by a married narcissistic parent is, likely, all the more damaging for any child. With abandonment, a child suffers from neglect. With a present narcissistic parent, a child suffers from a daily onslaught of trauma and pathology. As much as a child may want to escape the abusive grasp of a remaining narcissistic parent, such is highly unlikely, because remaining narcissistic parents need children for countless selfish aims and outcomes. Therefore, escaping the emotionally needy clutches of a remaining narcissistic parent, who is often a mother, is exceedingly difficult in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Narcissistic Nurturance “Presents are made for the pleasure of who gives them, not the merits of who receives them.” ― Carlos Ruiz Zafón Even a narcissistic parent’s “giving” and “nurturing” are generally about parental recognition, versus the actual meeting of a child’s needs. Efforts towards making certain a child receives an “A” in a class, creates a masterpiece, or wins an award for doing well in sports is not about the child simply doing well in life. It is more about the parent bolstering their own image through the child. Narcissistic parental

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“sacrifices” on behalf of a child are, therefore, only fronts for meeting parental ego needs of attention, accolades, power, or control. Troubled and “problem” children, henceforth, provide plenty of opportunities for the narcissistic parent to “sacrifice” on the child’s behalf and receive plenty of attention and praise for doing so. That chronically incarcerated child, chronically physically ill child, chronically psychologically ill child, or chronically underachieving child provides a storehouse of opportunities for narcissistic parents to outshine the sun. Narcissistic parents are focused on molding children into whatever image meets the parent’s needs, whether that image is a positive one or a negative one. This means that a narcissistic parent is very focused on shaping a child’s identity along whatever dimension meets the narcissist’s goals. This generally requires that the narcissistic parent go to great lengths to foster a pathological dependency by the child on the parent. Healthy parents want their children to grow up, realize their human potential, and be all they can independently become. Not the narcissist parent! Narcissistic parents, instead, have a view of the child as a mere extension of the self of the narcissist. Narcissistic parents, accordingly, cultivate a symbiotic relationship with the child, which precludes the child from establishing healthy boundaries with the parent (or anyone else). The narcissist parent wants the child to feel as though the child is always a part of the parent in a very pathological manner. Such a parent actually wants the child to not be able to survive in life, or to have a life, without the parent. Detrimental Dependency “But kids don't stay with you if you do it right. It's the one job where, the better you are, the more surely you won't be needed in the long run.” ― Barbara Kingsolver In creating a sense of over dependency, many narcissistic parents engage in “over parenting” which can seriously disable a person mentally, emotionally, vocationally, and socially. Richard Munich (2009) described narcissistic over parenting as extreme concern about a child’s mental or physical state or fanatical attachment to a child that decreases the child’s ability to develop an appropriately structured and independent self. Pathological parenting involves parental smothering that precludes the child from developing along an independently healthy path. Over parenting also includes excessive advocacy on behalf of the child which makes it difficult for the child to develop an adequate sense of self and conscience and a healthy sense of agency and autonomy. Adolescent or adult difficulties with leaving home at an age appropriate time, and for age appropriate reasons, are usually indicative of some level of inappropriate parenting, whether over parenting or under parenting. Stealing Your Shine Over parenting is but one way in which narcissistic parents undermine their children. Another way is by simply ignoring accomplishments or making certain that appropriate attention for such is diminished. They will simply pretend that whatever was done was not. If they cannot find a way to take some form of credit for the accomplishment, they might simply ignore it altogether. Narcissistic parents cannot allow a child to enjoy their own accomplishments without taking some degree of credit for such. They will, thus, not hesitate to make it known their parental contributions and many sacrifices in service of the child’s positive performance.

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DANGEROUS LIAISONS cont.

When a child of a narcissistic parent is spotlighted outside of the family, the narcissistic parent may simply not show up. In the alternative, they may actually show up, but have some pressing engagement that requires their early departure. If the parent cannot figure out how to avoid the child being in the spotlight, the parent may simply work to diminish the accomplishment, or the entire event, while remaining present. Graduations, birthdays, promotions, honors, etc. are the prime times for a narcissist to undermine the accomplishments of others or the spotlight shining on another. Any success that the narcissistic parent cannot take some credit for will eventually result in the narcissistic parent finding a way to take the child down, via comments or actions. Any action, decision, or mention of the accomplishment or the activity will provide open season for the narcissistic parent. These behaviors come from a space of parental envy. Whatever the child has that is of value, the narcissistic parent desires a piece of it. If the parent cannot acquire it, the parent will have no problem with destroying such for the child. The lonely narcissistic parent who is a failure at relationships, will seek to destroy the child’s friendships, the other parent’s relationship with the child, and the adult child’s romantic relationships and possibilities. Competition is the rule with narcissistic parents and trying to “one up” the child is a constant endeavor. Triangulation is used to keep children at odds with one another and to facilitate negative gossip that a narcissistic parent may be fond of spreading between the children to foster competition, envy, and strife. If the child, or child-in-law, is the same sex as the parent, the child, or child-in-law, should not be surprised if the parent competes for sexual and romantic attention against the child or the child-in-law. Such parent’s will interfere in marriages and are very involved in critically intruding in parenting of the grandchildren and any other boundary violations the narcissistic parent can concoct. In this case, the narcissistic parent simply looks like a doting parent or grandparent when, in reality, they are simply covertly sabotaging. Silent Rage When a child is not accomplishing positive feats according to the narcissist’s framework, the narcissist can become angry, vindictive, withdrawing, physically, emotionally, and mentally punitive, and raging. This is because the narcissistic parent who has poor boundaries sees the child’s failures as the parent’s failures. Disobedience by a child is also taken personally, as narcissistic parents see child misbehavior as a personal affront to the parent by the child. Narcissistic parents can appear very loving, but that show of love is conditioned upon the child making the parent feel good about the parent. It is the child’s job, in the mind of the narcissistic parent, to make the parent feel good. Hence, the narcissist believes that the child is responsible for the parent’s emotional states, whether positive or negative. If the parent feels good, the parent may be kind to the child. If the parent feels bad, the child may be on the receiving end of wildly fluctuating anger, silent treatments, resentment, and withdrawal. Martens, W. (2005) has determined that shame and rage are primary emotional states that are essentially interwoven in those who are pathologically narcissistic. It is the child, however, who is often blamed for whatever state the narcissistic parent happens to be in. “Love” and withdrawal of such are very confusing for children who have no way of predicting when the parent will be prompted to “love” or withdraw such. The love withdrawal may take the form of disapproval, criticism, derisive comments, and little jibes that are, on the surface, given “in the child’s

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best interest.” This may be coupled with elevating another in contrast to the child. Any little toxic thing the parent can do to bring the child down will be done and, often, covertly so. Pernicious Power “Power does not corrupt. Fear corrupts... perhaps the fear of a loss of power.” ― John Steinbeck Narcissistic abuse is all done in the unspoken name of power and control and to preclude being left by the child or others. Narcissists are addicted to power and control over others, and in creating dependency dynamics, as if power, control, and dependency were their back alley crack cocaine mixed with meth. Self-psychology suggests that the narcissistic self-system is rooted in a fragile self which is similar to the one often observed in those with addictions to alcohol or drugs. According to Van Schoor, E. (1992), pathological narcissism shares many features with addiction, which might account for why pathological narcissists operate in a compulsive fashion. As with those suffering from addiction in relation to substances, pathologically narcissistic persons see people as merely substance-like extensions of the self. The power addiction results in cascades of veiled threats by narcissistic parents. When threats and other toxic forms of abuse do not work, narcissistic parents may resort to guilt inducement and pity parties. This is because, in the narcissistic parent’s mind, the child has been bought for a price, whether the price be food, clothing, shelter, or any other resource the parent might have afforded. So, in the parent’s mind, the child is ever-obligated to sacrifice their own life and power on the altar of the parent’s. Narcissistic parents who are less than savvy in their manipulations might even just come out and directly threaten the adult or younger child to create capitulations. Most confusing for children of narcissistic parents is when parents are psychologically incestuous with their children. These situations involve a parent treating a child like a love interest from whom the parent seeks to get their adult emotional needs met. Such a parent frequently “dates” their children and treats their children as their “only sunshine.” These parents will also parentify their children and make them their confidantes or “partners in crime” in relation to other adults or the other parent. Children of such parents are placed front and center in the middle of ugly custody disputes, divorces, and any other adult parenting challenges, with the expectation by the narcissistic parent that the child take sides with such a parent. With narcissistic parents, there will always be favorites and scapegoats, and they make sure that their children know who is filling what roles. This dynamic creates a process wherein children are taught that they have to compete for the parent’s positive attention and “love.” Families with a narcissistic parent always have splintered relations, as the narcissistic parent makes certain that there is some sort of discord between the siblings to preclude them from becoming close to the exclusion of the parent. So, sibling rivalry is par for the course, even well into adulthood. The Genius of Gas Lighting If a child questions a narcissistic parent’s actions, the parent will simply try to make the child look crazy. They will go so far as to actually deny an event actually occurred or express that the child is exaggerating or flat out irrational and suffering from paranoid delusions and general psychosis. They will do any and everything necessary to convince the child and the world that the child is perceptually disturbed, with poor memory functioning. If this does not work, the narcissistic parent may

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HEALTH ■ MIND ■ BODY ■ SPIRIT ■ CULTURE ■ BONDING

Girls Holla Back!

St. Louis’ Award Winning Intergenerational Approach to HIV/AIDS Prevention Program for African American Females In an effort to reduce new cases of HIV/AIDS and drug use among African American females in St. Louis, the Missouri Institute of Mental Health (MIMH) developed a FREE series of prevention workshops complemented with fun-filled communications activities for girls ages 12-17 and one of their adult female family members. **Orientation & Health Fair:**

**March 7th 2015 from 10:30am - 3pm** Workshop Dates: March 11, 12, 18, 19, 25, 26

April 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22, 23, 29, 30 Workshop Times: 5:30 - 8:30pm (all sessions)

Location:

New Northside Conference Center 5939 Goodfellow Blvd. St. Louis, MO 63147 *To determine the effectiveness of the program, participants will be asked to complete one survey before the program starts; one on the last day; and one 3-months after the program has ended. *Sponsored by the Missouri Institute of Mental Health through funds from the Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Substance Abuse Prevention

Girls Holla Back! Registration Mailing Form March - April 2015 (Please Print Clearly)

Date:____________________

Name of Female Youth:_______________________________________________________ Age:_____________

Name of Female Parent (Guardian):_______________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________ City:________________ State:_______ Zip:______________

*Phone:(_______)___________________________ *Alt Phone:( ) *Email:______________________________________________ How do you prefer to receive program information? [ ] Mail or [ ] E-mail [ ] Phone *How did you hear about Girls Holla Back? [ ] Radio (Station?______________) [ ] Bus/Billboard [ ] E-Blast [ ] Website [ ] Facebook [ ] Twitter [ ] Friend/Former Participant [ ] Other (_______________________) Mail To: Girls Holla Back!, c/o MIMH, 4633 World Parkway Circle, St. Louis, MO 63134 or fax to (314) 516-8405. For more information, contact us at (314) 516-8487 or girlshollaback@mimh.edu.

**You may also register online by visiting www.GirlsHollaBack.org**

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DANGEROUS LIAISONS cont.

simply feign a lack of memory for the events and pretend to have no idea what the child is talking about. One could actually produce photos of the event in which the narcissistic parent is present and the parent will still claim to have no knowledge of the event. The goal of this is to make the child actually question their sanity and to gain increased cognitive and emotional control over the child. This process is referred to as “gaslighting” and it is a very effective one. The narcissistic parent will make a point of reporting to others the parent’s “concern” over the child’s fabricated mental instability. The parent will also make a point to let at least one person know that the parent believes the child, through no fault of the parent, is in need of serious psychological intervention. Narcissistic parents are adept at gasligting as an extension of their ability to lie in ways that many cannot fathom. Lies are used to undermine, to create conflict, to evade questions and accountability, and to damage relationships between people. A narcissistic parent will lie about, and to, children, spouses, teachers, employers, family members, and anyone else the narcissistic parent believes necessary to get the parent’s needs met, directly or indirectly. Ultimately, the lies serve to somehow elevate the position or power of the narcissist, even when the lies revolve around the narcissist being ill. Narcissistic parents are very skilled at preventative lying to preclude being found out or to protect a planned future lie. If caught in a lie, the narcissistic parent may become enraged, blaming, or simply lie again, with a straight face, to the child’s face. The narcissistic parent must win, at all costs. Secret Sadists “For a torture to be effective, the pain has to be spread out; it has to come at regular intervals, with no end in sight.” ― Yōko Ogawa This winning is at the emotional expense of the child. The narcissistic parent secretly enjoys when the child is in emotional pain and they will feed off of and fuel such when possible, even while presenting as caring, supportive, and nurturing. They are sadistic, plain and simple. If a child loses in a game, the narcissistic parent quietly relishes. If the child loses a friend, the narcissistic parent internally rejoices. If sad, afraid, bewildered, hopeless, angry, ashamed, defeated, or any other negative emotion, the narcissistic parent is in emotional heaven. There are times when the narcissistic parent will refuse to even conceal the exuberance they feel at the child’s heartache. In this case, the parent may even taunt the child to feel even worse. Some narcissistic parents will even develop their own symptoms to drain a child emotionally. Narcissistic parents may attempt to guilt a child with cries of depression, chronic and escalating physical illnesses, upsets over child and spousal abandonment, and threats of suicidality. If a situation can foster sympathy and pity, they will use it. They may also find others to fret over and subject the child to having to listen to the fretting over the problems of anyone and everyone. Narcissistic parents are immature beyond the average imagination. This is seen in the manner in which they exact vengeance. They are not above whining and crying with very little provocation. Such parents may even pout or find other ways to play the needy baby and make the child become the parental caretaker, while the child’s needs go unmet.

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These parents will leave young children or infants at home unaccompanied and will think very little of perpetuating countless forms of child neglect. In the presence of others, however, these neglectful parents will present as highly doting and overprotective. A child may be denied emotional support, healthcare, appropriate seasonal clothing, and adequate food. Such a parent also has a higher than average likelihood of leaving a child vulnerable to abuse from others, including sexual abuse in childhood. If the child reports abuse or neglect, the narcissistic parent will often gaslight the child and claim that the child is exaggerating or lying. If this occurs, a child may begin to lose contact with reality. Callous Compassion No matter the pain visited upon the child, the narcissistic parent will not authentically empathize. Such a parent has no interest in true compassion. The parent may feign concern over the child’s emotional state, but such is simply a façade. They do not care about their children’s feelings and are, generally, out of touch with the reality of their own feelings. Hence, they have no problem with ignoring many child needs unless it suits them in some way, like avoidance of jail for child neglect and abuse. Some narcissistic parents will often find reasons not to do other simple developmentally appropriate things for their children, when they have the means to do so. This may include not purchasing certain gifts the child wants, not throwing birthday parties (unless the parent can get some attention), not sending the child on school trips, not ordering yearly school pictures, or not paying for very basic needs for teenage children. Children of narcissistic parents are often required to pay for school clothes, school supplies, and even school lunches if the child acquires any income from any source. Narcissistic parents will oftentimes, have a difficult time getting a child through school and to graduation. Because children of such parents are frequently raising themselves, education after high school is often delayed or not pursued. If children of narcissistic parents make it to college, it is often based upon the child’s singular volition. Academic underachievement and parental narcissism tend to go hand in hand. The less independent the child becomes, the more control and power the parent can maintain over the child in adulthood. Nurturing Narcissism “Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them.” ― James Baldwin When children are raised in homes filled with narcissistic pathology, those children have very long roads towards true overcoming, growth, and healing. Sadism, masochism, dependency, co-dependency, dishonesty, manipulation, self-abuse, other abuse, unhealthy boundaries, unhealthy self-sacrifice, selfdestruction, emotional dysregulation, behavioral lability, and pathological longsuffering become relational dynamics in which such individuals are overly familiar. This makes children of narcissistic parents more likely to fall into platonic, romantic, vocational, and parental relationships in adulthood that play out the psychodramas of childhood, where the adult child is the sadistic narcissist or the self-abusing masochistic target of another narcissist. Whether the adult child is male or female, this adult developmental vulnerability and risk looms possible and highly probable, in the absence of true healing.

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Growing up under the wings of a narcissistic parent (or two narcissistic parents) is one of the most cumulatively traumatizing developmental landscapes in which a child can be forced to evolve. One of the most detrimental consequences of this developmental reality is that adult children of narcissists tend to become pathologically narcissistic or the victims of such individuals, as a part of the adult developmental reality which often persists for a lifetime. Transference of Trauma “If you spend time with crazy and dangerous people, remember – their personalities are socially transmitted diseases; like water poured into a container, most of us eventually turn into – or remain – whoever we surround ourselves with.” ― Stefan Molyneux Many children of narcissists are predisposed to enter into platonic and romantic adult relations with abusive narcissists, due to a normalization of narcissistic victimization. Others, however, evolve to be adult narcissists and those with whom they become romantically and platonically involved suffer greatly, with romantic targets suffering most severely and chronically. This is largely because, as human beings, we tend to be attracted to that which is familiar. Humans also tend to be drawn to people who are similarly healthy. If a person has not healed and recovered from narcissistic abuse, it is not uncommon to be drawn to one who is exuding extreme narcissism. An unhealed person may unconsciously try to heal from being subjected to toxic abuse patterns by trying to get a pathological relationship to work a second, third, fourth, or fifth time around with someone new. These adult relationships with new narcissistic friends and mates, however, are no healthier than the ones with the parents. In the long run, narcissists are incapable of being good friends or mates. Their world revolves around them and they expect that a friend or mate will make their world revolve similarly. Regardless of how the relationship starts out, the relationship will evolve to be all about the narcissist and his or her needs. The needs and desires of friends and partners are always secondary. The narcissist friend or mate is ultimately only really concerned with getting the narcissist’s needs met. The narcissist friend or mate is, therefore, completely focused on getting his or her way in all things to the greatest extent possible. Winning! How will you know you have stumbled into the path of a narcissistic predator friend or mate? Many are, to borrow the term from Charlie Sheen, “WINNING!” Narcissistic individuals are generally bragging, self-involved, vain, conceited, self-aggrandizing or just simply full of themselves. A conversation with a narcissist will rarely occur without the narcissist pointing out how great and “winning” they are in some grand or trivial way. According to the narcissist, they are the smartest, the prettiest, the most handsome, the most accomplished, the most desired, the most accomplished, the most blessed, the wealthiest, the most charming, the most giving, the most humorous, the most creative, the most suffering, and the most anything with the potential for quantification. When you listen closely, they also often have the very best of countless things. They have the best clothes, the best placemat, the best car, the best shower gel, the best hair, the best children, the best tile

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floor, the best house, the best trash bags, the best education, the best job, the best keyboard, the best boyfriend or girlfriend, the best lawn chair, the best body, the best toenail clipper, the best love seat or sofa, the best crockpot, the best tie, the best turkey recipe, and the best anything the person believes is quantifiable, desirable, and envy generating. Hence, they will frequently compare and contrast experiences and possessions in their quest to be the best or seen as such. Being a mate or friend to a narcissist is akin to playing a continual relational game of chess, where the narcissist is ever-focused on checkmating the mate or friend and “WINNING!” A narcissist friend is, therefore, in constant competition and destruction mode over the most mundane things. The competitive and destructive urge is so great that the narcissist will want to win issues such as who has the better book bag, stopwatch, cell phone, car, front porch, chicken broth, tanning salon, refrigerator, illness, gardening gloves, perfume, shoelaces, work commute, wrench, hair weave, wok, detergent, or toilet. There is no end to the competitive possibilities in the mind of the pathologically narcissistic. Losing in Love “The healthy man does not torture others - generally it is the tortured who turn into torturers.” - Carl Jung The one thing they do not have the “best” of is a track record in love and social relationships. Narcissistic individuals are incapable of being truly empathetic and rarely are they capable of being trustworthy and reliable in a relationship, unless such meets the narcissist’s selfish needs in some way. Narcissistic individuals are users, who have distinct patterns in close relating. In the beginning, the narcissistic mate “courts” the targeted individual to lure them in, whether male or female. Then, a vicious cycle, however lengthy or brief, commences where the narcissist puts the friend or mate on a pedestal to be highly valued, as long as the person is meeting the narcissist’s precarious inner needs. As with the narcissistic parent, the narcissistic friend or mate is seeking to manipulate in order to gain some form of attention, admiration, power, or control. When a mate or friend fails to serve the needs of the narcissist, the mate or friend is objectified, dehumanized, devalued, and discarded, in reality or in practicality, by the narcissist. The discarding rarely occurs, however, before the victim of the narcissist has endured the narcissist’s fluctuating moods and other instabilities in countless circumstances and situations. Relations with narcissists are not real relationships in the standard sense. They are one-way relationships that have the temporary appearance of emotional reciprocity. The ultimate role of a mate or friend to a narcissist is that of ego booster. A narcissist needs mates and friends like a drug addict needs a drug, for a temporary high. For the narcissist, the high is an ego high and an ego trip. If a narcissist’s mate requests reciprocity, the mate will eventually discover that the narcissist is not truly emotionally available and may not even be physically available. In fact, a mate asking for reciprocity is often a signal to the narcissist to terminate the relationship or to create distance. This may be confusing to a mate and may be mistaken for a fear of commitment, when it is simply a lack of care or desire to be reciprocal. This can be very distressing and perplexing to the person who was lured into the narcissist’s deceptive web of a feigned relationship. As the relationship gets slated to come to an end, the narcissist will devalue the mate or friend and begin luring and “romancing” a replacement to fulfill the narcissistic supply need and to begin the process anew with another person or persons. This occurs whether the person is a boyfriend, girlfriend,

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spouse, or otherwise committed mate. Narcissists must maintain a steady and fresh supply of people who see the narcissist through the same lofty eyes that the narcissist seeks to see himself or herself. “All the World’s a Stage” “All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts” - William Shakespeare The ability to maintain a steady supply of human prey is contingent upon the narcissist’s ability to manipulate, often, the unwitting. The manipulation generally involves very heady levels of deception. The narcissist’s ability to lie without flinching or giving second thought is like a work of art. As with the narcissistic parent, narcissistic mates, siblings, friends, co-workers, and strangers on the street have the uncanny ability to lie and convince others of their often lofty lies. Narcissists tell so many little white lies - and astronomical ones - that it seems as though as soon as their mouths opens a lie, any lie, spews forth without effort or forethought. They lie as easy as they breathe. They are the types of individuals who show up on shows like Jerry Springer and test positive for paternity, but insist the DNA test is faulty as such relates to them. They insist that they are that .00000001 chance of paternity error. They can be caught actually on a date while they are married and insist that the spouse discovering the indiscretion is visually hallucinating. They can clean out a marital bank account and be caught on film by the bank doing so and insist that the person on the film is their celebrity doppelgänger. Whatever the explanation, the narcissist’s goal is to always come out on top and smelling like a rose. It is difficult for mates of narcissists to admit that they are involved with, or have been involved with, a pathological narcissist. This is, in large part, because the initial encounters with the narcissist involved a deception of incredible proportions. When the mate first met the narcissist, they were treated to the best the narcissist could concoct. This generally includes the narcissist saying and doing everything under the sun to make the potential mate believe the narcissist is an ideal mate. The narcissist expertly figures out whatever the potential mate wants to hear and says it. Whatever the potential mate wants to do, the narcissist makes it happen. This narcissistic process, which largely resembles the grooming strategy of child sexual predators, is played out by the narcissist until the narcissist decides to let his or her guard down. When this happens, the narcissist will simply snatch off their little Halloween sanity mask, exchange their treats for tricks, and morph into their real, fragmented, abusive, using, and betraying selves. Once they have captured the targeted prey, they will begin to devalue the person in preparation for likely discarding (which may occur over a lifetime.). This devaluation of the mate includes forgetting to call, forgetting to show up for a date, forgetting to come home at night, forgetting birthdays, forgetting anniversaries, forgetting to not have children outside of the marital union, and forgetting that they have a mate, altogether, as they drop in and out of the mate’s life or demands the freedom to spread their special “gifts” among additional simultaneous mates. The mask of the narcissist is worn to distract the prey from the reality beneath and to set the stage for the ruse of emotional and relational normalcy. What resides on the other side of the caring, confident, and compassionate façade, however, is a wall of emotional depletion, dejection, and a diminished sense of self-worth.

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Masquerades and Charades “The wounded recognized the wounded.” ― Nora Roberts Narcissists are experts at taking advantage of people in general and those close to them specifically. They are able to do this because they are such skilled liars and image twisters and they seek to obtain power and domination over others at any and all costs. The taking advantage of others is rooted in a lack of empathy and extreme envy, which encourages the narcissist to seek to destroy what they are not or what they believe they cannot have. This includes the destruction of a loving heart. Those who are involved with a narcissist will frequently question whether the narcissistic mate actually loves them and will wonder incessantly about the vast expanse of emptiness that pervades the relationship with the narcissist, which is devoid of true intimacy, emotional connection, or vulnerability. This is because the narcissist is basically fake and phony and he or she cannot be intimate with another or love another when he or she cannot love or be intimate with the self. What usually masquerades as intimacy or vulnerable emotional openness are the narcissist’s incessant mood swings, childish threats, empty sex, tantrums, or demands for emotional support from the mate. Narcissists are only able to play these lifelong romantic games with those who have wittingly or unwittingly set themselves up as chronic victims (Beck, M., 1979) with conscious or unconscious patterns of self-destruction. Those who have been conditioned from childhood to accept masochistic engagements as love, and those who have been conditioned to co-dependently care more for others than for themselves, are at higher than average risk for falling prey to a narcissist, male or female. Both men and women are vulnerable to being set up to be abused and for setting themselves up to be sadistically and masochistically engaged, with childhood usually serving as the training ground for both the abuser and the abused. These individuals are also the ones who will tend to have the greatest difficulty with seeing and accepting the reality of the situation and extricating themselves promptly and accordingly. Empty Empathy “Only restitution, forgiving yourself and others, compassion, repentance and living with dignity will ever erase the past.” ― Shannon L. Alder While an unhealthy childhood may set one up for being abused in adulthood, such might also set one up for being callously abusive towards others and for lacking awareness of the impact of such abuses. Narcissists are known for being callously abusive and blithely ignorant of the consequences of such. This is due to the narcissist failing to exercise empathy towards others in general. Lack of empathy is rooted in lack of perspective taking. The narcissist is unwilling to entertain the perspectives of others and will always believe themselves correct about all things wherein there is contention. If you are the mate of the narcissist, you will always be cast as the wrong one. You, according to the narcissist, misunderstood, misheard, or simply don’t know what you think you know or what you are talking about. This allows the narcissist to pretend the mate or friend is inept and to simply ignore him or her. When a narcissist does not want to hear something –and they cannot shut the contrary down - they will just interrupt or classically fall into a state of convenient narcolepsy. Yes, they have the uncanny ability to

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Redefine the Life in Your Lifestyle I know that it’s been a while since I’ve e-mailed you, I truly hope that all is well! I also hope that you’ve been able to stay up to date with all the happenings via Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Between my recent trip to Mexico and the latest additions at the Meditation Lounge, there’s been way more to share than there is time, but I do the best I can! Healing Spa is Back!

So I want to tell you quickly that right after Journey Meditation this Sunday, the Healing Spa starts at 5:15pm! I haven’t offered this experience since October so I know that many of you are super excited about this. If you haven’t yet been, it’s a beautiful experience... You will be in a group setting with soothing, healing music to help you relax while you focus your intentions on the clarity or healing you seek. I’ll spend 15-20 minutes per person laying hands and sharing the spiritual insight that I receive for you. Please Register in Advance Our standard classes no longer require advance registration, however due to the nature of this experience, I’ll need to limit how many people attend so advance registration is required in order to attend. You can sign up online HERE or call 314-441-6929 to get signed up over the phone.

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Classes Offered 5 Days a Week In case you’re out of the loop, we now have meditation and yoga classes at the Meditation Lounge 5 days a week and our rates are still in the introductory phase! A single class is $10, but you can save by signing up for a Monthly Membership (starting at $35 p/m), or Pay-As-You-Grow Class Passes (starting at $40) - either way you save! Check out all of your options and view the class schedule and all of the services that we’re offering at www. selenaj.com! I’m looking forward to seeing you in classes this Sunday!

Peace, Love & Light, SJ

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WATCH NOW!

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fall asleep, in the middle of the day, after a great night’s sleep, at the drop of a hat, if a mate or friend is talking about something in which they are disinterested or in which they are in disagreement. While non-narcissistic individuals might be able to tell a mate that the conversation or situation is disheartening, the pathologically narcissist mate is too out of touch with his or her feelings to approach discord or emotional discomfort functionally. Narcissists have a difficult time feeling the full range of human emotions, let alone articulating what those felt emotions might be. Emotions such as true joy, vulnerability, true love, compassion, sadness, and confusion are feelings that are affectively foreign to the narcissist. They tend to be very skilled, however, at expressing feelings such as rage and irritation. Narcissists, therefore, find very creative ways to side step questions regarding emotions. They are, also, expert at evading emotionally charged situations which might reveal their emotional vulnerabilities. That said, they are, nevertheless, very deceptive and can feign any human emotion that might serve their purposes, complete with tears, wailing, or gleeful exuberance. Though proficient people readers for manipulative purposes, they are detrimentally lacking in compassion and true demonstrations of empathy. Hence, unless it benefits them, they will not automatically support a mate or friend who is ill, struggling, grieving, or dying. They are even more challenged when it comes to supporting a mate who is dealing with a loved one’s illness, death, or any other type of loss or hardship. While a mate or friend is suffering, or supporting one who is suffering, the narcissist is ever-wondering when the mate or friend will be free to re-focus on the narcissist and the narcissist’s routine and less than tragic emotional needs. This is because, for the narcissist, the only thing or person that matters is the narcissist and that which concerns him or her. Genuinely listening to, reflecting upon, and responding to someone else’s concerns is done by a narcissist only when they can see some current or future personal benefit to doing so. Narcissists do not care that others are not on the same emotionally and socially confusing pages on which they exist. They are focused on what they want and what they should be getting from others, not on what they should be healthily doing and giving in a relationship. Regardless of how they may present to the world, narcissistic mates and friends, as with parents, suffer deeply from exceedingly low self-esteem. This low self-esteem is coupled with low self-reflection and self-analysis, which impedes their capacity to experience true empathy for others. Choosing Change “...but she kept on, trying to reshape the ugliness.” ― A. Lynn Many wait for years or decades, in vain, for narcissistic parents, mates, siblings, children, co-workers, or friends to change. They wait patiently to hear earnest apologies for harms and to experience the behavioral and spiritual outgrowths of narcissistic repentance. Palpable, meaningful, and healing change in the narcissist, however, rarely occurs in a way that would well-serve the functional needs of the victim of a pathological narcissist. There are many reasons why any change that comes may be too little, too late, or not at all. In a relationship with a narcissist, the narcissistic individual will ardently refuse to accept authentic responsibility for harms created. This is learned behavioral foolishness. Once no longer in the courting stage, a narcissist will find a way to blame the mate, friend, or adult child for anything and everything that

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might go wrong in the relationship. Pathologically narcissistic individuals are so deluded that they will blame the victim for creating a situation that led the narcissist to being abusive. If the narcissist is mad, according to the narcissist, such is usually the fault of the victimized mate, child, or friend. If a person leaves an abusive relationship with the narcissist, it is the longsuffering victim who will be berated for not having the fortitude to stick it out or not loving the narcissist enough. The victim will be accused of not truly caring about the narcissist if the person ever elects to save themselves from the narcissistic pathology. A narcissist is never, ever, at fault and is never, in their mind, wrong. Many narcissists cannot internalize the idea of being remorseful for harm done because they have not truly learned and embraced the idea of personal accountability. Oftentimes, when they were younger and harmed, those who harmed them or neglected them failed to exhibit anything that looked like authentic contrition. Hence, absent divine intervention, one should not hold one’s breath waiting for a monumental and permanent change to come to a loved one who is struggling through pathologically narcissistic functioning. There is no tried and true clinical intervention for addressing the symptoms of pathological narcissism. Even if there were a viable treatment for such, a narcissistic individual rarely admits that they have a problem. When one does admit difficulties, they are still generally reluctant to seek interventions and change. Narcissistic individuals also tend to have contempt for clinicians who might serve as mirror holders for the narcissist’s behaviors and maladaptive life patterns. Therefore, clinical work to address pathological narcissism is best structured around meeting the change needs of those who have been victimized and targeted by narcissistic individuals. Clinicians working with those who have been targeted by narcissists, or who have been birthed by narcissists, should focus on helping the victimized individuals to heal and move on to healthier life spaces and paths. Insisting on doing dyadic work wherein one party is a narcissist will likely only yield diminishing, if any, returns to the victim or the narcissist. Those who feel trapped in a relationship with a narcissist need to find ways to redirect their attention and energy away from the narcissist and back onto themselves. One must understand that simply confronting a narcissist is not going to result in a major change in the narcissist. Trying to call the narcissist’s attention to the pain they are causing will, generally, not result in major behavioral and personality adjustments. On the contrary, such will, likely, result in the narcissist being gleeful for having caused the person pain. Confronting the narcissist about deceptions also results in a sense of glee or what is known as “duping delight” as the narcissist internally or externally gloats over being smart enough or slick enough to outsmart the victim/target. All in all, however, the narcissist simply does not care about the wellbeing of others, including the target/victim. A victim’s understanding of narcissism and narcissistic abuse will greatly assist a victim in moving towards healing and wholeness. For many, healing requires severely limited or no contact with narcissistic individuals. This can be very difficult when the narcissist is a parent, a child, a spouse, or a co-parent. If one is serious about healing, however, “no contact” or severely limited and controlled contact may be a victim’s/target’s only mercy and saving grace. The most profound healing moves in codependency are to own one’s own healing, to allow others to own their own healing, and to have compassion for oneself while having compassion for others. Compassion

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for self and others is crucial to much of human healing. With pathological narcissism, however, a victim’s compassion for the narcissist is, likely, best done at a prayerful and bounded emotional and physical distance. You cannot heal someone who does not want to heal themselves. You, also, cannot heal another when you, yourself, are integral to the perpetuation of their suffering and to your own suffering as a willing target. Allowing someone to abuse you does not heal the abuser; it only propagates dysfunction and decreases the abuser’s motivation and ability to heal, grow, and be delivered. Many seek to heal a narcissistic loved one by being a quasi-therapist or pseudo-parent for a narcissist or by trying to deeply love a narcissist into health and healing. Some believe that they can change a narcissist by beating them at their own game. You cannot. Many, also, think they can healthily survive a narcissist by actively staying in the relationship and simply ignoring the narcissist behaviors. Some others believe they can wait out the narcissist and hang on until the narcissist matures enough to see the proverbial light. These strategies basically do not work. For all of their volatility, narcissists are emotionally numb. While they, indeed, need love, they do not know how to receive love or to give love and many have been effectively taught that they are unworthy of love since conception. (When two parents do not authentically love themselves and each other, they are highly unlikely to create a child that they believe is worthy of love or that they authentically love. This creates a life challenge that is imbedded in the child at a cellular and soul level. Hence, you cannot save a person struggling with pathological narcissism through commonplace kindness, generosity, and warmth.) Saving Self If you are in such a situation, what you can do is save yourself. To begin this journey, you must get in touch with any need to be God and savior to any other. Saving oneself also means getting over any conscious or unconscious need to self-abuse and to submit to masochistic suffering. Once one realizes they are dealing with a pathological narcissist, to hang on is a victim’s choice and not simply about an abusive narcissist who is out of his or her mind. You teach a narcissistic loved one to have boundaries and to respect your boundaries by establishing your own and respecting such. You teach a narcissistic loved one about self-awareness and self-esteem by manifesting your own. You teach a narcissistic loved one about self-care by caring for yourself. One can teach a narcissistic loved one honest relating by being honest in one’s own engagements. One can teach a narcissistic loved one fairness and respect by being fair and respectful to oneself and by accepting nothing less from others. One can prevent falling prey to the dangerous liaisons that characterize narcissistic relations by being patiently prudent before delving headlong into any and all social relations. If you have been birthed by a narcissist or targeted by a narcissist, learn to have gratitude for your own life and compassion for theirs. Though, for many reasons, many do not believe in confronting a narcissist regarding their behaviors, it is possible that bringing the behavioral, emotional, and social realities to the forefront may be the only thing that will lead the way to healing for the victim. Many targets of pathological narcissists may have difficulty healing and dealing in reality if they are not allowed to speak their truth to the feigned power orchestrated by the narcissist. The truth about the reality of the relationship may cause the narcissist and the victim much trepidation, angst, rage, shame, anger, regret, and confusion but, it is, ultimately, the truth, and only the internalized and externalized truth, which will set both the narcissist and the targeted or birthed victim free.

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“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” -John 8:32 References Beck, M. (1979). Pathological narcissism and the psychology of the married victim. Family Therapy, Vol 6(3), 1979. pp. 155-159. Cohen, O. (1998). Parental narcissism and the disengagement of the non-custodial father after divorce. Clinical Social Work Journal, Vol 26(2), Sum 1998. pp. 195-215. Kealy, D. & Ogrodniczuk, J. S. (2014). Pathological narcissism and the obstruction of love. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, Vol 42(1), Spr 2014. pp. 101-119. Martens, W. H. J. (2005). Shame and Narcissism: Therapeutic Relevance of Conflicting Dimensions of Excessive Self Esteem, Pride, and Pathological Vulnerable Self. Annals of the American Psychotherapy Association, Vol 8(2), Sum 2005. pp. 10-17. Munich, R.L. (2009). Overparenting and the narcissistic pursuit of attachment. Psychiatric Annals, Vol 39(4), Apr, 2009. Special Issue: Narcissistic Personality Disorders: Part 2. pp. 227-235. Shaw, D. (2010). Enter ghosts: The loss of intersubjectivity in clinical work with adult children of pathological narcissists. Psychoanalytic Dialogues, Vol 20(1), Jan, 2010. pp. 46-59. Van Schoor, E. (1992). Pathological narcissism and addiction: A self-psychology perspective. Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Vol 6(3), 1992. pp. 205-212.

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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’ “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Matthew 25:34-40 NIV

We seek to impact the world with the love of Christ one life at a time! Hopelessness and desperation are on the rise in a world where the greatest segment of the population possesses the least amount of resources. We need your help! Please help us fight this epidemic by sending your tax deductible donations/contributions to: For His Glory Ministries of St. Louis P.O. Box 1942 Maryland Heights, MO. 63043 http://calvarychapelslc.com/homeless-ministry/ For other ways in which you can help please contact Pamela Ford at pamelaford98@gmail.com or 314-216-0744. Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

LIVE WORK PLAY

Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Nate K. Johnson ABR,CRS,GRI Broker/Owner Real Estate Solutions nate@livingstl.com www.livingstl.com

I hope that you are doing well. You have no idea how excited I am to welcome the arrival of April. I almost shed a tear when I woke up to snow on the ground last week. However, it reminded me of a quote from Anne Bradstreet, “If we

had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant: if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome.” Like you, I am looking

forward to a pleasant and prosperous April. I’ve a got a few suggestions for you to make it another great month in St. Louis. Hopefully, you will join me at some of these great events!

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Local Events

If you are looking for some great live music tonight, aka Thursday, you might want to join me at the Old Rock House to enjoy the rhythmic soul music of the talented five piece all-analog ensemble, Nth Power/Corey Henry & Funk Apostles. If you like NBC’s hit show, The Sing-Off, you would love their live show at Peabody Opera House on Thursday evening.

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If you’re ready for some laughs on Friday, grab some tickets to the STL Comedy Festival at Chaifetz Arena. You might also enjoy The Slaughter Project: RELEASE! at the Edison Theatre at Washington University on Friday. The project serves as a forum that brings together an emsemble of emerging choreographers and dancers. If your family is anxiously awaiting all the fun Easter activities, take them on a trip to the Easter Egg Hunt Celebration at Six Flags on Saturday. You and the kids will have the opportunity to hunt around the park for eggs filled with tasty Easter treats. I’ve been trying to talk my wife into joining me at the Wakarusa Music Festival in June to see Ben Harper, The Roots, Thievery Corporation and more, but she is having a hard time wrapping her head around camping in the mountains of Arkansas, where the festival will be hosted. However, I may be able to charm her into checking out the Waka DJ Classic 2015 on Saturday night at the Old Rock House, where DJ’s will compete for a spot at the June festival. Saturday is also the opening day for Currents 110: Mariam Ghani Exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum. Brooklyn-based artist Mariam Ghani creates video and photographic installations that investigate built and natural landscapes, such as Kabul, Afghanistan and Kassel, Germany. If you’re in the Delmar Loop area on Saturday Night and in the mood for some music, Rocco DeLuca will performing at Blueberry Hill and OK GO will be performing at The Pageant. On Sunday, you can head over to the zoo for Enrichment Eggstravaganza. The zookeepers will have egg hunting activities for the animals and lots of fun and entertainment for everyone else. If you love cars, you won’t want to miss the 54th Annual Easter Concours d’Elegance Car Show at the Muny parking lot in Forest Park. There will be an attractive display of street rods, Corvettes, classic cars, street machines, and more! Also, Sunday is the last day to see Kinky Boots at the Fox Theatre. If you haven’t seen it, make sure you grab some tickets to this exhilarating Broadway musical. On Sunday afternoon, you can enjoy a romantic excursion at the Gateway Arch Riverboat Sunday Brunch Cruise with magnificent views of the Arch and St. Louis skyline.

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Break out your business cards and enjoy a cocktail at the Untapped Networking Happy Hour at Ballpark Village on Thursday. If you’re in the mood to taste some delicious local craft beer, head across the street to Brew with a View at 360. Enjoy your beer alongside fare from some of the best local eateries. Also on Thursday, you can head over to West County Center for a cocktail party and some complimentary appetizers while joining St. Louis’ savviest shoppers for the Spring Style Soiree to benefit Siteman Cancer Center. If you get there early, there will be a cocktail party and complimentary appetizers before the runway show at West County Center.

On Friday, go check out To Kill a Mockingbird at the Florissant Civic Center Theatre. The stirring drama is based on Harper Lee’s classic Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. If you are in a classical mood, you may prefer to revel in Mozart’s sublime melodies at the STL Symphony Concert: Mozart Sinfonia Concertante at Powell Hall, or head over to the Missouri History Museum for a lesson on The Rise and Fall of Prohibition at their extensive exhibit. If you are looking for a great art exhibit on Friday, you can check out the opening day for the Neither Here Nor There: Borders and Mobility in Contemporary Art at the Kemper Art Museum. These cutting edge artists engage themes of travel, identity, and shifting concepts of home in a world of global citizenship.

On Saturday, Schlafly will be paying tribute to their right to brew with a beer festival featuring favorite Schlafly beers at the Repeal of Prohibition Beer Festival. If you get hungry, head over to Tenacious Eats presents “The Sandlot.” Watch the film as you enjoy five courses and five cocktails themed to baseball and the classic film. If you’re up for a run, you may be interested in participating in the GO! St. Louis Marathon & Family Fitness Weekend. If you’re in the mood for a breathtaking dance performance, check out the diverse and innovative choreography of Giordano Dance Chicago at the Edison Theatre at Washington University.

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On Sunday, check out the magnificent and unique rhythms of STOMP at The Fox Theatre. This eight-member group uses everything but conventional percussion instruments matchboxes, wooden poles, brooms, garbage cans, Zippo lighters, hubcaps. You could join the St. Louis Modern Chinese School over at The Magic House for Chinese Games, where kids will enjoy games and sports popular for children in China today. If your kids love dinosaurs, take them out for a fun day at Discover the Dinosaurs at America’s Center on Sunday. If you feel like enjoying the nice weather, you might check out the 37th Annual Spring Art Fair at Queeny Park. The vendor lineup is composed of 140 juried artists from around the St. Louis region and the United States!

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On Monday, if you don’t have a ticket for the Cardinal’s opening day you can take advantage of Ballpark Village’s birds eye view into Busch Stadium with their flat screens as they broadcast the game. Enjoy the creative, baseball-inspired cocktails and snacks with a live radio remote from KTRS! If you miss watching I Love Lucy, make sure you get tickets for the stage production of I Love Lucy Live on Stage at the Peabody Opera House on Friday. If you’re in the mood for some music, Yonder Mountain String Band will be performing at The Pageant, and Boogie Foot will be performing at Evangeline’s Bistro and Music House. Friday is also the opening day of the Beyond Bosch: The Afterlife of a Renaissance Master in Print exhibit at the St. Louis Art Museum in Forest Park. On Saturday, head over to the zoo for the collection of wildlife art by the internationally acclaimed wildlife artist and conservationist, Robert Bateman called Inspired by Nature. You can also grab your running shoes and head downtown Saturday morning for the The St. Louis Color Run which is the “Happiest 5k on the Planet” to help promote health and happiness. Also on Saturday, sprouts of all ages are invited to dig into the fun in celebration of Earthy Day at the Magic House. The kids will love learning about Earth Day and enjoy all the fun hands-on activities! Afterwards, stop by the ThurtenE Carnival on the Washington University campus. The nation’s oldest student-run carnival includes exciting rides, like the tilt-a-whirl and ferris wheel, but the student-run productions are the real treat! Also on Saturday you won’t want to miss the mind-blowing on stage experiments of MYTHBUSTERSJamie and Adam Unleashed at their fascinating show and approach to science at The Peabody Opera House. Later in the evening, head over to The Ready Room for a Tribute to John Lee Hooker with a host of talented musicians, including The Bottoms Up Blues Gang, Richie Darling and more! Saturday is also the opening reception for the From Light to Dark exhibit at the Art St. Louis Gallery in downtown St. Louis. From Light to Dark is a juried exhibition featuring 58 artworks by 56 artists from across the region.

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Sunday is the last day to see the Missouri Immigrant Experience Exhibit, so head over to the Missouri History Museum in Forest Park to see the faces and learn the stories of immigrants from a variety of backgrounds that all ended up in our great city of St. Louis. The Musical Merry-Go-Round welcomes Fire Dog ‘For the Kids’ CD Release Party is in Maplewood on Sunday. Finally on Sunday, join me to watch COCA’s student dance companies, which include COCAdance, Ballet Eclectica and the Hip-Hop Crew conclude their seasons with an annual Triumphant Spring Repertory Concert on Sunday.

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On Monday, check out Sufjan Stevens featuring Cold Specks at the Peabody Opera House. On Tuesday, head over to The Sheldon to see the Swing Set. From swing, jump and jive to Latin, polka and waltzes, Swing Set performs some of the best songs from the 1930s and ‘40s jazz era. Also on Tuesday, the talented and humorous Kevin Hart will be performing his stand-up routine at the Scottrade Center. On Wednesday, you may want to take the kids to see Once on this Island at the Edison Theatre. It’s a warm and funny tale for children of all ages, told with breezy Caribbean rhythms. Join me to check out the Robert Glasper Experiment with Special Guest Keyon Harrold on Wednesday, they will be performing at Jazz at the Bistro.

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On Thursday, be sure to go see The Second City at the Touhill Performing Art Center . This production by America’s famed comedy troupe will feature some of the greatest sketches, songs and improvisations from The Second City’s 52-year history. On Friday, Sleater-Kinney will be performing at The Pageant, and platinum-selling singer Suzy Bogguss will be performing music from her new release, Lucky, at The Sheldon Concert Hall. You might also enjoy hip hop dance performance by Compagnie Kafig presented by Dance St. Louis at the Touhill Performing Art Center. You could also check out the finals of the Teen Talent Competition at the Fox Theatre. On Saturday, take a scenic drive over to Cedar Lake Cellars and sip on some of their amazing wine while you enjoy a

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performance by the rock duet, Serapis. You may also enjoy an afternoon at The Schlafly Tap Room for some delicious food and excellent beer while you listen to some catchy tunes by The Ol’ One, Two. Later, Variety’s Dinner with the Stars featuring Toni Braxton promises to be a great event on Saturday night downtown at The Peabody Opera House. On Sunday, join me and my babies at one of the best festivals of the year! Yes, The 26th Annual St. Louis Earth Day Festival is upon us and you’ll have the opportunity to learn about sustainable products and services offered by local businesses, catch local musical acts and performance art, and enjoy diverse cuisine at the Muny Grounds in Forest Park. While you are in the park, you might want to enjoy some more earth-related activities and games at the zoo for Earth Day: Party for the Planet. On Sunday night, you can check out Genevieve and her talented vocal styling as she will be in St. Louis performing at Old Rock House!

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On Tuesday, learn how to pair my two of my favorite thingswine and chocolate at Scape in the Central West End. as the owner of Bittersweet Artisan Truffles and the wine director of Scape will be teaching Wine + Chocolate: A Happy Marriage.

On Wednesday, the Benny Green Trio will be performing at Jazz at the Bistro, and Home Free, the country a capella band and Season 4 Champions of NBC’s The Sing Off, will be performing at The Sheldon. If you’re near the Delmar Loop, check out the St. Louis Walk of Fame as Christine Brewer gets inducted. She began her career as a member of the St. Louis Symphony and went on to perform in prominent symphonies and operas world-wide.

On Thursday, see for yourself why St. Louis is such a great place to visit during the St. Louis Convention & Visitors Commission’s annual Be A Tourist In Your Own Town event. The region’s most popular attractions will exhibit with free refreshments, music, prizes and fun for everyone. Visit the Fox Theatre for The Anomaly Tour Featuring Lecrae. Also on Thursday, if you love to read and love a good deal, you will love the Greater St. Louis Book Fair at West County Mall. It’s one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most popular charity book sales!

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Yes, it will certainly be another great month in St. Louis! Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t forget to plan for the Cinco de Mayo Festival on Cherokee Street on Saturday May 2nd. Please let me know if there is anything that I can do for you. All the best. ~Nate

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A Poetry Reading Group

For Collegiate Black Men

contemporary African American poetry. So while many poets have become big winners over the decades, we can’t say the same for readers. These challenges have given me a deep sense of purpose as a teacher and public humanities organizer. During the course of the last few years, I created and coordinated mixed media exhibits and programs that sought to expose students to aspects of African American poetry. Most recently, I developed a project concentrating on Adrian Matejka’s volume The Big Smoke – a poetic treatment of the life of legendary boxing champion Jack Johnson. By Howard Rambsy II

First, there’s the good news. Over the last two-anda-half decades, individual African American poets have increasingly become recipients of major awards, prizes, and recognition. Since 1987, we’ve had four Pulitzer Prize Winners and over a dozen Guggenheim Fellowship and Whiting Award recipients. Several poets have been National Poetry Series Winners; Ruth Lilly and Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Poetry Fellowship recipients, and Robert Frost Medal winners. There have been historical patterns of exclusion that prevented African American poets from earning major literary prizes. Further, winning awards can assist in popularizing and solidifying distinct poetic and cultural perspectives. Thus, the successes of African American poets constitute significant and far-reaching developments. So, that’s the good news. What’s more challenging concerning poetry is the lack of support for programming and reading projects. You’d be hard-pressed to encounter well-funded, long-running educational activities that showcase contemporary African American poetry. Contemporary black poetry is largely absent from high school and collegiate course curriculum, at least that’s the impression I get from the hundreds of students I have polled over the last decade. They routinely note that they never largely unaware of developments in

I earned a grant from my university to purchase The Big Smoke for 50 collegiate black men. From August through early December, we participated in reading exercises, an online discussion group, and a series of public exhibits showcasing poetry and cultural history. The process gave us the somewhat unique opportunity of utilizing poetry as the basis for a rather wide-reaching conversation. Matejka’s The Big Smoke concentrates on a renowned bad man figure who is celebrated for his boxing skill and often viewed as controversial because of his flashy, “sporting” social life. Johnson was a baller, so to speak, decades and decades before the term came into popular use. His athletic expertise and bold demeanor make him, in retrospect, an intriguing prototype for many star athletes and rappers today. For those reasons, The Big Smoke resonated with the participants in our program. An examination of Matejka’s poetry often turned into a conversation about sports and history. A focus on Johnson usually turned into a discussion about the implications of a clever, eloquent black man struggling in a society that insisted on labeling him unintelligent. Not surprisingly, the young black men college students I was working with could relate to Johnson’s experiences of having his intellect questioned. The guys knew what it was like for a black man to have pg.

troubling encounters with white policemen and the legal system. The online component of the project was another uncommon and important component of the project. In the past, I have coordinated several online reading groups, but hardly any concentrated on poetry. The option of discussing aspects of the book online made it possible for more students to participate, as they could join in on the conversation when their schedules permit. They also had the opportunity of covering a range of commentary by various other young black men. Attaining adequate funding for programming featuring African American poetry still remains a challenge. My knowledge of the rewarding learning opportunities gained by the collegiate black men who participated in this program on The Big Smoke leads me to believe that seeking out possibilities is worthwhile. ************************ Dr. Howard Rambsy II teaches American and African American literature at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. He writes about literary art and culture and organizes public humanities programs.

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Click image to

WATCH NOW! pg.

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International Hip-Hop: COMPAGNIE KÄFIG

at the Touhill on April 24-25

“

f o w o h s p o h p i h The best aroScope ig F ! s r he last 10 yea

”

There’s hip-hop and then there’s Compagnie Käfig’s brand of hip-hop -- a fusion of styles that mixes headspinning hip-hop, samba, capoeira, street dancing and contemporary dance. Presented by Dance St. Louis as part of its 2014-15 season, the all-male Brazilian troupe of 11 dancers makes its St. Louis debut on April 24-25 with three performances at the Touhill Performing Arts Center. Compagnie Käfig is the brainchild of Mourad Merzouki, a native of Lyon, France who studied martial arts and circus arts as a child and was influenced by hip-hop as a teen. Since founding the company in 1996, Merzouki and Compagnie Käfig have expanded the language of hip-hop by cleverly introducing a wide range of influences, ranging from samba and capoeira to martial arts and Bollywood. Compagnie Käfig performs two works for the St. Louis program: Correria (Running) and Agwa (Water). Correria (Running) is a work that plunges audiences into the frantic, hectic race that governs our everyday lives. The dancers’ bodies and movements are breathtaking. Agwa (Water) is about water as a vital component of our bodies, a precious natural resource to be economized and preserved, and a symbol of renewal. In this piece, dancers slide and perform in-between and over 300 cups of water placed on the stage without spilling. One dancer even consecutively backflips in between the rows of the hundreds of cups. Since its creation, Correria Agwa has played 276 times in 145 cities and 17 countries. The origin of the works Correria and Agwa was an encounter between Compagnie Käfig founder Mourad Merzouki and the young dancers from Rio de Janeiro at the Lyon Dance Biennial in 2006. The Brazilian dancers had their roots in the favelas (shantytowns), and their individual stories struck a profound chord with Merzouki. The dancers were driven by a passion for dance and a fervent determination to make something of their lives. Mixing and diluting hip-hop, street dancing, capoeira, samba, electronic music and bossa nova with acrobatics and invention, Merzouki and the dancers produced works that have since been performed all over the world, selling out performances and receiving rave reviews. Dance St. Louis also hosts a free Q&A program in the Touhill’s Terrace Lobby with a representative from the company before each performance. The Marjorie Orgel Speaking of Dance Series takes place at 7:15 p.m. prior to the 8 p.m. performances and at 1:15 p.m. prior to the Saturday 2 p.m. And don’t miss the free Brazilian Carnival after party on April 25 at 9:30 p.m. For more information, visit Dance St. Louis at http://dancestlouis. org/event/compangnie-kafig/.

expect from hip’d u o y t a h w s t’ a th This is raw energy, ll about and a is ce n a d t a h w is , this hop. Shirts on or off ily Telegraph a D . d se is m definitely not to be

“

”

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WHAT: Dance St. Louis presents Compagnie Käfig in Correria Agwa WHEN: April 24 at 8 p.m. & April 25 at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. WHERE: Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of UMSL TICKETS: $30-55 for evening performances; $30 for matinee performance ADDITIONAL: Free “Brazilian Carnival” after party on Sat., April 25 at 9:30-10:30 p.m. WEBSITE: http://dancestlouis.org

“The young Brazilians were a sensation…” - Le Progrès

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retro

P R E S E N T I N G T H E C U LT U R E ..........................................

Reception&GALLERY TALK Tuesday, April 21st | 5pm-8pm -URBAN LEAGUE-

Vaughn Cultural Center

3701 Grandel Square | Saint Louis, Missouri 63108

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC! O N

V I E W

A P R I L 7 - M AY 2 2

FACESnotFORGOTTEN -

Y -

CRIME VICTIM ADVOCACY CENTER O

curated by christine ilewski

Reception&Program

Portraits of Child Victims of Gun Violence

Thursday, April 16th | 5pm-7pm -URBAN LEAGUE-

Vaughn Cultural Center

3701 Grandel Square | Saint Louis, Missouri 63108

FREE & OPEN TO THE PUBLIC!

O N V I E W A P R I L 3 - M AY 8

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ST. JUDE HERO 2015 NYC Marathon for kids w/ cancer

Need your help! Greetings my friends! I am running the 2015 New York City Marathon for second time on Sunday, November 1st. Raising money once again for St. Jude, the great hospital for children with cancer. Looking for as many folks as possible to donate $5 or $10 or $25 or more as soon as you are able, to this link. Thank you so much in advance: http://tinyurl.com/nb7p3e3 Kevin Powell

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Featured

Artist

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Submission

Sonja Evans

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Contact: 850.602.5205

www.sonjagriffinevans.com pg.

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Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club Beginning Knitting Class Interested in it? n k o t w o h g n learni

“Knit to be Tied” 10-Week Session

Dates February 7- April 18, 2015 (No class Easter Weekend, April 5, 2015)

Time Saturdays 10:30-12noon Location Mathews-Dickey Boys’ & Girls’ Club 4245 North Kingshighway St. Louis, MO 63115 Ages 8 years and older, parents / guardians welcome to participate Cost $25.00

Membership Required Contact Membership Dept. for information about Special Discount and promotions at 314.382.5952

For additional information contact : Cheryl Holland at cholland@wustl.edu or 314.935.6626 LaJuan Williams, Cultural Arts and Health Department 314.382.5952 ext. 242

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“Acting White”

Share your Story Dear friends: I have been asked to write a chapter in a book that will address colorism in education. My chapter will focus on “acting white.” Specifically, when I was growing up, I was a “smart” student. My top performance in school, doing homework, raising my hand to answer questions, etc. often drew the accusation from my African American classmates and friends that I was “acting white.” Now, I know there are psychologists out there who say this is not true and does not exist. But alas, it was absolutely true for me. I have written about this in past works. I will do so again for this new book. I do know that many young folks today who continue to have such allegations hurled at them so feel free to share this email with whoever and have folks email me directly. I did a survey on this very question about 7 years ago and the results were consistent with my experiences decades ago. I’d like to update my earlier survey. I would love to hear from anyone out there who has a similar/related story either involving yourself or someone you know. I would like to include your story in the chapter. I will conceal your identity if you request. Do you have a story to share? If so, please email to me at: norwood@wulaw.wustl.edu. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” Margaret Mead Kimberly Norwood , Professor of Law | Washington University School of Law Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

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John Jennings Associate Professor Visual Studies SUNY Buffalo tumblr: http://jijennin70. tumblr.com/

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“Tandy’s Boycott” CHARLTON H. TANDY By Pierre Blaine Charlton Tandy was born in Kentucky in 1836 to parents who were free only because his grandparents had purchased the family’s freedom three years before his birth. Throughout his childhood, Tandy’s family worked to free slaves through the Underground Railroad and Tandy often led slaves on the route from Covington, Kentucky, to freedom in Cincinnati, Ohio. Tandy moved to St. Louis in 1857 and worked a series of jobs until the Civil War began, when he became post messenger at Jefferson Barracks. 1857 was the same year that the Supreme Court decided the Dred Scott case in St. Louis, Mo. which decided that blacks had no rights which the Court had to honor. The Dred Scott case led to the Civil War in the U.S. The war proved good for Tandy’s standing, as he rose from state militia volunteer to captain of “Tandy’s St. Louis Guard,” an African American state militia that he recruited. Tandy enlisted into Company B of the 13th regiment of the Missouri State Militia. In 1870, he organized a boycott of the streetcars in St. Louis, Mo. and went to jail, litigated and finally integrated the streetcars. As a civil rights activist he fought against transportation segregation by implementing acts of civil disobedience like sitting in the white section of the streetcars. One time he commandeered the rains of horses causing them to stop until black riders could get onto the streetcars for a ride. He also gained the confidence of one of the streetcar owners getting him to agree to the principle that blacks should be able to ride the streetcars without having to sit on the back of the car. Erastus Wells, was that streetcar owner, helped Tandy by paying fines to get him out of jail. There were seven streetcar lines in St. Louis, Mo. and in order to ride blacks had to stand in the rear car or on the back platform. Tandy first challenged this practice by trying to get black women seats on the car. Once they challenged this practice, Tandy was arrested and put into jail. Erastus Wells paid his fines in court and at the trial indicated that blacks should have the right to ride anyplace in the cars they chose. He subsequently informed his operators to allow blacks to ride anywhere they pleased on his streetcar line. This act caused blacks to abandon riding other streetcar lines which led to a boycott of the other lines to ride on Well’s lines which did not discriminate against them. Eventually, the other streetcar lines began to allow blacks to ride anywhere on their cars as well and this effectively stopped segregation in St. Louis on streetcars. This was 86 years before the bus boycott of Montgomery, Alabama by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and SCLC. Tandy also saw the need for education of black people and was instrumental in spearheading the development of Lincoln Institute which became Lincoln University a college for blacks. He lived by the motto – “All men have the duty to perform justice in this world and should not sit back and allow others to exercise oppression.” St. Louis honored him by naming Tandy Recreation Center after him located in the Ville neighborhood and Tandy Park located in front of Sumner High School and the Tandy Medical Center located on Kingshighway. Come join us April 17, 2015 6:00 P.M. at the Northside Community School 3033 N. Euclid for a play by Rosalynde Scott – “Tandy’s Streetcar Action”. Tickets are $20.00 for adults and $10.00 for children 14 and under. This is a joint project by: The Shared Vision Group

Call 533-4100 for more information.

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S.L .A .M.

St. Louis Art Museum

ART COLLECTIONS

EXHIBITS

EVENTS

Admission to the Museum is free every day. Hours:

Tuesday–Sunday, 10:00 am–5:00 pm

Friday, 10:00 am–9:00 pm

w w w. s l a m . o r g One Fine Arts Drive - Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1380 314.721.0072

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Closed Monday

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ART OFOF FOOD ART FOOD

Sweet Potato RICE PUDDING

So my mom & one of my aunts always have been trying to convince me to writing and working on a cookbook highlighting Sweet Potatoes. It definitely is one of my favorite ingredients to cook with and there are so many different things you create with it. A few months ago, while recipe binging (as I like to call it), I came across a recipe for Sweet Potato Rice Pudding. *eyebrow raise* I was immediately intrigued, especially since the 1st & last time I made rice pudding was in my Latin Cuisine class in culinary school. So I finally tried it out the other day. I like this recipe, I’m not completely in love with it, yet. I played around with some of the ingredients, just to make it more appealing for my taste buds but I still want to tweak it til I fall in love with it. For instance, in my mind rice pudding should be sweet but have the perfect sweetness. The small amounts of honey + syrup in the recipe were not cutting it for me. So in the mashed sweet potatoes I added a little bit of granulated + brown sugar and orange zest to enhance the flavor. I also had the hardest time trying to find vanilla bean paste. After going to 4 different stores, I gave up and substituted the paste for vanilla extract.

*New Technique Alert* One trick I’ve

learned over the years is to rinse your rice before you cook it! Rinsing rice actually rids the grains of surface starches, prevents clumping, and yields a clean, fresh taste. I normally rinse my rice in the same pot I cook it in. Be sure to use plenty of water and always start by stirring the rice in circles with your fingers or by rubbing it gently between your palms to loosen the starches. The water actually NEVER gets clear. It starts out opaque and cloudy and becomes less murky. Aim to repeatedly rinse the rice with fresh water until the water is nearly clear.

Bon Appétit,

Doré

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SWEET POTATO cont.

PROCEDURE: Combine water, rice and salt in a medium-sized, heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to a boil, stir once & cover with a tight fitting lid. Reduce heat to low & simmer for approximately 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. The rice will be slightly undercooked, but will continue to cook in the next step. Remove rice from pot, place in a bowl & set aside.

Combine milk, honey, maple syrup, vanilla bean paste (or extract) & spices to the same pot. Bring to a very low boil over medium heat, whisking often so the milk doesn’t scorch. Lower the heat to medium-low.

Gradually whisk in cooked rice, sweet potato puree & raisins. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Simmer & occasionally stir until milk cooks down and the rice is creamy. This should take approximately 20 minutes. Towards the end of cooking, you will need to closely watch the rice pudding to make sure it doesn’t burn.

Ingredients: yields: 4 servings Ingredients: 1 C Water 1/2 C Short-grain White Rice (or Brown Rice) pinch salt

Transfer rice pudding to a large bowl & allow to cool, pudding will thicken during this step. To speed up the process you can refrigerate until wellchilled.

2 C 2% Milk 1 Tbsp Honey 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup 1 Tbsp Vanilla Bean Paste (or Vanilla Extract)

Serve either warm or cold, with an extra dollop of sweet potato puree & a dusting of cinnamon, if desired.

1/2 Tbsp Ground Cinnamon pinch Ground Nutmeg pinch Ground Ginger pinch Garam Masala 1/2 C Golden Raisins 1 C Sweet Potato Puree (or Mashed Sweet Potatoes)

Léna O. A. Jackson St. Louis, MO Culinary Arts pg.

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Art of Healing

Your Ad or Article could be here!

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015



AFRIKAN – AMERICAN POET’S MONTH SALE!

DURING THE ENTIRE MONTH OF APRIL 2015 GIVE THE NAME AND BRIEF HISTORY OF A HISTORICAL AFRICAN AMERICAN POET AND GET 30% OFF ALL THE ITEMS YOU PURCHASE

PROGRESSIVE EMPORIUM & EDUCATION CENTER

Monday – Saturday - 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Closed Sundays

For more information call (314) 875-9277 or Visit Our Facebook Page “Progressive Emporium”

This Sale Cannot Be Combined With Any Other PEEC Sale

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Missouri Department of Natural Resources

Scott Joplin House State Historic Site Family FunDay for Earth Day

Sunday, April 26, 2015 2:00 - 4:00 PM 2658 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63103

Build Your Own Terrarium!

In honor of Earth Day, April 22nd create your own personal garden by assembling a terrarium. We supply the container, soil, rocks and plants. You supply your green thumb! This event is free, but space is limited and you must register.

Please call and RSVP (314)340-5790.

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St. Louis’ 2015

WOMEN

“Those who can, do, Those who can do more, volunteer” is how the saying goes. That same sentiment is also at the center of Women of Achievement - the oldest, ongoing program in the area whose sole mission is to honor and recognize the volunteer service and volunteer leadership of women. Now, in its 60th year, Women of Achievement has announced the 2015 Class of Honorees - a selection of 10 extraordinary volunteers from the St. Louis metropolitan region. This year’s honorees and their respective designations are: Carol Bartle (Community Betterment), Lise Bernstein (Social Justice), Sara Burke (Cultural Enrichment), Maxine Clark (Educational Leadership), Betsy Douglass (Educational Empowerment), Ghazala Hayat, M.D. (Multicultural Leadership), Lee Etta Hoskins (Youth Enrichment), Carol B. Loeb (Educational Philanthropy), Sheri Sherman (Humanitarian Concerns) and Pamela Talley (Community Advocacy).

“Volunteering is a vital part of the community,”

said Women of Achievement President Nanci A. Bobrow, Ph.D. “For the past 60 years Women of Achievement has been recognizing the indelible impact and value of these volunteer leaders by honoring and thanking them publicly for their selfless contributions of energy, leadership and time. The honorees’ service has impacted thousands of lives, and changed the cultural and social landscape of the St. Louis region. The health, functioning and survival of a community rely on volunteer donations of services, time and resources, which represent an incredible economic savings and value to our community.” The 2015 Class will be recognized at the 2015 Women of Achievement Luncheon on Tuesday, May 5 at the Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis. Doors open at 11:15 a.m. and the luncheon runs until 1:30 p.m. This year’s luncheon chair is Karen Castellano and the vice chair is Pam Toder. Luncheon reservations are $60 per person and can be made by contacting MAC Meetings & Events at 314.421.2005.

Lee Etta Hoskins Youth Enrichment

As an advisor for Top Teens of America along with numerous other civic programs, Lee encouraged youth under her leadership to have high academic scholarship, develop social graces and leadership, fellowship abilities, pride in self, home and community, She also emphasized to teens the importance of deep concern for senior citizens, and to have pride in community beautification and partnerships.

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N of Achievement Honoring the region’s outstanding women volunteers

Sara Burke

Pamela Talley

First as a dancer in East St. Louis with The Dunham Company and then as a working artist in the St. Louis community, Sara’s experiences have led her to focus on fostering inclusiveness in the arts. Over the decades, Sara’s efforts have provided increased access to the arts, specifically aimed at improving race relations. Her efforts have also provided numerous opportunities to under-served and minority communities.

Spending countless hours aiding the residents of North St. Louis in positive ways, Pamela focuses her efforts on the historic Lewis Place neighborhood, where she serves as a strong advocate for rebuilding a community that stabilizes and revitalizes families and businesses.

Cultural Enrichment

Community Advocacy

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Emcee: Carol Daniel

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Dwayne and Dwight

Bosman

CD RELEASE WEEKEND April 10th & April 11th at

Jazz at the Bistro -

Grand center (3536 Washington)

Help to celebrate their latest jazz creation:

“When Lions Roar”. Tickets are

$25 and may be purchased online at www.jazzstl.org There will be 2 shows each night, 7:30 and 9:30.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Happy Easter from ESG Modeling Agency!

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Happy Easter from ESG modeling agency!

What are your plans for the Holiday? Jes-Us [Just Us] clothing line model- Ema Remtula:

I plan on relaxing in the house with the kids for Easter and having some family fun! I recently caught a cold and with cancer and chemo, a common cold, can become dangerous. Due to treatments, my immune system is weak. We never think about a common cold being anything more than something that passes, because we take our immune systems for granted and assume it's ﬁghting on behalf. But, with chemo it breaks the immune system down so we don't have the same protection.Therefore, I'm going to war with no defense and I must be very careful when I see signs of getting ill.

The kids and I are excited about spending some fun a relaxing time together! I hope everyone enjoys their Easter and be blessed!

Nationwide Project Manager/Hairstyling Manager- Na'chell Green:

My family is planning a Easter Egg Hunt at Tower Grove Park after church. We have a family church that we had attending for over 30 years, so it is a pleasure to see my daughter growing up as the fourth generation within the church.

I hope everyone enjoys the holiday and holds close to the real purpose of the holiday! Top Nationwide Model- Brittany West:

I am spending Easter in Kansas City with my Sister and her ﬁancé. We are very excited! I pray everyone enjoys the holiday and don't forget the true meaning of Easter which is...that Jesus rose from dead after 3 days. We must also remember to teach the kids the true meaning of the holiday because it's just not eggs, bunnies and chocolates, but about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Happy Easter from ESG modeling agency!

ESG modeling agency Divisions in Atlanta, Houston and St. Louis esgmodelingagency@yahoo.com 1-800-330-1544 Hours of Operation: Monday 10-6pm cst. and Wednesday-Saturday 10-6pm cst. Closed on Tuesday and Sunday

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ESG Modeling Agency

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ESG Modeling Agency

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Walking the Blue Line: A Police Officer Turned Community Activist Provides Solutions for the Racial Divide By Terrell Carter Bettie Youngs Book Publishers

$15.00 paperback

“As I recall my experiences, I find it incredulous that people in law enforcement honestly believe and say that a racial divide and racial profiling don’t exist. An officer’s mind is divided: first, between the police and the general public and second, between the police and minorities.”~ Terrell Carter Walking the Blue Line follows the author’s experiences growing up as a black child in St. Louis, MO, a racially charged city still trying to overcome its divided past, and his five year journey as a law enforcement officer which led him to reevaluate his views on citizens and police alike. Readers are taken on a compelling journey as he details personal stories of the challenges of navigating this new world, including how he had to testify against a former partner for falsifying a major drug arrest. Terrell details the thoughts and tactics of police officers based on their training in the police academy and lessons they learn on the streets and how this information can help citizens better understand why officers do what they do while still holding them accountable for protecting and serving their communities. Walking the Blue Line can be ordered from www.terrellcarter.net, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and traditional booksellers.

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I am not an art quilter.

Angee Turner is an educator and quilt maker in St. Louis, MO. Her quilts are found in private collections in St. Louis, Chicago, Miami, Boston, Houston, and Berkeley, CA. She gives presentations on the building of community through quilting and the importance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;making thingsâ&#x20AC;? as a way to create individual and cultural legacy. To purchase a quilt or for information regarding presentations, contact Angela at angee.quilts@gmail.com.

Some people have my quilts hanging on walls in their homes and offices....

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I prefer my quilts be used. I want you to wrap up yourself in one of my quilts, preferably with someone you really like/love.

Drink some hot chocolate and read a book.

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Tickle your baby, or get tickled by your “baby.”

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Eat guacamole

and watch a basketball game.

If you drop something on it, put it in the wash (in cold water). Fluff it in the dryer (on low setting). Then throw that quilt back on the couch/bed!

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I want my quilt to make you warm and happy.

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t save it for a special occasion.

Everyday is a special occasion.

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Feel the love.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Become a

Museum

Teen Assistant

at the Saint Louis Art Museum! High school students between the ages of 15 and 19 can gain work and leadership experience as part of the Museum’s youth training program. The Museum hires Teen Assistants to lead tours for young audiences and to support a wide variety of community Programs. Why is this a program for me?

In February, Family Sundays celebrates Asian art and culture with the theme “Travels through Asia.” Art projects throughout the month will include origami (Japanese paper folding), dragon puppets, and Chinese lanterns. The Museum will host a special family day on Sunday, February 15 to celebrate Chinese New Year. We’ll ring in the Year of the Ram with special demonstrations of calligraphy, paper cutting and folding, and a Lion Dance performance in Sculpture Hall.

It is an opportunity to: •Learn job skills you will use after high school. Family Sundays are free and open to the public. For more •Practice and improve leadership and communication skills. information about Family Sundays, visit www.slam.org/education. •Help children appreciate and create art. ************************************** •Provide job references for academic and employment applications. •Earn money throughout the summer and the school year. The Saint Louis Art Museum offers many great learning You can apply if you: opportunities for the budding young artist. Youth classes at the •Are in high school and have completed 9th grade by June 2015. Museum range in topic from sculpture to painting with oils, and •Will be returning to high school in Fall 2015. always include an exploration of the Museum’s awesome collection •Are available to work Tuesday through Friday, of art. On February 21, the Museum will celebrate the Chinese June 11-August 4, 2015, 9:00am-3:00pm. New Year with classes for children age 6-12. The day long classes •Are available to work at least 5 hours per month during the will include lessons in paper folding (origami), printmaking, and school year (August-May). calligraphy. The Museum will also offer a one day basic drawing studio class on February 28 for teens. With guided instruction Deadline for applications: Friday, March 6, 2015, 5:00pm. from professional artists and teachers, these youth classes give young learners a chance to explore different cultures, time periods, For more information or to apply, please contact: and, of course, art! All supplies are provided and no experience is FAMILY SUNDAYS necessary.

Youth Classes

Enjoy Family Sundays at the Saint Louis Art Museum. Offered Pre-registration is required for all classes. To register, please visit every week from 1:00-4:00 pm, Family Sundays give parents and www.slam.org/education or call (314) 655-5384. children an opportunity to get creative in the Museum’s galleries. Beginning at 1:00 pm, visitors of all ages can participate in a make and take art activity inspired by works in the Museum’s collection. At 2:30 pm, join our family tour – a 30 minute guided experience in the galleries that provides children and their parents an opportunity to interact while exploring the collection. The Family Tour leaves from Sculpture Hall at 2:30 pm and families are required to sign up. Space on the family tour is limited and slots are filled on a first-come, first-serve basis. pg.

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John Jennings Associate Professor Visual Studies SUNY Buffalo tumblr: http://jijennin70. tumblr.com/

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Despite my having “performed” Richard Wright with a modicum of success some years ago in a Chautauqua series sponsored by the Mississippi Humanities Council, I know virtually nothing about performance theory as an “interdisciplinary area of study and critical method” as it is discussed in the recent book Black Performance Theory (Duke University Press 2014) edited by Thomas F. DeFrantz and Anita Gonzalez. For me, performing Wright was a matter of absorbing what I could of his personality and the chronology of his states of mind from his writings, listening to his recorded voice, and praying that at some spiritual level Wright would channel my imagination. I am not an actor, so I just gathered courage and, one magical night, I did become Richard Wright. Or so that was what several people in the audience told me. On March 27, 2015, I had the opportunity to witness the performance of a project conceptualized by Dr. Ross Louis, a professor in Xavier University of Louisiana’s Department of Communication Studies, that used “haiku as a performance aesthetic to prompt questions about Richard Wright, his haiku, Native Son and Black Boy. Borrowing the title “This Other World” from the collection of 817 haiku selected from the approximate 4,000 haiku Wright wrote in the last two years of his life, Louis did substantial research in the Richard Wright Papers at Yale University and then wove a small number of haiku and Julia Wright’s introduction to Haiku: This Other World (1989) together with excerpts from Native Son, Black Boy (especially the young Richard’s inquiries about race, his catalog of very poetic discovery images, and the moment of verbal paralysis in a school room), “Blueprint for Negro Writing,” and “How ‘Bigger’ Was Born.” It is important that Wright’s collection has been most recently published as Haiku: The Last Poems of an American Icon, because the change of title is itself a publishing “performance” that has consequences for our reception of Wright’s work. Louis directed two Xavier students, Thomas James Nash II and Mia Selena Ruffin, in using their voices and bodies to perform a quite challenging sketch of Wright’s creativity at the end of his life. Presented in the outdoor sculpture garden of Xavier’s Art Village, the experiment succeeded in dealing with two questions: 1) How does Wright represent place within his haiku, especially rural Southern places? And 2) How do the values of the haiku genre guide decisions about space, time and movement in a performance of Wright’s work? Nevertheless, the experiment raises enormous questions about our motives in transforming Wright’s poetry into sound and motion and spectacle in 2015. As the sun set over New Orleans and Xavier on a breezy spring evening with the background musicality of construction noises, I pg.

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Performance: Richard Wright in 2015

was at once pleased with the originality of the experiment and disturbed that the performance was not followed by some dialogue among the audience, the director, and the performers. The originality consisted in putting Wright’s haiku or projections in the haiku manner into Nature (the site specificity of New Orleans) and saluting the Japanese spirit of creating a certain kind of poetic experience. This was far more satisfying than flawed adaptations of Wright’s works for the stage, the movies, and the television screen. I have in mind Ketti Frings’s 1959 adaptation of The Long Dream for the stage, distractive spectacle in the 1950 film of Native Son, and gender-flipping in the 1996 HBO video production of “Long Black Song.” Without clarifying dialogue about what was absent in Ross Louis’s production----especially a clear connection between Wright’s early proletarian poetry and his late, very American projections of haiku---I think the quality of aesthetic experience for the audience depended overmuch on how little or how much people knew about Richard Wright, how little or how much people knew about a kind of Japanese poetry that is internationally very popular and only lately getting critical notice in Wright studies by way of such books as The Other World of Richard Wright: Perspectives on His Haiku (2011), edited by Jianqing Zheng and Yoshinobu Hakutani’s Richard Wright and Haiku (2014). Already Zheng and Hakutani have been challenged in Dean Anthony Brink’s article on Wright’s search for a counter-hegemonic genre in Textual Practice 28.6 (2014) for giving insufficient attention to Wright’s use of anamorphic possibilities in writing haiku. The performance at Xavier was a very rich exposition of the problems of anamorphism, but the audience did not have an opportunity to begin exploring that topic. I applaud Dr.Ross Louis and the student performers for their genuine effort to pay tribute to a portion of Richard Wright’s legacy to world literature. I had a great experience because I know Wright’s works well. I do know that one other spectator had a less felicitous experience in following the spaced arrangement of the project’s content. I must insist, in light of that fact , that the Xavier Performance Studies Laboratory have a public discussion of exactly what it performed in it “This Other World” presentation. It is not perverse to ask, borrowing language from DeFrantz and Gonzalez, whether Xavier’s quite specific “experimentation with form and ingenuity” is “part of what has been called ‘the black aesthetic’ (10). It is likely that Richard Wright would urge us to have just that discussion in order to grasp the ineluctable complexity of multicultural phenomena in the post-Ferguson United States of America. It is likely that he would bid us to “perform” thoughts regarding why his works, haiku and all, are such powerful tools for shaping critical consciousness of everyday life.

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www.vlaa.org

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he homeless have long been the forgotten in many urban areas. But, in St. Louis, they have found a friend in a new ministry known as Churches Of The Streets or COTS. Angela Valdes and her husband, Ralph, have taken a calling and converted it into a crusade. Valdes remembers that COTS started with the “overflow from the homeless outreach at the church we attended.” Her family felt a special connection when they ministered to the homeless. She says they just “believed it was time to grow the ministry.” One day while helping a group of homeless men along the new Mississippi River bridge in St. Louis Valdes and her volunteers caught the eye of a newspaper photographer who took their picture and featured their effort. It seemed like a perfect opportunity to spread the word. Instead, the story led to scrutiny from health inspectors who cited the group for distributing food on private property. What seemed like the end of their mission turned into a blessing. The story went viral, and the unexpected generosity of a good Samaritan revived their hope. Valdes recalls that “within a matter of days, a businessman bought us a food truck.”

supporters have kept the ministry literally off the street. With a smile in her voice, Valdes says, “God has provided. We don’t have a huge budget. We do a lot on a small budget.” And, it all began with Valdes’ belief that scripture teaches Christians to “go outside the four walls of the church” to help people in need. “You’re on the front lines battling with people who have a lot of issues, but you keep pushing. You get to see lives change. It’s very rewarding.” A year ago Valdes resigned from her job at a non-profit. “My husband and I said it was time to resign my fulltime, paying job,” she shares. Now, she is the executive director of COTS where she is paid in gratitude...the currency she believes matters most. by: The Village Celebration

Monday nights with COTS became a destination as volunteers rushed to join the ministry. In 2013 COTS served between 100 and 150 homeless each Monday. Because of the great need, in 2014 Valdes and her husband added Thursdays to the schedule. This year COTS is expanding throughout the Midwest. There is a Chicago affiliate. The goal is for the outreach to have a national presence. Valdes says, “Sometimes it comes in waves. The interest is mind-boggling. We have people contact us from all over the country for help starting a homeless ministry or a food truck.” COTS is finalizing its non-profit status. Every item is donated. From food to clothing to insurance, Copyright © 2014 - All rights reserved.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Way Black in Time pt .3

WATCH NOW!

Animated Web Series by The Black Archaeologist.

http://blackarchaeologist.com/

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www.pvmw.org National poetry library and literary center Poets House and New York-based cultural heritage/folk life organization City Lore will be bringing their Poetic Voices of the Muslim World exhibit and programming to the St Louis Public Library system in the spring of 2015.

Bridging Cultures: Poetic Voices of the Muslim World

examines the central role of poetry in the everyday lives of Muslim men and women through three entry points: 1) Themes, such as poetry and identity; poetry and politics; poetry and orality; poetry and conflict resolution; and poetry’s continued oral prominence in music; among others; 2) Poets (from Rumi and MirzaGhalib to contemporary poets from Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Turkey, and North Africa; and 3) Poetic Forms (i.e. the ghazal, the epic, the qasida). The components of the project include a series of public programs; a traveling panel exhibition; and a website (www.pvmw.org) that will contextualize the information provided by the programs and exhibition. Free public programs scheduled to be presented at the St. Louis Public Library starting in April 2015, include Islam and The Blues with The New York Public Library Schomburg Center’s Dr. Sylviane Diouf, Song of the Reed: Rumi presented by Dr. Jawid Mojaddedi with songs and music inspired by the poet by Amir Vahab &amp; his ensemble and The History and Poetics of the Qur’an with noted scholar of Islam Dr. Bruce Lawrence. We hope that you and members of the St. Louis community will be able to attend some of our events, and help us to spread the word about the arrival of Poetic Voices of the Muslim World in your area.

Poets House

10 River Terrace | New York, NY 10282-1240 | (212) 431-7920 | www.poetshouse.org pg.

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Portfolio Fundraiser Moves to Artist's Studio

Janet Riehl's "Women & Wardrobe: The Riehl Collection" exhibit has finished it's successful run at The Portfolio Gallery and Education Center. It brought in $2,000 to help with much-needed building repairs. Many people went home with framed ($150) and unframed ($50) prints they love, and a good time was had by all. Folks have said they would have loved to have seen the show, and were sorry they missed it. Janet has decided to host At Home evenings on Wednesdays from 5:30 to 8:00 p.m. so you can! Come visit, enjoy the work, and of course buy whatever calls to you. Any profit realized will continue to benefit Portfolio Gallery. If you'd like to come, please contact her at janet.riehl@gmail.com. Janet and Robert Powell, director of Portfolio Gallery and Education Center appeared on Fox 2 news. http://fox2now.com/2014/07/29/women-wardrobe-and-art-on-a-cell-phone-atportfolio/# Janet and her art was featured in the Alton Telegraph. http://www.thetelegraph.com/news/home_top-lifestyle-news/50095336/Artists-workmakes-Riehl-results#.U-Tbf1Ao7qC

Come on out! Meet some new people and enjoy some playful, colorful, and sensuous art inspired by African Women.

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AfroWorld is an African-American owned and operated cultural and fashion center located in St. Louis. It was founded in 1970 and has been a space where the community can come to learn, share, and shop! In 2015 we are proud to celebrate our 45th year of service to our customers. AfroWorld needs your support so we can continue to have the funds necessary to market, operate, and sustain high quality cultural education programs that support our network of authors and artists who participate in our ongoing community empowerment series. We also want to purchase computers and materials to increase the efficiency of our outreach efforts, educate the next generation of community entrepreneurs, and upgrade the tech equipment used to produce our events and programs. Your financial commitment allows AfroWorld to continue its legacy of bringing people together in a space that celebrates and uplifts the African-American experience.

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Annie Malone CHILDREN AND FAMILY CENTER

The children and Staff of Annie Malone Children and Family Service Center are proud recipients of a much needed van. The generous donation was given by Annie Malone Board Member Alex Assfaw of Metropolitan Taxi Cab Corporation. Through Mr. Assfaw kindness the children of Annie Malone will ride in comfort for many miles to come. (picture included)

What Does Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center Do? Many of you know Annie Malone from the annual May Day PARADE but what you don’t know is that the parade is Annie Malone’s biggest fundraiser of the year. The revenue is raised from sponsorships, parade registrations and from personal donations. Each of these categories is critical to funding the agency’s programs and services. It is more than a parade. .. We NEED your Help everyday! Your donations are needed to keep our programs and services running 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Our four core programs are: Crisis Care & Emergency Placement  Provides a safe 24 hour environment for children birth to 18.  Provides shelter, food, clothing, educational needs, conflict resolution, medical attention, counseling, helps prevent child abuse & neglect Transitional Living Program (TLP)  Provides youth aging out of foster care necessary skills to transition to independent, productive adults through personal training and life skills development. (life skillsfinding a job, housing, banking, shopping)  Living arrangements include a supervised group home. Parenting Education  Promotes healthy relationships between parents and children.  Provide training to successfully raise and appropriately discipline children. Emerson Academy Therapeutic School (for grades K-12) Promotes successful learning behaviors and outcomes for student’s k-12 with Individual Educational Plans (IEP’s). Students that are successful with therapeutic programming will return to their regular school environment and excel to the next academic level. (They can graduate with us with a fully accredited diploma recognized through the SLPS. Annie Malone Children & Family Service Center has a legacy of taking care of ALL children. The cost of taking care of children come with a price. Each and every child that comes through our doors deserves a new beginning. Please help us march on to decrease youth homelessness.

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The

New African Paradigm

Study Group (NAPSG)

is an organization dedicated to the empowerment and education of our community through book study and our lecture series. We have brought many African scholars to St. Louis to awaken our people and to get on one accord to face the challenges in our community. The NAPSG is in need of your help so we are currently seeking new members to help us continue to be able to meet the demands of our lecture series and our study group. Our study group meets every 3rd Sunday at Sabayet, 4000 Maffit, St. Louis, MO. at 4:00 p.m. Please join us on our journey for knowledge of self, our gods, and our Ancestors. Contact James Steward at (618) 977-8191 for more information. Also, Like us on FaceBook.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Gianis LalSandhu, Realtor

Alexander Realty | St. Charles, Missouri | ph: 636-669-1717 | 314-437-8576 The first of a two part article for renters who want to become homeowners.

Everything First-Time Home Buyers Need to Know Sellers List: Buyers will Buy As the temperature rises, buyers are coming out ready to purchase their dream home. Inventory is still below historic numbers and demand is strong. Don’t miss out on this great opportunity for you and your family. Consider the following compelling five reasons to list your home today. 1. Strong Demand There are more prospective purchasers currently looking at homes than at any other time in the last 12 months which includes last spring’s buyers’ market. These buyers are ready, willing and able to purchase… and are in the market right now! 2. There Is Less Competition Now Housing supply just dropped below that which is needed for a “normal” housing market. This means, that in many areas, there are not enough homes for sale to satisfy the number of buyers in that market. This is good news for home prices. However, additional inventory is about to come to market. There are still homeowners that have tabled their desire to sell their home because of a negative equity situation. Homeowners are now seeing a market correction to positive equity as real estate values climb over the past two years. Many of these homes will be coming to the market during the peak season.

approving a mortgage. As the market heats up, banks will be inundated with loan inquiries causing closing timelines to lengthen. Selling now will make the process quicker & simpler. 4. There Will Never Be a Better Time to Move-Up If you are moving up to a larger, more expensive home, consider doing it now. Industry specialist predict that prices will appreciate by almost 20% between now and 2019. If you are moving to a higher priced home, it will ultimately cost you more in raw dollars (both in down payment and mortgage payment) if you wait. You can also lock-in your 30-year housing expense with an interest rate under 4% right now. Rates are projected to increase by about three quarters of a percent by the end of 2015. 5. It’s Time to Move On with Your Life Look at the reason you decided to sell in the first place and determine whether it is worth waiting. Is money more important than being with family?

Also, new construction of single-family homes is again beginning to increase. 3. The Process Will Be Quicker One of the biggest challenges of the housing market in recent times has been the length of time it takes from contract to closing. Banks are requiring more and more paperwork before

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FE PR AT OP UR ER ED TY

Alexander Realty St. Charles, Missouri | ph: 636-669-1717 | 314-437-8576

401 Villa Blanc Ct

O’Fallon, Missouri 63366

$184,900

DESCRIPTION: This end unit villa is a must see! Great O’Fallon location with easy highway access. Large living room with cozy fireplace. Bright kitchen with gorgeous hardwood floor, upgraded white 42” cabinets and pantry. Master bedroom is spacious with luxurious master bath w/separate tub and shower, dual sinks, and walkin closet. Walk-out lower level features 3rd bedroom and bath, and large family room. The outdoor living space includes both a deck and patio with white vinyl privacy fencing. This villa has it all including a 2-car garage. This is a Fannie Mae Homepath property.

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On Saturday, April 4. 2015, the Universal African Peoples

Organization (UAPO) will host its 26th Anniversary Celebration with the theme being “Road to Victory.” Our program will highlight progressive political candidates who we feel deserve voters support. These candidates include:

Lee Smith,3rd ward Ferguson City Council, Reverend Elston K. McCowan, 2nd ward St. Louis City Alderman Johnathan McFarland, 6th ward St. Louis City Alderman Kristine Hendrix, University City School Board candidate. The program will be held at Legacy Bookstore and Cafe, 5249 Delmar, St. Louis and will start at 6:00pm. Finally we will also commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was assassinated on this date. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information call (314) 477-4629.

www.the-arts-today.com

Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Howard University Alumni Club of St. Louis

Trivia Night 2015 A Scholarship Fundraiser Gather your team, reserve your table, and come ready to have a good time and win some prizes along the way. Snacks and soft drinks provided. Participants are welcome to bring their own food -- folks have been known to bring food, decorate their tables and come dressed in “team theme” …let the competition begin! Come ready to have fun and learn some interesting black facts in the areas of pop culture, music, history, sports, entertainment, religion, business, and more. Proceeds from this event support our scholarship giving, so it is truly a party with a purpose.

! Friday, May 29th, 2015 6:45-10:00 PM Cardinal Ritter College Prep High School, 701 North Spring Ave., 63108 Doors open 6:00 PM and 1st round begins 6:45 PM Tickets: $20/Table: $200 Contact huacstlouis@gmail.com if you have questions.

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THE PROJECT ON THE HISTORY OF BLACK WRITING ANNOUNCES:

Black Poetry after the Black Arts Movement When: July 19 - August 1, 2015 Where: University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS What: An NEH Summer Institute Application deadline: March 2, 2015 We invite you to learn more about an exciting two-week NEH summer Institute for twenty-five college and university teachers (including at least three advanced graduate students), filled with innovative scholarship, rich dialog, and fertile opportunities for advancing research. What is poetry today? What has changed? How do we teach poetry and transform students’ passion for performance into meaningful analysis? This Institute seeks to strengthen the connections between foundational and contemporary forms of poetry, between the practice of poetry and today’s global society, and between the words and sounds and the spirit of black poetry that refuses to be denied. If you are a current college or university teacher of American literature or near the end of your graduate studies in this field, please visit our website www.blackpoetry.ku.edu for more details about this exciting project, including further application instructions. The stipend for this two-week Institute will be $2,100 for each NEH Summer Scholar, to help cover travel, housing and food. Or, if you know of a college teacher who might be interested in applying to this Institute, please share this invitation with them! www.blackpoetry.ku.edu

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Arkansas agency schedules several the

47TH ANNIVERS

Early morning, April Shot rings out in the Mem Free at last, they took y They could not take you — Pride (In the Name of performed by U2

It’s been 47 years since civil rights legend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated while standing on a second-floor balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. Dr. King, however, was not silenced in death. His leadership was instrumental in the long-awaited establishment of civil rights in this country, and the words from his “I Have a Dream” speech still ring powerful 52 later as schoolchildren repeat it. Now with a national holiday held in his honor, Dr. King has been the subject of myriad books, television dramas, documentaries, and songs, from Stevie Wonder’s “Happy Birthday,” celebrating the King holiday to Irish band U2’s “Price (in the Name of Love).” (Contrary to the U2 song lyrics, King was actually shot at 6:01 p.m. on April 4.) To commemorate the assassination, the Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission (AMLKC) — whose mission includes the promotion and preservation of Dr. King’s life and legacy in the state of Arkansas — announced several special events to take place in Little Rock on Friday, April 3, 2015.

THE NONVIOLENCE YOUTH SUMMIT PART XII – ANTI-BULLYING CONFERENCE The summit, which is expected to draw hundreds of youth, will be held from 7:30 a.m. to noon Friday, April 3, at the Little Rock Job Corps Center, 6900 Scott Hamilton Drive, in Little Rock. The Commission, with the assistance of the Arkansas Department of Human Services, has implemented this program to encourage youth to engage in positive leadership development and role within their communities. Highlighting the summit will be The Main Event: “Knock Out Bullying,” a metaphorical boxing match featuring former Heavyweight champion and Olympic Medalist Roy Jones, Jr., 10:30-11:15 a.m. in the gymnasium. Keynote speaker Jones will set up a figurative “Roy Jones Jr. vs. “Bullying” match to raise awareness about bullying and teach youth about Dr. King’s Six Principles of Nonviolence.

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l large events to commemorate

SARY of the passing of

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

four mphis sky your life ur pride f Love), 2

Jones has captured numerous championships in the Middleweight, Super- middleweight, Lightheavyweight and Heavyweight divisions. He is the only boxer in history to start his career as a junior middleweight, and go on to win a heavyweight title. He is also noted for holding the WBC, WBA, IBF, IBO, NABF, WBF, and IBA light heavyweight championships,

Buckner became the 35th Chief of the Little Rock Police Department on June 30, 2014. Prior to that, he spent twentyone years with the Louisville Metro Police Department. Buckner’s breakout session, “What To Do When The Police Pulls You Over,” is especially timely in light of recent highprofile police shootings of unarmed Black men around the country. It will begin in the gymnasium at 9:30 a.m.

The summit will kick off with special greetings by Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge — the first woman and first Republican in the state’s history to be elected to the office — and breakout sessions conducted by the Office of the Attorney General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Little Rock Police Chief Kenton Buckner.

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Attorney General Leslie Rutledge

a record seven belts at the same time. He left his mark in boxing history when he won the WBA heavyweight title, becoming the first former middleweight champion to win a heavyweight title in 106 years. Jones was named “Fighter of the Decade” for the 1990s by the Boxing Writers Association of America. He also won the 1984 United States National Junior Olympics in the 119-pound weight division, the 1986 A professional boxing ring will be provided by Scott Ladd Appliances United States National Golden Gloves in the 139-pound division and the 1987 of Pine Bluff, Ark. KLRT-TV, Fox United States National Golden Gloves in Channel 16 news anchor Kevin Kelly will briefly present on Fox 16’s the 156-pound division. As an amateur, “Step Up Stop Bullying” campaign, he ended his career with a 121-13 record. and serve as the announcer for the Jones represented the United States at the match in the style of legendary ring 1988 Seoul Olympic Games, where he won the Silver Medal. announcer, Michael Buffer. Playing the bully will be North Little Rock, Ark., Police Officer Tommy Norman, a community activist whose charity work earned him accolades from television show America’s Most Wanted and, in 2011, led to his being named the state’s top public servant.

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cases surface regarding youth being THE 2015 COMMEMORATIVE VIGIL bullied all across the United States. In AND DOVE RELEASE CEREMONY particular, there’s always so much in the news about cyber-bullying and the state of Taking place at Little Rock Job Corps Center relationships between law enforcement and Courtyard, the ceremony is scheduled the community. The commission, therefore, for 11:30 a.m. The event will begin with a wants to provide resources and information peace march, which will include youth as for youth through these outreach activities. well as dignitaries from across the state. The vigil will include musical selections from “We are excited about teaming up with the the Central High School Marching Band new Attorney General Leslie Rutledge to and reflections on Dr. King’s eternal legacy address cyber-bullying,” Scarbrough said. of peace and nonviolence; and conclude “It is her vision to really get the word out to with a dove release ceremony as a solemn youth, parents and the community about reminder of Dr. King’s brief life and legacy. cyber-bullying. We want to offer students solutions, resources to get help, and the Scarbrough said it is very important to opportunity to hear from experts in the implement such events as the Nonviolence field who can connect them with those Youth Summit to commemorate Dr. King’s resources.” life and legacy. It’s also important, Scarbrough continued, “We want to teach youth that there are for communities to work toward building alternatives to violence,” he said. “Dr. Martin relationships with law enforcement officials, Luther King, Jr. — who ironically himself like Little Rock’s new Police Chief Kenton became a victim of violence — was able to Buckner, especially in light of rising tensions use nonviolence to change laws, to change and incidents between law enforcement and generations and ultimately the course of civilians. history.” “Our goal once again is to encourage these He said that the AMLKC’s goal is to connect students as well as all of those in attendance this generation of youth to Dr. King’s dream to inspire positive change within their own and encourage them to use his principles as communities and to never underestimate a catalyst to inspire change within the world the impact that one person can make. By and their own communities. invoking positive change and carrying on Dr. King’s principles, their lives and acts of And it’s the commission’s desire to address service will create a lasting memorial.” topics that are confronting today’s youth, he added. Each year, several high-profile These events are free and open to all pg.

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ages, but prior confirmation of attendance is mandatory. Attendees must RSVP via email at DuShun.Scarbrough@Arkansas. Gov.–Executive Director. Online registration is also available via ARKingDream.org/ EventCalendar.aspx. Or through amlkc. eventbrite.com. The events are sponsored by the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Arkansas Humanities Council, Holiday Inn Presidential, Scott Ladd Appliances, State Farm, Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office, KIPR-FM Power 92.3 Jams, Little Rock Job Corps, Coca-Cola Bottling, Comcast Universal, Acxiom and the office of the Arkansas Attorney General. This project is supported in part by a grant from the Arkansas Humanities Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. ..................................................................................... For media inquiries, interviews, sound bites, please contact: The Arkansas Martin Luther King, Jr. Commission DuShun Scarbrough, Executive Director 501 Woodlane Drive Suite 122 South Little Rock, Arkansas 72201 (501) 683-1300 dushun.scarbrough@arkansas.gov Fax: (501) 683-1310

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On Saturday, April 4. 2015, the Universal African Peoples Organization (UAPO) will host its 26th Anniversary Celebration with the theme being

“Road to Victory.”

Our program will highlight progressive political candidates who we feel deserve voters support. These candidates include Lee Smith/3rd ward Ferguson City Council, Reverend Elston K. McCowan/2nd ward St. Louis City Alderman, Johnathan McFarland, 6th ward St. Louis City Alderman and Kristine Hendrix/University City School Board candidate. The program will be held at Legacy Bookstore and Cafe, 5249 Delmar, St. Louis and will start at 6:00pm. Finally we will also commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who was assassinated on this date. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information call (314) 477-4629.

www.the-arts-today.com

Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Dr. Ben

now teaching the While visiting Grambling University a few years ago I was told that Dr. Yosef A. A. Ben-Jochannan, or Dr. Ben as he was affectionately known, had been on campus that week to speak, but the event attracted less than twenty students. That same weekend there was a music concert performed by Black entertainers that sold out drawing a crowd of over 500 students. I was sad but not at all surprised. Dr. Ben passed recently and there was hardly a statement in the socalled ‘mainstream media’, and very little attention provided by the African American press or electronic media outlets. This is a catastrophe and misfortune because Dr. Ben was a genius.

ancestors!

Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, for over a decade and he has written and published over forty-nine books and papers, revealing much of the information unearthed while he was in Egypt. Two of his better known works include, Black Man of the Nile and His Family and Africa: Mother of Major Western Religions.

In 1939, shortly after receiving his undergraduate degree, Dr. Ben’s father sent him to Egypt to study firsthand the ancient history of African People. Since 1941, Dr. Ben visited Egypt at least twice a year. He began leading educational tours to Egypt in 1946. When asked why he began the tours, he replied “because no one knew or cared about Egypt and most He was one of America’s foremost believed Egypt was not in Africa.” far-reaching scholars. His writing of According to Dr. Ben, Egypt is the history and his teaching of history place to go to learn the fundamentals was a part of our social struggle and of living. Over five decades have consciousness and he was a prolific passed and Dr. Ben, a preeminent and acclaimed author on the subject scholar and Egyptologist, remained of African people. focused on Nile Valley Civilization. His presentations had placed him in great Dr. Ben’s formal education began demand by students and community in Puerto Rico. His early education groups, especially those of African continued in The Virgin Islands and in descent. Brazil, where he attended elementary Yoruba priestess, Iyanla Vanzant says and secondary school. Dr. Ben earned your soul is saved when you accept a B.S. degree in Civil Engineering that the spirit of God lives in you. She at the University of Puerto Rico, and specifically says, “When you can look a Master’s degree in Architectural at yourself, accept who and what you Engineering from the University of are and love yourself unconditionally, Havana, Cuba. He received doctoral your soul is saved. Your spirit is degrees in Cultural Anthropology and empowered.” Moorish History, from the University of Havana and the University of Dr. Ben’s African Origins of the Major Barcelona Spain. “Western Religions” was one of the Dr. Ben was adjunct professor at vehicles she used on her journey pg.

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through the empowerment of her spirit. Vanzant said “For more than five decades, Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan, a master teacher, researcher, author, lecturer, has led what has now become a mass effort to emphasize African contributions to the world.” African Origins of the Major “Western Religions: first published in 1970, continues to be one of Dr. Ben’s most thought-provoking works. By highlighting the African influences and roots of these religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Dr. Ben revealed an untold history that many would prefer to forget.” I will close with quotes from Dr. Yosef ben-Jochannan: “Dipped in chocolate, bronzed in elegance, enameled with grace, toasted with beauty. My lord, she’s a black woman.” “Without you, African mother, there would have been no us-African fathers, sons and daughters. Do we need to say any more African mothers, our own true goddesses! Let us praise you to the highest, telling the world about your righteousness. Let us tell the entire universe about your sacredness African woman.” Rest in Peace with the Ancestors Dr. Ben, and continue to teach. by: Bernie Hayes

“Without you, African mother, there would have been no us-African fathers, sons and daughters...”

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L VE Your LIBRARY!

FREE Saint Louis Art Museum

Teacher Workshop:

Thursday, April 16, 2015 Celebrate

Richardson Memorial Library during its centennial year! Tour the Museum library facilities and receive an introduction to print and online reference materials to support classroom learning. A hands-on tutorial in electronic resources, including eMuseum, ArtStor, Artsy, and other digital image libraries, will help participants become skilled at â&#x20AC;&#x153;curatingâ&#x20AC;? online collections as well as exporting visual images to create engaging presentations. Teachers will also gather advanced search techniques for using electronic journals such as JStor and Art Index to enhance interactive lesson content. A boxed meal will be provided. Led by Marianne Cavanaugh, Head Librarian, Saint Louis Art Museum. Please email teacherprograms@slam.org to request enrollment.

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BINGHAM DAY! FREE Saint Louis Art Museum

Student Workshop:

Tuesday, May 4, 2015 Events all day, 9:00am to 2:00pm

Come see Missouri history unfold at the Saint Louis Art Museum! This exciting program opportunity allows students in 3rd-6th grades to interact with our featured exhibition Navigating the West: George Caleb Bingham and the River in a whole new way. Students will engage with educators from the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, SLAM docents, and technology stations to explore Missouri connections within the exhibition and permanent collection galleries. Additionally, classes will witness an exciting performance by Bobby Norfolk in our auditorium, create personal landscapes connecting to identity, and more! The only cost to participate in this program is the exhibition ticket. Student admission to the exhibition is $1.00 when paid in advance. Adult tickets are available at a group rate. Schools are not required to stay for the entire day, but they are responsible for their own transportation to the Museum. Advance registration is required to attend. Click here for more information and to access the registration form. Space is limited, so register soon! We hope to see you there! Please email studentprograms@slam. org with any questions.

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SAVE THE DATE

Shooting a hole in one for those in need

10 Annual Golf Tournam pg.

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July 17, 2015

CWAH Ambassadors

ment

- Forest Park

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OPPORTUNITIES

The Bernie Hayes Show Talk and interviews about affairs of the day with a St. Louis slant. The Bernie Hayes Show can be seen: Friday’s at 9 A.M. Saturday’s at 10:00 P.M. Sunday’s at 5:30 P.M.

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Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

Die a TERRIBLE Death “n Word” That Dastardly Word -- Bury it, Dig it Up and Bury it Again

Why is it that one of the worst racial slurs, if not the worst in the English language, won’t die a terrible if not quiet death? Although, it goes without saying what this word is, but for the sake of being straightforward and direct, it’s the dastardly n-word. In fact, one dictionary described it as: “… perhaps the most offensive and inflammatory racial slur in English.''

The word has layers of complexities, including humiliation, degradation, terrorism and violence, rooted in the nadir (the lowest point) of racist America. Its usage began circa 17

century as a way to brand Black Americans as subhuman and determine their fate in perpetuity.

And please don’t say Black people use it because most don’t. Those who are not media literate are taking cues from some (mostly male) rappers, comics or actors and generalizing it to all Black people. No matter how artless or uncouth, these media figures are hell bent on not swearing off this word. They spew racial invectives perhaps in an attempt to deflect their self-loathing and project more macho or tough images. Indeed it shows their backwardness, internalized racism, ignorance and lack of thought. These boorish transgressors foisting foul language on their art as if it’s a badge of honor. Unencumbered by the evilness of racism and how it has almost brought a race of people to their knees, like goose-stepping fanatics, they march into the abyss.

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Of course, there are some ordinary Black people who spout it as well, but again, it shows a lack of thinking about the consequences and the power of words, particularly negative ones.

No one, absolutely no one, can justify its usage. No one wants to hear that the word feels good rolling off their tongue or that it’s a term of endearment or they changed the last syllable to ga rather than ger to make it sound more hip or that it’s a tactic to mute its vileness. Contortions, notwithstanding, the word is morally bad, humiliating and insulting. So please don’t fall sway to this siren song. Other ethnic groups have been called this word, but as some have said, African Americans are the only ones to answer to it. The word has been used as sand N’s, red N’s, yellow N’s, and other N’s. But my people, my people, why do you refer to yourselves this way?

This article takes these Black people to task about their usage. While racist Whites use it with gusto, but this is because they’re racist and believe in White supremacy and Black inferiority. Take the students in the SAE (Sigma Alpha Epsilon) fraternity at Oklahoma University who were recently caught on camera gleefully singing a song using the derogatory word, invoking images of lynching (that strange fruit), a trope played out in innumerable racist films, songs, publications, postcards and hundreds of artifacts and more deadly in real life until it took a Federal law to address it. It was recently reported that lynching Blacks had been under-estimated and many more had been brutally murdered. Suffice it to say, the n-word and rabid racism go hand-in-hand.

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DIE “N” WORD cont.

This depraved and despicable language and behavior are very sad aspects of U.S. culture, to wit, the Michelle Alexander’s bestseller, The New Jim Crow, that shocks the conscience revealing in all its sordid details the school-to-prison pipeline and the prison-industrial complex for African American children and adults. The corresponding rampage of police misconduct targeting and wholesale murdering of African American males and females only adds to this tragic commentary.

While there have been attempts to completely bury the word, it keeps coming back to life, like Stephen King’s 1974 preternatural novel, Carrie, which later became a blockbuster film. Carrie sadly accommodated to being the school scapegoat, but she drew a murderous line, when students played a cruel trick on her by dumping a vat of pig’s blood on her head while she was on stage in revelry at the school prom receiving accolades from even the cool kids for being crowned the prom queen. But her revelry was short-lived and her mysterious telekinetic powers kicked-in as she killed virtually everybody in the room.

But wait; there

are more horrors to come. Of course, nothing good can come from evil and Carrie and her abusive mother die a terrible death as their house caves in, they sink into the rubble and debris, apparently never to be seen again. Still shaken and panicky, Sue, the only survivor, places flowers where Carrie perished. But Carrie won’t die. A monstrous apparition appears in Sue’s dream. Suddenly Carrie’s bloody hand breaks through the ground and viciously clutches her wrist. Sue wakes up traumatized all over again, screaming in her mother's arms.

Sigmund Freud’s concept of “repetition compulsion” can be likened to this very seductive but deadly word. The renowned psychiatrist purported that a compulsion to repeat is

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something that seems “more primitive, more elementary, more instinctual than the pleasure principle which it over-rides.”

He continued: “… to err is human, to persist [in committing errors longer available] is of the devil"), adding “an instinct is an urge inherent in organic life to restore an earlier state of things.” And so he eventually arrived at the concept of the death drive or pressure towards death, a compulsion to self-destruct, which even to a novice seems to be a form of insanity. The dangerous doppelganger, the even more evil twin, is the compulsion to destroy others, in other words, genocide. The urge to kill (genocide) mirrors the urge to self-destruct (suicide). What a deadly combination!

Freud saw patients who had been in combat who suffered from PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder). Tormented by painful experiences that had been repressed, he wrote that his patients regularly "obliged to repeat the repressed material as a contemporary experience instead of ... remembering it as something belonging to the past.”

Not being a psychiatrist, but intuiting that it could very well be that the n-word is so deeply ingrained in the psyche and so representative of the terror of racism, it will take more that telling people to stop using it to make it go away for good. In other words, this urge to commit an irrational act is more deep-seated than previously thought. Another way to put this extraordinary question. Could it be that some African Americans are in such psychological pain, suffering from the anguish and rage of racism, that they can’t stop using it? This racial campaign of constant scrutiny, persecution and killing that hovers over

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DIE “N” WORD cont.

people of color day in and day out could very well get at the reason the usage persists.

might take years of intensive psychoanalysis to drill deep into the dark recesses of the subconscious to understand this war-weariness, attributed to this longstanding war against the Black soul?

Richard Pryor had an eye-opener when he visited Kenya in 1979. There he witnessed the dignity, pride, entrepreneurial spirit and empowerment of Africans. It was quite an inspiration. Later back in this country, he vowed to never use the word onstage again as he had been one of those streetwise bon vivants (a good timing pleasure seeker) who was shamelessly addicted to uttering it in rapid fire as if he were shooting off a tommie gun. Sometimes the genius comic would relapse and slip up, because he was such a habitual user. I’m not sure if he ever became entirely free of his addiction, that is to say the n-word.

In 1997, the NAACP requested Merriam-Webster Dictionary Company change its definition to deemphasize the racial aspect and instead focus on its derogatory connotation. The oldest civil rights organization proclaimed the word should be first and foremost presented as an epithet or a derogatory term. Some were surprised that the word was still in the dictionary and wanted it banished. But lexicographers closed ranks and pushed back. Just look in most dictionaries, including the ones online and you’ll see the word as big as day and spelled out. One online defined it as: “a contemptuous term for a black or darkskinned person.” One in print form defined it as: “used as a disparaging term for a black person.” Yes, there is racism in language. The Nazis were pros at it.

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In 2007, the NAACP gathered in Detroit to have a symbolic burial of the word. They were serious and quite committed to vanquishing their foe by pomp and circumstance via a very visible display. The gloom and doom of the ceremony were marked by draft horses pulling a pine makeshift coffin festooned with faux black roses and black ribbon printed with a derivation of the word. They then buried the coffin with its accouterments at a historically Black Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery with a headstone placed at the head of the grave.

"This was the greatest child that racism ever birthed," intoned the Rev. Otis Moss III, assistant pastor at Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, in his eulogy. Unfortunately, the only thing about this metaphorical child of racism is that it didn’t stay buried long. It won’t die no matter how hard we try.

And like the Chucky film sequels about an evil doll possessed by a serial killer, it’s a compulsion to put out another terrible flick sans any redeeming value, to be resurrected and resurrected as if the industry is trying to see how far it can go and how much they can get away with in its human capacity for producing sin.

TV personality Piers Morgan recently weighed in on Blacks using the word. He said: “if Black Americans want the n-word to die, they will have to kill it themselves,” asserting that it “reinforces longstanding racial tension.” Some Blacks were offended by his comments, accusing him of having “all the marking of a privileged White male.” But this writer begs to differ. As the saying goes: “You can’t get mad at the truth.”

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DIE “N” WORD cont.

I also sought out others this writer considers as informed ethno-anthropologists -- people who know their people -- about the reasons some Blacks persist in using this word.

Gwen Moore, historian and public intellectual, who is overseeing a civil rights project at the Missouri History Museum, said:

“I think there are a lot of reasons why some Blacks

continue to use this word. Some Black people have always used it, but in a pejorative sense when they want to insult another Black person. But recently when younger people say they want to rob it of it’s sting, I just don’t buy that. I think they are ignorant of their history. I think they don’t know their history and that part is not being explored enough.

Moore, curator of Urban Landscapes and Community Identity, was further questioned as to why we as adults aren’t sufficiently explaining this part of our history. She replied:

“I don’t know, that’s a difficult question; and a number of people criticized the NAACP for their efforts in trying to bury it. I think it’s funny when people say you can’t use the word Negro but you can use the n-word.” She added that some Black people erroneously think it’s not just for them; it’s for “anybody who is ignorant.”

She furthermore expressed puzzlement about the fact that so many people have disagreements about what it means and ignore when other people find it offensive. “If I find it offensive, I have a right to not hear it used. I would be willing to bet that some people don’t find that word offensive. Too often we’re led astray by mainstream culture, which

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doesn’t mind Black people throwing this word around. I don’t think they should be telling us anything. They try to set the agenda and too many buy into it.”

The national upper-class based on corporate wealth who seek to maintain ideological dominance and control public debate could very well be at the core of this problem. To put it another way, when institutionalized racism is dismantled, then the n-word will fall like a ton of bricks.

Prince A. Wells, III, chair of the Black Studies Department at SIUE, summed it up quite poignantly: “There is no sane logical reason why we’d use a term that is so self-demeaning. It’s the remnant of slavery that still lingers. It’s a remnant of the psychological warfare waged on people of African descent.”

Malaika Horne, PhD, is a journalist and academic writer

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Presents

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CAREERS

CURRENTLY

ENROLLING!

Building Union Diversity

A training program for individuals with previous or no experience in construction trades.

Minorities and Women are Welcome! The Building Union Diversity (BUD) is a training program for individuals with previous or no experience in the construction field and who are interested in pursuing construction careers in sewer occupations. The classes will be taught by nationally certified and U.S. DOL-approved apprenticeship training programs. The training will provide hands-on experience in participating trades, namely Construction Laborers, Heavy Equipment Operators and Carpenters. TO ENROLL, INDIVIDUALS:

PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING FOCUS:

• Must come to SLATE, 1520 Market St, 3 rd Floor, St. Louis, MO 63103 or the St. Louis County American Job Center, 26 North Oaks Plaza, St. Louis, MO 63121, from 9 am. to 4 pm., Monday – Friday. • Complete an application and assessment. RECOMMENDED PARKING: Kiel Center Garage, situated immediately behind our building, at the corner of Clark & 16th. Fees: $1 per hour.

• Career awareness in various participating construction trades • OSHA standards • Identifying one trade that best suits participant’s interests and abilities.

ASK US ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP AND JOURNEYMEN TRAINING!

Training program is subsidized by the Metropolitan St. Louis Sewer District in partnership with SLATE.

SLATE is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. Missouri Relay Services at 711.

STLCC NO-FEE, HIGH-VALUE

BUILD SOMETHING AMAZING

TECHNICAL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS These high-value training programs are grant-funded and are offered for limited periods of time at no cost to qualified students.

Check Out the Boeing Pre-Employment Training Program! This 10 week training program takes place at the Center for Workforce Innovation at St. Louis Community College’s Florissant Valley Campus.

FREE tuition if accepted into program!

AVIONICS (Aviation Electronics) An accelerated 8-week practical, hands-on, non-credit course.

Skills and qualifications needed to be considered:

AVIATION MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Prepare for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airframe and Powerplant certifications.

• Must pass WorkKeys Assessment Tests (applied math, locating information, reading for information, and observation)

YOU PAY NOTHING

• Must be mechanically inclined

for these courses if you qualify.

To apply, email resume to wcdassemblymechanics@stlcc.edu or FAX to (314) 513-4604. For more information and schedule call (314) 539-5921.

For more information or to get started visit WWW.STLCC.EDU/MRTDL.

Upon program completion, participants are eligible to interview for positions with Boeing.

St. Louis Community College is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunities in its admissions, educational programs, activities, and employment regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran and shall take action necessary to ensure non-discrimination. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is also prohibited. For information or concerns related to discrimination or sexual harassment, contact Bill Woodward, Associate Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, 314-539-5374. This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

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AMEREN MISSOURI, STLCC LAUNCH FREE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING PROGRAM TO CREATE JOB OPPORTUNITIES December 03, 2014

Ameren Missouri is partnering with St. Louis Community College again to offer a five-week lineman pre-apprenticeship training program at the college’s Florissant Valley campus.

Ameren Missouri is making the training program available at no cost to participants. Upon successfully completing this accelerated pre-apprentice training program, graduates will have an opportunity to go through the application and selection process for an apprentice lineman position with Ameren Missouri. STLCC currently is accepting applications for the program that begins in March at Florissant Valley, 3400 Pershall Road. Up to 30 pre-apprentice students will be selected for the training program. “We are committed to creating opportunities and investments in the communities we serve,” said Dave Wakeman, Ameren Missouri, senior vice president of operations and technical services. “This pre-apprentice training program opens the door for people in our community to learn more about the work being performed at Ameren Missouri and then apply for quality positions within our company. We are seeking to hire individuals who are dedicated to providing our customers with safe, reliable power in the St. Louis metro area.” Ameren Missouri’s commitment to STLCC and the community includes funding for curriculum development, STLCC is partnering with Ameren Missouri to offer a fiveinstructional delivery and all necessary equipment. This week lineman pre-apprenticeship training program. includes 30-foot poles, climbing equipment, fall protection harnesses, and other personal protection equipment so that students can safely train on the Florissant Valley campus. Students also will review math, physics and mechanical concepts to prepare them for a potential future position in Ameren Missouri’s apprentice lineman program. In 2009, Ameren Missouri offered this specialized pre-apprentice training program in partnership with STLCC and was able to hire 13 former student participants into the company’s apprentice lineman program. “This initiative serves as another example of St. Louis Community College’s commitment to connect curriculum, programs and instructional delivery modes to meet the needs of employers in the region,” said Steve Long, STLCC associate vice chancellor for workforce solutions. “We are pleased to once again partner with Ameren Missouri to provide training that will give participants an opportunity at meaningful employment.” Nationwide, as many as 18,300 new electrical line workers will be needed by 2022, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The utility industry employed 249,400 line workers in 2012. In May 2012, the median annual wage for electrical power-line installers and repairers was $63,250. For more information about the pre-apprenticeship training program or to apply, email wsglineworker@stlcc.edu or call 314-539-5988.

STLCC NO-FEE, HIGH-VALUE

TECHNICAL JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS These high-value training programs are grant-funded and are offered for limited periods of time at no cost to qualified students.

TRUCK DRIVING JOBS TRAIN LOCALLY TO EARN YOUR

Class-A Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) • • • • • •

Over-the-Road Truck Drivers are in High Demand! No prior experience necessary. Five week program. Experienced staff, low student-to-teacher ratio.

44 hours of drive time on 2011 International Prostar trucks. More practice equals a greater chance for success! Entry Level commercial truck driving jobs average $35,000 yearly. Job Interviews upon successful completion of program.

For more information or to get started visit www.stlcc.edu/TruckDriving. To qualify: Minimum age 21 years old with a good driving record. DOT Physical and negative Drug Test Required. WorkKeys Assessment Level 4 or higher required. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. St. Louis Community College is committed to non-discrimination and equal opportunities in its admissions, educational programs, activities, and employment regardless of race, color, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, age, disability, genetic information, or status as a disabled or Vietnam-era veteran and shall take action necessary to ensure non-discrimination. Sexual harassment, including sexual violence, is also prohibited. For information or concerns related to discrimination or sexual harassment, contact Bill Woodward, Associate Vice Chancellor Student Affairs, 314-539-5374. This workforce solution was funded by a grant awarded by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Employment and Training Administration. The solution was created by the grantee and does not necessarily reflect the official position of the U.S. Department of Labor. The Department of Labor makes no guarantees, warranties, or assurances of any kind, express or implied, with respect to such information, including any information on linked sites and including, but not limited to, accuracy of the information or its completeness, timeliness, usefulness, adequacy, continued availability, or ownership.

www.the-arts-today.com

Volume 2.2 April 4, 2015

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A big Thank You to our CONTRIBUTERS