08 22 2018

$2

G . 2 2S]- S E P T . 4 , 2 0 1 8 VOL. 15 ISSUE 121 A U[ DATE

Stories Real Stories

People Real People

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INTERESTED IN BEING A VENDOR? New vendor training: every Tuesday and Thursday // 2 p.m. // 1317 G St., NW

The Cover

The Street Sense Story, #MoreThanANewspaper

According to one local historian, Frederick Douglass’s role in local D.C. and his career in journalism are both often overlooked.

Originally founded as a street newspaper in 2003, Street Sense Media has evolved into a multimedia center using a range of creative platforms to spotlight solutions to homelessness and empower people in need. The men and women who work with us do much more than sell this paper — they use film, photography, theatre, illustration and more to share their stories with our community.

Our media channels elevate voices, our newspaper vendor and digital marketing programs provide economic independence, and our in-house casemanagement services move people forward along the path toward permanent supportive housing.

At Street Sense Media, we define ourselves through our work, talents and character, not through our housing situation.

DESIGN BY TIFFANY NEWMAN

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PUBLIC DOMAIN SKETCH COURTESY LOOKOVER65 // FLICKR

VENDORS Shuhratjon Ahamadjonov, Dele Akerejah, Ollie Alston, Gerald Anderson, Charles Armstrong, Katrina Arninge, Lawrence Autry, Charlton Battle, Reginald Black, Phillip Black Jr., Debora Brantley, Andre Brinson, Laticia Brock, Donald Brown, Lawrence Brown, James Brown, Elizabeth Bryant, Brianna Butler, Dwayne Butler, Melody Byrd, Antoinette Calloway, Anthony Carney, Alice Carter, Alice Carter, Conrad Cheek, Anthony Crawford, Kwayera Dakari, Michael Daniels, Michael Daniels, Louise Davenport, James Davis, Charles Davis, David Denny, Reginald Denny, Ricardo Dickerson, Dennis Diggs, Patricia Donaldson, Ron Dudley, Jet Flegette, Jemel Fleming, Johnnie Ford, Duane Foster, James Gatrell, Chon Gotti, Latishia Graham, George Gray, Marcus Green, Levester Green, Barron Hall, Mildred Hall, Dwight Harris, Lorrie Hayes, Patricia Henry, Derian Hickman, Ray Hicks, Vennie Hill, Phillip Howard, James Hughes, Chad Jackson, David James, Fredrick Jewell, Harold Johnson, Morgan Jones, Linda Jones, Reggie Jones, Darlesha Joyner, Lori Judge, Larry Kelley, Jewel Lewis, John Littlejohn, Scott Lovell, Michael Lyons, William Mack, Ken Martin, Kina Mathis, Jermale McKnight, Jennifer McLaughlin, Jeffery McNeil, Joseph Melton, Ricardo Meriedy, Amy Modica, Richard Mooney, L. Morrow, Collins Mukasa, Evelyn Nnam, Moyo Onibuje, Earl Parker, Aida Peery, Marcellus Phillips, Jacquelyn Portee, Connie Porter, Angela Pounds, Henrieese Roberts, Rita Sauls, Melania Scott, Chris Shaw, Gwynette Smith, Patty Smith, David Snyder, Franklin Sterling, Warren Stevens, Beverly Sutton, Sybil Taylor, Archie Thomas, Shernell Thomas, Eric Thompson-Bey, Harold Tisdale, Carl Turner, Jacqueline Turner, Martin Walker, Michael Warner, Robert Warren, Vincent Watts II, Sheila White, Angie Whitehurst, Sasha Williams, Robert Williams, Earth Williams, Wendell Williams, Susan Wilshusan, Ivory Wilson Jeremy Bratt, Margaret Jenny, Brian Leonard, Jennifer Park, Reed Sandridge, Dan Schwartz, Jeremy Scott, John Senn, Kate Sheppard, Aaron Stetter, Annika Toenniessen, Martin Totaro, Daniel Webber, Shari Wilson

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Brian Carome

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eric Falquero

COMMUNICATIONS & SALES MANAGER Jeff Gray

VENDOR MANAGER Muhammad Ilyas

EVENTS & WORKSHOP MANAGER Leila Drici

CASE MANAGER Colleen Cosgriff

WRITERS GROUP ARTIST-IN-RESIDENCE Willie Schatz

OPINION EDITORS (VOLUNTEER)

Rachel Brody, Arthur Delaney, Sara Reardon

ADVISORY BOARD John McGlasson

EDITORIAL VOLUNTEERS

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OFFICE SALES VOLUNTEERS

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EVENTS

// 3

CELEBRATING SUCCESS

Wendell Williams in Scotland for the International Network of Street Papers conference, which he raised money to attend through paper sales and GoFundMe.com.

PHOTO BY COLLEEN COSGRIFF

Street Sense Media Celebrates 15 Years of Impact Sept. 25 // 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Big Chief // 2002 Fenwick St. NE Our talented artists will present a multimedia gallery that shares their stories through photography, illustration, interactive art, poetry and writing, theater, film, and audio production. Attending guests will have the opportunity to meet the artists and purchase displayed pieces which will be on sale for donation to support the artists and grow our media center where the work is created. All support for this event will advance engagement and education between our vendor-artists and the public. This artistic evening will also include an open bar, heavy hors d’oeuvres, a silent auction, raffles for prizes and artwork, dancing and live music, and your community coming together to support Street Sense Media!

THURSDAY, AUG. 23

UPDATES ONLINE AT ICH.DC.GOV

FRIDAY, AUG. 24

Customer Appreciation Power Hour

D.C. Interagency Council on Homelessness Meetings

Black August Prison Letter Writing Potluck

6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Anacostia Secret Garden, Check It Enterprises // 1920 MLK Ave. SE

Emergency Response / Shelter Aug. 22, 1 p.m. // TBD

6 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Union Temple Baptist Church 1225 W Street SE

Free admission, free food and live performances by Ms. Kim & Scooby, The Pocket Remix, Gogo Mickey, Sauce, Buggy, Wenk, Smoke, Jungle Boogie.

Strategic Planning Committee Aug. 28, 2:30 p.m. // 441 4th St. NW

More information: (202) 848-4394

Youth Committee Aug. 23, 10 a.m. // 441 4th St. NW

Housing Solutions Committee Sept. 5, 1:30 p.m. // TBD Family System Redesign Sept. 5, 3:30 p.m. // 64 NY Ave. NE

We will help guide writing letters to political prisoners along with our incarcerated neighbors. Black August is a time for recommitment to study, discipline and political education. Materials provided, but you are welcome to bring your own (no stickers, crayons, or glitter — white envelopes only).

Submit your event for publication by e-mailing editor@streetsensemedia.org

AUDIENCE EXCHANGE Rachel Sadon

@Rachel_Sadon

Arcynta

@arcynta

As ever, you should be following @streetsensedc for vital coverage of homelessness in D.C.!

Had to check myself today. I always buy @streetsensedc but usually don’t read them. This isn’t specific to Street Sense (I have 20+ books & a @NewYorker subscription I haven’t read) but I felt icky. Phony. So today, I made time.

12:59 PM - 14 AUG 2018

8:20 PM - 14 AUG 2018

BIRTHDAYS Robert Williams Aug. 22 ARTIST/VENDOR

Levester Green Aug. 27 ARTIST/VENDOR

Derian Hickman Aug. 28 ARTIST/VENDOR

Louise Davenport Aug. 31 ARTIST/VENDOR

ACCOMPLISHMENTS Levester Green ARTIST/VENDOR

Hired for multiple freelance videography assignements with BallterTV Our stories, straight to your inbox Street Sense Media provides a vehicle through which all of us can learn about homelessness from those who have experienced it. Sign up for our newsletter to get our vendors' stories in your inbox.

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NONFICTION

A musical experience:

Treading the Waters, PART 6

BY GERALD ANDERSON Artist/Vendor

WHEN WE WERE LAST WITH YOUNG GERALD, he’d had his first experience going to jail for shoplifting and was getting deeper into the life.

Let me tell you how we do back then.

We were all the same age. Gregory was my man, we called him Buffy. Everybody called me Baby Gerald from back when I was young.

And Bum was there, though I didn’t feel him too much. A lot of people was scared of Bum, and I was a little intimidated by him too because he could fight. To me, it was like Bum had a hand like Muhammad Ali. He could really fight.

Also, he come from the Lockee Family. You fight one, you gotta fight them all. They used to get into it with another family, the Greens.

So we be talking, and my man Gregory tell me, “Baby Gerald, better watch Bum. Bum is trying to run on you.

I don’t think you can beat Bum.” That’s what’s my man Gregory always say. I say, “Shit, that nigga is big as I am, I’ll beat his ass.”

One day we was back in the back area, our little clubhouse we would go in.

Gregory say, “Hey, Bum, Baby Gerald say he gonna see you.”

Bum say, “What’re you talking about?”

“He try to get some rounds in with you.

Bum say, “Baby Gerald, you sure you want this.”

I say, “Man, shit, if that’s what you want to do. You wanna get it in, let’s get it in.” But at the same time, I say to myself, “Shit, I’m gonna wrestle him,” because I always watch wrestling when I was coming up. Mixedstyle wrestling was always my thing.

So we went a few rounds. No hitting in the face, just hitting body shots.

I’d seen where this thing with us was going to be a bind — like me and Greg were gonna run for a while.

Like, if he had a girlfriend, I try to meet her friend. We try to keep things going together.

His mother and father was cool with me. He was from a middle-class family. He’d always say, “Man, I gotta get my own money.”

We’d get an opportunity to work for summer school, day camp, like when you’re 16 or 17 and you’re working with kids at the YMCA for a few hours to make some money. I was looking at him like, “Man, shit… We’ll probably do it next year.”

Every time we say “next year,” the thing kick in. Hustlin’.

Hustlin’ was getting bigger to us, to me and him.

To be continued.

Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon PART 4

BY CONRAD CHEEK JR Writer/Vendor

The view from our seats as Brit Floyd went on at the Warner Theater in April.

PHOTO BY CONRAD CHEEK JR.

PREVIOUSLY, Conrad wrote about his first exposure to Pink Floyd in the early ‘70s with his friend Joe and their unique concert.

First, I was remiss when I wrote Part 1 by not mentioning what I felt was a profound revelation in the lyrics of “Breathe.” If you read them, you will get the message. What struck me as a profound statement was “Run rabbit run, dig that hole forget the sun...And all you touch and all you see is all your life will ever be.”

The second thing I’d like to share with you is about the 1988 Pink Floyd concert held at what I believe was the Greek Amphitheater in Los Angeles. As the lights went down, the concert started with a song from their current LP at the time, “Dogs of War.” My wife to be was there with me. We had attended an Earth Wind and Fire concert at another amphitheater the night before.

The only thing she seemed to know about Pink Floyd at the time was their hit song “The Wall.” So, as the round screen behind the stage depicting German shepherds barking and going through their paces, at their trainer’s behest, marked the beginning of the song, I had settled in to experience my second Pink Floyd concert.

As the music began and continued, a man with straight, long blond hair halfway down his back appeared from behind the stage with a saxophone and began to play a blues sound, bridging to a rock n’ roll change in the tempo. It was an impressive and dynamic solo!

When he finished, my fiancé looked at me and said, “This is going to be GOOD!” That solo certainly was.

The videos on the round screen were basically the same at the first concert. And the only other prop that I remembered from the earlier concert was the airplane coming from the back and seemingly exploding when it reached the stage.

This was another great show! See the video, “The Delicate Sound of Thunder,” by Pink Floyd.

The last experience that I want to share with you is about the Brit Floyd concert that I had the privilege of attending in April 2018, thanks to the generosity of my regular customer, Chris. I told him about the concert by the concert by the Pink Floyd cover band at the Warner Theater, and he bought the tickets.

While we were waiting for the show to start, he told me that, while he was in college, he was a DJ for

a radio program and would play Pink Floyd. He also revealed to me the source of the band’s name. Chris explained that, “Syd Barrett, when he was living in London, back in the late ‘60s, had a couple of blues albums. One was by the blues man Pink Anderson, and another was the blues man Floyd Council. So he took the name Pink Floyd from those two albums.”

Chris later started a band in Albuquerque in the mid-’80s using their second names. He called it “Anderson Council.”

The stage was set with the familiar round screen in the background. The lights went low, and they began with that iconic intro to the “Wish You Were Here” LP, “Shine on You Crazy Diamond.”

It took me back four and a half decades to that first concert, which started the same way.

This time, the audience would cheer with the beginning and end of each instrumental segment of this five-part song: the synthesizer, lead guitar, and eventually the saxophone. I felt so elated during the experience, all I could say, repeatedly, was “Oh my God!” I only hope that it wasn’t disturbing my friend.

The final solo of the 13-minute intro song is performed by the saxophone, starting with a blues-type sound and changing to an escalating jazzy uptempo sound. The audience roared.

The concert continued smoothly with familiar tunes to me, but about three of them were not. I noticed three female background singers, and, from what I heard of their voices, I realized they would be awesome performing “That Great Gig in the Sky.” But it was not to be.

All in all, it was a great concert and I enjoyed it immensely, so much that when I realized a pickpocket had stolen my wallet before I got outdoors, I said to myself, “That’s not going to ruin my evening. I’ve had too much fun!”

The wallet was found and returned to me three days later by Metro.

So many readers of this column have approached me and mentioned that, if you start the movie “Wizard of Oz” and then start the album “Dark Side of the Moon” on the third roar of the lion, the music is mysteriously in sync with the movie. Someday, I may have that unique audio-video experience.* *In the near future, I will write about the “Queen of Soul,” Aretha Franklin, and my epiphany about one of her hit songs.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 5

Frederick Douglass:

Editor, publisher, local Washingtonian

BY ERIC FALQUERO // ericf@streetsensemedia.org

T

his year marks 200 years since the birth of Frederick Douglass, as Frederick Augustus Washington Bailey, and 180 years since he escaped bondage to become a social reformer and abolitionist leader. Douglass chose to celebrate his birth on Feb. 14, just as he chose the surname Douglass.

While his books and speeches are world-renowned, as is his influence on President Lincoln’s timeline for emancipation, local historian John Muller argues that Douglass’s contributions to local Washington are forgotten.

“Douglass was the equivalent of an ANC commissioner,” Muller said in an interview at the Street Sense Media office.

“He was comfortable in the presence of peasants as well as presidents. The same battles that people fight with local government today, he fought then.”

Muller, a journalist and local historian who grew up in the region, has been fascinated by Douglass since stumbling across his 1845 autobiography in the seventh grade. He distinctly remembers reading a passage about how Douglass would trade bread to poor White kids in exchange for words, teaching himself to read. It was a stark comparison for a young schoolboy.

“Frederick Douglass in Washington D.C.” was published by Muller in 2012 with The History Press. He published a similar chronicle of Mark Twain’s life in D.C. the following year.

The rest of the interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity: Street Sense Media: You contacted us along with other media outlets to say the Frederick Douglass bicentennial deserves more local recognition. Why? Muller: In the popular narrative of his life that prevails in the public consciousness, and that has been advanced by historians, there is an inattention to Douglass’s life as a radical journalist. The bicentennial celebrations across the country have largely ignored Douglass as an editor and newspaperman.

In the mythologizing, the hero worshipping, the details and intricacies of his everyday life are lost. If you visit his home in Anacostia, a national historic site, the staff can tell you where he grew up on the Eastern Shore or about his visits with Lincoln.

But his life in the local neighborhood is less emphasized.

Douglass came here [from Rochester, New York] to start The New National Era, with the encouragement of his children, who were already here. Charles Douglass lived in Barry Farm and taught night school in Hillsdale, an older name for the Barry Farm neighborhood.

The journalism business was, in a way, the Douglass family business. His children assisted with The North Star. Lewis Douglass worked on the New National Era, as did Frederick Jr. It’s a story not often told.

goes to Europe and is a lecturer in Ireland, Scotland, England.

There, British abolitionists raise money for him to come back to the United States and launch a newspaper.

He moves to Rochester and launches the North Star in 1847. It was not the first newspaper edited and published by an African American. But Douglass raised the standard.

In D.C. He was the first Black capital correspondent to be admitted to the Congressional press gallery. In 2007, a plaque was placed in the Capitol to honor Douglass as the first Black congressional correspondent. Douglass elevated what a Black newspaper was, he elevated what an abolitionist newspaper was. The North Star had a couple mergers, name changes, etcetera — ending as Frederick Douglass’s Monthly. He was a newspaperman in Rochester for 16 years.

And that brings us back to The New National Era? Muller: Yes. Douglass names his D.C. paper as a nod to The National Era, a local pre-Civil War abolitionist paper that published the writings of Harriet Beecher Stowe, who’s most known for “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” At that time, D.C. was a proslavery city, but had this anti-slavery paper because you had anti-slavery congressmen and senators. So, in that capacity, Douglass was a historian of local journalism. He understood the consequence of what he was doing, the history that he was making every week [he put out a paper].

The New National Era chronicled the first generation of Black congressmen and senators that entered the halls of Congress during Reconstruction. But it also highlighted Black-owned and Black-serving businesses and built notoriety for noteworthy community members and organizations. He participated in and published about the equivalent of the statehood movement of the time: The District Suffrage Association. Because his paper covered both local and national issues, it was read on the Hill and literally read into the Congressional Record.

I think it is also critical to understand that when Douglass is in Washington, he’s not this singular journalist. His office was blocks away from Newspaper Row, which was right off 14th and Pennsylvania Avenue where the National Press Club is today. It’s famous in terms of there was a lot of debauchery, a lot of bohemians, just the culture of these radical journalists.

So he exists in that local context, like the City Paper, The Informer and the Post today. Douglass was friends with Emily Edson Briggs, Grace Greenwood, Kate Field, George Alfred Townsend, who in his own day was equal to Mark Twain, though he’s now kind of been forgotten.

Even after he closed The New National Era in 1874, Douglass was a constant mentor to journalists: George Washington Williams, William Calvin Chase of the Washington Bee, John W. Cromwell of the People’s Advocate. He informally served as as editor emeritus of the Black press.

Tell us more about his journalism career.

Muller: The minimizing of the story of Douglass as a journalist largely ignores the context of his first meeting with President Lincoln. Lincoln says “‘Mr. Douglass, I’m familiar with your work.’” Lincoln’s Secretary of State, William Seward, reportedly had shown President Lincoln copies of Douglass’ editorials and newspaper work.

When Douglass published his autobiography in 1845, he basically incriminated himself because he’s a fugitive slave. He

Douglass supported local journalists and subscribed to community papers such as The Anacostia Press.

PHOTO COURTESY FREDERICK DOUGLASS PAPERS, // LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Frederick Douglass, self-educated, reading in the late 1800s.

COURTESY OF NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, FREDERICK DOUGLASS NHS

What other contributions did he make to our community?

Muller: Well, there are certain dynamics to being a journalist and editor. It’s a very unique calling, it’s a very unique community role to play. And he always walked to his office downtown, from Cedar Hill in Anacostia. And he was always talking to folks, so he was very visible.

He also made his home a safe place where students, activists, and artists — all — were welcome. He supported community theater and hosted “reading salons” to educate and host debates on what today could be called ‘social justice issues.’ There are archives where people talked about playing baseball at his house when they were kids. Who were they playing with?

Probably Douglass.

Why do you think this side of Douglass is less well-known?

Muller: Just look at the lack of original trustworthy scholarship.

There’s no comparison between the research that has been done on a figure like Lincoln, or even Mark Twain. Ford’s theater is around the corner, think of that stack of books. That doesn’t exist for Douglass. [The Lincoln Book Tower stands 34 feet high and is symbolic of the more than 15,000 books that have been published about Abraham Lincoln, according to the Ford’s Theatre website.]

He’s been conferred honorary degrees [posthumously] and his name has been affixed to many streets, recreation centers, libraries, universities and even commands a book prize for books not about Douglass. But where is the genuine academic interest? It’s like a bad Chris Rock joke.

Outside of local media, what other institutions could improve their recognition of Douglass’s bicentennial?

Muller: In 2014, Congresswoman Norton introduced a bill to establish a Bicentennial Commission, which took a number of years to become law. Unfortunately the commission hasn’t really started; it’s my understanding they have not yet met. Moving forward there are a number of programs and celebrations planned for fall and the upcoming February. Over the past six months I’ve been working closely with members of the Douglass Family and Bailey Tribe to recover the lost history of Douglass on the Eastern Shore. We’re hoping to publish a new book within the next year. There’s just a lot of work to do. It will take years, if not generations.

In addition to his book “Frederick Douglass in Washington: The Lion of Anacostia,” more of John Muller’s research is available at http://thelionofanacostia.wordpress.com.

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POETRY

Limitless (Being Me)

BY CHARLTON BATTLE Artist/Vendor

Being me is one of the hardest things for me to be.

I keep saying to me, “How can this be, when it is so easy, to be free from me?”

Or is there more to me, than just me?

Some say, I’m a Gemini. I say, “Why?” For one, two is the sign of the Gemini. Plus me makes three.

Off the bat, that eliminates me, because sometimes, I’m more than three.

Why do we judge as to who we should be?

Who holds the future? Definitely not me.

I’m not mad, nor do I happen to be gay.

But why should anyone have to explain every little thing they display, or even say?

Yes, there’s more to me than just three (personalities).

I just don’t know them, but I know it’s me.

I’ve never just hurt people, or anything of that matter.

But self-defense and self-expense have been misjudged, by many without common sense.

Everyone seems to say they hate common sense, But cannot wear the shoes of others without taking offense.

Yes, it’s true, I’m being me. But is it?

Some say there are three (the Father, Son and Holy Spirit) But me, I say only He can give me anything and everything that comes to be.

So this number three ain’t enough for me.

I’m truly unable to accept just three. Unless we are explaining Him, and not me.

Being me is kind of hard without a tree.

Just me and my Momma ain’t enough roots to make me.

Three, in this case, includes my father, who fell for my mother and got me.

I’ve never seen him in person and didn’t know of him until 43.

I’ve been a Battle all my life until this came to me.

Now, I’m a Cummings, but what should I be.

I don’t have any support to prove that is truly he.

I’m not sure if he even wants it to be.

We talked and they talk, but it still hasn’t helped me.

Now I'm not even sure if they want me to be a Cummings.

I’m sure, I just want to be free to be me.

A Cummings which is more than just three, a family.

The crowd watches as the sun sets on the Nats 2-1 defeat to the Marlins on July 28.

But I won’t give up on our team! The Nationals defeated the St. Louis Cardinals on Aug. 17, 5-4. PHOTO BY FREDERIC JOHN

All-Star

BY FREDERIC JOHN Artist/Vendor

Max to the max Bryce in a trice, thrice Our hopes shall ride and then they may glide But only the Baseball gods decide

Eulogy for My Foster Mom

BY TONYA NELSON // Volunteer

Before you I was broken, frail and afraid.

Disaster & Destruction

BY ALICE CARTER Artist/Vendor

BY FRANKLIN STERLING Artist/Vendor

So much hatred.

We're going to war Discrimination everywhere Nothing but hatred Lies false conclusions, and fake accusations.

People judging people When only God can judge us.

Through Jesus' name I pray.

Believe what you believe, But you must agree What's this world coming to?

Where is the love The positivity?

Can't we do something good And go in a positive direction?

Is the world that hateful?

Not willing to trust, to vibe, longing for the grave.

I was so sad, no light did I see. But then there was you, who through loving eyes really saw me.

Your voice, so full of kindness and love, like a warm subtle wind from the sky above.

You cared so much without malice or force. But firmly and fairly, that was your way of course.

You showed me new things about the me inside. How to listen to my conscience and let it be my guide.

So let our minds now take us to beautiful memories of her, old times and places. Hold on tight and wait for the day when God will gladly wipe the tears from our eyes.

So glad for the time you were here with me, wonderful and true. Because I would never know unconditional love Before You. Tonya is a participant in the “Express Yourself” workshop at the Interfaith Works Empowerment Center, Progress Place, Silver Spring, MarylandD.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 7

Willingly Illiterate

BY COREY EDWARDS // Volunteer

PHOTO COURTESY OF D.C. SCORES

Big Brother FRANKLIN ARCHILA DIAZ, 11 YEARS OLD Tubman Elementary School

I have a baby sister.

Living with her is like living with a twister.

I think that she belongs in a zoo, She speaks her own language and sounds like a monkey, too.

She pulls on my bows And tries on my clothes.

She gets under my skin and makes it really hard to win.

Although she follows me everywhere, A life without her I can't bear.

It's true she sometimes brings me joy, But Oh! Does she know how to annoy!

Through this partnership, Street Sense Media aims to bring you a poetic perspective of our city from the future generation being shaped by it. D.C. SCORES creates neighborhood teams for kids in need by giving them the skills and confidence to succeed on the playing field, in the classroom and in life. It accomplished this for 2,500 kids at 59 D.C elementary and middle schools by combining poetry and spoken word, soccer, and service-learning in an innovative after-school program. To learn more or support: www.dcscores.org

The Living Lie

BY MONSOOR ALI Volunteer

The lies we tell, entangled in the minds of young and weakened men.

The lies we give to naive girls, their minds we bend and twist and curl.

The games we play and call pretend, we gamble with their hearts in sin.

The truth becomes a fairy tale, forgotten, lost and buried well.

A slave to lust and friend to greed, and we become the lie; a seed.

A seed we sow with hidden strife, a wish in vain, we give it life.

We harvest fruit with guilt and shame. But innocence is what we claim.

And many come to taste this fruit, with sweet and sour, rotten juice.

A wine consumed to numb a pain endured by men of clout and fame.

And in these men the masses trust. And addicts made of lore and lust.

Intoxicated, happy slaves, that joy in digging their own graves.

But in their death no man does cry for worshiping a living lie.

Monsoor Ali, a born and raised Washingtonian, is a multimedia artist specializing in music and film production, literature and graphic design. He has been writing poetry and songs for nearly 25 years, resides in D.C. and is working on his first book of poetry and overcoming homelessness.

I never understood people who don't like to read I can understand if you don't like certain kinds of reading materials but some people just don't like reading at all but they love to talk they'll talk about anything current affairs economics, history finance and so on they'll make or should I say they try to make what they think is a complicated synthesis that more often than not is just simplistic garbage that in some way shape or form explains what is happening in the world that surrounds them but when asked where do they get their information from they say that they did their research and when pressed further they become irate when told that their ideas are erroneous and false they respond by stating that their interlocutor is arrogant and a know-it-all if not with threats of violence humanity is damned because most of us expect that some magnanimous soul will do all the research and then simplify everything into insipid phrases that will give all the explanations all the solutions and that everybody will then ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after.

Corey Edwards was born in Jamaica and grew up in a dysfunctional home. He would later develop shizoaffective disorder and go to jail. He learned French while incarcerated and began writing poetry. He was homeless between 2010 and 2011.

Frenemies, PART 2: Fake Love

BY RON DUDLEY, A.K.A. “POOKANU” // Artist/Vendor

Look into my eyes, Girl, I let you in my world.

How could you deceive me?

I lift you up, you leave me.

I brought you back to life, Boo, showed you sacrifice, true love, and understandings.

Now I'm understanding that you've been on some fakeness.

Well, fakeness, I can't take it.

I don't accept your fake tears, ‘Cause I taught you to face fears.

You ain't gotta lie, Girl, I let you in my world, Girl.

You make my stomach turn, I'm so glad that we let it burn.

You lied to my face, Boo. Now I must replace you.

Your name should be Eden, Girl, you so deceiving.

I let you in my world, how you deceive me?

I lift you up, you leave me.

I thought you would be the one You said we would see the sun.

Now you want me back, for what?

Never going back, going back for what?

You the dirtiest, plead the fifth.

Beg for mercy. Yeah, you hurt me.

I ain't mad I ain't sad — Feeling better than I ever felt, that ain't bad.

Freedom

BY DANNIE LEE BALDWIN // Volunteer

Here I walk upon this earth Accepting my freedom for what it’s worth Seeking and finding destructions end While chasing away immoral sin My rain has been chained in bondage’s grip How much longer before I flip Where’s my freedom That was given to me Where’s the sight for blind man to see Dannie Baldwin, a Vietnam veteran, has been writing poetry since his days in the Marine Corps. This is from his first collection, “Love, Life, and Songs,” which features over 100 pieces of original poetry.

8 // ST REET SENSE ME DI A / / A UG . 2 2 - S E P T. 4, 2018

Are you a veteran who is literally homeless or “at-risk” of

being homeless?

Supportive Services for Vet V eran Families (SSVF) may be able to assist you.

PRIMARY RY ELIGIBILITY RY Y CRITERIA A member er of a “veteran family”: Eitherr a veteran or a family member in which the veteran is the head of household.

“Very Very low income”: Household income does not exceed 50% of area median income.

V Must not have a discharge status of dishonorable or been dismissed by General Court r Martial. rt SERVIC R RVIC ES Case Management Assistance w/ VA V & Otherr Benefits Personal Financial Planning Housing Counseling

T porary Financial Assistance Tem Legal Servic r es rvic Child Care Services Transportation and More!

U.S.VETS - Washington D.C. 111 K St. NE, 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20002 dcinfo@usvetsinc.org | 202-683-8357 www.usvetsinc.org

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 9

NONFICTION

Random acts of kindness, under the big top!

BY WENDELL WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor

A

while ago I was asked by a longtime special friend to accompany their 5-year-old granddaughter, who affectionately calls me “Uncle Wendell,” to the UniverSoul Circus. I may not have taken the commitment seriously until I got the reminder text message.

“Oh boy,” I thought. “Do I really want to go to a circus with thousands of screaming and over-excited kids?”

I very softly tried to weasel my way out of it, but couldn’t find a loophole to escape from the dreaded thought of a loud afternoon with pumped-up elementary-school-age children.

Comedian W.C. Fields always said he hated working with kids and joked he would rather work with animals. Because my normal contact with kids lasts a brief few moments, my views are not that extreme. And being a big kid, I do well.

However, I was somewhat terrified at the thought of a whole afternoon under the big top and all the adult decisions I may have to make. Do I buy her popcorn? What about cotton candy?

Merchandising? Should I encourage her to take a picture with the clowns? When and where do I say no? And on and on.

Needless to say, I thought I was about to be overwhelmed.

I’ve had very little practice with these parenting phenomena.

My own daughter grew up more than 600 miles away, and I spent very little time with her. I was a Santa Claus dad, you know, Christmas, birthdays and a short visit during the summer.

A visit typically meant going to the movies, getting food and to the mall for shopping. In a day or so, I’d be gone.

I didn’t want to screw this up. But thank God I couldn’t, because it turned out I was the biggest kid of all. The UniverSoul Circus is a very different type of big top than anything you have ever seen in person, on television or in the movies. It’s not the typical Barnum and Bailey or Ringling Brothers circus.

It takes place in one ring, and the audience members are so close they can reach out and touch the performers. It’s fastpaced and full of action, happening at a clip that keeps kids engaged and excited. There was never a dull moment, and the show never stopped!

The audience was full of kids from summer camps, church groups and school groups. Many were decked out in various colored t-shirts with the name of their school or program on them. Even the staff members had t-shirts on; the only difference was the big block letters that said “STAFF.” Throughout the afternoon, the circus performers got the kids and adults involved by constantly picking several from the audience and bringing them to the center of the ring to have dance-offs or help them perform tricks. Isn’t the circus for kids of all ages? Everyone, from the support staff to the performers and hype crew, was just excellent with the kids.

This circus featured everything from motocross riders to highwire acts, several animal acts featuring everything from dogs to camels, even vertical ballet at the top of a pole. There were mostly people of color, but people of all colors from all over the world performed. That’s what makes it a universal circus.

Photos by Wendell Williams

But I think the play on the word “Soul” gives some people first circus, too, at almost 68 years old. “How did I go more than the wrong impression. As I scanned the tent and found almost 67 years without experiencing the joy and the thrill of a circus?” no one there that didn’t look like me, I thought about why.

I had the time of my life, and so did Taj. Even after not Do they think it’s a Black thing? getting her the promised cotton candy, I was able to negotiate Were they worried about safety or parking? a deal with her for lunch after the show instead, to keep my Well, the show was at 10:30 a.m. and at the visitor-friendly word and credibility with her intact.

National Harbor. So, what was it?

I am very grateful to the Jordan family for trusting me with Kids don’t do race or fear. They do fun, which is universal. their precious gift. I can honestly say that my life has been a Throw a bunch of them in a playground together and watch three-ring circus, with many ups, downs and sideways detours. them play. So the parents that made the assumption and stayed Some of the craziest nice things have happened out of nowhere, away denied their children a once-in-a-lifetime experience at and this was one of them. The Jordan family’s random act of an affordable price. kindness under the big top won’t be forgotten by this kid at heart.

To say the hype crews kept the young people dancing in the As Wendell continues to chronicle the random acts that have enriched aisles and pumped up throughout the show between the various his life, he encourages our readers to share the acts of kindness they acts is an understatement. They had everybody — kids, moms, have benefited from. Send yours to editor@streetsensemedia.org. grandmas and even me — up on their feet moving to the beat.

Throw in the giant balls tossed around in between acts for what seemed like hours at a time, and the real circus was Discounts are Subject to Income Eligibility Requirements in the seats.

The DJ played old school classics and music right up to today’s kids’ hits.

To my surprise, the youngsters sang along with passion, even knowing Lifeline Program (Economy II) Residential Aid Discount (RAD) Program most of the words Annual discount on one Potential savings are to the old songs, land line service per between $300-$475 which blew my household. annually. mind. “How did they learn that?” I thought to myself.

I was having Customer Assistance Program (CAP) Residential Essential Service (RES) Program so much fun Potential discount watching little Potential savings up to 5-year-old, widecould be over $450 $276 during the winter eyed Taj react to annually. heating season. her first circus that I unconsciously got into it so much that I heard a woman right behind me laughingly say, To apply for the telephone Lifeline Service (Economy II), call 800-253-0846.

“He’s into it more than the kids!”

These programs are for DC residents only.

That made me stop and think.

“Wait a minute,” I said. And suddenly it occurred to me that I was at my

Apply for Discounts on Your Utility Bills - Apply for Discounted Rates on -

Telephone

Electric

Natural Gas

Water

For more info call 311 or visit doee.dc.gov/udp

1 0 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / A UG . 2 2 - S E P T. 4, 2018

NONFICTION

Every day matters

BY DARLESHA JOYNER Artist/Vendor

Hi. I am HIV positive. Life is tough for me and my five kids. I finally got a Section 8 voucher two years ago and am no longer homeless.

I'm scared to tell my kids I am sick. I don't want them to worry about me. I am at a point now where I just want to live to the fullest.

Some of my hopes are to travel to Florida, North Carolina and Atlanta. I feel like life is short for me, so why not have fun and enjoy myself?

My “Where has he been” photos: performing outreach, advocating and working.

COURTESY OF EUGENE SANFORD.

Secretarial Spotlight

BY EUGENE SANFORD Volunteer

How did I become homeless?

BY JACQUELYN PORTEE Artist/Vendor

The reasons are many.

Back in 2008 I lost my two children to state custody and have had a hard time getting them back. This increased my stress levels and emotional issues.

Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, I had various hotel and restaurant jobs.

However, employment in the South was very hard to maintain because of the tough fluctuating job market.

In 2016, I saw a large group of homeless people disappearing. Some died. That experience led me to fear for my life and come to Washington, D.C., for safety.

I am still struggling to survive in some areas, but I have met some wonderful community people and priests since I have been in D.C. I enjoy working with Street Sense Media because it puts a positive and informative spin on various homeless issues as well as providing economic opportunities for the needy in our communities.

Hello, everyone. My name is Eugene Sanford and I am the secretary, assistant director and office manager for the People for Fairness Coalition. I have been with this group of homeless advocates since I first discovered it at Miriam’s Kitchen a decade ago.

So how did I get into this line of work and how did I become homeless? I am an only child, born in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area (Cheverly, Maryland). I also have cousins, aunts and uncles in the Carolinas.

This all goes way back to 2002, when I was holding a dishwasher job at Friendly’s Restaurant. I was checking the schedule to see when I would work again and noticed that I was only on the schedule for one day. I went to three different people about this issue. No one would talk to me.

When I finally went to the general manager, he said he was tired of me having issues and suggested that I find another place to work. After some heated words, he asked me to leave, in a threatening manner.

I went home and told my landlord about the situation and started packing my things. I sold my TV/VCR for $75 and paid for a moving van. First, I stayed in a hotel, then with some friends. This went on for almost a year.

The following year, 2004, this situation resurfaced with a former “employer” of mine from another organization. I was living with her for two months and was asked to move along because she was so money-hungry. I left, but had the help of a good friend from high school to store a lot of my things in an unused garage. I later went into a shelter program and got settled in for the whole winter until 2005.

That year became a little busy for me, as I got a call from Outback Steakhouse. I got to go to their orientation program and got a job as a busser. Then I moved up to dishwasher for more hours. I wasn’t making much money, so a lot of it went towards sustaining myself: staying with friends, in and out of hotels, keeping myself healthy, and still working. But things continued to get rough for me.

The next thing I did, in 2007, was migrate from Hyattsville, Maryland, to Washington, D.C. That’s when things slowly started to change for me. I was getting breakfast from the First Helping truck on 9th and E streets NW, across from the Department of the Interior. One of the outreach workers told me about Miriam’s Kitchen, which wasn’t too far away. So,

I took the bus over there and was astounded at what I saw.

There were two or three dozen people in this massive dining room where I got something to eat. The first person I remember meeting was Ashley Lawson, who at the time ran the dining room early in the mornings. We talked almost every day before breakfast, and I turned towards getting my own life in order. By then it was 2008, when we were all going through rough times during the recession. I am proud to say that neither drugs nor alcohol were ever used or abused during this emotionally gut-wrenching period of my life.

The next person I remember working with was Amanda Moss (now Manning), who asked me to do a housing survey before working with me on getting the resources I needed.

She helped me to get a new ID, food stamp card, police clearance, and a place to stay at St. Paul Lutheran Church’s Shelter. Every Tuesday I would meet with Amanda between 30 minutes and an hour, until she moved on to marriage and family.

Then came the People for Fairness Coalition, where I am currently one of many longstanding members in the group. I have also been working at Safeway now for more than eight years, and I got a place to live in College Park, Maryland.

My hobby is listening to podcasts, which are really cool.

I do a lot of writing while listening to podcasts. In fact, I finished one book that I want to publish, and I am working on a second book in honor of my mother. She passed away two and a half years ago. I plan on writing a third book about the People for Fairness Coalition.

It’s been more than 10 years now since things have changed for me, since the First Helping days. I always read about celebrities and people with stories titled “Where Are They Now?” So, here is mine.

I still live in College Park, near the University of Maryland and behind the Metro station. I am still working at Safeway, approaching my first decade with the company. And I am still with the People for Fairness Coalition. I am single and I attend services and volunteer at my church in Lanham, Maryland. I’m in charge of my own chapter of STARFLEET: The International Star Trek Fan Association and remain stable in my home of five years, the longest I have ever lived in any home.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

How to be nice

My mom

BY BRIANNA L. BUTLER // Artist/Vendor

BY PATTY SMITH // Artist/Vendor

Tell jokes to make people laugh Feed hungry families Uplift and motivate somebody with songs Play a game with the elderly Watch TV with kids Go shopping with friends Help someone find a home Brighten peoples’ day with flowers Offer a lunch treat Pray for the economy’s well-being so it will go well with our wallets.

Smile be happy Count your blessings And return a nice favor to someone else.

My mom was wonderful.

But every boy and girl, Whether they are young or old, Has thought this of their parents.

I don't want to hold you long In talking about my mom.

But every year she celebrated Every holiday.

She was sincere, And went to church.

She had us kids in church For half the days.

The way she believed in God Makes me know she is in heaven.

My blessings

BY SASHA WILLIAMS Artist/Vendor

When I was pregnant with Eboni, I was excited to have my first child. But she is the only blessing that came from meeting her dad, who abandoned us.

My family was there for us as I was left to stay with different loved ones and decide where to go. I remember questioning myself after my sister lost her baby. Eboni was just as small and that was devastating to me. I had to be determined to change the circumstances, ‘cause it was all a wreck.

I shifted away from family when I went to shelter.

And when Eboni was two, we were able to transition to being housed. This empowered me to just end it with her dad and do this on my own. It was just me and Eboni.

I felt I could move on with juggling my personal life. I was thinking one relationship was better and the next relationship would work out. But those two did not. And that’s okay, I realized. Whether I have a man in my life or not, I can’t give up on me. You’ve got to

get unstuck and pick up the pieces.

When I became pregnant with Onyx. I worried I might not be able to stay in touch with my dad because he was moving. “What if I don't make it?” I thought.

I also told myself I wanted to relocate because I didn’t feel safe in the environment where we were living. It would have kept me in the same mindset and emotional wreck with men.

I wanted to change for the better for my two girls. It was nerve-wracking to relocate to a new place at the same time as my new baby, Onyx, came. But it was all worth it.

When I had Eboni, my circumstances were so different because I did not know where I was on my journey in life, and anything could happen. Now, with Onyx, I know what I want for my family and I know I can control my destiny.

Eboni and Onyx are my gifts in life. I know where I am and where I want us to be.

/ / 11

When I was homeless

BY BEVERLY SUTTON Artist/Vendor

When I was homeless, I had a social worker from Bread for the City who helped me. First, she put me in a hotel. A month later, she got me into St. John’s program and they helped me get a place.

I was glad to get help because I wasn’t bathing or taking care of myself. They also helped me with my drinking – I needed help with that. St. John’s took me in for housing and helped with my drug problem. I stayed in the hospital for two days with my social worker.

After another month, I was housed.

It was a process, but it was worth it.

The shelter I had been staying in only let me take one shower a week.

Can you believe that? I was menstruating and I could only shower once a week! I had to wash myself at bus stations and at Union Station. I had to panhandle to buy my cycle supplies.

Where am I now? I love it!

I’m off the streets; I’ll be 61 in December. I was on the streets for 35 years. I turned 43 in my first year of housing.

How did I become Homeless?

BY SUSAN WILSHAUSEN Artist/Vendor

I was not homeless before November 2011. I left my $300-permonth apartment after having trouble in the job market. That difficulty was caused by a coworker — a married coworker — being a man like Harvey Weinstein, well before the #MeToo movement this year.

He fondled my arms, breast and bottom. This was well beyond inappropriate. It was traumatic.

I asked a female supervisor, in confidence, what I should do. A report was given to human resources at corporate headquarters and a meeting was scheduled. I learned that previous complaints, some of them formal, had been made about this man.

Things became progressively difficult from there. Since that time, I have been out on the street and unemployed.

I’ve been raped, repeatedly — something I would not wish on anyone. I have been beaten severely, breaking more than 40 bones. I have also been exposed to deadly diseases.

I didn't network, save enough or learn enough. Unfortunately, I had mediocre choices at best and suffered tremendously. I pray I won't go through these things anymore.

1 2 // S T REET SENSE ME DI A / / A UG . 2 2 - S E P T. 4, 2018

PHILOSOPHY

Divided, we know

Rest in peace, Leonard Hyater

BY JAMES GARTRELL Artist/Vendor

As you wake up in the morning, ask yourself "What's next?"

I mean, what's next for you to expect as you take care of your everyday hygiene. You know, the usual: wash yourself, brush your teeth and comb or shave your head to look good.

Sometimes, you might not do those things. Sometimes you can feel like crap, like your life is about to end — just because. Then it hits you the moment you start to put your clothes on. Ideas, stabilities, motivations, concerns of what the next move will be and the steps you're going to take once you step outside the front door.

You will see and meet people and sometimes you're wondering how they feel. I know I make myself feel love, respect, honor toward others, no matter what.

Sometimes we judge the next person as having idiosyncrasies, of thinking that you can tell what that next person's character is going to be. Have you ever asked yourself why you do that? I think it's because we have idiosyncrasies just like that other person.

However, that is not going to change. But what can change is pride and envy toward each other.

Those two words carry a lot of weight, most of it negative. Hatred

BY CHARLES DAVIS Artist/Vendor

towards others, especially the lower class and homeless people – males and females — is strongly negative.

This kind of thinking starts a cycle that can lead to what we see in society today as poverty, low income cycles, etc. We need to look in the mirror, not once but twice and ask our self the question, “The next time I encounter that person, what do I give him?” I give him the blessing and gift of God Almighty, a gift that was given to me. This, I believe will keep everyone equal and on the same “plane.”

We need to stop degrading the lower class, especially the homeless.

People in positions of authority, with the ability to hire people, often hire the wrong ones, usually people they know, people that are not qualified to do that job. This stops opportunity in its path. The path for others to learn how to keep up and get ahead.

I ask, “how can someone learn to be independent if he or she can't prove that they can do a job?”

Homelessness ends when we make that correction to remove obstacles to change. We need to show the importance of life itself, of love, of motivation and support for others.

To be continued.

Taking care of the car

I will not give up

BY MARCELLUS PHILLIPS Artist/Vendor

My mindset has been my key to success. I set goals to get me to where I would like to be and there are never any thoughts on giving up, no matter what the situation may be.

My latest goal is to become employed again, to get me to the next level in my life.

I'm 38 years old and want to buy a house by the age of 40. A lot of people tell me there is no way I can get it done. I'm here to prove them wrong.

If I were president

BY DWAYNE BUTLER Artist/Vendor

BY MARCUS GREEN Artist/Vendor

I look at women and men as cars, from Volkswagens all the way up to Big Body Benz: when dealing with your priceless body, you must take care of it so you won't end up in the junkyard.

In other words, love yourself so you won't have a funeral because of your lifestyle.

Taking care of yourself is easy.

Like yourself, love yourself, set your

When I heard about your death, I was very confused because I'd just seen you the week before when I was coming from church service at St. Ann's on Wisconsin Ave. NW. The time I spent with you was mostly joyful, although we had a few spats. But it was your time in Jesus's name when he made that call for you to eternal life.

Leonard, my prayers will always stay with you through our Lord.

The Street Sense Media family also will always keep their prayers with you, as will Citizens Church, where we attended many services. We all will miss you very much. And Jesus will always love you, all day, every day.

May you rest in peace. Amen!

goals and stick with it to the end.

Pray, eat right, exercise, go to the doctor regularly. Do right by others and animals, too. Me, myself and I feed the birds. My friends have cats and I love dogs. I want to work with them in a career of some sort.

Shout out to Leonard, who just passed away. God bless his soul.

Thank you all in Newspaper Land – you are the best.

Being president is a hard job. But I know, I just know, you can't say things like Trump has said over the past two years. You are supposed to protect your country against trouble, foreign and domestic.

For a president to refuse to challenge Russian President Vladimir Putin for meddling in the 2016 presidential race is crazy. The country needs an answer. If I were president, I would trust my own country's intelligence agencies and ask Putin, “What's up with the hacking?”

I'd ask if he has everything in Russia under control.

A prototype of the beyond

BY JERMALE MCKNIGHT Artist/Vendor

Let's get back to our youthful essence, the talents and hobbies you preferred to explore: art, music, cooking or sports.

When was the last time we played a game of softball, shot a hoop or a volleyed a tennis ball?

Embrace me and your neighbors. This is our crockpot of an American world. We’ve been conditioned to fight for survival in capitalism. But with our country’s wealth, we could be the essential prototype of a Unitarian culture that supports everyone to live a fruitful life.

Please, help and support each other to enjoy life.

Why we suffer

BY BARRON HALL Artist/Vendor

God says, “we suffer because of the lack of knowledge.” The day will come when He will be our only relief. It seems like that day is here. The slave master that had you in slavery still has his foot on your neck. He has everything you would like to have, set out in front of you, just to keep your eyes and mind on him, and keep you from seeking the God that keeps life in your body.

How can we protect and teach our children what is right when our minds and our ways don't give us a chance to learn right from wrong? All we know is “how fat that woman is or how good that dope feels or how big that car is?” How can we learn what God tells us is right when our minds are so far away from the truth?

But there is one coming that we don't want to miss. The One that's coming to give us relief. But I don't know what and who to look for. We are going to miss the goodness of what God has planned, stay in our misery if we don't figure out what we should do, what we should look for and how to recognize it.

STREETSENSEMEDIA.ORG

// 13

FICTION

The Eminence:

The Sky is Falling:

Part 1a: BACKROUND ON THIS EXTRAORDINARY EVENT

BY JANE GOFORTH Volunteer

Ladies and Gentlemen: Good Evening!: My name Jarrod Forsythe. I will be your Narrator for this extraordinary, historic, broadcast presentation.

(A slight pause.)

A discovery was made about a year ago, of a 10-volume set of journals found to be 150 years old. A couple about to purchase a beautiful old house in the Hatcher neighborhood discovered them. The house was previously owned by a doctor famed for his philanthropy as well as the building of two of the finest hospitals in this state.

The journals were discovered by accident, hidden within a regular bookcase that turned out to be twice as deep as the part facing into the library.

It was only discovered because it was resting slightly askew from the wall.

The events I am going to relate to you happened at a time in our history when we were just discovering more about our place in our solar system. In another few years, we would be able to move off our planet and discoveries we made on Mars and the Moon were astounding. These journals add to those discoveries and will answer that ages-old question: are we alone in the universe?

If during and after these broadcasts you have questions, and I am sure you will, there will be notations at the end of each roll of credits directing you to a telephone number of persons who have volunteered to answer many, if not all, of your questions, we hope. Time

And we want to thank those actors who portrayed the aliens.

Thank you for your attention and we will begin in 30 minutes.

Persons of Interest: Melissa [the main character of the story].

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

will be allotted to enable you to write down these contacts and phrase your questions concisely, to not ramble and take up too much time.

There will be only one short break each half-hour, and then the broadcast will resume. Each broadcast will begin at 8 p.m. and last 2 hours. There will not be any commercial interruptions, as this broadcast is too important for delays. We will return this same time tomorrow. So, plan accordingly. You will not want to miss this broadcast.

When we take our first break, and at the end of the broadcast, you will see a list of the persons who made this presentation possible and a list of the volunteers who will be taking your questions.

Finally, this broadcast has been scripted into a taped format, with live actors portraying the persons from which this presentation was drawn.

Outside the Window

BY DEBORAH BRANTLEY Artist/Vendor

At this very moment, it is raining. Not hard, but subtly, all day long. Will crops, vegetables, or flowers sprout up? For this particular rain, on this very day, they are saying “yes.”

There is a little kitten outside, crying and meowing forcefully to be let it in. So it is raining cats and possibly a little dog.

William [mate, but not husband; the title is used for convenience but is different where she comes from].

Guests at the table [A neighborhood doctor, his daughter, his colleague, the colleague’s two sisters and two of his four sons].

RRee [pronounced as-are-ree, a Kzinn. In our culture, called an alien].

The Commissioner [In charge of an extremely critical mission]. Human.

Prxzt [pronounced prixt; this is the messenger from the Ahn. Also, alien].

His assistant [no name is given in the journal.

Human].

Tune in after the break to continue the adventure at www.StreetSenseMedia.org

I have milk because I eat cereal every day for breakfast.

If I had some fish, I have no doubt that it would somehow magically enter my apartment and make its way outside my door. It’s been done before, by clever kings of cats and dogs.

Outside the window, rich people are either walking with their lovers from here to there -- sometimes with a child -- or they are driving from home to someplace else where people meet.

The city’s poor people are either in their subsidized apartment dwellings, or sitting in the hole of the Metro entrances under a roof. Or they are at the shelter or halfway house. They are clamoring for a safe abode.

I see all of these kinds of individuals, outside my window.

BY KEDIST GIRMA Artist/Vendor

Chapter 1

There is a spirit the senses have yet to detect. It brightens the soul and gradually yields to the flesh. It is as the whisper of wind, a bird’s tweet, a child’s laughter and an aroma of tranquility; such gaiety. If only the sense could discern their existence.

“So, it is said that love is a spirit. Then where does it go, if it has yet a flesh to manifest itself in?” he ponders to himself.

Asking relevant questions and responding accurately may make one seem knowledgeable. However, being excessively talkative is not keen to his character. So, he kept his silence.

Then, attempting to spiritually maneuver through the man’s mind, the sage inquired, “What do you prefer: to be wise or to be worshipped?”

The man thought that both would be ideal to obtain. But if I’m to choose one, I must choose wisdom, he thought. “To be wise,” the man stated.

His answer proved to the sage that the man had somewhat of a grip to reality. The sage further inquired, “What do you prefer: love or financial wealth?”

The man was content with his financial situation. However, he was not certain if he had ever been loved. Hastily, the man responded, “Love.”

A few years ago, the man had visited a psychic who decreed the man would not find love because of his past life, in which he was a wicked man that broke the hearts of many women.

The psychic had also told him he had a dark ring around his head that was considered evil. She had showed him a picture of an angelic figure with a shiny ring around the head.

The psychic had lacked precision with her prediction. But this sage seemed more thorough.

It often seemed as if the spiritual word was controlling the man. He was smarter than his peers, even though his esoteric knowledge at thymes made him appear awkward among them.

It was almost as if there was an unknown, aged man living inside of him, a wise spirit.

One day, soon after visiting the sage, the man’s world seemed to turn completely upside down.

Perhaps, it was a mist of different types of spirits that somehow stalked him after visiting the sage and the sorcery workers. Perhaps, it was the same spirit that caused misfortune in the lives of his family, now taking vengeance on him.

Whatever it was, it was far from pleasant. Some days the man awoke feeling as if he created the world, while other days he was disgruntled with the demons that seemed to control his world.

“Damn them demons that have placed me in a stage of misery,” the man scrawled on a piece of paper. “They’ve even arranged my sorrow for tomorrow. Damn them demons -- let them burn.”

Gradually, his acquaintance with isolation began to transform him into a savage beast.

During those days, there existed savage beasts that had yet to encounter love and had yet to live. Savages, their ages were consumed with birth and death, another rotation each attempting to flee from daily frustration. In-between stages of grief and relief, the savage beasts crawl, walk, run and then disappear.

It was only breathing that kept them here. Some days, the man would spend his time waiting. Waiting on whom? Waiting on what? He had yet to decipher.

Perhaps it was the smile of the moon; the singing of the cosmos, the counting of the stars and the natural scent of fresh air from the after rain that took the pain away.

“The Sky is Falling!” will continue, chapter by chapter, on www.StreetSenseMedia.org

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FUN & GAMES

Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 1, Book 1

Sudoku #5 6 2

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A seminar on Time Travel will be held two weeks ago.

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1 4 // ST REET SEN S E ME DI A / / A UG . 2 2 - S E PT. 4, 2018

Challenging Sudoku by KrazyDad, Volume 1, Book 1

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© 2013 KrazyDad.com

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The Pancakes and the Syrup

ILLUSTRATION BY BARBARA POLLARD

BY MICHAEL CRAIG // Volunteer

Human relationships — any way of joining together, such as marriage, friendship or co-workers — are like pancakes. You’ve got to wait for them to cook!

The syrup makes the pancakes, the pancakes don’t make the syrup. But you can’t enjoy that sweet sugary adornment until the foundation, the pancakes, is solid.

Otherwise you end up with a disgusting mess.

Too often today we’re rushing and distracted. We take our relationships and the people in our lives for granted.

We don’t give the pancakes enough time to cook!

You might let one side get nice and golden brown: we get to know each other, go out to dinner and all of this. But

you can’t expect syrup then, you’ve got to flip that flapjack and then you still have another whole side to cook.

You shouldn’t ever rush your food, you want it to come out right. There’s no substitute for time and tender loving care.

And once you master that, it’s time to share the love with others. Once we get the syrup on the pancakes, we’ll have a better form of humanity. We have the capacity.

We just don’t do it. We’ve got to bring the love.

From the laws we make to the feelings we express, recognizing we are all really the same would be the sweetness on top of those pancakes.

Author Gene Weingarten is a college dropout and a nationally syndicated humor columnist for The Washington Post. Author Dan Weingarten is a former college dropout and a current college student majoring in information technology. Many thanks to Gene Weingarten and The Washington Post Writers Group for allowing Street Sense to run Barney & Clyde.

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// 15

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From “Oh Me Oh My” to “Spanish Harlem,” music connoisseur and artist/vendor Ken Martin has assembled a 28-song playlist to honor the life of “The Queen,” Aretha Franklin.

StreetSenseMeda.org/TheQueensMusic

Aretha Franklin truly made America great

BY JEFFERY MCNEIL Artist/Vendor

ILLUSTRATION

BY SUSIE TRIVETTE

Respect

BY LATICIA BROCK, A.K.A. “PWEZZY” Artist/Vendor

Taking this time to pay homage to a lovely lady She’s responsible for a lot of y’all makin’ babies in the 80s Singin’ little songs like “I Say a Little Prayer,” “Think,” or “Mary, Don’t You Weep” Or how a “Do Right woman - Do Right man” can land on his feet She did a lot of things, some sweet tunes, and even fed the homeless That’s one of the reasons, real good reasons, Pwezzy is paying homage Well, rest in paradise, my sweet lady You pleased our Creator, be blessed And thanks for teaching Pwezzy, a thing called Respect.

Laticia, or “Pwezzy Village,” runs a YouTube and Facebook video series called “Pwezzy Village & Sequan.”

AUG. 22 - SEPT. 4, 2018 VOLUME 15 | ISSUE 21

When I first heard news of Aretha Franklin’s death, I felt like a part of me died with her.

She truly had an impact, not just on Black America, but all Americans. She was one of the first crossovers who helped change the racial divide, not with Black militancy but through her powerful music.

Her death brought a rush of childhood memories back to me. That was when musicians could actually sing!

The first song I remember hearing was “I Say A Little Prayer.” It is one of those records I could play repeatedly and never get tired of hearing it. This was my personal favorite song, though others may argue in favor of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” or “Chain of Fools.”

Aretha had one of those voices where, if you're sad, troubled or stressed, you can find something she sang and remember what’s important in life. There will be no one else like her. Our country lost someone that made America great because she sang about love instead of division.

Although I loved Aretha, I really didn't know much about her life. For a woman with such a powerful voice, I assumed she was a southern girl. When I read her biography, I was shocked to find out she once lived in Buffalo, New York. Later, when she was still a child, her family moved to Detroit.

She was the daughter of Rev. C.L. Franklin, whose sermons led to him being known as the man with the "milliondollar voice." His celebrity status drew other various celebrities to the Franklin household, among them Clara Ward, James Cleveland, Martin Luther King Jr., Jackie Wilson and Sam Cooke.

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Clara Ward, who was romantically involved with Aretha's father, served as a role model to the young Aretha. Her father was also a major fundraiser for Dr. King, who personally encouraged Aretha to perform on stage.

Hers was one of the few voices with the power to reduce the most hate-filled men to tears. She could get the emotion out of you, She had such a unique presence.

Being a product of the ‘70s, I remember my parents would come home with an Aretha album and I would love seeing that Atlantic label spinning soul classics such as “Respect,” “Think” and “(You Make Me Feel like) A Natural Woman.” I learned later that nothing could top seeing a young Aretha perform. And nothing made me more proud than seeing her powerful Black presence blow anyone off the stage. I was lucky enough to experience this twice, in Newark and in Philadelphia, on the Chitlin’ Circuit. She truly was the “Queen of Soul,” and there will never be anyone else that can compare to her.

Aretha came at a time when Blacks were considered unattractive, but also at the same time Black women such as Gladys Knight, Diana Ross, Lyn Collins and The Staple Singers were blowing the doors wide open and producing better music then White America. It was the golden era.

Arguably, it was either Aretha or Diana Ross who first appealed to America, as opposed to Black America or White America.

Some people’s stars shine bright enough to clear the paths for future generations. Like Michael Jackson, Aretha’s star shined so brightly, nothing was going to deny her.

Thank you, Aretha, for your music.

Somewhere in the heavens, someone is dancing to your beautiful silky voice. I miss you and I will always remember and love you.

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