Experience the Intellectual Side of Brothers

Hello All,

This organization needs your support!

This was a great event last year and looks to become increasingly better.  With its small grassroots beginning and the brainchild of a couple of black sgl book clubs that didn't feel they would be represented in a more mainstream Black book conference, you will surely find value in what they are offering.
Check out the website below for more details.  If you can't attend and simply would like to lend your support by donating ..click the donation link.

The main theme of the this years Literary Soul Symposium (LSS) is “Living Authentically: Developing Extraordinary Characters” followed by relevant sub themes that cover a wide range of developmental issues and challenges.  This theme sends a very personal message throughout the GLBTQ Community that loving oneself  while unapologetically developing your own character is essential in the journey called life. 

 2013 2nd Annual Literary Soul Symposium

Donate to the Literary Soul Symposium

Jai Cristiano Designer Shoes

Hello All,

It's been awhile since I've posted.  Ugggh don't even want to go into the reason why.  I'll just leave it at Corporate America!

That's not the reason for my post today.  Today I'd like to introduce you to a women's shoe designer.

Jai Cristiano
shoes are bejeweled with Swarovski Crystals.  If you didn't know, Swarovski creates crystal glass that lets light refract in a rainbow spectrum.  They are extremely famous for the quality of their work.    

Check him out and if you know any Diva's that want those one of a kind type of shoe send them to Jai Cristiano!
Hope all is well with everyone.

T-Shirts and Art

As you know I like to get the word out about brothas I know who start their own businesses. Businesses of any kind. So check out CJ Juzang's ebay website. He is an artist and also some of his artwork he has put on t-shirts. Check him out if your interested in one of the shirts buy it!

Stranded In The Motor City

The movie Precious is set to come out in November of this year. Precious from the book Push by Sapphire, looks at the struggles of a young girl living in the ghetto. In the book and movie you will see her march through the trials and tribulations of a life she did not choose. If you've read the book you know how moving the story is. To me Push takes you on a journey of life in the ghetto just like the book Native Son by Richard Wright. Even though you can empathize with the characters at the same time you know that it is a fictional story. Maybe that's what helps us to sleep at night.

Rarely do you see or hear the stories of real people fighting to survive this type of life. So can one really garner an understanding of what the circumstances are that caused them to be where they are or the strength to survive, change, and move?

Tonight I was at a friends and he showed me a trailer for a documentary that he wrote and directed. He will showcase it later this month. From the little bit that the tailer shows I can already tell that one will walk away with a greater understanding of this type of life. You will be educated and hopefully inspired to move. What movement? That depends on you and your strength. Please check out the trailer for his documentary Stranded in the Motor City. Also, Click this link to access the movies website.

Stranded In The Motor City

Read This

If you're looking for something to read. Here's a new author with a story that just might touch you and teach you. Rodney Lofton author of The Day I Stopped Being Pretty. This brotha will be visiting Los Angeles in December and I intend to be at his book signing.

Click on his webpage and scroll down to see if any new dates have been added to his tour. If you want him to speak to your group. Simply invite him. You never know it could happen.

At any rate if you decide to pick up Rodney's book I do hope that you enjoy it and it in some way enhances and strengthens you. After checking out his website Tell a friend about his book.

A plug for a friend and an opportunity for you

Chuma Spirit Magazine is accepting submissions for its Poem of the Month section. Once a month, the magazine will feature an outstanding poem, along with a bio, contact information, and a picture of the poet who scribed it. When the month is up, the feature will be archived and available to be viewed for indefinite promotion. Please provide the following:

1. A poem not exceeding 800 words.
2. A high resolution picture
3. A bio
4. Contact information, such as any phone numbers, email addresses, mailing addresses and websites.

Submissions are to be emailed to ChumaSpirit@aol.com with "Poem of the Month Submission" in the subject line. All submissions are to be received no later than October 27th. Announcement of the winner will be made on November 1st and the feature will be posted effective that day.

Subscribe for free to http://www.chumaspiritmagazine.com/ and get daily updates and newsletters informing of the latest postings. As the magazine grows, you will receive information on the following topics: Chuma Wisdom, Quotes, African American History, Music, Fitness, Health and Well-Being, Sexuality, Travel, Books, Finance, Spirituality and Religion, Erotica, Poetry, Interviews, and Links to other Bloggers. We look forward to you visiting http://www.chumaspiritmagazine.com/.

Take a step, you never know what could happen!

The Strand

To get the word out on another black cartoonist and to promote Black Gay Business once again. I introduce you to Chris Grice who has created his own comic strip. Check out The Strand. I think intellectually you'll find his comic fresh.

Support Black Business

Ok here I go again preaching about supporting black businesses. The reason that I am so passionate about this is because the only way that the Black Community will be a financially viable group is if we support each other and diversify the types of business that we start.

Hence my promoting the following Black Business.

MyPhoneNet Communications.

It's internet phone service. If your looking for a new way so save costs on your phone service. This is a new technology that is emerging and convenient and most of all AFFORDABLE!

How it works:

Transforms your highspeed internet connection into a regular phone line. You simply connect your existing phone to your modem using an adapter. Then you can start making and receiving calls right away! That's all!

Comes with your own phone number and works just like your regular phone line. You can call anyone and anybody can call you. You even have the option of using the phone number that the MyPhoneNet Communications provides or be assigned a new phone number. Best of all it on average it is 45% cheaper than your current phone company.

You'll save a bundle on long distance. Any calls that you make or receive within your area is considered free. The calls are unlimited with in the U.S. and Canada. Not to mention that calling Puerto Rico and Europe is FREE! You don't have to pay any long distance charges. You can travel or even move to another country and call friends and family as if you were at home.

So check out MyPhoneNet Communications for complete details on this new way to call family and friends.

Now just imagine the power that we would begin to bring to the community with our hands in telecommunication on the cutting edge!

Anyway, that's my lastest black business plug. Hope you find it beneficial!

Read Someone New

I hope you don't think that I'm about to post about cursin' someone out. LOL.

This post is about supporting each other. We all know folks that have written books and we buy them to support them. What you may not know is that many publishers that are not diverse in their thinking as they want you to believe they are pressure our Black writers to tone down their characters, beef up stories etc. At times what you are reading is not the voice that the writer wanted you to hear but the voice that the publisher thought would sell best.

Now I don't claim to be the all knowing of the publishing industry or anything close to it. However, what I do wholeheartedly believe in is support our own. Supporting the start up Black companies. Which relates back to my post Financially Fit.

We as a collective Black community need to be Financially Fit....The only way to do that is if we support each other in any business venture(s) we start. As you know once black people start buying something all the other cultures will follow suit. So why haven't we paid attention to that and made some money??? I don't even know how to answer that.

I'll just end my post by introducing you to a new Black Publisher who publishes books by Authors that you may not have heard of before. He publishes their words not his. Chuma Spirit Books' mission is to SUPPORT independent artistry. This company is innovative in it's attempt to get Author's who may not have the resources or the know how of some to be published.

Support this brotha and good friend of mine, along with the Black writers that he hopes to sore into the world on the back of a Butterfly.

The picture in my mind.

This picture describes how I'm feeling.

Happy Holidays

I never really feel the holidays because I hate shopping when told it's time to shop. Hence, my not having bought 1 xmas gift yet. However, I am starting to feel the spirit of the season and want to wish all a Happy Holidays!

The Law of Attraction

I was given a gift of a DVD by a very good girlfriend of mine. She gave me this gift for my birthday, which was in August. I had not looked at the DVD until today. The name of the DVD is called The Secret. She told me that I probably wouldn't be able to watch it all at one time and not to worry about that. She was right I wasn't able to watch it all at one time. I need to let it marinate. I really want to enforce the ideas of this DVD into my life.

What the DVD talks about is the Law of Attraction. It's the idea that the things you think about are the things that you attract to yourself and that you can attract anything that you want. Simple as that. I do believe wholeheartedly in visualization and the DVD talks about that as well.

I wanted to share a little of it with you all in hopes that it will cause a change in the Black Community to be more prosperous and positive. Here are just a couple of things the DVD says to do:

1. Make a list of all the things you have that you are grateful for. The things that you think about are the things that come about in your life. It's funny that I am viewing this DVD now because the post that I made about my car was a direct result of what I had been thinking. I had been thinking and thinking and thinking about a new car. But I wasn't really making any moves towards it just thinking about it. And the universe or God made it happen for me.

Everyday we should think about the things that we are grateful for. That helps us to remain positive in our thinking and postive things happen to us.

2. Visualize then you materialize. Visualize the things you want in your life and feel the joy of having those things. If it's a new car. Close your eyes and picture yourself in the car driving and and experience how you will feel.

The other most important thing that I got so far from the DVD was this. The how's of making something happen are the domain of the universe or God.

I'm excited about this because this is going to be the beginning of a good year for us all. Simply because you read what I had to say and you will see that it is true. We all know that God only wants good for us. Then we should be grateful and thankful for the things he has provided and realize that by being positive our gifts for love, wealth, and health are already provided.


I'm visualizing a strong Black community that is unified in it's commitment to each other.

Unsure of the Value

I'm sitting in my office at home checking email when I hear in the background a movie that is starting to sound interesting. So I turn around and am instantly drawn into it. After watching it for awhile I think, "Is this that movie about 911?"

Well to quench my curiousity I click the info button on my remote, and low and behold it is. Flight 93.

When that movie came to the theaters I decided not to watch it. The drama of the movie pulled me in but when I realized what it was I changed the channel.

I just do not want to be desensitized to such a horrific event that touched so many lives.

I don't understand the value of making a film about this event. I especially didn't understand it so soon after the occurrance. Am I being too sensitive?

Risks = Fear

It's strange for me to be writing a post on this topic. I am not one that easily takes a risk. Due to fear of course.

But I had a conversation with myself the Friday after Thanksgiving and told myself that it was time to stop being afraid. God will not put more on me than I can bare. I am witness to that for sure. He has never let me down and that is why I pray and thank him daily.

I was driving the same car since 1993 a Mercury Capri. NO they don't make them anymore! sigh. It has been time for me to get a new car for quite awhile. I just was afraid. Afraid that something would happen at my job that we cause me to be jobless and then not be able to pay the car note or my mortgage. Well that wasn't God talking to me. I think God had enough of me and my fear and I was in an accident the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. Hit by a guy backing out of a driveway not paying attention and backed right into my passenger door. Huge dent in the door and shattered glass everywhere. Well if that wasn't bad enough. This fool had no insurance, license nor was he an american citizen. Something told me to call the police. But I didn't. I wouldn't get anything for my car and the hassle of dealing with this illegal immigrant was not something I wanted to fill my life with.


(This was my car except it was silver and included dings, scratches and a dent. The last dent was the last straw. I was not about to drive around town with with a big dent in the door and plastic on my window!)






Then I finally listened to what God was telling me and what he tells us all. I will not put more on you than you can bare. So I decided to finally get the car that I wanted. And I feel fine about it because I know that I will be all right!

I will also be taking more risks in my life and making things happen. I know I said something similiar to this awile ago but I mean it and I'm doing it.

I'm saying all this to you so that you know that anything that you want you can have. It is yours for the taking. Do not be afraid. Once you take that 1st step, the fear is gone and you wonder....What the hell was I afraid of.

Take a Risk..I did and I'm doing fine!!!

In A Sentimental Mood

I'm in a sentimental mood
Just want to sit around and brood

Trying to find the love of my life
Doesn't he know my life is full of strife?

If he did I know he would come
But here I am dreaming of the happiness of some

I'm in a Sentimental Mood
Just want to sit around and brood

Brotherhood

There is an African Proverb which succinctly captures the humanity upon which a sense of community is founded:

Umuntu ngumuntu ngabanye ngabantu Motho Ke motho Ka batho

The broad meaning of this proverb is that each person's huminity is ideally expressed through his or her relationship with others, and theirs in turn, through a recognition of that person's humanity.

Nelson Mandela

Photo title: Self-Portrait with Clarence Profit
artist: James VanDerZee
year:1930s
process:vintage gelatin silver print