In celebration of African American freedom, we have to remember it was not an easy battle. In light of the protests this month that were centered around the brutal killing of George Floyd by police, this piece is called Protests.
A protester has been peppersprayed.
This is a reminder that during the month of June we will examine African American Art. This figure is referred to as Nkisi Nkondi. It was believed to be a spiritual image with empowered medicinal and magical ingredients. Nails were one of the first commodities Africans began to make trades with Europeans.
When You Forget Your Phone
In my phone are hundreds of names and numbers. Without my phone, I only remember two phone numbers. I don’t even know my daughter’s phone number. When you have you bible with you, or access to it, you are probably pretty confident. But when you are in the midst of a trial and your bible and the app are not available, what do you rely on? When You Forget Your Phone is a devotional that challenges you to memorize God’s word. If you know God’s word, it is easier to stand on His promises when your world is turbulent.
The fifteen verses included in this devotional are verses that God has spoken in the life of the author over the last year. This book will give some insight into her journey with the Lord.
Available on Amazon
Breonna Taylor was an African American woman who was a first responder. She was killed March 13, 2020 when officers executed a search warrant in her home.
Privateers
A single young woman is tricked by modern day pirates losing everything she owned. As she tries to figure out what happened to her belongings, her world crashes around her as government and private agencies treat her as a suspect. Determined to find the man who did this to her, she stumbles onto a government top secret. Finding this modern-day pirate turns into a race against lethal forces.
Available on Amazon
and Books2Read.com
I don’t really like true stories in tv or movies because the endings are seldom the way I want them to end. But sometimes the actor leading the show is pretty compelling.
Fell in love with Martin Freeman as Watson in Sherlock so I had to at least check out this new series, Confession. It tells the story of Detective Superintendent Stephen Fulcher as he looks for a missing young woman. Confronted with the killer, Fulcher has to make a decision that haunts him the rest of his life.
The Brits really understand short term attention because my favorite series have about 5 episodes. So does this one. Confession is a little confusing as it uses flash backs trying to explain the circumstances for several individuals. But it is thought provoking.
I have to fight the urge to want Freeman to be the character I had come to know him as, Watson. There were times I wanted him to fight back or have all the right answers. I had to let it go. I had to recognize his purpose in this story.
Actresses Siobhan Finneran and Imelda Staunton carry the weight of this series and it is refreshing. They each play a mother of a missing girl and take the viewer on an interesting ride. I saw portions of myself in each of these mothers. These actresses told a compelling story.
I recommend this series for those who like to binge over a couple of days. It is British, well written and told.
With the Pandemic and recent killings of African Americans by police in the United States it is easy to become depressed or seek move away from this type of news. Folks want to avoid talking about it or watch something to take their minds off of it.
Resist the urge to ignore this. Now is the time to have a conversation about how you feel about injustice. It is also time to learn more about these things and how they impact you.
Art has been a great expression of how some people are dealing with unjust situations. I have found comfort in how artists use their creative minds especially to express their pain and fear and translate it onto a canvas.
George Floyd was an African American man who was arrested by Minneapolis Police on Monday, May 25. This situation was video taped by people who watched four police officers hold Floyd down. One officer had his knee on Floyd’s neck which restricted his breathing. Floyd died.
After the world watched this man die on the internet and television as the video was replayed, grief and angry filled the nation as we were faced with the chickens coming home to roost. Since then riots broke out around the city, with even a police department building being burned down.
Over the last couple of months life has become very precious as we have watched the numbers of people dying of the pandemic climb to 100,000. Yet this singular death of one man by a police officer has been the proverbial straw.
I have seen people who have been quiet during other situations like this speak loud and often. I have seen people throw themselves in between police and people they are pursuing.
If we are going to stop this, everyone has to do their part. You have to figure out where you belong and go to it. But everyone has to be a part of this if we are going to stop this. We are going to stop this.
Self Confidence
UPP Creative Media 