irmas-blog

Remember your heart, says Circle of Red

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:38:24 +0100

Photo credit: trianglegoesred.org

Valentine’s Day has come and gone, but now is not a time to forget about your heart. That’s the main message of the Circle of Red, a member organization committed to educating women in their community about the dangers of heart disease.

Two days after V-day, on February 16, 2012, I was fortunate to attend a chocolate and wine event sponsored by a Raleigh-based group, and led by professional CPA Sheila Ahler, the current Circle of Red Chair (COR). The organization is affiliated with the American Heart Association (AHA) and its “Go Red for Women” National Campaign. Each member is asked to make a financial commitment of $1,000- $2500 annually. This generous tax deductible contribution does beg the question, “how much is your heart health worth?” About 14 women were in attendance at this post-Valentine’s event, and COR Chair Ahler has already reached her membership goal of 24, but wants to surpass it.

Read More
Original post: Insight News, 2/21/2012

President Obama Didn't Get It Right on Birth Control Compromise

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:43:06 +0100

President Barack Obama - Photo: White House

This time I think President Obama got it wrong. I understand why he made the compromise
he did—to avoid a religious-inflamed political battle. But I wished he hadn’t taken the
road of compromise. In doing so, he’s done a disservice to women’s right to choose
what happens to our bodies.

Right now, it feels like 1972 before the advent of Roe v. Wade. This ruling by the Supreme
Court overturned a Texas interpretation of abortion law and made abortions legal for women.
But at the heart of Roe v. Wade was women’s right to choose what happens to their bodies
as backed by the due process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, which prohibits
government from enacting laws that infringe upon a person’s right to the pursuit of life,
liberty and property. “No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the
privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any
person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within
its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.”

Original Post: Insight News, 2/13/2012

Anatomy of the Whitney Houston Tragedy

Fri, 24 Feb 2012 20:16:10 +0100

At 2AM EST, my girlfriend Kesho from Iowa called and informed me that Whitney Houston, R&B music icon had died. Alone and without any apparent foul play, Whitney Houston, whose voice gave us airwaves magic with songs like “I’ll Always Love You,” “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “I’m Every Woman,” “How Will I Know,” and “The Greatest Love of All,” is no more.

When angels fall from grace, we always want to know why? What happened to WH? When did her downward spiral begin? Most of us will remember scratching our heads at her marriage to Bad Boy Bobby Brown. Loved his music as a member of the The New Edition group and his solo venture in My Prerogative, but couldn’t figure out what Whitney saw in him. Love is blind like that. Theirs was a tragic love affair played out very publicly (on reality TV) with Whitney wearing black eyes and seemingly in a constant drug-induced stupor.

In her 2002 book, Saving Our Last Nerve: The Black Woman’s Path to Mental Health, Dr. Marilyn Martin, M.D., M.P.H writes that “mentally healthy Black American women are comfortable experiencing the rewards of life. They know how to enjoy the moments when things work out.” We also have to hone “…the ability to tell the difference between what is and what is not under our control.” Whitney didn’t have this book by her bedside.

Read More

Orignally published in Insight News, 2/13/2012

Artspeak: So what makes Super Bowl Sunday so Super?

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 04:30:36 +0100

Photo Credit: Happyhints.com

February 5, 2012, I spent the day at a sports bar for almost five hours trying to discern
what attracted so many to the event known as “Super Bowl Sunday?” In some ways
this article is a tribute to a late colleague, Dr. Walter Dozier, who was both a professional
journalist and anthropologist, specializing in—you guessed it, the anthropology of sports
When you’re told that each company that had an ad played during Sunday’s Super Bowl
game paid $3.5M for a 30 second spot, and that 1.25 billion portions of chicken wings
were eaten during this game weekend, or that some people were willing to pay $4,000
for a ticket to the game, you gotta wonder, what’s the allure.

We anthropologists tend to build upon Aristotle’s thesis that “Man is by nature a social
animal;” we assume the human species (men and women) to be social and study how
humans operate individually and in groups. The need to belong, to be part of a social
group seems to be structured into our DNA. While I did not conduct a scientific study,
I did use one of the primary methods of cultural anthropology—participant observation.

Read More....
Original posting:

The Perils of Leadership...

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:58:03 +0100

For the last few months, we have been inundated by scandals at universities that range
from allegations of child abuse and molestation to deadly hazing rituals. In each case,
the president of the institution has come under tremendous criticism and fire for failing
to act, even when it’s not clear that they were aware of the incidents. In two instances,
the president has been terminated (Penn State) or asked to resign or “step aside” (FAMU).
And while it is true that the buck literally stops with the president of a college or university,
the circumstances are not nearly as black and white as they are sometimes portrayed.

Read More
original post: Dec 28, 2011 14:46

An American in Paris

Mon, 19 Dec 2011 13:44:24 +0100

Slideshow

As I wander the streets where people never seem to sleep, I am struck by the high level of social interaction. The French still smoke—ugh. They did not get that anti-tobacco memo. But they always seem to be engaged in conversation—they are intent on walking and talking, sitting and talking, smoking and talking, drinking and talking. The operative word is “talking.” At a time when people text instead of picking up the phone to talk to a live person, this high level of engaged conversation seems abnormal.

For me it is refreshing. You can’t laugh in a text (notwithstanding smiley faces); you can’t touch a hand in a text; and you certainly can’t tell what impact (negative or positive) that your last comment had a person by reading a text. Paris is alive because people have not abandoned the art of conversation. I miss it as I walk to the latest Star Bucks (which they also have in France) here, and find people plugged into ipods, computers, ipads, telephone, and no one seems available to whom you can simply say hello.

And so, a week in Paris was like getting a massage. I felt relaxed, rejuvenated, didn’t worry about what to eat or not eat because I was walking so much it didn’t matter. But mostly, I felt connected. To everyone, notwithstanding that all I can say in French is “Bon jour,” “Merci,” and “Au Revoir.” But those few phrases were worth their weight in gold (or French chocolate, which is like gold).

I will go back; that I promise. I now understand the allure that so many (like Bricktop, Josephine Baker, Richard Wright, and James Baldwin and many others) before me must have felt when they visited. That is not to say that Paris or France is perfect—far from it. But there is nothing so touching or romantic as seeing elderly couples navigate each other down crowded sidewalks, being squished into tables at cafes that are far too small, all the while holding hands and gazing into each other’s eyes with a smile. It reminds us that what distinguishes us as humans is that primal need for sociality. That image of human caring and endearment is worth seeing again and again…..this American will return to Paris.

Black History every da..n day of the year--why not?

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 15:22:09 +0100

Drs. Marilyn Thomas-Houston, Irma McClaurin, Sybil Rosado, Faye V. Harrison

The recent 96th Annual Meeting of ASALH (the Association for the Study of African American Life and History) held October 6-10, 2011 in Richmond, VA provided a rich opportunity to reflect on the status and history of Black people in America, and in the world. It also spoke to my idea of “legacymaking”—something in which I have a strong interest, as its ongoing presence reflects the vision and intellectual legacy of Carter G. Woodson, the man who is known as the “Father of Black History” and who established this important organization over ninety years ago.

According to the ASALH website, the organization came into existence on September 9, 1915 under the visionary leadership of Dr. Carter G. Woodson. At that time, the name was the “Association for the Study of Negro Life and History.” Despite the name change from “Negro” to “African American,” the organization’s vision and mission have remained consistent through the times: “We are the Founders of Black History Month and carry forth the work of our founder, the Father of Black History. We continue his legacy of speaking a fundamental truth to the world—that Africans and peoples of African descent are makers of history and co-workers in what W.E.B. DuBois called, “The Kingdom of Culture.”

And ASALH has not wavered from the path that Dr. Woodson set the organization on almost one hundred years ago. At this latest conference, I was there to help launch a new journal in Black Studies—Fire!!!: a multi-media journal of Black Studies that reflects a collaboration between ASALH and JSTOR. The brains and creative and technological leadership behind the journal is Dr. Marilyn Thomas-Houston, a visual anthropologist at the University of Florida (and former colleague), with roots in the theater and music industry and a scholarly authority on the Black Diaspora in Nova Scotia—yes, there are lots of Black folk in Nova Scotia.

The numerous panels on the intersection of technology and Black Studies, referred to by some as “e-Black Studies” is a testament to the endurance of Carter G. Woodson’s vision to preserve the rich contributions of African Americans to the U.S. and the world, and to the tenacity of Black Studies/aka African-American Studies/aka Afro-American Studies as an enduring field of innovative scholarship and research. It also provided ample space in the formal panels and workshops and in between, in the corridors and restaurants, to reflect on where we are as a people (our current state of affairs), and where we need to go (the future of Black America).

As fate would have it, the conference offered me the chance to see old friends, buy books that placed Black children at the center of the narrative, try on some Afro-centric clothing and simply reconnect with folk whose common bond is celebrating and elevating the achievements of African Americans in the United States and globally. Anyone have a problem with that?

Originally published 11 November 2011 16:48, Insight News

To continue, click here

Artspeak: Destination Curaçao and the North Sea Jazz Festival

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:30:38 +0100

Irma McClaurin

While Curaçao is a tiny country of less than 150,000 inhabitants, it pulled off an enormously successful music event for the second time on September 2 & 3, 2011.

If you want beautiful beaches, friendly locals, and a cultural cornucopia of Papiamento, Dutch, Spanish, English, with residuals of Portuguese, African and indigenous native Americans, set sell for Curaçao and the North Sea Jazz Festival before Labor Day about this time next year.

The venue allows you to be up close and personal at the indoor stages and within good sound and viewing range outdoors if you don't get to the front of the stage early. I kicked it down front with Kassav and sat on the floor in front of Dionne Warwick close enough to see her sweat. I wasn't fast enough to beat the crowd to Stevie Wonder, but I could see the stage, watch the flat screens, and hear him loud and clear everywhere in the World Trade Center. I had a nice view of Sting and his backup singer.

I was impressed that every act began on time. Sound checks occurred for everyone, resulting in impeccable sounds. And I can't say enough about the cleanliness of the bathrooms, the reasonably-priced food, and events staff willing to help even when they didn't know the answer.

Curaçao at Night

Next year the organizers should consider asking taxis to agree to fixed prices or arrange for shuttles. But these are minor and fixable details.

Before or afterwards, consider lingering for a few extra days; it will allow you to leisurely stroll the the colorful streets of Punda, cross the swing bridge, or take the ferry across from Otrabanda. People are courteous and helpful and most locals are fluent in at least four languages.

Conservation is taking hold since water and electricity are expensive. Curaçao gets its water through desalinization--a timely and expensive process. Don't forget to have a meal by the sea at many of the restaurants that include Cuban, Italian, Middle Eastern, local and Dutch European cuisines.

If you want to visit a little piece of a uniquely distinctive part of the African Diaspora, forget Aruba and head straight to la bonita isla de Curaçao in the newly independent Netherlands Antilles. And ...relax.

Dionne Warwick

For more information:
Dionne Warwick

http://www.curacaonorthseajazz.com/en/

(c) 2011 McClaurin Solutions - Photos courtesy of the author
Original Date: Friday, 09 Sept 2011 13:51, Insight News

Shaw University Names New Leader...

Fri, 10 Sep 2010 18:18:42 +0100

Shaw University introduces Irma McClaurin as the new president.

She will be the first female president at the historically black college in Raleigh.

Before accepting the position at Shaw, McClaurin was associate vice president for system academic administration at the University of Minnesota, and executive director of the Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center in Minneapolis.

McClaurin was introduced during a grand ceremony on Shaw's campus that included singers, dancers and even a red carpet.

A number of community leaders and Shaw representatives welcomed the 15th president including interim president, Dorothy Yancy.

"Take this wonderful and very special place to the next level," said Yancy. "Best wishes to you and remember I'm just a phone call away if you need me."

Her hiring comes as the school struggles with debt which in the summer of 2009 was reported at $20 million.

There was no talk of the past financial woes at the university during the ceremony on Thursday.

McClaurin is known for being a fundraising whiz and she's hoping to turn around the college's financial troubles by creating new partnerships.

"We have to be strategic in looking for new partnerships and corporations have always been a good fit," explained McClaurin.

Students seemed excited about the new leadership.

"I want Shaw University to become a more prestigious university than it already is and I think President McClaurin can help accomplish that goal," said Ulysses Hall.

The school's last named president, Clarence Newsome, left the university amid a financial crisis in 2009. He held the position for six years.

There was even a reported move to oust Willie Gary as Chairman of the Board of Trustees, but he still holds the position.

Written By Maggie Alexander
Article Republished Courtesy of NBC17

The Human Face of the Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 17:38:13 +0100

Suicides, divorce, anxiety attacks, depression, and displacement of children from homes and schools are not what we associate with the mortgage foreclosure crisis. But we should. Instead of following the money, we should pay attention to the human side of the crisis.

In this third year of the mortgage tsunami, while we debate about who profited and which federal agencies should have better monitoring, we ignore how people now choose between buying medicine for chronic illnesses and mortgage payments, or paying rent after foreclosure, and how communities are dying.

On the ground, agencies that offer financial literacy workshops for current owners and potential buyers, mortgage loan consultations, legal aid advice for those in foreclosure, and bankruptcy counseling may prevent future catastrophes, but short term, they are ill prepared to respond to the human suffering, and provide professional mental health counseling or make referrals.

To the rescue is a small group of community based researchers at the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research and Outreach/Engagement Center. They are following the people. Since 2008, University faculty, staff, and community researchers, the UROC Action Planning Team (UROC ART), have looked behind the money to learn how people’s health and wellness are affected.

Click to read more (http://www.insightnews.com/business/6389-the-human-face-of-the-mortgage-foreclosure-crisis)

Photo Courtesy of Top10list.com