It is the end of  the 7th, and final, day of KWANZAA. Today we celebrated IMANI (Faith). Today we renew our BELIEF in God, our people, our teachers and our leaders, and the virtue and victory of our struggle  - IMANI! When we speak of faith as it relates to the principles of the Nguzo Saba, one way we can practice Imani all year ’round is to always, always, always search for common ground amongst the desires and struggles of our peoples. This search is grounded in a FAITH that we all seek create a more community for our legacies. However, there are so many things that separate people in...

EXCERPT ”How to Build A People’s Army” by Kalonji Changa (www.ftpmovement.ning.com): Everything that exists within the universe has an order and anything that doesn’t have an order is chaotic. Whether we are dealing with reproduction, how we breathe, how we eat or how we walk, there is an order as to how things work. Taking on the task of being a community organizer, a freedom fighter, a revolutionary or what have you is no different. You must organize yourself, your immediate family, your extended family and then the masses. You start with your house, your community, your...

Down by the Riverside… It was a day spent in reverence and appreciation by Keepers of the Way with BlaqButtaply… The sun was bright and the breeze was cool. The wind whispered through the trees carrying the beats of drums and the praises of ancestors honored, elevated and remembered for all they have done for us. Earlier in the day, workshops were held, teaching the importance of honoring their ancestors while others learned Egun songs and dances. (Egun is another name for Ancestor.) It was a day of remembrance; a celebration of humble graciousness. The Keepers of the Way are a collaboration...

By Rohit Kachroo of the Grio.com Contrast two dictators — two friends in two different parts of Africa. One is Colonel Muammar Gadhafi — his face bloody, his shirt undone, his life over. After several weeks of silence, a grainy image has emerged which appears to show the corpse of the former dictator. Its release is a significant moment — it underlines the undignified end of Gadhafi’s years of terror, but it might also signal the end of the apparently unceasing momentum of a liberation movement that has swept across parts of Africa. theGrio: Does Gadhafi’s...

By Shannon T. Boodram of Sway Magazine Until recently, wide hips, thick lips and solid derrieres, common among many Black women, were passed over and deemed unworthy of even an honourable mention in the working definition of beauty. But this year, Allure magazine announced there has been a milestone victory in the uphill battle versus beauty standards: no longer does mainstream media call for its sex symbols to be paper thin and powder white. Instead, juicy-lipped, curvy ladies like Kim Kardashian and Jennifer Lopez have taken the lead. Good news for Black women? Think again. Today, the booty...

Death-row inmate Troy Davis denied clemency from CNN The Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole has denied clemency for death-row inmate Troy Davis.Davis was convicted of the 1989 killing of Savannah, Georgia, police officer Mark MacPhail. Davis is scheduled to be executed by lethal injection at 7 p.m. Wednesday at a state prison in Jackson, Georgia. “Monday September 19, 2011, the State Board of Pardons and Paroles met to consider a clemency request from attorneys representing condemned inmate Troy Anthony Davis. After considering the request, the Board has voted to deny clemency,”...

TTColes “It was Sunday and I had the pleasure of joining freedom fighter, Kalonji Changa and his crew in a concerted effort to nourish the bodies and souls of hundreds of hungry Atlantans. I was grateful and humbled to be in the presence of such wonderful brothers and sisters that willfully donate their time (at least) two times a month to prepare food and clothing to serve some of the less fortunate that dwell in the city. As the founder/director of The FTP Movement, Kalonji developed missions such as Feed The People, MOBB (Mothers of Black and Brown Babies), and Siafu Youth Group. (Kalonji...

Vincent Is life different for women who are darker than most? As a dark-skinned brother, I have dealt with issues relating to race and the concepts of being “black enough” or “too black” from my brothas and sistas but generally they were in the problems with my actions and not so much the darkness of my skin. Growing up, I was aware of other folks issues with their own skin color but it wasn’t until I started creating these captures for the Project that I realized how deep, pervasive and devastating the traumas were. Recently I saw the preliminary work on Bill Duke’s...

Vincent It is a fabulous weekend of inspired celebration in the ATL! I know we tend to focus on the activities and events in the Atlanta area A LOT. You may (or may not) know that Atlanta is the birthplace of the Pangea’s Garden concept and while the idea is ubiquitous, most of it current contributors and cultivators are based here. And the events and gatherings that we participate in (and/or have been inspired by) are born here. The “festival season” of the ATL (which got its unofficial start with the Sweet Auburn Fest last week,) proceeds with the upcoming Malcolm X Festival...

“if it wasn’t for the modeling I would’ve never met some amazing photographers, got glimpses into other subcultures and made some great friends” Abigail Ekue At one point, I was pondering what to blog about and within minutes, Raising Hope switched to a scene of Jimmy in an art class where his girlfriend walks in as the nude art model. The moment of truth–could he date a nude model? I’ve done nude modeling since 2006. I’m not as active as I used to be because I’m more selective of the photographers I work with and the projects they present to...