Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important.”
― Jaachynma N.E. Agu
#priorities
Movie Night Friday – Lean on Me
Good Morning everyone and welcome to another week of Movie Night Friday. Where I present some of my favorite movies and why I love them.
“Lean on Me” is one of my most favorite movies. In fact, as I think about it, this one should have been first! Then again, I’ll probably say the same thing about next week’s pick. This is after all my most favorite movie list.
“Lean on me” (’89) is a movie based on the real life story of a New Jersey High School principle, Joe Clark, who was called in to be principle of East Side High School. A former teacher of the school back in the 60s, the place to which he returns is anything but the way he left it. It is no longer a place of learning, but a place of drug abuse, gang violence, and despair. The premise of Clark’s return is built on the coming closure of the school. If Clark cannot get the children to pass the minimum Basic Skills Test, the school will close.
What I like about the movie is the dramatization of someone who truly cares about his students and their well-being. Joe Clark is a principle, a teacher, and also a father. I also like Clark’s no non sense demeanor. When he steps into the school to find it in such chaos, he focuses his attention on the teachers. He scolds them for their lack of authority and effort in maintaining the school. He does not accept their excuses, nor does he accept their advice; for if they had done it right the first time, he would not be there. His methods are strict yes, and he is in many areas arrogant and in need of a little scolding himself, however, his stern approach is exactly what the school needs. Why is the music teacher preparing her students to perform Mozart at a concert when they can barely read? The school is overrun by students who’ve been there over five years and have no intention of getting an education. As a result, those trouble-makers are thrown out and everyone, from student, to parent, to teacher, to Vice Principle, is held strictly accountable for their actions. Even the school board feels Joe’s rage.
But eventually, his unconventional methods lead to a clash with city officials and outraged parents of students who’ve been expelled. One parent in particular is out for Clark’s blood. If only she can be added to the school board to vote Clark out. And when Clark puts chains on the school doors to keep the gang members out, the Fire Marshall warns about the fire hazard, though Clark dismisses his threats. But if the Fire Marshall catches Clark with the chains on the doors however, it won’t be good for him, his students, or the new school he is trying to build from what’s left of the rubble.
Movie Trailer:
Funny Movie Error:
When Joe Clark is having his talk with Sams on the edge of the roof of the school, Sams is on the right and Clark is on the left (when viewed from the ground). When they’re done talking, Sams turns to his left and walks away – turning to his left would have made him fall off the roof after just a few steps.
LOL! Watch the movie and see if you can catch it!
“What’s your favorite movie? Why do you love it?”
Remember, When Going Natural…
“It doesn’t have to be dreads. You can wear an Afro, or braids like you used to. There’s a lot you can do with natural hair” ― Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
I was speaking with a sista recently who recently tried the natural challenge. That is, she went out on a limb and got locs. Thing is, she got tired of them and washed them out. While there are tons (I means TONS) of benefits to dred locs, I just want to encourage my natural sista’s in prolonging this journey with a reminder: When going natural, there are other styles you can try. Dred locs is the first thing that we think about because it is the most popular and we are in a time of re-awakening which, as with every movement, is always occupied by a specific hair style. In the 60’s and 70’s it was the Afro, today it is the locs. But if you aren’t too sure about it, there’s a lot of experimenting you could do. There are tons of YouTube videos with tons of styles on how you can twist and pull and shape your antennae* in the way of your desire. Then, once you are comfortable with your natural hair, you can decide if you want to loc it up, which because it’s a permanent style, provides security in that you will endure the natural journey a little bit longer.
*Antennae: Hair is not just strands coming out of your head, but every body part exists to perform a certain function. Hair does not just protect your skull, but hairs are filled with your DNA and often act as Human Antennas or feelers to the physical and spiritual realm. For instance: All matter (solids, liquids, gasses) is made of particles called atoms. And as we learned in school, atoms are made of sub-atom particles called “electrons”, “protons”, and “neutrons”. These sub-atom’s all have electromagnetic fields. That means they are like “mini-magnets”. Your bones, your blood, your skin and your hair are all made of “mini-magnets”. As for your hair, it plays many important roles for your body. The least known role is that of antenna. Your hair is capable of sending/receiving information to and from your body exactly like a radio antenna. We have a large population of Wasps down here in Louisiana in the summer time. A couple summers ago, I noticed that I could hear Wasps buzzing in my ear as I swapped at it, (I hate the sound of bees and wasps buzzing) but I didn’t see anything. That is until a few minutes later when one was coming across the room. I noticed that the locs on the left side of my head were picking up the sound of the wasps before they got near.
According to Wikipedia:
“Antennae are jointed, at least at the base, and generally extend forward from the head. They are sensory organs, although the exact nature of what they sense and how they sense it is not the same in all groups, nor always clear. Functions may variously include sensing touch, air motion, heat, vibration (sound), and especially olfaction (smell) or gustation (taste).”
Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Wole Soyinka
This week, my Writer’s Quote inspiration comes from Wole Soyinka:
Also known as observation or people watching, you’d be surprised how much you learn just watching and listening. I think that not to pay attention to the works of others will only rob us of an important part of the growing process. It’s one thing to be taught something in the organized sense of the word, to be instructed and shown. We know that this is important in the cultivation of our minds, acquiring and using information (information that’s useful that is, can’t give ear to everything, it’s just not wise). However, I think everyone needs an example. For every question, there is someone living the answer. Somewhere someone is doing it right. They are usually not out in the front, not the most outspoken and not always aware of the pivotal role they play in just being themselves. But they exist and when it comes to writing or blogging, or photography or art or music or whatever it is we are seeking a better understanding of how to implement into our lives at this moment, for every craft there is someone who can give you a tangible example of how to get it done. But you gotta pay attention.
About the Author:
Wole Soyinka is a Nigerian playwright, poet, author, and teacher, and received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1986.
Wole Soyinka was born on July 13, 1934, in Nigeria and educated in England. In 1986, the playwright and political activist became the first African to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. He dedicated his Nobel acceptance speech to Nelson Mandela. Soyinka has published hundreds of works, including drama, novels, essays and poetry. As a result, colleges all over the world seek him out as a visiting professor.
*******************************
And that’s it for this week’s weekly dose of “Writer’s Quote Wednesday”. Hosted by Colleen of Silver Threading.
#Ronovan Writes #BeWoW Weekly Blog Prompt – Connections
What connects one person to another? What provokes them to inspire, encourage, and to display characteristics of kindness? What makes them care so deeply about the whereabouts and well-being of others as if come from themselves? As if attached at the hip, what makes an individual go out on limbs, what makes them sacrifice?
In “A Child is Born” a great photographic look on life inside the womb, Lennart Nilson and Lars Hamberger begin their work with love:
“Love is an incredibly strong, enduring force and has been since time immemorial. The pattern is recognized in every culture in our world: two people are mutually attracted and feel the irresistible urge to unite.”
When a baby first emerges from his mother’s womb, he is looking for Love. It is the reason he comes out crying. Once safely enveloped in the serenity of his mother’s womb, he emerges into this strange place and must instantly reconnect with love. So he cries, and she cries for it. And in their innocence this love connection is worn like a sacred garment until we reach the age where we are taught to hate. This teaching may take many forms, but we are taught it and eventually we lose our innocence, we lose the ability to love. Maybe we saw something that disturbed us; maybe we were traumatized by an experience. Whatever the reason, when we reach a certain age, a world that is absent of Love eventually teaches us how not to Love, and we thus spend the rest of our lives in search of this connection.
I seek to re-connect with people through love. Despite the stigmatizing of this word, the carelessness in which it is handled, and the abuse it has endured, Love is not just a word. It is not just here for our convenience when we need something or when we think it will be of benefit to us. Love is not just a four letter word we use to justify our wrong, but Love is action. It is not just spoken, it is seen. We see it when people forgive each other. We see it when a homeless man is fed. We see it when a wrong person is corrected. We see it when a hug is distributed. Not only do we see it, we hear it. The beautiful thing about love and how it connects one person to another is that it surpasses language barriers, and culture clashes. If I travel to China and I see that an elderly man has fallen while walking down the street, I will move to assist him so that he stands back on his feet. I have no knowledge of Chinese, but I do know the language of love. Likewise, for many of you good people out there, if you saw that I was in distress, you will move to give encouragement when you see that it is needed. So love is also an interpreter. It has the ability to discern motives and acts as a guide. In this way, we build a bridge of cohesion that makes room for further understanding of one another as individuals. Because there is an absence of Love in the world, it has caused us to disconnect and forget how to treat one another and how to build positive relationships.
So for this week’s Positive #BeWoW Post, I am re-connecting through love. Continuously seeking to better understand what it is, how to distribute it, and how to accept it.
$2,500 Small Business Grant to Help Entrepreneurs from Underrepresented Communities to Grow their Small Businesses
Special thank you goes out to Rich McIver, Founder of Merchant Negotiations, for reaching out to The PBS Blog in regard to this tremendous opportunity for small business owners!
MerchantNegotiators.com announces a $2,500 Small Business Grant, to provide entrepreneurs from historically underrepresented groups with the seed capital they need to start or grow their small business. The contest is open to any current small business owner or entrepreneur who meets one of the following eligibility requirements:
• U.S. military veterans or active military
• Minority Owned Businesses
• Women Owned Businesses
• Persons with a diagnosed disability as defined by the ADA
If you fit the following criteria, you have the opportunity to apply for a grant and finally make your aspirations of becoming a business owner a reality. But get ready! This small window will not be open for long. Applications, available at MerchantNegotiators.com’s website, are open June 1 through August 1.
Below is an excerpt from the Press Release as obtained from the website:
Why Supporting Minority Entrepreneurs Is So Important
Entrepreneurs and their small businesses are the engines of the American economy. Half of all private-sector workers and 70% of all new jobs are generated by small businesses, and small businesses are responsible for more than 50% of US GDP or over $6 trillion dollars annually.
Today, minority owned businesses make up almost 15 percent of the 28 million small businesses and employ 5.9 million workers in the United States and are one of the fastest growing subsets of small businesses. Despite this growth, however, Hispanic and African-American owned companies still comprise just 15% of American small businesses, a massive under-representation considering they make up 37% of the US total population.
This under-representation is due in part to the fact that the banking, grant, angel funding and private equity communities consistently underfund and inadequately support minority’s entrepreneurial ventures.
“There’s clear statistical evidence that minority entrepreneurs have been disproportionately denied capital when they apply for it,” said Rich McIver. Because more than 80% of small businesses use some sort of financing to launch their business, the fact that minorities have a harder time accessing start-up capital means fewer minority-owned businesses are started.
Raising Awareness of Systemic Underfunding of Minority Entrepreneurs
The MerchantNegotiators’ Small Business Grant is a small but tangible step that the company is taking to help rectify this disparity, and raise awareness of the problem of the systemic underfunding of minority entrepreneurial ventures. Beyond providing seed capital to three entrepreneurs, the company views this as an opportunity to raise awareness about the abundance of minority owned businesses that are currently being underfunded.
According to Rich McIver, founder of MerchantNegotiators, “Given that minority entrepreneurs have a harder time accessing start-up capital, there are a lot more great business ideas in that community that are going untapped, that investors and bankers would be wise to consider more closely. We view this grant as not only a way to help a few of those ideas to materialize into small businesses through our seed funding, but also to encourage awareness, discussion, and change in the larger social causes underpinning this funding discrepancy.”
While $1,500, the winner’s grant amount, may not seem like enough for a person to launch a small business, it is in fact sufficient to cover the actual out of pocket cost outlay for most small business launches. Because more than 80% of small businesses use some sort of outside financing to launch their business, the funding hurdle for many minority entrepreneurs is whether they can come up with the 1% origination fee and related costs necessary to secure a small business loan.
Eligibility Requirements:
This grant is limited to individuals who own a small business (defined as having fewer than 50 employees) or want to start a business AND identify as members of one the following historically underrepresented groups in the small business community: Minorities, women, U.S. military veterans or active military, or persons with a diagnosed disability as defined by the ADA.
Submission Requirements:
Applications must be submitted electronically at MerchantNegotiators.com by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on August 1, 2015. Applicants must review and adhere to the full application rules and deadlines listed on https://merchantnegotiators.com/#small-business-grant. This document outlines program details and instructions for submitting an application.
Media Partners:
1. Encourage your readers to apply for the Small Business Grant
2. Add an application badge to your website
3. Write about the problem of the funding disparity for minority entrepreneurs
4. Support minority owned small businesses in your community
5. Engage with other minority entrepreneurship advocates by including the hashtag #GrantUsAChance in all communications regarding the grant
Remember: Every little bit helps!
What Do You Want?
Everyone has their own set of ideas about what makes good writing and marketing. But the key to it all, I think, is individuality. No one does a better job at being you than you, and no one knows the intricate details of your story like you. For this reason, it is important to stick to those methods that best fit your vision, values, and taste.
I think the most important question then for a writer is, “What do you want?” Everything else is extra.
The PBS Blog 