God is Good

I discovered a blog back in 2011 by a young sister named RahielTesfamariam, a native of Eritrea and raised in DC who started a beautiful blog called www.Urbandcusp.com (please check it out).  It offers a fresh view on culture, spirituality, politics and lifestyle from today's young urbanites.  I was excited to come across a site that addresses the realities of modern life while at the same time exploring that connection with the spirit and how we carry our Christian walk out into the real world.  Remembering what Christ called us to do and not just to feel. There have been times that I've forgotten that faith is an action and we need to be doers of the word. 

So often today it seems as though Christians get tagged as "anti-intellectual".  That's probably why this particular website caught my interest, because it is certainly intellectually rich.  In today's world it feels like people aren't comfortable about discussing spirituality alongside conversations on politics or culture.  Really, I'm not sure people are OK with public conversation on anything around faith.  And then there are people who freely say things about Christianity and Christians that they would never publicly say about Judaism or Islam and its followers.  In a culture that is so heterogeneous and diverse in every way it sometimes feels like we're expected to just discuss things that are secular and stick to discussions on politics and pop culture.  In other words, stay in that safe zone.  The sacred, spiritual life we all have are often sensitive places we don't want to go to with everyone, but it's good to see a website that encourages questions and discussion about the calling and challenges for Christians in contemporary society.

And while I'm on the subject, I want to give God thanks and praise for His mercy, favor, protection, direction and forgiveness.  To everyone reading this, be blessed.

NO! You Smile

As much as I try to refrain from making my blog an altar for venting, I need to get this one off my chest and hopefully women reading this post will offer their opinions and/or experiences as well.  I have gotten real damn tired of men passing me on the street and demanding that I smile, and I mean they yell it at me with hostility or some sense of authority no less. 

Whether I’m walking down the street to catch the bus, on the train or paying for my groceries after a nightmarish day at work I seem to get unwanted, unsolicited directives from random black men telling me I should smile.  Last week a man in a motorized wheelchair whizzed by me on the sidewalk and then screamed at me “Smile!”.   Mind you, it was 20 degrees outside and I was running to my Zumba class before it filled up and I yelled back at him, “you smile”.  I didn’t hear anything else from him as he made it across the street, but why do men think it’s appropriate to tell complete strangers that they should smile.  And it’s not just strangers they’re telling this to in the general population, it’s only and always women.  I know these same brothas aren’t walking past other brothas and demanding them to smile on any day.  They don’t know what kind of day I’m having, what I’m facing in my life or maybe I just don’t feel like walking down the street with a big, happy smile on my face.  I live in Harlem, NY and walking down the street as a woman with a smile on your face does indeed make you approachable, which in turn makes you very vulnerable.  You see, in the hood approachable is not the look a black woman is going for many days.  This, in part, may be why many black women get labeled angry because of our serious demeanor in public spaces.  What many of our men fail to realize is that this is a survival mechanism so that you don’t become a victim.  Do any of these men have sisters, daughters or wives?  Do they think their female family members should walk down the streets of a big urban jungle with a big ole smile on their faces?

I mean, what does the expression on my face have to do with anybody and their current emotional state anyway?  I’m not paying their bills or even conversing with them.  Nothing.  They are complete and total strangers.  I don’t want anything from them except for respect and common courtesy usually afforded other pedestrians, so why do they require me as a woman to smile for them?  Is there some kind of magical lift that a woman’s smile brings to their bank account, lowers their blood pressure or their rent.  It’s not nearly as bad as the street harassment that we sisters in urban areas deal with on the daily (that’s a whole other blog) but it is an annoying problem that brothas need to stop.  And I know all the well-meaning black men feel I’m overreacting to something that’s basically harmless. But if you don’t know what to say to a woman on the street, then just say, “hello” or “have a good day”.  Whatever.  But please stop feeling it is appropriate or your right to tell another adult, that you don’t even know, to do a damn thing.

New Artist Alert: Lianne La Havas

Alright y'all, here's a sister from the UK that is bringing IT fully. Her vocals, songwriting and R&B/indie/folk rock sound are so refreshing and strong I hope she gets much support from us over here on "the other side of the pond". Check out her new video above for "Lost and Found".  This is a true artist...