Hunger Hits The Middle Class...In America!

How many of you were aware of the following?

Food pantries are no longer strictly the realm of the low-income or "working poor." Now, more than ever, "middle-class poor" families with two incomes from the suburbs are seeking assistance from food banks. America, this is the reality all across the country from Wilmington, Ohio to Atlanta, Georgia clear to North Texas. People don't have enough food and are turning to food banks for sustenance: problem is, the food banks don't have enough food to go around.

Were you aware of this?

According to Society for City Mayors, “Twenty cities (95 per cent) reported an increase in the demand for emergency food assistance over the past year, one city reported that demand stayed the same and four cities were not able to answer this question. All 21 cities with available data cited an increase in the number of persons requesting food assistance for the first-time. The increase was particularly notable among working families.”

Or this?

According to the International Herald Tribune,

"Overall, demand at food banks throughout the country increased by 30 percent in 2008 from the previous year, according to a survey by Feeding America, which distributes more than two billion pounds of food every year. While pantries usually see a drop in demand after the holiday season, many in upscale suburbs this year are experiencing the opposite."

In 2007, 3.4 percent of all U.S. households (3.9 million households) accessed emergency food from a food pantry one or more times.

But you can help.

Donate – Money if you can. But the food banks are in desperate need of food. Buy an extra can good or other food item and donate it to food banks, homeless shelters, churches, and retailers who gather food for the less fortunate.

Advocate – Join a hunger action center in your community.

Volunteer – Work in a local homeless shelter or food bank.

So, join me, donate now (please click link to go straight to their website) to Feeding America (formally Americans Second Harvest). You never know, you just might be feeding your neighbor.


Everyone has something to share. Please comment!

Perspective on President's Address To Congress: The Biggest Issue Facing "U.S." Is Working Together

Why, both before and after his address to Congress, did I hear the pundits ask if President Obama could accomplish all the things he outlined? Isn't this more than about the President? Isn't this more than about bi-partisanship? Don't we, the American public, have a stake in this? Isn't this still the United States of America?

After listening to the pundits I'm convinced of one thing; the BIGGEST issue facing "U.S." today is finding a way to work together: as individuals, families, communities, states, political parties, races, religions, and industries.

You know, this is our nation and the problems we face...they're all of ours too.



So you tell me; what were your impressions of President Obama's Congressional address?

• What did you get from the President's address to Congress?


• What did you think of the speech?


• Do you feel more or less confident?


• What should we all do now?


• Was there anything you really disagreed with?

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Duke Ellington To Be Minted On US Coin - But Is He The "Best" Choice?

According to the AFP, “Jazz icon Duke Ellington has become the first African American to appear solo on a US coin intended for everyday use, officials at the US Mint said Tuesday after a celebration to mark the quarter-dollar's release. He's the first African American to feature solo and the second African American to feature on a circulating coin.” But is Ellington the most “deserving” choice?

Don’t get me wrong, having a coin featuring any prominent African-American is a great thing; yet, wouldn’t it have been more meaningful to mint someone who has made a fundamental impact on social change or justice in this country? What, with such prominent African-Americans as Barack Obama, Martin Luther King Jr., Jessie Jackson, Booker T. Washington, Andrew Young, Barbara Jordan, Maynard Jackson, Maya Angelou, Mary Mcleod Bethune, et. Al., was the best the US Mint could do was immortalize a jazz singer?

Do I have a point or am I way off base here?

Domestic Violence: Dumb, 'cause you can't solve problems with your fists

I originally included a recent Rihanna photo at the beginning of this blog. Because some felt it a bit much, I have removed it. And, although the photo is disconcerting, so is this issue.

Hitting anyone out of anger is not only wrong its wrongheaded. Know why? Because you can't solve your problems with your fists. Therefore, if you're trying to solve a problem or issue in this way, you're dumb.

Did you know that African-American women experience intimate partner violence at rates 35% higher than their White counterparts and 2.5 times the rate of men and other races? It's true. And, according to the Institute on Domestic Violence, "violence affects all Americans, regardless of race, gender, or socioeconomic status. However, this threat has disproportionately dire consequences for African-American women." Did you also know that domestic violence is not just limited to men? Yeah, women hit too. But no matter which way the fists fly, the behavior is just plain wrong.

The way I see it, you've got two issues going on here: handling the explosive situation and managing your emotions. Following are tips on dong both:

If you're really trying to solve a problem or issue, you need to COMMUNICATE:

Women's media.com offers advice on controlling one's anger:

1. Become Aware of what precipitates your anger--identify what "sets you off."

2. Monitor the feelings and bodily sensations you experience when you're becoming angry.Learn to use these sensations as cues to stop...

3. Change the thoughts that trigger anger, interpreting the situation from a different (less provocative) point of view. Often, this involves looking at the situation from the other person's perspective.

4. Write down angry thoughts. Once you have them on paper, challenge and reappraise them. Or write a letter to the person you're angry with and then tear it into a hundred pieces. But be careful: The longer you dwell on what made you angry, the more reasons and self-justifications you can find for being angry. Try not to fan your own fire.

5. Identify and express the feelings that precede anger. Anger is often a secondary emotion, erupting in the wake of other feelings, like frustration, resentment, humiliation, or fear. Try to become aware of the underlying emotion and express that feeling instead of anger.

6. Respond assertively.The goal isn't to suppress anger, but to express it in non-aggressive ways. Blaming, accusations, threats and name-calling are aggressive responses. Calmly and assertively stating your thoughts and feelings about a situation, without blaming, is a far more powerful way to respond in conflict.

7. Relax.Anger is a high-arousal state, so one of the most helpful things you can do is engage in an activity that lowers blood pressure and heart rate, like yoga, stretching, deep breathing, massage, visualization, guided imagery or meditation. Activities like gardening, painting, and woodworking may also be very helpful. Running, walking, dancing, swimming and other forms of aerobic exercise "work off" anger and leave you feeling relaxed.

8. Relinquish your anger.If angry feelings about a particular person or situation are eating at you and none of the above techniques proves helpful, try doing what may be the most courageous and difficult thing of all: Just let it go. If the anger is based on some old wound deep inside, letting go starts a healing process. Consider enlisting the support of a professional counselor or therapist.

A technique I've found helpful is keeping the conversation constructive and on the issue: no name calling. Remember, words can hit like a fist. My Mom has a saying, "you can withdraw your fist, but you can't withdraw a spoken word." Think about it.
But what if despite your best efforts, you're in a heated discussion?

Associated Content printed a great article on dealing with arguments and offer the following tips:

"...the only real ways to end an argument on good terms are walk away, let down your viewpoint or find a way to change the argument into a calm discussion." The best way to attempt [to get to a calm discussion] ...without conceding your viewpoint is to use repair attempts. Make the other person aware that you understand their concerns and assure them we will discuss this when we are both calm. Another option is to turn away from anger and towards love, use affection and say something like "we do not need to do this now, just come and hug me”. Talk about issues before they become real issues and discuss things calmly before they become arguments."

Remember, never hit or insult--those two actions just won't solve your problem.

How about you? Share your story, tell me what's worked for you.

If I React Negatively To NY Post Cartoon Am I Hypersensitve or Hyperaware?

On Wednesday, the New York Post released a cartoon likening the author of the stimulus bill, with a crazy chimpanzee.

Take a look and tell me; If I, as an African-American am offended by this cartoon, am I being Hypersensitive or Hyperaware?

There has been wide-spread negative reaction to the cartoon within the African-American community, including from such notables as the Reverend Al Sharpton and Roland S. Martin. Sharpton and Martin see the cartoon as a "not so subtle" way of insulting President Barack Obama and called for an apology from the NY Post. Sharpton said the Post should clarify the point it was trying to make with the cartoon, which was parody off Monday's rampage by a pet chimpanzee in Stamford, Conn., that left a woman severely mauled and police had to kill the chimp. Martin also said that the post should have done a better job editing this cartoon as the US has a history and legacy of racism. Martin had a particularly emotional exchange on CNN:



Others take the opposite view because, in their minds, the President didn't even write the stimulus package. They say the cartoon was aimed at the drafters of the Stimulus Bill, Speaker Pelosi and the Congress. They see Sharpton's criticism as an attempt to inject race.

Post Editor-in-Chief Col Allan said: "The cartoon is a clear parody of a current news event, to wit the shooting of a violent chimpanzee in Connecticut. It broadly mocks Washington's efforts to revive the economy. Again, Al Sharpton reveals himself as nothing more than a publicity opportunist."

Now, I don't know what was in the hearts of the NY Post when they released this cartoon. IMHO it showed VERY poor judgement. I remember, early on in my communications classes, that you should always make your presentation with your audience in mind. Perhaps they did.

But for me, the issue here is not what the NY Post meant by this piece. I think the real issue here is that race is still an issue in this country: whether real or contrived in a given situation. Americans still have a lot of healing to do and will have to talk through a lot of flack before we truly resolve our differences and solve our problems.

So, what do you think? Does this cartoon have racist overtones? I'm troubled by the use of violence in the cartoon. Many countries have accused the US of only taking this approach to solve our differences with them. Is there any validity to this claim?

IamRobert and I welcome your comments.

"Got An Issue? Say What's On Your Mind!"

America: Racism = Dehumanization = Terrorism--i.e. people behaving terribly

This, just in from my girl Anji from across the pond. It's a documentary of an exercise conducted by a teacher in Riceville, Iowa to teach a lesson in discrimination: one I think we all could learn from.




For me, there are so many lessons and parallels to draw from this. But it's not only about me; it's about all of us. Please watch, listen, and share with us. As you do, think about the following:

• Who introduced you to, taught you, your assumptions and fears?
• Who put them in a position of authority to make and teach those assumptions?
• Would you like to be treated in the same fashion?
• Do you still hold some of the assumptions taught to you? If not, what brought about the change of mind?
• Why is possible to make someone feel bad about a birth attribute (i.e. the color of their eyes)?
• Do you need to view someone as inferior to feel good about yourself?
• If you are aware of injustice and do nothing; are you guilty of the same injustice?
  

Thanks Anji: one love, one people, one world, one cause--that we all may be free.

Has The Black Church Gone Too Far To Fit In?

The church has been the bedrock of the black community since the first recorded black congregation organized on the plantation of William Byrd near Mecklenburg, Virginia. Indeed, the church has gotten us through some of our toughest times: slavery, segregation, the great depression, just to name a few. I would say it is the most fundamental institution in black society--then and now. But, just what are the limits one can go to inspire attendance?

I understand that the church has a calling to reach out and bring in followers. With that, I can understand the need to attract young people to the church as well as the need to keep congregations interested and motivated. However, the video today goes far beyond that. Now, I'm not saying that this church or pastor's heart weren't in the right place. I just think they crossed the line and failed to maintain the dignity and decorum of the church. But, you be the judge. Watch The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church Anniversary Dance and let me know how you feel.

Did they cross the line? Were the youth congregation sent a mixed message? Will this dance come back to haunt the church in some form of youth rebellion? Or, was this simply an uplifting way to entertain the congregation and motivate young people to attend? Come on saints, it's time to testify.