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Free Your Mind

2/25/2021

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There is something magical when you open the first page of a new book.  The peculiar yet ever satisfying smell of dried ink.  The crisp and unbothered pages you can't wait to immerse yourself into.  Or perhaps it's the excitement of what each new chapter will bring.  Soon, you find yourself lost into an exquisitely crafted masterpiece and at the mercy of the author.  

As I continue my celebration of Black History month, I must pay homage to the literary geniuses who have molded the craft and art of writing and paved the way for so many to follow in their footsteps.  Their legacy and outstanding contributions to Black America and American literature's history will never be forgotten.

Zora Neale Hurston, world-renowned writer, anthropologist, and a fixture of the Harlem Renaissance.  She was dedicated to promoting and studying black culture and educating others about the arts.  An author of novels, short stories, and plays, Hurston would be best known for her book  'Their Eyes Were Watching God.'  Although never receiving the praise she truly deserved, Hurston influenced many writers, forever cementing her place in history as one of the foremost female writers of the 20th century.

Zora Neale Hurston (1891-1960)

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Octavia E. Butler​ (1947-2006)

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Octavia E. Butler had a true appreciation and love of books at an early age.  At the age of 10, she decided to become a writer.  Breaking barriers as an African-American woman in science fiction, Butler published her first novel in 1976, titled 'Patternmaster.'  One of the few African-American women in the field, she was known for her creativity in blending science fiction with African-American culture.  In 1995, Butler became the first science fiction writer to receive the MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grant.

James Baldwin (1924-1987)

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Well known for his essays on the Black experience in America, James Baldwin was one of the 20th century's greatest writers.  Baldwin moved to France in 1948 to allow himself the freedom to write more about his personal life as a gay man in a homophobic African-American community and a racist society.  His time would be spent between the United States and France.  Baldwin returned to the US to participate in the Civil Rights Movement.  However, after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, he permanently returned to Europe.  In 1956 Baldwin wrote 'Giovanni's Room' which, told the story of a white man torn between his love for a man and a woman.  The novel brought him critical acclaim as a powerful American writer.

"If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it." -Toni Morrison 


Chinua Achebe (1930-2013)

Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian novelist, poet, professor, and critic.  His first novel, 'Things Fall Apart' (1958), often considered his masterpiece would become a classic in the world of literature and required reading for students, selling over 10 million copies in 45 languages.  "There is such a thing as absolute power over narrative.  Those who secure this privilege for themselves can arrange stories about others pretty much where, and as, they like." -Chinua Achebe
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Maya Angelou (1928-2014)

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Maya Angelou was born Marguerite Annie Johnson in 1928.  It would be over 20 years before she would be forever and famously known as the beloved Maya Angelou, an acclaimed American poet, storyteller, civil rights activist, playwright, autobiographer, etc.  Her name was a combination of her childhood nickname and her then-husbands surname.  Author of over 30 books and the recipient of more than 50 honorary degrees, she is best known for her 1969 memoir, 'I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings'.  Maya Angelou will forever be one of the most influential women of all time.

Langston Hughes (1902-1967)

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Langston Hughes, famously known as one of the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance.  American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist.  His fearless fight against racism and equality resonates within his writing and poetry.  Although his work was highly criticized, his creativity was undeniable.  
"Humor is laughing at what you haven't got when you ought to have it." - Langston Hughes.

Toni Morrison (1931-2019)

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Nobel Prize and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, editor, professor, visionary, Toni Morrison was a brilliant literary force.  From 1967 to 1983 she served as the first female African-American editor in Random House history and was credited with giving a voice to black stories.  "There are writers that we would not know had she not been in that very crucial position as a black woman in publishing," Angelyn L. Mitchell, a professor of English and African-American studies at Georgetown University.   

Richard Wright (1908-1960)

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Richard Wright, born in Roxie, Mississippi.  The grandson of slaves and the son of a sharecropper, he would come to be one of the most influential writers in the history of American literature.  At the age of 16, he published his first short story.  In 1940 Wright wrote a powerful and unforgettable novel titled 'Native Son' which tells the story of 20-year old Bigger Thomas.  The book was banned in some states due to the graphic language and sexual content.  Some of the more candid passages dealing with race, sex, and politics in Wright's books were omitted before original publication, however, some of his other work prior to 1991 remains original.

Reading will forever be fundamental, and it allows you to go to that special place and free your mind.  Without history, we would be forced to create our own narratives of stories we know nothing of.  As a writer, I am honored to share and continue the legacy of these phenomenal writers.

​~AJ 🖤

References:
https://www.uis.edu/gendersexualitystudentservices/jamesbaldwin/
http://www.math.buffalo.edu/~sww/wright/wright_bio.html
http://mwp.olemiss.edu//dir/wright_richard/
https://www.biography.com/writer/richard-wright
https://www.jbhe.com/features/59_richardwright.html
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Toni-Morrison
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/toni-morrison
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/obituaries/toni-morrison-nobel-laureate-who-transfigured-american-literature-dies-at-88/2019/08/06/49cd4d46-b84d-11e9-a091-6a96e67d9cce_story.html
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/langston-hughes
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/36910.Langston_Hughes
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/maya-angelou
https://time.com/5226045/dr-maya-angelous-90th-birthday/
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/maya-angelou

https://www.britannica.com/biography/James-Baldwin
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1998/02/16/the-enemy-within-hilton-als
https://www.biography.com/writer/james-baldwin
https://www.octaviabutler.com
https://www.biography.com/writer/octavia-e-butler
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/29535.Octavia_E_Butler
https://www.zoranealehurston.com
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Zora-Neale-Hurston
https://www.womenshistory.org/education-resources/biographies/zora-hurston

https://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/23/world/africa/chinua-achebe-nigerian-writer-dies-at-82.html
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In The Writers Den w/Mr. Joe Walker

2/23/2021

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Catching up with the talented, gifted and creatively designed Mr. Joe Walker.  The Champ, Bio Writer, Journalist, Content Creator, Host, Managing editor/co-founder of THISENT.com.  With a portfolio as expansive as his writing archive, he is truly one to know.  Check out what he has to say!

◆ How are you doing on this amazing day?
I’m doing fantastically well, AJ! Thank you for asking! And since you mentioned today, it’s appropriate that I note that I took the liberty of filling my gut with a couple Oreo cookies, a few cherry sours, a reasonable portion of Starburst jellybeans, a Cella’s chocolate covered cherry, and a slice of cheesecake. So, the best part about being fantastically well on this amazing day is that, remarkably, no part of it was tarnished by a stomachache.

◆ Writers are known for having thoughts at any given time.  When do you have your best ideas?
I’m plagued by my own creativity. Ideas are constantly tumbling off my conveyer belt with me trying to catch them in my left hand while working to bring the ones in my write hand to life. I know an idea’s the best one when it encourages, inspires, or impacts someone else in a profound way.

◆ If you had to give a title to the blueprint of your life, what would it be called?
Bruised: The Black and Blueprint.

◆ Do you remember the first time you brought ink to paper?
No. I do, however, remember creating written and illustrated storybooks for my classmates in kindergarten.
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The Cultural Purpose of Black History

2/17/2021

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"If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated." -Dr. Carter G. Woodson

There are so many unknown facts and secrets about Black America's history that it would take a lifetime to catch up on all there is to know.  Entering 5th grade, I was introduced to what was called 'American History.'   Painfully dull, unbelievably forgettable, I recall dreading the time spent in that class every single day.  Textbooks filled with endless paragraphs and other meticulously selected subjects designed to control the narrative and silence the knowledge.  Feeling forced to absorb a history that was not of my own and instructed to learn, memorize, and recite the Pledge of Allegiance, I went along with it because it was all that I knew.  'One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.'  Indivisible human rights are described as follows;  “Human rights are indivisible.  Whether they relate to civil, cultural, economic, political, or social issues, human rights are inherent to the dignity of every human person.  Consequently, all human rights have equal status and cannot be positioned in hierarchical order.”  


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All We Need Is Love

2/13/2021

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It’s been a normal weekend like any other.  Early morning google searches with one eye open, mild contemplation about devising a get rich in 30 days plan, a hunger in the pit of my stomach so strong I fear I will buy pointless things when I make my grocery store run, and a permanent fixation on finding the perfect bouquet of fresh flowers.  I should point out that I buy fresh flowers often, so this is not just because it’s a national day of love.  I should also point out that I told a couple of friends I was purchasing a bouquet for myself because it’s a national day of love.  Hey, I could change up at any moment, but that’s not the point.

As I enter the store it is as if Valentine's Day has exploded and the reminders that I am single are flashing before me like a neon sign at a late-night massage parlor.  You simply cannot miss it!
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There are flowers by the grapes, a few bouquets by the spaghetti squash, and an entire sea of flowers by the mixed nuts.  Interpret that in whichever way you like.  As I approach the beautiful assortment of flowers, I see the perfect bouquet I must have.  Having left my glasses at home I can’t tell if that is a $5 sign or if there is a 5 followed by another number and two trailing zeros.  As my vision zones in, I yell through my mask, '$59 for that!  Are you kidding me???'  The lady behind the flower counter in the perkiest voice,  ‘Hi, how are you today?!’  It’s as if she knows I am the masked bargain shopper who scrambles through the discounted, yet older seasoned flowers every other Saturday.  Today is no exception, I'll return on Monday when the prices have returned to the normal single person rate.  

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It's no surprise that this day is not a favorite for many while for some it's the day they wait for every year.  I've been both, however, the more I learned the true meaning of love, the more I realized how hopeless of a romantic I really am.  Sometimes all we need is love to remind us just how amazing it is.  It feels good to see people embark on new beginnings, find love, make great memories, and enjoy genuine happiness.  I'm not mad at the process in the least bit.  

Love is a universal language that we all speak in our own unique ways.  You don't have to wait for Valentine's Day to show your love and affection to family, friends, or that special someone but it's fun, terribly cute and a few flowers never hurt anyone.  Be creative and do something special for him/her, put on your favorite dress, spray on the cologne that makes her go crazy, and just let go and let something different in for a change.  Life is fleeting, find something worth living for and do that, repeatedly.   
To all the lovers, admirers, family, friends, new or old relationships, and single people across the globe, Happy Valentine's Day!  

Let all that you do be done in love -1 Corinthians 16:14

~AJ 💞
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Love, Peace, and Soul

2/10/2021

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I've loved music for as long as I can remember.  Not sure when the obsession began, I just know I can't live without it.  As a '70s baby, I had no idea about the true art of soul and even less knowledge of what it meant to be funky.  No pizzazz along with no clue of how to groove to the sound and the feel of the music.  It made sense that I was clueless. I was a kid surrounded by larger-than-life afros, bell-bottoms, short dresses, wild colors, and music so funky it caused people to make the ugly face when they heard it.  

To understand and appreciate the art, which is music, you have to go back to where it all began, for you.  Each musical journey is personal and special.  From the music your parents played, to the songs you sang in the church choir music will forever be a vibe that will set the tone for your musical flavor, forever! 
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Jumping The Broom

2/2/2021

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​From this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and to cherish all the days of your life.  The wedding vows as shared between a man and a woman signify a bond of commitment, faith, and everlasting devotion.  A momentous time of love and uncontrollable bursts of pure elation.  

Wedding days are meticulously planned for months, even years in advance.  The dress has been chosen, the flowers ordered and the bridesmaids confirmed, all 10 of them.  The groom had his tux exquisitely tailored for the perfect fit and his best friends are flying in the day after tomorrow.  The intricate details, the pure excitement of the special day play a huge part in what will be the happiest moment of your lives.  In the modern-day, the stories of this union between two loves are reminiscent of a fairy tale.  As we take a step back nearly 200 centuries, the stories are drastically different.
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    Author

    AJ is a creative writer and storyteller writing from her home in Indiana.  

    She also works as a Senior Writer & Advisor for GroovMagazine, as well as a contributing writer for BlackVybez Magazine. 

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