February 4th - Officially Rosa Parks Day in MO

This is absolutely wonderful family! I just got word that our great Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri has officially dubbed today as Rosa Parks Day! If you are not aware, today is her birthday, and if she was alive, you would have been 97 years old. Can you say WOW and MOTIVATION......for what you may ask.....to take care not only myself mentally but also physically and spiritually. We too can live just as long as she did (if not longer) if we are conscious of what we are putting into our mind, body and souls.

Take a look at the press release. Comments?

For immediate release Feb. 4, 2010

Feb. 4 proclaimed as Rosa Parks Day in Missouri by Gov. Nixon

Jefferson City – Gov. Jay Nixon has issued a proclamation declaring Feb. 4 as Rosa Parks Day in Missouri. A state law passed in 2006 designates Rosa Parks’ birthday, Feb. 4, as the date to especially remember and honor the late civil rights pioneer.

Best remembered for her refusal in 1955 to obey the order of a bus driver to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a city bus in Montgomery, Ala., Ms. Parks has been described as the “Mother of the Modern Day Civil Rights Movement.” Her refusal led to the successful boycott of the segregated city bus system, and is considered one of the seminal events of the civil rights movement.

“Rosa Parks serves as an inspiration to all Americans to stand up for what is right,” Gov. Nixon said. “It is appropriate that we honor her memory on this day and continue to work every day to ensure that the civil rights of all Americans are protected.”

Source: http://governor.mo.gov/newsroom/2010/Rosa_Parks_Day

Black America's 10 Biggest Lies

You know what makes The Silky Chronicles different from the other blogs.......the fact that we talk about ALL sorts of topics and issues that are faced in our world. Below is just another example of the diversity I like to bring to the site.

I received the below post on a different list serve, and thought I would share with my blogville family. Being of African decent, I felt compelled to read the article and then chose to bring it to you my followers. I hope no one is offended by the post.

The original post can be found here at BlackAmericaWeb.com written by Tony Pendelton. I'm curious to know your thoughts on this article, for I agreed and disagreed with many points. When you get a chance, check out the comments on the original post on the site....very interesting...

Tell me what you think....the orAKAle has spoken.....

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Black America, are we lying to ourselves? It seems as though there are quite a few areas where we are not totally being honest with one another.

A recent study proves that people lie to each other at least three times in a 10-minute period after just being introduced! The study also says that it’s difficult for even law enforcement personnel to know when someone is really lying.

With all of that in mind, what lies does black America believe most? We thought we’d do our own unofficial study to see what the record shows. What lies do we believe about ourselves or continue to perpetuate? Here’s our list of the top 10.

Lie #1: Soul food is good for you. Our mamas, grandmamas, dads and uncles definitely loved us. So much, in fact, that they cooked chitlins and pig feet and hosted lavish barbeques featuring plates overflowing with delicious food like macaroni and cheese, candied yams, pork chops and fried chicken. Let’s not forget about those desserts like red velvet cake and peach cobbler - and that oh-so-good lemonade and sweet tea. The problem is that the soul food diet, as good as it is, is filled with fatty meats, fried foods, sugar, salt and a high percentage of dietary fat. Those are the very things that are causing record numbers of obesity in our community. Nobody’s saying you shouldn’t enjoy our cultural food every now and then. But a soul food diet all the time is a license for health problems down the line.

Lie #2: Baby mamas/daddies are okay. No, not every child in the world is going to come into the world with two loving, married parents. And even some who do may end up as children of divorce. There are no guarantees that an intact family will stay intact. But statistics overwhelmingly prove that children born to single, teenage mothers have a much greater chance of being poor with limited educations and a show a greater propensity for violent and criminal behavior. When did we begin to accept that having children was a random and thoughtless decision, particularly at a time when birth control is more accessible and easier to use than ever before? When did we start to believe, as both men and women, that it’s okay to bring a life into the world before either parent is able to truly handle the responsibility? Given the grim statistics, we need to look at what a costly lie this has become.

Lie #3: Celebrities are more deserving of forgiveness than others. Convicted felons Li’l Kim, T.I., Chris Brown and Michael Vick have something in common despite their legal issues – the support of the black community. Given their respective crimes of perjury, weapons charges, domestic violence and dog-fighting, you have to wonder if they would receive that same support if their names weren’t bold-faced. Think about it: If any one of your friends and relatives had done any of those same things, would you have been so forgiving? It’s amazing that black folks who have washed their hands of people in their own lives have embraced celebrities they don’t even know after they’ve committed some pretty disturbing crimes.

Lie #4: A hustler mentality is more important than a formal education. The black community loves its hustlers, whether it’s Diddy, Jay-Z, The Knowles family or 50 Cent. Hustle, hustle, hustle is the ethos that permeates black America. Sure, hustling has its merits – but is it the only way to achieve success? President Barack Obama is probably the most primary example of what an education can do. He and his wife are both proud Ivy League graduates with advanced degrees. Hustle may be reserved for the few with the charisma and stamina to take them to the top, but an education is something accessible to anyone.

Lie #5: Water and snow are for other people. According to USA Swimming, nearly 60 percent of African-American children can’t swim, which is why they drown at three times the rate of other children. Why is that? Because there still exists a mentality that says that water and swimming are for “other” people - and because there are still girls whose parents allow them to use their hair as an excuse for staying out of the water. Somehow or another, the myth of black folks not liking water or snow has become a fact. (Please note the miniscule amount of black families you see skiing together at any ski resort.) And sadly, USA Swimming’s study showed that it was the parents who needed to be convinced most. Many either didn’t swim themselves or were afraid to have their children learn. Unfortunately, this is a mindset with dire consequences for many of our kids.

Lie #6: Complexion is destiny. Do we still believe that skin color is relevant in the black community? Well, only if you think that the negative reaction to Michelle Obama was primarily based on her Princeton thesis. There are people who still believe that certain things are given to or withheld from people based on their complexion. There are still those who find dark-skinned men menacing and light-skinned women the epitome of beauty. In fact, both dark and light-skinned people can point to misconceptions about them based solely on their skin color, something that no one has any control over. So how long will we go on believing the same old lies?

Lie #7: Marriage isn't important anymore. The rate of black marriage continues to decline, as this depressing statistic shows – the percentage of African-American women who are married declined from 62 percent to 36.1 percent between 1950 and 2000. Apparently, the black community has decided that marriage is no longer a priority. Yet, if you look around, you’ll probably see the most financially stable people who lead the most productive and happy lives and who raise decent children are generally married. No, it’s not a sure-fire thing, but what is? In our community, the financial edge would certainly go to the two-income couple who can command greater stability just by having someone to share bills and child-rearing responsibilities with. That being said, why are so few of us overall choosing to walk down that aisle?

Lie #8: Obesity is not the most serious health care issue in our history. Black women and the men who love them have never accepted the European aesthetic that mandates that women be super-skinny. Our African ancestors passed down their curvaceous bodies, complete with round hips and full backsides. But somewhere along the way, obesity became the new “thick.” We’re not talking a big booty and a frame fuller than the average celebutante It girl; we’re talking women who are 100-150 pounds over a healthy weight, with rolls of fat and distended stomachs. We’re talking men who are so overweight, they are taking on female characteristics like breasts. Our children are experiencing obesity at ever-younger ages, yet this health crisis seems to be going unnoticed by most African-Americans who continue to eat unhealthy diets. (See #1.) It appears that although we survived slavery and Jim Crow and more, black people will finally be felled by food poisoning, which is exactly what our diets have become.

Lie #9: We are descended from royalty. Too many of us don’t know our history, so too few of us can make this claim with any real, absolute certainty. Indeed, it was Africa, not Europe or Asia, that had the oldest empires in the world. Many of us, as African people, did, in fact, descend from kings, queens and creators of art, music and architecture far superior to what the European culture would devise later on. Too much of African history has been lost or suppressed to promote European culture as the world’s most sophisticated. In 2005, Philadelphia’s public school system became the first in the country to require students to take a course in African-American history to graduate. Educators say that not only did it provide a much-needed addition of historical accuracy; it also helped increase self-esteem in a largely black public school population. As they say, if you don’t know your history, you are doomed to repeat it.

Lie #10: Black men don't have emotional needs. Somehow, our community has come to the conclusion that black men don’t have emotions. The recent scorn which greeted public tears by basketball players Stephon Marbury and Allen Iverson, as well as comedian D.L. Hughley, made it seem as though the stereotypical image of strong, silent black men is alive and well. We offer much support in the way of girl’s emotional needs, with programs targeted to increase their self-esteem, but what about our boys? Given the fact that the violence in most of our cities is perpetuated by and on young black males, shouldn’t we be considering how to meet their emotional needs instead of just locking them up? If we could start acknowledging those needs earlier and helping them learn how to deal with feelings, we might all have a brighter future. After all, these are potential fathers and husbands!

A Message from Tyler Perry...

The below email just came across Tyler Perry's (TP) email list. It just warmed my heart and moved me so much that I wanted to share it with you. I commend TP for stepping up and out for what is right. MAYBE we need to do background checks on celebrities (as far as what they are doing for the community) before we download their music, or buy their gear OR even pay way to much money to see them do the same thing in concert year after year...just my $.08 cents....carry on (and read below):

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From: Tyler Perry Mailing List <announcement@tylerperrystudios.net>

Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 21:47:13 -0500 (CDT)

Subject: A Message from Tyler Perry - I'm So Mad

To: all_lists@tylerperrystudios.net

This made me so angry.

Since Michael Jackson died I have not watched the news. I have just been so disgusted at how the mainstream media has riddled this family with disrespect, and no matter what anyone, you or I included, might have thought of him, the truth of the matter is this - the man was still a human being and his kids and family deserve some privacy and space. And I know that I'm not the only one that feels this way, so I purposely kept the TV off. Anyway, I was walking through the house, and I don't know how this TV was on, but I saw a little boy on the news crying his eyes out.

So I turned it up. Here is this kid talking about being kicked out of the Valley Swim Club outside Philadelphia because he was black. Did you hear me? I said, "No way, this can't be! It's 2009. I don't believe this!" But, I know it happens even in this year of Obama.

As I listened to the story the anchorperson went on to talk about a woman named Althea Wright. This young lady started a non-profit called Creative Steps to help inner-city children. And apparently she had booked the Valley Swim Club's pool and paid for it to be used by the children through the summer. As we all know, this is such a great thing. During the summer our kids can get into a lot of trouble if they don't have something creative to do. Anyway, as the story went on I was shocked to find out that it wasn't just him but 65 children in all, black and Hispanic kids, that were kicked out of the pool. You should Google this story and read it online for yourself. It's crazy! I went from being mad to being furious.

The news reporter went on to say that the president of the club and its members said, and I quote, "We don't want to change the complexion of our club." The president refunded the money of the children and asked them not to come back. WHAT?! I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I said I have to do something for these children. I can't let them think that they are inferior because of the color of their skin. Then that night I saw the president of the Valley Swim Club on the news again saying that he misspoke and that it was a safety issue and the club wasn't able to accommodate so many children. But the children themselves reportedly said that members were taking their kids out of the pool, and that they were saying things like, "Why are they here?" and "They're black", even insinuating that these kids would steal or maybe hurt their children.

Now get this. A few days later I catch the story again on CNN. This time the club was inviting the kids to come and swim. WHAT?! I'm confused. If you refunded the money because there was not enough room in the pool and it was a safety issue then why are you asking the same 65 kids to come back?

This is awful, and for anyone that has grown up in the inner-city, you know that one small act of kindness can change your life. These kids see the images of President Obama on TV and then they see the drug dealers and thugs on the corner. Which do you think is more their reality? One act of kindness, one person telling them that they are special, one moment of encouragement can make them move mountains. I know it to be true because I was one of them. They don't need to be called names and be told that they are less than, because of the color of their skin or because of where they come from.

I was told that one of these children, a seven year old, asked her mother if she was "too black to be in a pool." How do you answer that? How do you get a seven year old past that? Again, it broke my heart and I wanted to do something, and I feel like you all would want to do something, too.

That's why I'm telling you this. Since you all have put me in the position to be able to do something I feel like by me doing this we are all doing it together. So what I did was on Aug 1st thru 3rd I'm sending these kids to Disney World, and then to a Disney water park. I want them to know that for every act of evil that a few people will throw at you, there are millions more who will do something kind for them. This is all about the kids. So, thank you for letting me do this. Thank you so much. And do me a favor please. When you see these kids coming through the airport, (I'm sure you won't be able to miss them. I imagine they are going to be super excited) when you see them in the park and in the hotel, let's show them a whole lot of love and respect. Show them that they are just as good as anyone else. And show them that they can do or be anything they want to be no matter what any one says!

Thanks,

Tyler Perry

Racism No Longer Exists....NOT!!!!

I'm not sure if you all have heard, but we still harbor "whites-only" policies in many city establishments around the country. While I have never been really naive to knowing this, it still stings when heard or experienced.

This past week, the Valley Swim Club in Huntington Vally Pennsylvania decided to deny 65 inner city campers, from the Creative Steps Day Camp, access to their facility. Please note the full story with details/facts are available in the link below:

Pool Boots Kids Who Might "Change the Complexion"

Many of our fellow Americans are outraged and are doing our part to make sure a full investigation is launched and the story of this injustice is heard. Below is a template of a letter, created by Soror Star Jones (Positively Star), that many of us are using to notify our leaders and the public that we WILL NOT take this type of treatment sitting down...let along against our youth.

Please feel free to copy and paste as needed. The youth are our future and we WILL NOT allow them to be treated as such.


Dear Public Servant who is dedicated to Justice for All (can insert your state's representative name here):

I was shocked and outraged to learn that the Valley Swim Club in Huntington Valley Pennsylvania seems to be enforcing a "whites-only" policy at their pool.

Two weeks ago, the Creative Steps Day Camp paid the Valley Swim Club more than $1900 for one day of swimming a week for their 65 campers, but after the first day, the money was quickly refunded and the campers were told not to return. Apparently, when the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave after making what can only be described as racially insensitive and discriminatory comments directed at the children. The President of the club compounded the situation and left nothing to interpretation by stating that the children were not welcome at the club as they might "change the complexion...the atmosphere of the club."

I'm sure you agree that is shameful that in 2009, anywhere in America, children have been turned away from a swimming pool because of their race.

I stand together with thousands of Americans across the country in condemning the Valley Club's discrimination. We are calling on the Department of Justice to investigate whether the Valley Club violated federal civil rights laws. Together, we are sending a strong message that this kind of discrimination has no place in our society.

Sincerely,

S. E. Hughes

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Feel free to join the movement at Color of Change