In this space where I learned the “Single Ladies” dance.
It was here where I stayed awake past 5am on countless nights finding a place for a gush of inspiration.
This is the place where I sat for hours watching an entire season of wonderful television programming on DVD.
And, watched Michel Gondry for hours on end projected on one of these walls. Which one? Can you tell?
In here I dreamed – and in here, they came true.
I’ve stood, sat, laid, danced…in disbelief, bliss, disappointment, anguish, fear, anticipation. This is the space where I became raw. I will always remember you fondly.
The breakfasts in “the cafe”.
Diapers changed on my bed.
Beautiful children of friends.
Beautiful children of friends.
Beautiful children of friends.
Benny A. Lyde was a 21 year old college senior at Long Island University, living in Brooklyn, NY. He lived on Lincoln Place in Crown Heights. Not too far from my home. In 2005 he suffered a murderous death by gunfire – all because of some beef that had nothing to do with him. His death went mostly unnoticed in the public eye – as if no unordinary tragedy had transpired. As if we hadn’t just lost a bright, young model American citizen. He was on the honor roll. He had a job and helped his mother pay bills – at the age of 21. He helped run a literacy program in East New York, Brooklyn and mentored younger children in his community. Children looked up to him. And he was looking forward to a shining future as he was finishing up his degrees in Business Management and Computer Science. The world was his. His mother has said he would reevaluate his life’s goals every five years. In 2005 (what would become his last year here), he aspired to be the first Black president of the United States.
A couple of weeks ago, I was taking a Saturday stroll from my house to the Brooklyn Museum. I walked into a crowd of people on that beautiful, warm, sunny Saturday. The air was perfectly crisp and the sun was gentle, not too demanding. The event in Crown Heights that afternoon was a street naming ceremony at Lincoln Place and New York Ave for “Benny A. Lyde Street”
I think I now know the taste of bittersweetness. His murderer has been captured. His mother was able to speak of him without a gush of tears. And in spite of the clear blue late summer’s sky, there was no justice.
“This album is dedicated…to all the people that lived above the buildings I was hustlin’ in front of that called the police on me when I was just trying to make some money to feed my daughter.” – Biggie Smalls.
I’ve just gotta mention the beaming light that is J and B. Yes, yes, I know. They’re rich. They’re talented. Driven. Famous. They spend a lot of money on all the products and services one can imagine to look as good as they do. But since their nuptials, I must say, they’ve upped their glow.
Bringing ancient tradition into our everyday lives. Once circle at a time. Boston. Brooklyn.
This video is of my first participation in circle. In Boston. People often ask, “what is circle?” It’s one of those things that is both very easy and very difficult to explain. Simply, circle is a gathering of people who sit – in a circle – and discuss. Traditionally, three questions/topics are posed to the group, and one by one, every person in the circle speaks. We pass around a talking piece. Whomever holds the talking piece can hold it for as long or as short as they’d like. And while they hold the talking piece, everyone else listens actively. It’s that simple.
To go a little further, imagine a clock. From 12 to 3 o’clock is the first quarter of circle, during which time the focus is on introductions. From 3 to 6 o’clock, trust is built. From 6 to 9 o’clock we share issues of interest. From 9 to 12 o’clock is time for action. The key here is that each quarter is equally timed. A quarter can be 3 months, or it can be 3 years. The key is not to rush and to fully flesh out each stage honestly, openly and with love and hope for an ideal continuous present.
In “western” culture, when it comes to work and the workplace, we spend 12 to 1 o’clock introducing ourselves then immediately get to work from 1 all the way to 12 o’clock again. But we haven’t built any trust. We don’t even know what issues are of importance to our co-workers. We’ve barely even introduced ourselves properly.
The method of circle can be found among indigenous cultures throughout the Americas and in Africa and parts of Asia. It has maintained its place among people of color throughout the world – and is a way of life from which we all can benefit.
I’ve been part of the Brooklyn People of Color Circle since we started in October of ’07. Circle has a way of reminding me of my connectedness to the goodness of our collective spirit. It brings me closer to the flow. Sacred space. I look forward every month.
