Tara Lake

Quick Post - Tara's Story "My First Love, or, I Know it Was the Blood"

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 09:40:16 PST

Have the holidays arrived already? This time of year means family to me. While I don't go in for the gifts and whatnot, seeing "my people" always means the world to me. Recently, I performed a story, "My First Love, or I Know It Was the Blood" as part of the FIAT Alternate Routes campaign, and a version of it is airing through the end of the month. It's a story about the love of music...and

World AIDS Day: Access To Testing In Atlanta for Youth & Women - An Experiment (Part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 10:34:12 PST

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World AIDS Day: Access To Testing In Atlanta for Youth & Women - An Experiment (Part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 14:04:03 PST

Complicated: The Occupy Movement, Folks of Color, and Bad Checks

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 12:42:38 PST

Source: Euronews.net Dr. King taught us about cashing checks. Sooner or later, everyone's bill comes due...on Front Street (or Wall Street). In case any of us had forgotten, recent years have served as a strong reminder that hard times bring out the truth in just about anyone. The highest - and lowest representations of the nation's character have been on display in ways that are often

Visions of a Heavenly TED Conference: Remembering Shuttlesworth, Bell, and Jobs

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 08:58:56 PDT

Occasionally, I think the Universe is planning some mega project and calls people back to make it happen. Back in 2003, when we lost Gregory Hines, Nell Carter, Barry White, and other musical and theatre luminaries in such a short span, I was sure it was a Broadway musical or something that God was putting on. I imagined the earth-sharttering encores. Today, I envision a heavenly TED

Saheela Ibraheem: A Lesson in Possibilities for America's Kids

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:29:04 PDT

Photo Credit: MadameNoire.com While I haven't been posting lately, I have been thinking a great deal about education, what the community's role has to be in our (often) unspoken promise to nurture young minds for the future, and what it means to commit to that mission. In recent weeks, I came across the story of Saheela Ibraheem of Piscataway, New Jersey. At 15 years old, she has the

Remembering Elizabeth Edwards

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:33:08 PDT

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Haiti: As Big Media Pulls Out, Stories Still Need Telling

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:37:32 PST

There's been a great deal of concern over mainstream media's coverage of the recent earthquake in Haiti and its aftermath. From the blogosphere, to the alternative news circuits, to the average kitchen table, many folks were asking difficult questions about what was and wasn't showing up in television and radio broadcasts and in newspaper spreads."Racism", "sensationalism", and even "staging"

Mourning 3 Giants in the Haitian Women's Movement

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 04:00:05 PST

Sadly, three of the most critical leaders for women's rights in Haiti have been confirmed lost in the last week's earthquake.Myriam Merlet, founder of Enfofamn, was remembered on Democracy Now's January 19th broadcast, where Eve Ensler called her a "great feminist" and a "radical feminist". Merlet was the founder of Enfofamn, a media-driven organization for women's rights. She's known for her

Haiti's Aftershock: The Media, "Looting", and the Crime of Bad Journalism

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 12:50:19 PST

When news of this morning's aftershock in Haiti - which measured 6.1 on the Richter scale - broke this morning, hearts around the world sank. It happened at around 6AM, EST, when many folks were encamped for the night in streets , on park lawns, and wherever else they could rest. Many of us know that, "aftershock" or not, 6.1 is deadly magnitude, much more significant than a mere tremor. It's

Kid Prodigy Triple Majors at Morehouse - Blogger Reconsiders Her Life

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 04:36:00 PST

If you have a moment for a warm story, you may want to check out Stephen Stafford II, a 13-year-old budding scientist and Morehouse student who has apparently been flooring his professors for some time now. Not surprisingly, Stephen is a product of rigorous home-schooling. His main teacher - mom, is interviewed in the piece, as is his father, Stafford, Sr.Nothing like parental units/guardians

Immortal Technique & Afghani Orphans Project featured on "The World"

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:00:02 PST

Okay, family. I'm guessing that at least some of you are music fans and that the rest of you may know that I am an obsessive Public Radio listener. You'll indulge me in my sharing, then.Immortal Technique, the Peruvian born free-agent rapper and political activist whose “government name” is Felipe Andres Coronel, was recently featured on Public Radio International’s “The World”as the Global Hit

Farewell To Teddy Pendergrass - The Love We Lost

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 22:51:34 PST

Soul Legend Teddy Pendergrass has died, according to ABC News. Reportedly, he suffered from complications related to a recent operation on his colon. He was 59.For many of us, “Teddy P.” has lived as an elusive legend on earth for much of our lives. We heard of his storied greatness from the old folks who had laughed, loved, danced, and made babies to his music. We held our breath with our

Haiti: What We Should Know Now (but aren't being told by mainstream media)

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:53:33 PST

For many, the earth is still shaking.Sites like 99Problems.org have posted the videos and images that continue to tell the harrowing story of the earthquake that hit Haiti late yesterday afternoon.Tragic facts continued to emerge throughout the night, as aftershocks and news of death and destruction rocked Port-au-Prince and surrounding areas. Hundreds have been confirmed dead, but there are

Thoughts, Prayers are with Haiti as News of the Earthquake Pours In

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 18:29:35 PST

Many of us have been terribly saddened by the news of a massive earthquake in Haiti. The severe quake hit Haiti shortly before 5:00PM, hitting 7.3 on the richter scale and causing a hospital in the Port-au-Prince district to collapse. Santo Domingo, in the neighboring Dominican Republic, has also been affected. Tsunami watches remain in effect. According to the (UK)Telegraph, thousands may be

Anniversaries, The Certain & The Hoped For: Remembering the Barack Obama Block Party

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:03:29 PST

A little over a year ago today, America cast ballots in one of the most significant elections in the history of our nation.(No, I didn't steal that from a corny late-night television documentary. And anyway, you can't prove I did.)Last year this time, the country was tingling with the heady reality of the election of now President Barack Obama. In that moment, we probably became more America

In Remembrance: Little Michael Jackson

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:15:18 PDT

----------"When I/ Had You/I Treated You Ba-a-a-a-a-adBut Since/ You've Been Away/Don't You Know I Sit AroundWith My Head Hanging DownAnd I WonderWho's Loving You?"----------I buried my Michael Jackson years ago.But today, I can't help mourning again the special little boy who lit up a world of possibilities for a generation learning to believe.He was a little dream boy. The powerful,

To Believe in America

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Sat, 30 May 2009 21:00:55 PDT

____________"My Weekly Say"____________We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.-- Declaration of IndependenceMarriage Equality. Affordable Housing and Equal Citizenship for Katrina survivors. Equal Justice under the law – and

To Believe in America, PART 2

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:35:08 PDT

_____________"My Weekly Say" _____________Hard week to believe in America, folks. And yet some people still do.Omar Edwards did. The African-American police officer, 25, joined the New York Police Department two years ago. On Thursday night, he was working as a plain-clothes patrolman. He was in pursuit of a suspected car thief, gun drawn, when Andrew Dunton, a white officer, took him for a

Malcolm X and Lorraine Hansberry: May 19th, Birthdays, and Truth-telling

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Thu, 21 May 2009 20:22:33 PDT

-----------------------"My Weekly Say" -----------------------“Time is on the side of the oppressed today; it's against the oppressor. Truth is on the side of the oppressed today; it's against the oppressor. You don't need anything else.”– El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz, Malcolm X.“If by some miracle women should not ever utter a single protest against their condition there would still exist among men

Malcolm X and Lorraine Hansberry: May 19th, Birthdays, and Truth-telling, PART 2

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Tue, 26 May 2009 13:59:47 PDT

-----------------------"My Weekly Say"-----------------------It was that unshakable commitment to the truth that led both to risk every fathomable comfort, despite seemingly overwhelming consequences and the danger to their livelihood and safety.It's a testament to their integrity, and to an uncanny similarity of spirit.There remain conflicting theories, but many argue that Malcolm X risked his

Barack Obama's Inauguration & America's Phoenix Moment

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 07:27:17 PST

I just realized it.I'm witnessing America's Phoenix Moment.As it happens, that Bald Eagle's a peculiar bird, indeed.It's an odd thing to wake up and realize you had your country wrong all along. I'd become quite accustomed to the notion of a cynical, divided nation too far gone to enjoy the innocent, unifying revelry that's characterized the national experience in recent days. I thought I knew

Barack Obama's Cabinet & Odetta's Legacy

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 21:07:11 PST

Barack Obama is President-Elect of the United States of America.I don't know about you, but I was so excited I threw a digital "Barack Obama Block Party". Yes, I did. Check out the new podcast and let me know what you think.A nation has leapt a hurdle - reaching a new plateau in our history. Young people, baby-boomers of all stripes, people of color, and various communities came together in an

Jennifer Hudson: Our Hopes, Our Prayers, Her Healing

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:32:05 PDT

A promising star has lost her mother and brother. And somewhere, her nephew's waiting to be rescued and returned to his family.Celebrity provides no barrier to the pain of tragedy.And few of us have ever had to travel the difficult journey Jennifer Hudson now faces. We can only hold this woman and her family in our thoughts. If we are praying people, we can whisper her name to our God.We can

Obama, "Big Mama", & The NYT

noreply@blogger.com (--------) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 11:21:28 PDT

Sen. Barack Obama rushed to grandmother Madelyn Dunham's side Thursday.The same day, the New York Times issued an endorsement in his favor.This marks the third in a sweep of the country's most influential papers. The Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune officially backed the candidate last week.In the same news cycle, some pundits have suggested Obama risks political peril by choosing