By Jacques Fleury

The Haitian Firefly Speaks 

     The bells and whistles of Christmas are but a distant memory; the holiday dramatics are now over and a New Year has dawned upon us, perched like a proud and hopeful eagle, as we begin to make the often provisional promises to ourselves for the New Year. However, I know that I have made promises to myself in the past that I was unable to keep and I’m almost certain that you too will succumb to a similar fate. But I am not necessarily here to simply tell you that the building blocks of your New Year resolutions are doomed to collapse, I just want to emphasize some key strategies about how you can be more methodical and realistic about them; thus minimizing the possibility of failure and ensuring a grader degree of success.

     The faltering economy will most likely affect New Year resolutions in 2011. Surfeits of people fell victims to the unsteady economy and lost their jobs and homes. No one was impervious to the dark claws of economic scarcity. Even the Television show “Inside Edition” profiled a lawyer who went from litigating in the courtroom to cleaning the bathroom by taking a job as a housekeeper; proving that—as I’ve always known—anyone can succumb to hardship and essentially become jobless and/or homeless at any given time no matter what their circumstances.

     December 21^st marked the National Homeless Persons’ Memorial Day, a fact that I just recently became aware of and which I’m certain that most people don’t even know about. I long for the day when we won’t need a day set aside to commemorate the homeless because they’ll all be housed. Nevertheless, there is good news about homelessness in Massachusetts. During the 31^st Annual Homeless Census on Dec. 6^th, Jim Greene, director of the city’s Emergency Shelter Commission went around town counting the city’s homeless. “City and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) figures released on [Dec. 21^st] show a 30 percent decrease in homelessness in the past five years,” writes Justin A. Rice of the Boston Metro. He goes on to say that, “The number of chronically homeless people has decreased 25 percent, which officials attribute to the city’s…efforts to permanently house the homeless.” Hence for those that are still homeless, their New Year resolution will probably be to become permanently housed and to them I say I find that prayer and perseverance is the cure to all barriers, so keep pushing through until

     Another omnipresent New Year resolution that can be equally as pressing for some as the homeless finding housing is: losing weight. Most of you probably have this at the top of your list. I know I do. For those of us who are overweight, reaching this goal may mean more than mere words can express. I mean, who wouldn’t like to get rid of those love handles that we find not so “lovable” anymore because they are waging a war against our waist lines and yes to some extent, our love lives as well. Our weight can be perceived as the factor getting in the way of us feeling good about our bodies and more importantly about ourselves as individuals. Our fat can be perceived as eroding our self confidence and staining our auras. So what are we doing wrong when it comes to achieving this seemingly realistic goal to lose weight? The answer is that we are often not realistic about the way we go about reaching this goal.

     “ A resolution is a false promise we make to ourselves once a year to make ourselves feel less guilty about how we’ve managed our health...finances…relationships and so forth,” declares Dr. Sanford Siegal, D.O., M.D., best known for the internationally popular Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet Weight Loss System. He goes on the point out three reasons why weight loss resolutions fail: “1) their goals are [often] unattainable (any diet that claims that you can lose more than twelve pounds per month should be avoided); 2)   they are simply too hungry to stick to their diet and; 3) the diet they’ve chosen produces such slow weight loss that they lose their motivation/”

     “Rather than harnessing yourself with a laundry list of bad habits, choose just one [goal] that you truly  want to achieve in this lifetime and focus all of your attention on the one [goal],” according to Kim Simpson in an article on the internet entitled: “69 Do’s and Don’ts for Successful New Year Resolutions.” We often have a goal without a plan as to how we are going to pragmatically achieve this goal. My suggestion is this: first decide how much weight you want to lose and how much allotted time you hope to reach it by. Then decide what you are willing to do during that time to make your goal accessible. For example, for me, I know that I have set a goal for myself to lose 10 pounds in one month. I have set a plan to work out at least three times a week, replace breakfast and lunch with a meal replacement drink and a sensible dinner no later than 7 p.m. in the evening. Typically, you should eat three hours before you have to go to bed. I’ve also decided to go for a walk after dinner to burn calories and tire myself so that I can get a good night’s sleep and have my metabolism high enough to melt calories off my blossoming derriere while I sleep.  

     Here are three of the Do’s and three of the Don’ts from Simpson’s list in helping you keep your weight loss goals: I resolve to…1) make just one life altering resolution, not 10 major ones. 2) I resolve to…develop a plan that includes short and long term goals. 3) I resolve to…do it daily-one goal one day at a time foe one year. And now three of the Don’ts. 1) I resolve not to…procrastinate (get going now, today!) 2) I resolve not to…get overwhelmed, or discouraged by setbacks. 3) I resolve not to…grow weary, bored or burned out.  But exercise and diet are simply not enough.

     Most of us who are overweight start out by hating our bodies but yet expect it to corporate with us when we try to lose weight. Well I have news for you. It doesn’t work that way. Your body is keenly aware of your disgust and utter hatred for it. You won’t be able to trick it into thinking that you love it when you really don’t. Basically, you have no other choice but to make friends with your thunder thighs and love handles if you expect it to cooperate with your weight loss regimen. You must learn to love what you’ve got to start with before you can expect it to work cohesively with you on any level. I know that this may sound silly but try walking around naked in your home, hopefully when no one else is there if that makes you more comfortable. By doing this, you are learning to be comfortable naked. I know it will be difficult at first because I’ve done it and it took me a long time before I began to get comfortable myself. I believe by walking around naked, you are communicating to your body that you are not ashamed of it, that you love it just as it is right now. Soon, you will be able to be naked around your romantic partner without having to hide under the covers or turning off the light during sexual intimacy.

     The other “love ritual” I suggest that you do for your body is stand nude in front of a mirror and allow your eyes to explore every inch of your body. At first you will be tempted to look away and find fault in every crevice of your body, however, you must try to resist that urge and over time, you will become increasingly more comfortable with yourself. Fundamentally, my point is this: if you are unable to bestow upon yourself love and respect, how can you then expect someone else to give you something that you are either unwilling or unable to give to yourself? As Whitney Houston has sang many times over: “learning to love yourself is the greatest love of all.”

     So Stand in front of a mirror and proclaim to yourself “I am fabulous and lovable, thin or fat, housed or homeless!” Don’t fall prey to what the media and popular culture tell you what you should or should not look like or your value as a human being based on your socio-economic standing. Try to overcome your most ferocious critic of all time: yourself. A Happy New Year hopefully means a Happy New You!

Jacques Fleury’s book: “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at: www.lulu.com. 20% of proceeds will go to Haiti charity Partners in Health. For personal appearances or comments contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

By Jacques Fleury

 The Haitian Firefly Speaks

     Mental illness was once, and to some extent still is a taboo subject matter that most people feel uncomfortable talking about within familial or societal spheres. However, because of the superfluity of media coverage and cinematic portrayals of people afflicted with mental illness, it has gone from private whispers behind closed doors to public dialogues. However, the one issue that has not dissipated is the stigmatization of persons afflicted with mental disorders, particularly marginalized groups like the poor and the homeless.

      “The word ‘stigma’ comes from the Greek word ‘stizen’ which means to tattoo or to brand,” writes Adhikari Sr. , a psychiatry department lecturer in an article in Kathmandu University Medical Journal. He goes on to say that, “In ancient Greece, they branded …slaves or criminals so that others could identify them as less valued members of society.” I can most definitely identify with the whole idea of being “branded” and I’ll tell you why.

      I figure if I am going to write an article about mental illness and the whole idea of whether or not to seek treatment or disclose one’s diagnosis for fear of dire repercussions, I might as well start with myself. Because I want to help shed some light on this most sensitive subject matter and hopefully help someone else who maybe experiencing a similar fate, I am prepared to disclose to you, my readers, that I have been diagnosed with depression.

      As a Haitian and particularly a Haitian male, admitting to having any type of mental disorder is extremely taboo within the Haitian family and community. Admitting to having a mental disability is analogous to admitting to being afflicted with having a severe weakness as a human being, but particularly as a man and even more so a Haitian man. The notion of equating admitting to being mentally ill with being weak caused both my family and I to hide and ignore my depression for years. My mother recognized some of the signs due to depressive symptoms like oversleeping, overeating, irritability and anxiety for months at a time. Behaviors that ended up disrupting our entire family structure.  Another reason why my family kept me from seeking help was because of fear of what a formal diagnosis would entail; some of the many possibilities were fear that I may not be able to get into college, get a job, health insurance etc…But mostly, my mother feared that the rest of my family would be ashamed of me and therefore ostracize me. My mother claims that she was only trying to “protect” me from experiencing prejudice from narrow minded people.

      “Broadly speaking ‘stigma’ is a negative evaluation of a person tainted or discredited on the basis of attributes such as mental illness... drug misuse…[and] race…,” writes Adhikari.  My mother’s reasoning for keeping my mental illness a secret was because she felt that the odds were already stacked against me for being a young Black male, why make life even harder by professing my debilitating mental health status? My mother’s fears of me being “labeled” with mental illness of course have validity. Even I find myself judging others based on their disclosure of having a mental illness. Of course I don’t do it intentionally; it’s more like a visceral reaction than anything else. Once I know of someone else’s mental incapacity, my reactive brain begins to immediately wonder about how “crazy”, dangerous or unpredictable that person’s behavior maybe. When I catch myself doing that, I think to myself: “Hey, you too have mental illness. Would you want someone thinking these thoughts about you?”

      “Labeling theory proponents and the theory’s critics have different views on stigma and thus differ on the consequences of labeling for people with mental illnesses,” says Sarah Rosenfield of Rutgers University in an article in the American Sociological Review. She goes on to say that, “The labeling perspective posits that because of stigma, official labeling through treatment contact has negative consequences for mental patients.” This ideology reflects that of my mother’s concerns about me being “labeled” with depression due to her fears of societal and personal repercussions; like being turned down for a job or being rejected by a potential intimate partner upon disclosure.

      “In contrast, critics of the labeling theory claim that stigma is relatively inconsequential. Instead they argue that because labeling results in receiving needed services, it provides significant benefits for mental patients,” says Rosenfield.  She elaborates that, “Labeling theorists examine that mental illness as a form of deviance: the label rather than the behavior per se shapes the fate of mentally ill persons…by compromising the life chances of those so labeled.” For example in my instance, once I was officially diagnosed or “labeled”, I immediately began to think of my limitations and perceived disabilities. I started to think that I was going to have to contend with the fact that I may never be able to fulfill my dream of becoming a published writer. Well, as it turned out, my fears were unfounded since I have published my first book Sparks in the Dark and currently working on my second. I was able to achieve success principally because of my family’s steadfast support, namely my mother. As I navigated in and out of hospital psychiatric wards, the fire that once burned bright in me began to die and I was ready to surrender to my depression and be content to just be “mentally ill” and all that it encompasses. But my mother repudiated the whole idea of me giving up and she—through love, patience and understanding—encouraged me obtain my college degree in Liberal Arts and publish my first book; which in turn allowed me the opportunity to be a featured author at Harvard University, North Eastern University among many others. However, I am glaringly aware of the sad fact that not many people are as lucky as me in receiving that kind of support. Many with mental illness, particularly the homeless, are abandoned or neglected by their families and ultimately by society at large. Many have duel diagnoses in the form of mental illness and a substance abuse problem.

      “One of the tragic consequences of stigma is the possibility that it engenders a significant loss of self-esteem—specifically that the stigma of mental illness leads to a substantial proportion of people who develop such illnesses to conclude that they are failures or that they have little to be proud of,” says Bruce G. Link, Ph.D, et al. of the American Psychiatry Association. As was the case—and still is to some extent—for me. I can’t disregard the fact that sometimes during depressive periods; I feel “less then” those without a mental illness.

     Today, I am learning to differentiate between what’s real and what I perceive to be real. When I’m not in a depressive state, I don’t feel like a failure. I know that when I do feel like a failure, it’s my sick mind telling me that I am, while my healthy mind tells me that I’m not; when I am functioning normally. Link goes on to say that, “According to the stigma theory…people develop conceptions of mental illness early in life from family lore, personal experiences, peer relations and the media’s portrayal of people with mental illnesses.” How many times have you heard someone in your family or circle of friends talk negatively about those afflicted with mental illness, maybe even refer to them as “crazy people?” How many times have you found yourself perpetuating the same act in spite of the fact that you may or may not have a mental illness yourself? How many times have you seen the news featuring a sensational story about a person with mental illness committing a violent act; which results in inducing fear in the general public?

      Those afflicted with mental illness are not always easily identifiable—at least on the prima facie level—or based on aberrant behavior. It may help to point out that very famous people, like Janet Jackson, Robin Williams and Roseanne Barr have mental illness, but you wouldn’t know it just by looking at them. And according to a Duke University study, 49% percent of U.S. Presidents suffered from mental illness and substance abuse; namely Richard Nixon’s alcohol abuse, Calvin Coolidge’s hypochondria, Ulysses S. Grant and Thomas Jefferson’s social phobia. However, mental illness did not keep them from living a fruitful life filled with joy, dignity and accomplishments and so why should it impair you or me for that matter?

      So, how far have we come when it comes to mental illness and stigma? I suppose that depends on you and your thoughts and reactions regarding yourself as a person living with mental illness and/or the next time you encounter a mentally ill person; whether your assessment of them will be based on their perceived disabilities stemming from stereotypes or stigma or their actual realities based on their abilities, accomplishments and capacity to live a fulfilling and dignified life in spite of their mental illnesses.

 Jacques Fleury is a Poet, Author and Columnist; his book “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at: www.lulu.com. 20% of proceeds will go to Haiti charity Partners in Health. For personal appearances or comments contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.

By Jacques Fleury

The Haitian Firefly Speaks

     In an article by Mema Ayi and Demetrius Patterson from the Chicago Defender, they wrote that “actor Morgan Freeman created a small firestorm…when he told Mike Wallace of 60 Minutes that he finds Black History Month (BHM) ridiculous.” Freeman goes on to say that “Americans perpetrate racism by relegating Black history to just one month when Black history is American history.”

     As you can clearly see, a month dedicated to Black history continues to stir controversy. The point of the matter is we can’t continue to ignore the fact that—although we have made progress towards racial unity—we still have ways to go towards racial, harmony,  understanding and tolerance if not acceptance.

     Scholars and historians such as Conrad Worrill, chairman of the National Black United Front repulses the commercialization of the celebration, stated Ayi and Patterson. However, they go on to say that “but [Worrill] agree that Black Americans still need February and everyday to reflect on the accomplishments of Black Americans who contributed countless inventions and innovations into society.”

     It was in 1926 when Carter G. Woodson created Negro History Week. Now all these years later has evolved into Black History Month. But why do we still need—even in 2010—a month set aside to recognize Black history in this country? Perhaps you can look within your hearts for that answer. Negro History Week morphed into Black History Month in 1976, when African Americans developed a renewed interest in their ancestral history primarily as a result of Alex Haley’s revolutionary miniseries “Roots.”

     Radio personality Cliff Kelley offers an explanation as to why we need Black History Month. Loosely translated, he said that we need it because capricious historians conveniently leave out certain parts of history that does not corroborate their version of history, which I think consist mostly of dead White men. Blacks are virtually removed from it to substantiate the White historical agenda. Plenty of Black youths do not know their history. Most of them think that their history begins and ends with slavery, wrote Patterson and Ayi.

     State Representative David Miller (D- Calumet City) asserted that Freeman was right in saying that Black history should be a year round thing. “We’ve shaped America,” he said. And that Black History Month should serve as a reminder of our legacy. The recently deceased Howard Zinn wrote in his book A People’s History of the United States, “There is not a country in world history in which racism has been more important than the United States.” He poses the question “Is is possible for Blacks and Whites to live together without hatred?”  And when it comes to the evolution of racism he had this to say, “…slavery developed into a regular institution of the normal labor relations of Blacks and Whites in the New World. With it developed that special racial feeling—whether hatred or contempt or pity or patronization—that accompanied the inferior position of Blacks in America… that combination of inferior status and derogatory thought we call racism.” He goes on to say that “The point is the elements of this web are historical, not ‘natural.’ This does not mean that they are easily disentangled or dismantled. It only means that there is a possibility for something else, under historical conditions not yet realized.”

     In an article in The Phoenix titled “Is There Hope in Hollywood? Three controversial films tackle race in The Age of Obama,” Peter Keough extrapolates the medium of films are making an effort to bridge the race gap by portraying Blacks as heads of state—in movies like Transformers 2, 2012 and Invictus—although the contexts in which a Black man becomes President is often marred by catastrophe in which case the White leader is killed. Or Blacks are still being portrayed in glaring stereotypical roles as in Precious, with racist clichés like when Precious steals and eats an entire box of fried chicken. The undercurrent of racism is evident even from well meaning Whites like Joe Biden, when he opposed Obama for President.  Biden declared that “[Obama] is the first mainstream African-American who is articulate, and bright and clean and a nice looking guy” Similarly, another fellow democrat and senate majority leader Harry Reid in his book Game Change, said of Obama that America is ready for a Black President, particularly because he is “light skinned and speak with no Negro dialect.” This leads me to extrapolate that despite all that Blacks have contributed to the making of America, our contributions seemingly become extraneous compared to our prima facie colorful appearance. And I am compelled to recall what Dr. King Jr. so eloquently stated that Black people should be judged “by the contents of their character” and not their skin color.

     Many modern conveniences are directly related to or derivative of the inventions of Black inventors: blood banks, the refrigerator, the electric trolley, the dustpan, comb, brush, clothes dryer, lawn mower, traffic signals, the pen etc…Dr. Patricia Bath, in 1985, invented specialized tools and procedures for the removal of cataracts. And, on a less serious note, George Crum who invented the potato ship and Kenneth Dunkley who invented 3-D viewing glasses and holographs that we think are so “cool”` and enjoy so much.

I sought out some thoughts and comments from local community leaders and young activists on the issue of why we still need Black History Month.  I was inundated with a wealth of responses!

Dr. Carolyn L. Turk, an African-American woman and Deputy Superintendent of Cambridge Public Schools stated that “We have moved from celebrating Negro History Week to celebrating Black History  Month…these celebrations are…needed and should continue, but I am also a strong advocate for the contributions of African Americans to be recognized…throughout the year, across content areas and to be inclusive of local community history.  Knowledge of our past helps connect us to our present and provides hope …for the future…if we are to continue to build on the [legacies of those who came before us].

Bob Doolittle, a Caucasian youth pastor living in Cambridge said: “Black History Month can and should take Martin Luther King day and make it thirty days of celebrating how the right kind of force leaves a legacy of increasing enjoyment of one another by those who are different.”

Shani Fletcher, a bi-racial woman (African- American and Caucasian) of Teen Voices Magazine offered her thoughts… “Black History Month is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the African-American experience and the role of Black people in the history of the United States…  Quite literally, Black people built this country, and our communities’ contributions are a major part of its culture.”

Marla Marcum, a doctoral candidate at the Boston University School of Theology had this to say: “I can give you a concrete example of why Black History Month is vitally important: … This extremely bright young woman—a freshman at MIT—who graduated from one of the best high schools in Massachusetts upon finding out about Coretta Scott King’s death asked ‘Was she Martin Luther King’s sister?’  Are we content that this young woman (and so many others) has been taught something about Dr. King, yet she understands so little of his context that she learned nothing at all of his life?  Of course our education system should be integrating Black history into the broader curricula, but when it had not happened even in the best public school systems, I think we need to recognize the critical importance of continued attention to Black History Month.”

The fundamental nature of Black History Month based on these spectrum perspectives is to celebrate variety and inclusiveness of all people, build on the prophetic and heroic legacies of our ancestors who fought for our freedoms today, recognize that Black History Month is essentially American history despite racial diversity, acknowledge an honor the contributions of African-Americans to this country, advocate for change in our public school systems to include more Black history in their curricula. Dr. King once said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter” and that “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”    We need to bridge the interpersonal and inter-racial gap in a highly mechanized society so… “TAKE OFF YOUR HEAD PHONES AND CARE!!!”   

 The memory of history is often picky. BHM serves as a reminder of its often-colorless state of existence. So, do we still need Black History Month? The answer is a resounding “Yes!” As long as Blacks are portrayed as stereotypes in the movies, as long as Black contributions to the bastion that is America are marginalized or altogether ignored, as long as Black leaders like President Obama are seen as “acceptable” by Whites simply because he is light-skinned and speak without Negro dialect, Black History Month will continue to be necessary and indispensable.

Jacques Fleury is a Poet, Author and Writer; his book “Sparks in the Dark: A Lighter Shade of Blue, A Poetic Memoir” about life in Haiti & America was featured in the Boston Globe. Sample or buy the book at: www.lulu.com. .20% of proceeds will go to Haiti charity Partners in Health. For personal appearances or comments, contact Jacques at: haitianfirefly@gmail.com.