Post Racism? Yeah...Right

In the past week I've heard more than once that we live in a post racism society. I do understand how caucasians and other people of color condone this theory because of their ignorance of what’s going on in the black community. I've also concluded that African Americans who express the same opinion have either miraculously not experienced racism or choose to ignore it. Be that as it may, racism still exists here in America and all over the world.

On January 20, 2014 we officially celebrated Dr. Martin Luther King Jr's birthday, in all 50 states for only the 14th time. Although the observance campaign began in 1968,  the holiday was not signed  into law until Ronald Reagan did so in 1983. It was not officially observed in all 50 states however, until the year 2000. A black man who not only championed the struggle for civil rights in this country, but advocated the striving for human rights all over the globe Is denied equitable recognition with folks like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, for 32 years, because of the color of his skin. So when he’s nationally recognized in 2000, is this when post racism began?

Well if we’re going to be realistic, we must admit that it couldn’t have begun then because Donald Sterling, in 2014, has dispelled that notion with a publicized phone conversation that demonstrated, among other racist aversions, his loathing of the minorities occupying his rental properties. Was his being banned from the NBA the beginning of post racism? Hell to the naw, racism in today's world is as pervasive today as it was 50 years ago. 

There are 20 known white nationalist organizations in the United States,16 in Germany, 8 in Canada, 6 each in England and Russia, and others scattered all over the globe. Be they overt or covert, millions of Sterlings still exist and we continue to support institutions that allow them to flourish. So called minorities make up 30% of the population in this country and comprise 60% of the penal system. 

Let's face it, black folks spend more money than any other ethnic group and ever since Rodney Allen Rippy appeared in the 'Jack in the Box'  commercial in the early 70's the advertisement world has been inundated with black faces that coerce us into spending our income. The same principle applies to the movies, the recording industry, television, and sports venues. Not only because we spend more money but our presence in these industries draws more money. 

Black on black crime is spoken of in every setting, yet even the mention of white on white and white on black crime, practiced in this country since its inception in 1776, is virtually unheard of. We focused on the racism inherent in the Trayvon Martin case of 2014, yet we act like police detention and brutality administered to young black men has nothing to do with racial profiling.

I challenge every person who feels we are in a post racism period to go to any black neighborhood on this planet, and ask any black person if they’ve experienced racism in the year 2014, either overt, covert, or otherwise. I guarantee that at least 7 of 10 will say yes. If you don’t want to accept this challenge just give me a holla and I’ll give you brand new occurrences like the one with the young African American lady who swore up and down to me a couple of weeks ago that racism did not exist, and was recently confronted on the street by a middle-aged Caucasian who told her to go back to Africa. 

Racism is still alive and poppin ya’ll, and unless we each do our part, by speaking and acting in the truth that we are all equal, albeit some of us are in unequal circumstances, post racism will always be just a dream deferred.

I’ll holla…

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The Words We Speak

It has been said that Mother Teresa was once asked to participate in a war protest. As the story goes, she indicated that she chose not to support any event that dealt with the notion of war, but to holla back in the event of a peace rally. In his book ‘The Four Agreements’, Don Miguel Ruiz says that the first agreement i.e. ‘Be impeccable with your word’, is the most important one. I believe that Ruiz is well aware of the power inherent in our words and Mother Theresa as well.  For her the word Peace appeared to strike a positive chord while the word War seemed to be very disconcerting.

I’ve personally witnessed people, myself included, who have made positive affirmations and negative proclamations that have all become manifest in our lives. I am also totally convinced that the Grace of God holds what is called the first and final word. But by the same token, I do not believe that our Creator allows the words we speak to come back void. When put into the universe, be they positive or negative, our words are destined to come back, perhaps not in a manner that we would expect. but come back they will. 

Communicating well with each other is the key to our collaborative existence and choosing our words carefully is the basis for maintaining  loving and lasting relationships. The type of energy produced by the words we speak is of utmost importance. Negative speech generates negative energy, and conflicts, from personal to world-wide, are the inevitable result. On the other hand, positive communication is the only means for producing the energies of love, peace, and understanding.

Yes, our choice of words in our interaction with one another can make all the difference in the world. Using words like we rather than you and mistaken rather than wrong, are choices that can steer a conversation in a positive direction. During my addiction I used to constantly make choices that were not in the best interest of others, and my sponsor telling me that I was not a bad person trying to be good, but a sick person trying to get well has eradicated the self hatred and considerably diminished the blame I carried with me for so long. 

Let’s do this ya’ll. Let’s do our best to talk to others in a manner in which we would like to be addressed. Let’s commit to not making promises that we can’t keep, and appreciating the efforts of others whose intent is to do the same. In spite of what seems to be going on around us, the universe is a beautiful and wonderful place, and we are responsible for it’s continuous and miraculous unfolding. The power in a word is what causes events to take place, and ultimately our choice of words will determine how these events are made manifest.

I’ll holla…

To comment or respond, click on the word comments at the bottom of this page or email me at grace.calvin187@gmail.com.

What You Gon Do

When I was in the midst of my past bout with cancer, I felt like crying sometimes and I did, knowing that the tears would wash away the anguish. At other times the thoughts about poor ole me were replaced by what's going on with the folks younger than myself. Like the 70,000 adolescents and young adults who are being stricken with this disease every year. I was 64 years old and crying and these young people had not even experienced half the years of good living I'd been blessed to enjoy. Yet both these responses to my condition left me feeling that there must be something that leaves me with a greater sense of satisfaction and well being.

Had the opportunity to watch Richard Pryor's performance 'Live On The Sunset Strip' again, and he explained the circumstances prior to his catching on fire. He talked about how he became addicted to freebasing (smoking cocaine), and how it became virtually impossible for him to stop. Then he spoke of how football professional and activist Jim Brown came to his home, while he was freebasing, and asked a very pertinent question..."What you gon do?' Of course Richard had considered stopping because, when not in the act of freebasing, he was constantly being reminded of his extreme weight loss and his lack of concern for his endangered state of being. He refused to adequately address Jim Brown's question, by saying I'm going to continue doing what I do, and so it was answered for him...he literally got burned.

Whatever we're being confronted with, whatever we're going through, that question has to be answered by us or it will be answered for us, and usually in a manner that can be totally overwhelming. And you know what, that only means we have to deal with another more extreme confrontation that poses the exact same question...'What you gon do?'

I've already expressed that I've dealt with my personal bout with cancer and the answer to the aforementioned question, by first feeling sorry for myself and then focusing on the plight of those younger than me who are in  the same situation. However, I have since taken the stance that those particular responses to that nagging question leave something to be desired. I've decided to throw myself all the more into writing these blogs, finishing my book, and talking to more people, via the radio show, about how they deal with situations we are all faced with on a daily basis.

I know that we'll all be faced with more decision making circumstances from what to wear to where do we go from here. Blog or book writing may not even factor in but the question of 'What we gon do' will be answered, either now or later.  It is my contention that adherence to a spiritual condition that advocates honesty, open-mindedness, and willingness, and that promotes faith, hope, and LOVE will more than answer our questions. It will not merely show us  what we can do about now,  it will prepare us for all the 'What yo gon do's that lie on the horizon.

I'll holla.

To comment or respond click on the word comments at the bottom of this page or email me at grace.calvin187@gmail.com

CANCER FREE YA'LL

This experience with cancer is by far the most horrific encounter I've ever gone through in my entire life. Be that as it may, I've realized that it's only by the Grace of God that I'm able to view it as both a life altering lesson and a bountiful blessing.

After the biopsy and diagnosis in January, and having received the results of the first PET scan in early February, I could neither understand nor accept the finding that I had cancerous cells in my brain, 90% of my bone marrow, lymph nodes, lungs, liver, gastrointestinal tract, both kidneys, urinary bladder, and various other organs, bones and muscles throughout the body. Were it not for the  love and support of my family, the prayers of people, some of whom I didn't even know, and ultimately the Mercy and Grace of God I know that I could not have withstood the onslaught of fear,  anticipation of death, disgust, anger, guilt, and other negative responses that accompanied this overwhelming disclosure of my health condition. 

Now you already know that the first question I asked God was "Why", and I was somewhat surprised by the answer I received which was... "Because I Can and I Do Allow things like this to happen". The answer to my second question was also unexpected. "Why me" I asked and the answer was..."Because I love you and I Know that you can deal with whatever I Allow to Happen to you". However, the answer to the third question, "What am I supposed to do now", put everything in perspective. That answer was..."I Want you to share your experience with others." With that in mind, allow me  to share the gist of this experience with you.

After the initial pet scan of February 5th, with cancer cells present throughout my entire body, the second pet scan on March 17th showed cancer present only in the left chest wall. Then, about two weeks ago on May 5th, the third pet scan showed no cancer...nowhere. WHAT....ARE YOU SERIOUS...PRAISE GOD was the only response I could muster.

I still antagonize over what now and where do I go from here, but of one thing I'm sure...I have a purpose in life...I have a reason for being here. That reason and purpose being the same as it is for all of you and everybody and everything else that exists in this universe...to share the benefits of our experiences with others. 

The lesson I'm learning from this encounter with cancer is that at times I become rather lax and complacent in different areas of my life, and try and convince myself that I got it going on and that all is well. But I know in my heart of hearts that I can do better. This happens for all of us and it reaches a point where our Creator allows a wake up call to become manifest. For me, this last one seems a bit exaggerated, but then who am I to judge what and how much it takes to move me to the next level. As for the blessing(s), even though I'm still experiencing a lack of energy and other uncomfortable symptoms, I know it's due to the chemo and am so overjoyed that there's only one more treatment to go. The blood work results and my own body consciousness show that I'm physically healthier than I've been in 30 years. I have a brand new zest for life that surpasses any I've ever experienced, and now Thank God,  I know me...I'm finally aware of who I truly am. 

I love all of ya'll. I love what is happening in my life and I love being given the opportunity to share it with you. What I'm learning from all of this is that no matter what seemingly horrific thing might occur in our lives, we should take time out to listen to what's called that still small voice. Then we can tie a knot in the end of the proverbial rope and hold on, knowing that it's gonna get greater later.

I'l holla


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BACK IN THE SADDLE AGAIN

It's been a minute ya'll cause the trail has been so bumpy here of late, that it caused me to fall off my horse . Did a bit of soul searching while lying there on the ground though, and I decided to get up, dust myself off, get back on that horse and ride once more…not into the sunset mind you, but into the sunshine of the spirit.

Been experiencing a serious health challenge…yea the life and death kind, and I've found that perspectives change when one finds oneself in this type of situation. It's times like these when all we can think about is why me? I been good. What have I done to deserve this? I'm not ready to go yet…I certainly don't want to live like this but I definitely don't want to die. A change has come over me though and I'm so grateful that I remembered the WE. So grateful that I was able to remind myself that it ain't about you Calvin, it's about US…the ONES who LOVE YOU.  It's about your wife, your mother, your children, your grandchildren, your sisters, your brothers in law, your cousins, your aunts and uncles, your friends, the people you ain't heard from in twenty years, the people who are praying for you that you don't even know, and the CREATOR who is the author and sustainer of the WE of which you are well aware. Challenges will come and this one you must choose to view as an opportunity for growth rather than as a threat to your well being.

Hasn't been easy. One of the hardest hurdles for me has been my interaction with others. People have the best intent in mind but their words and actions don't always reflect that. However, it's been a blessing because every time somebody says or does something I find discomforting, all I have to do is remind myself that they are a reflection of me and are letting me know that I need to check my own interaction with others and make sure that what I do and say is from the heart and not the mind. Ain't easy but a must for me if I am to contribute to the WELLNESS of others. Got to keep trying to keep it simple, and remain aware that most of the time people do the best they can with what they have. It ain't personal and even if it is that's where they are right now, and right now...it's all they have. What I need to do, verbally and/or in silence, is to reciprocate with LOVE not vengence, judgement, and condemnation. Not easy, but simply put... LOVE IS…that's it that's all!!!

Just wanted to share that with you for now, but be assured that this is only the beginning of a brand new life. Yea it's now been quite a few lives in one lifetime for me, and I'm real excited about what's yet to come and extremely eager for the opportunities to share my experiences, hopes and dreams with you.

BE BLESSED...BE WELL and as always…I'll holla.






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Reason Season Lifetime

Might not mean much to some, but for the first time in my life I got a chance to fly first-class. The purpose of this particular flight, was to commemorate the life of my surrogate Dad, Adolph White, and it was a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the times he and I had spent together. My father transitioned in 1978, and my being 29 at the time I had not even considered the fact that I might need someone to fill the gap that I didn't even know would exist. Adolph was that person, the mentor who reignited my love for family, who instilled in me the importance of loyalty to friends, and who demonstrated how to support what one believed in through voluntary actions on the behalf of others. As I flew in complete comfort from Los Angeles to Chicago, I experienced an awakening that pointed out that the lifelong interaction, between Adolph and myself, was in and of itself a first class experience.

Adolph and I first met in October of 1986, at Hyde Park Hospital, where I was undergoing treatment for alcohol and drug addiction. Adolph would visit this hospital every Saturday morning to offer support and encouragement to the patients there. I took these visits personally. Having done drugs for 19 years and in a semi stupor at the time, I was quite apprehensive as to why this large, Italian man was coming to visit me. What was his angle. As time elapsed I found that Adolph had been helped through a similar life threatening situation, and that he was dedicated to giving back what had so freely been given to him. I also came to realize that Adolph was African American like myself, and as time went by I came to realize that racial make-up should not be a hindrance to accepting the genuine love that others are willing to share. A couple of weeks after our meeting for the first time, Adolph introduced me to a guy named Les and his wife Priscilla,  thus initiating a relationship that continues to this day, with two people who would later become my closest friends.

Beginning in 1986, Adolph, Les, and myself began meeting for breakfast every Saturday morning. The three of us met at least 49 Saturdays a year for 25 years, until I moved to California in 2011, with he and Les continuing that tradition for another year. At these meetings we discussed every issue from the smallest cause for concern to situations of monumental proportion. During these discourses, Les and I saw eye to eye probably 90% of the time. Adolph however, disputed the majority of our analytical dissertations because he of course forgot more than we'd ever know. We were nonetheless able to resolve the majority of the world's problems in a single sitting and, in addendum, by bantering with whom I consider two of the most intelligent men on the planet, I'm prepared to comfortably converse with anyone from the financially strapped man standing on the corner to the well to do matriarch residing in Buckingham Palace.

I'm going to miss Adolph's opinions, even though he deemed them to be facts. You see if you disagreed with what he thought, you were wrong and that was that. I'm going to miss the directives,  that he stressed were only suggestions, because for a long time his telling me what to do was the only way things were going to get done. Most of all I'm going to miss his love. Although he insisted that our relationship was not one of friendship, but of survivorship because we shared similar life-saving experiences, I know that only love could produce and maintain the lifelong camraderie that ensued. Had it not been for the love of one man for others he didn't even know, what we have now would  probably never have materialized.

I want to employ this time to thank Adolph's wife Beverly, his children Rennie, Rory, Julie, Jill, and Chris, and his grandson Scooter for allowing either Les or myself to come to your home every Saturday and spend time away with Adolph, usually at the restaurant that was ironically located around the corner from his sister Clarice's home. I want you to know that I sincerely appreciate your allowing Les and myself the numerous opportunities to spend quality time with someone who genuinely had only our best interest at heart. I honor each of you wholeheartedly, for giving us the unconditional love and respect that is not easy to come by in this sometimes harrowing experience we call life. Most of all I am forever grateful that collectively, we were all able to roll with the 'Big Guy' on what we can all appreciate as being a truly FIRST CLASS ride.

LOVE YOU ADOLPH….

I'll Holla…

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Would You Bring Some Of That Joy With You

I asked members of my family what event made them happy this year, and the answers ranged from a free ticket to a Bulls game to the birth of a child. Quite a stretch in terms of similarity but, relatively speaking, only the ones experiencing these events can gauge the degree of happiness they attained. What makes you happy might just make me cry, but I'd still like to know what rocks your boat cause maybe, just maybe, it could rock mine and somebody else's as well.

A great degree of my joy this year stemmed from hosting, for the past three months, the 'Do You Know' radio show broadcast on KUCI 88.9 FM in Irvine, CA. The intent of my show is to bring, to the listeners, bits of knowledge and information, that they might not have heard, from people they might not know. You see there are millions of people who would love to share their experience, strength, and hope with others and have no means, outside of social media such as Facebook, for doing so. The biggest joy that I experience from interviewing the ones who have appeared on my show, is the joy and gratitude that they exude from having had the opportunity to be on the show and to share their thoughts and feelings with others.

We are all the light of the world, and each of us can illuminate another's life just by sharing a small portion of our own. I have no idea how many hearts have been moved by the things that my guests have shared, but I do know that the universe has benefitted from the joyful vibrations that were emitted from their simple act of doing so.

I implore all of us to bring joy to others by sharing and caring. Don't ever feel that you have nothing to say because, in reference to what made my family happy, there are people everywhere who already have babies, who would love to get away to see a Bulls game for free, and who are happy just knowing that somebody else did. On the other hand there are people that look forward to having a child and are inspired and made hopeful by hearing that somebody else has experienced it. We can always bring joy by listening and learning. We should make conscious attempts to listen to what another has to say because we never know how much joy that person might derive from talking to somebody who really seems to care. On top of that we have no idea how much both of us can learn as a result of actually caring, even if it's just a smidgen, about what's being said.

Whether we shine our light by consciously sharing our lives with somebody else or by allowing another to share their life with us, darkness cannot prevail. Remember, we can't find joy cause it ain't lost. But when our light shines it's like morning ya'll, and from what I've been told…JOY does cometh in the morning.

I'll Holla…




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