196 Search results for "healing"

Rhythm, Community, and the Power of Drum Circles
There is something both fascinating and spectacular about rhythm. We see the manifestations of this in the most simplistic everyday activities. If we observe the movement of ocean water crashing up against a sandy shore, the steady lullaby of car engines putting children to sleep in backseats, or even just a heartbeat– embodied in all […]
October is Breast Cancer Awareness and Domestic Violence Awareness: But Are We Truly Aware of Both??
So, I am sitting here trying to understand why during the month of October Breast Cancer Awareness gets more media attention and corporate sponsorship than Domestic Violence Awareness which is also remembered during the month of October. I know that most women have breast irrespective of their size, pigmentation, and function. And, I also know 1 […]
Powerful "I Will" Music Video Confronts HIV Stigma
Our community has a crisis on its hands. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rates of HIV infections amongst gay and bisexual African American men rose 48% between 2006-2009. And nobody seems to know why. According to the CDC, potential reasons for the continued increase in HIV infections amongst black gay and […]
9/11 Ten Years Later: Mourning Injustice, Praying For Compassion
This weekend, mourn for the many lives lost on that day, and the many lights extinguished in the years that followed. But also mourn for the missed opportunities, misplaced anger and the many wasted years. And hope and pray for an awakening of compassion, justice and community that is now well-past due.
A Daughter’s Reflection on Sickness, Intimacy, and her Godmother
When I was a little black girl I would secretly pray to God, the Father, to become sick. You see, when I was sick my non-domestic black mother would cuddle me and become the “ideal mother.” She would busy herself with medicinal concoctions and Vick’s rub. Yes, my mother thought and continues to think; Vick’s […]
“Ooh, I’m gonna tell My Daddy what you did”: My Father my Imagined Black Superhero, The Black Texan
What happened this week that made me imagine my father a superhero: This week, I went to the doctor to check on my blood pressure. A couple of weeks ago it was a tad bit above the normal rate and so my doctor wanted to monitor it. So, I scheduled an appointment to come in […]
Stop Lying: The Truth About Jackie Robinson.
I know the NBA playoffs are in full swing, and Derrick Rose and the Bulls are annihilating the competition, but I just wanted to take a brief moment to talk about baseball. Before you yawn and press the little “x” in the top right hand corner of your window allow me to explain the importance […]
Fighting for "Cheese" in the "Cheese State": MLK And Organized Labor
Yesterday, as everyone commemorated the life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by critically examining and dissecting his last public speech, I reflected on the current state of affairs in this country and whether American racial and economic healing had been realized. Sadly the virulent rhetoric and scathing attacks aimed at Black, Brown, and […]
Give the Children Music: Inspiring Our Youth Through Hip Hop
Give the Children Music: Inspiring Our Youth Through Hip Hop Charles Howard, Huffington Post, February 26, 2011 During the month of February, cries of disappointment in our education system have been made by a number of Philadelphia youth. In one neighborhood, students staged a walk-out in an effort to get their voices heard over what […]
Such a Painful Black Girl Reunion: Oprah and Iyanla
As a middle school student, I remember reading Iyanla Vanzant’s One Day My Soul Just Opened Up and thinking who is this black woman to write such a book about spiritual recovery that did not mention Jesus Christ as the penultimate factor in spiritual rejuvenation. Yes, back then I was a burgeoning Christian fundamentalist who […]
An Early Valentine’s Day Post: I am My Father’s Daughter
Next week is Valentine’s Day. So, I thought I would write an early post about it from the perspective of someone (i.e. me) who deeply desires “soul abiding” relationships, but who struggles greatly in that regard. So, you know what is troubling for me is to look in the mirror and see myself becoming like […]
Dear Yemaja: A Year Later and Haiti Women Cry Out at Kanye West's Monster
Dear Yemaja (Lucumi/Santeria Mother Goddess), Last year, I wrote a blog entitled, Some Natural Disasters are not so Natural but Vodou (Spirit) will Prevail. Yes, I wrote that Spirit and Spirits would rise and rattle those who seek to indebt and control Haiti. I wrote that Haiti would rise. I wrote that Vodou—a spiritual and […]