Holiday Economic Support Initiative Part II---Winter Solstice/Xmas/Kwanzaa Edition

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

Brooklyn, Ny.--Wanting to work in conjunction with the #BlackLivesMatter Movement, as well as being inspired by the #Missing24 and the #BuyTheBlock Movements/cyber initiatives, author/activist Kevin Alberto Sabio wants to implore an economic call to action and justice.  During this holiday season of the Winter Solstice, Xmas, and Kwanzaa, as a way for us to combat these political acts of racism, white supremacy, and disrespect, let us tackle these issues on an economic front as well, as you are all respectfully requested to PLEASE spend your money...not with mega corporations and big box stores...but by supporting black-owned businesses, and with Black/Brown entrepreneurs (local, & otherwise).  Let us use our pocketbooks and wallets to politically speak for us, as you can get involved in the movement, and help to support it economically.  If you are not the type to be marching in the streets, then let your dollars do the talking for you.

Let us stand up against injustice, racism, hatred, and intolerance.  Let us choose NOT to financially support this system that oppresses us.  Let us divest from the current economic power structure, and invest/re-invest in our community businesses and local entrepreneurs.  Mr. Sabio would like to include his own literary works into this movement.

Mr. Sabio is independently published through various P.O.D. publishers, and his literary works are available in paperback format through his various publishers' website(s), and through online carriers such as Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and Books-a-Million.  His books are also available in eBook format, and are available through carriers such as Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iTunes, Page Foundry, Scribd, and 24Symbols.  Digital ARCs (Advance Review Copies) of his novels are available in PDF format for review purposes upon request.

KEVIN ALBERTO SABIO is an author and activist, born and raised in Brooklyn, NY.  He is the youngest child on Honduran Garifuna immigrant parents.  He is the founder of the Universal Africana Literary Arts Movement.  He is the author of SEVEN books of fiction and nonfiction.

Keep the fist raised,

 Kevin Alberto Sabio

Author/activist

www.brownblackfistchronicles.blogspot.com

www.facebook.com/AuthorKevinSabio

Brownblackfist.book@gmail.com

Supporting Akoma Day

One thing that I've always suggested was for Afro Latinos to embrace more African/Afrocentric cultural traditions and expressions.  This is one that I've come to learn about a few years ago, and is starting to pick up steam (at least from my perspective).  Akoma Day is an alternative to to St. Valentine's Day, and lasts five days, from February 14 to February 20.  They follow a certain set of principles and virtues that are mean to help build a strong relationship between two people engaged in the relationship.  It has a strong foundation in building, not only a strong relationship, but also a strong family bond.  You can equate it with Kwanzaa, as it follows the same guidelines.  I don't see this as a 'made up holiday', but something that we can make culturally relevant to our everyday lives.

The creators of the holiday have a website available that further explains the holiday, and has published literature about it to express their philosophy on how to build a strong relationship to, not only strengthen your marriage, but also to help build a strong community.  They have outlets and celebrations in several cities; you try to find one that is close to you, and attend one of their events.  Or, you can contact the founders/creators of the holiday, and coordinate and event right in your own city/state/region.

Happy Akoma Day!!!

www.akomahouseinitiative.com

 

S.P.I.C. (Spanish People In Control)--The Concept

The following is an excerpt from the essay/article titled "Word Power" of the Black Thoughts series.  The excerpt is followed by the song lyrics written in conjunction with the concept of the acronym.  The article/essay "Word Power" is included in both books.  The song lyrics are specifically listed in Book 2: MORE Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino.


"People understand very little the power of words...

I remember one incident in my youth, during my late teens/early twenties, when I was hanging out with some friends of mine (at the time) from high school, in which I was supposed to be forming a musical group with (they were the singers of the group, and I was to be the emcee).  We were having a conversation one time about group matters when one of my friends/groupmates replied in a jovial fashion, "I'm a Spic, and proud of it."  His response caused me to raise a surprised eyebrow at him, considering that I was the angry militant of the group.  In  response, he dared me to ask him why he would refer to himself in such a manner.  After a few seconds of contemplation, I bit.

"Okay...why are you proud to be a Spic?"

"...Because we're Spanish People In Control!  Get it?"

I have to admit that at the time I laughed at the response, thinking that it was on the clever side; taking a word of negative connotation, and turning it into a positive.  As the emcee of the group (and secondary song writer),  I had actually penned a few songs (two actually; the original song with rhyme verse, and rap remix) in response to this witty acronym, turning it into our political statement.  Since I was the radical of the group, I had always tried to express my political beliefs through my art, using it as a tool to 'edu-tain' the masses.  It's been many moons since I even thought about picking up the mic; it just wasn't in me to be an emcee.  It's been even longer since I had a falling out with my ex-groupmates/former friends to do the music thing, and revolutionize the music industry and the masses.  But...that particular memory has always stuck with me."

S.P.I.C. (Spanish People In Control)

Chorus:

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control

Verse 1: (Knowledge As Supreme)

Well, it's the K-A-S' rise, and I'm coming as no surprise,

And as I'm kickin' my flava, it's my theory you must surmise...

Teachin' you all with my political flow,

S-P-I-C, Spanish People In Control...

On the culture tip, give me respect for the props I'm earnin',

(Why...?) Cause I'm the Phunkee Honduran...

I'm a darker skinned brother, with the mad Latin flava,

Representin' my peoples, and kickin' issues that can save ya...

Born wit a street heart, down to be book smart,

Hope to be a leader that you read in your history csparts...

Learn from my knowledge, all the sermons that you hear me speak,

Speakin' and preachin', reachin' and teachin' truths you know you can't defeat...

We gotta hype ourselves, fuck these political groupies,

Cause they're always dissin' us, even in these wack ass movies...

We get played by Caucasians, we get portrayed like we're heathens,

We're always getting disrespected, no one's there when we need them...

We get blamed for the welfare, get blamed for the drug flow,

They disrespect our language and our culture as a whole...

We ain't all dealers, and ain't all alcoholics,

Don't try to label me, so son, back up off it...

You lied to us in school and tried to program our minds,

But then when you want somethin', you start to act kind...?

(Fuck it!) Latter for y'all, cause I'm livin' Latincentric,

Don't try to keep me down, don't think you can suppress it...

Word to my Phunkness, to the next flow,

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control!

Chorus: 2X

Verse 2: [verse omitted]

Chorus: 2X

Verse 3: (Knowledge As Supreme)

Talkin', movin', flowin', showin' this packed jam,

The speakin' and preachin' mental emcee is who I am...

P-H-U-N-K-Double E,

And at the end put 'Honduran' and you know that's me...

I dress in baggies, and I talk wit the street slang,

You know I'm straight up street, but not down wit the gang thing...

Mental correctness, selfless, testless, I'm also restless,

Not some fake-ass fool thinkin' I'm the bestest...

Stick wit my peeps cause there is no petty jealousy,

Fake being friends, and then you wanna challenge me...?

I don't think so, look for help from your savior,

Cause when you challenge K-A-S, that shit ends in failure...

I know where I'm from, so I'm gonna stay true,

Representin' my peoples, I gotta do what I must do...

S-P-I-C ain't a song, it's a given,

It's a way to represent, it's the way that we livin'...

They try to keepyou down, leave you all by you lone,

But if we stay correct, we can bring up our own...

Combine the strengths of the entire Latin nation,

We can work for our own, handle any situation...

Word to god, heed my word, hear what I'm sayin',

We gotta go for ours, you know I ain't playin'...

Not by buck wildin', bullets flyin', people dyin',

Ya gotta use ya brain when ya fightin'...

They play these fucked up games all the time with us,

Just take up a position, and get ready to bust...

We gotta watch our own, cause nobody else will,

We gotta do what we must, even have to get ill...

Me and my peoples, we all live like this,

And soon we gonna arise, and it's something you won't miss...

That's how we livin', here just to let you know,

S-P-I-C...Spanish People In Control!

Chorus: 3X

The remix to Spanish People In Control will be posted soon as a follow-up to this post.  For those interested in reading more of the article/essay "Word Power", or sampling other songs and poetry that I have written, please purchase a copy of Raise Your Brown Black Fist: The Political Shouts of an Angry Afro Latino, book one and two, at your local bookstore.

Solidarity and the Sexes: Does it Exist?

I've had some recent experiences that make me ask this question.  It's been bothering me for quite some time now....

I remember back a number of years ago, I'd have to say about five years, that I remember a particular experience that this situation reminds me of.  I was still living in NYC, working at a condo in Manhattan at the time.  I had just gotten off work, pulling one of my graveyard shifts that I worked at that time.  I wanted to enter one of my screenplays into one of the local Black film festivals; they were holding a screenplay competition with the rest of their festival.  I felt that my chances were good, and that the concept of the script was pretty strong.  I decide to make copies of it, and mail it out on my next free day.

I get home from work, change my clothes, and head to the local Staples that was close to the house where I was living.  Normally, I would try to go a a Black-owned business, but unfortunately, none of the local Black print shops made bound copies for bulk documents.  Anyway...I made it to Staples with my script in tow.  I waited on line so that I could be serviced.  Ahead of me, this young sista was being tended to by the Service Rep (also a sista) behind the desk.  Quite obviously, she was trying to apply for a job.  I patiently waited, watching the two women interact with each other.  It actually brought a smile out of me, being able to witness some sisterly solidarity among my people, especially when it comes to finding employment.  The Sales Rep was giving the young sista pointers, telling her the ins and outs of Staples' application process, even letting her know which stores that she should apply to because she knew first hand that they had vacancies open.

After a few minutes, they wrapped up their business, and the young sista left.  I step up in line, still smiling after watching their exchange, feeling proud to have witnessed my people working together in a positive manner.  The Rep turns to me, frowns, and responds with an attitude, "May I help you?!"

?????????

WTF?!?!?!?!

I had to pause.  That really caught me off guard.  I had stood there patiently, not making a nuisance of myself, not even becoming aggravated for having to wait.  I had even pulled out my script from my book bag, just so that I wouldn't waste anyone else's time who was also on line.  Considering that I had just finished being up all night, I wasn't in a crab ass mood.  Then this chick wants to hit me with an attitude...and for what?!

My response?  I slapped my script down on the counter (134 pages), and sternly replied, "Two copies...bound".

Obviously, she was shocked.  You can tell that she was embarrassed by my reaction. I wasn't there to hit on her, or beg for a job that she felt I probably didn't deserve.  I was there for business....period.  She got to work printing up the two copies of my script, asking me questions as to my needs, trying to make up for the way she initially treated me.  I wasn't having none of it.  I just gave her very direct, one-word answers.  She printed up my copies, bound them up, and handed them to me.  I paid for my copies, and was seriously ghost afterwards.

That's not the first time that I've had experiences like that.  I often hear women, especially sisters, complaining about the ill treatment that they receive from men in the street.  Of course, I hear a strange silence from them when men complain about ill treatment that they receive from women that was totally uncalled for.  If you weren't approached or treated in a disrespectful manner...then what the fuck is with the damn attitude?!?!?!

If we are unable to get along with each other, then our people are doomed.  If brothers and sisters can't cordially interact with each other, then we will cease to exist as a people in a few short years.  It's bad enough that we have to deal with the Black-on-Black violence that's pervasive in our communities; when the sexes can't even get along with each other, we'll NEVER be able to move forward as a people.

Even out here in Baltimore, I get annoyed when I'm walking into a business, and the sisters that work there act like they can't even speak to you.  Of course, that could also mean that the young people here just have piss poor customer service skills, but that's another matter for another day.

What say you all?