Saturday, October 31, 2009

"Good Hair:" Let It Speak for Itself

Chris Rock is apparently walking out on thin ice in some circles. From his daughter's pleadings to his research and interviews, and now to this documentary, he is pulling aside the veil of secrecy between some and others, but not so between others and others. Hair care is a multi-billion dollar industry in this country, for African Americans and for others of all genders and ethnicities. It's both humorous, engaging, moving, and informing.

On the white side, just look sometimes at the lengths that we men will go to do keep, replace, or make younger our hair, and that's just on the male side of the spectrum. I'll have to ask my wife about the female side of the equation.

In the meantime, I've watched and listened from the side lines the issues that Rock addresses in this documentary. It's been a learning experience, and it's time for all of us to learn more out of respect, decency, and all. Let me know what you think about this trailer and/or the documentary.

Saturday, October 24, 2009

Struck by Quotes from Merton and Cone

In my surfing through various pages of readings today, these two quotes stood out:

From Thomas Merton:

For me--the betrayal I have to look out for is that which would consist simply in attaching myself to a "cause" that happens to be operating at this time, and getting involved, and letting myself be carried along with it, simply making appropriate noises from time to time, at a distance. -- End of 1965, V.342-43 as cited in A Year with Thomas Merton: Daily Meditations from His Journals.

From James Cone:

Because Black Theology's Christology is based on the biblical portrayal of Jesus Christ and Jesus' past and present involvement in the struggle of oppressed peoples, it affirms that who Jesus Christ is for us today is connected with the divine future as disclosed in the liberation fight of the poor. When connected with the person of Jesus, hope is not an intellectual idea; rather, it is the praxis of freedom in the oppressed community. -- God of the Oppressed

Saturday, October 10, 2009

Nobel Peace, Present and Future

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Rapping for health