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Julián Castro Ends 2020 Bid by Listing Names of People of Color Killed by Police

THIS is why I’m disappointed that Castro is dropping out of the race.

From Truthout.org:

“I’ve determined that it simply isn’t our time,” Castro said in a campaign video. “Today, it’s with a heavy heart and profound gratitude that I will suspend my campaign for president.”

Castro did not say what he planned to do next but vowed that he was “not done fighting.”

“I’ll keep working towards a nation where everyone counts, a nation where everyone can get a good job, good health care and a decent place to live,” he said.

The video touted Castro “speaking up for the most vulnerable folks in this country” on the campaign trail.

“We’ve been fighting for those who are often left out, cast aside, marginalized,” he said in the video.

It also included a montage of Castro listing names of people of color who were killed by police or died in police custody, as he frequently did at debates and speeches.

Castro invoked Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, Aiyana Jones, Eric Garner, Laquan McDonald, Sandra Bland, Pamela Turner, Stephon Clark and Antonio Arce.

“They deserve justice, too,” he said. “No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter the color of your skin, you ought to be treated the same under our justice system. I’m the only candidate that’s put forward a plan on police reform.”

READ MORE HERE

Every New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro, millions of celebrants in Brazil mark festivities in the name of the sea goddess Iemanja.

But not many people know that she was taken to the New World by Yoruba slaves from Africa.

The celebrations on December 31 in Rio reportedly took in almost 3 million people, who danced, sang and chanted into the first day of 2020.

CGTN America reported that the celebration came at a whopping cost of $2.5 million to the state. But all of that money may be the right price for what the people came for.

Lucrecia Franco wrote,”…like many other Brazilian takes on celebrations, New Year’s Eve draws from its African roots. Drums, rituals of Candomblé and Umbanda, the two main Afro Brazilian religions.”

For worshippers in Afro-Brazilian religions, it is only fair that the water goddess Yemoja, or Iemanja, as they know it, is paid homage by the people in the country with the world’s famous beach culture.

Yemoja is a major deity or orisha, in the Yoruba pantheon of superbeings. She is the goddess of the sea and other waters.

READ MORE HERE

Petrodollar Warfare: The Common Thread Linking Venezuela and Iran

Iran has been calling the United States “The Great Satan” for a very long time. We have a short memory in the US, but the Iranians remember that we ENGINEERED the coup that removed the popular democratically elected prime minister Mohammed Mossadegh and installed the brutal dictatorship of the Shah.

They remember that we backed Iraq in the Iran/Iraq War, and we have been antagonistic since at least 1979 when the revolution captured our embassy.

The Iranian people, are actually pretty westernized. They are probably more sympathetic to us than they are to our government. But you don’t make friends by assassinating people.

War with Iran didn’t just happen overnight.

“The U.S. is able to dictate these econo-warfare policies through its disproportionate control of the world financial system. Iran has been sounding warnings about this strategy for some time and has been a vocal advocate of creating a new global financial system that will bypass U.S. control of the existing global financial system.

“Iran, though, is not the only country interested in such an arrangement. Russia, China, and Venezuela have all found themselves facing arbitrary economic penalties levied by the U.S. and have also taken steps to wean the world off the dollar and use alternative currencies to conduct business, a global trend that could seriously impact U.S. dominance over the world economy. But in order to understand where “King Dollar” is going, we have to understand where it came from.”

READ MORE HERE

Michigan State Fair Superstar 2019 Winner Ms. Carmen In The Studio

Wednesday – DAY THREE was a BIG DAY at the freshly renovated Rustbelt Studios with Michigan State Fair Superstar Ms. Carmen Diaz. Part of Ms. Carmen’s prize package includes recording an album with Grammy nominated producer/engineer/arranger Maurice “Pirahnahead” Herd, and we’ve been cranking ’em out! Today was live tracking with an all-star team of Detroit heavy hitters. Can’t wait for you all to hear this exciting record!

Ms. Carmen’s prize package also included music business consulting with Jill Jack of Dream Big Incorporated, Booking Consultation with 2 Stones Events, songwriting coaching and A&R assistance from Nadir Omowale and promotion and publicity as Michigan State Fair Superstar.

#SoulSymphony #MichiganStateFairSuperstar #MichiganMusic #PhilHale #Takashi #Matador #JayBrown

 

MusicTown Detroit Live Performance and Interview with Nadir Omowale

Nadir and the band performed live on “Behind The Mic with Pam Rossi” at MusicTown Detroit on Wednesday, October 30, 2019.

Song List
“Love Thang” (9:05)
“The Low Road” (22:16)
“The Right Kind of Crazy” (45:38)

Nadir Omowale – vocals & guitar
Alesha Brown – keyboards & vocals
Steve Caldwell – guitar & vocals
Lauren Johnson – drums & vocals
Christopher Spooner – bass & vocals
Simone Winter – vocals and dancing

Interview by Pam Rossi

Check out the full interview and performance here.

Detroit Free Press: Nadir Omowale and His Band a Must See at Arts, Beats and Eats 2019

Each year on Labor Day weekend, Royal Oak throws a huge block party that’s a treat for the eyes, taste buds and especially the ears. During the four days of Arts, Beats & Eats, which kicks off Friday, more than 200 musical performances will unfold on nine stages situated throughout downtown.

Though big-name acts like Third Eye Blind and the All-American Rejects will occupy the Michigan Lottery National Stage, much of the music at AB&E comes courtesy of made-in-Michigan acts like Stone Clover, Escaping Pavement and Jennifer Westwood & the Handsome Devils. Here’s a look at a terrific 10 local acts worthy of your time and consideration this weekend.

“Nadir Omowale is a songwriter, guitarist, producer (and more), who leads a high-energy ensemble that channels the unhinged party vibe of Funkadelic, samples the showmanship and virtuosity of Prince and then accelerates it all with a rock ‘n’ roll engine. The artist and his band, winners of multiple Detroit Music Awards, have garnered reviews that name-check Jimi Hendrix and Sly and the Family Stone as comparative reference points.”  

Friday, August 30, 2019
Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats & Eats
5:30 p.m., Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort Rock Stage

Read More HERE

 

Always Business… Never Personal

Jay Z is, first and foremost, a capitalist. He’s a business, man.

And as such, his social justice maneuvers are cloaked with the cape of Black capitalism.

Kaep was always a lone man standing on an island. The boycotts surrounding his unemployment only had teeth as long as no one crossed the picket line. Jay just crossed the picket line and stranded Kaep out on that island alone.

I picture Jay and Kaep playing out the scene from New Jack City…

Jay as Nino Brown: “It’s always business. Never personal.”

Kaep as G Money: “We all we got, man. Am I my brother’s keeper? AM I MY BROTHER’S KEEPER?”

Jay/Nino: “Yes. I. Am.” [Squeezes trigger]

Keynote Sisters EP Release – August 23 at 20 Front Street

I am so proud of these young ladies, and everything they have accomplished in the past year after winning the 2018 Michigan State Fair Superstar Competition. Jaclyn was in her senior year of high school while Phoebe was finishing up her senior year at Michigan State, but despite their hectic schedules, they were STILL professional and energetic, eager to learn, and always ready to do their best work! It was an honor to coach, mentor and co-produce their fantastic new EP, Rose Colored Glasses.

I can’t wait to see what new adventures await The Keynote Sisters in the years to come no matter what paths they choose as human beings and as artists. These two powerful women will be able to accomplish ANYTHING and EVERYTHING!Keynote Sisters EP Release

Sisters Phoebe and Jaclyn have been performing together since 2012, playing at festivals, private parties, listening rooms, restaurants and breweries in Michigan. The Keynote Sisters are known for their tight harmonies, accompanied by guitar, keyboard and cajon. Their repertoire consists of an acoustic variety including country, pop, oldies and classics. Their first CD of covers, Come What May, was recorded in 2016 and all proceeds from sales were donated to the Cure Alzheimer’s Fund. The Keynote Sisters are avid songwriters and will be releasing their first EP of all original music, Rose Colored Glasses, on August 23, 2019.

Phoebe is a graduate from Michigan State University with plans of continuing her schooling to become a physician assistant. She is also a certified emergency medical technician, splitting her time between medicine and music. Phoebe began learning classical guitar at age 6 and has been playing ever since.

Jaclyn is working towards her BFA in Musical Theatre with a concentration in dance. She started singing at age 4, adding piano at 8 and cajon at 10. Jaclyn splits her time between Chicago and Detroit, pursuing both her musical and Broadway dreams.

Are we going to go through the entire list?

NEWSFLASH: This is the United States of America. EVERY SINGLE ONE of your presidents has done SOMETHING racist in their life. Period.

That is the nation your forefathers built. How do I know? MY FOREFATHERS did the labor!

But sure, let’s go through the list. We have a couple whose records might be mostly clean. If John Adams wasn’t an out and out abolitionist, he was at least kind of against slavery. But even our man, Jimmy Carter, has certianly used some off color adjectives out in those Georgia peanut fields.

It’s the nature of the land. Hitler and South Africa LEARNED FROM THE U.S.! They are very clear about this.

To paraphrase something my friend, Steve Heath, said on the Book of Face recently, we grow up in an atmosphere of prejudice, hatred and animosity. How could we not all have prejudices? We are all at least a little bit racist (we can squabble and split hairs over the definition later).

In fact, we should stop calling people racist. We should just call out racist actions. Everyone denies being racist, and if you point out their racism, they will call you a racist. The word is almost meaningless these days.

Here’s the deal. The best way to stop racism is for each of us to recognize the prejudices we have within ourselves, and stop doing racist things. Stop discriminating.

Yes, we should call out racism when we see it. Call out all those dead and living presidents. But let’s please not pretend that we are surprised.

MSNBC: Lyndon Johnson Was a Civil Rights Hero But He Was Also a Racist

Too Much Life To Be Lived – Jane Asher’s Interview with Nadir Omowale on The Next Room

On The Next Room, Jane Asher takes you on a soulful journey to explore and embrace the bigger picture surrounding life on earth…and what follows. She speaks with authors, friends, transition specialists and other experts about death, dying, grieving, beliefs and cultural traditions surrounding this journey we all must ultimately take. So, what is next, after life on this plane?

Jane has Nadir Omowale on the Next Room to talk about the legacy we leave behind. How do we honor our loved ones principles once they transition? How do we uphold their memory at the same time do justice to the lessons they taught us? These topics and more with a man that doesn’t have time to stand still while we explore the Next Room!

Part 1: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN:
Part 2: CLICK HERE TO LISTEN 

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