I have not spoken on the Trayvon Martin story because there is enough out there in the media.  However, I had to post this song.  The artist is Jasiri X.

Please listen intently.

Chit Chat with the Editor

Several readers have posed the question as to why the information about slavery or racial discrimination, and etc are being put on this website.  Some feel that it is just being used to incite racial tensions, or to promote hate and division.

As the editor of 2sisters, it is my duty to set the record straight.  Our mission statement indicates that we do not promote racism, bigotry or hatred of any person or groups of people.  That said, I personally have different racial groups in my family, and I do not have hatred or any mal-feelings towards them.  So, let me be clear, the purpose of this blog and all of the information in it is to educate the black community.  Whether or not I have different races in my family does not take away from the fact that I am an Afro-American every day that I live.

Because there is an air of equality, the black community seems to be complacent.  The danger in complacency is that from that standpoint, people are easily manipulated and abused.  2sisters is standing in the gap alongside groups like the NAACP and NAN, to keep the issues of injustice that face the black community in the forefront, so that people do not just simply accept them as a norm.


Light and Life for all.


Editor
2sisterseoc.blogspot.com
Emily Edwards

"Booker's Place"

From DemocracyNow.org - In 1965, Booker Wright, an African-American waiter in Greenwood, Mississippi, dared to be interviewed by NBC about racism in America, a decision that forever changed his and his family's lives. He would later be beaten by police, and ultimately be murdered. Wright's story is told in the new documentary film, "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story," a collaboration between our two guests: co-producer, Yvette Johnson, Wright's grand-daughter; and director Raymond DeFelitta, whose father, Frank DeFelitta, originally filmed the interview with Wright and later said he regretted it. 

Cling to Your Own Peace in all the Noise

The NAACP National Conference is being held in Houston, Texas this year, and is still going on as I write.  During the Keynote Address by Chairman-Roslyn M. Brock, she stated, ever so eloquently that,

"Today, the enemies of justice are not lynching African-Americans and 

practicing Jim Crow laws of segregation.  They are more sophisticated.  But 

they are equally sinister.  They are erecting barriers to economic viability, 

educational quality, health care accessibility, judicial equity, and political 

opportunity.  The opponents of justice are more refined, but they are equally 

threatening".

Chairman Brock's Keynote address mirrors the sentiment of the 2sisters blog, overall.  I would not be surprised if I wrote the above statement myself, however, I am going to shift gears today in an effort to inject more optimism and positivity into the community.

All too often we hear words and phrases that are meant to characterize and define the black community.  Some of these words are positive, but the majority are negative, and when repeated mercilessly throughout the media and popular culture, it becomes hard to differentiate between fiction and reality.  The two points that I mean to tackle in this article are (1) the black community is made up of individuals, just like any other community, and (2) we are the ultimate masters of our own reality.

Like I stated above, the black community is made up of many individuals, and it is improper to not only use blanket statements to define a people, but it is also equally improper to personally accept and internalize such things.  With that said, it leads us to how we are in control of our reality.  It is so easy, these days, to begin to accept the things that have been said about African Americans.  With all the "noise" and confusion constantly churning around- and unfortunately within us, we have to have a zero.  A zero is a term I defined a few years ago that quite simply describes an inner peaceful sanctum within oneself, that if everything around us were to fall away or accumulate, for that matter, your zero would be that place where you pick yourself up from and start over again.  More specifically, a zero is a state of mind, which everyone should work to acquire, where you keep your own self definition.  Once you achieve this zero, life can still get you down, but you will always have a secret weapon that cannot ever be stripped from you.  In the face of adversity and discrimination, among other things, you will always have your dignity and personal peace once you define your own zero.  With it, you will be able to filter through the negative impact that society means to place on the African American individual, and you will know how to rise above the filth and grime of other people's negative views of you. You will be able to access this place of peace at any time, because ultimately you will have defined who you are, and no other outside definition or characaturization will be able to sway or penetrate the fortress of your psyche any longer.

Good Luck.

Spotlight: Black owned Business

It's summertime again, and it's hot!  What better way to cool down than to enjoy some yummy ice cream made by a local black owned business?   Hank's Ice Cream Parlor, located at 9291 South Main, Houston TX 77025 , has been around since 1985.  Though the owner, Hank Wiggins, sadly passed away on New Year's eve 2011, the ice cream parlor is still serving up delicious treats!  So, get out to Hank's Ice Cream Parlor, enjoy some yummy ice cream, and give yourself a pat on the back for helping to support our black owned businesses!!

Did you hear about Kenneth Chamberlain?

Most likely, you have not heard about Kenneth Chamberlain.  So, just who was Kenneth Chamberlain, and why is he important?  Kenneth Chamberlain was a 68-year old African American Marine Veteran who was harassed and later shot dead in his home by a White Plains, New York police officer in November 2011.

The incident began to unfold after Chamberlain's LifeAid medical alert pendant accidentally went off in the early morning of November 19th.  LifeAid had a two way speaker box installed in Chamberlain's apartment, and attempted to speak with him regarding the alert that morning.  When the LifeAid company received no response, they contacted the local police department and had a squad car sent over to check on the heart patient.

When the police arrived, Chamberlain came to the door (but refused to open it because he was not dressed) and let the officer know that everything was okay, and that the pendant went off by mistake.  The officer demanded that Chamberlain open his door because he heard suspicious noises coming from inside, and thought someone else was there and in distress.  Chamberlain repeatedly refused to open the door, so the officer called for backup.

The whole scenario unfolded while Mr. Chamberlain spoke with the LifeAid operator, who could also hear everything that was going on in the apartment.  Chamberlain told the LifeAid operator that police were banging on his door, that he had not called the police, and that he was not opening his door because he was alright and had no reason to speak to them.  The operator eventually contacted the police department to let them know that Chamberlain was in fact alright, and that it was a mistake that they were called.  The police responded by letting LifeAid know that they did not need them to interfere, and that they were handling the situation on their end.  The full transcript of the event can be found here.

Eventually a number of officers broke down Chamberlain's door, and found him in his boxers holding a knife,  afraid for his life, and wondering why the police would not leave him alone.  One police officer is recorded on the LifeAid tape telling Mr. Chamberlain "I don't give a Fuck, Nigger!" in response to Chamberlain repeatedly letting them know that he was okay and they should leave.  After shooting him with bean bags, tasing him, and finally shooting him, Kenneth Chamberlain lay shot dead in his own apartment.

This unnecessary death occurred in 2011, though not many people knew about it since it was not reported through mainstream media outlets.  The reason that this story has made the spotlight issues on 2sisters is to make people aware of the blatant disrespect this man endured, the racial slurs that were hurled at him, and the treatment he received based on the color of his skin.

If we do not stand up for each other, these types of incidences will continue to occur because there is little respect for the lives of African Americans, and especially African American males.

Chamberlain's family has filed a $21 million civil rights suit against the city of White Plains, New York and it's police department.