Greg Hernandez‘ music career has taken him all over North America, I know because I have had the pleasure to travel with him, but it’s his work for the screen that most challenges him. Hernandez career in creating music scores began with an independent film, Lola’s Love Shack which is a comedy directed by Patrick Perez of Lux III Pictures. The score for this feature length film was co-written with fellow L.A. music veteran and Audio Engineer, Ibo Rodriguez. Hernandez states, “the project was fun because Ibo and I recruited a bunch of other L.A. musicians and it really had a communitarian feel. After this project, Esteban Zul, contributing writer on Lola’s Love Shack approached Hernandez about scoring MonkeyFunkles, another comedy in which Hernandez acted in as well! “That was a lot of fun, I don’t know if acting is my forte, like music, but I had a really good time!” Hernandez said. Find Greg’s Travel Series – Goyo On The Go here
Veggie Burrito’s to Dance For
For his most recent Score, Hernandez teams up with noted L.A. based Chef David Dickson. In Chipotle Marinated Veggie Burritos, Chef Dixon gives up some of his secrets to his award winning recipe! I haven’t tried to replicate Chef Dickson’s Burrito just yet but if the video is any indication, it’s gonna be a bomb full of taste in your mouth! Hernandez will also be working with Chef Dixon on a Black Eyed Peas Curry video slated for later in 2020.
The Good, the Bad and all That
Expressing the music, interpreting the narrative along with the visual is very appealing according to Hernandez. “Audio and music enhances the visual narrative” Hernandez states, “It is a great challenge writing a parallel piece of music for the listener to enjoy.” He adds, “Growing up as a kid I always had an ear for sound and I would gravitate towards the soundtrack / score which told the story for me. I admire Johnny Greenwood of Radio Head he scored, There will be Blood. Steven Copeland of The Police scored the Equalizer which left a deep impact on me. The legends like Danny Elfman, and of course John Williams who mastered the art of theatrics. The late great Ennio Morricone, whose eccentric style of music fit his movies perfectly!”
I mentioned to Greg that I was also effected by the music in movies like the Good, Bad and the Ugly, it seemed like a ballet of entwined notes and images that danced into our imaginations. Hernandez states, “The key with score music, as it relates to the visual, is to find a common theme, look for a genre of music for the visual. Scores are challenging because you have to keep an open mind. The visual directs where you are going to go. The emotion of the actors is also key. Genre of film consistent with the genre of the movie for the most part.”
In the future Hernandez will be working on The Plume, which is a full-length documentary film which demonstrates how military complex polluting native lands from WWII to the Present Day. The Producer is award winning Journalist Franc Contreras who according to Hernandez, “Does a great job showing how this pollution has been detrimental to the Native population, causing health issues including cancer.” Will we see you on the screen again Greg, I asked, “only if it’s another comedy because the set is full of laughs and I get to laugh at myself!.” Yup, I replied, we all need to do that more often.
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Uno de los hitos tecnológicos en la historia de la humanidad ha sido la invención de la radio. Por sus radiofrecuencias se ha transmitido toda clase de información y sonidos siendo uno de los medios más masivos durante todo el siglo XX. Nuestros abuelos desarrollaron la mayor parte de su vida cerca de los radio-receptores para enterarse de noticias y acompañar sus vidas al compás de armonías y ritmos variados en todo el globo. Nuestros padres, que vieron el nacimiento de la televisión igual mantenían la costumbre de encender la radio. Yo, particularmente, crecí en una familia donde escuchar radio era parte de la exposición cultural y política y desarrollé un profundo amor por el trabajo que se realiza del otro lado del micrófono.
Viaje de Radio en Albuquerque
Ha habido grandes profesionales de este medio, pero también muchos aficionados, voluntarios que han levantado, desde la segunda mitad del siglo XX, espacios radiales comunitarios que se salieron de los, cada vez más estrictos, cánones comerciales del medio. La estación de radio pública KUNM, 89.9FM tiene, entre muchos shows dirigidos por voluntarios, el programa del colectivo Raíces, un programa que divulga la cultura ibero latinoamericana y está siempre dispuesto a hablar de los temas de interés de su comunidad. El grupo es diverso y toma todas las decisiones de forma horizontal y distribuyéndose las tareas necesarias para mantener el programa al aire. En este espacio fue donde finalmente pude cumplir mi sueño de hacer radio.
Cuando me mudé a Albuquerque en el 2003 mi madre, que ya vivía allí, me hizo escuchar el programa y resonaba por los parlantes la voz de Henry González. En una de sus salidas al aire repitió la frecuente invitación a sumarse al “colectivo” Raices, así fue que en ese momento llamé. El siempre muy amable locutor de inmediato me dijo que me sumara a la próxima s reunión y desde ese momento compartí con ellos casi diez años de pasión por la radio. Hoy les comparto una entrevista realizada el 7 de junio de este año al señor Henry González.
Entrevista con Henry Gonzáles
Henry González at KUNM
SP: Como descubriste el colectivo Raíces? Comienzos del colectivo (70s)?
HG: Yo había ido a estudiar a la universidad en California, y cuando me estaba mudando de regreso a New Mexico, ya cerca me puse a buscar radios mientras manejaba y de repente escucho que pasaban la canción de Pablo Milanés a Ho Chi Ming y dije “esta radio es interesante”. De ahí en adelante la escuché siempre. Pero fue recién en el año 84 que, escuchando en el programa música de la nueva trova, finalmente decidí llamar para ofrecerme como voluntario en la estación. Además de Raíces, hice los programas de Free Form (programa de formato libre en cuanto a la elección musical) y llegué a ser coordinador de la estación así como del colectivo Raíces.
Expresiones Culturales
SP: Por qué apostaron a hacer un programa promoviendo las expresiones culturales que no eran tan solo la Hispana Nuevo Mexicana, chicana, Mexicana, sino que fue más allá de las fronteras, investigando y compartiendo música de todo el mundo latino? ?Que encontraban en esa música que resonaba con ustedes?
HG: Ya desde el comienzo había miembros de sur y centro américa que aportaban su música. No era raro escuchar a la nueva trova o folklore de distintos países. Creo que además los miembros que nacimos en EE.UU. no éramos de los que escuchaban la música comercial de las otras estaciones, esa música toda igual sonando por horas. Muchos estábamos y estamos preocupados por lo que pasa en el mundo y nos gusta aprender de lo que pasa en otros lugares contado por su gente. La música ayuda mucho en eso.
SP: ¿Por qué crees que ha sobrevivido tantos años el programa?
HG: Bueno, el programa ha sobrevivido porque desde su comienzo se estableció casi de forma natural una polifonía de voces y pensamientos los cuales son respetados porque enriquecen a nuestro programa. La audiencia sintoniza Raíces y un día estará un conductor con su estilo, sus opiniones y el radioescucha puede estar en desacuerdo y a la semana siguiente otro conductor con otro estilo y opiniones. Además, siempre se respeta mucho la opinión de la audiencia y se fomenta su participación. Esto hace que la gente no se canse y que nadie del colectivo se sienta que debe amoldarse más allá de las reglas básicas y el propósito general del programa.
SP: Como dices, el Colectivo Raíces es un trabajo de promoción de la riqueza de la diversidad, esto contrasta fuertemente con la idea que promueve el sistema de hacernos cada vez más parecidos, de “amoldarnos”.
HG: Si, hay mucha riqueza en la diversidad. Nosotros pasamos música de artistas que en otros lugares pueden ser famosos pero aquí no suenan en las estaciones comerciales, pero también le damos lugar a artistas nuevos, y sobre todo artistas locales. En las radios comerciales nunca le dan lugar a esa gente porque aun no han vendido una cantidad de discos. También promovemos a otros artistas como poetas, directores y actores de teatro, de la danza, es decir de todo tipo de arte. Así mismo, nos visitan organizadores comunitarios y políticos locales para hablar de los temas que le preocupan a nuestra comunidad. El Colectivo Raíces es tan diverso como su comunidad.
SP: KUNM y Raíces promocionan esta idea de que la radio es un espacio para los que no tienen voz y un espacio para escuchar puntos de vista alternativos a los medios corporativos de comunicación. Todo esto también entra en conflicto con los Fake News (un nombre nuevo a una tradición que viene al menos desde la época de Goebbels y fue mejorada por los medios de comunicación de las corporaciones).
HG: Así es, la estación tiene el lema de que su energía viene de la comunidad, lo cual es además materialmente real ya que su principal fuente de sustento son las donaciones que hace la audiencia; la comunidad con su multiplicidad de voces hace que sea una radio interesante, donde no se va a dar una noticia solo desde un ángulo, donde las opiniones son variadas. Claro que uno podría ver cierta tendencia entre sus miembros, pero somos muy diferentes e incluso a veces hay discusiones. Lo cierto es que aquí el departamente de noticias siempre está investigando en profundidad para tratar de no estar repitiendo falsedades o verdades a medias.
HG: Recuerdo, para dar un ejemplo, que en los 80s yo estaba pasando música sandinista y me llamó un hombre muy enojado porque estábamos pasando esa música. Me dijo que su padre había estado en Centro América combatiendo el comunismo y que yo estaba promoviendo esa ideología. Le dije que me gustaba lo que representaba esta canción y que podía quejarse con la dirección de la estación. No se si el hombre cambió su parecer, pero al menos fue expuesto a ver que otras personas en los Estados Unidos piensan diferente a él y no aprobamos la intromisión de la CIA en otros países.
SP: ¿Cómo evalúas la importancia de los medios independientes en estos momentos de levantamientos populares contra el racismo, de pandemias, guerras y destrucción del medio ambiente?
HG: Estos medios independientes como KUNM o Community Publishing son muy importantes por esto de promover la diversidad de voces, de permitirle a la comunidad participar de forma directa sin intermediarios ni intérpretes. Son estos espacios los que ayudan a combatir el racismo y la xenofobia.
Participa en tu Radio Pública
SP: Convocatoria a que la gente participe en las radios públicas y en Raíces.
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“You are what you eat”. It’s one of the first sayings in English we learn as children growing up. I remember hearing it as I devoured a McDonald’s Happy Meal while playing the Monopoly game as a kid. Fast food probably made up 40 percent of my diet. I loved Wendy’s chicken nuggets with fries and a frosty, cheesy gordita crunches from Taco Bell, a double whopper from Burger King, or popcorn shrimp from Long John Silver’s. Of course when we are young, our bodies are able to metabolize a lot of these savory bites and I didn’t think twice about my hankering for Gushers, Fruit Rollups, Twinkies, Oatmeal Pies, and any other sweet I could get my hands on.
Self, Society and Environment
That all changed my junior year at Notre Dame, when I enrolled in a course called “Self, Society and Environment”. It was a small class of about 12 of us with a professor in his 80’s whose name I can’t now remember. What I do remember is that I enjoyed how pleasant and peaceful he was and how we all sat in a circle in class rather than in rows. This forced us to interact, and as an introvert definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone. At that time I was still enjoying my near daily fast-food runs or gobbling down two dollar wings from BW3’s. Each of us in the course had to pick a topic that we would research for the next four months. I cannot remember what I chose to research for the life of me.
But most of us in that course will never forget that of our colleague Mary from Oklahoma. Mary’s family was one of the largest producers of beef in the South, and she chose to research how large-scale cattle farming can be sustainable and good for people. By the end of the semester and due to Mary’s project, all but one of in the class had become vegetarian, much to Mary’s family’s dismay. As we learned and dived deeper into how diet affects our bodies as well as the planet, we could no longer ignore what her research proved. Some of the pictures we saw of chickens from Tyson Farms, or cattle exploding with puss and infections, can never be unseen, and changed our lives forever.
Quarantine Vegetarian
As a male college student in 2007, becoming vegetarian was not easy. Like many others, my male friends mostly made fun of me for my decision calling me a “wuss” or some other NSFW names. I deeply missed pepperoni pizza and Green Chile Cheeseburgers. I had no idea what to cook other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. But slowly, I found a diet that worked for me. In quarantine, I start with a fruit and vegetable smoothie at noon, mostly with stuff from my own garden.
I have some awesome vegan tamales from Teresa’s in Cleveland, NM. I try to be done eating by 8pm in order to let my body fast and break down the food. I have found some delicious veggie burgers and grill recipes that leave most of my meat-eating friends forget that there was none on the menu. I completely respect vegans, but as cheese enchiladas are my Saturday treat, I enjoy ordering Monica’s El Portal on a weekly basis. My diet is not perfect as I still eat way to much cheese and occasionally treat myself to a free range egg. I recently enjoyed some trout that my bandmates Rick and Ragon caught while camping.
Food Heals the Body and Mind
I don’t judge people or look down upon them for their diet choices as we are all on our own paths and our own pace. But I am thankful to Mary and my classmates for setting me on this journey. It was once thought that being Vegetarian or Vegan would make you weak and unhealthy. But as the recent film on Netlflix “Game Changers” reveals, many top athletes in all professional sports have made the change. Our diets have the power to either heal or harm us and the planet, and food truly is medicine for our bodies. I believe that becoming Vegetarian or Vegan should be left up to each individual. But I do think this time has offered us an opportunity to see where our food comes from, and to try to eat more locally and sustainably. ‘Cuz if I am what eat, then I want to be healthy, strong, and happy. Read more about Chris and find his previous articles here!
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I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase, ‘Change or Die’. It has often been used in reference to businesses needing to adapt to a rapidly changing technological world and shifting markets. It suggests that if one does not make the necessary changes to adapt to the rapidly changing environment they, or their enterprise, will perish. Additionally, there is the all too familiar understanding that humans, in general, as well as organizations and society at large, are actually slow to make change, at best, and highly resistant to it, at worst. It has been shown, for example, that most individuals, when faced with life threatening conditions such as heart disease, are often unable to carry out the changes necessary to prevent suffering a heart attack. If we can clearly see the truth of the axiom ‘Change or Die’, then why is it so difficult to actually change?
Dying to Change
I suggest that we consider that change is, in fact, a death of sorts. Change requires destroying a particular way of being or doing, in order to establish a new way of being or doing. And, as with death, we seem to be terrified of this process. Truth be told, there is a good explanation for why this is so. It is far easier and more comfortable to live with what we already know and are accustomed to than it is to go through the difficult, challenging, and often downright painful process of developing a whole new way of being or doing. We are very reluctant to let go of the life we know, even if we know it will lead to our demise, than it is to set out on a new journey into the unknown.
“Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because death is very likely the single best invention of life. It is life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new.” - Steve Jobs, Stanford commencement address 2005.
And change itself is just as inevitable as death. It will come about. The question is, will you move and flow with that change? Or, will you be swept away by it? And, even more importantly, are you willing to not sit by and wait for change, but to actively engage in the process, to die to your old way of being and doing, and to begin life anew? Many spiritual paths talk about the necessity of dying and being reborn. But often times people make the mistake of seeing that as a one time occurrence. It is not. It is necessary to remake ourselves over and over again, in order to renew our lives. The moment you stop changing you have begun the dying process. This is true for companies, it is true for societies and it is true for individuals.
While Change or Die serves as a stern warning, the axiom that serves as a clear call to action is Die to Change. I realize this is much easier said than done. I know because I am in the process of working up my own courage to enact this. I am struggling to let go of old ways that no longer serve me, and to engage in the very difficult task of establishing a whole new way of being, to incorporate new habits, to instill new disciplines, all of which I know full well will serve to enhance the quality of my life. But, there is resistance in my mind.
Tyranny of the Mind
The tyrant that has occupied the seat of power there is doing all it can to retain control and prevent me from deposing it, and reclaiming the power so that my conscious self can step up to a whole new level of being and doing. The tyrant would have me remain in the old ways, the ways that I have become accustomed to, the ways I am familiar and comfortable with. The tyrant will do everything it can to oppose my efforts to venture into the unknown and forge a new path of discovery and revitalization. But, if I give way to the tyrant then I become something akin to a zombie – the living dead. Instead, I will do whatever I must to summon the courage to let go, to die to my old ways of being and doing, and thus to catalyze the change necessary to bring a renewed vitality to this next phase of my physical existence. Change or Die, or Die to Change; the Choice is yours! Rev Le Rev :: Sun Journey Enterprise :: rev@sunjourney.us Find Rev’s bio and previous articles by clicking here
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The newcomer awakes to exquisite early morning calls of prayer ring’s out over the monastery speaker from Buddhist temples almost haunting but very soothing meditative morning chant echoing over and down the world’s twelfth longest Mekong River which is the major trade route that begins from the Tibetan Plateau and runs through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand ,Cambodia and Vietnam local villages. Something to see and experience in the early mornings is Tak Bat an tradition of Lao Buddhist Monks. Dressed in their traditional Saffron-clad robes the Monk’s silently walk down the streets receiving food offerings from the local almsgivers its an serene ritual and tradition in which is done in very silent meditative way between the almsgivers showing respect with offerings in a peaceful way.
Also in the early morning a wonderful and interesting space where you can discover authentic Laotian grown vegetables and ingredients all vibrantly colorful and fresh in abundance from the local mountains where many friendly people from local surrounding villages come to eat and shop all of this contributes to its charm.
There are nearly eighty Buddhist temples and monasteries in and around city of Luang Prabang, Laos, which means “Royal Buddha Image.” At every turn the smell of incense mixed with the fire and smoke burning of the agriculture fields turns back time. A second or so later, the waif of air turns into a sweet, warm, yeasty, inviting smell of Laotian coffee from a French Bakery. Walking down the colonial street, submerged in the jungle tropics, which makes this quite a dichotomy but yet beautiful and completely serene to all the tingling senses.
Morning Snack
I was especially smitten and charmed by my personal favorite morning snack, the hot soup of Khao Piak Sen. It is different than the more famous Vietnamese Khao Soi soup, because the Laotian morning soup uses different bigger noodle and broth and entire chunks of meat. The meat is typically pork and topped with sprinkles of the freshest vegetables you will find throughout South East Asia.
The Art of Cuisine
There is so much great Laotian artistry cuisine to discover for vegetarians as well and all food lovers your gonna be in culinary heaven from street vendors, traditional food fit for a king to various international restaurants serving basic fare however due to different ingredients used in that part of the world typically a basic burger is like cheating yourself.
Street Cuisine after Dark
The Night Market is something to behold. Just outside of the historical city, there are natural and historic sites within hiking distance where you will find lush green hilltop trail passing a black bear reserve to three tiered water falls cascading down amongst swimmers of Kuangsi Falls or the highly visited Pak Ou Caves where hundreds of miniature Buddhas sculptures remain in many positions including teaching, peace, nirvana through meditation. Perhaps this could be your opportunity to find peace through your pallet! Find other articles by and more info about Greg Hernandez here.
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A few months ago, I was busy planning Reviva’s longest tour yet heading out west on a 5 state journey. I was reading the news about an outbreak going on in Wuhan China, and quickly texted the guys that I didn’t think the tour was going to happen. As March is typically one of our busiest months, I was working a lot and felt burnt out between my day job and organizing all the details of a 2 weeks stint away. While I was disappointed that we would never get to play venues that we had dreamt of playing for years, I realized that as things slowed down, it may provide some opportunities for me to press the “reset” button and spend some time with my inner voice. Like many people, I struggle with anxiety and issues related to PTSD, and have found time during the pandemic to explore ways to manage it the best that I can. While it took some time to find a disciplined routine, I want to share some things that have been quite useful as we continue to live in the new world of Covid-19.
Equanimity
The first thing that I do every morning is a 10 minute meditation. This is not a religious meditation of any sort, but rather a way to slow my mind down and allow thoughts to flow in and out of my mind without being attached or affected by them. This naturally takes away some of the stress that comes with pressures from work, responsibilities at home, and fears about the future or regrets from the past. My favorite meditation is called Equanimity, and it goes like this: “May you be safe, light, and secure. Free from aversion, attachment, and anxiety. Full of love, joy, compassion, and equanimity.”
You are supposed to say the meditation for 4 people every day: Yourself, Someone you love, Someone who is neutral or whom you don’t know, and Someone who you consider to be an enemy. It is hard to send good vibes to someone you really dislike or who has hurt you, but this part of is probably the most important.
Virtual Yoga
I also have finally found an online Yoga training that has really helped me to be in the moment. It is a series of YouTube videos from the channel “Breathe and Flow”. There is a series of Men’s Yoga Flow that has become my go to as I am finally seeing the mental and physical benefits of doing yoga daily. I now alternate my exercise routine between weights, yoga, and running. Whenever I take more than one day off, I really start to feel more anxiety and thus have learned that physical exercise is key to maintaining mental health.
Other than those two practices, there are a few other things that are important to do as it looks that the pandemic is not slowing down anytime soon. First, I find time every day to connect with family and friends. Whether through a phone call or virtual visit, we all have a few minutes to tell our loved ones we are thinking about them. Second, I spend time every day outside, especially in my garden. We recently took a band trip up to northern NM, and just breathing the fresh air and getting away from the pavement was super healing.
Legislating Peace
Finally, I make sure to find time to laugh about something every day. I really like to keep up on the news and know what’s going on. But now is a time for deeper reflection as to how things will look when we get out of this. As I was sitting with my friend in the park during a Juneteenth event this weekend, I couldn’t help but think that we are somehow going to figure out a society that is more equitable for everyone. But even if we pass legislation and vote in the right people, it is up to each of us to continue on our inner journey to peace. No justice no peace is so true. But as Geshe Gyatso said, “Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible.” Read more about and articles from Chris Brennan
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“Son, you’re your own worst enemy!” My momma uttered those words to me more than once. Do you know that feeling of getting all tripped up on yourself, of doubting and second guessing yourself, of calling into question the validity of your own identity? I call this phenomenon the Tyranny of The Mind. I believe it to be the single biggest impediment to showing up as our most powerful and actualized selves.
Take the Power Back
One of the methods of coping with this enemy is to just settle into the normality of life as we know it, and quit attempting to rise above and show up as our more powerful selves, in which case, the tyrant in our minds has won. But if we ever get the notion to stretch beyond our current level of being, to rise up and take back the power, to become masterful people, that tyrant will do everything it can to quell our uprising. It will set to work in our minds, criticizing us, implanting doubts and fears, casting judgment upon us, paralyzing and impeding us at every turn. There is, however, a hidden treasure in this arrangement that, as we shall discover, is critical to the process of becoming, if we are up to the task. I know for myself, rising above this tyrant can sometimes feel like an impossible task. The past month and a half has been a series of battles that have seen my efforts be defeated over and over again. The fact that I am meeting such harsh resistance in my mind is a clear indication that I am moving in the right direction – the direction of leveling up, of stretching outside of my comfort zone, of growing myself into a stronger and more powerful human, of taking on a greater responsibility for how I show up in the world. And so, I dig in, deeper into my burning desire to become more fully me, more powerfully me, more authentically me. I may have been getting my ass kicked the past six weeks, but I’ve also been growing stronger through the process.
Irrationality in a Irrational World
Therein lies the secret. This week I reached back into my video vault and pulled one I created for Pi Day 2019, to remind myself of 3 important lessons that I extracted from the nature of Pi, an irrational number, that doesn’t behave like most numbers. Interesting what this number can show us about how to show up as more power-filled humans. Watch the video and see if you can apply these rather simple lessons to your efforts to show up more powerfully in the coming week. In a time when the external powers of our culture are being challenged for their abuses and shortcomings, from all directions, it is very important that we begin to grasp how significant is the seat of power that is our minds, and to engage in the hard work of mastering that power, toward the benefit of the larger whole. Read more about Rev here!
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Martin Luther King Jr spoke of the Myth of Time as the belief that only time will heal the racial injustices in our country or anywhere else in the world. This is a fallacy that is starkly revealed in the current chaos unfolding in our country, some 50+ years after King spoke of it. The time is NOW! Whether we are talking about solving the problems of racial injustice, environmental degradation, political corruption, or the personal problems and challenges of our day to day lives, THE TIME IS NOW!
Time Savers
There is another fallacy tied to the Myth of Time, and that is that there is plenty of it. There is not. It is a limited resource, and there is a definite point in time, when you will run out of your supply. So, you best consider how you use your time, and find the way that will empower you to utilize your allotted portion toward the betterment of yourself, and your society.
There is the fallacy of saving time. Time cannot be saved. There is no savings account for time, where you can tuck some of your time allotment away to be accessed at a later date. Of course, the idea that you can save yourself some time, by cutting out unnecessary steps, or time consuming endeavors, appears logical on the surface, but the reality is, you aren’t saving time, you are in fact applying your use of said time in a wiser and more effective manner. As such, it is wise to consider carefully the actions that one choses to take, in working on solutions to large and complex problems like racial injustice, environmental degradation and political corruption, as well as, the difficulties and challenges that we face in our individual lives. This is not to suggest delaying action, it is to suggest that we look carefully to determine the courses of action that best serve the development of real and lasting solutions to said problems.
Free and Mindful
FREE your mind ~ POWER up ~ LIFT up ~ yourself and those around you that our most spectacular selves may shine. Remember that even in the vast darkness of space there are billions of points of light. Be a point of light and use your allotted portion of time to shine. This short video I created brings a bit of levity to addressing this last fallacy. I hope that it will bring a little laughter and joy into your life during this time of darkness and sorrow for so many of us.
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It has without a doubt been a heavy two weeks in our country. One thing that I have learned along the way in my journey to peace is that real change rarely comes when things are going smoothly. Whether in our own personal struggles, or on a societal level, sometimes deep pain and shock are the catalysts for awakening us to new goals and ways of thinking.
Home Away From Home
A big part of my personal journey to peace was living in Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua. It is a mostly Black community along with some indigenous Miskito people, and they took me into their homes more openly and lovingly than any other group of people I had ever been around. As I grew accustomed to my friends’ homes and their families, I felt comfortable to just walk and sit with the families as they baked and cooked and laughed. They often joked that I had a “Black Heart”, referring to the way in which I walked in unannounced and told the mother of the household I was hungry, or shared with them whatever food or drink I had come up upon earlier in the day.
Whether it was Mama Rachael, Mama Vilma, or Mama Lily, they always were sure to take care of me with some beans and rice or fried cassava, and treated me as if I was their own son. They showed me how to help thy neighbor in need and build a community the right way, and that is a lesson that I think we can learn as a country right now.
International Discrimination
I spoke with Jimmy Anderson, one of my best friends from Pearl Lagoon over the weekend. He told me, “Chris. Those racist people. Dem don’t know how nice we black people is. Treat you good and always keep you safe and healthy. You have to tell dem.” A part of me felt sad to hear him say that as I know how Black people in Nicaragua are discriminated against just like they are here in the U.S., as the federal government there continues to appropriate their land and sell it to Pacific Nicaraguans encroaching upon their land and language among other things.
Hope In Slivers
But another part of me felt a sliver of hope. The Black Community is showing the world just how kind and loving they are. Watching these recent events unfold in response to police brutality towards the Black community, I have a feeling that as the world shines it spotlight on racial injustice right now, we are going to see a people who are full of beauty, determination, love, intelligence, and compassion show their true colors. A people who will give the shirt off their back to help you, no matter what your skin color or religion you are. A people who have been through endless collective suffering are now coming to the forefront to lead efforts to make real change in our society alongside their brothers and sisters of all colors. It’s about damn time we come together.
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“You can’t help it. An artist’s duty, as far as I’m concerned, is to reflect the times.” – Nina Simone
The visual narrative of this piece, took me longer where i found myself censoring myself twice. Originally the narrative was about my travels to China travel. Additionally I wanted to include reflections to go along with the COVID 19 narrative but felt people were not ready due to fear of the unknown.
Reflective Remembrance
I found myself doing more reflective remembrance and memorial about “viruses” of North American racism as well as COVID 19 and reflections of September 11, 2001 (9/11).. Im fascinated by how America has endured U.S politics and undergone a change in our way of life as a civilian during these modern times of 21st century.
Anarchy In L.A.
Even the day of finishing this project, I was taking heat by local anarchists accusing me of being on the side of the oppressors because i posted a Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., quote about peaceful and organized protest. Go figure!?!
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Curated by Mary Ann Gilbreth, Ed.D., Department of Teacher Education, Educational Leadership and Policy, at the University of New Mexico. This collections includes the work of her students from several of her Reading Methods Classes, promoting cultural diversity in the classroom.
