New Hope -- Guest Writer : Ms. G.J. Lewis

“W.O.W.”
World of Wealth

As I look out my window this morning, I see awesome beauty
I feel renewed strength but also renewed sense of duty
On the cusp of the victory that many fought to see
It is time for us all to be “a brand new me”

Our first African-American President, “WOW” is all I can say
I’m sure that many of us never thought we would see this day
Outside my window, there is a rainbow of colors
A sign, a revelation it’s time to unify all sisters and brothers

Black, white, Asian, Latino and more
No longer do I see a closed door
“The world is our oyster” we can do anything
“Change” for the good, this victory will surely bring

The river is flowing, a calm, serene shade of blue
In this life, we must also flow calmly in all we say and do
The sky is a mixture of blue, red and gold
Another sign of all that we have, all that is ours to hold

Again, “WOW” is all that I seem to be able to say
As I prepare myself to begin this wonderful day
We hold a “World of Wealth” in so many, many ways
And it is time for our wealth to be shown, to be displayed

Several journalist are asking; “What do we do now?”
The answer is simple, live the best that we know how
Dig deep within and exhibit what we all are made of
And that is our “World of Wealth” our God given Love

We as a people and also as individuals in this life
Are slowly being freed from a world of hatred and strife
The word of God tells us that this world will be ruled by brown skin
We can make a difference by embracing each other with the love we have within

Brothers, cling to your wives, in life, “Do the right thing”
Be a good example to the children into this life you bring
Sisters, although many have been left to do things alone
Do it with pride and dignity, God made us strong

It is time to go back to “the old time way”
And when we see things that are wrong, “speak up! Speak out” without delay
“It takes a whole village to raise a child” many of us were raised like this
From today’s society, this is an important factor today’s kids miss

We say we are proud, we love our new president-elect
The proof is in the pudding, for us all, this is a great test
Who is really willing to stand up? Who is willing to stand?
Who will walk in unity with Barack to change this land?

It is not hard, just reach deep within your heart
We all know right from wrong and have known from the start
When you see or hear these young ladies and these young men
Cursing, dressing inappropriately, acting out, speak out
Speak firm, not mean, let them know their wrongs and leave no doubt

Push education, that’s another right thing to do
Remember how our parents and neighbors pushed you
When we did wrong we got spanked from one end of the block and again when we got home
But I bet we thought two or three times before again we would do wrong

Tune into your spirituality, pray and never cease
Silence the violence and increase the peace
We can change this world, Yes we will “Yes we can”
We hold a “World of Wealth” divided we fall but “together” we “Stand”


Written By:
G.J.Lewis

Copyrights owned by: “FLIPSIDE INK”

FLIPSIDE : OBAMA

On Sunday, September 28th, Obama and Biden held a rally in downtown Detroit and luckily I was able to be a part of it. Normally I am working on Sundays, but this week I was off and even though I wanted to get some rest that day, I motivated myself to go. It’s almost a shame that I had to motivate myself to join in on what is already an event with major historical implications. With that in mind, I headed downtown to be a part of history.

Once I was there, I could hardly believe the amount of people who were attending. The parking wasn’t too bad, but the walk from those parking spots made me rethink rather getting a glimpse at the future was suffice to have my neck beaten upon severely by the sun. Nevertheless, I was determined.

After bending the corner from behind the DIA building, I was greeted by Obama buttons, tees and even photos. The crowd stirred about anxiously, waiting on Obama, with the sun determined to send people packing. Oddly enough though, no one was complaining.

Finally, Obama took the stage and the estimated crowd of over 30,000 went crazy. Obama started his speech welcoming Detroit and kept the audience alive with some jokes about himself. Then he went into it. He touched on the economic situation as well as education, the two most vital components in determining whether a middle-class citizen fails or succeeds.

“Even if you can’t own a business, then maybe your son or daughter can.” Obama said. “Even if you’re from a small village, then maybe your son could be running for President of the United States.”

Simply put, Obama and his administration are pushing for a system that will allow for the dream of America to once again be tangible and that American dream cannot and will not be tangible without the middle and working-class citizens that the Obama administration is fighting to return a voice to.

After the rally was over and Woodward began to look like a street again as opposed stadium seating, I gathered my things with a new sense of hope. A feeling that perhaps the government may actually represent the communities that it governs - this time around. Catch ya’ on the FLIPSIDE.

FLIPSIDE 1.12

Seven years ago, the United States saw the twin towers in New York be destroyed by two kamikaze airplanes. Those planes had been taken over by Al Qaeda terrorists whose main purpose in life was to complete this mission. When those towers went down, so did the pride of America. What went up, instead, was our guard. We were now aware that terrorist attacks were not just something that happens in foreign countries - they can happen right here.

Immediately following 9/11, America went through a healing process that surprised even ourselves. For once, we were Americans. We helped one another, regardless of race, class or education. For that healing time, we were all equal - all Americans. To be honest, that felt good. For a little while I put my struggles of racism and inequalities behind me and finally felt what it was really like to be American. I was proud.

Then four years later, we had forgotten. The waters from Katrina's fearsome rains had left most of New Orleans under water. The government in return, left most of New Orleans impoverished communities to fend for themselves while gathering atop roof tops to avoid the water that had turned the 9th ward into a swamp as high as a two level building. Four years prior, we were all Americans, but today we were divided once again as President Bush flew over the disaster area without stopping to reassure those Americans that help was on the way. Perhaps that's because help wasn't on the way.

Who knows why Bush didn't land in New Orleans? Who knows why there are still houses in the ninth ward outfitted with large red X's on them from when the aftermath was being searched for remains of poor folks who didn't escape before Katrina washed them away three years ago? Who knows why some of the 9th ward looks like the water just receded yesterday and clean-up efforts won't begin until next week? Seven years later we have forgotten. Even though, on many monuments throughout New York we vowed never to do as such. We Will Never Forget. Remember 9/11. Catch ya' on the FLIPSIDE.

FLIPSIDE

In my community it seems to be something missing. When I go to the hair supply stores I am greeted by Asian workers. When I go to buy gas I am greeted by Arabic owners. When I drop my sister off to get her hair braided, she is greeted at the door by African braiders. How is it that so many other nationalities are able to come to America and find there niche in an economic system that has held us down for so long?

While visiting my brother last week, we began to elaborate on this topic. He brought up an interesting point. That point was that somewhere along the lines of finding our place in American society we left behind the importance of family and togetherness. Other nationalities tend to be more successful because they share amongst themselves and are helpful to each other. That is truly a concept lost in our culture that needs to be found in order to have any kind of success in the future.

When you look at the businesses that are ran by other nationalities, you will notice that most if not all, are family ran businesses. People in the black community have lost the importance of family, but we need to address this issue soon and bring back the strength to our communities. Of course, this is easier said than done, but recognition of the issue is at least a start.

While growing up in a society where legal systems and educational systems fail at such a rate that the black community is almost guaranteed to fail – it is these family values that can help us through the barriers and beyond the expectations of society. At some point we have to stray away from the crabs in a bucket mentality. Don’t you know how many slaves would not have escaped if Sojourner Truth decided that she wasn’t going to help anybody else? It’s time to get back to basics. Catch ya’ on the FLIPSIDE

Nigger. That was supposed to be the title of Nas’ last album. Maybe a little too much for America, especially since the word was apparently buried some months back. How odd? Why wasn’t it buried when we picked cotton from the acres of plantations that built the basis of America’s economical structure? Why wasn’t it banned when we wanted to de-segregate schools? Why wasn’t it being erased from existence when it was being hurled at us like spit from some old white man’s mouth?


Nigger. Now that we have taken a word that once demeaned a whole race of people and flipped it to our own dialect and meaning – now it needs to be buried? At a time when we have decided that the power and offensiveness has been taken away from the word and now use it as our own. Don’t bury it now. Its mine, I won’t give it up.


Nigger. Some people think it’s ridiculous. Some people think that the use of this word should bring shame and insult to its users. I disagree. We diffused the energy of the word, so why not use it in our own way. So often we were beaten over our heads with it, our women raped with it, our families torn apart with it – so now its ours and I don’t know about you, but I don’t want anything else taken from us. Hasn’t enough been taken away from us already?


Nigger. Then you have some of us jumping on the bandwagon, screaming at my hip-hop generation and begging us to stop using a word that once empowered an elite group. Now that elite group has lost the power of that word and they urge us to put it to rest.
Nigger. After listening to Nas’ new album, I was amazed. This was the most articulate, motivational, conscious album I’d heard in a long time. Ultimately, it makes me think. It makes me think of the state of our society today. Racism all around, black people living with a vale over their eyes claiming that racism is dead, America buying all the hip-hop music and supporting the culture while laws are in place to make sure all those habits land you in jail or in an early grave.

FLIPSIDE 1.8

Just browsing through the newspaper this evening - online of course(does anybody still read the physical paper?)- Anyway, I was reading a story about Obama and Hilary making public appearances and seemingly putting their differences behind them. I figure they may as well, so that the democratic voters won't be so split. I have been a democratic voter since I cast a vote to send Bill into the White house the first time and will continue to be until I have been convinced that the republican party has any interest in today's middle class African American. Much to my dismay, there are voters who seem to base the election more on race and religion than on politics and economy.



After I read the story, I read the comments from the readers below it. I was somewhat astounded. I saw comments that said it is only because of white guilt that Obama is getting the votes he has thus far. Other comments were attacking his religion-questioning whether he really is a christian or not. Didn't the church and government break ties long time ago? Hasn't society been begging us as black people to stop crying about race issues in America, yet white people have began to use it more than we do now that a black man could potentially be the next leader of our country? As I write this blog, I figure it may sound something like a rant, but to see so many comments like those on one page makes me realize how far we as blacks in America have come and how far we still need to go to get to an even playing field.



Not so many years ago, I suppose it would have been unheard of to even have a black man in this close of a position, or even being a serious contender for the Oval Office. Even with this great opportunity though, comes the proof that we are not yet equal. Most voters who are against Obama are against him because they don't want to see a black man as president--that is my assumption. This is my assumption because who would in their right minds vote for a third Bush administration, which would pretty much be the case if McCain gets in office. Catch ya' on the FLIPSIDE.

FLIPSIDE 1.7

About ten years ago there was a young man from Pontiac, MI that gained national attention after shooting and killing a Pontiac man at the age of 11. After conviction, then 11 year old Nathaniel Abraham, was sentenced to a facility until the age of 21 at which time he would then be under house arrest for some period of time afterward.

Those 10 years have come and gone and Abraham was set free earlier this year. Most people in his community rallied around him for support and guidance in hopes that this troubled young man would get his life on track, perhaps proving that one can be rehabilitated in such a facility as he had been apart of for the last 10 years. Now, in regret to all his supporters, Abraham has been arrested in connection to some alleged drug charges and probation issues.

Now, I am not in anyway, taking up for or excusing Abraham for his actions because he is an adult and in full control of good and bad decision making. I will, however, say that spending most of your developmental years behind the walls of a facility, then being injected back into a community that struggles to fight crime, poverty, and education issues does somewhat put you into cycle that is hard to be broken.

What Abraham needs is for his supporters to remain supportive and not turn their backs to him and rely on a judicial system that has pretty much slapped us as black people in the face since slave auctions were legal and our ancestors were sold off like tools. With all of that said, I don't want it to seem as though I condone his actions, but I do however empathize with his situation.

I suppose a comment made by a reader in respect to the article on Abraham in a recent Detroit Free Press almost made me shiver. Perhaps I had taken it the wrong way, but I became offended immediately and it urged me to write this piece. This is the comment in question-eewally wrote on freep.com-

It's high time to start putting bullets in these people's heads. We
can't afford rehab anymore. Its not working. Too many thugs that
just love the free food, shelter and camaraderie. It's time to
start culling the gene pool.

Start culling the gene pool? I wonder if Nathaniel Abraham had been white and premeditated an assault on a school with shotguns that left many wounded and some dead - would we still be talking about culling the gene pool? Catch ya' on the FLIPSIDE.