The Black Godfather

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This documentary follows the life of Clarence Avant, the ultimate, uncensored mentor and behind-the-scenes rainmaker in music, film, TV and politics.

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I’m Back. Here’s Where I’ve Been Pt. 1

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So it’s been a rocky and tumultuous time since we last spoke. Got a job offer overseas that didn’t pan out. Moved to DC to be closer to my girlfriend, and I was supposed to be in DC for training for the overseas job too, but we broke up. Got depressed. Got out of it. Now I’m living my life. New job, new city and new dating apps.

Since the breakup I have been working on getting out there more and doing things for myself. I joined Meetup and I’ve gone to a few and it was cool. More to come…

History of Watch Night Services

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The Watch Night Services in Black communities that we celebrate today can be traced back to gatherings on December 31, 1862, also known as “Freedom’s Eve.”
On that night, Blacks came together in churches and private homes all across the nation, anxiously awaiting news that the Emancipation Proclamation actually had become law. Then, at the stroke of midnight, it was January 1, 1863, and all slaves in the Confederate States were declared legally free .

When the news was received, there were prayers, shouts and songs of joy as people fell to their knees and thanked God. Black folks have gathered in churches annually on New Year’s Eve ever since, praising God for bringing us safely through another year.

Can’t Afford To Live…

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Diabetic ketoacidosis is a terrible way to die. It’s what happens when you don’t have enough insulin. Your blood sugar gets so high that your blood becomes highly acidic, your cells dehydrate, and your body stops functioning.

The price of insulin in the U.S. has more than doubled since 2012. That has put the life-saving hormone out of reach for some people with diabetes, and has left others scrambling for solutions to afford the one thing they need to live. I’m one of those scrambling.

Most people’s bodies create insulin, which regulates the amount of sugar in the blood. In the U.S., the roughly 1.25 million of us with Type 1 diabetes have to buy insulin at a pharmacy because our pancreases stopped producing it.

Rationing insulin is a dangerous solution. Still, 1 in 4 people with diabetes admits to having done it. I’ve done it. My first vial of insulin cost $24.56 in 2010, after insurance. Eight years later, I pay more than $100.

the list price for a single vial of insulin is more than $250, without insurance. Most patients use two to four vials per month (I personally use two). Without insurance or other forms of medical assistance, those prices can get out of hand quickly.

Something should and needs to be done about it before even more people die simply because they can’t afford this life saving and needed medication.

When You Believe…

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sem·i·co·lon

ˈsemēˌkōlən,ˈsemīˌkōlən/

noun

a punctuation mark (;) indicating a pause, typically between two main clauses, that is more pronounced than that indicated by a comma.

Every tattoo on my body has some personal meaning to it. This is a marking that, unless I have it covered, I will bear for the rest of my life as a message to the world as to what I am about or was going through at the time. This is my newest addition.

As an mental health advocate and survivor of suicidal thoughts and depression I chose the word believe with a semicolon replacing the letter ‘i’.

This tattoo encourages me to bel;eve that things will be better and that this is not the end of my journey.

It’s one thing to just say aloud or to myself that even though times are hard that they will be better and things will be okay. It’s a total difference when you actually bel;eve that things will be better or different.

The bel;ef in a better way is what makes it happen. When you truly bel;eve that you will be okay, you will be. You have to bel;eve.