Wednesday, August 31, 2005

COWARDS

COWARDS IN A BLACK HONDA!
Today a car with 3 white guys threw a piece of metal and hit one of my men in the head as we were protesting on the corner of Lake Ave & Charles St. they did so from the safety of their car and sped off. They are COWARDS! They need to thank God they had the light and we could not get the license number or better yet that we couldn't get our hands on them. They are COWARDS!
Anyone who can give you the finger or yell a racial remark from the safety of their car and then make a run for it is a COWARD! Be a man challenge us face to face.
We put our bodies on the line, we stand on the corner
and take critisim from people who challenge our cause
from the safety of their cars or who want to be anonymous on the web with their comments.
You got my name and my 800-336-3290 number
you can meet us one on one if you are man enough. AN NOT A COWARD! We live in a culture of violence - physically and spiritually. It's time that the mindset that thinks they can abuse people and get away with it ends.
It's time that the mob mentality ends ! The pack mentality ends! That our weapons are bigger and stronger , that there is more of us, that we can fight from afar. We will not be denied our rights... by COWARDS!
PS: CURIOUS OBSERVER - Thanks for the support!
Give me a call , we will be having a MEET-UP gathering
of supporters soon to plan our next move and other projects. Feel free to call, YOU may have some great ideas!

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

PROTEST THOUGHTS:

what wonderful insights one can get from protesting.
1) there is an incredible amount energy that comes from the encouragement that people show and realizing their encouragement keeps you smiling in the heat and staying committed to the cause.
2) protesting provides good meditation time - you can really get to hum ... some or tune or just AMEM over and over again, also you think on a thought or two, and realize how BLESSED you are just to be able to be involved in something one believes in and knowing you have the FREEDOM to protest if you want to

3) Protesting allows you to come out of your shell, it forces you to interact with people and you better be up for it - even the good and the bad!
Overall and all things considered, everyone you join a protest or start a protest and be passionate about something before you leave this place called earth. Whether your views are Pro or Con you were put here to make this world a better place. You must stand for something, at some time in your journey. Life is too short - not to let your POWERSPEAK!

Thursday, August 04, 2005

SPECIAL ATTENTION

POWERSPEAKS - SPECIAL ATTENTION to JOHN G. HEAGY - I decided to make my response to your comments (click comments to view) into a post. Appreciate your patience! I really don't have time for answering every comment and some of the comments are just not worth it. I try to stay focus on the issue by posting to the main post all positive up-dates. That way the blog is not about ME, but about the ISSUE of Elkridge Club lack of African American members. I enjoy responding to your opinions. You got my
SPECIAL ATTENTION:
1- Reasons why we are having a Elkridge Club protest AND your wanting to protest a African American club. The Elkridge Club history dates back to a period in time when African Americans were denied the freedom to be apart of any aspect of American society. We have dealt with "whites only" exclusion, from lunch counters to water foundations to bathrooms, and to which section of the bus we can sit in. It is from this historical perspective of being DENIED ACCESS is what the POWERSPEAKS protest is all about. The Elkridge Club in a time past (1878) when a black person would have not even been considered eligible to become a member because of the racism AT THAT TIME has NOT advanced for whatever reason to have African Americans as members. (Although they keep bringing up a prominent African American who declined. Default doesn't count or change anything) Even today when African Americans have broken down barriers at the private schools in the area that at one time had no blacks- CHANGE HAS COME! to the neighborhoods in that area were segregated AT ONE TIME and had no blacks - CHANGE HAS COME! the area now is diverse, inclusive and African Americans are FREE enough that if we want to we can protest a golf course that has not had any African American members in it 127 years existence. Until recently WOMEN were restricted also! According to the club's website: http://www.elkridgeclub.org/Default.aspx?bhcp=1
it was not until 1995 that all gender restrictions were removed from the by-laws and not until 1996 that the first women was elected to membership. It was only this year on Jan.1st,2005 that all gender based membership was elimated, and all spouses of members became members themselves" . Even women were treated as 2nd class citizen during the Elkridge Club history just like they were in apart of American history. WOMEN SHOULD BE 100% supportive of our protest and especially the WOMEN WHO BELONG TO Elkridge Club and were JUST RECENTLY ALLOWED MEMBERSHIP! Where are you?
2- The homeless people who get paid a donation ($15)for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It’s better than standing on a corner begging. You are welcome to talk with any of my homeless crew about their sense of purpose - just stop your car - get out and talk to us if you really want to KNOW what we are about. They express a sense of empowerment working from such a lowly position (homeless -as perceive by others) protesting such an exclusive club in which no African American members belong. Being African American the homeless feel a sense of "chutzpah" (sass, moxy; nerve, gall ) for what others see as the audacity to protest an exclusive country club. IF you take wealth out of equation and look at people as human beings rather than (homeless) you would realize that but fore the grace of GOD go YOU or I. I remember the jeering, taunting, and the poking fun and a lot worst, I might add, that the protesters in the sixties endured and now through this electronic medium of blogs here in 21st century those of that same mind set can do the same today. You deserve special attention, you got my attention, pay attention... IF THIS IS THE PRICE OF PROGRESS, that we have to pay to bring the Elkridge Club into the 21st century THEN ITS ALREADY BEEN PAID IN FULL! THE PROTEST WILL CONTINUE, WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN or COME DOWN OFF THIS WALL!

PS: I know this response will not satisfy those who are HATERS & BAITERS, or anything response I make, but your comments are welcome and will be answered (if time allows) as long as we stick to the ISSUE and keep it civil!

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

ON THE FRONTLINE W/ THE CREW!

Out on the street today with the crew. It's good to be where the real action is. I love smiling at all the drivers and showing my passion for a GOOD cause, and especially answering the questions. The overwhelming responses have been fantastic! We are picking up support and people are really behind us: the thumbs -ups, smiles, horn honks, and waves, etc are the supportive ways in which people have been acknowledging the protest on their morning drive and letting us know that we have tremendous support behind us. I had about 5 -6 people who are ready for a "meet-up" to plan other forms of action. THE MOVEMENT IS GROWING! The idea is to make POWERSPEAKS not a one-issue cause. I have received many suggested causes and issues that require POWERSPEAKS attention. We also need to get more signs that have specific information about the Elkridge Club lack of African American members. I want to thank Mr. Armand Girard who lives in the area, for stopping to talk and offering the suggestion of contacting certain African Americans to apply for membership. We also, get comments from people who want to use this blog to insult me (idiot, imbecile, etc, and I will leave up their comments for reference and examples of what NOT to post in the future.. you know who you are!) rather than address the CAUSE/ PROTEST/RALLY/ and the CONSCIOUSNESS RAISING that POWERSPEAKS is addressing at the Elkridge Club. I have created a forum for everyone to engage in and whereby you can express your disagreements in a civil manner and I welcome all WHO CAN DO SO, BUT if you cannot do so decently, I will take your comments DOWN! Be WARNED I will not permit THEM! The will be THRASHED! You will be put out of the blog. You can go get your own blog for your rants.
" the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." -- Job 1: 20-21 (KJV)

Monday, August 01, 2005

TIME FOR A CHANGE! THE TIME HAS COME!!

African Americans COULD NOT join the Elkridge Club (127 years w/o any Black members) during the many years of our struggle to be apart of American society. Just like we couldn't go to and were excluded from many of the private schools and neighborhoods in the area. Today we not only attend and have access to these schools and neighborhoods but the laws of the land (Equal opportunity) and consciousness of the entire community has changed, because they have realized that it is no longer acceptable or desirable- with the EXCEPTION being the Elkridge Club!
Our highest state and local officials know and have stated that the Elkridge Club has not evolved with the times and has gotten stuck in its exclusivity and non- inclusion of African Americans as members. It could have CHANGED internally but it didn't. NOW we call for CHANGE EXTERNALLY! Whoever sits on the Board of the Elkridge Club and is in a leadership position needs to step up to the plate and find and or develop some methods of having African Americans as members TODAY! If they need some help they can call me. We cannot let another year go by without breaking down the mindset that African American have not had membership (in 127 years) and it is long overdue. There is a time to everything. The time for the Elkridge Club to have African Americans as members has COME! You may agreed or disagreed with my methods and solutions to try to bring about this CHANGE as various comments have shown. This is a matter of principle and if you don't agreed with the principle reason, you can go to HELL!
PS:Scoble, a west coast Microsoft blogger http://radio.weblogs.com/0001011/
has asked how to handle comments in this new blog medium. I say stay FOCUS on why you started the blog - stay true to the MISSION - stay true to your VOICE!