"What It Do"

As I post my first blog ever, I can’t help but think of back-in-the-day when I was first introduced to the computer. As I move through life so many things change but other things remain the same. As an intelligent person I try to see why some things change but others remain the same. As we have become more technologically advanced, we have become more ignorant as people. I have a suggestion; “Get Off the Boo Boo”! Put the drugs down, put the mouse down, and put the drinks down. Open your eyes to what is going on around you. When your time comes you will be judged for what you do. I know I am rambling but isn’t that what a blog is about. Everyone has an opinion now because of TV, MySpace, facebook, and all the other countless web/blog sites. No one really cares about your crazy self and your opinion. If you are not apart of the solution, you are part of the problem. If you are not going to be a part of the solution then keep your comments to yourself. If you can’t come up with a better solution to what we are going through as a nation of human beings then shut up! I can’t stand a negative fool! Analyze the man or woman in the mirror before you open your mouth. Take a nice hard look in the mirror and ask yourself “What am I doing to better myself, my family, and my community?”

The South lost the Civil War and our President is Black! This is a great country with some stupid people in it. I say that because people don’t see that we have so much more potential as a country. Stop hating each other because of stupid arbitrary reasons. Who cares if someone is Black or White! Who cares if someone is a Democrat or Republican! We need to help one another! We need to love one another! We need to love ourselves first! If you do not love yourself, how can you possibly love someone else? I am pretty sure we have more in common than we do not. I like sports. I like music. I like beer. I like nice cars. I like money. I like books. I like knowledge. I like barbecue!

I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would become a producer of special programs related to the African Diaspora. On a daily basis I produce Black History Moments (BHM) and Lets Talk Money (LTM). My plan is to inform people whether it is about history or finances. I love my gig! To help someone learn about the history of African Americans is such an honor. I was called to do this by forces other than myself and now I believe it was meant to be. I love the good, the bad, and the ugly history because it tells us about ourselves. In addition, it tells you how far we have come and where we need to go. I produce because I love it. There is nothing more empowering than coming up with an idea, researching it, and then executing the plan. Execute something good in your life and in someone else’s. The key word today: LOVE!

jthwaites@whur.com

“THE SIGHLENT STORM”

As a young girl, I often saw glimpses of violent behavior in my own family. While I did not know the term for such chaos, I believed it was simply part of life. It was not until much later in my adult life that I was able to put a name to the nonsense. It’s called Domestic Violence. Simply put, domestic violence and emotional abuse are behaviors used by one person in a relationship to control the other. Every Saturday morning at 9EST on WHUR-WORLD 96.3 HD2, we seek to break the cycle of domestic abuse on “The Sighlent Storm.”

As the Executive Producer, I have the unique opportunity to work with two individuals who are not only passionate about the issue of domestic violence; but they also have a wealth of experience in the arena. Denise McCain and Mandrell Birks are the former Executive Director and Community Outreach Director of the Family Crisis Center in Prince George’s County, Maryland. It is the only comprehensive shelter in Prince George’s County to assist victims, children, and perpetrators of domestic violence. With that background, Denise and Mandrell bring a sense of compassion, knowledge, and common sense approach to a very complex issue. Our goal is to help spread the word about a topic that is not often talked about.

The reality is that in America alone every 20 seconds a woman is abused and every 38 seconds a man is battered. These figures are alarming at best. Domestic violence is an equal opportunity destroyer that occurs whether you live in North America, South America, Asia, Antarctica, Africa, Europe, or Australia. On the “Sighlent Storm,” we strive to pull the covers off this issue and get a constant dialogue going in order to eradicate abuse.

Each week, we take a different aspect of the issue and delve deep inside to get to solutions. Whether it’s a man beating a woman, a woman beating her man, or a child witnessing abuse; “The Sighlent Storm” is going to talk about it with experts from a variety of fields. We speak with victims, perpetrators, clergy, elected leaders, health care practitioners, law enforcement, judicial experts, youth, and advocates. We know that domestic violence is a learned behavior that impacts, not just the family, but also the entire community.

“The Sighlent Storm” is the only program on radio, television, or the web devoted to making domestic violence a thing of the past. Amazingly, every week we begin our show highlighting domestic violence stories in the news. Since we began the show in 2007, there has never been a week where there weren’t at least three stories about abuse. We look forward to the day when there are no stories to report. That is our goal. That is our prayer.

Join us for insightful, controversial, and real conversations with real solutions Every Saturday morning at 9EST…only on WHUR-WORLD 96.3 HD2.

rnash@whur.com

Our Stories, Our Way

As a specials producer for WHUR-World, I have the opportunity to research, write, and report stories that I feel may make an impact because of their relevance. In the series Activists and Politics, I focus on social and political activism among African Americans. As a young African American woman, it is important to me to tell our stories. The first installment is entitled “One Vote, One Chance: The Ballot in Black America”, which aired on November 3rd, 2008. The special focused on the history of the Black political process; from the ending of slavery, to the Civil Rights movement, to present day. Coincidently, the special aired the day before the first African American President, Barack Obama, was elected to office. Like numerous others, I watched the television feeling a range of emotions from happiness to disbelief. But then I took a moment to reflect on the piece, which I worked on for months before. Doing a piece on voting in the Black community really opened my eyes and made me acutely aware of the fact that I would not be experiencing such a historic day without the struggle of my ancestors.

Since the thirteenth amendment was passed, Black people have been fighting for equality. Reading and hearing about the blood that my ancestors shed so that my generation could have a better life was inspiring and emotional. It was motivating and life changing to hear stories about Ella Baker, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis, Fannie Lou Hammer and countless others, who fought for basic rights that we take for granted today, like voting. Knowing that there were so many outrageous obstacles designed to prevent Black people from voting like literacy tests, poll taxes, and lynching often makes me wonder how Black people got the courage to confront those obstacles and fight for the right to vote. I feel that showing the history of the Freedom Summer of 1964 or the Mississippi Freedom Democratic party is important. It is important for African Americans to continue learning and exposing ourselves, as well as others, to our history. As a young woman, it is sometimes hard for me to fathom that my ancestors were beaten, bitten by dogs, drenched my fire hoses, and killed in order to make a political statement. But I am more than grateful for their courage and determination to make life for African Americans in this country better.

The story of voting in the African American community is an important piece of our rich heritage. Although we have elected one of our own into office, there is still more work to do. Racism and discrimination still affect our community. But we can not move forward without knowing our history. And that is the beauty of Activists and Politics. The series tells our history our way.

***Stay tuned to WHUR-World for more exciting editions of Activists and Politics. ***

briddle@whur.com