The Great DC Scavenger Hunt! April 28, 2009

The second DC Scavenger Hunt, sponsored by Soulfully Speaking, began at high noon on April 18th.  After receiving the clues and rules, the teams were ready to go!  They set out into the city to find clues of artistic, historic and interesting value.  The Hunt took the teams to a variety of locations including the National Museum of American History, Georgetown, the FDR Memorial, Chatman’s D’Vine Bakery & Cafe and the African-American Civil War Memorial, to name a few.  A portion of the proceeds from this Hunt are to be donated to the Family Crisis Center of Prince George’s County, whose mission is to promote and facilitate the elimination of violence in intimate relationships by providing counseling, education and support services for women, children, and men.

Teams were also given a chance to pick up extra points by tracking down police officers, firefighters, mannequins and random passers-by in Obama or McCain t-shirts! 

Also, new to this hunt was the specific effort to support a Black Business.  The teams were directed to Chatman’s D’Vine Bakery & Cafe – owned by Debra Chatman, who formerly served in the United States Air Force.  The Bakery, located at 1239 9th Street, NW, Washington, DC 20001, serves one of the best sweet potato pies you’ll taste!   Chatman’s also has an assortment of cakes, cupcakes, pies and some lunch items.  All of the teams that made it to Chatman’s traded in a coupon for a free Key Lime cupcake.

The teams had 3 hours to find as many clues as they could.  When the teams came running back into Union Station, the points were tallied and only 40 points separated first from third!  Coming in 3rd was:

In second place:

And…in first place…upholding their title:

Congratulations to Kendra and Lemar for winning the hunt, again!  Perhaps it has something to do with that military training!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Hunt and made donations!  Stay tuned for the next one!

For more Scavenger Hunt pictures, please visit Soulfully Speaking Photography.

It’s time for the 2nd DC Scavenger Hunt! March 23, 2009

It’s that time again!  Soulfully Speaking Productions will be sponsoring its second DC Scavenger Hunt!  Scheduled for Saturday, April 18, 2009 at 12:00 pm, it promises to be even more fun and exciting than the last one!  If you didn’t make it to the first one, see what you missed:  1st DC Scavenger Hunt.

Whether you grew up in this area or are new to the DC Metropolitan area, this is a great opportunity for you to get to know the city a little better.  Each team of two adults (kids can also participate) will be given a set of clues to find throughout the city.  The teams will set out to find the most clues in the least amount of time.  This is a great way to spend a Saturday afternoon!  All of the teams from the first hunt had a lot of fun and learned a lot all at the same time.

In keeping with my ongoing personal project, the brown girl study, a donation from a portion of the proceeds of the first hunt was made to the Center for Minority Studies – a non-profit organization that helps to address one of several of the major issues affecting our brown girls and women – HIV and Aids.  A portion of the proceeds of this hunt will be donated to another organization whose existence also serves a prevelant and relevant issue for us, domestic violence.  The Family Crisis Center of Prince George’s County aims not only to provide safe, emergency shelter for battered women and their children, but also to provide these families with comprehensive services.  Please take the time to visit the site and consider donating some of the much needed items listed on the Family Crisis Center’s “Wish List“.

Soulfully Speaking…Photography! March 21, 2009

It’s official.    I have ‘expanded’ Soulfully Speaking Productions to include Soulfully Speaking Photography!

For those that know me, they know that one of the things they can probably count on, is the fact that wherever we go, whatever we do, I’ll have a camera on me.  Shelves of scrapbooks and thousands of photos later, here I am, choosing really and actively to pursue my love for photography (and continuing to pursue an overall love for creativity).  Yay!

Not all of you have had the opportunity to sit in front of my bookshelves and be taken in by my volumes (literally) of scrapbooks chronicling my life and those around me.  But, you will now be able to view some of my photos on my photography website.

I do not and will not  rely solely on my love for photography to serve as the foundation for Soulfully Speaking Photography.  While I believe that creativity exists within, I also recognize the need for that creativity to be supported and reinforced by knowledge and learning.  Over the years I have taken many classes in photography, and continue to do so now.  There is always something new to learn!

So, why now?  Well, when a good friend asked me to do her wedding back in December, I was intially hesitant to accept.  Soon after, I was watching Maya Angelou in an interview where she said that she NEVER turns down an opportunity.  Even if she is initially unsure about it, she says yes and then…runs to the library to figure out the rest!   Words to live by.  So, I did the wedding and reception and it was/has been a great learning experience.  Kisha and Maurice were great to work with and ultimately were the final nudge that moved me to here.

Kisha & Maurice

And now….I am officially open for business!  Whether you are looking for a photographer to capture the celebration of a new engagement,  the beauty of a mother and unborn child, the adoration of new parents and their little one,  the entrepreneurial spirit that is exhibited in your product line or any number of special moments and events, consider me.  I enjoy capturing true emotion and real expressions.  Please feel free to contact me with any questions.  Check out my website for more information and a selection of images at www.soulfullyspeakingphotography.com .

I look forward to working with you soon!

The fight against domestic violence March 9, 2009

With an ever-increasing presence in the news, domestic violence continues to plague our families and our communities. Whether a popular couple in the media’s eye or the couple that lives across the street, domestic violence knows no demographic or social boundaries.

In light of this, the organization receiving a donation from the proceeds of the next scavenger hunt will be the Family Crisis Center for Prince George’s County.

I wanted to re-share and re-post a poem I wrote some years ago and the inspiration behind it.
————-
*June 2005

Ladies,

As usual, I hope this message finds you doing very well!

I wanted to share something with you all. I, along with another lady, witnessed an act of domestic violence this past weekend. It’s one of those things that prior to it happening, you always feel like you know exactly what you should do at that exact moment. I was caught completely off guard by the incident and all of that pre-rationale was gone. At any rate, we never know what is going on in another woman’s life, in another woman’s home. I just want to say that, although we’ve all heard it many times, NO man is worth the abuse of our minds, our bodies or our spirits. And unless the Bible or Webster’s dictionary has redefined love, it certainly does not equate with a man putting his hands on a woman. I will refrain from going into a complete speech about it all, but just want us to all know that we deserve more and should never settle for a male (he is not a man) who would display his ‘love’ in any kind of harmful way. So, with all that said, I wrote something called ‘Behind Closed Doors.’ I hope you read it when you get a chance. (*Stepping down off my soapbox now….*)

Take care and be safe.

Behind Closed Doors

unsuspecting eyes bore witness
to the unfolding at their doors
misunderstandings and miscommunications
appeared to be the reasons for their argument
hell-bent on his position
her opposition meant nothing
and his belief that he was right
self-justified each slight of hand
upon her face
his coiled hands
repeatedly found a place in her side
and with each connection
the perception of the
hidden eyes implied
that this could not be
the First time
unsure whether to open up
their lines
to make an emergency call
his arm around her neck
causing her to fall
further horrified the hidden stares
she got up
unaware
that her son had just appeared
on the top stair
not understanding
that this vision
of her degradation
had now been
planted
and with continued fertilization
could grow to produce
another hand
that fell upon
another woman’s face
but that man-child’s eyes
held No surprise
giving rise to the fear that
what was happening here
was no where near
the blows that landed behind closed
doors
sending her child away
she stayed
perhaps in an attempt to
diffuse the situation
but he refused any further contemplation
leaving her with a bruised rib and swollen eye
but she gave chase
and raced after him
leaving the secret onlookers
with a dimming view of her damaged
spirit
and just because
they could no longer hear it
didn’t mean it wasn’t still
going on
and just because
they could no longer see it
didn’t mean it wouldn’t happen
Again
but when she came back in alone
an offer of help was declined
saying she was just fine
she climbed the stairs
prepared to continue her night
and for her
the fight that had taken place
at the doors of her neighbors
was brushed aside
like the blush she used to hide
the bruise on her face
leaving the only trace to be found
in her eyes
that she kept as protected
as the hidden stares
that watched her
and maybe just like them
she just didn’t know what to do
so instead
she just went back inside
closed her door
and did
Nothing.

-cdt, 6/7/05

Worth the Wait November 19, 2008

Happy Wednesday! If you haven’t had a chance to take the brown girl survey yet, please take a few moments to do so. I’ll be providing an update on the responses thus far, soon. The survey link is:

the brown girl survey

 

Anyway, here’s my latest writing entitled, Worth the Wait:

 

No one told her that
she
was worth the wait
so
she never did
skipping right past kid
to womanly ways
she had no reason for hesitation
when it was time to lay down
no one ever telling her
that a crown
sits better on one who
stands
up/right
never wanting to be up-tight
she let loose
making no excuses
because she didn’t know
there was a reason
to excuse her behavior
sex became
savior
just like she imagined
the father she never knew would have been
but none of this psycho-analysis
entered her head when
she found herself in the beds
of those from whom she
subconsciously sought
approval
albeit temporarily
for at least
momentarily
love
was hers
and since
no one ever told her
she deserved more
she didn’t expect it
and since
she didn’t know
her temple was divine
she never demanded
they respect it
and since
young minds typically
do what young minds see
think about
whose self-image
she reflected
please know
we
are
All
connected
economics
isn’t the only thing
that trickles down
this young girl’s
same perspective
can be found in grown
women
grown women
who extend their bodies
to men who want nothing more than
their bodies
grown women
who then believe
that their sole value
exists in sex
so unless they
are laying down
they walk around feeling
worthless
so please understand
how this works is
a young girl
who doesn’t know her worth is
going to become
a grown woman
who doesn’t know
the same
and we’re all to blame
because we never told her or showed her
differently
so let me put this
simply
her perception of
her self-value
directly relates
to what she
accepts
from her mates
and so the question
blaringly awaits
if she never
Knew
how much she was worth
how would she
Know
she was
worth
the
wait?

-(c) cdt 2008

Ode to the Scavenger Hunters… October 13, 2008

It all began on a warm and sunny October afternoon…we met at Union Station at high noon.  There were 12 teams who all believed they had what it took to be the winners of this, the DC Scavenger Hunt.   The teams of 2 to 3 people sized each other up, trying to assess the other’s strengths and weaknesses…lol…just kidding.

Twelve enthusiastic teams showed up ready to venture out into DC and find  a miscellany of clues that I had picked out and riddled up over the past weeks.  Armed with their digital cameras and clues, they were off for a 3 hour hunt.  They traveled to all four quadrants of the city to snap pictures in all sorts of locations from the Zoo to the National Air & Space Museum to Nationals Park to the Frederick Douglass Museum to the Willard Hotel.  Take a look:

The Freedom Bell in front of Union Station                                      At the National Zoo

World War II Memorial                                                   The US Botanical Gardens

The Air & Space Museum                                             The Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

The National Museum of African Art                            The Doorman at the Willard Hotel

Silver Statue on the Mall                                     Albert Einstein Statue

And while the Lone Sailor Statue/Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue between 7th and 9th Streets was on the list of clues…one team went a step further to find live military men/sailors to snap pictures with…lol…the best non-clue picture award goes to:  Team Renegades!

Anyway, after three hours of searching, the teams returned to Union Station with memory cards full of pictures.  And after my sister and I crunched the numbers, the highest scores went to:

3rd Place – (tie) with 220 points each:

The Crusaders A Serious Matter

2nd Place – with 265 points:

The S & S Superstars

And coming in 1st place, with 280 points, the winning team was….

Team Uncle Sugar!

The first place team received a cash prize.  And a donation will be made to the Center for Minority Studies.

Thanks to all who participated in this event and to those that made donations.  Stay tuned for the next Scavenger Hunt! 

To view additional pictures from the Scavenger Hunt visit the photo gallery: http://www.soulfullyspeakingphotography.com/.

Yay! October 3, 2008

If you’re reading this, then that must mean my website has been relaunched and you have already visited it!    Thanks!  I’ve been thinking about and working on this for some time.  I’m thankful for my friends who have put up with me asking them to review and edit and provide feedback on every single thing…lol.  I especially want to thank…my sister, my mom & dad, Jonathan, Trina, Nana, Precious, Salama, Toni, Tavon, Shawn, Cammie, Alita, Age, Scott, Eb, Kaya…hopefully, I didn’t forget anyone…whether you proofed and discussed the survey, gave me feedback on the site, help formulate the scavenger hunt idea, etc., I greatly appreciate you.  And don’t worry…there will be more involuntary work for you to do in the future…lol. 

I’m excited about both the look and content of the redesigned site.  The biggest addition to the site is my latest project…the brown girl project.  This idea has grown from a conversation with a girlfriend into this evolving project.  I had been writing some pieces dealing specifically with brown girls/women and I thought about dedicating a whole book to the subject.  From there, I began to wonder how I could talk to other women (including those outside of my own circle) and find out what their experiences had been in order to write poems from a more broadened perspective…with the intention of reaching more girls and women and empowering them through their own circumstances.  Lofty goal?  Perhaps, but I figure everything is worth a try!  So…out of this was born the brown girl survey.  This online survey will ask a whole range of questions about the experiences of brown girls and women, as well as questions of those who don’t fit into that demographic.  I’m excited and hopeful that women from all backgrounds and perspectives will take a few minutes and answer these questions.  I’m extremely interested to read the responses.  If you’re interested, please take the survey here:

the brown girl survey

Based on the results of this survey, I will begin to craft small discussion groups to talk more in depth about some of the topics.  But, more to come on that later on.

 

Shifting gears…for those in the DC Metro area, I will be hosting a DC Scavenger Hunt on October 11th from 12:00 PM until about 4:00 PM.  I know there are those of you who secretly wish you could be on The Amazing Race…lol.  Well, here’s your chance to do something on a smaller scale that doesn’t take as much time!  Teams of two will be given a set of clues to find throughout the city (most within several blocks of metro stations).  The teams will find these clues/locations, snap their picture in front of it and get points for each clue found.  They will have a certain amount of time to capture as many clues as they can and then race back to the meeting spot (Union Station) to see who wins.  And if that’s not exciting enough…(insert drum roll here…lol)…there will be a cash prize for first place!  Registration is $20 in advance (before October 11th). 

So…are you up to the challenge???  If so, register online on the site: 

Scavenger Hunt Registration (click on the Events tab)

 

For any events like this that I host, I will be aiming to generate funds to donate to an organization that in some way, services the needs of brown girls and women.  For this event, a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Center for Minority Studies…a non-profit organization who services, among others, brown women by helping to meet their educational health needs.  Check them out:

 

Okay…I guess that’s all I have for right now.  Feel free to subscribe to the blog so you’ll know when I post something new.  I’ll blog about how the survey’s going, what’s new with the project and to share new poems.

Hope you like the new site!

Re-post: Open Windows July 28, 2008

I think I first posted this poem more than a year ago.  Just felt like I needed to re-post it today.

Open Windows

I can only assume
that This Door closed
for a reason
Not that
that makes it any easier
as I stand with my hand
on the knob
wondering why this season
is over
especially when I’m Far from
over
what’s on the other side
So I slide to the floor
with my hands on the Door
and cry
because
broken hearts
just don’t understand
why their keys don’t
work anymore
and Wisdom
isn’t loud enough yet
to stop me
from trying to
Force it
Open
Again
So I
bang and Bang and BANG
not getting that
a broken open door
is useless
and eventually
I tire
because
my hands ache from trying
and
my eyes are red from crying
and when exhaustion finally forces
my acquiescence
sleep’s presence
brings solace to my spirit
and
breathes patience to my dreams
And
just when it seems
I’ll have to sleep forever
to be restored
I awake on the floor
with the sunlight
shining through more Windows
than I remember ever being there
before
and although
my hands and I are still
a little bit sore
I am soothed by the breeze
blowing through the open
Windows
and Clarity shows me
that the open Door
as wide as it was
Never brought me
a breeze
So
at ease
I stare outside
and finally
Wisdom allows me to get that
my Faith must lie
in He who will provide
the key to the Door
in the event
that it shall swing again
or at such a time
when
another door instead shall be
opened
but
until then
I”ll spend my time
with my face to the Sun
appreciating how One closed door
pales in comparison
to all of these
Open
Windows.

pretty girl June 4, 2008

For all the pretty girls who may not know it…

pretty girl

she had to be about 12 or 13
but her eyes put her a little closer to 30
telling me that her soul had already seen far too much pain in her world
I smiled and said…hey pretty girl
and asked her how she was feeling
but
when she looked back at me
there was no concealing the confusion and surprise
that clouded her young-old eyes
as she seemingly struggled in digesting
what I thought was just a simple question
she

paused

and asked simply
Who told you I was pretty?
caught completely off guard
I looked at her
and blinked
and all I could think to say was
Who told you that you weren’t?
she sat and stared
and before I could get prepared
for the answer
she replied without hesitation
Everyone.
Every-one?
I didn’t want to believe it
but she proceeded
with
well…
the music videos all tell me
that my skin is too dark to be considered
and I remember how all the images I see on tv
hint that my nose is too broad and my lips too full
and the lady that does my hair always pulls and presses
mumbling about long straight tresses and weaves
and all the boys at school leave me alone
cause I’m not stacked and not thick enough in the back
and the black women I know always talk about
how they want to go change the way they look
but never talk about how beautiful they are
and if I look just like them
then I can’t be far from the disappointment
they see in themselves
and well…
how much more
would you like me to tell you?
and when she refocused her eyes on me
they were clear and dry
but
I had started to cry
and didn’t know where to begin
so I said
pretty girl…they’re all
just lies

See
Your pretty is in that beautiful brown skin
it’s in those full lips and those hips
whether they’re thick or they’re thin
Your pretty is in those inquistive brown eyes
it’s in that naturally curly hair and in that cute nose
regardless of the size
Your pretty is in that wonderfully resilient spirit
it’s in that brilliant smile and genuine laugh
that brings me joy every time I hear it…

So pretty girl
please don’t believe any of the lies you’ve heard
I need you to listen
to the certainty in my words
and know
that even when the rest of the world
doesn’t get it
You
have to
and as I tried to speak this truth into her wide eyes
they mirrored my own reflection
forcing me to recognize
that I sometimes
get caught up in those
very same lies
and I suddenly realized that
this pretty
wasn’t just about
her
it was also about
me
so as I
adamantly
convinced her
to see all
these pretty things in herself
I tried to convince myself
to see those same pretty things
in me
just
getting
that maybe when I
finally
could look in the mirror
and truly see
my Pretty
so
finally
would
she.

–cdt – 6/4/08

humble me May 21, 2008

 What can I say about this poem…it is the recognition that we, as women, sometimes have a hard time letting go of the…independence, for lack of a better word, in which we exist.  For whatever our individual reasons are, we are used to doing things by ourselves and for ourselves.  After how ever many years of living in that mindset, it can be hard to relax and let down that guard when a good and right man comes along.  I don’t think that most men get that it has become a part of who we are as opposed to it just being an attitude or a difficult way of acting.  I have had enlightening conversations with a few girlfriends about this lately and I understand the importance of us knowing when we can let it go…when we can let down the guard.  Easier said than done, as I’m sure most of us have been hurt before, but it is necessary.  Keep in mind that this only applies to that good and right man I mentioned earlier… 

humble me 

Humble me Lord
while I fumble these words
and submit to the possibility
that he may be
for me
that he may be
the other half of the we
I was never sure I’d see
that he may be
the man to see
the virtuous woman in me
so Lord I pray You
help me to be made ready and

Humble me 

Humble me Lord

so that he sees

the willing that

sometimes resides

behind the disguise

of independence

so that he sees

the me

hiding behind the defenses

so that he sees

how strongly I really want

to be in this

so Lord I pray You

help me to release my resistance and

Humble me

Humble me Lord

so that I know

when to be heard

and when to listen

so that my pride knows

when to relinquish

the rights to my submission

so that my mind knows

it’s safe to

grant my heart permission

so Lord I pray You

help me to make needing him my admission and

Humble me 

Humble me Lord

so that he and I can be on

one accord

in all ways

so that on those days

when it gets rough

I allow him to take my hand

as we pray

so that when we get

caught in this craze

I submit to his ability to lead us

out the maze

so Lord I pray You

help me to surrender my stubborn ways and

Humble me 

 Humble me Lord

are the most genuine words

I speak

as I seek to

release all that

is old and

all past hurts

to which my heart

still holds

Lord I pray You

make me bold in my

new willingness

to be open

make me soft

before my words are spoken

make me ready to fully embrace love again

and make me strong enough to

allow my head to bow and

my knees to bend

so Lord

just as you’ve humbled

him

Lord I pray You

Humble me.

Amen. 

-cdt, 5/15/08