I was taking the suggestion he’d made–as well as a comment from a mentor–under advisement about adding more action scenes. When Bryan and I met up I asked him how I could do that and we talked about it. I told him about the creative writing class I’m taking right now and how I was hoping the morning pages exercise would help me get back into a writing routine. And to help me hear the voices again.

Draven and I aren’t talking right now.

In fact, we haven’t conversed since around this time last year, when I dusted off Book 1 and revised the first 50 pages. Again. For, like, the 3rd or 4th time. My thoughts have been very quiet and not in a good way. I told Bryan that it’s been like chirping crickets in my mind for quite some time and he suggested that maybe there’s a reason. Maybe she’s trying to tell me something and I haven’t been listening. He said maybe I need to have an artist date and find out what’s going on with Draven.

So I took his advice.

Today, after getting home from work, I went on an artist date.

In the tub.

Lights out.

Candle flickering.

It didn’t take long.

My first book, Secrets and Kisses, was an idea.

My second book, Dance Jam Productions, was a reoccurring dream I kept having. Once I wrote it, I stopped having the dream.

The Draven series was an idea. The idea was based off of my niece and I was writing it for her. In a “Hey, wouldn’t it be cool to write a YA series about a strong, kick-ass African-American heroine? Don’t see much of those” kind of way.

And it was good.

Boy-howdy, the conversations we she had.

And it was good. For two books.

Conversation started getting strained around Book 3, when I was trying to write her next assignment for NaNoWriMo in 2009.

Yeah. That was like finding a turd in a punch bowl.

And, as I mentioned, things were good for a little while around this time last year.

But here we are again. Same time, different year. And Draven is silent again. Even as I worked on Chapter One of the GN, she never said a word.

I got scared. I was afraid I was losing my creative spark and for a writer, well, *holds out arms, wrist side up*, let’s just say that’s not a good thing.

I thought it was because of school. That even after nearly 3 yrs in, I’m still trying to find that work/life/school balance…and school’s winning by a landslide.

But that’s not it.

Well, Bryan, you’ll be happy to know that I figured it out.

Draven’s not talking to me anymore because someone else is.

Another reoccurring dream (I think there’s a pattern emerging). One that’s been hanging on for a very long time. I’ve been trying to block her out, covering my ears and ignoring her, because she’s not a teenager. I keep saying “I write YA!” But I don’t think she cares. LOL. No, no, I don’t think, I know: she doesn’t care.

I’m a little superstitious and I believe in signs. When it comes to my writing, that is. And I really can’t believe that I’ve been ignoring this one.

So I’m not going to any longer.

With that being said, I’ve decided to put the Draven GN series on the back burner for a little while.

NOT INDEFINITELY.

The idea is still there. I still love the idea of a teenage FBI informant.

But someone other than Draven is talking now and she won’t shut. the fuck. up.

So I’m going to let her speak her peace and see what happens.

I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes.

The Artist’s Way is the seminal book on the subject of creativity. An international bestseller, millions of readers have found it to be an invaluable guide to living the artist’s life.

I’ve heard about this book and the workbook that goes along with it. I remember hearing about “morning pages” (“pages of longhand writing, strictly stream-of-consciousness, which provoke, clarify, comfort, cajole, prioritize, and synchronize the day at hand” first thing in the morning.) and we’re going to be required to do that for this class. We won’t have to share what we wrote, just the experience. I’m hoping this will get me back into a writing routine again because I seem to have lost my momentum until recently. This book is a 12-week program that will will “will help you discover and recover your personal creativity, artistic confidence, and productivity”.

When Ms Cameron teaches this course, she requires her students to sign a contract committing themselves to the course. There’s an example in the book and I’ve decided to sign the contract for the public to see.

I, Celise Downs, understand that I am undertaking an intensive, guided encounter with my own creativity. I commit myself to the thirteen-week duration of the course. I, Celise Downs, commit to weekly reading, daily morning pages, a weekly artist date, and the fulfillment of each week’s tasks.

Celise Downs
6 June 2011

You read it here, folks. This is going to be interesting.

Technorati Tags: Julia Cameron, THE ARTIST’S WAY

I was thinking of Staind’s song, “It’s Been a While” as I wrote this post. I like that band. And it really has been a while. I can’t remember the last time I visited anyone in my blogroll. There’s a fine layer of dust over there. *blows out a breath and coughs as dust mites fill the air*. Sorry about that. I tend to abandon blogs that haven’t been updated in a while, so I imagine that the few regulars I had have long since found someone else to follow.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but my blog is probably going to remain sporadically updated for a little while longer. School has been an all-consuming evil obligation, to the point where I read if I have any free time. And I’m reading books, not blogs. So, let me catch everyone up before I disappear again.

School Daze – The spring semester ended with A’s in both of my classes, Volunteer Management and Human Relations. Thank you to Shoshana Ross and Chantal Sheehan (again) for being my mentors. You can read more about that HERE. I created the other website to chronicle my journey to opening my own nonprofit, so anything I learn in regards to that will be posted on that blog. Anything about writing will be posted here. The summer session starts tomorrow (I had about a 3-week break reprieve) and I’ll be taking Marketing for Nonprofits with Abbie Fink of HMA PR and an online Moodle course, Self-Exploration Through Creative Writing. I’m still looking for course mentors for the Fall 2011 through Spring 2012 semesters. If you or someone you know would be interested, check out the details HERE.

Writing – I finally finished writing Chapter One of the DA graphic novel. You can read about my first two sessions with Bryan Graham, creator of Section 1138, HERE and HERE. It took a lot longer than I thought because I still want to add stuff and keep the dialogue the same. I realize that I may have to re-vamp the story a little bit and provide more action on Draven’s part. I had an original idea when it came to this series: providing little tidbits at the beginning of each chapter that are based on her assignments. For Book One, since it involved a place called The Royalty Treatment Day Spa, I wanted to put the different spa treatments you could get at this spa at the beginning of each chapter. My mentor from my Novel Revising course stated that the info was distracting from the story, especially since not a lot of the action was happening there. I should only include it if the action is actually happening there. Hence the changes I’ll need to make. Now that I’m going a different route with the series, I can have actual pictures instead of text. In addition to finally finishing Chapter One, the Draven Atreides website is done. Finally! After nearly a year. There’s nothing in The Books area (yet), the newsletter hasn’t been created (yet), I haven’t set up a Twitter account for her (yet), and no thoughts have been written down in her “Diary” (yet), but you can look at everything else. LOL. All of that will come when Book One is released. Now that the series site is up, I’ll be chronicling the process of writing the GN over there as well as here.

Life – Still working the day job, but hope to move into the nonprofit sector by the end of the year. Health-wise, I’m trying to cure a reoccurring body dysfunction. During this process, from Dec 2010 to now, I’ve lost about 12 pounds. And no, losing those pounds was not intentional and not something I could afford to lose. Shit like that just happens when you cut something out. I’m trying to gain some weight back while maintaining a healthy diet, but the good thing is that I got a semi new wardrobe out of it. A lot of the clothes I had before were too big, so I had to go out and buy ones that fit. Oh, the hardship! And it really was for someone like me. LOL. Seriously. I’ve never liked clothes shopping (even when I was young) and would rather spend money on books than clothes. LOL. My good friend and manager left the company last month to move to Florida. Really, really bummed about that. And I found out my best friend is moving to Boston for her dream job at the end of July. Really, really bummed–and depressed–about that. I feel like everyone’s leaving me and moving on with their lives. I’m happy for them and at least will have two new places to visit (never been to either place), but still…*sigh*. It just really sucks.

Soooo, that’s it. In a nutshell. My birthday’s this Sunday and I’ve got some stuff planned, so I may be posting again this weekend.

Technorati Tags: Staind, HMA PR, Section 1138

Session #2 – Mar 31st

This time, I did a lot better. I took a page from the script section in the IDIOT’S GUIDE TO CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL and copied the format of that script. Very, very helpful.

I stopped over-describing things, but still described things. If that makes sense. And Bry still suggests that I should cut down on the dialogue. CLICK ON LINK FOR FULL-SIZE VIEW

When I sent him these next 5 pages, I said this in my email:

• I revamped it a little after we talked. I liked your idea about the full page of the spa and police cars with flashing lights in the parking lot. I also liked your idea about the initial meeting between Draven and the agents. That was pretty much the whole first chapter.

• I know what you’re going to say about some of the dialogue (too much), but it’s going to be a graphic novel, not a comic book. And I liked the way Richard Sala did it in CAT BURGLAR BLACK.

• At one point, I had decided to model my novel after CBB: 126 pages, roughly 16 pages per chapter. The first chapter actually had 40 pages. And it’s only got 5 chapters! But I like the prose-with-picture theme that Hannah proposed, which made me think of a diary format (Kinda like “Diary of a Wimpy Kid”. I’ll bring a copy tomorrow so you can see what I’m talking about. And no, the copy isn’t mine. I borrowed it from a co-worker who’s got a kid). LOL): where it’s like Draven’s telling the story (pictures) and will occasionally “interrupt” and provide a little commentary. You’ll see what I mean when I use the different font.

In regards to that last bullet point I would like to add that this is Book One. I feel that this first time, there needs to be a bit of explanation as to Y.I.D.’s purpose and a little background on Draven’s target. I may cut it a little bit, but for now, I think the wordiness needs to stay. Of course, that may change once the illustrator gets his/her hands on it. Since I’ve decided to go the picture-and-prose route, that per chapter page length might not work (although I’d like to keep the 126 total page length). I think it would really depend on how I do the prose. But an idea Bry came up with regarding the cover got me a little fired up about how this GN will look when it’s printed.

Without giving away too much, the cover is going to look like a file folder and the concept was that Draven would be telling the story like a diary (with pictures), so the pages would look like lined paper (i.e. DIARY OF A WIMPY KID series). But if it’s going to look like a folder on the outside, it should look like one on the inside, too, right? Not like a diary, wouldn’t you say? Yeah, that’s kinda what I was thinking. And the contents of a folder generally have a lot of notes in the margins, sticky notes, pages of actual notes, etc. Draven does a lot of internal thinking and she also keeps journal-style notes of her activities and findings.

Bry came up with a fabriffic idea that during these points in the book, I should use an actual image of a Post-It note with writing on it…or an actual blank page with typed up notes…or a note in the margin that’s one of her internal thoughts.

How. Freakin’. Cool. Is. That?

I never would of thought to do something like that. Bry continually opens my eyes and shows me how much you can do in a GN and how it’s all about The Visual.

“So, how did it feel this time? Was it more difficult?” he asked.

“The script format is easier. The re-writing is a little difficult, still. I’m starting to realize that I’m cutting out whole chapters,” I told him.

He shook his head and said, “No. Don’t think of it as cutting out, but just writing it in a different way. If you think of it like that, it should get easier.”

Which totally makes sense. I’m used to describing EVERYTHING and a lot of the things I’m describing can now be images. So really, all that’s left is dialogue and Draven’s inner thoughts.

During these past two sessions with Bry, I’ve had so many Lightbulb Moments it’s ridiculous. That one however, felt less like a lightbulb and more like a spotlight. LOL.

And now you see why I love working with him.

Lessons Learned:

~ Start looking for an illustrator now – It took Bry 7 months to find his. I was thinking that I needed to wait until the story was done, but I already have the story. Duh.

~ In selecting an illustrator, be well, selective – Don’t send the whole script, just a few pages to see how they perceive your characters. Website is preferred (so you can at least see a portfolio), if not, have them send samples. If you can’t pay the artist (which is preferable for me, but let’s get real here…), then work out a talent+trusting relationship+belief in the project=the-money-will-come-and-we’ll-split-it-50/50 situation.

~ Assign a color to each main character to indicate who’s talking – Especially if the dialogue takes place off-panel.

~ is WAY more helpful to me than . Sorry Scott.

~ Just like writing a novel, there’s no right or wrong way to write a GN. REALLY. – It’s whatever works and feels comfortable to you and your illustrator. This is actually something Bry has to keep reminding me about, but sadly, it’s going to take a little longer to absorb. LOL.

Technorati Tags: IDIOT’S GUIDE TO CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL, DIARY OF A WIMPY KID, Post-It

The Write Zone is going to be the name of my nonprofit (don’t know if it’s available. Guess I should check on that, huh?) and I’ve decided to chronicle my journey to its grand opening (whenever that happens) on that blog. I’ve been learning so much and want to talk about it more, but feel it’s not right for this blog. This is my author site and I’ve gotten away from talking about writing for YA–until recently, that is–and I don’t want to clutter it up anymore with talk of school and nonprofit stuff. I’m going to school so I’ll know how to run a nonprofit. And while it’s going to involve writing, it’s not going to be centered on YA.

Which is where The Write Zone comes in.

I think I tried this same thing when I first started school back in 2009 and it didn’t work. Probably because I wasn’t seeing the forest for the trees.

But now I’m in the forest.

And I want to talk about what I’m seeing and doing and discovering.

So, if you’re interested in that part of my life, feel free to click on the link above and Friend me over there.

A Useful Warning

On Wednesday, Dr. Oz had a show on the fastest growing cancer in women, thyroid cancer. It was a very interesting program and he mentioned that the increase could possibly be related to the use of dental x-rays and mammograms. He demonstrated that on the apron the dentist puts on you for your dental x-rays there is a little flap that can be lifted up and wrapped around your neck. Many dentists don’t bother to use it. Also, there is something called a “thyroid guard” for use during mammograms. By coincidence, I had my yearly mammogram yesterday. I felt a little silly, but I asked about the guard and sure enough, the technician had one in a drawer. I asked why it wasn’t routinely used. Answer: “I don’t know. You have to ask for it.” Well, if I hadn’t seen the show, how would I have known to ask?
Someone was nice enough to forward this to me.

However, I did enjoy reading Richard Sala‘s CAT BURGLAR BLACK.

Trying to script the first 5 pages was extremely difficult.The first chapter in Book One is basically the agents heading up Y.I.D. going over the special “deal” with Draven and going over her first assignment. That’s it. The first 5 pages are the agents explaining the deal.

So, here I am, trying to capture all that.

When Bryan brought the first scripts he wrote, at the top, it said “What Not To Do.”

Basically, it was everything that I did in describing how I wanted the panels to look. LOL

I sent him what I did and here’s the first page with his comments (CLICK TO ENLARGE).

Once I get the hang of this script writing thing, I should be able to do it like this (CLICK TO ENLARGE):

See the difference between mine and the X-MEN script?

In regards to this first assignment, he tells me at the top that I need page numbers and asks me “How do you want pacing?” A typical comic book is 22 pages and the whole thing is scripted in 7-9 pages. The whole thing! My “homework” was 6 pages. Granted, graphic novels are different from comic books and I’ll have more leeway in telling the story, but yeah, I’m definitely a nube here. LOL.

In the left-hand margin he says “A lot of movement. Break it down to photos!”

At the very bottom he gives me a tip from Stan Lee: “Never use more than 28 words of dialogue per panel.”

Cutting dialogue and description is going to be hard for me. Especially description. I’m used to describing everything, from what a person wears to scenery to facial expressions. I mean, I’m going to have to cut out a lot of shit!

During the course of our 2-hr meeting, Bryan and I talked about a lot of stuff:

~ Breaking my novel down into 3 acts

~ Figuring out how long I want the novel to be

~ How many pages do I want my GN to be

~ How many panels per page should I have? The typical number is 4-6

~ Start thinking VISUALLY (very important)

~ Study more graphic novels, especially the ones being read by 13-18 yr olds (and hopefully it’s not those manga ones)

~ Read up more on the GN industry (because I need to know the jargon) which is why I bought Scott McCloud‘s UNDERSTANDING COMICS and THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL by Nat Gertler and Steve Lieber.

~ As a writer, I’m going to have to leave my ego at the door….because it’s going to be all about the illustrator, not the writer.

~ Illustrators and writers have a partnership and everything should be 50/50

What I love about working with Bryan is that he comes from the comic book world. Section 1138 is the first comic book he’s creating, yes, but he knows comics. He’s been reading them forever. I, on the other hand, have not. I’m coming from the novel world. We view my novel in two different ways and I love getting his opinion/impression/whatev of my novel. I see my novel as just words, he sees them visually and can tell me, “this could be one whole panel, no dialogue” or “you can show her facial expression here instead of saying this”. It’s going to be difficult, transitioning from novel writing to writing a graphic novel, but I know that there’s a light at the end of the tunnel: Bryan. He’s going to show me how to do this and we’re going to get through this together. He’ll help me create a graphic novel and I’ll help him edit his comic book. A win-win situation.

One of things Bryan mentioned was the fact that my novel should start somewhere else within the story, like an action scene. Which makes sense if you think about it. The majority of the t.v. shows me and my husband watch start out with an action scene. And then the rest of the show is piecing together what happened. I want all the books to begin with a debriefing and end with a psyche eval (it’s part of Draven’s gig and she has to have one at the end of each assignment). So for instance, in Book 2, it would begin with a little recap of what happened in Book One and then segue into assignment #2. By the end of our meeting, Bryan was able to condense the first chapter (10 double-spaced, typed pages) into just 3 GN (Graphic Novel) pages! Three, peoples! I even got a little giddy when he gave me the suggestion for the back cover: a file showing her case. Hah! How awesome sauce is that?

So, in between working full-time, school, and taking non-school related courses like grant writing, I’m going to turn my novel into a graphic novel. This is going to be my way of giving myself some “me” time and not be so consumed with school all the time. We plan to meet a few times a month, and take it slow: 5 pages at a time. Yeah. This. Is going to be interesting. Hope you all stick around for the journey.

Lessons Learned:
~ GNs will be 126 pages long
~ GNs will have 4-6 panels per page
~ Be less descriptive
~ Watch word count

Technorati Tags: X-MEN XENOGENESIS, Warren Ellis, Richard Sala, CAT BURGLAR BLACK, Stan Lee, Scott McCloud, UNDERSTANDING COMICS, THE COMPLETE IDIOT’S GUIDE TO CREATING A GRAPHIC NOVEL, Nat Gertler, Steve Lieber, Section 1138

And something I can’t not think about.

Time seems to go by so quickly and before I know it, damn, it’s time to troll for more mentors?

Needless to say, the spring session is almost over. Summer starts in May and I was hoping to have Marketing and Program Planning mentors locked in.

One out of two isn’t bad, right? Found someone for Marketing but summers seem to be the busiest time for program directors/managers/coordinators.

Or they don’t have graduate level degrees.

Another downside to this innovative program. I get a lot of “wow, this is great, I would love to help, BUT…I don’t have a master’s degree.”

*sigh*

That makes it a little more daunting.

I’m thinking I’m going to have to scrap the Program course this summer and go with something else. With that being said:

I’m looking for a professional to mentor my Multicultural YA Literature course this summer. In order to be considered, you have to have a graduate level degree. As a mentor, the time you give will be considerable but valuable. And, as a thank you for your willingness to inspire and guide a student, you will receive a small honorarium fee from the school. If you’re interested, please send your resume to acolston [at] prescott.edu and I will be happy to provide additional details.

This week’s question: What’s your current favorite T.V. show?

It’s been a while since I’ve participated (lately, it seems like nothing but school, school, school is occupying my time), so I thought I might jump in this time because I love talking about TV shows. Babendude and I watch a lot of shows. I’m surprised we can keep up with them. Needless to say, we do a lot of recording. Since GLEE is one of my favorite shows, and was already talked about by the blogger of the week, I’m choosing SUPERNATURAL.

Maybe you’ve heard of it? Two hot guys—who happen to be brothers—traveling around the states in a black 1967 Chevy Impala laying waste to all things, well, supernatural? No? For those of you clueless people out there, this series follows the de-gorgeous Winchester brothers—Sam (Jared Padalecki) and Dean (Jensen Ackles)–as they hunt demons and other figures of the paranormal variety. They also get a little help from fellow demon hunter, Bobby (Jim Beaver) and an angel named Castiel (Misha Collins). This show first aired back in 2005 and I’ve been tuning in from the beginning. We’re in the middle of Season 6 right now and I think it’s going to be the last one. I’ll be sad to see it go, but I’m sure J’n’J are ready to move on.

From the get-go, Sam been my favorite character.

Do you blame me? With abs like that, I can’t help but tune in each week to see if he’s going to have a shirtless scene. LOL. It’s been interesting to see him grow as a person—physically—and as a character. He’s gone from wanting a normal life and giving up the job to being a balls-to-the-wall demon hunter. Dean Winchester was the jaded, hard-edged one and Sam was the one who still saw the positive side in things. They’ve both been brought back from Hell (not at the same time, of course) and since then, their roles have been reversed.

Some things I love about this show:

~ It can be both serious and funny – This time, Sam was brought back from Hell, but we soon found out that he came back without his soul. For a few weeks, Dean wondered if he could ever trust his brother again. Personally, I was wondering the same thing and it got me to thinking about the whole “soulless human” aspect. And I look forward to the FBI alias names they concoct. Hi-larious.

~ Jared Padalecki

~ The music – Dean has this thing for 80’s music, particularly Journey and/or Foreigner, so they’re always playing stuff like that, or 70’s rock. Thanks to this show, I now have a need to download “Carry On My Wayward Son” by Blue Oyster Cult. During the first few seasons they would play this song while they were recapping what’s been going on so far.

~ It’s all about family – Blood is thicker than water and Sam and Dean live by this creed. These brothers have proven over and over that they would do anything for each other. Because really, all the family they have left is each other.

~ Jared Padalecki

~ Castiel (aka “Cass”) – I have yet to see this dude smile, but his scenes can be hilarious.

~ The Impala – That car is like a Timex watch: it can take a licking and keep on ticking. It’s the ultimate man toy and it’s so damned sexy, it’s not even funny. I can recall a few eppies where this thing got totaled, but it’ll be back like new in the following eppie. Nice!

~ Jared Padalecki

~ They do a lot of reading – That may seem like an odd sticking point, but for a bookworm like me, I think that’s pretty awesome. They use their father’s journal as a guide most of the time, but whenever they hit up a new town, they’re always doing research—the Internet, the town library, etc. They really need to come out with a READ poster of these guys. I would so buy it.

~ And did I mention, um…Jared Padalecki?

I’m gonna stop now. Really. So, what’s your favorite current TV show right now? What else are you watching?

Technorati Tags: GLEE, SUPERNATURAL, Jared Padalecki, (Jensen Ackles, Jim Beaver, Misha Collins, Journey, Foreigner, Carry On My Wayward Son, Blue Oyster Cult

I’m Not Giving My Black Back

I’m Not Giving My Black Back! I’m not giving up my greens or my grits or saying “girl” and putting my hands on my hips. You see…Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair and I’m not giving up Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hammer, Mary McLeod Bethune, Sojourner Truth, Madame C J. Walker, Toni Morrison, or Dr. Maya Angelou, ’cause you see, I am a phenomenal woman and I’m not giving my black back.

I’m not giving up my crown, waves, braids, curls, locks, kinks or scarves. I’m not giving up sitting in Ma’s kitchen eating peach cobbler or sweet potato pie and hearing her ask me, “How you doing baby”?

I’m not giving up going to “You Buy, We Fry” on Fridays, or barbeques on Saturday playing bid whist, spades and slammin’ those dominoes. I’m not giving back Harriet Tubman‘s train, Soul Train, Coltrane or the midnight train to Georgia. Now, you can meet me at the function at the junction but I still won’t give up B.B. King, the Whispers, Fancy Ms. Nancy, Lena Horne, the Philadelphia Sound, Motown or the Temptations.

Cause you see, it’s the way we do the things we do, like building the pyramids that still stand made by our forefathers’ hands where the diamonds, oil, silver and gold are buried in our rich dark land.

I’m not giving my black back! I’m happy being happy with my wide slim hips and my wide nose and the rich melanin in my skin. I love putting lotion on my ashy legs (preferably the body butter from The Body Shop).

Oh, I’m happy being nappy and being in the skin that I’m in. I won’t deny or forget my ancestors who lay in a wet grave at the bottom of the sea in the Middle Passage from slave trade.

And I won’t give up on our youth of today who still need a way made. I won’t give back Miles even though he didn’t smile. I won’t give back Marvin Gaye, Richard Pryor, Phyllis Hyman, Billie Holiday or Billy Eckstein, Jackie Robinson or Jackie Wilson.

I won’t give back the electric slide, Alvin Ailey, Bojangles or Debbie Allen. You think I’d give up reading my Jet, Ebony, Essence, Emerge, Black Enterprise, Heart and Soul or Upscale magazines? For we are a colorful people.

Like Curtis Mayfield sang, we are a people that are “darker than blue.” We are honey, cinnamon, mahogany and chocolate. We are REDD Fox, James BROWN, Barry WHITE, The Mothers of the Church dressed in WHITE, The Color PURPLE, the Lady Who Sings the BLUES and we are Al GREEN with love and happiness.

Oh, NO… I’m not giving my black back!

I’m not giving back Maxine (Waters), Martin, Medgar, Malcolm, Mandela, Marley, Marcus, Muhammad Ali, Michael (Jordan) or the Million Man March. I’m not giving my black back.

AMEN!

Technorati Tags: Rosa Parks, Fannie Lou Hammer, Mary McLeod Bethune, Sojourner Truth, Madame C J. Walker, Toni Morrison, Dr. Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman, Soul Train, Coltrane, B.B. King, the Whispers, Fancy Ms. Nancy, Lena Horne, the Philadelphia Sound, Motown, the Temptations, The Body Shop), Marvin Gaye, Richard Pryor, Phyllis Hyman, Billie Holiday, Billy Eckstein, Jackie Robinson, Jackie Wilson, Alvin Ailey, Bojangles, Debbie Allen, Jet, Ebony, Essence, Emerge, Black Enterprise, Heart and Soul, Upscale, Curtis Mayfield, REDD Fox, James BROWN, Barry WHITE, The Color PURPLE, Al GREEN, Maxine (Waters), Michael (Jordan)