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0 Bad News

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Big news today, cellphones may be carcinogenic to humans.

WHAT?!

Yup! The sweet gadget you wear proudly on your hip, or hold tenderly in your hands or whip out to impress someone may very soon be linked to CANCER. I know that word brings the fear of Goliath into my heart, I'm not quite sure about you.

In our modern view of cancer, images of suffering come to mind. The pain, the expensive treatment, the complications that may follow and the looming threat of death. While many cancers are treatable, the one being referred to in the article released by WHO, a glioma, typically grows in the spine or in the brain where glial cells can be found. It is a malignant cancer, which basically means it is the killing kind and it is very rarely curable.

A 2010 survey showed that women of color were the greatest users of cell phones in the United States and with the incredible proliferation of cell phone usage in Africa, which recently surpassed the number of cell phones purchased in Europe, we know that even more people of color around the World are using cell phones to communicate with one another.

According to the WHO/International Agency for Research on Cancer IARC that included 31 scientists from 14 different countries that met in Lyon, France, exposure to the non-ionizing radiofrequency electromagnectic fields produced by cell phones increases the risk of cancer. This poses a serious public health concern since there are estimated to be well over 5 billion cell phone users globally and rising quickly. Of course more research needs to be conducted, and conducted quickly so that the proper measures are taken.

So what does this mean for you? Cell phones have become vital to the convenience of our lives. A single text message routed to friends and relatives on the other side of the World lets them know you are thinking about them. Cell phone use was responsible for bringing us up to date information from the ground this past February as we watched Africa's second largest economic power relieve themselves of an oppressive dictatorship. We need our cell phones to find out if the restaurant we want to visit is open, but there are ways to use it and reduce the amount of exposure to the electromagnetic waves.


  1. Purchase a pair of ear pieces (no blue tooth gadgets either. They are just as bad).
  2. Purchase a phone that will allow you to have a conversation via speaker-phone.
  3. Turn off your cellphone whenever there is a stretch of time that you will not be using it.
  4. Put your cellphone in airplane mode so it does not continue to search for a connection to a tower.
  5. When you are not using it, keep your cellphone away from your body.
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0 The Case for World Music

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There are few things in this World that unite culture and people more than the Arts. There is beauty to be found in art that speaks a universal language, music with rhythm and emotion that speaks to the humanity in all of us, literature bursting with stories we could have never imagined, but can visualize and enter and learn.

The World is awash with beautiful voices that belt out tunes played to instruments that may or may not sound like the instruments we are used to and in languages we do not understand, but is there a chance that we might connect to the emotion beneath?

Why is it that we relegate ourselves, almost exclusively, to music sung in languages that we understand? Is our connection to the music through the words, or is there a possibility that we can transcend the literal meaning of the words (or ignore them) and enjoy the emotion, the musicality of the voices and the sounds of the instruments?

It is possible that the World must rethink what globalization has done to the music experience of a moderate internet surfer. Some people are way ahead of the fray, like Beyonce choosing to use the dance routine of a little known group called Tofo Tofo probably found on YouTube by one of her choreographers. Shakira fully embraced African dance in the video that was composed for FIFA held in South Africa most recently.

Qalil challenges you to give it a try. KTRU, "which airs on Mondays 7-9 pm (CST) on 90.1 KPFT-HD2 or online at www.ktru.org has a program called Routes D’Afrique which explores the diversity of African music" (according to their site). If you crave the African flavor including folkloric and traditional recordings, please tune in to listen!

A recent furor over the reduction in number of awards for the Grammys certainly brings what has been called "World Music" to the forefront. World music is a label that cannot be used to describe the affluence and diversity of the music the World produces.

It is possible that it is time for the World to abandon the Grammys and leave large portions of the Western World to the constrictions they have placed upon their music choices. Maybe it is time the rest of the World celebrates, show cases and shares their talents with each other and form a different kind of award that surpasses the minor squabbles that form the complex politics of Hollywood.

On that note today Qalil brings you some of the "World Music" that has been on our favorite list. Enjoy!



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0 80+ Minutes of Honesty

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History is often told from the perspective of the victor/oppressor.

More often than not, the stories told about the culture of the conquered or oppressed are crafted for the express purpose of making them seem weak, incredibly savage, uncivilized and less than they are to prove that they are justified in conquering, stealing from and oppressing them.

This modification of history has happened all around the World.

Formerly oppressed/conquered people are beginning to come out to oppose fabricated histories that have shaped their culture. For example, the actual history of the atrocities committed by the Germans in Namibia where thousands of Boers were killed in concentration camps, a training ground for what would later become the most famous holocaust in the World's history.

It is, therefore, a rare occurrance when one finds a film like the one shown below.

Even though the story is told from the perspective of someone who could be considered an oppressor, he chooses to take an honest and candid look at some of the immoral choices of the British empire as they attempted to squash the MauMau revolution of Kenya that eventually led to its independence in 1963.

These stories need to be told again and again so that people begin to understand the complex political structures that had shaped the continent prior to colonialism were not barbaric, as some have chosen to say, but supported a thriving, sustainable network in which economies and scholarly endeavors.


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0 Sweet Treat Saturday (Gluten Free)

© Qalil

  • 300  g. Rice flour (8 ounces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
  • 130 g. white granulated sugar (4 ounces plus one half tablespoon)
  • 1 large egg
  • 125 g. melted butter (1 stick of unsalted butter or 4 ounces)
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons of rose water (or just water, or in my case ALMOND MILK)
  • 1 teaspoon of ground cardamom
  • 10 pitted dates
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Whisk the egg and melted butter together to make it light and gradually add the dry mixture to it.

Crush the dates with your fingers and add to the mixture which should be thick enough to be manipulated with your hands.

Add the almond milk bit by bit just until the mixture is sticky enough to stick to your fingers.

Wrap the dough in saran wrap and let it sit in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, heat the oven to 375 degrees, shape the cookies with your finger and spread them on an oiled cookie sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until just brown.

The icing sugar is my own addition, but these cookies are a winner if your choice is to try something gluten free.

© Qalil


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0 New Frontier in Protesting

      Revolutions       Civil war       Sustained civil disorder and governmental changes       Protests and governmental changes       Major protests       Minor protests
The Middle East and a good number of African countries have been rocked by throngs of protesters, tired of living under oppressive regimes that have plundered their land and given in to the plutocratic greed of westernized corporations, giving rise to what has been dubbed the Arabian Spring.

There has been an inordinate concentration of media attention on North Africa, but a rumble is being heard all over the continent and is being felt by many of the leaders who, at the recent Africa Day celebration held in Harare, Zimbabwe, called for stringent controls on the internet to curb the youth from following external forces causing them to riot against their governments (News Article).

As bubbles of unrest and dissatisfaction rise up from various locations on the continent, one group has decided to take action, not by marching to offices or different locations in the city, but instead have taken a page out of Julian Assange and Anonymous' book and have hacked a government website.

The NaijaCyberHactivists took down the websites of the Niger Delta Development Commission along with the National Agency for Poverty Alleviation in protest of the $6 million budget for the inaguration of President Elect Goodluck Jonathan who won the recent elections that were rocked with violence and death.


The sites have been restored to their normal operations, but the website of the hackers is down.

With the rise of computer use and computer knowledge on the continent, this may very well be the new face of protests but only time will tell if it will prove to be an effective tool in forcing the governments' hands. It may also reduce the death toll and destruction of property and the complete halt of economic progress. It's effectiveness is yet to be tested but we will keep an eye on it for you and appraise you of events as they happen.

Keep your eye on Tahrir!
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0 African Style and Fashion

If someone sat you down and asked you to picture African Fashion, what would come to mind?

For most of us, bright colors with lots of greens, reds, blues and yellows of all shades. Large bold prints demanding your attention, beautiful head dresses crafted by gifted hands and creativity.

Imagine the fashion and style no longer. Here are a few gems we have discovered in our trek through the internet.

African Chic for your home (Maraki Design)

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Decor for your African Themed home (Eva Soinake)
Click here for more pictures from Original Source

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Art for your walls (Brianna McCarthy)

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Clothes for your wardrobe (Vlisco Fashion Show, Photography by Nana Kofi Acquah)

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0 Affordable Food

Valerie Everett
As the recession trudges on destroying everything in its wake, the news channels are ablaze with a term that has been used to describe different situations in underdeveloped countries.

Food insecurity

Food insecurity is the state in which people live in hunger or with the fear of starvation.  Food security, on the other hand is when all people (within a particular region) at all times, have physical, economical and social access to safe nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life (fao.org definition)

The price of gas at the pump has risen by 38%  in one year (data) which means that anything that comes to us from somewhere else will cost more because of fuel prices. In the recent past, oil companies have reduced the price of gas a little to assuage the general population in the United States one in six who believe it is not the actual price of gas that increased, but the greed of oil corporations and speculators of gas prices.

There is an argument that food insecurity in the developed World arrived long before the recession and increase in gas prices. If food security means access to safe nutritious food for a healthy life, then the increasing bulge of the collective waistline of these countries is an indication that food security might be more complicated than was first imagined.

At the grocery store, healthy nutritious food, void of any harmful antibiotics and pesticides is the most expensive food and is usually one small section of the store. Many communities do not have stores with organic/non-GMO sections. More and more consumers at the store lean towards this food, opting for the "less is more" principle where nutritional value and safety trump abundance.

As a response to this need local farmers and local farmer groups have come together to provide organic nonGMO produce for their communities at prices that rival grocery store prices. If one thing was exposed by the documentary Food Inc., it was that large farms tend to be controlled by large corporations that impose unsafe food practices merely to provide the population with more food. The only way we can return to having more options and cheaper nutritious food is by returning to local farmers who have safe, globally conscious  and responsible farming practices.

Support your local farmer!
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0 The REAL Terminator


I give in. Now that y'all have blogged about this ad nauseum.

I have never been more disappointed in gossip ever!! Shriver and the Schwarzenegger are over because of a child he had with the maid 14 years ago. She knew his molestering ass had his hands all over the help, didn't protect them or could put up with it then suddenly she had enough? Is it coz he isn't running for office again and only politics gets her going?

No way The Terminator was paying child support for 14 years without Ms. Shriver knowing.

NO WAY! 

The outspoken product of the Kennedy family didn't know there were thousands being milked from her husband's account paying for child support? And those of you (yes men, I'm talking to y'all) who have to pay child support each month know it is a hell of a lot of money.

I think something else is afoot! We just haven't been told. California is on fire or leaking some noxious poison into the water or they're installing batman's cave or aliens are in the process of taking over and our attention is just being diverted.

Don't get me wrong, I know the plight of women who have stayed with a man who lies and cheats and they end up forgiving them and the cycle repeats itself till a critical mass is reached. The main point here is that he continues doing stuff until she catches him in her 800 thread Egyptian cotton sheets with two floozies then she throws him out the door with one pair of boxers to cover his man parts. But here the straw that broke the camels back surely was not an affair that petered out 10 years ago after producing a son. An affair she would have known about (don't women always claim that they knew?) and child support payments she'd know were being drained from his account (Ms. Shriver ain't dumb). This was not it. Nuh-uh!

NO WAY!!

Feed me some other line coz I ain't chomping on this bait. I'll just wait till the gossip gets better and some other woman pops on his arm. Betcha she wasn't even the one who ended it. Which is why he's all like "Don't talk about her or my family and focus on me blah blah blah, it's kinda hard when you're not the one lugging your bags into the back of the yellow cab, stacking your children in one by one, being driven off into the sunset with one solitary tear streaming down your cheek, quickly being rubbed away by a monogrammed lace hanky with MSK on it. Yeah. No.

Let's wait and see!
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0 Proof that Hollywood is out of ideas

Someone recently connected the dots for me. If you like investigating, follow us kindly to this video


Okay, like the routine? Think it's a little too dorky African? Okay...

Now take a moment and turn up the volume on your computer and listen to these beats for a minute or two. You may remember them...


Okay? Heard some of it?

Now take some time and watch this video (if you have no patience for this, just forward it to minute 1:06  to watch the routine and listen to the beat).


No new ideas!! NONE! No one is coming up with anything new, just remixing like the excuse given by the young German writer.

Boo!
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0 Singing Sensation of a Different Kind

Many of us would be hard pressed to find Cameroon on an African Map. This often unheard of country is nestled in (from North to South) by Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, Republic of Congo, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea (can you imagine what their border patrol is like?).

If you follow the Africa Cup of Nations, Cameroon has the third most successful football (soccer) team in the ANC. It is also known as the minature Africa, whose borders cross land that has equatorial forests, savannah grassland, desert and mountains. It's lush and beautiful pictures can be found online. Feast your eyes!

Cameroon has also provided the World with a gem.

Qalil.com introduces you to Jacques-Greg Belobo.


Belobo was born in Cameroon and started singing lessons in Yaoundé the country's capital where he was classically trained. He continued his music education at Conservatoire National de Musique of Nice, winning a gold medal prize in 1998 and using it as a stepping stone to Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris where he earned his diploma in 2001.


His success comes as a surprise to many who do not view the people of Africa as connoisseurs of classical music, instead banding the entire group to the vibrant rhythm based music that is the gift of Africa to the World. He is one of only two black opera singers to regularly grace the Opera houses in Germany. Throughout his career he has won serveral prestigious prizes including,
  • 1st Prize winner Aguimucla Yaoundé - 1997
  • 1st International Competition Medal Diapason in Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire - 1997
  • 1st prize at the National Opera Singing Ales - 1998
  • 1st Prize Contest Operetta Rennes - 1998
  • 1st prize at the National Opera Singing Béziers - 1999
  • 2nd Prize at the International Geneva 2000
  • He won five awards at the International Belvedere Competition in Vienna, Austria - 2002
When he is not travelling the globe thrilling audiences with his voice, he spends his time promoting singing in Africa, holding concerts and leading regular vocal technique workshops in Cameroon, Burkina Faso, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Botswana to name a few.

Enjoy this video of him singing the Cameroon National Anthem before a football game.

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0 For Brunch

This morning at Qalil.com there was a terrible crisis that was narrowly averted. The company fridge was empty and after a hectic meeting over the protests in Spain stomachs were growling and tempers were short.

Luckily, one of the staff is an amateur cook obsessed with Masterchef Australia and offered to make brunch so our afternoon would be a little more productive.

This is what we had for brunch.

©Qalil.com
Deviled Eggs with Roasted Sweet Potato Salsa.

Ingredients

  • Fresh Cilantro (or corriander)
  • Orange or Red Bell Pepper
  • Green Onions
  • Red Onion
  • Jalapeño Pepper
  • Chili Pepper
  • Sweet Potato
  • Eggs
  • Raisins
  • Lavache Quirit cheese square
  • Grape Tomatoes


Directions

  • Finely chop the cilantro, peppers, onions and mix them together in a bowl.
  • Peel the sweet potato and slice it thinly
  • Boil the eggs
  • Put the sweet potato on a hot skillet with a little olive oil and char it a little
  • Put the chopped up veggies in with the potatoes for a minute just to soften them. Place aside.
  • Peel the eggs, halve them and remove the yolk
  • Mix yolk with cheese, some chopped onions and chopped raisins
  • Cut up tomatoes
  • Serve and enjoy!


All ingredients are to be used according to your own desires. If you like more onions, go wild!! If you'd like some carrot with it, enjoy!

©Qalil.com
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0 Movie Lookout: iMANi

Amidst the chaos that is pouring out of Uganda in the past month or so including the walk to work protests and the Kill the Gays Bill, a gem has been shining through the dust raised by the furor to catch the attention of the international community.


iMANi is a movie that follows the lives of three Ugandans, taking an intimate and very personal look at their lives, the struggles they have to overcome and their placement within the vibrant and varied fabric that constitutes life in a land as diverse as Uganda. In some ways not very different from life anywhere on this planet, the characters deal with familial issues, reconciliation, corruption and navigating complicated communities for their own betterment. On the other hand their own unique perspective is projected into our minds so that for a few minutes we can inhabit their lives and deal with issues we may have never had to face.

Sister team, Caroline and Agnes Kamya, have written and produced this fascinating film which has gained much acclaim by international film associations including Cario International Film Festival, BFI London International Film Festival, DIFF Durban International Film Festival and Tarifa Film Festival among others.

A short interview by the film's director and producer, Caroline Kamya, reveals a number of things that are exciting for movie lovers everywhere.

  • There are a plethora of intricate interesting stories depicting lives outside of our own that allow us to wonder and the human spirit and resilience we hope to see in ourselves.
  • There is hope for the movie industry as long as we look outside Hollywood's very small tight walls.
  • It is time for writers, producers and directors everywhere to band together and produce entertainment that could potentially revitalize the World.
I hope that wherever you are, you will be able to see this excellent movie. Check for a screening somewhere near you!
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0 RIP Samuel 'Sammy' Wanjiru

Sammy Wanjiru, 24, the Kenyan Olympic marathon champion died after a tragic fall from the first floor of his Nyahururu home.

Wanjiru's record breaking win in Beijing in 2008 also made him the first Kenyan marathon champion. In a sport that has typically seen its champions win such honours later in their careers, the 21-year old's win was phenomenonal. He completed the marathon in 2:06:32.

Since that win, Wanjiru has claimed multiple victories that showcased the young athlete's resolve, discipline, and tenacious spirit. In 2009, he won both the London Marathon and the Chicago Marathon, scoring the fastest figures in marathons ever recorded in the respective countries, United Kingdom and the United States. Wanjiru repeated his win in Chicago in 2010.

Born in 1986, Wanjiru died on May 15, 2011 following a domestic dispute.

RIP, Sammy. The heavens are richer for our loss.

Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
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0 Dealing with Death

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Recently a gentleman I knew passed away.

He had been married for a short while, was expecting a new life with his wife and then suddenly and quite unexpectedly died. The community that I grew up in is still reeling from his death and the financial repercussions facing his young wife are enormous as she takes his body to its final resting place.

The rituals that surround death and burial are both cultural and social. Ancient Egyptians buried their dead in special tombs that had been built during their lifetime, as did the Nubians and Chinese. Muslims wrap their dead in brilliant white sheets, Indians take baths in the Ganges and Native Americans also had sophisticated burial ceremonies. Elaborate rituals the World over surround death to ensure that the soul of the deceased person either finds peace or is ushered into Heaven. Even today, in some churches, people are urged to pray for the deceased. Death mystifies us and challenges scientists who work hard to understand it and possibly thwart its efforts to remove us from those we have come to love and respect.

Current western funerals and burials vary widely, many having the ritual of a well preserved body, dressed and displayed for people to pay their respects, laying quietly in a large casket that will be lowered into the ground. This often means that a burial plot has to be purchased as well as the casket. Sometimes if the person cannot afford to buy a plot, they lease it for 20+ years after which it will be sold/rented. If you have not prepared for your eventual demise, the cost of being buried can escalate tremendously, leaving those you love in debt.

Image Credit
Martín Azúa, a designer who lives and works in Barcelona, has come up with a new idea.
Bios Urn (picture to the left) is an urn made of biodegradable substances including cellulose, peat and coconut shell. Once your remains have been cremated and placed into the urn, a seed is planted in the middle of it and put in the ground. You can even choose which plant you want, leaving a living legacy  of eco-responsibility behind.

For me the choice has always been simple. I will be cremated. Now I can be planted as well. Hopefully not by the side of a lonely dusty highway, but in a park or forest.

It is difficult to find something that would ease the passing of a loved one. I am of the opinion that a beautiful tree that lives hundreds of years is far better than an expensive tombstone that no one really visits.
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0 For Colored Girls Review

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So, I finally watched For Colored Girls.

A friend, whose crazy views I respect had purchased the DVD and was urging me to watch it because she said it was wonderful.

I had seen reviews for this movie. I had read articles that claimed Oprah didn't want Perry to do the movie and Shange was doubtful that Perry possessed the skill to pull this together. The stage play had won numerous awards and the beloved play and Choreopoetry was being taken in a different direction that people were not quite comfortable with.

So Ms. Friend and I popped some corn, got the blanket and turned down the lights to watch the movie.

Now I understand why people did not like For Colored Girls.

Human suffering is difficult to look at. When we see it, we prefer that it be dressed up, polished and made palatable (as one Rotten Tomatoes post put it) so that we can view it without being affected by it. It shames us, makes us look at ourselves in a different light, makes us wonder whether somewhere inside us cruelty like this is lying dormant waiting for the right moment to erupt.



This movie was not about men being bad, and the men were not really bad. They just had their own challenging personal issues that needed to be addressed. What many reviewers forgot was that these men were in pain themselves. But the movie was NOT about men. It was about colored girls and their stories. The character portrayals were different from the ones selected for the stage plays, but still very good.

I love good spoken word poetry - not the faint warblings I sometimes had to bear through at my local spoken word spot - but the deep soul searching words that echo my feelings, reconnecting me to the stranger seated next to me, entranced by the words that bind us together as human beings on this journey. So when the excellent actors lunged into it head on, I found myself caught up like the froth of the sea, taken across the vast experiences colored women have endured for centuries across the World

I applaud Mr. Perry for taking on subjects that affect black women, subjects that big movies poke lightly with sticks just to watch them ooze then turn away. He held it right up to our faces and forced us to smell it, made us touch it, made us so completely uncomfortable I had to turn away from the screen many times.

The actors did an exceptional job, pithy in their portrayals of the characters chosen to depict the characters in Shange's book. Even if my experience was not exactly the same theirs - rape, abortion, domestic abuse, betrayal, mental illness - their pain resonated with my own. The acknowledgement of the pain was all that mattered, that it is okay for a colored girl to say I hurt. I'm in pain.

Bravo.

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0 Amazing Race Winners

For the third time in Amazing Race history, an African American duo has won the coveted one million dollar prize.
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The journey that took them from Australia, through Japan, China, India, Austria, Switzerland and Brazil culminated in a heart stopping race to the finish line back in the USA.

Our first meeting with these young women had always irked me. The usual choice for representation of African American women on television is one where she is loud, angry, promiscuous and desperate. At that time, the editors of the program chose to follow the two women and depict the times that were hardest for them in the race which made Jennifer seem like a little whiner princess who bullied and abused people with disabilities and LaKisha, who was often supportive but was also the sort-of angry impatient one.

We all realize much of the editing is for the ratings and the sighs, because this time around we didn't see the spoiled girl and the angry frustrated one. Either they grew into wonderful women or we're throwing the telly out the window coz it's all LIES anyway!!! (booo hooo)

Needless to say, at Qalil.com, we love watching brown people on television and having Flight Time and Big Easy along with Jen and Kisha was fun. We chewed our nails off whenever we thought they were close to being eliminated or when they struggled with their challenges. We could finally breathe easy once their feet touched the carpet at Phil's feet. (I did love watching Mallory on the show too. How happy can a person be? That happy?)

The previous African American winners of the challenge were

Chip & Kim - Image Credits

&

Uchenna & Joyce - Image Credits
Congratulations to the winners. We hope we'll see you out there doing fabulous things! Hurrah!
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0 Post Mother's Day Blues

Image Credits
So the flowers are sitting in a beautiful vase on the mantle and the chaos surrounding yesterday's festivities is settling down into a happy haze of contentedness. A quiet moment will bring into quick sharp focus, all the events of Mother's Day and the happy sounds of family gathered together to celebrate motherhood.

WAIT A MINUTE!!!

Aren't these the same people who are at each other's throats at Thanksgiving? Why is their peace and happiness on Mother's Day and not Thanksgiving? Same people, it's just fall instead of spring so what is the big deal?

It is because we are lying to ourselves. Motherhood is a knockout drag-out fight between mother and child from the day the child is born with a few minutes of peace scattered here and there. With sleepless nights, discipline, homework, bullying, puberty, broken hearts, slammed doors, the struggle to individuate, a brief moment of respite, then more fights when your child has their own... The pure agony of it is until one of the parties involved in this relationship dies it is forever fraught with the history they have created together.

Before you crinkle your nose, we all know that this relationship is difficult. If not, there wouldn't be so many movies, cartoons, ad and comedic sketches with the difficult mother.

Mother's day allows us the opportunity to scatter some pretty flowers over it, drizzle some glitter, cut out some paper hearts and tie a big bow on it. Or maybe we give our Mothers flowers and gifts so that at least for the moment, they will forget just how difficult it was to get us to this point.


Happy Mother's Day Mom! 
Disclaimer: If you tell that story one more time, I'm storming out! 
I will not be treated that way in my Mother's house!!



The horrors of motherhood that play out in many children's lives is ignored on this day. The pain they have received at the hands of those who are purported to love them like no other possibly could and sacrifice their very life blood to provide for them is completely swept aside as bodies world wide spasm in pleasure at the praise being showered on them.

Here is the truth. If you don't believe me, then please refer to this document, Summary X,  released by the US Department of Health and Services in 2009.
  • Four-fifths (80.9%) of duplicate perpetrators of child maltreatment were parents, and another 6.3 percent were other relatives of the victim;
  • Of the duplicate perpetrators who were parents, four-fifths (84.7%) were the biological parents of the victim;
  • Women comprised a larger percentage of all unique perpetrators than men, 53.8 percent compared to 44.4 percent; and
  • Four-fifths (83.2%) of all unique perpetrators were between the ages of 20 and 49 years
Even without these statistics we know of mothers who have emotionally manipulated their children for years that they struggle as adults to form healthy relationships with others. Mothers who have told their children "You are dead to me" after they declare their sexuality or marry someone from a different race or economic class.

In our exuberant celebration of the mothers we appreciate, we remember those who cannot join in because their relationship with their mother is replete with unmentionable pain.

Happy post Mother's Day Blues!
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0 Defending the Rights of Others

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In spite of all the attention being directed towards Hawai'i, the newest State of the Union, very little, if any other kind of news comes out of it that captures America's interest. The only blip it has made in the public's interest has been when he was rushed to the hospital (we don't use his name around here - not a polite one anyway) or when President Obama made his papers public (yeah, we debated that issue. A lot.)

Recently, however, some news is cropping up about the desecration of sacred sites by the government of Hawai'i on its oldest main island Kaua'i. Here are the facts.

  1. A new septic system was needed for the Kaumuali'i area of Wailua state park, which meant that a new leach field was needed. Waste from the septic system is passed through a designed leach field so microorganisms can take care of impurities.
  2. The Hawai'i Administrative Rules clearly states that it is unlawful to remove any human skeletal remains that are over 50 years old, or any associated burial ground, without prior written authorization (Title 13, Chapter 300)
  3. With full knowledge that the area to be turned into a leach field was a sacred ancestral burial ground, the city convened a secret burial council meeting without notifying the necessary cultural leaders or descendants.
  4. Work progressed despite a shutdown because local activists showed there was no Environmental Assessment.

Countless people and cultures the World over recognize the spiritual and emotional significance of burial sites.  They may not contain the glamorous headstones or crypts that adorn some of the more westernized grave yards, some which have been completely encased in cement, but the spiritual and cultural importance is held in regard by everyone even if the specific ceremony surrounding it is considered savage or barbaric.

For example, in Mexico (and many other South American countries), the Day of the Dead is a celebration of the lives of those who have departed. The favorite food items of the person they are honoring, as well as photographs are placed around the grave and funny stories are told to family members to encourage the souls to return and answer their prayers. Mexico is known to be largely Catholic and yet this day is a part of their own brand of Catholicism. There is an abundance of human skeletal forms and what many have termed a morbid celebration.

The people of Hawai'i believe that the essence or mana resides primarily in the bones or iwi of the human physiology. Great care was taken to preserve, purify and nourish the mana. The spirit of a person or uhane hovered near the iwi after death and they were therefore treated with great respect and honor and some even deified. They believe that it is the responsibility of the living to care for the bones of the ancestors. In this way the integrity of the family was maintained (read all about Native Burials: Human Rights And Sacred Bones)

If we believe that our belief systems should not be incongruent with the beliefs of others, I am perplexed at the inaction and relative ambivalence towards the preservation of  historical indigenous sites. The HAR (Hawai'i Administrative Rules) do not demand that all burial sites remain untouched by development, just that when such a location comes onto a government official's desk, someone would go through the right channels to notify any living family and the traditional and community leaders so that the proper rituals can be held. (read about their feelings towards their culture)

As a group, with compassion and understanding, we should stand up for the rights of indigenous people and upholding of the law by officials who we elected to government. Humanity demands it.
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0 Happy Mother's Day!

Qalil.com wishes all of you mothers out there a very happy Mother's Day!

Happy wishes also go out to other motherly figures in our lives: loving grandmothers, wonderful aunts, God mothers, step mothers, big sisters, and everyone who loves and cares for a child/young person.
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0 The Talented Kasi Lemmons

Writer-directors in Hollywood are rare creatures. It is not easy to find a writer to whom studios will give creative control as a director. By the same token, most directors bring someone else's story to the screen and do not write the script themselves.

Qalil.com will profile 15 African American writer-directors who have made their mark in film and television over the past 30 years on May 30th. However, I would like to preview the work of a favorite of mine: Kasi Lemmons.

In 1997, a spectacular drama hit the theatres to critical acclaim. With a cast of notable actors such as Laurence Fishburne, Lynn Whitfield, Diahann Carroll, Debbi Morgan, and Jurnee Smollett among others, this film brought into exquisite life early 1960s Louisiana.

Lemmons' Eve's Bayou (my favorite film of all time) debuted to the following praise:
  • "There has never been a film quite like Kasi Lemmons' shimmering Eve's Bayou." - Los Angeles Times
  • ".......... a film of astonishing maturity and confidence; Eve's Bayou one of the very best films of the year, is the debut of its writer and director. (It) resonates in the memory. It called me back for a second and third viewing. If it is not nominated for Academy Awards, then the academy is not paying attention. For the viewer, it is a reminder that sometimes films can venture into the realms of poetry and dreams. " - Roger Ebert
Unfortunately, the academy did NOT pay attention and this national treasure of a film was not nominated for Academy Awards. It received a number of smaller awards, however.

If you haven't seen Eve's Bayou yet, make sure you catch it before the 30th. We will discuss Kasi Lemmons' film and her career at that time.

Let us know what you think of the film!
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0 Black People: Please Call 911!

Imagine a 55-year old Black man begins to experience symptoms of a stroke. Who do you think he is likely to call for help in this serious emergency?

According to newly published research*, this gentleman is NOT likely to call 911 first. He is much more likely to call a friend or family member instead. A Black woman is also more likely to call a friend or family member.

In this startling study, a shocking 75% of African Americans hospitalized for a stroke had called a friend or a family member first. Most of those thought their symptoms were not serious or would resolve on their own.

For many years, researchers wondered why African Americans had much worse outcomes in a stroke than White Americans. This study may offer some answers. Time is crucial in the treatment of a stroke. Doctors will often have to give a clot-busting drug within the first few hours. This helps to minimize the long-term damage of the stroke on the brain.

What is a stroke?

A stroke happens when a blood clot blocks the blood supply to a part of the brain. It can also happen if a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts leading to bleeding. Both of these causes can lead to damage, and even death, to parts of the brain. If a person survives the initial stroke, he or she may face many months or years to recover. Many will not recover fully.

Strokes in the African American community

Strokes hit the African American community pretty hard. Blacks are TWICE as likely as whites to suffer a stroke. They are also more likely to die of the stroke. Do you know what the common symptoms of a stroke are? About 1 in 2 people couldn't identify a single symptom of stroke. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the following are common symptoms of a stroke:
  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg—especially on one side of the body.
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
  • Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
In general, the risk of a stroke increases as we get older. However, African Americans are more likely to suffer a stroke at a younger age due to the presence of multiple risk factors. The CDC lists a number of risk factors for suffering a first stroke (2005/2006 Figures):

What can we all do?

Spread the word!

Please tell your family and friends to call 911 if they experience one or more of these symptoms. Quick access to medical care is very important in stroke treatment.

Heavens forbid there is a stroke but we can call family and friends later if it happens.

Please, CALL 911 first!



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reference article
* Amie W. Hsia, Amanda Castle, Jeffrey J. Wing, Dorothy F. Edwards, Nina C. Brown, Tara M. Higgins, Jasmine L. Wallace, Sara S. Koslosky, M. Chris Gibbons, Brisa N. Sánchez, Ali Fokar, Nawar Shara, Lewis B. Morgenstern, and Chelsea S. Kidwell. Understanding Reasons for Delay in Seeking Acute Stroke Care in an Underserved Urban Population. Stroke, 2011;
DOI: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.110.604736
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