North Hughes Sidewalks: A layman’s perspective
comments by Kami Ashley

Well well well……. Where shall I start? As a young Black person my first thought was, ‘ Somebody didn’t know what they were doing and they are getting paid to waste time, cement, sod, cheap metal mail boxes (look good right now but wait til the water hit em’), Black and Mexican talent, and money’. You know compared to the rich and classy White side of town when they built and rebuilt sidewalks and wheelchair ramps, what they have done on the Black side of town is very (excuse the expression) half assed. How in the world is a wheel chair about to fit on that one of several ramps without endangering the occupant and causing a potential mess? And not only that. I noticed that the new sidewalks slant at a very unhealthy angle in which if you get distracted and happen to be looking at something while walking, your body will go with the angle and you will find yourself out in the street possibly and more than likely putting you in danger. And yes I am a rather large person and when I was looking at the photos and the actual side walks, I was stuck thinking that if I wanted to go walking as exercise and I had invited a friend, how would we both FIT on that SMALL, NARROW, CROOKED, LUMPY, and ROUGH sidewalk? There is enough room to walk toe-to-heel but not the normal way of walking which is with your feet side by side at an even distance apart. I don’t understand. And what is up with the gaps and spaces between the new sidewalks and property? Is that supposed to be saying that whomever lives at the residence does not own the portion of sidewalk that crosses in front of their home and therefore cannot get happy and possibly be able to brag ” Hey check out my new jacked up sidewalk! Them cracks is nice, huh?” to whomever comes to visit?

Click to read more … Comments » North Hughes Sidewalks: A layman’s perspective

by Kami Ashley

Don’t know if you heard about this or not.

TOM JOYNER’S MORNING SHOW

Tom Joyner wants this information to reach his listeners.. You have probably heard of ‘NUD’ as a result of the Tom Joyner morning show related to Comp USA . NUD (Non Urban Dictate) is the acronym for a very subtle and little-known marketing term specifically directed toward people of color.

‘Non Urban Dictate’ These three words essentially mean that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. A NUD label means that a company does not want their marketing and advertising materials placed in media that claim an urban audience (black folks) as their main target. There are legitimate reasons for companies not using urban radio. It may be that Blacks don’t index high in certain categories or that a company’s strategy is to market to the Black consumer down the road after they have established a strong position in their primary target. But, NUD usually means that a company is not interested in the Black consumer. Companies evade discrimination liability by embracing it as theory rather than policy. As a service to Black consumers, the Urban Institute will list all companies that have a NUD policy. Armed with this information, we feel that Black consumers will be able to make informed buying decisions.

Here’s a list of Companies with NUD policies:

1. Starbucks
2. Jos. A Bank
3. Comp USA
4. Weight Watchers
5. Keebler
6. Life Savers
7. Continental Airlines
8. Northwest Airlines
9. America West Airlines
10. HBO - Apollo Series
11. Paternal Importers
12 Calico Corners
13. OMScot
14. Pepperidge Farms
15. Ethan Allen
16. Busy Body Fitness
17. Mondovi Wines
18. Builders Square
19. Pottery Barn
20. Lexus
21. Aruba Tourism
22. Ciba Vision
23. Kindercare
24. Grady Restaurant
25. Eddie Bauer
26. Don Pablo

Please spread this information on to any consumer that you consider a friend and advise them to do likewise.

Remember, you CANNOT act wisely unless you are informed wisely.

The Urban Institute
2100 M Street, NW ..
Washington
Companies Not Interested In Black Consumers

Copyright 2010 - Kami Ashley. All rights Reserved. No part of this commentary may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

by Kami Ashley

I recently received this video in a email from one of my cousins and I was originally not intending to open it, but I did anyways. Now I’m glad I did open it because almost everyday at my house and my uncles houses we have this same exact discussion.

Whether or not we want to be called African American and whether or not we have a choice in America. Somehow we always end up joking about this subject because it is a very serious and emotional one, and theres always one of us who says “Call Me What I Look Like”, which isn’t always best. Later on after we make a decision on what race we look like, we realize that no matter what we say, we are and always will be called and classified as African American. I am proud to be a Black American.

The point is America has given all people of the different shades of black and brown the name African American but not all people are descendants from Africa. I for one am a Black American Indian on both sides of my family. We’re even Black Frenchman. But since we all have dark skin we shall forever be called African American. Some days it matters to me and some days it doesn’t. It really matters to me when I fill out applications or register for classes or apply for scholarships because there is no option for Black American Indian.

But take a look at this video.

Copyright 2010 - Kami Ashley. All rights Reserved. No part of this commentary may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

by Kami Ashley

My Black History Month Person of the day is Jupiter Hammon. Not many people have heard of Mr. Jupiter Hammon before today, not even me, so let me tell a little about Mr. Hammon. The first known African American to publish literature, Hammon was a lifelong slave of four generations of the Lloyd family on Long Island. His parents were both slaves. His father, called Opium, had a reputation for frequent escape attempts; his mother was named Rose. Hammon was allowed to attend school, and unlike most slaves could read and write. He was a favorite servant who was a clerk in the family business, a farmhand, and an artisan. Hammon was allowed to attend school and was a fervent Christian, as were the Lloyds. His first published poem was written on Christmas Day, 1760. An Evening Thought. Salvation by Christ with Penitential Cries: Composed by Jupiter Hammon, a Negro belonging to Mr. Lloyd of Queen’s Village, on Long Island, the 25th of December, 1760 appeared as a broadside in 1761. Three other poems and three sermon essays followed. In 1786 Hammon gave a speech, An Address to the Negroes of New York, to the African Society, in which he said that while he personally had no wish to be free, he did wish others, especially “the young Negroes, were free.” On September 24, 1786, He expressed his views on slavery when he delivered his “Address to the Negroes of the State of New York”, also known as the “Hammon Address”, before the African Society. Hammon wrote the speech at age seventy-six after a lifetime of slavery. It contains his famous words, “If we should ever get to Heaven, we shall find nobody to reproach us for being black, or for being slaves.”

An Evening Thought: Salvation by Christ, with Penetential Cries
by Jupiter Hammon

Salvation comes by Christ alone,
The only Son of God;
Redemption now to every one,
That love his holy Word.

Dear Jesus, we would fly to Thee,
And leave off every Sin,
Thy tender Mercy well agree;
Salvation from our King.

Salvation comes now from the Lord,
Our victorious King.
His holy Name be well ador’d,
Salvation surely bring.

Dear Jesus, give thy Spirit now,
Thy Grace to every Nation,
That han’t the Lord to whom we bow,
The Author of Salvation.

Dear Jesus, unto Thee we cry,
Give us the Preparation;
Turn not away thy tender Eye;
We seek thy true Salvation.

Salvation comes from God we know,
The true and only One;
It’s well agreed and certain true,
He gave his only Son.

Lord, hear our penetential Cry:
Salvation from above;
It is the Lord that doth supply,
With his Redeeming Love.

Dear Jesus, by thy precious Blood,
The World Redemption have:
Salvation now comes from the Lord,
He being thy captive slave.

Dear Jesus, let the Nations cry,
And all the People say,
Salvation comes from Christ on high,
Haste on Tribunal Day.

We cry as Sinners to the Lord,
Salvation to obtain;
It is firmly fixed, his holy Word,
Ye shall not cry in vain.

Dear Jesus, unto Thee we cry,
And make our Lamentation:
O let our Prayers ascend on high;
We felt thy Salvation.

Lord, turn our dark benighted Souls;
Give us a true Motion,
And let the Hearts of all the World,
Make Christ their Salvation.

Ten Thousand Angels cry to Thee,
Yea, louder than the Ocean.
Thou art the Lord, we plainly see;
Thou art the true Salvation.

Now is the Day, excepted Time;
The Day of the Salvation;
Increase your Faith, do not repine:
Awake ye, every Nation.

Lord, unto whom now shall we go,
Or seek a safe abode?
Thou has the Word Salvation Too,
The only Son of God.

Ho! every one that hunger hath,
Or pineth after me,
Salvation be thy leading Staff,
To set the Sinner free.

Dear Jesus, unto Thee we fly;
Depart, depart from Sin,
Salvation doth at length supply,
The Glory of our King.

Come, ye Blessed of the Lord,
Salvation greatly given;
O turn your Hearts, accept the Word,
Your Souls are fit for Heaven.

Dear Jesus, we now turn to Thee,
Salvation to obtain;
Our Hearts and Souls do meet again,
To magnify thy Name.

Come, Holy Spirit, Heavenly Dove,
The Object of our Care;
Salvation doth increase our Love;
Our Hearts hath felt they fear.

Now Glory be to God on High,
Salvation high and low;
And thus the Soul on Christ rely,
To Heaven surely go.

Come, Blessed Jesus, Heavenly Dove,
Accept Repentance here;
Salvation give, with tender Love;
Let us with Angels share.Finis.

Copyright 2010 - Kami Ashley. All rights Reserved. No part of this commentary may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the author.

by Kami Ashley

Since we have a Black / African American president, I just though that every Black/African American young person would get it together and attempt to be someone who nobody has ever expected. I haven’t been seeing any changes as of yet. At my community college I am barely seeing any other black people, but when I do see them they are all above the age of 25, and it has me wondering, “Where Have All The Young Black Students Gone?” “Why Aren’t There Any Going To College To Get An Education?”

As young black people we should be trying to work harder in this world because as we all know from history and current life, life is not particularly easy or problem free for Black/African American peoples. We had to struggle to get where we are today even if it is in a difficult spot and it seems to me that our people are so ready to give up because it seems to be the easiest solution to put our difficulties, problems, and important issues on hold. Life isn’t going to change itself. We as young Black/African american peoples need to be getting an education so that we can outsmart the system and statistics so that we are better and greater than society wishes us to be.

Step 1 in this change should be getting an EDUCATION.
Step 2 should be getting a JOB.
Step 3 should be BECOMING RESPONSIBLE.
Step 4 should be REACHING BACK TO HELP YOUR COMMUNITY.
Step 5 should be ENCOURAGING OTHERS.
Step 6 should be SPREADING THE MESSAGE.

Read more »