Faith in Action DC
Working in close collaboration with the InterFaith Conference of Metropolitan Washington (IFC), over the coming year I will be photographing the work of diverse religious institutions, groups, and individuals who are serving the DC area. The goal of this project, Faith in Action DC, is to celebrate the service efforts of local people of faith, garner increased attention for our communities’ achievements, and promote the Washington D.C. area as a national and international model of interfaith cooperation for the common good.
Howard Zinn Room Dedication
On September 21, Busboys and Poets–Hyattsville (MD) hosted an event to celebrate International Peace Day and to dedicate the Howard Zinn Room with speakers and a People Speak Live! reading based on excerpts from Voices of a Peoples History of the United States. The evening included a fundraiser for the Zinn Education Project.
Greening Our Sanctuaries
The topic of climate change is on many people’s minds with the heat hitting record temperatures this summer. Among those concerned for the welfare of our planet, certainly, are people of faith who look to their religious and spiritual teachings for guidance on how to address this challenging issue.
Recently, Greater Washington Interfaith Power and Light co-sponsored the “Greening Our Sanctuaries” interfaith expo. The event drew more than 100 people from more than two dozen local religious groups to their religious and spiritual teachings for guidance on how to address this challenging issue.
Belief Behind Bars
Three years ago, signaling a new wave of attacks on the the Bahá’í religious community in Iran, the seven members of the Yaran, or ‘Friends’, the Iranian Baha’i community’s former acting leadership group, were all arrested, imprisoned, and later convicted on false charges including espionage. Since then there has been an outcry from governments and public figures around the world. To commemorate the third anniversary of the Yaran’s imprisonment, on May 12, 2011 the national administration of the Bahá’ís of the United States organized an event on Capitol Hill in order to draw more attention to the plight of these prisoners in particular and Iran’s human rights situation in general.
JUFJ Labor Seder
The holiday of Passover is a time for reflection on the many struggles we have faced in the past and the relevance of this legacy in our present situation. Each year, the Washington-based organization Jews United for Justice hosts its own seder, the event which recounts the story of the Jewish people’s liberation from bondage. But this is a seder with a twist: it is a Labor Seder.
Wreck of the Zephyr @ Gallery Trimming (LA), 02.15.2011
Last week I arrived in Los Angeles for a somewhat extended stay and quickly reconnected with friends from college at a gig for their band Wreck of the Zephyr. As the trio took up their instruments in the dimly lit warehouse gallery and began their first number, I reflected on what it means to grow older.
GEMAP Liberia
In May 2010, I traveled as part of a Digital Development Communications production team to the West African republic of Liberia. My partner Luis Dechtiar and I produced a short video about the USAID-sponsored GEMAP (Government Economic Management Assistance Program). The program focused on capacity-building training mainly in the area of financial management at key government institutions and state-owned enterprises, such as the Ministry of Finance, the National Port Authority, and Roberts International Airport.
Saul Williams @ UMD, 10.28.2010
Last week the TerPoets, a poetry society founded by a couple of friends of mine at the University of Maryland, invited Saul Williams to perform on campus. I’ve been a fan of the poet/musician/actor since I saw him in the documentary ‘Slam’ about ten years ago so I was excited to check out the show. In addition to Saul, the evening also featured great performances from UMD students and the Poem-Cees, plus a DJ set by Jonathan Tucker and Niteshade. If you don’t know these terrific artists, look ‘em up!
Capitol Dome Tour
The US Capitol Building is one of the most popular attractions for visitors to Washington D.C. A relative few, however, have the opportunity to view the building’s iconic dome from the very top. Recently my friend David Najmi, a guide at the Capitol, invited me to join one of his rare tours given to average citizens.
Magical Mirrors Children’s Bookfair Interview @ WPFW, 09.24.2010
Since arriving in DC three years ago, I’ve been a dedicated listener to WPFW 89.3, our local Pacifica radio station. So when my beloved Ruth Forman had an opportunity to do an interview on Askia Muhammad’s Spectrum Today, I happily accompanied her to visit for the first time the epicenter of progressive radio in DC.
James Loewen @ Busboys & Poets, 09.20.2010
On September 20, 2010, James Loewen, author of Lies My Teacher Told Me, spoke to a full house at Busboys and Poets about his new book The Confederate and Neo-Confederate Reader: “The Great Truth” About the “Lost Cause” (University Press of Mississippi, 2010). The event was coordinated by Teaching for Change’s Busboys and Poets Bookstore.
Gabriel Teodros @ Sankofa, 09.14.2010
Seattle’s hip hop scene is exploding with talent. And its a gift when “the other Washington” shares some of its musical sons and daughters with us over on the East Coast. Gabriel Teodros is no exception. The times I’ve had the blessing to chat with this cat, its clear he brings love wherever he goes.
Pearl & the Beard (DC – March/July 2010)
Ever wonder what happened to that first girl you kissed? Well, in my case, it turns out she’s in an awesome band called Pearl & the Beard. Sometime last year, the lady in question – Jocelyn – and I were reacquainted and I found out she was playing with this group. Then a few months [...]
DC Slam Poetry Team Showcase @ Busboys & Poets, 07.02.2010
On July 2nd, the 2010 DC Slam Poetry Team held a showcase at Busboys & Poets before heading to Nationals in St Paul, MN. The DC team is composed of: 13 of Nazareth, Hadaiyah ‘Ya-Ya’ Bey, Jonathan B. Tucker, Pages, and Rasheed Copeland.
Corinne Bailey Rae (Baltimore – May 2010)
Corinne Bailey Rae holds the unique distinction of being a musician whose entire catalog I adore, track by track. Not only her two full length albums (2006′s eponymous debut and this year’s The Sea), but even CBR’s B-sides like her take on Led Zepplin’s ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You,’ her rendition of ‘River’ on Herbie [...]
Aikido Shobukan
Aikido is a Japanese martial art that I have been studying for the past couple of years. The training, which is as much spiritual/philosophical as it is physical, emphasizes establishing harmony and balance to resolve aggressive situations. The dojo, or training school, I joined in Washington D.C. is called Aikido Shobukan. Presently I am working [...]
DC Black Men’s Gathering
Bahá’u’lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith likens people of African descent to “the pupil of the eye”, which is the source of light. However in the United States, as we all know, the general perception of Black people and Black men in particular has not yet attained the maturity to reflect this statement. In [...]
Birthday of Solidarity 2010
Five years ago, while studying in Guatemala, my friend Bradford Baker learned of a massacre committed by the military in the village where he was working. That horrific event – part of 40 years of civil war and genocide in that country – took place on the day after Bradford’s birth: March 13th, 1982. Now, [...]
Luke Slott @ Busboys & Poets, 01.16.2010
Ireland’s Luke Slott is a versatile musician, skilled in piano, guitar, trumpet, and voice. I first heard him in New York in 2006 and was blown away. A few years later, he started working with a producer and common friend of ours so I got to see him regularly in DC. In Janurary 2010, Luke [...]
Ruth Forman @ Sankofa (DC), 12.07.2009
Award-winning poet Ruth Forman is the author of three collections of poetry, including We Are the Young Magicians, Renaissance, and Prayers Like Shoes. Her debut children’s book Young Cornrows Callin Out the Moon is based on a poem from her first collection and features the art of Cbabi Bayoc. In December 2009, Ruth, who is [...]
Bahá’í Pilgrimage
For members of the Bahá’í Faith, Pilgrimage is a sacred journey we are encouraged to make at least once in our lifetime. During Pilgrimage, Bahá’ís travel to Israel to visit the Bahá’í World Center, the spiritual and administrative heart of the international Bahá’í community. In the neighboring cities of Akká and Haifa, respectively, stand the Shrines of Bahá’u'lláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá’í Faith, and the Báb, His Forerunner.
For nine days in 2009, I myself undertook this Pilgrimage.