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Freedom March... San Antonio, Tx...... 200,000 Strong

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March for Freedom... Keeping the Dream Alive...

Now that we have our first African American President Barack Obama have we fulfilled the DREAM of Dr Martin Luther King Jr.? Have we moved past the past, and welcomed the new free spirited generation of like minded individuals who see beyond a persons skin color, and rather renders judgement based upon that persons character, goals, and beliefs? The New America! Can we simply say we have reached our goal, even though the pinnacle of struggle has been seen, scaled, and successfully mounted, does that mean we should we let the hopes of improvement falter after the long, curvaceous, dark road of injustice, and discrimination which has gripped the minds, and souls of people from all walks of life, but even more so for the African American race.

What baffles me is that San Antonio is the eight largest city in the United States, consisting of 2.3% African Americans, yet the MLK march in this city is the largest in the nation, beating out Washington Dc, Chicago, and birth place of Dr. King, Atlanta Georgia.

Despite what the critics may say I believe The Dream is still very much alive, we as individuals must continue to strive for equality, we as a community must continue to strive for peace, and we as a nation must continue to strive for, and demand Freedom for all. The DREAM only dies if everyday modern people like you, and myself forget how hard it was for generations before us to get to where we are today. If we take for granted the freedoms, and privileges that we have, which are masked and covered up by the fancy cars, nice jobs, and ability to make and spend money then the DREAM will eventually cease to exist.

Inspiration, courage, and perseverance are the things Martin Luther King left behind, but they were left behind as a symbol of rememberance, a tool for decisive action, and as a torch that has been passed down.

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Book Signing: "Through My Eyes"

Hello All, Just writing to let you all know that I will be officially having my book signing for my first published book, "Through My Eyes" on Dec. 13th @ Winestyles @ 6pm. The address is 16353 Huebner and Bitters I believe. Don't quote me on that. You can mapquest if need be. I may or may not have extra copies of the book to sell so, I would advise getting your copy a.s.a.p to have in time for the signing. You can purchase a copy of paperback or hardcover @ Lulu.com/content/4470519. For hardcover purchase, I suggest just doing a general search with the name Vanesha Nation or the book title. I urge you to get yours quickly to insure prompt arrival of your copy. Those of you I have selected to read a poem, this is a definite must do, for you need your own copy so, that you may also have it signed. While there, you can also enjoy some fantastic wine from the finest vineyards and @ 8pm stay and enjoy some of the best local poetry in the San Antonio and surrounding areas for the monthly "2nd Verse" poetry show hosted by Vocab, Glo & Kinton and our gracious host with the most, Mel Williams, owner of Winestyles. Please come out and support me in my new endeavor and be a huge part of my prosperous journey as a poet and writer. Thanks for the love and encouragement. Go in peace and Blessings:)

How is the black male perceived in American society?

With the nomination of President Elect Barak Obama change is at hand and will be coming to America, and let’s face it, blacks voted for Obama, whites voted for Obama, Hispanics, as well as many other cultures. So what does this mean for the African American ethnicity, and more importantly how is this going to effect the perception of the African American male in American civilization, not only in society’s mind, but also in the realm of one’s personal lives? The cosmetic make up of stereotypes, and preconceived ideas have clouded the brains of society, and in my opinion I believe the African American male needs a makeover. Honestly, what is the first thought that comes to mind when you think of a black male? Street mentality, long chains, tattoos, baggy attire, enhanced private parts….. the list goes on and on. These are not just ideas that others portray us as, but also these are ideas that we as a culture portray ourselves as. Why, I do not know, it could be that the media focuses primarily on these aspects of our society to exploit us as a people, leading blacks to become victims to the self fulfilling prophecy. It could also be the lack of sufficient research and in depth knowledge about African Americans that leads to this disconnect as well, which is caused by the refusal, slash fear of other cultures to want to obtain a factual understanding about the African American society.

No one truly knows what it feels like to walk in the shoes of another person, let alone one of another race, so hopefully this will help you gain a better understanding. The African American male is torn between societies; on the left you have a society which encourages the fast lifestyle, one of a musician or a movie star, one with numerous amounts of women, and money to spend, nice cars, taking trips, and popularity with the locals, not necessarily a bad person, but their visions are short term, they are missing an exit strategy. On the right hand of society you have the school boy, grew up middle class, hardworking, hung around friends from the left hand side of society, started in his professional career because he had a vision, one of long term growth and success, but still wanting to stay in touch with his roots, and then after all that felt like he owed something back to his community. Never trying to be too far to the right or too far to the left we as African American males find ourselves right in the middle of all this, trying to satisfy the likes of both societies, a role that is virtually impossible because of the forces at hand. Lose your identity in your society as an African American, or face the ridicule in your career as an African American.

What this society fails to realize is that we are more than street dealers, we are more than actors and musicians, we are more than superb sports athletes, we are more than criminals, and delinquents, we are more than uneducated, we are more than violent, or lazy. Society needs to realize is that we are doctors, lawyers, we are police, and soldiers; we are highly educated, we are entrepreneurs, we are professionals. Here is the connect to the disconnect, what is worst, a black person calling another black person the N word, or a different culture calling a black male bro? We all understand the N word, there is not too much room for confusion there, but I never really understood the terminology of the word bro, therefore, I do not know whether to embrace the word, or reject it, and I think it is the same way with other cultures, relating to the African American culture, they do not know enough about it, referring to the culture, so they are stuck between embracing it, or rejecting it.

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