Celebrating Harriet Tubman

Cambridge, Dorchester County, Maryland

Harriet Tubman, also known as Araminta “Minty” Ross, was born in slavery around March 1822 in Dorchester County, Maryland. In 1849, Harriet escaped from slavery and later became one of the most famous conductors on the Underground Railroad. Not only did she free herself, but over time she went back and rescued her entire family as well as at least 70 others from slavery. (Her father was a freed man, however he did not leave his family when the new plantation owner reneged on the original owner's promise to free Harriet's family upon the old owner's death.)

Harriet and her family eventually settled in Auburn, New York. During the Civil War, she worked as a spy and a nurse. In later years, she worked odd jobs to take care of her parents and family. Although she married again to Nelson Charles Davis, a man 22 years younger than she, he preceded her in death. She worked on many great causes including the Women's Suffrage Movement and a project with the AME Zion Church, but her life was not easy and she often lacked sufficient income. On March 10, 1913. HarrietTubman died at age 90 in the home founded by the AME Zion Church in her honor in Auburn, New York. 

Did You Know: The Mural above was painted Charles E.T. Ross, a descendant of Harriet Tubman and resident of Cambridge, Maryland in Dorchester County. The backside of the mural pictured below was designed and painted by Charles Ross and Stanley C. Ford. 

Mother’s Day Movie Picks

Whether you’re going out or staying in for Mother’s Day, here’s my pick of movies that your family will definitely enjoy watching together: 

(in no particular order)

by Nona O.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

U.S. Supreme Court: Honoring Justice Ginsburg and Nominating Her Replacement

The body of Ruth Bader Ginsburg lies in repose as mourners
pay their respect.

Friday, September 25th, concluded three days of a historic observance of the life and legacy of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.  For two days her remains laid in repose at the U.S. Supreme Court and then on Friday a processional of a hearst containing  her flag draped casket with her family following in vehicles left the U.S. Supreme Court for the U.S. Capitol. Justice Ginsburg was the first female Justice to lie in repose at the Supreme Court and the first woman and Jewish American to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol. Of course, civil rights legend Rosa Parks was the first woman whose body was brought to the U.S. Capitol for a ceremony to honor her life and legacy. The distinction is she was a private citizen and her body was referred to as “lying in honor”.  

Amy Coney Barrett 

Just a week and a day after the death of Justice Ginsburg, President Trump announced the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett, a U.S. Court of Appeals Judge for the 7^th Circuit based in Chicago, Illinois. She was on the President’s short list in 2018 when he then nominated now Justice Brett Kavanaugh. (See here.) This time President Trump made a commitment to nominate a woman. Judge Barrett is considered very conservative and a textualist. She previously clerked for Justice Antonin Scalia. Barrett is a married mother of seven children (two of whom were adopted from Haiti). She will make history as the first mother with school age children to sit on the Court if she is confirmed.

Her nomination has ignited cries of hypocrisy by the Democrats against the Republicans who refused to even consider the nomination of Merrick Garland four years ago during an election year. It remains to be seen whether voters will punish or forgive the Republicans for their change in stance regarding this election year nomination.

Another negative part of this process has been that almost within the same breath as the announcement of Justice Ginsburg’s death a week ago Friday evening (9/18), Republican Senate leaders started making comments in the media about Ginsburg’s replacement. It was disrespectful of Justice Ginsburg’s service and legacy to speak of her replacement while her last breath was still in the air. It’s like talking about who a husband will marry next before his wife‘s body has been removed from the family home. Hopefully this will change in the future.

Many are speculating how the Senate nomination Hearings will go and how Senators should questioned Judge Barrett. Judge Barrett has a judicial record now of almost three years. Certainly the Senators can question her on her case opinions. She has also authored publications. Her points of view in these articles can be questioned. Her beliefs and values should be made known to the American people. After all, this is a job interview for the highest court in the land.

And so, the process begins.

It's Time

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." 

It's been 244 years since this statement was published with unanimous consent in the Declaration Of Independence by the founders of our country. How much longer do we need to make this a reality for all?

A sure sign of a cycle of "mental illness" is when a people with a history of abuse then turn around and abuse other people. It's past time that we reckon with our history, our own personal experiences and the realities of our country and communities. Stop making excuses for the unacceptable. 

The time is now. The inflection point of this era is now. A pandemic, police brutality, racial inequality, social justice and human rights issues have brought us to our knees. We must rise in solidarity to a new normal that truly embraces equality and economic opportunities for all. It's past time. Let's go already!

--Nona O., Founder, womenatliberty.com

*Image Credit: Brattleboro Schools Raise Black Lives Matters Flag, 2018, Vermont Public Radio. Listen to story here:

http://ow.ly/eUiu30qWc2j

#GunControl: Sensible Solutions, Not Rhetoric

So after hearing and watching the news reports of the Walmart mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, I woke up Sunday morning to yet another mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio late Saturday night. In fact, it was the 251st mass shooting of 2019. Moved with emotion and sorrow, I posted this on my personal Instagram account on Sunday:

When will enough be enough? How many more lives must be lost in mass shootings before we act as one nation to enact sensible #guncontrol.
#ElPaso #Dayton #MassShooting

A few minutes later, someone I did not know posted these comments on my IG:

I was not even sure how to take their comments. I was amazed and aghast at how desensitized the individual seemed to be to these events. After all, lives were lost, people were dead and injured, and families have been irreparably harmed.

With Sandy Hook and the many school shootings on the top of my mind, I hastily typed this response (with typos):

I'm tired of 'thoughts and prayers'. I'm tired of people who live in American cities defending the need to own assault rifles. Period. You do not need an assault rifle to defend yourself or the safety of your family. I'm all for constitutional rights and an advocate for people being entitled to the rights guaranteed by the Constitution. However, we place limits on when a person can drive, how fast a person can drive on streets and highways, and how much insurance is needed in order for you to legally drive a vehicle on the road. These laws have been passed to save lives, your life and the lives of your community members. I'm tired of the rhetoric from politicians and anyone who feels the need to equate their 2nd Amendment rights with the "need" to own and carry an assault weapon on the streets of American cities.

We as a nation require that an owner of a car who drives it on U.S. roads have both a license and insurance. Is this too much to ask of people who own guns? And if you fail to secure your gun or report it stolen, especially an assault or rapid-fire type of weapon, should not you be liable for any damage it causes?

I propose that legal gun owners should be both licensed and insured with insurance similar to car insurance. And before you purchase a gun from an individual, gun shop, or box store, etc., you need to have a license and insurance proportionate to the amount of product you want to buy. 

Just think how situations might change if gun manufacturers, gun dealers, and individual owners had to carry gun insurance for not only their inventory or personal property, but also comprehensive coverage for any damage caused by any unreported gun that was originally licensed to them. Just like you call the police to report when your car is stolen and expect that that information is entered into a database so that if the car is involved in an accident and someone gets hurt or killed, you will not be liable, the same should apply for gun shops, box stores, manufacturers, and individuals, etc.

These mass shootings have got to stop and become a rarity and not a common news item. Please make America safe again for every day people who want to attend a music festival, hang out with friends in a club, pray with their eyes closed in a church service, send their children to school to learn in a safe environment, and take their family to Walmart to school shop.

We need sensible solutions not rhetoric. It's time to act! No more excuses. Offer some solutions.

These are my thoughts. What are yours?

The Greatest Cooks On Earth

I was raised by a family of "the greatest cooks on earth"! 🐐 My earliest memories of food include my Big Mama's chicken and dumplings (most of y'all don't know nothing about that) and her hot lemon, honey and some other stuff concoction to nurse me back to health when I was sick.

And the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays...turkey and dressing, ham, smoked turkey, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas, rice, yams, mixed greens, squash (yellow and zucchini), mashed potatoes, turnips, cornbread, sweet potato pies, peach cobbler, pound cake, German chocolate cake (I didn't eat this), pig stuff--chitterlings, pig ears--rarely (I did not eat this either) and lemon meringue pies. I'm sure I'm forgetting some things...

Anyway, everything was good! Even me, the picky eater, who did not eat everything my Mom and Aunt cooked knew that the food I didn't like was still good and well seasoned. Those were the days and I am thankful for the memories. #Elmira #Naomi #Myrle #Joyce #Mable #OnePotWonders #BigPotInTheLittlePot #ThanksgivingMemories #FoodWasLove #AndTheFoodNeverRanOut #Ebonics #SoulFood #ICanMakeDressing #HateStuffing #OklahomaBorn #CaliforniaBred 🤣😉

Movie Review: The Hate You Give (2018)

This is a masterfully told story by director George Tillman, Jr. who presents us with several perspectives on the issues and fallout surrounding police shootings of unarmed black men happening in urban cities across this nation. Based on the acronym and music of Tupac Shakur, THUGLife, The Hate U Give explores how complicated life can be for black families who live at the intersection of race, culture, economic disparities, policing in black and brown communities and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Starr Carter, played Amandla Stenberg, is a high school student that lives in two distinctly different worlds where code switching is her teleport between the two. Her family is a stable two parent and 2.5 children African American home. They continue to reside in the urban neighborhood where her parents were raised although they could afford better. Her mother Lisa (Regina Hall) and father Maverick (Russell Hornsby) are married and raising their children, Starr and her brothers Seven (Lamar Johnson) and Sekani (TJ Wright) in a loving home. 

The kids go to a private school across town in a mostly white upper class neighborhood. The mother is a nurse while the father is an entrepreneur and owns a grocery store in their neighborhood. And yet, as the parents work everyday to achieve a better life for their family and keep their kids out of trouble, their lives are affected and impacted by the shooting of one of Starr's close childhood friends, an unarmed young black teenager who was shot by a white police officer during a traffic stop.

The movie does an excellent job of raising complicated issues and arguments on both sides of the debate concerning police shootings of unarmed African Americans. Common, a trusted voice in the Black community known for his art and activism, was a superb choice for his law enforcement role in the movie. Regina Hall represented well the plight of black mothers who are the encouragers, advisors, peacemakers, and fire when necessary. Russell Hornsby embodied a black father who is both a protector and provider, but also the voice of "the movement".

You'll also get a chance to hear from white "allies" who don't always understand why their voices are met with ambivalence by members of the Black Community. I will say this, Starr's boyfriend Chris (KJ Apa) "gets it" and responds appropriately when communicsting and reaching out to Starr during her crisis. 

The ensemble cast was incredible and Amandla did a tremendous job of humanizing the cool Starr and the "nerd" Starr without over the top antics. And it was also good to see Issa Rae on the big screen.

Bottomline, George Tillman has crafted another story that is both relevant, encompassing and entertaining. You should see this movie and discuss it with your friends, children and other family members. #THUG

Movie Review: Widows (2018)

When I first saw the trailer a few months ago for the movie "Widows" (20th Century Fox), I wasn't feeling it. Although I absolutely love Viola Davis, the movie's lead character, as previewed in the trailer, the film didn't really move me. So when I decided to give it a chance and go see an advanced screening at the inaugural Smithsonian African American Film Fest presented by the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, D.C. on 10/24, I was more than pleasantly surprised.

Surrounding Davis in this thriller is a diverse cast of strong female characters including Michelle Rodriguez (Fast & Furious), singer/actress Cynthia Erivo (Color Purple on Broadway and OITNB), and Australian newcomer Elizabeth Debicki. The supporting characters, from the Oscar nominated actor Liam Neeson to Emmy award winner Robert Duval to Golden Globe winner Colin Farrell and Oscar nominated Daniel Kaluuya (most recently seen in Get Out and the blockbuster Black Panther), all gave strong performances.

Two-time Oscar winner Davis carries the film which had so many plot twists that you were kept on the edge of your seat waiting to see what would happen next. She is subtly brilliant and was really the rue for this incredible gumbo of a cast. Kaluuya showed us a side of his acting we've never seen before. And Erivo showed great athleticism in her role; Rodriguez and Dibecki depicted women in different stages of coming into their own; and veteran actor Duval displayed his usual magnificence in his portrayal of an overbearing father.

Academy award winning director Steve McQueen (12 Years A Slave) was the head chef tending to the rue and he delivered a great gumbo that moviegoers will enjoy consuming. Set in modern-day Chicago, the movie had everything you could ask for in an urban thriller except maybe shady cops. The story was smooth to the taste and delightfully fulfilling. Widows opens on November 16 and I encourage you to go see it. It's definitely worth the price of admission.

Also, the African American Film Fest runs through this Saturday, October 27. Most of the films they are screening are $10 and they even have some free events. Go to http://aafilmfest.si.edu for more info and tickets.

--Nona Ogunsula for womenatliberty.com 

U.S. Supreme Court Nominee: Judge Brett Kavanaugh

***UPDATE:
President Trump nominated Judge Brett Kavanaugh to replace retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy on the U.S. Supreme Court. Republican Senate leaders have promised a vote on the Kavanaugh nomination by late Fall 2018.

Watch here:

_________________________________

Will you watch tonight (9 pm EST) as the President announces his choice for the U.S. Supreme Court nominee? Do you care or feel the nominee has the potential to affect you and/or your family's life?

Here are some important facts about the potential nominees. Who would you choose:

Thomas Hardiman, 53
·3rd US Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia (11 years)
·Notre Dame (undergrad), Georgetown Law
·First person in immediate family to graduate from college
·Father of three

Raymond Kethledge, 51
·US Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, Cincinnati, Ohio (10 years)
·University of Michigan (undergrad and Law School)
·Author, w/Army veteran Mike Erwin, "Lead Yourself First: Inspiring Leadership Through Solitude" recognizes leaders including Dwight Eisenhower, Jane Goodall, Winston Churchill, and Martin L. King, Jr.
·Former law clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy
·Father of daughter and son

Amy Coney Barrett, 46
·United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, Chicago, Illinois (8 months)
·Rhodes College (undergrad), Notre Dame Law
·Former law professor at Notre Dame Law School and George Washington University Law Schools
·Mother of seven including two adopted children from Haiti

Brett Kavanaugh, 53
·U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (12 years)
·Yale (undergrad and Law School)
·Former law clerk for Justice Anthony Kennedy
·Senior Associate Counsel and Associate Counsel to President George W. Bush
·Father of two daughters

NAMIC Revitalizes its Mid-Atlantic Chapter with New Leadership and Events

by Nona Ogunsula

Daryl Jackson, Chapter Ops Mgr, NAMIC National; 
Sangeetha Subramanian, President and Sonarak Ieng, Vice-President, NAMIC Mid-Atlantic

Realizing that the time is now to ensure that minorities and women are visible and given opportunities to succeed, the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) and its new leaders for the Mid-Atlantic chapter, based in the Washington, D.C. area, are energetic and excited about the year of upcoming events. “The mission of NAMIC is to empower, educate, and advocate for multi-ethnic diversity in media and entertainment. So this is truly important for every market, but specifically [Washington, D.C.] with all that’s going on here,” stated Darryl Jackson who is the Manager for Mentoring Relations and Chapter Operations for NAMIC which is headquartered in New York City. He went on to say, “to be diverse both in front of the camera and behind the camera is of utmost importance. So, visibility is key”.

NAMIC Mid-Atlantic has a new slate of officers who are injecting new energy in the chapter with events and activities designed to help make real change through community and professional development. “In my experience, advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion can be an uphill battle. NAMIC has helped me reduce that sense of isolation and I hope to bring that same sense of like-minded community to all of our members” said Sangeetha Subramanian, new President of the Mid-Atlantic chapter.

On Thursday, 2/8/2018, NAMIC held its Kick-Off Mixer and first event of 2018 at SiriusXM’s location in northwest Washington, D.C. Walter B. Sanderson, III, Vice President, HR

Walter B. Sanderson, Vice President

and Diversity Officer, SiriusXM

Business Partner and Diversity Officer for SiriusXM, hosted the event and expressed, “It’s a real pleasure to have NAMIC Mid-Atlantic back in our facility again. We’re happy to host the organization. We want to make sure everybody takes a moment to look at employment opportunities here. We are kind of a stealth employer in that everybody knows our brand, but they don’t always think of us as a place to work. So we use this as an opportunity to introduce people to work here at SiriusXM.” The company with more than 32 million subscribers creates programming and offers commercial-free music, premier sports and live events, news and comedy, exclusive talk and entertainment, and a wide variety of Latin commercial-free programming. It also offers online streaming of its programming so its services are not tied to just your car. You can access the services via computer in your office or home, and via your smartphone. They employ individuals in a variety of roles that include On-Air Talent, Producer, marketing, creative, finance and technical positions.

A variety of individuals ranging from employers to creatives and technical professionals, freelancers, educators, and even actors attended the event which included a reception and ample time for networking. According to a 2017 Payscale article, “At least 70 percent of job openings aren’t even listed. The vast [majority] of hiring is friends and acquaintances hiring other trusted friends and acquaintances.”[i] The Mid-Atlantic chapter promotes networking and provides an environment where professionals in the communications and media/entertainment industries can have fun while getting to know each other.

In addition to traditional calendar events, NAMIC Mid-Atlantic also has a pop-up series to stay relevant with recent social trends. Their first pop-up event was a fun and cozy social in November 2017 at the Cloak and Dagger Bar in Northwest Washington, D.C. The next pop-up just announced is a screening of Black Panther at the historic Uptown Theater in Cleveland Park.

Chapter leaders, Sangeetha Subramanian and Sonarak Ieng, have a lot planned for 2018 and encourage everyone to get involved. There will also be unique opportunities to get to know people through volunteering. And most importantly there will be educational and career development opportunities, panels, and other diversity-related programming. So, stay tuned for upcoming events and stay connected to NAMIC Mid-Atlantic via social media. You can follow the local chapter at @NAMICMidA on Twitter, https://www.linkedin.com/company/namic-mid-atlantic on LinkedIn and NAMIC.MidAtlantic on Facebook. Follow the national organization at @NAMICNational on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

To see more pictures from the Kick-Off event, click here.

______________________________

Nona Ogunsula is a seasoned marketing professional with over 25 years of experience in marketing, creating and executing digital/social media campaigns, developing health promotion programs and managing projects and programs in the private and public sector. Over 10 of those years were spent in sales and marketing positions at AT&T. As the Principal Creative Officer of Liberty Ink Productions, she provides marketing, consulting, social/digital media and production services to businesses and non-profit organizations. Since 2011, she has been providing a leadership and empowerment platform specifically for women at womenatliberty.com

References: 

[i] Belli, Gina, “How Many Jobs Are Found Through Networking, Really?”, Payscale.com, April 2017

The Business of Making Black Films: A Talk by Ava Duvernay and David Oyelowo

On November 29, 2017, Oscar nominated and Emmy award-winning director Ava Duvernay and acclaimed actor David Oyelowo joined Dr. Rhea I. Combs, Curator of Film and Photography, at the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAC) in Washington, D.C. to discuss the business and creativity involved in making black films. The event was part of the Smithsonian’s 6th Annual Ingenuity Festival and Awards. Ms. Duvernay was one of eight award recipients that included notables like recording artist John Legend, astrophysicist Natalie Batalha and Apple technologist Jony Ive.* She attended the talk via Skype because her team had to pull an all-nighter to meet a post-production deadline for her upcoming 2018 release, A Wrinkle In Time. Duvernay is making history as the first black woman director to lead a film with a $100M budget. Mr. Oyelowo attended the session in person in the museum’s Oprah Winfrey Theater.

Making black films in Hollywood is a tough business. It’s not that there is a shortage of talent among the cadre of actors, directors and producers of color although this would not be known from the lack of recognition that they have received over the years from highly visible industry award shows. It’s that there has historically been a lack of opportunity and support commonly given to other mainstream films. Director Spike Lee recently posted a Thank You on Instagram to investors Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Janet Jackson, Tracey Chapmen, Bill Cosby, Peggy Cooper-Cafritz and Oprah Winfrey who helped him finish the “under budgeted” highly-praised biopic Malcolm X when he ran out of financial support from the Hollywood studio.

Ava Duvernay talks about making the film, 
"August 28", for the Smithsonian.**

Black and women filmmakers alike are oftentimes hampered by road blocks like financing, distribution, and biases/prejudices of what type of films actually sell. Ava Duvernay addressed this by saying that she created ARRAY, which was first known as the African-American Film Releasing Movement (AFFRM), as a ‘defense mechanism’ or ‘survival technique’ to get creative works by people of color to their audience. I remember responding to her on Twitter when she was seeking theaters in the Washington, D.C. area to show her first film, I Will Follow (2010). Although she financed that film with her own money and cleared that hurdle, she still faced the next hurdle of getting the film to her audience. Social media was just beginning to have a significant impact and provide a path for directly communicating with fans and moviegoers. Her experience as a publicist working in the entertainment industry enabled her to get the film in front of some key critics like the well-respected Roger Ebert who gave her a glowing review and helped to create a buzz about the film.

African American moviegoers represent a sizable audience for films. According to a report by the Motion Picture Arts Association of America, African American moviegoers contributed $1.6B or 14% of the total $11.4B U.S./Canada box office in 2016. The key for filmmakers is getting a platform to reach this audience. If it’s a good film and black audiences know about it, box office hits like Fences, the $200M grossing Hidden Figures, and $100M grossing Girls Trip prove black films and films with diverse images can be widely successful.

By the way, Hispanics and Asian moviegoers account for 21% and 14% respectively of the total U.S./Canada box office receipts. Together minority moviegoers contributed 49% of all tickets sold in the U.S. and Canada. Understanding those numbers brings clarity to why The Oscars' (Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences) responded so quickly to the #OscarsSoWhite Twitter campaign and accelerated their efforts to diversify their membership.

To make blockbuster films, filmmakers have to convince large corporations that their stories are worthy of the risk and investment of financing and distribution. For women and minorities, this task becomes even more arduous because they have to fight stereotypical images of what some studio executives believe minority and women audiences want to see on the large screen. When talking about getting Oscar and Golden Globe nominated Selma made, Oyelowo who was attached to the movie five years before Duvernay said that “they” felt that black people did not want to see “black pain” and white people did not want to feel “white guilt”. He personally lobbied to bring Duvernay on as director and Oprah Winfrey as an actor and co-producer.

Referencing Oprah Winfrey, Oyelowo said with her clout, influence and network, she has been able to provide a soft landing for black stories and creative works. “Without those soft landings, we will not be able to fully display who we are.” He went on to say that this is what black people in America have been lacking, a soft landing or a platform where our stories can be embraced and we can be “truly ourselves”. So it leaves us to wonder how this week’s announcement of Winfrey’s sale of 25% of her Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) to Discovery Communications, giving them almost 75% ownership, will change and affect the “platform” she has built and branded since 2011. Only time will tell. Duvernay currently has a top-rated television series on OWN, Queen Sugar.

New platforms and distribution channels are emerging like Macro led by former WME Partner Charles King, and joining minority-owned networks like TV One led by Cathy Hughes; Aspire led by Magic Johnson; Bounce led by Andrew Young, Jr. and Martin King III and Sean Comb’s Revolt channel to provide a bridge and conduit for stories by people of color and women. We are assured though that the ingenuity of mavericks like Ava Duvernay will enable black stories and diverse films to find a way to their audience and black people will find a way to support and value those stories.

The Ingenuity Festival and events will run through December 30, 2017. There are special events for children. For more information, go to: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/calendar/2017-smithsonian-ingenuity-festival. 

To listen to the full discussion between Ava Duvernay, David Oyelowo and Dr. Combs at NMAAHC, go to:
https://www.facebook.com/NMAAHC/videos/10154930846676990

by Nona O., Liberty Ink Productions

*See the full list of Ingenuity Award Recipients here:
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/ingenuity/ceremonies/2017-winners 

**The short film, "August 28", written and directed by Ava Duvernay is currently showing at the NMAAHC. Those without reserved tickets for the museum may be able to gain entrance into the museum by standing in line at 1:00 pm, Monday -- Friday. Visitors are admitted as space allows.

Are You A Witness? Where Is The Savior?...Happy Resurrection Day!

They came to the tomb where Jesus had been buried after his crucifixion looking for him. Interestingly enough women were the first to arrive at the place where Jesus' body had been last seen. (See Luke 24, The Bible)

Met by angels, they were told that that Christ was alive and had risen from the dead. These women became the first witnesses and reporters of Christ's resurrection.

Today, the only witness of the risen Savior some people will ever see is the one reflected in our lifestyle. If you are one of the 70% of Christians in the U.S. or 30% of Christians around the world, are you a good representation of who Christ was and is? Something to think about...

Happy Palm Sunday!

Happy Palm Sunday! As Christians all around the world celebrate the beginning of Holy Week, we are reminded of lessons from Jesus' life during a most critical period. Popular opinion and polls change and people are fickle. One minute they are celebrating you and nominating you for President or the Secretary of Defense when they think you can save their hides from oppressive dictators and their armies. The next minute they will desert you when they discover your mission does not line up with their expectations. Some will even turn you in for the right price.

Here's another lesson: some of the people in the crowd that welcomed Jesus into Jerusalem shouting "Hail" and "You down with G-O-D", were inevitably in the crowd a few days later when the masses yelled, "Crucify Him!" Also, there were definitely individuals in those crowds that served the same God as Jesus. You do know that the people who paid for Jesus' betrayal and arrest were religious leaders. Everyone praying with you ain't praying for your success.

Jesus knew his mission and that steadied him during his toughest trials even when his closest friends deserted him and his mother could not help him.

Just like Jesus, at some point during our lives we will face injustice. If we know our purpose, we will be able to stand up to the bullies, liars, and demonic forces, and speak the truth.

Confidence over Insecurity

Don't project your insecurities onto someone else. Maybe it's not that they think they are too this or that, it's that you're uncomfortable with who they are and what they represent.

I saw a television show this weekend where a group of women attacked and disliked another woman because her aproach to life and values were different than theirs. "She thinks she's too good for us. She's too quiet. She doesn't hang out with us all the time. She's a goody two-shoes." They felt this way because she did not like the same things they liked. She expressed opinions that were different from the group's opinions. So, naturally she became a target.

As adults and women, we have to be careful that we don't go through life constantly playing middle school games. Let people be who they are. That's a sign of maturity. If you are uncomfortable with who they are, check yourself first. Have the courage to do this as an individual away from the group. It maybe that her example will help you find the confidence to be more of who you really want to be rather than always fitting into the questionable expectations of the group.

Be Present

This week I saw on a talk show the story of two women who had been best friends for a number of years. It appears that the friendship had been lost for several years after an incident where one of the friends did not feel that the other person cared for her the same way she cared for them.

They missed each other's loving support during so many life events where the support of a true girlfriend means more than words can describe. An engagement. A marriage. The birth of a first child. The death of a parent.

The essence of the first major "blow" to the friendship came when one friend called and gave the other friend her credit card number and told her to order a pizza when she heard about the death of her friend's mother. Sounds really callous, right? Of course, the friend who called with her credit card number had an excuse. She said that she did not deal with death very well, but she wanted to help. Now to you or I, this may seem like a lame excuse and would have been unforgivable. But it wasn't just this event that broke up their friendship. However, it was the one thing that always hung over any other misunderstanding.

The bottom line and the moral of the story is this: show up and be present. Sometimes this is going to require you to be in situations that are uncomfortable for you, yet your presence could mean the world to your friend or loved one. When words are in adequate, your presence can communicate the universal language of love. So as much and as often as possible, choose to be present in the lives of those who are important to you.
#emPowerHER #BePresent #Friendship #RealLove #whm #WomenMakingHistory

Reflections On An Extraordinary King and His Dream

I grew up believing in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream. His dream, which should be every American's dream, was that people would be judged by the content of their character, not their skin color. He believed that individuals  should be judged by their skills and comportment, not the pigmentation of their skin, the size of their nose, eyes or lips, the length or texture of their hair, or even their accent.

In the almost 50 years since his death, there has been progress, but not enough. Some of the same problems that plagued King's generation and all those who came before him, still plagued us in the 21st century. Disparities in unemployment and health care, unequal justice, systemic racism, etc. In 2017, we still live in a country where people and their voices are marginalized because they express views that are different.

We as a nation must become uncomfortable with the intolerable just as King, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, James Baldwin and so many countless others stood up to racism and discrimination, and initiated change. You will not change a system when you are comfortable with the benefits of its injustice. We must become uncomfortable.

The indomitable spirit, that fire that burned within an ordinary mortal man and caused him to risk his life to lead a people to wage a nonviolent war against an unjust system, must lead us to a place where we are re-filled and re-energized to stand against bigotry and exclusion from the rights that every citizen should have. I have personally experienced silence from leaders who are willing to look the other way when the injustice is against those whose beliefs they disagree with or whose profile is not high enough to warrant their attention. But this is not right. 

Injustice is like cancer. Unless we identify it and confront it, it will spread and take over our system. We must stand up and rededicate ourselves to the equality and the inalienable rights of everyone. We are the ones we have been waiting for... 

--Nona O. 

"I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed - we hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal."

 --Martin L. King, Jr.

Happy New Year!

Happy 2017! 😆😎💕👢♪🍾🕛🎉

Fences, A Classic American Story

(Adapted from the Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winning play by August Wilson)

Opens everywhere on Christmas Day 2016

“Fences” is a great American movie in the tradition of American classics like "A Raisin In The Sun", "It's A Wonderful Life", "Imitation of Life" and "Malcolm X". Led by two-time Academy award winning actor, Denzel Washington, who also directed the film, and award winning actress Viola Davis, this brilliant cast of actors reprised their roles from the 2010 run of the play on Broadway. Washington, Davis and Mykelti Williamson breathed life into these characters in such a way that the audience is able to see the humanity of and identify with these complex but lovable individuals.

The story is set in the 1950’s and finds its main character, Troy Maxson, as a married father of two sons who lives in a two story house and works as a sanitation worker (aka a “garbage man”) in the blue collar town of Pittsburgh, PA. Segregation is very much the order of the day as black men are not allowed to drive the trash trucks. These jobs are reserved for white men. In fact, we see Maxson break barriers in the film as he is the first black man to be promoted to driver in the city. He’s a hero, right? Well Troy Maxson is a complicated guy with a heart of gold but a steel fist.

FencesMovie.com

instagram.com/mykeltiwmson

           Fencesmovie.com          

Rose Maxson, played by Viola Davis, is your everyday woman of the time. She’s a housewife that cooks, cleans, holds the family together and is active in her church. Her life would appear simple, but as it is in the real world, real life is never simple. Ms. Davis helps us see who the real hero and “stable one” is in the family even though she is married to a hard-working, responsible man who brings his entire paycheck home to her. Modern day feminists and womanists might look down on Rose for the choices that she made especially after she is betrayed. However, Viola’s Oscar-worthy performance helps us understand Rose’s choices and leaves us with no criticism for this character.

Mykelti Williamson plays, Gabriel, the disabled war veteran brother of Troy whose war injury settlement made it possible for the family to buy a modest home in an all-black section of town. Mykelti delivered an amazingly simple, but wonderfully nuanced performance of an individual with a mental disability. I loved the interaction between Lyons, Troy’s oldest son, played by Russell Hornsby and Gabriel. It portrayed the true love, patience and acceptance that you will find in families of an individual with special needs.

One of the overarching themes in this movie is how easy it is to become a victim to a cycle of pain even when you have fought hard to be nothing like and tried to get far away from the thing that has caused you so much pain in your life. The masterful performance of Stephen Henderson (Troy’s co-worker and best friend) shows us what it means to be a true friend in good and bad times. Jovan Adepo, Troy’s youngest son Cory, and Sanyya Sidney, remind us that love is not perfect but it can be beautiful if we allow ourselves to be open to the reality of love and not what we see in fairy tales.

Fences is truly an amazing story. It's an American story. It’s a family movie. Go see it Christmas Day!

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****Cast of Fences at New York advance screening:

Check out this clip of Denzel Washington giving life advice at an advance screening of the film in New York City on December 18, 2016:

"Fight For Your Dreams"

http://motivationalmoments-vwo.blogspot.com/2016/12/fight-for-your-dreamsdenzel-washington.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

#HappyThanksgiving from @womenatliberty and #WomenMakingHistory!

Faith Calls Us To Action...@vnona

The verse below calls people who say they are believers of Christ to action. "Make" is the operative word and denotes action. To see injustice, devastation and wrongdoing and remain silent is to give tacit approval to those situations.

Christians are called to be a people of faith and action (works). Don't preach to me about your faith if you remain silent on issues of injustice. Change for the better does not just happen by itself. Individuals are the agents of change. Healing does not just happen. Action is required whether internally or externally.

The paths we are called to "make" will not only benefit us but those who come after us if...we clear paths and train others to clear paths.