Parting The Waters-Swimmers of Color Making Waves

Did you know that less than one percent of competitive swimmers in the United States are people of color? Did you know that the drowning rates of people of color are three times higher than those for white children?

That’s why this past summer, my brother and I started swimming lessons with the Swim America program. Swim America is committed to giving the best swimming instruction to kids anywhere. I took lessons at an area university and I had a highly trained instructor. I will continue with my lessons throughout the year and you can, too. Have your parents contact Swim America to see where it is operating a program near you.

After the Olympics in Beijing, I am more excited than ever to improve my swimming and it’s not because of Michael Phelps. (I do like Michael.) It’s because of Cullen Jones, the African-American swimmer who won an Olympic gold medal in the 4X100 relay race. Check out Cullen’s video where he’s thanking his mom for supporting him over the years. Cullen is an incredible swimmer and he is using his Olympic fame to encourage children, especially children of color, to learn how to swim. Through the Make a Splash Foundation, he hopes to save many lives by persuading children of the importance of knowing how to swim.

There are a few swimmers of color on the scene who are truly inspiring. Besides Cullen Jones, there is Maritza Correia. She is the first African- American woman on an United Sates Olympic team. She won the silver medal at the Games in Athens in 2004.

Jenny Levison and Josh Waletzky are the producers and directors of an upcoming documentary called Parting the Waters.
“More than 50 years after landmark civil rights decisions opened schools and voting booths, fewer than 1% of competitive swimmers in the U.S. are black and Latino. Parting the Waters is the story of African-American championship swimmers Maritza Correia and Cullen Jones, and the young black and Latino swimmers coming up behind them –– as they challenge old myths, fears, and stereotypes to break down the last vestiges of segregation.”, is how they summarize this great project.

For more information, see the following sites and go out and make a splash.

Parting the Waters- www.dotellproductions.com

There's an interview with Jenny and Josh, the filmmakers of Parting the Waters ,on Participant Productions blog: http://blogs.takepart.com/2008/08/15/parting-the-murky-waters-of-race-in-the-swimming-pool/

Swim America www.swimamerica.org

The Make a Splash Foundation www.makeasplash.org

Path To My African Eyes -Q&A Interview

My regular readers know that I did a review of a great book, Path to My African Eyes, not too long ago. Well, the publisher of this book, Just Us Books, arranged for me to send my questions about the book and the writer to the writer herself. How fabulous is this? Her name is Ermila Moodley and this in my Q&A interview with her.

Questions=Sojourner Ahebee

Answers=Ermila Moodley

1. How closely is Path To My African Eyes based on your own personal experiences?

In Path to my African Eyes the narrator, Thandi Sobukwe, is a product of educated parents in a newly democratic country, whereas I grew up in poverty in apartheid South Africa. So my life has been quite different to hers. However, in the story Thandi confronts similar issues that have troubled me. The main one being finding one’s place and identity in a White dominated society.

2. When did you leave South Africa and why?

I left South Africa in my early twenties to experience living in a free society.

3. When I studied about Mahatma Gandhi, I learned about the Indian Community in South Africa. Tell me a little about this community.

Indians started arriving in South Africa in 1860 and were brought by the British to work as laborers in the sugar cane plantations. These Indians came willingly because they wanted to escape famine in India, and they were promised great opportunities. Once they arrived Indians were essentially treated as slaves. Living conditions were awful and many committed suicide. Later, wealthier Indians from India arrived in South Africa to set up businesses. These folks would not tolerate dehumanizing treatment from the ruling white population and fought hard for basic services for all Indians. When Mahatma Gandhi arrived in the early 1900’s he joined in the struggle for just treatment. Because of him Indians were better off than blacks under apartheid.

4. How do you feel about South Africa today? Do you think the country is moving forward?

I feel a tremendous sense of pride when I go to South Africa these days. Even though there are still a lot of problems to sort out, it’s great to see that every human being is expected to be treated with respect. It’s wonderful to walk into public libraries and parks and see a mix of races. It’s great to go to whichever beach you like, or to walk into any restaurant and know that you are welcome.
The country is definitely moving forward. In the past, most black kids dropped out of school before their teens. Today, most kids go all the way to high school. In the past, most of the universities had predominantly white students. Today, the great majority of students are black. That in itself is a reflection of the country moving forward. In a few years these students will join the workforce, increasing the number of university educated black adults in society. Isn’t that an obvious indicator of the country moving forward? I can name other examples too, such as the vast improvement in infrastructure in the poorest areas, etc. But I’ll leave it at that.

5. Though my mother is American, I am originally from Cote d’Ivoire, so on several levels I really understand Thandi. I am constantly telling people that Africa is not a country, but a continent. How can we as Africans in America, help to change the image of Africa from being only a bleak place?

That’s a tough one. I wish I had a simple answer. I guess my approach has been:
a) Just correcting people whenever the topic comes up;
b) Through my books.

6. Are you a teacher? If you are, how does being a teacher help you as a writer?

Yes, I’m an elementary school teacher and this year I have third grade. Teaching gives me a lot of insight into what kids know and what their interests are. Seeing and interacting with my audience everyday helps me connect with them more easily in my writing.

7. Is this your first book? How are you enjoying being a writer? When did you start writing?

Path to My African Eyes is my first book with Just Us Books. I’ve also written a middle grade book called Under the African Sun, which is set in South Africa, and was published in 2003.
I love writing because it provides me with a creative outlet. I started writing about ten years ago.

8. How do people feel about your book in the United States and South Africa?

There has been a lot of excitement about my book in the US. Kids at my school come up to me and tell me how much they enjoyed reading it. I was pleased with the reviews it got in Booklist and School Library Journal. It isn’t available in South Africa yet, unfortunately.

9. What projects are you working on?

I am working on a book set in the early 1960’s in South Africa. It tells the story of the political awakening of a young teenager. The Rivonia Trial, which is the trial that resulted in Nelson Mandela’s life sentence, is the backdrop to the story.


I’m a 7th grader and my blog-Sojo’s Trumpet- is for young people. What advice can you give me and my readers who are interested in becoming a writer like you?

Well, I think you are already on the road to success. My advice is, exercise that writing brain everyday. Keeping a blog is one great way to do this. I also suggest you keep a notebook with you at all times. Whenever you observe something that gets your attention, or when ideas come into your mind, you should write it down. I can’t tell you how precious your impressions as a teenager are. When you are older you won’t remember the exact emotions and thoughts you have now. Try your best to record these.

Another piece of advice: Read lots of good books. Read with a writer’s eye. Take note of how good writers communicate ideas and information.

Other than that, just enjoy the process.

Good luck to you!
And thanks for your wonderful review on your blogspot.

Ermila Moodley

Making Art in the Big City

Some people are afraid of big cities, but I’m not. I love living in the city because where there are lots of people, great things are happening and there are many opportunities for young people to do amazing things.

For example, how many of you think you have artistic talent? Are you into painting, printmaking, sculpture, pottery, murals…? Well, if you live in a big city, there are many programs and art schools and museums that can begin to train you as an artist right now. In Philadelphia, the following places have great art programs for young people, between the ages of 5-17. Check them out. Some are free like the Fleisher Art Memorial, some require a fee and others like the Moore College of Art offer scholarships through your schools. Be Proactive!!!

One of my brother’s favorite illustrators is E.B. Lewis. Lewis has illustrated many books and is one of the most popular book illustrators of all time. He began his art career as a little boy going to Saturday art classes at Temple University. Just imagine and do it!!!!

1. The Samuel Fleisher Art Memorial
http://www.fleisher.org
719 Catharine Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-922-34-56

2. The Moore College of Art and Design
http://www.moore.edu/
20th Street and The ParkwayPhiladelphia, PA 19103-1179
215-568-4515

3. The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
http://www.pafa.org/
118-128 N. Broad St.Philadelphia, PA 19102
Children and Family Programs- 215-972-2061
Art Program for High School Students-215-972-7632

4. The Philadelphia Museum of Art
http://www.philamuseum.org/
26th Street and the Benjamin Franklin ParkwayPhiladelphia, PA 19130
Children and Family Programming
215-684-7580

A Young Preacher From Georgia

I watched Barack Obama’s speech last Thursday during the National Democratic Convention. I watched the speech with my family, including my grandparents. We were very proud of Senator Obama and we thought he gave a great speech.

My family and friends, though, are still debating about whether it was right for him to only refer to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as that young preacher from Georgia, especially since Senator Obama gave his acceptance speech on the anniversary of Dr. King’s I Have A Dream Speech.

Anyway, all of these discussions led to other discussions about Dr. King. Though I’m almost 13, I thought I knew a lot about Dr. King. I learned that I don’t. My uncle was visiting this weekend to repair my computer and he shared with my mother some of the sites which have speeches by Dr. King. I heard and watched some of his speeches against war-against the war in Vietnam. I am against the war in Iraq-any war. I had to leave my country of Cote d’Ivoire because of war. I saw the Vietnam Memorial when I visited Washington, D.C. this past spring. All of those names of the dead soldiers made me so sad. I am so proud of Dr. King and of how he took a stand. Dr. King quotes the Italian poet Dante in one of his speeches.

The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who in times of great moral crises maintain their neutrality.- Dante

Please listen to a part of some of Dr. King's speeches on war.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92-r05TH9qs&feature=related

Path To My African Eyes By Ermila Moodley

Author: Ermila Moddley
Publisher: Just Us Books,Inc.
ISBN: 978-1-933491-09-7
Price: $10.95
Reviewer: Sojourner Ahebee


Path To My African Eyes by Ermila Moodley, published by Just Us Books, deals with the issues of cultural identification and self- love. I thought these were interesting topics to write about because of the global movement of people.

The main character, in Path To My African Eyes, is Thandi Sobukwe. She is a fourteen year-old high school freshman from South Africa. She had to move from Cape Town, South Africa to Buena Vista, California. The reason that Thandi and her family had to move was because her father, who is a professor, got a job to teach in California. Thandi is excited about her new school, country, and culture.

When Thandi first arrives at her new school, some of the students ask her ignorant questions about Africa. She makes it clear that she is from the country of South Africa and that Africa is a vast continent. Also two of her male classmates tease her because she has short hair. They comment by asking Thandi if she is a boy or girl or male or female. She also doesn’t quite fit in with the African- American students either. Her discomfort about herself is both cultural and racial.

Once she arrives in California she meets two friends, at her new school, named Chrystal and Jennifer. These girls are white Americans whose physical features Thandi wants and admires. After one day with them, she completely wants to change her image. She urges her parents to buy her a bike, new clothes, a boogie board, a surfboard, and she sneaks out and relaxes her hair. Her hair is initially short and kinky and her mother preferred it that way for political and cultural reasons.

This book is about the discovery of loving and cherishing yourself, especially when you are in an environment that doesn’t always affirm who you are. I think teens all around the world could relate and enjoy this book. Ms. Moodley extremely connects with the reader not only because the book is written in first person but because these cultural issues of identity are issues many teens face in life. I urge anyone to read this book because I’m sure you will love it and learn a thing or two about yourself and a little about South Africa.

I plan to interview the author, Ermila Moodley, in the near future.

Here's the link to Just Us Books. Check out their other great books.

http://www.justusbooks.com/

High School Student Philip Hayes Wins National Debate and $150,000

Last night at the National Constitution Center, in Philadelphia, the Now Debate This! competition was held. As I shared yesterday, this was the final round and the finalists were Malik Neal of Pennsylvania and Philip Hayes of Texas. It was so exciting to witness a live debate and in one of the grand auditoriums of the National Constitution Center.
The moderator of the debate was Professor Robert George of Princeton University. He was quite impressive. Also there were Dr. Josephine M. Templeton and Dr. John Templeton, who first envisioned the whole idea of young people learning about historical figures like George Washington and Abraham Lincoln and debating about their contributions. Ms. Mary Hagy, the executive producer of Now Debate This! gave a warm welcome.
Malik argued that Lincoln was the greatest president and Philip argued that George Washington was the greatest president. I was amazed at how articulate they were and how much knowledge that had managed to keep in their heads. They were both inspirational to me and my friends-Daniel, Gideon, Brandon and Kiera and my brother Auguste. We are all 13 years old or younger and we might just be a participant in Now Debate This! in the future.

Today on Fox News and Friends it was announced that Philip was winner of the debate. He won a$150,000.00 in scholarship money and Malik won $50,000.00 in scholarship money. Here is the link to the Fox News and Friends show with Malik, Philip and Dr. John Templeton. Remember, if you know someone who will be a junior in high school this year, they too can try to participate in this great debating program.

http://www.foxnews.com/video2/video08.html?maven_referralObject=3040521&maven_referralPlaylistId=&sRevUrl=http://www.foxnews.com/foxfriends/

High School Debaters Compete to Win $150,000.00 in College Scholarships

This past Saturday, I went to an event-an reenactment of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass speeches-at the famed Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church in Philadelphia. This was the church started by Richard Allen. Anyway, at this event ,I met Malik Neal ,who is 16 years old and a senior at West Catholic High School.

Malik is a finalist in Now Debate This!, a national competition where students have to debate American history topics. Students from all over the country entered this competition and there were several rounds of competitions, but now the contest is down to Malik from Philly and Philip Hayes from Texas.

The final debate is tonight at the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia at 7:00 p.m. Malik will argue that Abraham Lincoln was the best US President and Philip will argue that George Washington was the best president. The public decides the winner. You can attend the event live and for free at the Constitution Center or watch online and vote. The winner gets $150,000.00 in scholarship money and the runner-up gets $50,000.00 in scholarship money.

Malik Neal reminds me a lot of James Farmer, Jr., the youngest debater in the movie The Great Debaters.

Now Debate This! is produced by Pinnacle Performance. Mary Hagy is the President of this organization which specializes in heritage education.

For more information and to see videos of Malik and the other contestants
go to http://nowdebatethis.com

* Portrait of Lincoln by Robert Shetterly

The National Constitution Center
525 Arch Street
Philadelphia, PA
http://constitutioncenter.org

Massive and Majestic; The Paintings of Kehinde Wiley

New York is fabulous and Harlem is vibrant ! As you know, I was planning to go to New York to see the Kehinde Wiley exhibition-The World Stage:Africa Lagos-Dakar. –at the Studio Museum in Harlem. It is absolutely magnificent. All the paintings were created in 2008, so this is his most recent work. For those unfamiliar with Kehinde Wiley, he is the master of blending the new world with the old. He does these massive paintings of contemporary black and brown men in their urban clothing.

My favorite paintings of his are Hunger, Rubin Singleton and Three Wise Men. Kehinde Wiley’s work is very large and very detailed. In Hunger, you feel the pain of the young men in this painting. You feel this through their eyes. One thing about Kehinde Wiley, his paintings are full of strong looking, powerful males of color. They look majestic.
According to the Studio Museum “Wiley is known for his stylized paintings of young, urban African-American men in poses borrowed from eighteenth- and nineteenth-century European figurative paintings, a practice he started in the early 2000s while an artist in residence at the Studio Museum. Over the last two years, Wiley has expanded his project by living and working abroad; he temporarily relocates to different countries and opens satellite studios to become familiar with local culture, history and art. His “The World Stage” series is the result of these travels.”

Born in Los Angles in 1977 and educated At Yale University, Kehinde Wiley is based in New York City. His work has the feeling of old master portrait painters such as Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough , Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres and Titian. The style of Kehinde Wiley’s work is both contemporary and traditional and the black male if always his focus; black males that are commanding.

Kehinde Wiley will be at the Studio Museum, to speak ,sometime in October. You may contact the museum to get more details. I want to thank Amanda, from the Studio Museum, and other staff members for the warm reception they gave me and my Aunt Mona. And I thank my aunt for thinking that it was important that I see this museum and this artist. Thanks ,Tante Mona.

Do try to visit this museum and see Kehinde Wiley because seeing his artwork is an opportunity you don’t want to miss. The exhibition runs through October 26, 2008.

The Studio Museum in Harlem
144 west 125th Street
New York, New York
212-864-4500

http://www.studiomuseum.org/

Ain't Love Grand

When I started this blog, I had decided I would stay away from politics,even though my mom always says that everything is political. Though I am not old enough to vote, I am an Obama supporter. I also like the image of Barack and Michelle. I like to see a couple of color who just oozes togetherness. I think this is a needed image. Have a look at this video of Barack and Micelle. Just click on the link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPYMaF2vAmg

The African Presence in the Americas

I’m back on the block! I’ve been away at camp. This was my first overnight camp experience and it was great. I’m ready to roll with the info. My city of Philadelphia, like many cities in the United States, has a growing and diverse Spanish-speaking community. I find this fact very exciting. I play kickball with a couple of boys from the Dominican Republic. I use to go to school with a boy from Costa Rica. I love that I can easily get tamales wrapped in corn husk (Mexican-style) or have tamales wrapped in plantain leaves ( Honduras-style). I love that The Philadelphia Art Museum just had a major exhibition of Frida Kahlo’s paintings. Frida Kahlo was a great Mexican painter. You already know some of the Spanish-speaking music I listen to. ( Check out the sidebar on the left and listen, again,-Lila Downs and the B-Side Players.)
I am slowly getting an appreciation of just how diverse these communities really are. For example, I don’t think most non-Latin Americans know that there are communities of people of African descent in Mexico, Central and South America. On of my favorite writers is Veronica Chambers. She is an African-American of Panamanian descent-her family is from Panama. Veronica Chambers writes about everything including Latin communities in the U.S. Give a read-out to Marisol and Magdalena: The Sound of Our Sisterhood, Quinceanera Means 15 and Celia Cruz; Queen of Salsa. These are great books that feature African-Hispanic characters.

Also, The African-American Museum in Philadelphia is featuring a special exhibition called The African Presence in Mexico; From Yanga to the Present. This exhibition celebrates the African legacy in Mexico and the Americas. The exhibition closes October 25th.

The African-American Museun

701 Arch Street

Philadelphia, PA 19106

215-574-0380