Socially and Politically Progressive Holiday Cards

Happy Writing!  Happy New Year !

It's your time to bloom.  This is the great Paul Robeson.

Message from Harlem Renaissance Poet

Kwanzaa Card  featuring Sculptor Edmonia Lewis

Inside contains the Solidarity Statement from Cairo

       Please check out my new Holiday Cards. I love them. They are nontraditional in that the messages seek to be inclusive and recognize the aspirations of us all.  This year’s cards celebrate everything from Occupation Wall Street to gay love to Kwanzaa to everything in between. Plus, you can still buy my other cards for different occasions.

Enjoy!  And order.  There’s a sale on at Zazzle that ends Halloween night. Merci.

Here’s the link to my Zazzle Store:  http://www.zazzle.com/28pokou4

Hahn-Bin: Edgy , Self-loving and Making Classical Music Exciting

Making Classical Music Fun and Young-Hahn-Bin

Hahn-Bin

Hann-bin, a 24-year-old violinist from South Korea, is making classical music fun and engaging for his audiences.

Get to know him: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psq5cQenrG0

Life in Marvelous Times-Mos Def & The Brooklyn Philharmonic

It's all about the music and the message.

                                      
Who said rap and classical music can’t blend to create something really meaningful  and current? Check out Mos Def and the Brooklyn Philharmonic.   Imagine if The Philadelphia Orchestra paired with some local poet/rapper , say, like Crucial  or Ursula Rucker or even me???? Blend on…..

*Remember, this month I'm promoting my Listen to African poem/poster published by the Syracuse Cultural Workers.  Here's the link: http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-listen-africa

Celebrating Teen Entrepreneurship

 The recurring theme of my mom and my Aunt Danni, with regard to the goal of their sacrifice to get their children the best education, is for us to always plan to work for ourselves; to be entrepreneurs .  I, Auguste, Daniel and Gideon have been practicing this concept in a lot of ways and for a while now.  Look at the top of this site, here is my line of greeting cards-Sojo Pokou Cards, which feature historical figures, mostly African-Americans and their words of wisdom.   And now I have my Listen to Africa poster, published by the Syracuse Cultural Workers, to add to my growing empire(Smile.) 

Here are links to

Sojo Pokou Cards: http://www.zazzle.com/28pokou4
Syracuse Cultural Workers:  http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-listen-africa

This month I will highlight the entrepreneurial success of teens around the world. Kudos to this teen brother and sister, Catherine and Dave Cook, who built a 100-million dollar business- MYYEARBOOK.com  Learn more.

Listen to Africa and the rest of the World-This Year's Nobel Prize Peacemakers

Winners of the 2011 Nobel Prize for Peace

        I told you a few days ago that my poem, Listen to Africa, has been published by the Syracuse Cultural Workers as a poster and is available for purchase.  What I am most proud of is the fact that one of my heroes mentioned in this poem- Elle Johnson Sirleaf is one of the co-winners of this year’s Nobel Prize for Peace.  Also recognized in my poem is the wisdom of  Wangari Maathai.  She was the first African woman to win a Nobel Peace Prize, which she received in 2004.  She died last week. 

Listen to Africa.   Here's the link to order this poster: http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-listen-africa

Raising Cain-The Occupy Wall Street March

AP Photo-John Minchillo

My maternal grandmother is a southern woman to the core and she has the best sayings.  They’re not all southern in origin, but I associate them with the South because of the precise imagery and over-the-top  sense of urgency they create.  One of her favorite phrases of wisdom is,” go out and raise some Cain.”  …meaning make some noise, let people know you are tired and you’re not going to take it anymore. 

Well, I ‘m happy that everyday people are raising Cain over our failing economy and are  identifying  the role the Wall Street Banks have played in this decline. I’m quite excited about this Occupy Wall Street March which started on Sept 17, 2011.  It has pick-up momentum and sparked demonstrations around the country. Yesterday, New York City saw its largest group of protesters since the march started. Check out the following video and see an example of a teenager, like us, caring about real issues-our country’s future. What I like about this guy-Jelani Gibson-is he knows when to follow Grandma.
http://vimeo.com/30154493

My Poster is Ready- Order Now

Sorry, but I need to blow my own horn.  The Syracuse Cultural Workers, which is the premiere catalog company for progressive resources, has recently published my poem, Listen to Africa, as a poster.  So please, check out their site and order my poster and so many other cool items.

http://syracuseculturalworkers.com/poster-listen-africa

Calle 13- Making Clear the Connections

Calle 13

My mom just turned me on to Calle 13, an alternative hip-hop group from Puerto Rico and they are on fire. They infuse their music with a lot of social commentary.  Here is Latin America and with this project they collaborated with artists from Peru like Susana Baca.  Happy Sunday Listening!!! And do get the message.

Happy Birthday John Coltrane

John Coltrane, 33rd and Diamond Sts., Phialdelphia

Every time by mother crosses the Girard Street Bridge and takes that left onto 33^rd Street, she always points out the house where saxophonist John Coltrane lived during his time in Philadelphia. Then we have to travel further down to see a mural of him at 33^rd and Diamond Streets.   But I never mind. I’m just amazed at the talent that has moved through my city.  Last week was John Coltrane’s birthday and in honor of this, let’s listen to My Favorite Things.  Thank you, Maria!!!

Misty Copeland- My Example

I’m a bit disappointed because I'm away from home and I won’t be able to see the Pennsylvania Ballet’s opening season’s performance of Ratmansky and Balanchine ,at the Academy of Music. on October 20-23, 2011.   But, of course, you will attend.  

It seems like a lifetime that I have had a relationship with this ballet company.  I almost feel like this company is family because I have attended so many performances and because I have become attached to many of its dancers like Jermel Johnson and Heidi Cruz; both of whom are African-American.  Though Ms. Cruz is no longer with the Pennsylvania Ballet, it was she who pulled me on stage and allowed me to imagine, by her example, I could do the same and love this dance medium as my own.  The examples of people of color in the ballet world are minimal and this why I am so excited about Misty Copeland, who is the first African-American soloist for the American Ballet Theatre, in New York.  Her example will get lots of girls and boys dancing and make me feel even more confident that ballet belongs to me, too and it’s an art form-when I get my bucks-I need to support.

Here is your chance to get to know Misty.