Commentary

Peace On Earth, Good Will Towards Men (and Wymin) . . . And Peace And Good Will For The Soul

Finally, Saturn has left my sign of Taurus and I am finally able to get up, brush myself off, stretch, rub my eyes, and look around.   Saturn is often referred to as the planet of karma.  Well, it certainly slowed me down and stirred my spirit to indulge in copious reading and reflection.  I cannot honestly say what the last two and one-half years will bear upon my future, but I can say it has certainly been an insightful journey into my soul.  Oh, and to my Gemini friends, my condolences, Saturn now dwells with you.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not a follower of astrology, and though I am Catholic, I neither habitually recite the Nicene creed, nor do I practice genuflecting every Sunday.  I am, however, a believer that all things make up the "who of you" and to deny them would be a denial of a part of your makeup.  My spirit will not allow me to do this.  Now, back to Saturn.

From the time Saturn moved in uninvited in August of 1998, until Saturn’s welcomed departure in April/May of 2001, I read more than 40+ books on various subjects:  earth sciences, psychology, quantum physics, Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, books on various religions, and books on spirituality.  My favorites (for those of you looking for gift-giving ideas or who have friends who are Gemini) are:  Conversations With God (all books in the series) by Neale Donald Walsch; The Seat of the Soul and Soul Stories by Gary Zukav; In The Light of Truth (The Grail Message) by Abd-Ru-Shin (Note:  if you’re interested in a spiritual relationship to Einstein’s Theory of Relativity, this is it – Book I the chapter entitled Rigidity); The Mastery of Love and The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz; Jung’s Map of the Soul by Murray Stein; Care of the Soul by Thomas Moore (actually anything written by Thomas Moore); The Man Who Tapped The Secrets of the Universe by Glenn Clark; The Celestine Prophecy and The Celestine Vision by James Redfield; all books written by Iyanla Vanzant, particularly The Value In The Valley; and finally, Daughters of Africa – An International Anthology of Words and Writings by Women of African Descent From the Ancient Egyptian to the Present, edited by Margaret Busby. 

As in my last experience with Saturn when I was 13 or 14 years-old, or when I emerge from a valley experience due to the loss of love or the death of a friend or family member, I always come away renewed.  This experience with Saturn actually was no different than my previous Saturn experience or my valley experiences (yes, plural – I’m a bit hardheaded), except this time, I feel stronger as a person and I have a more purposeful outlook on life.  One purpose is to present a positive representation of our lives as lesbians of color.  There is very little out there pertaining to our experiences, our contributions to society, our wisdom, our beauty, and our lives. 

I will spend the remainder of December keeping my soul renewed and preparing myself for the new year.  Next year, I plan on greatly expanding FemmeNoir to include interviews, video documentaries, feature articles, and maybe a print edition of FemmeNoir -- we'll see. 

So, in keeping with my aforementioned purpose, this month's edition of FemmeNoir presents a Kwanzaa/Christmas gift and a hint-hint of sorts.  For those of you who are in need of a New Year’s resolution, consider Visible Me.  I am very grateful for our Sisters in Cinema who put a face on who we are.  Yvonne Welbon’s Sisters in Cinema and Sisters in the Life sites are testaments to our history in film as women and our life as lesbians of color.  I was thrilled to see Cheryl Dunye’s Watermelon Woman a few months ago on BET’s Starz channel, how about that for visibility and education?  Her recent film Stranger Inside, premiered on HBO June 23, 2001. Stranger Inside features One Bad Sista – Medusa.  You Go Cheryl!!!!  Other filmmakers include H. Lenn Heller, Michelle Parkinson, Aishah Simmons, and Jocelyn Taylor. 

Lisa Moore, is a sister who wanted to publish coming out stories of black lesbians.  The first run of her book, does your mama know? An Anthology of Black Lesbian Coming Out Stories, sold out in eight months.  Her second run – 2000 more in late November 1997 – sold out in another six months.  Now, there are 8000 books in print.  Do you see there is a need? 

Poet, Dionne Brand's world view is expressed in books, film, and social activism.  To read her poetry is to read not only about her but also about her people and their struggles both in Canada and the Caribbean.  Her book, In Another Place Not Here, is worth cuddling up with during the holidays.

For a taste of our history, FemmeNoir presents the life and music of Alberta Hunter.  My girl, my girl!

From me to you, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Kwanzaa!  And as we fight against ageism, sexism, homophobia, racism, and all other forms of discrimination, do not forget to nurture your soul, it is your foundation.  And, last but not least, please continue to pray for those affected by the acts of September 11, 2001 and for those who suffer now in Afghanistan.  Truly pray for Peace on Earth and Goodwill Towards Men (and Wymin) and live, each day, the seven principles of Kwanzaa.

Umoja!

Umoja (unity) to strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.  (Dec. 26th)

Kujichagulia (self-determination) to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.  (Dec. 27th)

Ujima (collective work and responsibility) to build and maintain our community together and make our sister's and brother's problems our problems and to solve them together.  (Dec. 28th)

Ujamaa (cooperative economics) to build and maintain our own stores, shops, and other businesses together. (Dec. 29th)

Nia (purpose) to make our collective vocation the building of our community to restore our people to their traditional greatness.  (Dec. 30th)

Kuumba (creativity) to do as much as we can to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it. (Dec. 31st)

Imani (faith) to believe with our hearts in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. (Jan. 1st)