Black Tie Lounge

I got a phone call from a friend that works as an instructor for Upward Bound. She's white but has a serious heart for urban youth. We were both talking about how the black man is becoming extinct, which is a major topic of concern in the type of research that she does. I had the same conversation two weeks ago with a few friends. The black man is becoming extinct and we, myself included, need to step up Below is an excerpt from research done by the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies Health Policy Institute. I've copied and pasted some of the stats for you. Read the entire report here . Let me know what you think. Black Male Students at Public Flagship Universities in the U.S. Status, Trends, and Implications for Policy and Practice By Shaun R. Harper For JOINT CENTER FOR POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC STUDIES HEALTH POLICY INSTITUTE,WASHINGTON, D.C. THE DELLUMS COMMISSION Better Health Through Stronger Communities: Public Policy Reform to Expand Life Paths of Young Men of

I've been working at the youth center for close to a month now. No it's not the most exciting job in the world but I'm meshing well with the kids and I like it. Parents, please don't let your daughter leave the house looking any kind of way. No, I'm not saying that little girls should fall into a false sense of self or ascribe to a fantasized standard of beauty but every little girl wants to know she is beautiful. The way parents take care of their daughters reflects whether or not they think she is or not. What they think is acceptable for their daughters is also indication of how they answer that question. Black parents--stop letting your daughter leave the house without her hair done. All black women are serious about getting their hair done. Don't raise a black female that accepts straight bull when it comes to getting her hair done. Your daughter will grow up into a woman and the way she's used to appearing could very well affect her self image and wha

Break ups are hard especially if you don't see it coming. It's like I saw all the signs and tried my best to fix what was wrong but then I lost focus for a second and smash there it goes. On one hand I had so many other options calling my name but I was going to stick with what I knew. I've been holding this thing down since 2002 and despite many hits and just plain stupid things that could have been avoided I made too much of an investment to just let things go. I'm talking about my car. It lost in a battle with an F-350 while I was on my way to work. I won't tell too much of what happened but it was my fault. My trusty '93 Corolla that has lasted for over 230K miles has taken me all over. I've had some unforgettable moments with that car and in that car. I was hoping to have a higher paying job before I started looking for a new one, but now it's time to work with what I have to make it work. I'll have to get a little creative as far as getting ar

I was going through my e-mails and found some material by friends I know in the entertainment business. I respect their hustle so much. What is awesome is that I know them as real people. Allow me to introduce you to The Southern Gentleman DJ 2 Much from Fredericksburg 99.3 The Vibe . I remember about a year ago when we talked about his hustle to try to get on the radio. I'm mad proud of him. Check out his current mix . This station is just a start and definitely not an end. Here's him doing a little spoken word at Busboys & Poets. I've plugged this guy previous times and he's back with another single entitled "Eternally Yours." It's pretty sweet so check it out . Be on the look out for upcoming projects . Keyword: iamsoul . Last, but certainly not least I got to shoot the breeze with my boy Sam Ski the other night. He's an up and coming producer that has worked with artist in from DC to New York to LA. All I can say is that this guy is the futu

So this demo thing is going to take more out of me than I thought. Last night I FINALLY got up with Ski. Where I was thinking he was just a lame, the cat knows his ish and he is pretty good at what he does. We don't necessarily have similar styles and I was really there trying to figure him out as much as he was doing the same with me. Whoa at what I heard. The bottom line is that I need MORE training. I won't even refute that because I should be on the level where I get the notes right and where I express the emotion that goes along with a song to deliver it. I know there is something in me that wants to put out more than half ass stuff that just gets by. I needed to hear every challenging word he says cuz it seems like dude is looking out for me and will steer me in the right direction even if what he says is not what I want to hear. I'll get to the level where I'm hearing good things but for now it's time to push it. On one hand my mind heart wants to get upset b

As usual I come to this blog with so many jumbled thoughts of what to say and what not to say, what to hold back and what to let loose. I'd better choose my words carefully. The other day, I got up with one of my homies that graduated from George Mason and hung out with some folks he knows. In college I was always the guy that wanted to know everyone and would take the time to do so. Now that I'm 25 and living a professional life I've gotten kinda tired, and to be honest I think I'm good on friends. So getting up with people I don't know that well was a little strange and I had to work up the energy to do so. Whatever the case, it's 4 single, college educated, professional, under 30 black men on a Friday night. Of course we talked about sex and relationships and it was a very interesting discussion. To add to that context we are all men of faith so that adds a different perspective to how we should handle interacting with females. (See how I said should.) So t

I could be so much more productive than I am. I have to be at work by 6 out by 9 back in by 1 or 2:30, depending on training, then out by 530. I ambitiously imagined using my time between shifts to read or work out. Suprisingly I have done neither. I merely sleep until my next shift. As much as I have tried to stay up, I am knocked out within an hour after my shift. Speaking of working out I have made it through 90X's Ab Ripper X and Core Workouts. I'm struggling but I get through it. This is one of those things where I won't be a champion on the first try. I'm not even really trying to stick to the 90 day program. I'm in no rush. I just want an alternative and something to fall back from making the excuse that I can't go to the gym. The biggest thing in the news that has made it into my agenda is the earthquake in Haiti . For two days I ignored it out of selfishness but today I thought of all the people I met that are of Haitian descent . Even as I write, I'

It's almost 11 p.m. and I'm tired as hell. I started my job with the youth center last week, so it's good to get off my butt and work. I'm working with the School Age Care program, which means early morning and afternoon shifts. I'll talk more about that in another blog. Today was interesting. I wrote my first lesson plan ever, which consists of a life sized version of rock, paper, scissors, board game tournaments, floor puzzles, impersonation exercises, and block building. The kids range from kindergarten to 2nd grade so I could only do so much without going in over their heads. Today I had to break up two fights, scold a few kids for cheating in a game of pool, discipline a young boy for hitting a girl and discipline another for kicking a kid in the love below. He swore that he kicked him in the stomach but I explained that he may have thought he kicked the kid in the groin but because the kid was shorter than him ... you get the picture. The kids aren't alou

I'm having flash backs of when I was submitting essays for internship applications. I got word form DCPS that I made it to the next round for the job opportunity I applied for. Now I'm crafting an essay on why I want to work for them. Sound familiar? As much as I was striving to get back to the city, ever since my last rejection note from a PR agency I really wanted to work for, my heart toward the DC area has changed. This is in part due to the fact that I found a job that matches my personal and professional interests and that I have the ability to get paid twice as much as I would at any agency. An agency is not the only way to go, so now I'm not going to be so narrow minded. So the question is why do I want to work for DCPS... It's several hours later and I finished my writing test about a half hour before they wanted it. I feel good. I'll let you know how things go. We'll see.

I could have partied for New Year's Eve. I could have spent it in a big city and made it an unforgettable experience, but unforgettable experiences can take place even in the quietest of atmospheres. What I mean is that the best experiences happen when you are with people who are good to you and for you. Opting for that over acting out like I never acted before, I decided to head to my old stomping grounds in ROANOKE,VA!! My NYE was unforgettable but one of those experiences that are unforgettable for all the wrong reasons. Either way I got to spend time with some people that I grew close with over the years. When I took on the summer job in New York, I never really got to say good bye. It was one of those things where I had to up and leave because of timing. So 2010 is here and I'm excited because I feel more freer than before. The down time witout a job has allowed me to get more in tune with what I want out of life. I don't just want a job I want to make a significant co