African Political Analysis Think-Tank Vignettes

What became of the, black sheep, that ba, ba, gave you three bags, master? One bag, so heavy, with, wool, belonged to you. The second bag, had the shears, was carried, by, the shearer. The third bag, you kept, at, store in town. What became of the spider, who, with a needle, pierced in, each one's heart, until a web threaded in blood connected all of us, young, adult,  brown, white, yellow, black What became of the pain, that poured out in chants and unvoiced mourns and amazingly still, still fills solemn events.

But we didn't know who He was, How can it possibly be, But then again, a heavenly being, to share a space among us, beyond our comprehension, to know everything about time is not the imperative, but to strive to use a harnessed time well, a catalytic force well spent here and there, that is how we are all called, that scenario reminds me, we are here for a purpose, St. Mary’s continued to drum that into me.

SUMMARY: In this write up, we construct the ways the statement "black lives matter" has been applied in the public domain and how it is a byline as people explore opportunities of mobility. I was walking down this street, in a city where I had gone to check on a friend who was said to be either missing or hospitalized. My bus was held like many other vehicles in a slow traffic. Ahead of us was a group of people in a parade, they were silent, they were orderly but were waving placards on which were the words: "Black Lives Matter." Earlier on, I had seen these three words on various wall faces. I wondered what to make of this. I also wondered about other events and experiences that prompted such galvanizing statements. History provides us with a long list of such events. Some of which brought wars, genocides, slavery, trafficking and forms of colonization that used codes and laws whose making the colonized never participated in and which codes and laws allowed repatr...

I was delicate, lest I am, construed as unbecoming, I never talked of my skin, that subject, being owned, not by me, even if, I carried, the skin around. That Holly place, where I go in, and come out, haloed, or, hollowed, makes me, a subject of whim and whip. Then, Du Bois, oh, that figure, of, astounding, brilliance, taught me, a management, of self and anger. Instead, of, anger, self-disparagement, self-questioning, count to seven, or even seventy, then you will, see, how gifted you are. The animosity, struggles, closed doors, half-smiles, wicked, back-stabs, open up, a veil of ignorance, in which the left arm tied you in, and a right arm will untie you from. Against your skin, a monolith, of destruction, was built, if it were not for you, a white flag, would not be raised, you are anchoring, a cargo ship on which, the flag flutters. One thing, that...

When it comes to birth control being rolled back, it is women who suffer the most. The Trump administration’s Health and Human Services (HHS) Division has expanded exemptions to the Affordable Care Act (ACA), requiring that employers’ health care plans no longer provide coverage for no-cost birth control. In doing this, they have singled out women and their benefits. The administration stated that requiring insurance plans to cover birth control imposes a substantial burden to the free exercise of religion guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and could promote risky sexual behavior among adolescents. The list of no-cost birth control contains many options, including the combined pill, the contraceptive ring, and the Progestogen-only pill. However, only three proposed options birth control options being blocked can be used by men. Limiting birth control coverage is an attack on women and their families. Birth control services are opportunities for women to receive medical care ...

That moment arrived! It was a serene evening, about to be tucked in a large starry crucible whose peripheral acted as holding bed ends. A young child with a red shock of hair, and Alice in Wonderland dress and shoes, run so fast ahead of her family. The brother about two years older run after her. Their mother in a mauve dress with matching shoes was not far behind. Many other people walked fast, or leisurely to get to the chapel. Some wore cornrows or a riot of crispy hair woven in long flowing bands. The Reverend Father Hai Ho welcomed each and every one. This was the Praise Explosion 2017 at St. Mary's College of California. The St. Mary's College Chapel was subtly bedecked, with its grandeur toned down. Its nobility was maintained as always in limestone whiteness. The profuse Biblical stories captured in Christian regalia and statuary commanded a quiet posture. A palpable awe engulfed all of us in no describable order. Even the schedule for the day cannot begin to...