Kwanzaa 2014 Events

It's that time again!  I am listing Kwanzaa events in the U.S. and internationally on my Kwanzaa website.

In addition to Kwanzaa events in the U.S., I have included events in the UK, Canada and South Africa.

If you are holding a Kwanzaa event, or are aware of one, and don't see it listed, leave the details in the comments section below and I'll add it to the list.  

You can also find information on the history of Kwanzaa, plus background info and lots of gift ideas - books, music, DVDs and more. 

Healing Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome

enslaved African men in chains

Click here to download my new ebook, Why We Need to Heal.  

I am re-purposing this blog post.  Several years ago, Dr. DeGruy Leary gave a lecture in London on Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome.  She has said the same things I have been saying for many years.

We must heal the past. We must heal the internalised racism and oppression, i.e. self-hatred, that has been passed down within Black families for many generations since the enslavement of African people by Europeans began.

This is why I do the work I do. See my book, Success Strategies for Black People, for positive cultural reinforcement for Black parents and families - for all of us. 

This is why I compiled Black Success Stories and the More Black Success ebooks.  For more about this, see: Remember Your Greatness.   

For more information on the healing of people of African heritage, click here to download Why We Need to Heal. 

 

Arrests in Eric Garner Protest, London

76 people were arrested yesterday in a "die-in" protest outside Westfield Shopping Centre in London.  They were protesting about the outcome of the Eric Garner enquiry.  Yes, a police officer has killed a Black person and got away with it - yet again. Click here to read more. 

Check out my blog post:  We Need Solutions that Work. 

People in London are aware that this impacts on us - this issue affects Black communities on both sides of the Atlantic.

Give Thanks

My Dad died a few days ago. He was 94 and had been ill for a long time, so it was not entirely unexpected.

It took awhile, but the grief has started to hit. As today is Thanksgiving, I want to talk about how much he meant to me, and how much I am grateful to him for being my Dad. 

Check Out Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio

 

Black Success: We Need Solutions that Work

Trayvon's funeral

Listen below for my audio, "We Need Solutions That Work".  

I am tired of having my heart broken. 

I am tired of hearing about our Black men, boys, women and girls being killed by the authorities.  I'm sure you are, too. This stuff is happening on both sides of the Atlantic.

I watched the films I talked about in my recent blog on Deaths in Police Custody and I despaired.  

Listen here for more. Then check out Success Strategies for Black People.

Click here for more Black Success audios.

Please share this with your networks, and please comment below. 

 

Check Out Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio

African Hair before Bondage

"African Hair before Bondage" was a recent presentation from London Black History Walks as part of the Queen Nzingha Lecture Series.

The initial publicity was fascinating.  To quote, "Ever since African civilizations bloomed, hairstyles have been used to indicate a person's marital status, age, religion, ethnic identity, wealth, and rank within the community". Click here to read more. 

The presentation covered some of this material.  Hairstyles were such a key part of African people's identities that one of the first things the slavers did was to shave the heads of the enslaved, as a way of robbing them of those identities. 

"African Hair before Bondage" focused more on African hair during and post-bondage.  I would have liked to have heard more of the pre-bondage material.

For more amazing images of African traditional hairstyles, plus Black history and more, see:  African Images. 

Click here for more about how to celebrate beautiful, healthy Black hair and skin.

See also:  Hands Off My Child's Hair. 

White Mother: Hands Off My Black Child's Hair

When the late Dh. Vijayatara did her research some years ago on the experience of Black people in predominantly white Buddhist Sanghas (spiritual communities), one of the issues that kept coming up was the need white people express to touch our hair.  Many white people seem to have an unhealthy fascination with our hair, and they also seem to feel they have every right to touch it – often without our permission.

(My experience was somewhat different from this - I often had Black people wanting to touch my hair.  But that's a whole other story.) 

Today, I really wanted to share this very positive post by a white mother asking other white  people not to touch her Black daughter's hair, and explaining why it's disrespectful to do so. As she says, it can affect the child's self-esteem.  

I understand the relationship between white mothers and their Black children, and/or the children's hair, can be difficult. I find it refreshing and inspiring to read this white parent's words about the need to respect her child's personal space. 

White parents and other white people are more likely to pay attention to this message coming from one of their own.  I only wish they would listen when we say similar things.  

Click here to read more about how to enjoy beautiful, healthy hair and skin.    

I welcome your comments below.

How to Break Old Habits

Listen below to this short audio on How to Break Old Habits.

You may also want to listen to my recent audio on Achieving Your Goals.  

Click here for more Black Success audios. 

If you want to have more money, more success in your business, better relationships, better health - if you want to achieve your goals - you need to cultivate better, more positive mental and emotional habits.  

In order to break old habits and form new ones, one thing we need is to be congruent with the new behaviour and attitude.  I talk about this in Success Strategies for Black People.  We need to change the way we see ourselves. 

Using affirmations is a very powerful way to bring about positive change, but sometimes we need more.  

In my 3-Part Success Formula, which you can download in my free ebook Achieving Success, I talk about the need for healing.  The need to eliminate the negativity.  We need to dig it up, uproot it. 

Click here to order Success Strategies for Black People.  

Check Out Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio

Why Black History Matters Part 2

London Black History Walks have been holding events about Black people in WWI for many years.  We have now reached the centenary of the start of the First World War and I have noticed that, over the past few years, more and more documentaries have started to emerge about the Black contribution to, and involvement in, the war.  For example, this one about Togo. 

I can’t help thinking that this is partly due to the example set by Black History Walks. 

I am wondering:  what do you think is the importance of Black history? 

Further to what I said in Part 1, I think there are two main benefits to gaining knowledge about our history. 

1) Understanding and analysis.  I touched on this in Part 1. 

2) Self-esteem and confidence.  The more we know about the Black contribution, the clearer is our sense of ourselves, our identities – individual and collective – and our gifts, talents and strengths. 

This is one reason why I publish the More Black Success ebooks.

My mother taught me about slavery and resistance when I was a young child.  Although she never used the word “resistance”, she taught me about Black heroes and sheroes like Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth, Frederick Douglass and Toussaint L’Ouverture. 

These stories gave me a sense of pride.  They also meant I had a little bit of knowledge on which I could build.  

It is the responsibility of each and every one of  us to pass on what Black history knowledge we have to the next generations.  

Click here for more opportunities to expand your knowledge. 

There are lots more Black history posts on this blog, so do explore.  Use this as a resource, and share it with your networks.  I welcome your comments below. 

Why Black History Matters

Child being pursued during the Haitian Revolution

As October is Black History Month/African Heritage Month in the UK, I have been posting lots of Black history events on Nurture Success Events – even more than usual.

Of course, many of us know that every month is Black History Month.   BHM in the UK was started in the 1980s as an opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of African people.  It was never intended to be the only Black History Month – just the one observed by local authorities and other statutory bodies.

Tony Warner of London Black History Walks runs events all year long, not just in October. So do Black History Studies.

I attended “What Were Black People Doing in WW1” on Saturday – an excellent presentation.  I have seen it at least three times now, and I always learn something new. Brother Tony breaks down the whole context of how Africa and its people got involved in the two World Wars.

So why does Black history matter?   For one thing, in order to know who we really are, we need to know our history.  We need historical context to understand the events of today, and to understand why Africa and African people are in the position we are in.  For example, check out my recent blog about how people are recovering from the Rwandan genocide. To understand how and why the genocide happened, we need the historical context.

That's just one of many, many examples I can give. 

In order to subdue and control our ancestors, the enslavers did everything they could to steal their cultural identity.

 

When we understand how Black people were robbed of our dignity for many generations, we can begin to see why we behave in ways that are so self-destructive. And these behaviours will continue until we undergo a profound healing process. And of course, that's what my work is all about.

You may also be interested in my recent blogs about the First World War.  More about this soon.

There are loads more Black history posts on this blog, so feel free to explore. 

Organisations such as Black History Studies and London Black History Walks are making a  crucial contribution to us as a people and this needs to be acknowledged more.  Enjoy Black History Month and please share this blog with your networks. Please leave your comments below.

World War One: The Crucial Battle for Togo

Map of colonised Africa 1914

I watched this very interesting short film on the BBC today. 

The wireless station at Kamina in Togo, West Africa, was a crucial centre for German communications.  Built by a huge workforce of African men and women during the German occupation, the station allowed the German colonisers to communicate with their home country and with Asia.

This is just one of many examples of how African labour, land and resources were exploited by European colonisers during the war. 

See also:  Black People in the First World War. 

Black History: Break the Silence Congo Week 2014

Mutilated in Congo

In the 19th century, under the rule of King Leopold II, Congolese people were enslaved, forced to work in their own country, which had been turned into the king's private estate, and mutilated when they failed to meet the quotas that had been set for rubber extraction. 

For a fifth year, Black History Studies will take part in the Break the Silence Congo Week for Black History Month. 

The purpose of the Break the Silence Congo Week is to raise consciousness about the devastating situation in the Congo and mobilize support on behalf of the people of the Congo. 

Click here for details.  

For lots more Black history images, see:  African Images and Black History International on Pinterest. 

Free Advice from Black Business Experts

Melinda Emerson

As I'm sure you know, some of the editions of More Black Success feature advice by Black business experts.

What you may not realise is that all of the Black business experts I have interviewed provide business advice themselves.   You can contact them for advice or for ongoing mentoring and support.


And some of them offer free resources. 

I recently tried to donate copies of More Black Success to the City Business Library.  While they were initially very interested, in the end, they did not add MBS to their collection.  I was very disappointed.  However, you can still download MBS here. 

My own business advice involves using the power of your unconscious mind to help you achieve the results you want.  For more information, see:  How Does This Affect Your Performance? 

8 Key Points for Global Networking

I'm the author of Success Strategies for Black People and the author and publisher of numerous ebooks including Shaking the Money Tree and the More Black Success ebooks.  

To produce my online radio broadcasts and my books and ebooks, I have connected with, and interviewed, Black millionaires, business experts, and people from a range of different cultural backgrounds, countries, occupations and walks of life.  

Listen below for my 8 Key Points for Global Networking. 

Do you wonder how to get started networking?  Do you feel too shy or embarrassed to approach people at networking events?  

How do you decide whom you want to approach?  And how do you approach them?  

What networking mistakes do you need to avoid?  
 

How can networking help you to grow your business?  

Listen below for my 8 Key Points for Global Networking. 

Filmmaker Ken Fero on Deaths in Police Custody

Joy Gardner

There's a reason why everyone in my neighbourhood in South London knows who Trayvon Martin was.

A few months ago, a local public meeting was held. The posters all featured a photo of Trayvon. No caption, no explanation. But everyone in this area knows that similar things happen here.

I know Trayvon was not killed by the police, but his killing was sanctioned by the courts.

BFI London South Bank recently held a day on deaths in police custody, as part of the African Odysseys ongoing film series.

Filmmaker Ken Fero, director of numerous documentaries including the multi-award-winning Injustice, spoke in the morning and screened clips from his films. In the afternoon, two of those films were screened.

Injustice chronicles the fight for justice of seven families whose members died in police custody. None of the police officers involved in these killings have been prosecuted or disciplined. Six of the families are Black (African Caribbean), the seventh is Irish. An Irishman was gunned down as he walked through Brixton carrying a wooden table leg. The police stated they thought he was armed with a gun.

All of these families are still continuing to fight for justice.

Injustice has never been shown on UK television. When it was first released in 2001, every time it was due to be shown in cinemas, the police would phone the cinema about 15 minutes before the screening was due to start, threatening legal action. They claimed the film “might be libellous”.

Ken Fero, filmmaker

However, as Fero explained at the BFI, the audience inevitably contained someone who owned a business or ran a community centre or another venue. So the audience would decamp down the street, and the film would be screened.

Like a lot of people, I was very keen to see the film, and I saw it in a barbershop in South London. All I can say is, if you haven't seen Injustice, you need to see it.

Fero has made many other films about human rights abuses committed in Britain and other European countries, notably Germany and France. It was, frankly, disturbing to hear him say how many times he has filmed some of the same families. For example, the family of Joy Gardner, a Jamaican citizen who died in police custody in 1993.

Joy Gardner suffocated whilst in police restraints. The press labelled her an illegal immigrant and, as Fero pointed out, ignored the fact that other labels could equally be applied to her. Like “student” and “mother”.

He also said that, between 2001 and 2011, another 1,000 people died in police custody. This is an escalation, as more than 1,000 deaths in police custody had occurred in the previous 30 years.

Fero said he makes these films in order to inspire people and educate them about how to take action. He told me that he doesn't want to continue to make these films but, as I am sure he would agree, it is vital that he does.

And while we are collectively mourning Michael Brown, Eric Garner and all the others, we are aware that these things also happen here.

Please join us for the International Summit on Nonviolence today.

See also: Deaths in Police Custody.

President Obama on the Ferguson Situation

"Hands Up Don't Shoot" Protest at Howard University

President Obama's statement last night on the situation in Ferguson was largely a recap - albeit with more brevity - of what the Attorney General Eric Holder had already said in his press conference earlier.

The local FBI in Ferguson are conducting an independent investigation into the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.  The Justice Department are also conducting an investigation, in which they are co-operating with the FBI.

Over 200 witness statements have already been taken, and more are continuing to be taken.  (Does this mean Michael Brown was shot in front of more than 200 witnesses?  Maybe this is not what they mean by "witness statements".)  

Crucially, the President mentioned that "too many Black men are being left behind" and spoke about the importance of addressing and including cities and communities that have been left behind.  

The President also explained that he would not, himself, be going to Ferguson, because the investigations have to be seen to be independent.  However, the Attorney General will visit Ferguson tomorrow.   

Meanwhile, violence, shooting and rioting continue in Ferguson and in St. Louis, Mo.  The National Guard has been called out.  Now they are using teargas.  It's as if everyone is going crazy.

Inflict enough racist violence on people and they WILL go crazy.

The thing is, we always react to these things AFTER THE FACT.  These conditions have existed for many years. 

There have been peaceful protests in NYC, LA and San Francisco.  Check out my blog: "Hands Up Don't Shoot Protest in NYC". 

There was a protest in London as well, in front of the U.S Embassy, but, like many people, I did not find out about it until after the fact.

One result of people and communities being left behind is that our people are being killed.  Black people are being killed by the police and nobody is being held accountable.  When are they going to stop killing our young people?

Check it out:  Deaths in Police Custody.

Check out this very interesting article by Paul B. Raushenbush at the Huffington Post:  What White People Can Do about the Killing of Black Men in America.  But they're not just men and it's not just in America. 

Click here for the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence.  We MUST end the violence.

"Hands Up Don't Shoot" Protest in NYC

It is so moving and upsetting to see people chanting "Hands Up Don't Shoot".    Michael Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old, was shot dead by police in Ferguson, MO last Saturday the 9th of August.

Since then, there have been protests and riots in many places across the country.  President Obama called it a "tragedy" and called on the police to respect peaceful protests. 

The longer he is in office, the more he has to keep making these statements as more and more young Black men are killed by the police.

This rally was held in Times Square in the heart of Manhattan and reportedly was followed by rioting.  Many of the killings have taken place in NYC.  

How many more of our youth are they gonna kill?  This has upset me so much.

One more reason Why I Am Committed to Nonviolence.

Unfortunately, this will not be the last one of these blogs I shall be posting.  

See also:  Deaths in Police Custody. 

Fire in the Blood Documentary

Fire in the Blood is the true story of how the pharmaceuticals companies conspired to stop people in Africa and other parts of the world from having access to affordable HIV meds.  

The key word here is "affordable". 

I saw this documentary a couple of years ago, but it has taken me until now to blog about it, because it upset me so much.  It is a very disturbing film.  

As we know, the HIV virus mutates and people have to change their meds every few years, to get hold of the most up-to-date and effective meds.  

Drugs laboratories in India were producing generic versions of popular meds and selling them in many different markets, including the United States.  This had been going on for many years. 

But when they started producing HIV meds, this was seen as a problem.  Some of the major pharmaceuticals companies, which were producing their own brands of AIDS and HIV meds, conspired to stop them from producing meds which would be affordable in places where people, and governments, have limited funds for purchasing meds.  

So a lot of people in African countries, Latin American countries and others were prevented from getting hold of these meds at affordable prices.  This has been called "genocide".  

Fire in the Blood breaks it down.  It shows exactly what was done and how the U.S. government conspired with the pharmaceuticals companies.  

This is not an easy film to watch, and it does not have a happy ending.  

Having said this, Fire in the Blood demonstrates why we must become less dependent on pharmaceuticals to treat serious illnesses, including HIV and AIDS.  We must learn to use other methods, including traditional methods of healing, as well as complementary therapies and other methods, alongside pharmaceuticals.  

Although pharmaceuticals have saved millions of lives, and are continuing to do so, we also need to use other methods.  

Black People in the First World War

Black Soldiers in WWI

As we mark the centenary of the start of the First World War, we need to recall the contribution of Black - African, African Caribbean and African American - people to the Allied war effort, and the tremendous sacrifices they made.  

Perhaps more importantly, we need to recall the devastation the war caused to the African continent. This is often overlooked.  

Listen below for more information.   

Black Soldier in the Kaiser's Army

I got some of the information contained in this blog from London Black History Walks.  Some came from other sources.  

We need to remember that it's up to us to end violence.  In this day and age, many conflicts are breaking out all over the world.  It's not up to him, her or them to end violence.  It's up to you and me. It's up to us.  

Violence does not, and cannot, end violence.  This is a lesson we still have not learned.  

Listen below for more.   

Click here for my blog on Why I Am Committed to Nonviolence.

Click here for the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence.  

I wrote about Nonviolent Communication, NVC, in Success Strategies for Black People and in my new ebook, Affirmations for Parents.  

Please share this blog post with your networks, and help spread the message of nonviolence.  Thank you. 

Check Out Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio

Why I Am Committed to Nonviolence

Listen below for my short audio on why I am committed to nonviolence.  

We must protect ourselves and our children.  We must end the violence.   

I wrote about Nonviolent Communication, NVC, in Success Strategies for Black People and in my new ebook, Affirmations for Parents.  

Click here for more information about the International Week for Nonviolence, 16th-23rd August 2014.  

Click here for details of the Blogging Carnival for Nonviolence and how you can submit your blog.  

We can end the violence, we can save lives.  It's up to you, it's up to me.  It's up to us. 

More Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio

INTERnational Week for Nonviolence

I am privileged to be a member of the Summit Council of the INTERnational Week for Nonviolence, which will be held 16th-23rd August 2014.

If you are organising an event during that week, please post the details in the comments section below.

I have also posted some NVC events - not just events for that week – here.

One of my guests on my recent show about Black parents and nonviolence was saying, "You CAN'T teach young people nonviolence because they have to fight".

I was reminded of the first time I met Marshall Rosenberg, author of Nonviolent Communication.  I asked him about his work with Black gang leaders. 

 

I talk about this in the audio below.   

I am also inspired by the example of Malcolm X. He was alienated and disaffected, and he became involved in petty crime and ended up in prison. But the right support and encouragement, and given the right inspiration, he became a leader.

Listen below for more.

I am really passionate about this work. NVC is saving people's lives all over the world, and it could save your life. It could save your child's life.

The INTERnational Week for Nonviolence is not exclusively for people of African heritage. It's for everyone.

Help me celebrate the Week for Nonviolence this coming August.

I have written about Nonviolent Communication in Success Strategies for Black People and

my new ebook, Affirmations for Parents. 

Follow me @Zhana21 and @ZhanaHeals.  

Current Books Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio

 

What Do Black Parents Need? (Part 2)

Please listen below for Part 2 of this discussion, which focuses on nonviolence.  Click here for Part 1:  What Do Black Parents Need?  

See also:  Are We Listening to Our Children?  

I was joined by two awesome sistas, Shaunes Richardson of  State of the Black Parent and Dr. Stephanie Myers of Black Women for Positive Change. Black Women for Positive Change are organising a Week of Nonviolence 16th-23rd August.  

Shaunes, in particular, spoke about some of the difficulties and challenges we face when working to bring about positive change. This work is not easy!

I wrote about Nonviolent Communication, NVC, in Success Strategies for Black People and in my new ebook, Affirmations for Parents.

I am passionate about this work because it could save your life, and it could save your child's life. NVC is saving lives all over the world.  

We can change the world.  And positive change starts with us - our minds, our hearts, our families, our communities.   

Please listen below for Part 2 of this discussion, which focuses on nonviolence.  Please leave your comments below, and share this blog post with your networks.  Many thanks. 

Online Books Radio at Blog Talk Radio with Zhana21 on BlogTalkRadio