Another brilliant journey of a jazz artist, a pioneer, and a visionary –
A leader… 
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Herbie Hancock brings a spirit of kuumba and an energy of tranquility as he narrates his story.  The music is amazing, the struggles were real, the triumphs were unprecedented. 

(Read the full article HERE)

James Baldwin once so poignantly stated in a 1965 issue of Time magazine that, “To be black and conscious in America is to be in a constant state of rage.”  It would appear that aphorism is just as true today some 50 years hence.  The work by Dr. Marc Lamont Hill and Mumia Abu-Jamal, “The Classroom and the Cell : Conversations on Black Life in America”, illustrates this point succinctly.  It is a dialogue that encompasses the pressing societal issues facing Black America; such as, politics, religion, education, culture, incarceration, and leadership between two men of the diaspora whose backgrounds are from opposing ends of the spectrum.  The discourses are provocative, engaging, enlightening, and in the final analysis unforgettable; they reveal the commonality between two people that on the surface appear to be most dissimilar.  That being whether in a prison cell or a “cement cell”, to be Black in America is to be a prisoner of some kind. Freedom from such must begin with a conversation.    - J After Dark

Lionel Hampton once remarked, “Seemed to me that drumming was the best way to get close to God.” So what better way to get an understanding of existence, of the human experience, than by getting to know a drummer?!? Mo’ Meta Blues is drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson first foray into writing an autobiography. The work doesn't follow the typical autobiographical narrative but a memoir that pendulums back and forth between the events of ?uestlove’s life out of sequence like those of Kurt Vonnegut’s work “Slaughter House Five.” From his middle class upbringing in the Illadelph by moderately successful Do Wop singers to his meteoric rise as the co-founder of the multi-Grammy award winning Legendary Roots crew, there is an underlying connective theme throughout his life : Music. “When you live your life through records, the records are a record of your life.” - ?uestlove. 

Ahmir’s true talent may not lie in producing or DJing or dare I say drumming but rather in his near encyclopedic knowledge of music; which he used to tell the story of his life. As someone who too has in their mental repertoire seeming limitless esoteric albums and obscure artists, I found ?uestlove’s storytelling through records to be endearing, poignant, touching, and even awe inspiring. His appreciation, his reverence of music, of his craft raises the level of musicianship. For that we should all give the drummer some!!     -J After Dark

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• Consumption has isolated communities (neighbors and families)
• There is an overwhelming belief that the good life depends on consumption.
• Strong local community is a necessity.
• Safety and Security should be mainly on the citizen.
• Health:  we are disconnected as a neighborhood, we create business for the specialist in the medical system.
• Economy:  Establishing incentives to create small business and local economy
• Food:  best done through local production and food activists must be created
• Learn to care for family in a way that cannot be paid for
• Everything from outsourcing to superficial nature of society selling perfection and immortality
• We are enslaved by debt
• Choosing a satisfied life takes commitment
• In accepting our basic human nature, communication is key: Storytelling has to take its place at the table.  (What is your narrative?)
• Key ingredients:  kindness, generosity, cooperation and forgiveness and art (spoke briefly on these topics)
• Make a list of resources in your community and the community you serve.
• Bridging the generation gap with active, relevant gift sharing, such as young people teaching computers/Internet to seniors
• Building associations based on these abundant community principles and connecting them. This requires work. Planning, writing, networking,  communication (especially with strangers), etc. Use block parties, clean-ups, and social events
• The abundant community has specific "Tenets" that must be understood: 

                                                                   a) What we have is enough
                                                                   b) We have the capacity to provide what we need in the face of the                                                                                   human condition
                                                                   c) We organize our world in a context of cooperation and satisfaction
                                                                   d) We are responsible for each other
                                                                   e) We live with the reality of the human condition

In Post-Blackness, Toure takes a journey through the lives and circumstances of numerous Africans in America.  From styles of discipline to miseducated middle class, he touches on most facets in the experience.  He asks some profound questions on the current overall direction of those of the Diaspora, infusing his personal experiences and through the interview of many others from campus intellectuals to comedians.  There are the painful realities of the struggle and the personal triumphs of many, but Toure delves into common plight and possible means of dialogue to spark the eventual development of identity healing. 

Great line from the book: "If you're scared to publish it, then you absolutely must publish it."