Afrofuturism & My Big Chop: "The Rain [Supa Dupa Fly]" by Missy Elliott

I am an Afrofuturist. Though the term has been around since the nineties, I am just now discovering the Afrofuturism community.

What is an Afrofuturist and what is Afrofuturism?

Good question. Ingrid LaFleur, art curator and Afrofuturist, explains it best in her TEDx presentation on the visual aesthetic: "I generally define Afrofuturism as a way of imagining possible futures through a black cultural lens..."

In a nutshell, it's people of African descent creating stories, music, literature, paintings, multi-media works, and all manner of creativity you can imagine that project black people into the future. Organizations like the Black Science Fiction Society; comic book artists like Erik Reeves; musicians like Janelle Monae; authors like Octavia Butler and Ytasha Womack; and sooooooo many other academics, scientists, and visual artists are producing amazing images of a more diverse future.

For me, Aftrofuturism combines all of my interests. As a mechanical engineer (the only black female in my undergraduate class), artist, and author of futuristic and steampunk stories - I'm used to seeing very few representations of black and brown skinned people in science fiction literature, movies, and television. (If they were present, they seemed to get killed at some point during the movie. At least Idris Elba survived most of Prometheus, thank you Jesus! LOL!)

In all honesty, I am one of Lt. Uhura's children. It was Nichelle Nichols as Lt. Uhura who inspired my interest in space flight that ultimately led me to engineering school. I'm sure that Uhura's lack of story lines / screen time is at least part of the reason why I am a writer, today.

So what does all this have to do with my 'Big Chop'?

Ok - for those of you who aren't familiar with the term 'Big Chop,' it is the 'going cold turkey' form of transitioning from chemically straightened hair back to your natural hair texture. You can Google 'Big Chop' to find tons of videos and stories sharing individual experiences with going natural (both good and bad).

As I began my research on slavery, plantation life, the American Civil War, and Reconstruction for my current steampunk manuscript, I felt a need to find ways to honor the sacrifices made by my ancestors that have allowed me to be who I am today.

On an even more personal level, I had a difficult time finding artwork, children's stories, coloring books, and dolls for my three year old niece that utilized images of black and brown skinned females with natural hair. (Etsy was a godsend in this area.)

In the end, what ultimately made me decide to start off 2014 with a fresh head of hair was this:

I believe that WE need to be the change we want to see in the world.

Which means that if I want to see more diversity in literature, I need to contribute my stories. If I want to see more women of color sporting their natural hair, then I need to let my natural hair out to play, too. Talk about a real root revival on soooooo many levels. My goal is to write stories that allow all little girls to think, explore, and see a place for themselves as leaders today and in the future. My hope is that they have ways to freely express and accept who they are and what they value.

A 'one size fits all' approach to beauty no longer applies. I am beautiful, just as I am. And now I feel that I really OWN it.

"The Rain [Supa Dupa Fly]" by Missy Elliott

Missy Elliott is a true creative powerhouse. What I love most about her is all the collaborative work she does. With a variety of 'partners in crime', Missy Elliott defied the traditional standard of 'skinny-video-ho' imagery. Raising rap music videos to a new level of artistic expression, while utilizing a futuristic aesthetic, quickly became her visual calling card.

Please enjoy this latest addition to my mixtape. Leave a comment and let me know what you think.

"Me, I'm supa fly, supa dupa fly..."

Day One photo after my Big Chop - feeling Supa Dupa Fly!

My Peeps : "Girls" by Santigold

I am back and recovered from my vacation in Kansas City.  I know you all just paused..."Kansas City??"  Yes, KC!  Two wonderful things unfurled in KC, MO: 1) I visited my cousin Clara and we are embarking on a new project, 2) I hung out with my CRAZY writing friends and readers at the 2013 RT Booklover's Convention.

My Family Peeps: Cousin Clara

My dear cousin Clara is a retired RN.  She is also our family historian.  Like so many families, so much of our history is relayed via stories passed down from generation to generation.  My sister and I came to the sad conclusion that we don't remember half of the stories told to us over the years.  As we watched my three year old niece run around the room, I vowed to make an effort to put all of our stories on paper and combine them with the many shoeboxes of pictures stored in homes across the country.  Forutunately, my family is concentrated in six cities: Minneapolis, Los Angeles, Oklahoma City, Cleveland, Dallas, and Kansas City. Each city has a key matriarch or patriarch that is the keeper of key bits of history. 

Clara and I set a target of having our book launched to the family by 2020.  It's going to be a long road to finish this project, but it is important work.  I really want to give this gift to future generations.  Thank God I have a job that requires travel.  I'll be able to take some side trips to meet with folks face-to-face.  I'll keep you posted on our progress. 

My Writing Peeps: RT 2013

The RT Booklovers Convention has become my annual trek and one of the highlights of my year.  This was my third time attending and each year I make new friends and reconnect with old ones. 

My dear friend, Lacey Falcon, flew in from Germany.  We had a lovely 'getting caught up' brunch.  Megan Mulry co-hosted a Lime Party where Dark and Stormies were free flowing for all to consume.  I FINALLY got to meet a ton of my Twitter Peeps like Victoria Dahl, Eric Ruben, and Sabrina York just to name a few.  I roomed with Gina Fluharty, Maire Claremont, and Delilah Marvelle.  And I gave big hugs to Karina Cooper, Gina Lamm, Terry Won, the lovely ladies of St. Martin's Press - Monique Patterson and Holly Blanck, and one of my submittal agents - Alexandra Machinist.

Ok - enough of the name dropping.... Like Gina, I feel like I found my peeps and for the first time in a really loooonnnnggg time, I felt utterly in my element. A few days of learning more about writing craft and hanging with group of fun women and men was exactly what I needed.  Needless to say, it took me three days to fully re-hydrate - but it was soooo worth it!

"Girls" by Santigold

My bestfriend, Gerry, turned me on to Santigold.  Though Shove It is perhaps my favorite Santigold song (followed closely by Lights Out and it's funky 80's vibe), Girls is worming its way into my heart.

Why? I love the message of empowerment and FUN! With lyrics like "So legit, I don't quit when I fall", "I'm a fighter so I know that I won't retreat", and "I'm a winner though I am not afraid of defeat", the girl power message is made clear in rapid fire verse.

With regards to the video, I LOVE the diversity depicted!  Girls and woman of all colors, ages, and nationalities are featured at work and at play.  If you follow my blog, you will know that I have a soft spot for video shoots where the participants are clearly having fun with both the artist and their peers.  But what I adore most is that all the 'girls' are just being themselves and acting silly for the camera.  Loads of positive energy here.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

Who be the queen of the ball....

Some of my Peeps: Linda Mercury, Lily Santana, and Mahalia Levey at the RT Ellora's Cave sponsored Disco Ball

Bill Clinton, Spin Master: "Switch" by Will Smith

Though I am not one to attend political rallies or plaster my car with bumper stickers expressing my views, I do try to stay on top of what my politicians are doing.  Quite honestly, in the current environment, we can't afford to ignore what is going on in Washington, DC - regardless of your political leanings.

So, when I had an opportunity to hear former President Bill Clinton speak during the Solar Power International Tradeshow, I had to go see what he had to say.  Would you believe, in a room full of smart phones, they actually tried to stop us from recording his speech or taking pictures?  (I guess, Mr. Romney's campaign is learning how technology can cause Karmic repercussions the hard way....but I digress.)  Get this, though,...we were encouraged to Tweet during the speech and were given a hash tag to reference. Go figure.

It isn't often that I get to see a true Spin Master at work.  The marketing diva in me jumped with glee, as Bill gave us all a stern lesson on how to clean up our solar marketing messaging.  His basic theme was know your audience. The solar industry, as a whole, loves to use terms like "subsidies", "green", and "clean energy."  All of these terms apply, but have a more liberal spin.  To appeal to conservatives, we must use terms like "incentives", "ROI", and "job creation." Add these new terms with hard data and European case studies and you have a recipe that kills any 'show me the money' opposition.  Brilliant!

Of course, Bill had to pepper in a few subtle digs on the Republican candidates, but otherwise he stayed on target and gave some fact filled insights.

In truth, life is one long series of marketing campaigns for everything from wanting another cookie when you were a kid to negotiating your next promotion.  But, I just gotta believe that persuasion merely gets you a seat at the dinner table, while aptitude allows you to stay for dessert.

"Switch" by Will Smith

I just couldn't resist honoring Slick Willie (Bill Clinton) with a song from Big Willie (Will Smith).

(To all my global readers, I fully understand that "willie" or "willy" has an entirely different meaning in some countries - which is why the movie Free Willy had some marketing issues overseas. Though it is funny, no pun is intended on my part....)

Anyhow, until yesterday it was a toss up between "Gettin' Jiggy wit' It" and "Switch."  Both songs are fun and dance worthy, but "Switch" won out in the end....mostly because it is slightly more obscure than the jiggy song.

Unfortunately, there are no deep meanings or profound revelations in this song other than a shadow of the music industry's more than justified paranoia over free downloads in the line: "...don't download, go out and buy the record."  But then again, it has a catchy beat with a nice hook for all the video honeys to shake their rumps to....it's a club song - and really, that's all it needs to be. "Hey!"

"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout..."

Our beloved Pres. Bill Clinton making a point on messaging.

Bonus Track - What Was I Thinking?: "Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill

This past Saturday. Stacey, Mindy, and I headed to Washington to participate in the Zombie Run for Your Life 5k.   Ok - so some of the runners said that it was a little shorter than 5k, but who's really taking the time to count miles when zombies are chasing you!

What the HELL was I thinking?  I guess thinking about STARTING your training on race day is a little late, huh? <sigh>  I was on the fence about actually attempting the course until it was time to line up for our heat.  The organizers were kind enough to line us up based on speed: Appetizers (fast runners), Entrees (medium speed runners), and Dessert (the slow pokes).  I looked for the "After Dinner Liqueur" sign without success.

(For those of you who don't know me, I have struggled with weight loss my entire life.  Though I have walked several 5k courses and trails, I have never attempted to run one until now.)

Mindy and Stacey actually had trained and lined up with the other Entrees.  I lined up with the Desserts.  Let me tell you something....standing in a line, nervous, and feeling VERY alone in a crowd of people is one of the worst feelings on the planet.  Stacey came over and gave me a big hug.  She smiled and said, "Just have fun."  I almost cried.  In fact, I'm crying (right now) as I am typing this up.  Her simple statement was exactly what I needed to hear at that instant, in that moment.  It is hard for me to express in words how much her support meant to me standing at that starting line.  I will always love her for that simple act of kindness and encouragement.  Now fearless, I waited for our start countdown.

I did manage to finish the course.  It was a HOT day, so I needed to make a few water and shade stops along the way.  I had a blast teasing the zombies, though.  One even gave me a bear hug - which left me slathered with fact blood - yuck! And when I crossed the finish line, caked with mud and soaked from head to toe in nasty, muddy water, I was glad that I overcame my urge to bail.

Stacey and Mindy waited at the finish line for me.  Cold water from a fire hose never felt so good!  It was a GREAT day and I did, indeed, have fun.

I want to take a moment to give a shout out to the guy that gave me a leg up out of the last mud slide pit.  Thanks dude - I'd probably still be standing waist high in mud without your help!

"Insane in the Brain" by Cypress Hill

Zombies eat brains. Combine this 'fact' with how insane I felt before starting this race and Cypress Hill's "Insane in the Brain" immediately came to mind.  Though this track contains some 'beef' digs on Chub Rock (no pun intended), it has a rousing refrain that still fills the dance floor.  Plus, you can tell the guys had fun both writing and performing this rap - especially when you see them perform it live.

"Insane in the membrane...Insane in the brain...."

Where's the "After Dinner Liqueur" line?  Yup - I lost all my lives along the way.

Quick Note: I will be changing my post days to Sundays this week forward.  I think of Sunday as the start of my week.  Therefore, I feel it's a better day to reflect on my previous week.

What memories does this song bring to your mind?  Let me know - leave a comment below.

Intro: "Kick Push" by Lupe Fiasco

Welcome to Morgan's Mix Tape: My Life in Song. 

Let me begin by confessing that I am not a musician, nor am I in any way affiliated with the music industry.  (Ok...I used to play the flute in my high school band and I own a VERY dusty guitar that I don't know how to play....but, somehow, I'm sure these two facts don't earn me any musician street cred.)  I am merely a fan of almost all forms of music.

In this weekly blog, every Friday I will post a song that appropriately summarizes my adventures or random thoughts.  My day job, as a marketing professional and business development director, requires a significant amount of travel.  I am slogging through finishing my first novel.  I also just officially hired the services of a professional matchmaker.  (Intuitive Matchmaking)  Life is most definitely in full swing for me and I have plenty of stories to tell!

So, in this my inaugural post, the first addition to my mix tape is:

"Kick Push" by Lupe Fiasco

I often listen to this song at work and when I am writing.  It makes me think of my childhood in my hometown of Cleveland, OH.  I grew up on the east side in the historically black, Lee-Harvard community. 

"Kick Push" is about finding a positive means of escape from day-to-day troubles.  I love the line "...freedom was better than breathing..." and the fact that the main character had to work hard at the skills needed to obtain his freedom.  I also totally dig on the fact that his girl says, "I don't need to ride your's. I got mine right here."  Translation: "WE can be together AND you don't have to carry ME."  Skater girls rock!

I was born with a mild case of wanderlust, so I can relate to this need to roam free.  My escapes were reading, music, and dancing.  Since my family didn't have money for extensive travel, I researched the places I wanted to visit.  China was at the top of my list.  It was a real pleasure to finally visit Beijing in January 2010.  (Paris, France is still on my list - though I have passed through Charles de Gaulle airport a few times, I haven't had the opportunity to stay in Paris.)

Sit back, relax, and listen to this mellow groove with a rich horn track, while plotting your next escape into serenity.

"So let's kick...then push...and coast."

I made it to China in January 2010!  Above is a picture taken on a VERY cold day at Tiananmen Square.