Ron's Ribs

Rons Ribs was a famous rib spot on south street. Not only did Ron serve some of the best ribs and chicken in the city. He was also a community activist who lent his space to jazz bands, community events and poets.

This is where some of the most progessive and intelligent people gathered.
I remembered a night when two brothers, one Mel Davis a Lt. Junior Grade in the United States Navy and Butch Slaughter another member of the Navy held community meetings and book reading clubs called Harambee's. These meeting place me closer to my African history and roots.

During one of these meetings they had at roundtable discussion on male and female relationships. Just as today this was a very heated topic. There was one male at this meeting that drove the women crazy, I will call him brother X.

Well Brother X kept us on the defensive all night. When the Sisters would ask a question like, Why do brothers cheat? His answer would be, Why do Sisters Cheat?
obviously you are not giving the man what he needs at home.

The women were fighting one another to get at this brother? The next thing I heard was a woman state, What is it that you want? Many of you still run out all times of night even if things are good at home.

Brother Mel intervened to get some order in the meeting an give Brother X a chance to redeem himself because at that time he was on a Island on his own. Not a man in the room made a sound. It was as if every man's mother called their names at the same.
time.

Brother X was not moved he came back complaining how a woman would draw you in by giving everything you want and then slowing taking things away making you barter and beg for it. He specifically complained how women liked to withdhold sex when ever they get angry, or would bring up problems with you without focusing on their own faults.

Well the claws came out. The temperature rose in the room went up by 80 degrees and rising. Most of the brothers attempted to shut him up when a sister by the name of Stephanie said " let me at him."

She stated that Brothers need stop lying to women and be truthful so a woman can make a choice. The brothers all raised they're hands and one brother by the name of Jay stated " Even if we tell you we have a woman or we don't want to be exclusive you don't hear us.

Jay stated that he was out at a party where every one at the table was the X boyfriend or X girlfriend of other at the table.

He stated how couples could not keep a commitment to one another would easily give up when times get hard.

This was the first of many Harambees where brothers and sister progressively came together to discuss community issues.

Ron Ribs was the place where the hottest Poetry Slams Occured poets such as Tyrone Highsmith,Lois Moises, Selvin Gordon, Kimmika Williams, Stephanie Renee, Eric Webb, and Crystal Brinson.

This was the beginning of some positive spoken word performances.

What A Great Day

Woke this morning to history
it stared me in the face with reflections of
Martin, Malcolm, kunta,Emmit, those ancestors lost along the way

The chill in the air did not come from the Artic, It came from the millions
of Ancestors who came to bear witness to an historic event in the universe
nestled between millions of people they all stood proud.

If you listened to the wind you would hear the drums of Kenyan, Masai,congo,and morrocan warriors play.
The bugles of the soldiers who battled for our freedom on this soil slaves and country men
and if you close your eyes and really listen you will hear the tears of Fredrick Douglass stream down his face.
I woke this morning to history

Where every man, woman, and child, jew and gentile stood in the center of this land and proclaimed
that I am American! African, Hispanic, Irish, german, italian, Haitain, Jew, and Arab.
With no care and no fear of the future but with hope of the progress to come.
I woke this morning to history

I am only one of millions who some time ago pressed the button of hope to end tyranny and uncertainty in my heart.
My choice was made in hope of setting us apart once again from a world that was ran without a compass.
My choice was made in order to chart a new path through a new man who respected my voice and my choice.
I woke this morning to history

Got down on my knees and thanked God for Barack Obama 44th Presidency.

What a Great Day

Osayimwese Nadir Karume.

I Have A New Dream

I have a New Dream
That Little black boys and black girls stop getting killed in the cross fire of their neighborhoods.

I have a New Dream
That we as black people will study and learn about our true selves and no longer allow other cultures to define who we are.

I have a New Dream
That black men stop turning their neighborhoods into killing fields and black women stop allowing themselves to be exploited in such degrading ways.

I have a New Dream
That we as parents will begin to take a better interest in our children educational future and stop expecting other institutions and people to handle our affairs with them

I have a New Dream
That we as a collective will stimulate economic growth in our community by creating and spear heading entrepreneural businesses and supporting them.

I have a New Dream
That we will begin to respect life,respect our elders, our father, and mothers as God intends us to.

I have a New Dream
That we as Beautiful Black African people come together collectively and address all of our problems so that we can return to greatness as a people once again.

I have a New Dream
For you, for me, our children and our future.

Written by James E. Johnson Jr. (Aka) Osyimwese Nadir Karume

History is Mine

I think back on the day when we were slaves, bound and chained like cattle. Our eyes lowered as white men looked over us and sold our women and children.
In the south we hung in the breeze where cotton fields swayed to the southern wind as our women screams cracked through the silent nights.
I watched dogs of german decent bite down on us while we fought in world wars to protect our America. While German soldiers were afforded better quarters than us.
Our Blood spilled over these green pastures in this land of liberty for our Freedom.
From Vietam to Iraq we withstood attacks, foreign and domestic with limited potection
as we marched on Washington for a King, marched on Washington with a million men, marched on Washington with a million more to tell them we knew the score.
As we got Am-bushed and taken aback to the attacks on our voters rights in florida twice! smelled like Mississippi of the 1800's, I had to check the date to see if I had it straight, This wasn't the Magnolia state? Our people drowned in a town called Katrina but they still maintained their stregth though it all even if Moises did not hear their calls.
History is mine in a time to remember that history is made not by chance but by necessity. With God Blessing and God's speed may Barack Obama be blessed during his
44th Presidency.

Written By Osayimwese Nadir Karume (AkA) James Edward Johnson Jr.