SerenityLife’s blog

The Last Debate - New York Times

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Wed, 21 May 2008 12:35:10 -0400

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/opi...

“Besides that, Hillary. Seriously, you don’t want your delusion to put John McCain in the White House. Or maybe you do. You have no shot. I’m 60 delegates away from nomination nirvana. You should stop stalking me. I come down to Florida for a victory lap and you follow me down here and call for a recount. Look what that did for Al Gore. If you show a shred of common sense and take a powder now, the party will put you on a pedestal.”

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Please Don't Be Black... Please Don't Be Black... Please Don't Be Black...

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Fri, 16 May 2008 20:25:28 -0400

Please Don't Be Black... Please Don't Be Black... Please Don't Be Black...

http://toddkelley.vox.com/library/pos...

Damnit!

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Florida Legislature Apologizes for State's History of Slavery

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 11:46:35 -0400

nytimes: Florida Legislature Apologizes for State's History of Slavery

Was it really Obama's speech on race that pushed the legislature to apologize? New Jersey, North Carolina, Alabama, Virginia, and Maryland apologized in a similar fashion.

My mother is a native Floridian who was the second black woman to pass the Florida bar exam which allowed her to be licensed as an attorney in the state of Florida. She was told that despite having a law degree and her law license that the highest job position that she could have in the state was to be a social worker. This was in 1965! Same year as the voting rights act of 1965. So, my mother did not stay in Florida but remained in Washington, DC where she went to law school at Howard University School of Law. [My Mom applied to Harvard Law School and Stetson Law School. Both schools told her they were not accepting applications from black women at the time which was in 1962. I was never encouraged to apply to either school. I had completed an application to Harvard Law school but I never submitted it.]

Florida is the same state that denied black people access to the "white beaches" and there were black beaches created for their use. [Alliance Fights a Plan to Develop a Florida Getaway Born of Racism] For example in Daytona Beach, black residents had to access a small beach called Bethune beach if they wanted to swim or relax on the beach.

My mother shared numerous stories with me how she could not go to the white beach but her father could get away with it only because he was extremely fair and had a British accent. People did not realize my grandfather was a black Jamaican (he was mixed - his mother was a black Jamaican and his father was a white man from England) but because his physical appearance made white America believe he was white. My grandfather took advantage of the access given to him. However, he always taught my mother and her brother that equality is what he hoped America strives for one day. It was not until my mother graduated from law school did my grandfather become comfortable in becoming a citizen of the USA (which he did). He did not trust anyone but his daughter to help him go through the immigration process.

In addition to the apology, doors of opportunity should be made available to the descendants of slaves who continue to be on a cycle of not having access and training to succeed in the state.

This is a bitter sweet day for many in the state of Florida for I am experiencing a wide range of emotions with my personal family history tied into the state.

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NPR: Clinton Team Hints at Revote in Florida, Michigan

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 14:49:34 -0500

Thank you to my twitter friend @amneris for sharing this article with me.

NPR: Clinton Team Hints at Revote in Florida, Michigan

http://www.npr.org/blogs/news/2008/03...

Marc Ambinder reports at theAtlantic.com that as Clinton campaign manager Terry MacAullife was talking about his candidate's victories last night he "referred to the possibility of a re-vote in Michigan and Florida as part of the Clinton plan for victory in the primaries."

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Tavis Smiley . Archives . Wednesday, February 13, 2008 | PBS

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 13:18:55 -0500

Tavis Smiley . Archives . Wednesday, February 13, 2008 | PBS

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/tavissmiley/a...

Bill Nelson was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. A lifetime Floridian, he previously served six years as a member of the state Cabinet and 12 years as a congressman. Nelson is an expert on NASA who, after intensive training, spent six days on the Space Shuttle Columbia as a payload specialist. Since, he's worked to protect the environment and been an advocate for space exploration. Nelson is a Democratic Deputy Whip and serves on the Armed Services, Budget and Foreign Relations committees.

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Another story like Oprah's, "The Great Debators" - TRUE

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 11:30:30 -0500

Another story like Oprah's, "The Great Debators" - TRUE

http://www.news-journalonline.com/New...

The similarities between "The Great Debaters" story line and Bethune-Cookman's 1951 debate against Oxford University aren't the only local connection to the new movie. Denzel Washington, who stars in the film he also directed, has his own Daytona Beach connection. He attended Mainland High School in during the 1970-71 school year when his family lived in Daytona Beach. Washington was far from the silver screen star of today at the time, according to his account in a 1999 television interview in which he admitted to being painfully shy in high school. "There was a girl in my class (at Mainland), Deborah Hill," he said. "I used to follow this girl. I would make sure I was in the spot where I knew she had to go through to get to her class. But when she came by, I wouldn't say anything."

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Prince Concert - Tampa, Fl - January 31, 2008

nobody@vox.com(SerenityLife) — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 11:16:42 -0500

Thank you for my myspace friend, LoveSexy88, for alerting me about this concert!

Please please happen. But, I would rather see Prince in a small venue for I appreciate the after shows a little bit more. Something about the intimacy and Prince's energy during an after show is truly magical.

However, I am going to this concert if this is truly for real! I called my Momma today to alert her of a new adventure to see Prince so she is down with traveling with me again! What a treat! She is a Floridian so we have to bring the
sunshine to the Purple man!

Prince Concert details!!

Now, I am break dancing!!

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