December small DND

We Hate Our Hair - Fact or Fiction?

Can our young men lead?

ÂŁ3.00 Winter Issue

A letter to the Editor

Printed by printing.com Luton Bedfordhsire

ISSN: 1751 -1909

TECHNICAL COMPETENCE (vs Broad-Based Knowledge)

THE BIBLE IS IT RELEVANT TODAY?

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, “DID YOU KNOW...?”

RED SNAPPER MARAVAL (a recipe)

RELATIONSHIPS Who needs them?

COMMUNICATION (Are You Effective?)

CAN WE FINE LOVE INNA DANCE? (final episode)

(+ introduction to Can Young Men Lead?)

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES SEMINAR

ARE WE ASHAMED OF OUR HAIR?

EDITOR’S NOTE

CONTENTS

O black man… my brother Arise!!!

You are not who men say you are You are who Your Creator says you are One fearfully and wonderfully made No my brother do not be bent over any longer by the oppressive lies Get up! Stand Up! Lift your head; stand proud! Stand tall!

In the regality and majesty of your race, that’s your inheritance You are of royal lineage; wear your blackness with honor and pride Like a garland gracing your neck Replacing your chains of bondage.

O black man my brother, why won’t you arise Into your true identity?

Aren’t you the warrior who knows how to overcome?

Adversity is not a whip that breaks you But the stepping stone into your greatness.

You are not made to Carry the load of slavery imposed upon you Cast it off and arise!

My brother, do not limit yourself. No, do not be confined…

Do not perform to men’s expectation of your failure.

Rise up and show them who you really are O black man… my brother O glorious one You must fully arise From slavery to freedom - But it must begin in your mind O Black man… my brother Don’t you know Creation awaits your arising? You must now ARISE!!

by Karen McFarlane, Florida

BLACK MAN… ARISE!!

I read about your innovative magazine on the Jamaicans.com website. I am a Jamaican living in Florida and identify with your burden for the blacks to be represented in a positive light. I have written a poem to give expression to that burden and am wondering if you presently accept articles to place in your magazine. The poem is entitled "Black Man Arise" and can be viewed for your consideration on the Jamaicans.com website under its poem page. The poem is basically an appeal for black men to arise into their true identity. I wrote it because I observed the black men in our neighbourhood and somehow felt a lament in my should for their destinies. Even though you are in the U.K. I believe it's a universal problem. I do have a son who's 14 years old and I try to encourage him not to be one who fulfills the negative stereotype of the black boy/man in a white culture.

Hello,

John Anthony, Trojan Horse, USA

Dear Editor, There is no denying the Hollywood-Trojan-Horse effects on persons who love to feed on the contents flowing through the pipelines of the media. There is also no denying the destructive behaviour, thought patterns and lifestyles which existed before media influence became significant. In addition, there is no denying the validity of the doctrine of personal responsibility and violaters of laws and norms cannot forever blame television or newspapers or movies for their destructive behaviours.

Children may be excused for being subjected to the influence of Sesame Street but adults have no scapegoats. They are 100 percent responsible for their actions and should be.

Any one person therefore, who desires to improve the lives of communities which are being kept behind, does their vision a dis-service by pointing fingers at Hollywood and the BBC solely and not telling each person that their parents and their own efforts are largely responsible for their progress, or lack of, in life. Only weak-minded ignorant persons who are in love with their slave mindsets are controlled by the media. Once the ignorant becomes knowledgeable of the power and role of the media, they have all the power they need to break their addiction. Those that love their addiction though, will never break it.

Letters to the Editor

Myrna Loy

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” I took that passage to mean: Why find fault in the behaviour of others, when in my immediate family there could be issues that needed resolving? I found that verse in Matthew in the New Testament of the King James Version of the Bible. My daughters do what women their age do – they work, look after their kid(s), shop, watch TV/DVDs, go out and occasionally take an annual vacation, but there was something about this repetitive and routine existence that bothered me! How could I tell my adult children to get away from the TV screen, find out what their innate talents were and exploit them, when they were no longer under my jurisdiction and as far as they were concerned, they had enough on their plates already? Besides, If their respective partners didn’t mind them rewarding themselves (after a long day) with videos and DVDs night after night, who was I to say that they were capable of much more? But I knew they were! I wondered what it would take to motivate them to discover themselves, and thought of a magazine.

Dionne, one of my daughters, had decided to treat me for dinner to celebrate her teenage daughter’s good grades at school and I used this opportunity to talk about my idea to start a magazine that would motivate people, believing that just the idea would motivate her. I asked her if she would proof-read what I had written so far, but she told me she didn’t like reading. I told her that I had seen her with magazines, but she said she bought them for the pictures. My daughter was like many young people today – visual learners. She learns from images, hence the addiction to TV & DVDs. After some probing, she admitted to reading some of the articles, but they had to be ‘interesting’. I took this to mean, that she had to be able to benefit from what she was reading. Anyway, to cut a long story short, after telling me she didn’t like reading, only liked the pictures, couldn’t write and obviously didn’t want to help me with the magazine, we changed the subject and started talking about relationships and how difficult it was to maintain one.

“Hey, maybe we could write something about relationships in the magazine” Dionne chirped up. “We?” I wondered perplexed. “Yeh, and maybe you could use my photograph for the magazine” she continued. “Hmmmm!” It looked like Dionne was motivated by the thought of recognition and involvement in something of personal interest. I agreed that a relationship article would be a good start, after all, everyone was in some kind of relationship or other whether it be professional, social or family-oriented. “Yeh, and maybe we could have a forum about relationships – I am sure lots of people would be interested!” she continued enthusiastically, not waiting for a response. Was this the same Dionne who wasn’t interested five minutes ago? I noticed my daughter’s eyes widen with excitement. “I don’t mind writing about relationships” she said. “But you just said you couldn’t write”, I teased. She told me she would give it a try and she did. The next day, an almost perfect article was transmitted to me by email and I felt so proud of her, because she had the talent I had suspected. So now Dionne writes for Blackbright News under the pseudonym: ‘Black Citizen’.

Now, I could progress. The ‘plank’ from my eye had been removed, I could now work on the ‘sawdust’ in my ‘brother’s eye’, and that, in essence, is how Blackbright transformed from being an idea I woke up with on New years Eve 2006, to the Award-Winning entity it is toda.y. The rest is history!

The Editor

Studio 57 Saywell LU2 0QG Tel: 01582 721 605 blackbrightnews@aol.com www.blackbrightnews.com £3.50 each incl. p.p. (or £10 subscription incl. p.p)

BLACKBRIGHT NEWS

Founder & Chief Editor

Many people think they know what black people are like and Blackbright News aims to help correct any misconceptions they might have. Blackbright News will enlighten and empower its readers. Blackbright News is opening the gateway for young Black & Minority Ethnics (BMEs) so that they are aware of situations that can adversely affect them, and have access to information that can benefit them. This training tool is not just for black people it is about them - and a way to learn about an alternative culture!

Yvonne Hector (Photographer)

Bianca Edwards (Journalist)

Leilja Resic (Web Designer)

Jermaine Balfour Graphic Designer

‘Gupta’ Graphic Designer (Front Cover)

Dionne Jules (PR Consultant)

Dionne Innerarity (aka “Black Citizen”) & Workshop Facilitator

Look who helped with the December issue!

Should the UK Government apologise for Britain's role in the slave trade? That is the question that has been asked and is what has precipitated the Bicentennial Celebrations scheduled for March 2007, to mark 200 years since the abolition of slavery.

There are some groups who feel strongly that the governments of those countries that were involved in the African slave trade should not only apologise but pay compensation, while there are others who, although accept that slavery was barbaric, see little or no point in the UK government apologising for actions which occurred over 200 years ago!

Most of us know that about over a million West African slaves were transported from the UK to America and the Caribbean, and the perpetrators thrived from profits and some institutions that benefited from the slave trade have already apologised for their predecessor’s involvement With regard to the anticpated “statement of regret” from John Prescott, we need to realise that the apology will be symbolic only. We cannot turn back the hands of time but an apology will start the healing process. Acknowledging a misdemeanour is the start of a healing process. The government are bound to have reservations about acknowledging their involvement because as far as they are concerned, it could have far-reaching financial implications. However, the apology would create awareness in the wider community, and will simultaneously empower our young.

A heart felt apology will open the door for healing". The apology is about restoration and forgiveness. All blacks are remnants of the slave trade system, and as a result, many of us have a problem with our identity. Many of us are born in

An advisory committee, chaired by John Prescott, the Deputy Prime Minister, which is overseeing preparations for the Bicentennary, is considering issuing "a statement of regret" on 25 March 2007, the date that the Slave Trade Act was passed by Parliament, wrote Phillip Johnstone, Home Affairs Officer.

Although such a declaration is said in Whitehall to fall short of the formal apology demanded by some campaigners, it would nevertheless be seen as one”.

-----------------------------------------------------------------“The Government may say sorry for Britain's role in the slave trade when the country marks the 200th anniversary next year of the legislation that led to its abolition.

...BRITAIN MAY APOLOGISE

K N O W

Y O U

D I D

Painting by Myrna Loy

We welcome any comments from our readers, regarding the apology for slavery. Please write to us at blackbrightnews@aol.com.

It is hoped that an apology will inspire many of us to lift ourselves up. We need to accept the past; it's over and done with and we can't change it, but we can change the future, and that is what we are about to do!

Robert Lee of DA-iP says: “Though this is a unique opportunity in looking back and reassessing where we have come from over a 200 year period, 2007 marks not only the bicentenary of the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade but is also 150th anniversary of the Sepoy mutiny; 60th anniversary of the creation of Pakistan and the 20th Anniversary of Black History Month in the UK.

My space. My identity Creating space for my identity..

But what is my identity within this space?

My parents are Jamaican, They migrated to Great Britain, And adopted a culture Which was not their own.

Then I was born in Britain And had a British education, but then married a Jamaican and merged two cultures into one.

I learned the Jamaican custom I cook Rice 'n' peas and chicken, A British-born Jamaican That is what I am!

But in Jamaica they call me 'foreign' And an immigrant in Britain So pray tell me something Where do I belong?

I have been acknowledging an ancestry Which really doesn't belong to me, Because Britain is where I was born And therefore should be my home.

SPACE & IDENTITY

Britain and yet Britain resists claiming us as their own. The islands and countries of our parents cannot claim us - so where is our home? The slave trade has taken our birthright and placed many of us in a ‘strange land’ leaving many of us to grapple with our sense of self. The following poem epitomizes this:

The myth is black women wear weaves, wigs or extensions because they are unhappy or ashamed of their hair; because their hair is really short and ‘nappy’ or because black women are trying to be European - but what is the real deal? The real deal is that some black women’s natural hair is so thick sometimes, that getting a comb through it is virtually impossible! Conversely, some black women’s hair is so thin, you can see their scalp. Others hair is so long it gets in the way and some so short they cannot do anything with it.Too curly, too straight, too long, too short, too thick, too thin and the list goes on. I know it may seem ungrateful, or even a tad fussy but let’s be honest here, it is a women’s perogative to change her mind, so why not change her hair to suit her wardrobe? Put joking aside, there are manychallenges in the maintenance of black hair, and to mention a few: The Relaxer is a chemical that can thin and straighten the hair, however it does not always agree with everyone and can sometimes burn the scalp.

Curly perm (making a comeback) is a chemical that curls the hair, but again it does not always agree with everyone and can also burn the scalp. Cornrows/ Plaits/ Dreads no chemicals involved but still requires maintenance and can be a short term remedy depending on hair type. Thick hair takes longer to do and can be very timeconsuming. Just a couple of the ways you can manage natural hair, but who has all that time to spend on their hair these days?

Furthermore most

Article by Black Citizen women can’t afford to have their hair done regularly.

So there is a quick fix - a weave, extensions or a wig.

Instantly, they makes you look good and feel good when done properly. It is low maintenance, can go in practically any hair style, colour and whilst in, can protect and make your natural hair grow. Now you tell me which option, as a millennium woman would you choose?

I don’t think some people realise the effort that goes into maintaining natural hair and while there are some women wearing weaves, wigs or extensions because they don’t like their natural hair there are a lot of women wearing it for sheer convenience. This ‘add-on’ hair is practically get- up and go, and you can experiment if you have long hair and you fancy a short hairstyle.Why would a person opt to cut all their hair off when there is an alternative measure? You fancy being a brunette or even a blonde - how long does that dye take to grow out before you can even think of using another colour?

Not to mention the damage it can do to your hair.

What about when you go out? Spending hours curling, straightening and styling your hair, putting all that hair spray to make it keep, the wind blows the wrong way, , it decides to rain un-expectantly, or a hot day and you sweat, what happens to the hair then? hairstyle is mashup all that time wasted!! So you see it a fact some women are unhappy with their hair also some women’s hair is too short and some may even be bald in places. but it is fiction that all women who wear weaves are unhappy or ashamed of their hair - for the most part it is sheer convenience!!

(Photos by Yvonne Hector, Model: Dee Nyomi, Make up by Serena Foster).

ARE WE ASHAMED OF OUR HAIR?

On the night, Geoff was the host for the evening, and his energy and humour made the evening delightful. He shares his childhood with the audience, and made light of the changes in generation and

Geoff Schumann, BBC broadcaster, has been in the media industry for 15 years. He has been a great mentor for young people like Nikki Haynes, a student of University of Bedfordshire based in Luton, who he has given confidence as well as showing the importance of having respect for family and friends. Nikki said:“He made me believe in myself that you can do things if you work at it. I was taught black history and issues of today’s world.”

It was a useful Seminar for those who were planning a career in the Media Arts and Creative Industry. It was especially designed to direct and educate black youths into believing in themselves.

Celebrities, like Angela Wynter, Yolunde Truman from Eastenders and Tony Briscoe, Top UK music composer and producer joined the stage to share their experiences, as well as the up and coming talented Choong Family.

Blackbright News supported the Creative Industries Seminar, a Diversity Arts Incubation Programme on Thursday 19th October, at the Hat Factory in Luton. Pauline Catlin-Reid is the Director of the programme (Tel: 01582 878129) and has put a lot of work in to providing a programme which gives young people direction and focus. She also explains that the programme offers dance, musical theatre, business skills and singing classes and has welcomed anyone who is interested in improving or learning new skills.

the saga of parents being much stricter in ‘his’ days.

Written by Bianca Edwards

Also another useful tip for all career aspects is networking. “Keep your soul, don’t use people make real friendships. Keep knocking

She says “the advice I would give to anyone who is interested in the arts is that don’t do it because you want to be famous. If you are doing something because you want to be famous and you haven’t got the stamina, don’t even go there.You have to be able to take kick-backs.”

Geoff Schuman introduced Angela Wynter, Yolunde from Eastenders, as a wise and intelligent woman who flew in from Jamaica that day to share her experience with the young black people of today. Everybody cheered and put their hands together for Angela Wynter. Geoff Schumann encouraged her to speak about what its like working in media and creative industry. Angela says “It can sometimes be pressure, but you have to be true to yourself. As an actress you don’t have to do what you have been told, as you can’t compromise what you feel. … Often Directors may tell you to act out a script, I have been told to do something that I don’t want to and I express myself in a gentle way, explaining why I don’t want to do it. When a black person expresses themselves, this can be misunderstood by some people. But you must maintain yourself and not take on a fake personality. You may be an outsider for awhile because you are different, and have expressed a view that people may not agree with but you can pull people in, use the language of the system, and let them see your beauty. If you stand your ground, after awhile, once people get to know you, they warm to you, and become less afraid.”

www.daip.co.uk

CREATIVE INDUSTRIES SEMINAR (Diversity Arts Incubation Programme DA-IP)

Young Men Lead?” Some of the older folks say: “They don’t want to put in the work or the effort. They want to profit from our sweat not their own!” I asked a couple of boys (one aged 14 and the other 17) what it would take for them be leaders. The 14 year old said: “it will take time” and the 16 year old said: “knowing how to do things better than anyone else” – I translated the latter to mean to be able to specialise. Two key elements - time and specialisation - are what these two boys felt it would take to make them into leaders. We are going to investigate further over the next couple of months and produce the outcome to be published in our special Bicentennial issue due to come out in May!

In the next issue we will be writing about “Can Black Boys /our

A few words from the Editor; Bianca volunteered to be our new Journalist and this is her first article! Well done Bianca.

Youths who came to the seminar were positive about the night, and found it helpful, entertaining and worthwhile. Eugene Thomas, student of University of Bedfordshire in Luton, studying Media Production said: “I thought it was helpful, it inspired me to do something with my life. I would like to be a music producer, producing beats for songs because I love music. So if Tony Briscoe, can achieve, so can I.”

Overall it was a really successful night. When the night was done I asked Geoff Schumann what he hoped to achieve. He said: “I hope to give black youths direction in life, motivation to achieve their dreams. I feel that I was not given this chance, as a child, and I want to give this chance to others.”

When asked by Geoff whether there was any future for the Choong Family. They said, “We’re going to keep on doing what we’re doing, if people like our records then they will buy it. We hope that they do, we have to try.”

Geoff Schumann said: “As young black guys, if you talk about crack, drugs without giving an understanding, you’re no different from the man that sold us into slavery. Don’t just sing about it, create a rounded understanding about why it is happening and how it is affecting black people. As black men it is your responsibility to educate the black youths.”

(which means singing without instruments). They are known as a hip-hop group, but they also spit and sing. Geoff Schumann interviewed the up and coming talented Choong Family and encouraged them to explain the negativity expressed in their music like drugs and crack.

The Choong family shared their talent, and performed acappella

on the doors; take every opportunity as it comes. Concentrate on making yourself strong so that when people close the doors on you, dem conscious burn.”

It’s me, Mari said nervously.

There was a moment of silence. Mari was wondering what the silence was indicative of. Was he trying to remember who she was? He couldn’t be, it was only last night. She decided to jog his memory and broke the silence.

“I’m the woman you met at the club last night?”

“Of course I know who it is – I was just thrown off, I didn’t expect you to call” he said in a frustrated tone.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I was going to call you but I thought that you might be busy.”

“Busy…? But you said you would call.”

“I was going to but, I didn’t know whether to or not.”

“Why did you say you would call and then not call?”

“Well, everything happened so quickly, I just thought that maybe it was a mistake and weren’t really interested..”

“Not interested?” Mari was confused.

“Yeh, I mean.. I didn’t think I was anyone special” “Not special?” Mari was taken aback. “Do you think I would have gone home with you last night if you were not special?

“Like I said, Dwinny continued, everything happened so quickly.”

By Nancy Noder

CAN WE FINE LOVE inna dance?

“But I have been waiting all day for your call. I thought something had happened to you.”

“Really?” Dwinny sounded surprised.

Mari was exceptionally good looking and had a good job. Dwinny was working as a security guard for a small construction firm and he felt that once she found out that he wasn’t working in an office or didn’t have a high paid job, she wouldn’t be interested, and so to save face he resisted from calling her.

“Yes, I have waited for your call all day!”, Mari repeated, feeling more at ease and confident. “We had such a nice evening, I was looking forward to hearing from you and seeing you again.”

“Really?” that was all Dwinny could say at the time.

He started to feel a bit more comfortable with the way the conversation was going. Dwinny knew that at the night club he was playing a part, but Marie didn’t know that. He wasn’t really this over-confident boisterous person at all. It was all an act. The clubs were usually dark, the women (as far as he was concerned), were easy pickings, he could get a girl easy with the usual chat up lines and that was all it was about. Pulling a girl, getting her ‘digits’, he hadn’t really expect anything to develop after that. In fact, he wasn’t even looking for a girlfriend because he had nowhere to take her.

“Yes, Really!” Mari said with a smile Dwinny could not see. So can we see each other again? Mari asked.

“Yeh, sure. But it will have to be your place because I live with my sister and she doesn’t like me bringing women over.”

Oh! so that was his sister, Mari said to herself.

“Well you can always come to my place again, if you like. I will cook us a nice meal. What kind of food do you like..?

“I like anything” Dwinny said, feeling hungry already “Anything?” Mari giggled…

“Barring a few exceptions” Dwinny said laughing.

Well come over at around 8:30 and I will have some Red Snapper Maraval waiting for you.

“Waaah, you can cook?” Dwinny teased. “OK, and I will bring a bottle of wine.. What kind of wine do you like?” he continued.

“Mateus Rose” “Well, Mateus Rose it will be, see you at 8.30 prompt.

They replaced the receiver simultaneously. Both smiling in their own separate spaces. Both having similar thoughts and both feeling there were many unanswered questions, and both feeling very excited at the prospectof seeing each other again.

THE END.

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If you want to see previous work, make an appointment so you can feel secure in the knowledge that you will be able to see the quality of the work for yourself before commissioning to have the work done!

(If you want the work done quickly, call someone else, if you want it done properly call: 07931 895 971)

EYE FOR COLOUR

I remember when I was at school, I was useless at History and Geography, getting 5 out of 100 for both subjects, but I always got 100 out of 100 for Spelling and A’s in English Literature and A+ in English language. I guess it was because I loved words and the way they could be manipulated according to the situation or tone desired.

Being raised in an era where children were seen but not heard, writing was the only way I could express my feelings accurately, and poetry was also a way that I could tell the ‘truth’ and get away with it.

Back in the day, it was natural for people to hand write letters. The telephone was expensive and we did not have the technology we do now, so email and texts were not available as alternative methods of communication. Handwriting represented who we were, and so we would take pride in the way we wrote. I remember how proud I was, the first time I was taught and allowed to write in “join-ups”. Join-ups was where letters were joined together and even though we had to write exactly on the line, the emphasis on the looping and joining made me feel like an adult.

Today, except for the Metropolitan Police when writing statements, physicians and others of that ilk, people hardly hand-write letters, and emails encourage poor grammar and spelling.

Pronunciation in many of our young seems to have deteriorated. Why is that? Could it be because youths

tend to write down what they hear? If the way they talk is not “proper” English, it is likely to translate into poor spelling and bad grammar.

Many young people hide behind emails and texts and because of its informality, they are allowed to abbreviate to such an extent, it is no longer a word. Emails and texts have replaced verbal communication in a lot of cases, so when you finally meet face to face, no-one has anything to say!

What is speaking properly? Historically, speaking ‘properly’ means pronouncing ‘t’s, eliminating “ahhs, umms and “I’m like...” (for example) from conversations. Many of the traditional middle and upper classes [if the definition still applies!] cringe at bad grammar, especially when its in the form of patois or ‘street language’. It is a shame that what binds us amongst ourselves, can alientate us from others and what identifies us can also stigmatise us.

Nathan – who is a colleague of mine, says: “I always admire how the Africans use their language with each other, the Chinese do the same and also the Asians. But as Jamaicans we are sometimes afraid to use our own mother tongue with each other.”

If teenagers today find ‘proper English’ alienating and ‘proper English’ is the language of the educators, what effect can that have on their learning ability?

People who concentrate on delivering speech precisely can come over as condescending, formal, threatening

by Helen Henderson

COMMUNICATION (What does it take to be effective?)

to positive change, if those interacting are seen as having nothing in common with the people they are speaking with, situations and people will remain the same.

Similarly, an effort to intercede and help BMEs advancecan carry no weight if forms are complicated and processes complex.

Encouraging our young to speak ‘properly’ is not because, as guides, we want to negate their identity, culture, accent, or sense of self, but because we sense how important it is to communicate well in order to be taken seriously. Speaking is part of the overall presentation of an individual. No point putting on a suit and a tie, or dressing up corporately for an interview only to respond when being asked:

and/or stilted to someone who does not speak the same way.

Young people who speak ‘ebonically’ seem oblivious of the adverse impact it has in certain situations. It is important that our young are made aware of the effect the way they speak has on those listening, especially when those listening are not their peers. For example, in an interview situation (or other hierarchal situation) where colloquialism enters the conversation, it can adversely affect the outcome.

Talking ‘street’ is often used ‘light-heartedly’ like patois, and not all black people speak this way. Many of the older generation frown on its use and find it degrading, while many young people feel that this verbal culture bonds them with their peers. Ebonics, street language and/or patois are often regarded as improper speech by ‘old-school’ lecturers and the like. This is probably because this language seems to lack structure.

For years the British prided themselves with their knowledge of the English language. Acquiring ‘A’ levels in English Literature and Language was highly regarded and studied by many of us born in Britain, so it is no wonder that the new generation are victimised, receive prejudicial comments, are disregarded or penalised when it comes to communicating in competitive situations. They are not viewed as communicating effectively – because they are talking a ‘minority language’.

“Speaking proper” has its place and there is no point speaking properly if alienates the people you are speaking to or with. Since effective communication is the key

Black Business Initiative(BBI) presented Myrna Loy (who was also nominated for Business Innovation award) with an award in the Culture & Heritage category, for Blackbright News’ benefit to the community.

BLACKBRIGHT WON A BBI AWARD?

DID YOU KNOW

W ell-Written ell-Written Words Words Command Respect and Gets Gets Results Results - email artowngallery@aol - for details. details.

“What makes you think you are suited to this position?

“I’ve done fings like this before..”

Bad habits die hard and unless bad grammar or pronunciation is nipped in the bud and corrected, young people will continue the legacy of “wassup? and “I’m like…” and other colloquial speech patterns.

Our young are changing the way they speak with the times, are dressing according to what they like and what they see on the TV. Meanwhile the corporate/management world remains the same.

The corporate workplace does not accommodate new fads, ‘sloppy’ speech and lack of finesse, however, the money-making music world does - so mixed messages are being sent out to our young. Therefore, unless teenagers are in a position to make decisions, take full control of their lives and have the support mechanisms in place to succeed, they will need to adapt and adjust in order to be respected and treated fairly in the workplace (which applies to the majority).

A question for our teenage readers: Where do you see yourself in 5 years time? Do you want to be taken seriously? Well rather than scoff at those who speak articulately, try to ensure that they are not the ones who will be interviewing you five years down the line just because you couldn't be bovvered!!

Students of all ages can find pronunciation lessons stimulating and valuable. However, they need time and confidence in order to incorporate the characteristics of connected speech and make them their own. Research does suggest that by simply drawing students’ attention to grammatical errors in a non-accusatory way, you are giving them considerable help towards making sense of the language they hear.

Regardless of what era we are in, where we are from, or what language we use (be it verbal or body language) when communication is the key to overall understanding, using words or expressions that can be understood is of paramount importance.

I guess that’s what we think when we are at the end of our tether in a relationship. We question if this is something we really want or even need? We question why we entered in this relationship in the first place and what we are getting out of it. Relationships can be difficult at times and let’s face it over the years we appear to have grown more impatient and less tolerant. So what’s really going on here? Confidence is being lost, trust is something you now have to earn and a lot of people appear to be hiding their true identities or even developing a new persona. So why do we even bother with relationships at all? Could it be for companionship?

Support, reliability and the feeling of being loved that in some weird way makes it all seem worth it!

Relationships are becoming increasingly harder, to the point where some people are now choosing internet dating where they have criteria’s of what they want. Is finding a compatible mate becoming more difficult?

People have such busy lifestyles and less time for socializing so you hardly see your house parties these days. Nightclubs are becoming a place for the much younger generation or a place where you can be picked up, but not really a place to attract the ‘right’ person.

The question I am continuously asked is how can I meet ‘decent’ members of the opposite sex?

We all have trying times within our lives, times when we want to be left to our own devices; times when we feel vulnerable, when we are scared - so many emotions in our life’s journey, so you can imagine when there are two parties involved? I think sometimes, we get so

By Black Citizen caught up in what has happen in the past, we forget to concentrate on the future. We ignore what is right in front of us and become less willing to try.

Let’s face it; life at the moment has its difficulties.

However we all deserve some sort of joy out of it, don’t we? Relationships where one person is trying to control the other because of fear or insecurities don’t last. You cannot control someone else’s life. Sometimes you have to believe in yourself that you are enough for that person to be fulfilled. A friend once said to me: “If you have a bird let it roam free if it comes back, it is yours, and if it gets lost it was never yours to begin with.”

Relationships appear to be more demanding, but let’s face it, as a society we have become more demanding, less understanding and some of us have lost our old fashion values. I understand that we want to move with the times but at what cost and what exactly is being achieved? Think about it for a moment?

So how do we meet decent members of the opposite sex? I would suggest being friendlier to those you know around you. He or she might have a ring on their finger but they might not be attached or may know someone who is unattached. Once in the relationship I would say to think about how you like to be treated and treat others accordingly. It’s not going to be easy but we have to start somewhere - why not at home with our love ones?

Remember individualism - we are all God’s children unique! Love one another. Think about what it means to truly love someone and the sacrifices it takes.

Respect also goes a long way, and lastly, communication. Sometimes we feel our partner’s should know what we are going through or how we are feeling and we forget they are not mind readers or body language specialists. So relationships - who need’s them? The right one? We all do!!

(who needs them?)

Rela tionships!

If you should ever be forced by a robber to withdraw money from an ATM machine, you can notify the police by entering your pin number in reverse. For example if your pin number is 1234 then you would put in 4321. The ATM recognizes that your pin number is backwards from the ATM card you placed in the machine. The machine will still give you the money you requested, but unknown to the robber, the police will be immediately dispatched to help you.

This information was recently broadcasted on TV and it states that it is seldom used because people don't know it exists. [Not sure of the validity ofthe source by hey!]

DID YOU KNOW...?

Onion: 11/4 cups minced Butte: 3 tablespoons Wine: 1 cup white Sugar: 2 teaspoons Lemon Juice: from 1 peeled lime Cornstarch : 1 teaspoon Salt: to taste Flour Drain the seasoned fish, dust in flour and fry for 8 to 10 minutes in hot oil until skin is crisp. Remove and drain fish by placing on paper towels. Sauté the other half of the herbs and onions in butter for 8 to 10 minutes on a low heat until onions are tender and transparent. Then add wine, sugar, salt and ½ cup of water. Place fish in the pan with the sauce, cover and cook on low flame for 10 minutes. Gently turn the fish on to the other side, cover and cook again for another 10 minutes. Remove fish and place on serving dish.

Sauce will then be left in the pan. Thicken this sauce with cornstarch dissolved in about 1 tablespoon of water. Pour thickened sauce over fish and serve hot.

Sauce for Red Snapper Maraval

1 Whole fish about 4lbs Garlic 1.5 cloves, finely minced Salt – 1 tsp to taste Pepper (white) to taste Rum – Trinidad or Barbados (1 fluid oz) Maraval herbs: (chives, thyme, celery) Parsley –I bunch mixed Large pan to hold fish Season the fish with garlic, salt , pepper, rum and half of the minced herbs and marinate for one hour.

ORIGINATING FROM TRINIDAD & BARBADOS

(A recipe)

RED SNAPPER MAVARAL

On listening to the radio one morning, I heard the presenter say that the Bible has been a best seller for over 300 years! I wondered how that could be when so many people say that the Bible is irrelevant today.

I wondered if it was because whenever we feel pain or something goes wrong, we instinctively say “Oh my God” or “God help me!” (Even atheists have been known to cry out “God’s name instinctively) and it is what many of us do when we are under pressure or feeling pain. Many of us today are under ceaseless pressure. For some of us, it is the pressure of trying to keep our jobs when facing redundancies, for others it is experiencing other economic pressures. For our young, it is pressure at school – pressure to conform.

“Our mates are swearing, drinking taking drugs, so we ought to join in, otherwise we stand out”. For the older generation it is called “keeping up with the Jones”, for our young it is called “peer pressure”.

Both have different levels of pressure but both just as detrimental and frightening. For those who want to keep up with the Jones, it usually an economic choice they make. They want to have what their neighbours have. and will ‘die’ trying. For the young it is yearning for a feeling to belong; to feel part of a group - to prevent a feeling of alienation.

The thing is, whether it is keeping up with the Jones or peer pressure – it takes money; so then there is then the pressure to get money. The older folk want to get money to go on a world cruise, buy new windows, new furniture, or a new car so they re-mortgage their home, or they use their credit cards, or they borrow from a friend. Some keep taking out loans, so that when their applications are refused from high street bankers, they have to go to someone who will give them the loan but will charge them ridiculous interest rates. The young are under similar economic pres-

THE HOLY BIBLE (is it relevant today?)

(Name supplied, but withheld)

ness is a decision, not an emotion so it is up to you whether you choose to forgive. Try not to listen to the voices, but instead submit yourself to good and resist the temptation to listen to voices that mean you nothing but harm.

What has all this got to do with whether the Bible is relevant or not? Well in Job Chapter 3, vs. 25 it states “For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me” Even back in the day, Job was suffering the same kind of pressures we are today, and had the same fears and there are many examples of people in the Bible who have experienced what we are experiencing today, which is probably why the Bible is a best seller and why it is still relevant today. People, whether they go to church or not, are Christians or not, can identify with many of the passages and chapters in the Bible, and usually, when you can identify with a certain situation, you tend not to feel alone. That is why the Bible and many other ‘religious’ scriptures are relevant today, so that you need never walk alone.

sure. They want to have what their mates have, so they want money to buy the latest sneakers, mobile phone, DVDs, music videos or clothes. If their parents can’t afford or won’t buy it for them, how do they acquire it? Do they decide to work to get the money – or do they listen to voices?

With most forms of pressure, there is an audible or inner voice that goads us. You know which voices I am talking about, the voices tell them there is a “get rich quick scheme” (i.e. the Lotto) or an easier way to get what they want, where they won’t have to pay?

Both groups are listening to voices which encourage them to live beyond their means which results in debt.

“You are going to feel really deprived if you don’t get that….” Your house will stand out like a sore thumb if you don’t…. ““Everyone is buying their clothes from…. “; “you’re lame if you don’t…” “you’re a cissy because….!” “don’t let him get away with that ….” “I bet you couldn’t…” I bet you wouldn’t….” “You’ll always be a failure…” “What is the point in trying … you will never make it...” “That pain you are feeling... it is probably cancer…” He hurt you, so hurt him back...” “I know how you can get something for nothing…” “Don’t forgive…”

These are the haunting voices that you hear and what usually make you do something you had really not planned on doing. Many of us are just too frightened to stand up to the challenge of torment and forgive-

If you were told that you lacked technical competence, how would that make you feel? When I heard those words I felt demoralised and inadequate, probably because I didn’t know what the term meant.

Taking any criticism as a nudge to improve, I delved into the dictionary to find out the meaning but it did not tell me what the combined words meant, so I made a search on the website. I am glad I did, because on finding the definition, I no longer felt demoralised or inadequate. Lack of technical competence, as I read it, meant drifting towards generalisation and away from specialisation, and if this was the case, I was guilty as charged!

Being multi-faceted means we fail to specialise. I

By Myrna Loy am not making excuses, but as women, we have a tendency to try and fulfil many roles and knowing where to prioritise or what area to specialise in is difficult. We try to rank each area the same and as result, some areas are inadvertently compromised at the expense of others.

Some children knew what area they wanted to specialise in when they grew up: “I want to be a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, a hairdresser, a film star, a singer, a model” the list goes on. I remember I wanted to be “a fashion designer and an air hostess, none of which I specialised in and none of which I am now. Instead, I chose to be an artist, a writer, a poet, a magazine editor, graphic designer, a publisher, and an author but didn’t plan on being a full-time employee, a mother, a daughter, a friend, a spouse, a mentor at the same time, so what gave? From the comment “you lack technical competence”, it looks as though my job was compromised.

I was a secretary by day, and everything else during unsocial hours. I didn’t realise that as a secretary there was a need to specialise, as far as I was concerned, being a secretary was easy! But was it? Being a secretary was not just about typing work, giving it to the boss, filing and answering the

TECHNICAL COMPETENCE (What is that?)

Instincts and Character” in Parameters (Summer Issue). It is therefore important for employees to develop themselves regardless of whether the job they are doing is manual or technical.

Technical competence when working in fast-foods means that you ensure that the area you work in is clean, that you have the correct protective clothing, that you ensure the process of preparing and delivering food is hygienic and consistent with Food & Hygiene standards. So while you might be studying for an MA in Accountancy but working in a fast-food industry in your spare time, you can still lack technical competence if you do not specialise in the job at hand!

A highly intelligent/educated person could be accused of not having any common sense, if he or she lacks technical competence. How many people who work in the fast-food industry can display technical proficiency, let alone mastery in their role?

Many successful leaders of the past and present were technical experts in their particular fields when they were young and they continued their professional technical studies as they matured.

Technical competence was achieved through study and knowledge of technical manuals.

So what is the difference today? The breadth of knowledge required to succeed is greater than in the past, but the depth of the knowledge required is less. As a result, technical specialisation seems to be declining.

So what is the answer? Do we acquire overall knowledge and become a “Jack of All Trades”, or do we specialise and become an expert? “One man can’t serve two masters” springs to mind!

telephone - technical competence meant knowing all the relevant rules and procedures; being aware of clients ‘ needs; thinking (to a certain extent, and at a level to be agreed) for your supervisor; adjusting to change efficiently and effectively; being familiar with your supervisor’s files, spell-checking the work before giving it out for signature, and stuff like that.

“Intellectual development walks hand in hand with technical mastery” says General Montgomery C Meigs in his article “Generalship, Qualities,

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