Kwanzaa: Imani ('Faith')

Habari Gani? Imani (ee-MAH-nee)!
Day 7. January 1

To believe with all our hearts in our parents, our teachers, our leaders, our people and the righteousness and victory of our struggle.
When life seems to bring nothing but a string of defeats and disappointments, we've got to have faith that something good is still in store for us. With this faith, we can forge ahead and continue to put forth our best effort. Without it, we give up and accept what comes our way, good or bad. Our precious dreams begin to seem absurdities.

It is imperative that we see ourselves as worth and deserving of a good life. There may be rejections; it may take us a while; but as long as we stay in the game, there's every chance we'll score. On the sidelines, we can only watch as others do the work and the winning.

Perhaps it is time for us to celebrate this seventh principle of the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Imani'! Perhaps it is time ... as we enter for a new year ... to step out on faith.

On this day, I will spend five minutes to relax and visualize success in achieving one of my goals.

Those are my thoughts about Imani. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when Imani comes to mind?

Kwanzaa: Kuumba ('Creativity')

Habari Gani? Kuumba (koo-OOM-bah)!
Day 6.  December 31

Using creativity and imagination to make your communities better than what you inherited.
I don't consider myself to be 'creative' in the normal sense.  I haven't written many poems in my life.  I don't create original artwork of any kind.  I don't create my own songs.   I imagine that I'm not unlike many of you.  I suspect that many of you join me in feeling confined in the roles we play, expected to conform to the expectations of others.

However, God gave each of us 'wings' on which to fly our personal journey.  Caged, we can do little more than flutter those heavenly wings in frustration.  We must sing to give vent to our misery, to express ourselves and to create beauty in our own world.

We all need to find outlets for our stifled selves.  In the act of creating, we enter an almost meditative state where our troubles cease to exist and our spirit heals and fortifies.

Painting, playing an instrument, or writing a poem my readily occur to us as means of creative expression, but so are blogging, gardening, cooking, or quilting -- whatever appeals to our individual natures.

Perhaps it is time for us to celebrate this sixth principle of the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Kuumba'! Perhaps it is time ... as we prepare for a new year ... to allow our creative natures to breathe a little more.  Perhaps it is time for each of us to allow the caged bird inside of ourselves to sing ... to fly.

On this day, I will do something artfully.  I will write a letter, make a pencil sketch, or just rearrange one of my rooms in a different way.

Those are my thoughts about Kuumba. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when Kuumba comes to mind?

Harambee!

Kwanzaa: Nia ('Purpose')

Habari Gani? Nia!
Day 5, December 30

To make as our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
Can any hill stand between you and your beloved? No. Especially if it is your purpose or goal to be with that person. Of course, there are hills in life. Heck, sometimes there are mountains. But when life is good, it seems like there are no hills. Why? Because, like a baby driven to walk, we are undeterred by the obstacles between us and our goal.

African Americans have certainly had our share of disappointments and setbacks. But, we have learned that when we are really focused, nothing can hold us back. When we believe that our goal is worth and that we are worthy to achieve it, we are more than halfway there. We need only plant our feet on the road and keep moving forward.

Perhaps it is time for us to celebrate this fifth principle of the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Nia'! Perhaps it is time ... as we prepare for a new year ... to set written goals for all of the areas of our life: family, financial, health and spiritual. If not now, when? We can always do more to set and seek out specific goals in life, because we all benefit when our brothers and sisters succeed.

On this day, I will do at least one thing that will help me accomplish one of my goals.

Those are my thoughts about Nia. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when Nia comes to mind?

Harambee!

Kwanzaa: Ujamaa ('Cooperative Economics')

Habari Gani? Ujamaa!

To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them.
Cooperative economics can help African Americans take physical control of their own destinies. Did you know that 95% of all earnings in the Black community ends up in the hands of non-Black people? Is it any wonder that when one community has $1.95 and our community has a nickel ... that one community is more respected by local government; has better police relations; has better schools; has better economic outcomes? Perhaps it is time for us to celebrate this fourth principle of the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Ujamaa'!

We can always do more to support our people, because we all benefit when our brothers and sisters succeed. If it means going a block farther to a Black-owned store, let's do it. And if the quality of the merchandise or service disappoints us, let's communicate that to the owner so we give her every chance to rectify the situation and count on us as a permanent customer.

Let's buy books and albums by African Americans, and go to movies by African American directors. Remember the simple saying, "Put your money where your mouth is." Let's show support, and not decry the lack of it.

Those are my thoughts about Ujamaa. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when Ujamaa comes to mind?

Harambee!

Kwanzaa: Ujima ('Collective Work and Responsiblity')

Habari Gani? Ujima!

To come together to build and maintain our communities.
None of us walks alone. Especially in the Black community. We need to realize that we stand on the shoulders of others. Celebrating the Nguzo Saba principle, 'Ujima', gives us a chance to reflect on those that helped us reach our current platform. We can pay homage to our parents, grandparents, siblings, teachers, mentors, colleagues or others that came into our lives. Nubians in America should also lift up in praise those African Americans that came ... some were lost ... so that we might have the freedoms we enjoy today.

In other words villagers ... let's be proud of our accomplishments. We earned the right to be proud. However, let's also remember that our accomplishments may never have happened without the help of others struggling before us. Now, we must pay it forward. We must reach back, down or across to others to help them on their journey.

Those are my thoughts about Ujima. Please take a moment to join this online Kwanzaa celebration with me. What do you think when the Ujima comes to mind?

Harambee!

Kwanzaa: Kujichagulia ('Self-Determination')

Habari Gani? Kujichagulia!

To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.

The second principle in the Nguzo Saba calls for us to spend less time worried about what 'THEY' are thinking and more time focused on our own decisions. We can't waste our time trying to live up to the expectations of others. We must value the importance of our own personal goals. How are we living up to our own inner compass of what is right and wrong ... our own values ... our own dreams.

I plan to spend more in 2016 focused on setting and exceeding my own financial, family, physical and spiritual goals. I intend for 2016 to be a year in which I live my dreams. No more sitting back and waiting for others ... it is time for me to take control of my situation fully and completely.


Today, I take the first step.

Harambee!
I hope that other villagers are considering what the concept of 'kujichagulia' or self-determination means to them.

Here is an affirmation for today that we can all use -- 'On this day, I will take five minutes and visualize that I have accomplished one of my goals.'

Kwanzaa: Umoja ('Unity')

Habari Gani? UMOJA

To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.

You live long enough and you begin to realize that you cannot have an impact on your community, nation and race until you first have an impact on your family. It is through the good you do with your parents, siblings, spouse, children, nieces, nephews and cousins that you leave your mark on the world. The pebble that you drop in the lake called family will begin to flow out in concentric circles that will grow larger and larger over time.

Make yourself and your family stronger ... you make our community and our nation stronger. Am I doing enough to make ourselves stronger mentally, physically, financially and spiritually?

The past is gone. Our ability to changes things for the better begins today. What can I do to make myself better mentally? physically? financially? spiritually? These are questions that I will ask myself today as I meditate on the meaning of 'umoja' in my life. I will find ways each day to improve myself and my family ... even my blogging family ... so that we might be stronger as a community and as a nation. Each one, reach one.

Harambee!

Care to share your thoughts on the concept of Umoja, the first principle shared in the Nguzo Saba?

BDPA Members Honored on Veterans Day

Guest Blogger: Perry Carter, president
BDPA Washington DC

Here are some little known facts about veterans in BDPA:

Did you know?

... that Dr. Jesse Bemley founded both marquee programs for National BDPA (IT Showcase and High School Computer Competition) and served in Vietnam?

... that Dr. Will Bundy, co-founder of the BDPA IT Institute with Dr. Juan Gilbert,  was a submarine driver (both diesel and nuke) and is one of the Centennial Seven African American submarine skippers who served during the first 100 years of the Submarine Service?

... that Lt. Col. Joseph Carpenter was the Marine Corps' first African American Data Systems Officer and is a Montford Point Marine?

... that Terry Halvorsen and Mark Di Francisco were Army Intelligence and Special Operations officers, respectively?

... that Joseph McMahon was a Naval Flight Officer; co-founded two BDPA Chapters and was instrumental in securing Navy leadership and involvement with National BDPA to include the Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations, and Department of the Navy's CIO?

... that Felicia Jones and Eileen Gadsden, two of BDPA's strongest leaders are Army veteran "Black Girls who Lead and Code?"

... that Army veteran José Márquez-Leon, President & Founder of Latinos in Information Sciences and Technology Association (LISTA) was a BDPA Member when he founded LISTA?

Perry Carter - Marine Corps
August 1985

Happy New Year, BDPA!

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Fourth, Everyone

What is Juneteenth?

Originally posted on 6/19/2008.

The discussion about the African American flag created by UNIA and Marcus Garvey reminded me of other dates on the calendar that impact African Americans differently than others in this country. For example, I wonder every year on the birthday of our nation ...why do Blacks celebrate July 4th?

It is historically accurate to recall that nothing about Independence Day back in 1776 brought a smile to the people of African descent living in America. White folks were ecstatic to overturn the yoke of the monarchy ... but, they weren't so ecstatic that they let go of the whips and chains used to enslave African Americans. Just a random thought floating thru the village today.

On the other hand, African Americans in most of the country do take time on Juneteenth to celebrate independence.

What is Juneteenth? Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the ending of slavery. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that all slaves were now free. Note that this was two and a half years after President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation - which had become official January 1, 1863.

The Emancipation Proclamation had little impact on the Texans due to the minimal number of Union troops to enforce the new Executive order. However, with the surrender of General Lee in April of 1865, and the arrival of General Granger's regiment, the forces were finally strong enough to influence and overcome the resistance.

Later attempts to explain this two and a half year delay in the receipt of this important news have yielded several versions that have been handed down through the years. Often told is the story of a messenger who was murdered on his way to Texas with the news of freedom. Another, is that the news was deliberately withheld by the slave masters to maintain the labor force on the plantations. And still another, is that federal troops actually waited for the slave owners to reap the benefits of one last cotton harvest before going to Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. All or neither could be true. For whatever the reason, conditions in Texas remained status quo well beyond what was statutory.

Click here to learn more about Juneteenth if you have time/inclination. We encourage you to share more on this aspect of Ourstory as part of the Juneteenth 2008 celebration.

For now, I encourage you to share your comments on the significance of either June 19th or July 4th in your part of the diaspora? What say u?

Related articles

• Celebrate Juneteenth!
• The Road to Juneteenth

Wordless Wednesday: Juneteenth

Happy Mother's Day

Your Mother is always with you.

She's the whisper of the leaves as you walk down the street, she's the smell of certain foods you remember, flower you pick and perfume that she wore, she's the cool hand on your brow when you're not feeling well, she's your breath in the air on a cold winter's day, She is the sound of the rain that lulls you to sleep, the colors of a rainbow, she is Christmas morning.

Your Mother lives inside your laughter. And she's crystallized in every tear drop. A mother shows every emotion.....Happiness, sadness, fear, jealousy, love, hate, anger, helplessness, excitement, joy, sorrow.....and all the while, hoping and praying you will only know the good feeling in life.

She's the place you came from, your first home, and she's the map you follow with every step you take. She's your first love, your first friend, even your first enemy, but nothing on earth can separate you.

Not time, not space....not even death!

Wordless Wednesday: Happy New Year

Happy Thanksgiving from BDPA

Happy New Year BDPA!

We enter into a new year -- 2013 -- with high hopes for BDPA on a local, regional and national level. Our national president, Monique Berry, enters her 2nd year of leadership with aspirations to truly take BDPA to the 'next level'. This blog hopes to continue in its effort to increase awareness of BDPA. Our hope is that more of you will find a reason to make a donation to support BDPA programs, scholarships and services.

What are your dreams for BDPA in the coming new year?

Message From the National BDPA President

Seasons Greetings,

The past year was filled with historic moments:

Barack Obama, the first African American President of the United States was re-elected for a second term. For the first time in its 37-year history, chapters were run under the guidance of 4 regional vice presidents. Finally, BDPA entered the ranks of the "debt free” by paying off all outstanding debt.

Monique Berry

As we celebrated these historic events, we also kept our eyes on the BDPA mission. In fact, far from content with our organization’s previous growth, the leadership laid the foundation to take BDPA to the next level. Two of the challenges plaguing Blacks in technology have been retention of Black students in college computer science programs and exposure of young Blacks to STEM fields. Many already are aware of our efforts to expose children to technology through our Student Information Technology Education and Scholarships (SITES), High School Computer Competition (HSCC) and IT Showcase programs.

This year we also had an additional focus: Growing the number of collegiate members on college campuses across this country. Of the thousands of Black freshmen in the U.S. who say they want a computer science degree, only 30% are successful in obtaining one six years later. We are confident that with your continued support, we shall dramatically improve that metric!

We also made progress on our commitment to deepen member engagement. This was accomplished in three ways: face to face, philanthropic donations, and social network interactions. Half of all members were engaged in at least one of those ways.

Other highlights for 2012 include:

• The launch of one of BDPA’s most exciting programs in years, the Career Triage, our monthly live webinar series
• The launch of a redesigned National Website
• Awarded over $50,000 in scholarships to BDPA student members
• The launch of CISSP and Security+ certification classes
• Introduction for Education Grants for unemployed members seeking certification
• Complimentary conference registrations for unemployed members
• The launch of our NEW BDPA job board -- IT Diversity Careers
• HBCU panel during the conference
• Networking cocktail hour during the career fair
• Participated in the White House HBCU Summit in Washington, D.C.
• Developed partnerships with NCWIT, NOBCChE and the Coalition of Minority Technical Organizations
• Increased visibility for the organization through media

As we prepare to move into 2013, we sincerely thank you for helping us inspire our present membership, as well as our future generations of young, talented, Black technology professionals.

Happy holidays,
Monique Berry, president
National BDPA

Message From BDPA Washington DC Chapter President

Happy Holidays from BDPA Washington DC Chapter

Greetings!

Our Chapter wishes you every happiness this Holiday Season and good health in the New Year.

Perry Carter

Thank you very much for supporting our cause within your community. We look forward to growing our relationships in 2013 as the chapter celebrates its 35th Anniversary.

All the best to you and your family,

Perry Carter, president
BDPA Washington, D.C. | BDPA-DC

Happy New Year BDPA!

We all wake up this morning with the knowledge that we've made it to the second year of the new decade. We enter into 2012 with an opportunity to make all things new again. I enter into yet another year with the BDPA Foundation Blog and wonder what the new year will bring in terms of content, comments and viability.

It is hard to keep up the consistency with a blog in today's world with the movement that many have made to other social networks like Facebook or Twitter. However, I will continue to try to keep this blog up and running. My hope is that we find our voice in 2012 to such an extent that more of you begin to share your insights with us.

I have been a member of BDPA since 1988 and served in a variety of leadership roles that include chapter president, national membership chair, national vice president, national president and BETF executive director since 1989. The experiences and training that BDPA provided to me expedited my rise to the Senior Executive Service within the federal government. For the past 10 years I've been earning my living as an entrepreneur. I believe that the best years of BDPA are in the future and I'm proud of the past 37 years of our history.

I suspect that the big story of 2012 will be whether or not incoming national president Monique Berry and her leadership team will be able to provide tangible programs, scholarships and services that demonstrate the BDPA value-proposition to IT professionals around the nation. BDPA needs to grow its membership substantially in 2012 ... and the BDPA Foundation needs to grow its economic impact substantially as well.

This blog will continue to focus on issues related to BDPA regional and national conferences, education, technologists of African descent in America, STEM and technology. We will also share blog posts about nonprofit finances, funding sources, foundation marketing, fundraising tips and scholarships.   Also, we will up the ante on sharing stories about the future faces of technology, BETF scholarship winners and our BDPA leaders.

In any case, at this point ... we simply want to wish all of you a glorious New Year!

Heck, why don't you start the year off right by making a secure online donation to the BDPA Foundation!