Friday, July 29, 2005

T-SHIRTS, PETITIONS & DONATIONS & SIGN ME UP

People are calling trying to find ways to help! THANK YOU SO MUCH! Suggestions include: petitions, a walkathon, calling the club, accepting donations, getting organizations, i.e. frats, civic, clubs, etc. I'm working on a solution. I believe that we need better ways for people to respond to causes and I know that blogs such as this offer involvement, but trying to take it to the next level of participation for our supporters is challenging. Just got a call from John who says he's Italian and says he been to the club as a guest and found it boring. He also said that there might be some others clubs in the area that don't have African Americans. I hope they take notice that being exclusive of African American is damaging and sends the wrong message in 2005 (esp.none after 127 yrs).
If you would like to get to know me better check out last Sundays SUN - MD section, pg.3b,and why we are demanding African American membership at the Elkridge Club after 127 years. I would be pleased have a MEET-UP with the FRIENDS of POWERSPEAKS or you haters and baiters at the Starbucks on N.Charles St. across from the Elkridge Club from 7:00am - 8:00am. Let me know when you can make it, the coffee is on me. PS:SIGNHATERS - maybe you should slow down, relax and enjoy seeing our freedom of expression - the SIGNS are only at the traffic lights so YOU can read them when you STOP. The only people that seem to have a problem with the SIGNS are the same people who have a problem with the SIGNS are saying. But if you support the protest and have any other signage we can use call me or better yet let’s MEET-UP!
See you Monday - same place (N. Charles St. betw LAke Ave & Stevenson) same time ( 7am -9am)! SIGN ME UP!
ENDNOTE:check out my comments over on
http://www.davidwissing.com he appears to be a local who picked up on the SUN article and got all wrong.

Wednesday, July 27, 2005

THINGS ARE HEATING UP!

Put work in yesterday with the crew on the corner of Charles & Lake ave. you don't know what freedom is until you get off your butt and do something. I can only just begin to appreciate what Dr. King and others who marched and rallied went through. They paid the price for POWERSPEAKS to do what were doing now. So I'm challenging anybody that ready willing and able to come join us. It's an enlightening experience so if you missed out on the protest rallies of the 60's , now is your chance to be an American by standing up for what you believe in.
People are very responsive to our protest of the Elkridge Club which has NO BLACK MEMBERS and we received numerous thumbs up, hand waves, and horn toots.
along with 1-2 fingers from people who wait until traffic is moving and they are going past you.
Got a call from a radio show host about coming on the Final Analysis, 1010AM I'll let you know
when it will be broadcasted/ aired.
Finally we are working on getting some t-shirts made. we can defray some of our cost that way, allows our supporters a way of helping and still get the message out. Don’t you just love America!
It’s heating up (99 in the shade), we are on the move and we don't feel no ways tired!

Monday, July 25, 2005

IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE LOVE...

To all my haters & baiters, I will leave your comments posted it allows others to see your views. That you can disagree or belittle where I'm coming from.
I welcome your views. You can always pick up your marbles and go home if you think your argument is not winning. This is not a game for me I'm playing for keeps. so IF YOU CAN'T STAND THE LOVE...
STAY OUT OF THE KITCHEN!

EXCELLENT!

Praise God!
Its been a EXCELLENT weekend! First off I want to thank David Nitkin, the political reporter for the Baltimore Sun for doing a fine job of having me and the POWERSPEAKS protest in as their NEWSMAKER in the Maryland section of Sunday's July 24th edition.
It's good to have news media support for your cause.
It was an EXCELLENT day on Saturday.
Took some what of a break and attended Artscape. I help the Millions More Movement rally pass out flyers for the up coming Oct. 16th celebration of the Million Man March, in Washington, DC. Spent time with my 19 year old daughter who’s in college. We enjoyed the Artscape crowd; the music, the food, and seeing Baltimore celebrate its art and culture.
Church was EXCELLENT on Sunday; we had a good crowd for our small Chestnut Grove AME congregation , even with many away on vacation. Preached from Psalm 8, O'Lord, Our Lord how EXCELLENT is thy name in all the earth.
It rained earlier this morning Monday and the POWERSPEAKS crew was one man short, but we went out anyway, now the sun is shining, so are we and we're still on point.
There are so many areas to be EXCELLENT in our lives I hope you can find them.Remember it will only be God to grade your report card! Make sure you get that E!
POWERSPEAKS

Sunday, July 24, 2005

HATE ON! YOU HATERS & BAITERS!

Some people just don't get it... so to all you
HATERS & BAITERS who sent in ANONYMOUS negative comments and calls regarding the protest.
THE POSITIVE SUPPORT HAS BEEN GREAT!
You can view the HATERS & BAITERS (see comments) they have all been signed by ANONYMOUS who appears to be the same individual or (s).
Heres my response:
If you don't like our protest- I challenge you to come out of HIDING and start your own protest and meet us at the Elkridge Club and have your own signs about why a private club in Baltimore city which is over 60% black has not had any African American members in its 127 year history!
Come and take on the Governor, Lt. Governor, Mayor, and PowerSpeaks, all who are (NOT ANONYMOUS) and who are calling for the Elkridge Club to be inclusive to African Americans in its membership.
Stop signing in as ANONYMOUS! Come out of hiding -put your HATE where your ANONYMOUS mouth is!
THE ELKRIDGE CLUB IS NO LONGER ANONYMOUS! The Elkridge Club membership that doesn’t have any African Americans is no longer ANONYMOUS! I call upon the the Elkridge members who (NO LONGER WANT TO BE ANONYMOUS) and know that it is PAST TIME for African American membership - to speak up, open up, and fess up that they WILL and that they KNOW it time to DO THE RIGHT THING!. The HATERS & BAITERS will try to make it into a race issue. Don't let them! This is about being culturally sensitive, culturally aware, community -minded, diversity conscious, that your lack of African American membership for 127 years from 1878 - 2005, from then until now, the time has come for it to be OVER!
African Americans were the ones who have had 2 class citizenship and were not able to be members even if we had the ($37,000 membership fee- by anonymous source- smile) during ANY of the years of Elkridge Club history! Some African Americans got the money.
If you have any Muslims or Jews as members they should be the first to speak up for what’s RIGHT and if you don't then POWERSPEAKS for inclusion for everybody!
HATE ON … YOU HATERS & BAITERS!
WE LOVE YOU TOO! BECAUSE LOVE IS STRONGER THAN HATE!

Thursday, July 21, 2005

COMMENTS

You should take the money you are
spending on this project and try
to make efforts to solve some of the more pressing problems in the
black community. We are killing
each other at alarming rates, our
schools are failing and our families have fallen apart over the
years because fathers are no longer
willing to take care of their responsibilities. That is one
reason that churches are failing
to attract new members because people like you are more concerned
about integrating a club that most blacks could not afford to join because of the high membership fees. Think seriously about working to solve the real problems in the black community. Wake Up.

--
Posted by Unknown to POWERSPEAKS at 7/21/2005 08:08:33 AM

Thanks for taking the time to voice your comments. We realize there is much to be done in the African American community as you point out above. My comment to you that there is more than one way to skin the cat (of racism) and just because you don't see or understand the way I'm skinning this one , doesn't mean I'm not skinning others . God showed me this cat (Elkridge Club w/ no black members) and I'm gonna skin it whether you or anyone else likes it or not!
Judge not lest you be judged!
In a message dated 7/21/2005 8:25:21 AM Eastern Daylight Time, anonymous-comment@blogger.com writes:
Maybe you should the $6 and the homeless people go downtown and clean that dump up of all the trash along Harford Road and other areas. Who cares who belongs to a club!

--
Posted by Anonymous to POWERSPEAKS at 7/21/2005 08:25:01 AM

Thanks for the suggestion. I would suggest to you that if that's
a area of concern to you I'll be glad to help you do something about it, when do we start.
Those who have a history of being left out- because of the color of our skin care, because we are black and those wounds are sensitive to being excluded CARE!

Wednesday, July 20, 2005

MEDIA SPOTLIGHT

Got a call from a reporter, at the Sun by the name
of David Nitkin for a article in tomorrow's paper.
There was also someone from the paper taking photo's of the crew this morning.
He provided some interesting information on the Elkridge Club and I hope the piece will help us get some volunteers and supporters to help with the protest who are capable of DONATING their time to help a cause whose time has come. Our BIG break!
I wonder if this is what Dan Gillmor http://bayosphere.com/blog/dangillmor
had in mind regarding make your own news?

WE GOT SIGNS

Praise God!
we got the signs. they are fantastic!
i now have 4 guys from the shelter helping me hold up the signs. we need volunteers so we can stay longer. it was interesting seeing that the morning Sun paper had 2 articles on the Elkridge club on Charles st. one had Gov. Ehrlich saying that he supports having African Americans becoming members. I'm glad to se our state's highest official publicly announcing his position. also, an African American columnist -citizen Kane put his 2 cents in and tried to make a case that the Congressional Black Caucus doesn’t have any white members. why try to compare apples to oranges? some people just don't get it that 127 years is too long for blacks to be excluded- rejected - not have the right connections - or what ever else they try to justify as reasons for our denial. well, not in the Balto. city- not in 2005 - we won't rest until our mission is accomplished! we won't rest until we resurrect Fanny Lou Hammer, Rosa Parks, Frederick Douglas, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and all the Freedom fighters who died to make this country and our people included and not excluded! what are the other politicians who represent the state and that district specifically waiting for? are they truly leaders or are they waiting until it is politically correct to get involved?
i talked with a leading African American pastor yesterday, who is a perfect candidate for membership. I' m going to find out what the procedure is for joining. Someone needs to break the color barrier. this is ridiculous in 2005!

Monday, July 18, 2005

HOW DID IT GO/

Interesting day! i now know that nothing is impossible with God! first of all it was not until nearly 1am that i emailed kinko's with the the signs i needed made the below information:
ITÂ’S TIME
AFRICANAMERICANSS
HAD
MEMBERSHIP!
Contact: http://www.powerspeaks.blogspot.com/
JOIN US!
Call:800-336-3290


WE DEMAND
AFRICANN-AMERICANS
BE INCLUDED AS MEMBERS!
Contact: http://www.powerspeaks.blogspot.com/
http://www.powerspeaks.blogspot.com/
JOIN US!
Call:800-336-3290



WE NEED YOUR HELP!
WE CAN NO LONGER BE SILENT!
Contact: http://www.powerspeaks.blogspot.com/
JOIN US!
Call:800-336-3290



IF YOU SEE A GOOD FIGHT
GET IN IN IT!
HELP US TO INTERGRATE IN 2005!
Contact: http://www.powerspeaks.blogspot.com/
JOIN US!
800-336-3290


HELP US SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER
WE WILL NOT BACK DOWN!
Contact: http://www.powerspeaks.blogspot.com/
JOIN US!
800-336-3290

you really need good point size to be effective and a 3x5 sign is too small to make a impact for drivers in cars to see. i'm getting 4x8 signs made. they just won't be ready until tomorrow afternoon.
i had planned on using some homeless people who have camped out at the intersection of the Jones falls expresswayand Fayette St on a church lawn. they seemed like the perfect group and i assumed they would be eager to work. so i went to the square at about 10pm last night and spoke with several guys in various stages of undress due to the humid conditions herein Baltimore the last few days. they assured me that they would be ready at 6am to go and stand on the corner of charles st. where the Elkridge Club is located. so i thought everything was good to go! little did i know that it takes 24 hours for kinkos to do a sign and then they want to charge for rush so my protest revelation assignment can be expensive!
to make a long story short at 6am i had pickuped the signs and headed for downtown o pick -up my
homeless sign holders. as i approached the square
only one soul was stirring and he had a Jamaican accent and was smoking a joint taking to himself. i kept moving forward until i saw the guys from the night before who were all asleep and snoring. this was not what i had in mind!
i knew then that God couldn't use those that had grown comfortable in being homeless. i then remembered that there was a men's shelter two blocks up from my office. I saw 4 guys walking down the street as they have to leave the shelter each morning by 6am.
i asked them did they want to work and 3 said yes. they were sober and eager for a opportunity. so we agreed on 6 dollars a hour and each man worked about 21/2 hours. (OR A $15.00-DONATION- ENOUGH FOR ($5)BREAKFAST,($5)LUNCH & ($5) DINNER , they did a good job overall!
they said someone from former mayor Donald Shaefer office who is now the controller for the state came by and gave them water. a lady from the neighborhood association asked a few questions, various people stopped their cars wanted to make donations
and a few negro's got mad and wanted to know why we
wanted to be out with them white folks if they didn't want us, and finally a few people had the nerve to ask these guys who were obviously dressed in homeless "urban" if they were golfers . after sharing these comments we all went and had breakfast and i dropped them back downtown.
tomorrow we'll try again , i just need bigger signs!

Sunday, July 17, 2005

WORKING ON THE PROTEST!

Its time to start the march protest rally !
127 years is long enough for The Elkridge Club in Baltimore, MD to not have a African American member.

Tomorrow at 7am we will be on Charles St.

Friday, July 01, 2005

My photo



Click either photo for a larger view.