SOCIAL COMMENTARY 1: A 'WHITE'S ONLY POOL' in 2009

What: [a Poem]
Who: [by Imhotep K.]


Title: [SEGREGATION Reigns in AMERICA]

America, America, America!
Segregation and Segregation,
It's nothing but a whole lot of Segregation
and FEAR and Segregation
and it is
and it is
and
it is
and...
...it is nothing
but a whole lot of segregation

O, America!
O, and How can this even be and happen
in the year 2009 in the so called Home of the Brave and Land of the Free and
How can this be?

and O, America the Beautiful and the most civilized
Of all nations!
And what a backward Country indeed!

And Segregation reigns Supreme in the Home of the Brave and...
It looks like SEGREGATION Never truly ENDED, after all
And it is Segregation upon Segregation and Segregation
And It is ALL Nothing but a whole lot SEGREGATION
And this is nothing but BROWN versus the Board
Of Education and this this the Board
Of Education versus Brown
All over again
and Again
and Again
And
Segregation
And it is all
Nothing but a
Whole of Hate and Ignorance
And ignorance
And it is a whole
Lot Segregation and
It is Segregation and it is
And a Whole lot of Segregation
and O America, the Civilized Country
and it is America the land of the Free
and the Brave and the land of Segregation

And this is
SAD and this is
and this is
really Sad
that in the
Year two thousand
and NINE SWIMMING POOLS are segregated and
and 60 Black kids can not swim at the same pool as so called WHITE kids and this is SAD and this is pathetic
and this is, however, not
SURPRISING and this is
nothing but a whole of
SEGREGATION!!

[by Imhotep K.]

Thank you.
{Please help spread the word.}


[FIND MORE Information ABOUT This INCIDENCE, Below]
Thank you for publicly condemning the Valley Swim Club and calling on the Justice Department to investigate. You're helping to show that people across the country are united against racial discrimination, and ensuring that the federal government does its job.

The more of us that stand up, the stronger our voice will be. Will you take a moment and invite your friends and family to add their voice as well?

Below you will find a brief letter you can send. Personalize it as you wish or write your own, but please send it along right away. Also, please only contact people who you know personally. Spam will hurt the effort.

You can cut and paste the text below into an email message:

Dear friends,

Two weeks ago outside Philadelphia, sixty-five children from a summer camp tried to go swimming at a club their camp had a contract to use. Evidently, the club didn't know the kids were largely Black.

When the campers entered the pool, White parents took their kids out of the water, and the swimming club's staff asked the campers to leave. The next day, the club told the summer camp that their membership would be canceled and that they would refund their money. When asked why, the club's leader said the "kids would change the complexion ... and the atmosphere of the club."

A "Whites only" pool in 2009 should not be tolerated. The club's actions appear to be a violation of section 1981 of the Civil Rights Act. Whether or not any laws were violated, a "Whites only" pool should be something every American condemns.

I've just joined ColorOfChange.org in doing exactly that -- will you join me, and email your friends and family asking them to do the same? We're also calling on the Department of Justice to evaluate suing the facility under federal law. It takes just a moment to do both, here:

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=2116-393785

Obama is President but that doesn't mean that suddenly all is fine when it comes to race in America. This is a vivid reminder of what we know still lies beneath the surface.

We all know stories like this one -- similar incidents play out quietly every day in different communities across the country. The difference in this case is that folks got caught and there was a contract in place that makes for a potentially illegal act.

Standing up now isn't just about making things right for these kids in Philadelphia or bringing consequences to this swim club (called the Valley Swim Club). It's about creating a climate of accountability everywhere. If we can publicly shame the Valley Swim Club and hold them accountable for this incident, it will make others think twice before engaging in this kind of discrimination.

Please join me in condemning the Valley Swim Club's blatant discrimination and calling on the Justice Department to investigate whether they violated civil rights laws. And please ask your friends and family to do the same.

http://www.colorofchange.org/swim/?id=2116-393785

Thanks.

Here are some links to more info:

"Pool Boots Kids Who Might 'Change the Complexion,'" NBC Philadelphia, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/90Zyr

"60 Black Kids Booted from Philly Pool For Being Black -- Speak Out," Jill Tubman at Jack and Jill Politics, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/GkJTs

"Valley Swim Club: Day Two," Adam B at Daily Kos, 07-08-09
http://bit.ly/qbpSA

"Section 1981 Summary," Employment Law Information Network
http://www.elinfonet.com/1981sum.php

This is the Spirit of a Warrior II | compiled by Justice K. Kwarteng

Dr. RANDY PAUSCH, you are God's Son
You are/were GOD sent
May You Rest-In-Peace
May You Rest Well
[--j.k.kwarteng]

This is the Spirit of a Warrior | compiled by Justice K. Kwarteng

This is Living.
By accepting (his) death, he accepted life

[words: justice kwesi kwarteng | images: courtesy YouTube/Harpo Productions]

How Does 'BRUNO' Compare to 'BORAT'?

How Does BRUNO Compare to BORAT?
tell us what you think.
be a movie critic for a moment...

FAREWELL, Michael

FAREWELL, Michael Joseph Jackson!
Sleep well, Michael!
I LOVE You So Much, MJ!
I Still Do Not Believe, MJ
That you ARE no longer with us in physical Body/
I Am Completely
Heartbroken and
Deeply SAD and Upset, Michael/

I Salute You, MICHAEL!
I Honor you, Michael!
I LOVE You, Michael!
I Do SALUTE You because you were/are a Warrior!
I do because you are a WARRIOR King!, MICHAEL!
I LOVE You SO MUCH, Michael!
AND MICHAEL I AM SO IN SHOCK, michael J. jAcksON!

aND i AM
And No, No, No!! NO!!! Michael!
Why so SOON, Michael!
I sincerely Hoped
For you to be
Here
To See your
Own Legend Grow and I sincerely did
And Now YOU leave us just a little too soon and
I may You Rest In PEACE and Eternal Harmony and
MICHAEL, Sleep Well now and Michael and
So SLEEP Well Now and So Sleep Well and
Do Sleep Well, MJ

You Healed the World in So Many Ways, Michael!
I remember, as a child growing up in GHANA, How I would always become so CALM
Whenever I heard your Music and your Voice and your Sound
and I remember How much you quietly but sincerely affected
Me as a quiet African Child
Growing up in Beautiful Ghana
And so I remember and I do, MJ and
I LOVE You so Much and I appreciate You and
I did not want you to leave us just Yet, MICHAEL and
I am so upset and I know you are in a much, much, much Better place and
I know you are and I will spend my life loving your very beautiful Children and praying on my knees for them and in staying in thought for them and sitting in Meditation for them and they
will be very well cared for and taken great care of and
YOU were the VERY embodiment of PURE unadultrated LOVE and
May GOD forgive those who wished
You harm, MICHAEL!
And May be they
WILL LEAVE You
ALONE, NOW and
May be they Will
And GOD has a reason for calling you at this moment in time and some TOOK you for granted but Never US or Me all Most and So sleep well now, Michael!

And
May GOD
Forgive them!
MAY GOD Forgive those who rediculed and
Judged and made-up untruths about YOU, Michael!

I Say May GOD's Grace Shine on thee in Heaven, Michael!
and may God's grace shine ever protectively so over your beautiful Children and
Family and Friends and all your LOVED Ones and
May God's grace be with You in HEAVEN and
Your LEGEND Will Forever Be and Live and
You LOVED unconditionally, MJ!
And you GAVE unconditionally, MJ!
And You were hit so many times but you KEPT STANDING because of the power and beauty of LOVE in you and that you EMBODIED
And so
no amount of
below the belt punches was strong enough to
knock you out AND
I Love you so
and I truly do
and I cherish you
and we will never forget You, MICHAEL!
and you will forever live on in my heart's soul, forever and ever more, MICHAEL!
and I PRAY for you and your Children and I do and I do and I do
and so MICHAEL, please Sleep WEll, Now!
and so please Sleep Well, Michael!

And So to the Jackson family, I say, Hold On Like You've Always Done,

and so sleep well now, Michael!
You are in a better place now, MJ!
You LOVED so profusely and unabashingly
and some were very afraid because they had never ever, ever,
ever known a LOVE so strong and POWERFUL and so, in turn, they made-up stories and
and they JUDGED You and
called you Weird and they called you WACKO and we still Loved You and
we did not care about any of that and GODSPEED, Michael and I say, GOD Speed
and SLEEP Well, Michael and we will continue the work you've did and have done and
I will LOVE more now because of You, MICHAEL and
this wasd just too sudden and
I am so heartbroken and
so rest well, MICHAEL!

And they judged you and
By So doing first JUDGED themselves and
And they called YOU KING but then also Chanted
'CRUCIFY Him! CRUCIFY Him!! LYNCH Him!!! for being so LOVING!"
and WE LOVE You and yes: "WE ARE The WORLD"
and yes let's MAKE this WORLD
and better Place for PARIS and
and BLANKET and PRINCE Michael and
I LOVE YOU You, MICHAEL and I Do and I've been CRYING a LOT Today, this July day, as I Watch Your FAREWELL Ceremony and I'm breaking down watching your daughter re-affirm your inherent LOVE as a FATHER and
as a DADDY and
MICHAEL, May be now they will LEAVE you alone and
You are in a much Better place for this is a very SICK and a troubled WORLD
so full of FEAR and CYNICISM and Apathy and then some more Fear and
you are in a better place and
may GOD forgive those who
mocked and rediculed you
and MAY GOD's Justice rain on them
and I wanted YOU to be here and this was just
a little too soon and GOD will CONTINUE to Bless you and all your descendents
for centuries and centuries to come and
your work will be continued and
and it will be continued and that is a promise and
it is a true PROMISE and we will carry on your torch of care and Caring and
healing the World and GOD is good and God is GOOD and GLORY, Glory, Glory and
Hallelujah and sleep well, my brother and sleep well now, my friend and
REST well NOW, MJ
I Love You
I Love
You
[--Justice Kwesi Kwarteng, poet/teacher/performer]

FAREWELL, Michael
Michael, Fare-You-Well
My heart is Broken
I Cannot believe
This
I
Love
You ever
So Dearly So
[--kwesi kwarteng justice, mfa, bfa]

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