Hi Black Folks!

My name is David Sylvester and I recently completed a charitable bicycle trip in Africa, riding over 7000 miles from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa . The trip made me the first and only African American to cross two continents on a bicycle. I have plenty of great and fascinating stories. Many are funny, others bittersweet, some are poignant, but all are entertaining. Surprisingly one story has stood out and if it was not for the fact that I have a picture of it, many would never believe it. and it is for that reason that I am sharing it with you.

While in Lilongwe, Malawi, I came across a store by the name of “Niggers” -that’s right ” Niggers”! The other riders, who were all white, could not wait to inform me of this to see my reaction. Initially, I thought that it was a very bad joke but when the other riders were adamant about the existence of the store, I had to see it for myself.

What I found was a store selling what the owner called ‘hip hop’ style clothing . It was manned by two gentlemen - one of them asleep! (Talk about living up to or in this case down to a stereotype) I asked the guys what was up with the store name. After hearing my obvious non - Malawian accent and figuring out that I was from America, the man thumped his chest proudly and said “P-Diddy New York City! We are the niggers!”

My first reaction was to laugh, because many things when isolated can be very funny, but it quickly dawned on me that this was so not funny at all. It was pathetic. I did these bicycle trips across the USA and through the ‘Mother -Land’ in honor of one of my good friends, mentors and fellow African American, Kevin Bowser, who died on 9/11. Here I am, a black man riding across the world on his bicycle in honor of another black man, riding ‘home’ and what do I see?? Some Africans calling themselves Niggers! They were even so proud of it they put it on their store front to sell stuff. When I relay the story to folks back home in Philadelphia, most of them laugh too and rationalize it by saying ‘well, we can say it to each other’ or ‘there is a difference’ or even ‘they just spelled it wrong. It should have been ‘nigga’s’ or ‘niggah’s’ Gee like that would make a difference. (more…)

A group of Kenyan women who fled abusive husbands to set up their own women-only community are facing increasingly violent attacks by local men angry at their success.

Turning traditional African patriarchy on its head, 15 women established Umoja village in 1990, as a refuge after their husbands’ behaviour forced them to flee their homes. Since then the village where women rule has expanded, its 48 members earning a living selling tourists brightly-coloured bead necklaces unique to their tribe, the Samburu.

However this revolution in their midst has outraged elders in the nearest town, Archer’s Post, one dusty street lined with two dozen wooden shacks, in a scorched valley 200 miles north of Nairobi. Angry young men with no money in their pockets now stop minibuses taking tourists to the nearby Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves, warning drivers against stopping at Umoja.

(Image: Mkamasiye Lebwaketa and Paulina Lekuriya wear the tribal bead necklaces their ‘women-only’ village sells)

Gangs a dozen strong have mounted daytime raids through the thorn fence circling the village, chasing the women into the bush, beating them with clubs and threatening to torch their stick-and-dung homes.

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HOW TO BE A POET
BY MIKE BELIEVE

Mike Believe brings you a tongue-in-cheek guide to getting your “slam” on

BEFORE YOU START:

1. Change your name
Sorry to tell you this, but the name ya mama gave you ain’t gonna cut it. The names of gods of lesser known religions always work. Prefixes like king, queen, sista or mother will do.

Here are some ideas to get you started: Chewbakah, Allah-zilla, tofu-pork, olos nah, albino jones, kizer SEW SAY, bob Marley jr jr, omega supreme, optimus prime, black Africa, Unspoken word, the brown hornet, SO SO BLACK, NICK SAINT, almighty dreadlock head wrap king Solomon, Jesus Jackson.

2. Look the part
It’s not what you say, but how you look when you say it. Here are some fashion tips for the aspiring slam star:

- DO NOT comb your hair. EVER. Grow locks if you can - might be a good prop later on. Also, facial hair works for both male and females.
- Head wraps & wool hats… appropriate in any season. Looking hot and uncomfortable will subconsciously bend the audience in your favor.
- Wear red black and green wrist-bands. If you’re not black, red gold and green works just as well.
- Approach the mic with a well-chewed chew-stick in your mouth.
- Rock t- shirts of slain political leaders. When Che or Malcolm X are not available, Bob Marley makes a good stand in.

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