I believe sometimes things do happen for a reason
-- A person dying the same day and “owning” an organ another person direly needs
-- seeing a friend right before they die

Tonight while I worked on my personal essay for grad school I needed to check the spelling of Douglass and decided to go to the website of the center I used to volunteer at, the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center. There the front page read:

The family and friends of the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center mourn the passing of our beloved president and artistic director, Fred Hudson, who died last Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was a wonderful writer, leader, teacher, mentor, and visionary, the clear-sighted center of our Center, its driving force, its heart and soul, for more than 30 years.

Funeral Services for Fred Hudson will be on Thursday, February 20, 2003 at 7 P.M. at:

Saint Phillips Episcopal Church
204 West 134th Street
New York, NY 10030
(between 7th & 8th Avenues, Powell and Douglass Blvds.)
212-862-4940

I was completely thrown off after reading it and psst off at myself for not knowing he had passed away. Strangely enough, I had decided to stop and see him about two weeks prior to his passing. At the time, it seemed like a random event-- I just wanted to see how things were and thank him for the recommendation letter he had provided that had garnered me the job with the kids. I had not been up there since like September 2002.

When I saw him he was busy as usual, and since it was almost 7pm, he was preparing for his screenwriting workshop. So all I got to tell him was thank u, and ask him how the new instructors and volunteers were for the Afterschool program. After which, he said he was sorry but couldn't talk. He said to call him and come in another day. I sighed and knew it would be hard to catch him on a quiet day.

Confused? Let's Rewind

Fred Hudson was a playwright who guided a lot of writers and actors and helped founded the Frederick Douglass Creative Arts Center -- where I first met him doing my very first writing workshop. And later on he allowed me to volunteer with the afterschool program. Though I used to grumble when I would ask him grad school advice, I know he was right about my needing to go through with it (more schooling) if I really wanted to accomplish some of the things I had in mind for my life. Too bad I didn't get a chance to tell him I was finally applying.

Article on his passing

another blizzard this winter!
i spent some time today diging my car out of the pile of snow the truckspushed onto it.

Some pics (NOT MINE!)

Where were my People (Blacks and Latinos) Today?

The only time I saw any black folks around the protestors were in singles or doubles. It wasn't until I stumbled onto the end of a gospel competition in Grand Central Terminal did I see a large abundance of "my people".

Anyway, "let me start from the from the beginning at the top of the list." (c) Prodigy
After a lovely Friday/Valentine's Day night of catching the live action adaptation of the Daredevil comic, I realized that:
1. Jennifer Garner is a talented actress, especially in action. And she is no “Jinx”
2. Colin Farrell is the man
3. That poor lighting in night time scenes is really an eyesore
4. Ben Affleck is one hell of a stiff actor, but a lot can be blamed on the writing (screw a film review for now)
4a. I will not stand for anymore badly edited hand-to-hand fight scenes that i know are choreographed by good Hong Kong cats
5. That Blade 2 and possibly X-Men 2 will be the only Marvel comics-based films I really dig thus far
6. And this CRITIC AGREES WITH ME
-----
I woke up this morning contemplating whether to go or not. A friend said I should meet her at 11:45 in Union Sqaure, but by the time I was up and at em it was almost noon. So i left her a message , asking her to call and let me know how the atmosphere is. The call never came so off i went in my car on a 40 minute trip (normally it takes less than 30 minutes) into the city.

51st and 1st avenue was the main stage for all the speakers, but I knew my past-2 o'clock-entrance meant parking on Park avenue and 28th st.; catching the train to 42nd street; bumping into other protestors who could not get onto 2nd or 1st avenue around a 20 block radius; and forgetting my precious gloves in the freezing weather. I thank God for WBAI, which was broadcasting the speakers, live.

All was not lost though, as I stood with no direction on 3rd avenue in the upper 40s. Murmurings of a plan to bum rush Times Square were in the air. So after bumping into one of my coworkers from my school gig, we followed the crowd marching towards Times Square.

Did I mention it was freezing and i forgot my gloves?

Hence my picture-taking became an exercise in ignoring the numbing of my hands and capturing such things as:

1. Students getting arrested, and with their hands tied up giving me the "V" sign and smiling
LOL

2. An English/Australian dude walking on hydraulic stilts with a cardboard sign that read "Bush The Terrible"
3. Cops in Riot gear
4. The swarm of people marching west on 42nd after forcing authorities to shut down Times Square

I have to say I am less cynical and apathetic after that day. Plus I was told that the minorities were mainly close to the 1st and 2nd avenues.

Will it change the “powers that be” and their warmongering plans? I am not sure it will, because their plans are based on money and power and not anything just.

Anyhow i left a note with the bank teller crush and i have not heard from her. That was about two weeks ago. I am not sure i even want to go back to that branch of Chase and face eitheir her silence or some other type avoidance.

Last weekend...

Saturday
Saw DC transplants Bonamie and LittleTortilla and ate this lovely Caribbean restaurant in the BK called Mo-Bay. Of course it was another hole-in-the-wall with the best collard greens i have ever had.

Sunday
I went to the darkroom and printed color prints for the first time. I have to thank the darkroom employee who helped me out with the whole filtering business which is very important to color prints. i managed to get five prints done in five hours (with copies of course). Damn magenta, Cyan and Yellow to hell.

u know what sucks now in ny?
u have to dial 1 plus the area code even if u r caling someone in the same area code