Still NO Answers in the Marco McMillian Case - Latest on MUSED

Image courtesy of NY Daily News.

It's been five months since Marco McMillian's death and so many questions remain unanswered.  McMillian, 34, was a black, gay rising politician in Clarksdale, MS whose body was found beaten, burned, and unclothed on a Mississippi River levee on February 27.  Race, political corruption, and a hate crime motivated by sexual orientation have all fed into the speculation surrounding McMillian's death.  Lawrence Reed, 22, confessed to the murder and is currently in police custody at the Coahoma County jail.  McMillian's family, their community, and the NBJC (to name a few) have all called for a federal investigation into McMillian's death.  For more information, read the article on MUSED.

MUSED Magazine Online is a pioneering "digital destination for lifestyle, entertainment & culture for modern black gay men.  MUSED serves as a collective of experiences and issues we care about" (see About MUSED).  Its mission is to raise the level of consciousness for our community and provide reliable, relevant, interactive, and engaging content for its readers.  MUSED is the only weekly online magazine for black gay men.

Major thanks and props to Drew-Shane Daniels and the MUSED family for featuring the article! 

Follow MUSED on:  Facebook | Twitter

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Peace, Love, and Many Blessings!

~ BuddahDesmond

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A FAB Friday Night Experience - Jody Watley Live at DC's Howard Theatre

All images shot by Vickey Ford, courtesy of CentricTV's Soulsessions Blog.

It's no secret that I've been a long-time Jody Watley fan.  But sadly I had yet to attend one of her concerts.  So when I found out that she was coming to The Howard Theatre in DC on July 19, 2013, I knew I had to move quickly to get tickets.  I'm so pleased that I did.  It was an experience, a Friday Night Experience, that I will never forget.  The show was also special in that it was Watley's first in DC in 25 years and it was the last show as part of her summer tour. 

While I'd never seen Jody Watley live before, I expected a high-energy show.  And that it was—a 90-minute extravaganza with superb vocals, top-notch musicianship, ever-stylish garb, and tight, bodacious choregraphy.  The show was a FAB chronicle of Watley's career—where's she been and where she's going.  Watley opened the show with the funky disco soul jam "Nightlife" and "The Dawn (Don)," new songs from her forthcoming 10th studio album Chameleon.  The response from the audience was overwhelming.  Watley turned the Howard Theatre out with just the first two songs, and she was just getting started.

Watley kept the momentum going by taking us back to her days as a member of the legendary group Shalamar, with a spirited medley of hits featuring "Second Time Around," "A Night To Remember," and "Take That To The Bank."  Watley effortlessly commanded the stage and continued to shut it down with spot-on performances of her enduring hits like "Friends," "Some Kind of Lover," "I Want You," "Your Love Keeps Working On Me," "Don't You Want Me," Still A Thrill," and "Looking For A New Love." 

One of the most affecting moments of the show was the ballad section.  Though the tempo slowed down slightly, the energy and emotion remained quite strong.  Watley kicked off this section of the show with a beautiful, stirring performance of "Everything."  Soulful, jazzy, stripped down, reflective reinterpretations of "When A Man Loves A Woman" and "Most Of All" followed.  Watley's ability to reinvent and find new meaning in her music showcased the artistry, growth, and maturity that has sustained her nearly 40 year career.

After almost 40 years in this business…6 of them in Shalamar – I remain with all my success a virtual underdog. I appreciate those who really get it. My name may not grace the headlines or be a gossip and celebrity blog staple, however I continue to do ‘the work’ as a viable quality artist; while enjoying my journey with all of it’s twists, turns, highs, lows – hits, misses and triumphs. That’s life baby. ~ Jody Watley, 2013

From Disco, Pop, Funk, Hip-Hop, to R&B/Soul, what would a Jody Watley show be without Dance, House, and Electronic music?  After all, Watley's been one of the EDM genre's innovators for many years.  Her performances of "I'm The One You Need" and "Saturday Night Experience" were more than evident of this.  Never a substitute, always authentic.  Only the real thing.  Watley closed out the show with one of her biggest hits "Real Love," leaving us all wanting more. 

Watley's artistry, style, consistency, and forward-thinking continues to blaze trails.  Without a doubt, she's still got it.  And we wait anxiously to see just what she'll do next.  Whatever it is, we know it will it be FAB! 

Listen to a preview of Jody Watley's new single "Nightlife" from her forthcoming album Chameleon below.


 

Baltimore Urban Book Festival, New Website, and OutWrite 2013

Spoken Word Hour at the Baltimore Urban Book Festival 7/14/2013. From L to R: Monda Raquel Webb, BuddahDesmond, Anthony T. Pressley, Caroline Jhingory, and Michelle Lynn Stephens.

 

Hello everyone!  Hope the summer is treating you well.  My apologies for pulling a disappearing act these last few weeks.  Between work and my personal life, I've been ripping and running like crazy.  Moments to breathe have been fleeting as of late.  But one thing's for sure, I have no intentions of being burn out's BFF again.  So time to relax, relate, release, and regroup is a must!  In the meantime, let me give a few updates.

Baltimore Urban Book Festival

I had a wonderful time at the Baltimore Urban Book Festival (BUBF) a few weeks ago.  Truly was a great way to meet other authors, prospective readers, and network.  I also had the pleasure of reading with some dynamic poets during the Spoken Word Hour.  Some of the poets on the bill included Monda Raquel Webb (Life is like a Soul Train Line), Caroline Jhingory (Half My Size How I Ate To Lose 150lbs), Michelle Lynn Stephens (The Divorcée Chronicles: Diary of a Divorcée Diva), and the head of the Baltimore Poets Society, Anthony T. Pressley (Chronicles of a Momma's Boy: A Collection of Poetry and Short Stories), who served as the host of the event.  Hopefully we'll be able to connect again some time in the future.  I'll be posting a video of my reading of "The Ironic State of Black Men in Society" very soon.  Major shout out to author, songwriter, and poet, Tyeisha Downer (Diamondz in a Rough: The Transition).  I couldn't have asked for a better author to be my neighbor at the BUBF!

Status of BuddahDesmond's Website

My current website has moved to a new a domain while my new website is being developed.  Please go to www.buddahdesmond.net instead of www.buddahdesmond.com.  Once deployed, my new website will be accessible on the old domain (buddahdesmond.com).  

OutWrite 2013

 

Also, if you're in the DC Metro Area the first weekend of August, please check out the OutWrite 2013 LGBT Book Festival.  There will be a plethora of book readings, book vendors, book discussions, poetry readings and more (see the Event Schedule).  I'll be an exhibitor selling copies of Prevail on August 3, 2013 from 10AM-6:30PM in the Exhibitor Hall of the Reeves Center, located at 2000 14th NW, Washington, DC 20009.  Hope to see you there! 

Until next time... Peace, Love, and Many Blessings!

~ BuddahDesmond

The Ironic State of Black Men in Society (from 'Prevail')

During the Spoken Word Hour at the Baltimore Urban Book Festival this past Sunday, 7/14/13, I recited "The Ironic State of Black Men in Society" from the "Life" section of Prevail.  I thought it quite fitting considering recent events.  Video of the performance is forthcoming.

The Ironic State of Black Men in Society

Such complex, beautiful creatures:
Envied,
Despised,
Copied,
Immortalized,
Celebrated,
Yet condemned to damnation.

Often seen as failures, hoodlums, and vagabonds.
Rarely honored or acknowledged for the greater good they're doing for their
     families, their communities, and themselves. 
With that depiction in the media how could their outlook not be gloomy?
But that's only if you aren't hip to the real T of their plight.

For some strange reason, in the larger society, it is hard for them to be accepted
     as intelligent, honorable, responsible beings in areas outside of entertainment.
And when this perspective of them is challenged, it's met with all kinds of
     resentment, distrust, doubt, and downright hatred
Anytime reality trumps perception the masses can't seem to handle it.

And when they happen to be seen in a positive light, and something happens to
     them, or they are accused of an action that casts a negative light on the initial
     impression,
They are immediately baited for the wolves.
Regardless of proven guilt or innocence, they’ve already been placed into the
     proverbial jail,
Never to be redeemed or forgiven.
They are made to pay for their misgivings and backfires—whether intended
     or not, whether guilty or not—for several lifetimes over.
Even after death, vindication is not promised, if ever granted,
’Cause the fickleness of society will not enable a shift in feeling, right, judgment,
     or frame of mind.

The road to justice and finding a relevant, truthful place for black men in this
     world does not seem possible in any of our lifetimes.
While the imagery and experiences are not, and will not, always be positive,
The belief that black men are no good is ever prevalent.
What has happened, unfortunately, to their plight has many causes and fingers
     that can be pointed at many places.
But the realness, the truth, and the change begin within.
Just because you've been denigrated to a certain caste in the world
Does not mean that you have to accept it or embrace it as your own.
Defy what stood before you;
Challenge what you've walked into.
Create something better to live on, and impact those coming after you.
That's where your power lies.
There's no guarantee that it'll change minds,
But people will take note.

As long as you define who you are,
and continue to build yourself and your people up,
redemption is guaranteed.
There's no need to seek the approval or consent of the outsiders.

© 2012 BuddahDesmond

"The Ironic State of Black Men in Society" is featured in the "Life" section of Prevail: Poems on Life, Love, and Politics. Prevail is available at iUniverse, Amazon (Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle), Barnes & Noble, Book-A-Million (Paperback | Hardcover), and other retailers.

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'Prevail' Featured in EDC Creations' '2013 Summer Sizzler Book Tour Magazine'

Prevail is one of several great reads featured in the 2013 issue of EDC Creations' Summer Sizzler Book Tour Magazine.  The magazine can be viewed on the FlipSnack site:  http://bit.ly/1b8scb2.  Check it out!

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Buddahdesmond.com Is Getting a Makeover

With great excitement, I am happy to announce that Buddahdesmond.com is getting a much-needed makeover!  I'm currently in the initial stages of redesign.  When it's all said and done, I hope to have a website that serves as a better online representation of who I am creatively, personally, and professionally.  My current site is now located at: www.buddahdesmond.net.  My new site should be implemented before the end of the summer.  I'll be sure to keep you posted as things progress!

Until next time... Peace, Love, and Many Blessings, BuddahDesmond

Weekly Musings on Life, Love, and Politics - Week 13

Image courtesy of the IISC Blog.

Greetings!  Hope everyone is well.  Here's the latest batch of weekly musings on life, love, and politics:

1. What's on the surface can fool you... For it may be in stark contrast with what lies beneath.


2. There's a rare breed of folk who are unresponsive to "normal" methods of communication.  You have to get down to their level to truly reach them.  Sometimes this involves getting out of character, i.e. being overly aggressive, shouting, cussing, and carrying on...  In all honesty, isn't it a shame if you have do all of this to reach common ground with others?


3. Give people and things a chance.  Don't be so quick to give up on them before they've had the opportunity to prove you wrong.  Let the judgment go.  Give in a little, you just might be surprised.


4. If you can't find the hero within, the chances are minimal that you'll find the hero anywhere else.


5. The heart is resilient.  It can overcome anything.  But not when we put roadblocks in its path to healing.  Release the pain and let your heart lead the way.


6. A country can't call itself "land of the free" when all of it's people aren't free.  A country's failed itself and its people when conditions are put on human rights or when they are not granted or available to all.  Granting these rights to some but not all further perpetuates inequality, injustice, and inferiority, and blocks any chances of real progress.  

Until next time... Peace, Love, and Many Blessings, BuddahDesmond