February 2004 Archives

It came and now it is gone. YAY! I was telling a friend of mine about how, although I'm not a Christian, I spent a lot of this past year contemplating the death of Christ. Not in a brooding, depressive way (if you can believe that) but just thinking "This man revered by so many was only on the Earth for this amount of time." Time is the wonder.

I wanted to go home this weekend to celebrate with family, but instead I did the more responsible thing. I have too much work that's past due, so I'm burning the midnight oil. I did get away for a couple of hours to have some lunch and hang out at the Harlem Meer. Now as the seconds slip away from another February 22nd, I've carved out of this grand expanse of time a moment that's just my own. No profound feelings or anything, but I feel like I'm going to be okay.

Tonight I headed up into the Bronx with Philippe to attend a vigil to mark the fifth anniversary of Amadou Diallo's murder by the New York City Police Department. Just as the New York Times reports a dip in lethal force. How conveeeenient, but I wonder who they're asking ...

My heart goes out to his parents for the loss of their son, but I was really disheartened by the lack of scope and shortsightedness expressed by all the politicos on stage. I really got the feeling that they were only there for Amadou the News Item, not Amadou, Representative of a possibility that existed before him. I mean, I don't have any proof, but something tells me that the NYPD didn't just begin 'accidentally' shooting unarmed Black males five years ago. Amadou's parents also seemed to be pandering a bit to the Mayor and Commissioner. I know first and foremost you have to seek your own personal peace, but police brutality that ends up in 'accidental' (or is that unjustified?) murder doesn't begin and end with Amadou Diallo. On the other hand, the men with the most to lose, young Black and Latino men, were not present at this event. Neither was Russell Simmons, Jay-Z or Sean Combs.

I went to that vigil because we as Black men in New York are ALL in the crosshairs - and that doesn't look like it will change anytime soon. I won't forget Amadou and I will also wonder about those others that I don't know.

dagarrat (8:07:27 PM): Hey love ...
stevengfullwood (8:07:36 PM): hey man
dagarrat (8:07:43 PM): You know Steven, I do love me some you.
stevengfullwood (8:09:09 PM): uh-oh
stevengfullwood (8:09:14 PM): hee-hee
dagarrat (8:09:45 PM): I read your blog today and really was glad I attended the salon (no uppercase) on Saturday. I'm glad I was there.
dagarrat (8:09:55 PM): I'm glad you made it happen.
stevengfullwood (8:10:14 PM): Thanks man
stevengfullwood (8:10:18 PM): that means a lot to me.
stevengfullwood (8:10:23 PM): I work to be useful.
dagarrat (8:11:53 PM): Yes, but it also made me look at our friendship and how it's developed over the years. I know I can be a bit presumptuous when I meet people that I think I want to be friends with, but that happens in its own time.
stevengfullwood (8:12:32 PM): Yeah thank you. I feel a kinship with you.
stevengfullwood (8:12:42 PM): I think that we have great work ahead of us.
stevengfullwood (8:12:50 PM): That sounds corny but I mean it
dagarrat (8:13:12 PM): You know, I do have an innate sense that the universe will take care of me and will bring me what I need right when I need it. It's just hard to trust that timeline ...
stevengfullwood (8:13:32 PM): truly.