Stop the Violence!!!...How much are you like your neighbor?

"He did a whole lot of wrong stuff," said William Harris, a retired construction foreman who has lived on 81st Street for more than 40 years. "But this murder stuff really surprised me…If the accusations are true, Harris may be left wondering not just what that says about his neighbor but what it says about the moral compass of his neighborhood.” - Sandy Banks


Dear friends,

In our efforts to develop loving and prosperous communities, it is easy to point fingers at people who behave in unthinkable ways. Yet, what does that say about us as individuals, in any particular neighborhood, if we live and associate with the same people who we denounce, without taking pro-active, positive steps to help create an environment where we live that encourages social interactions between members of the community that are based upon respect, trust, kindness, and honesty?

Still, from random killings to domestic violence to sexual harassment of all kinds - to various forms of robbery, assault, and deception - to forced prostitution, violence against females - regardless of their ages, skin colors, or social statuses - is the world’s biggest problem. Period! It, literally, affects not only half of the population in the US, but, as well, an equal amount of humankind worldwide. Moreover, it is the most immediate threat to our survival as a species than even the suicidal “nuclear proliferation” of all developed countries combined, or the current so-called “world economic crisis”.

In any case, on the link below, a few years ago, Sandy Banks of the Los Angeles Times delivered, in her usual thought-provoking manner, a piece that, aqt least to me, entices us to confront our own inadequacies and insecurities about being good neighbors. Cheers!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-banks-20100710,0,5099090,full.column Read full post

Male Supremacy rules in Nigeria/Africa too!!!

"Why are males, of all ages, so insecure that they need to get their self-worth at the expense of females, of all ages?"

Dear friends,

On the link below is a 25 minutes-long video about human trafficking in the nation that has the world's largest Black population, Nigeria (Brazil is 2nd, the US is 3rd). The real problem, even more so than White Supremacy, is: Male Supremacy. It fosters both economic, physical, and emotional violence against females, literally, every second, of every minute, of every day.

Let's stop it! Why are males, of all ages, so insecure that they need to get their self-worth at the expense of females, of all ages?

G. Djata Bumpus
http://saharareporters.com/video/video-human-trafficking-prostitution-and-organized-crime-nigeria-nigerian-connection-film-part Read full post

Wisdom of a Female Scientist about Violence against Women

“Instead of women, including myself. focusing on our chances, or lack thereof, of getting married we need to actively combat the objectification of women... “Dr. Namandje Ne'fertiti Bumpus

Dear friends,

About three years ago, I read a piece by a dear friend, award-winning journalist Jenice Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News. In her article, Jen talked about the difficulties of, particularly, middle-aged professional African American women finding a suitable mate once they have passed 40 years of age .

One of my daughters, Namandje, a medical scientist and college professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has just reached thirty-two years-old, but she has spoken with me about the here-to-mentioned stats before.

Therefore, when I read Jen's piece, I forwarded it to her for comments. Her response showed that she had more concern for the recently (2010) murdered grad student from Yale, Annie Le, and how that incident relates to male/female relationships generally. Namandje's response appears below.

Stop the Violence!!!

G. Djata Bumpus ***********************************************

Hey Dad,

The Yale graduate student murder is the issue that is most on my mind. A young woman and young pharmacologist was strangled in a lab she was working in doing her thesis research perhaps by a man that worked with her and was interested in her. She had done research at the NIH (National Institute of Health) and was now a student at Yale.

Yale has a very well-respected pharmacology graduate program so we are talking about a serious graduate student that was serious about developing her science. She wanted to become a professor in academia, when statistics show that many women for whatever reason (family commitments, etc.) choose not to go that route. This hits close to home for me.

The lab for people that are dedicated to our craft is not the same as the average person's workplace. We live in the lab mentally and even physically in a way. We dream about experiments and wake up to write down what we were thinking and run into lab to test it the next day. Many of us spend more time there than we do at home. The fact that a woman could be victimized and murdered in that setting is very troubling. Women cannot walk down the street at night, or sleep in their home alone or even work in a lab in broad daylight alone apparently without having to think about the fact that they might be attacked by a violent predator.

Instead of women, including myself. focusing on our chances, or lack thereof, of getting married we need to actively combat the objectification of women. Once this happens the definitions of men and women and our places in society can evolve to a place that does not depend on women being lesser which currently in many ways they do. Perhaps then we will all approach looking for and entering into a life partnership in a more productive and intellectual manner.

Namandje Read full post

African American Teenage Girls Need Our Support Too

"Parents themselves must have a meaningful way to look at life, other than collecting trinkets and baubles, because your children are watching you!"

Dear friends,


Last year (2012), six beautiful African American teenage girls (I wonder if anyone ever has called them beautiful, because of their darker complexions) attacked a middle-aged, mentally-challenged woman (who I'm presuming is African American), in Chester, PA recently.

For all of the emphasis on "Black males", who do people think bear the latter, through pregnancy?. Yep!. Females.

Therefore, at least to me, it is time for African American people to STOP placing so much emphasis on our male youths only.. After all, to continue concentrating on their male counterparts only, furthers male promotion of, as well as, female submission to, Male Supremacy, no matter how well-intentioned the efforts in favor of emphasizing on males is.

Moreover, it is the responsibility of ALL parents, African American or otherwise, to give their children direction and guidance that is based upon informing identity through the connection between generations, along with their true historical and cultural experiences, so that the "market" doesn't suck our youth into all of the nonsense that has culture being defined outside of generational processes (genuine culture), with nonsense about "gang" culture, "gay" culture, "youth" culture, and all other such idiocy!.

Parents themselves must have a meaningful way to look at life, other than collecting trinkets and baubles, because your children are watching you!

One Love!

G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20120930_Six_teens_charged_in_brutal_Chester_beating.html
Read full post

So Long - Mama Africa (originally posted 11/14/08)

Mariam Makeba aka "Mama Africa" (1932 - 2008)






Dear friends,

Almost forty years ago, I had both the pleasure and honor of meeting Mariam Makeba. At the time, she was married to Stokely Carmichael (later known as Kwame Ture). Stokely was the chief icon of the Black Consciousness Movement. Mariam was a celebrated singer and activist in her own right. The two had married not quite two years earlier.

They had been living in Africa, while Stokely studied under Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the former president of Ghana and the main proponent of the concept of Pan Africanism at the time. On this, his first trip back to the States, word got out to activists in Boston's Black community that Stokely was coming through Logan Airport. In a hurry, a group of us, which included some Black college students from Northeastern University, were able to get a hall for him to speak and an honorarium. We then set out to get an audience. It wasn't difficult, considering Stokely's stature. The place was packed, by the scheduled time for Stokely to speak. This all happened in a matter of five or six hours, as I remember.

The last time that I ever saw Mariam Makeba was when we bid the couple farewell in the parking lot behind the building in which Stokely spoke. The two were arm-in-arm, smiling, beneath an umbrella, as the weather had become drizzly. I will always remember that hectic but incredibly positive experience.

On the link below, is a piece that I saw on the Website of WDAS radio in Philadelphia that gives a short biography of Mariam's life. Her spirit will live on in many.

One Love,
G. Djata Bumpus
http://www.wdasfm.com/cc-common/news/sections/newsarticle.html?feed=104659?feed=104653&article=4561480 Read full post

Wisdom of a Female Scientist about Violence against Women

Instead of women, including myself. focusing on our chances, or lack thereof, of getting married we need to actively combat the objectification of women... Dr. Namandje Ne'fertiti Bumpus
(Originally posted 3/20/11) 

 Dear friends, 

Last year, I read a piece by a dear friend, award-winning journalist Jenice Armstrong of the Philadelphia Daily News. In her article, Jen talked about the difficulties of, particularly, middle-aged professional African American women finding a suitable mate once they have passed 40 years of age . One of my daughters, Namandje, a medical scientist and college professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, has just reached thirty years-old, but she has spoken with me about the here-to-mentioned stats before. Therefore, when I read Jen's piece, I forwarded it to her for comments. Her response showed that she had more concern for the recently (2010) murdered grad student from Yale, Annie Le, and how that incident relates to male/female relationships generally. Namandje's response appears below. 

 Stop the Violence!!! 

 G. Djata Bumpus 

********************************************* 

 Hey Dad, The Yale graduate student murder is the issue that is most on my mind. A young woman and young pharmacologist was strangled in a lab she was working in doing her thesis research perhaps by a man that worked with her and was interested in her. She had done research at the NIH (National Institute of Health) and was now a student at Yale. 

 Yale has a very well-respected pharmacology graduate program so we are talking about a serious graduate student that was serious about developing her science. She wanted to become a professor in academia, when statistics show that many women for whatever reason (family commitments, etc.) choose not to go that route. This hits close to home for me. 

 The lab for people that are dedicated to our craft is not the same as the average person's workplace. We live in the lab mentally and even physically in a way. We dream about experiments and wake up to write down what we were thinking and run into lab to test it the next day. Many of us spend more time there than we do at home. 

 The fact that a woman could be victimized and murdered in that setting is very troubling. Women cannot walk down the street at night, or sleep in their home alone or even work in a lab in broad daylight alone apparently without having to think about the fact that they might be attacked by a violent predator. Instead of women, including myself. focusing on our chances, or lack thereof, of getting married we need to actively combat the objectification of women. Once this happens the definitions of men and women and our places in society can evolve to a place that does not depend on women being lesser which currently in many ways they do. Perhaps then we will all approach looking for and entering into a life partnership in a more productive and intellectual manner. 

 Namandje Read full post