I grew up in a suburb of Cleveland Ohio, called Cleveland Heights. My family moved there during the Summer, right after I turned six years old. Though not a perfect place, the Cleveland Heights/University Heights School system was (in my opinion) decades ahead of it’s time. Though I struggled with my identity as a black boy growing up in the 70s, I count it a blessing that my mom saw fit to move us to a place where children of African, Asian, and European decent who were Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Buddhist lived in the same neighborhoods, played in band together, and played together on sports teams and theatre groups. We ate at the same tables. We fought and we argued, we sometimes called each other names and made disparaging remarks about the ethnicities of others. We all brought everything we’d learned up until then, along with us to school and out on the block when we played. We weren’t perfect, no. But, there were a whole lot of “somebodies” who saw enough of the big picture to let us be together and strive together, for “The Dream”. This country struggles still, with issues that were created long before any of us existed. But, we keep making progress little-by-little. Today, I’m thankful that my home country is at least beginning to catch up with my little home town of Cleveland Heights. Let’s all keep growing up together! Let’s make “The Dream” a full reality for our children in the coming generations. Happy Birthday to Martin Luther King. Thank you for lighting the way for us!
Martin Luther King
Sullen Clothing Photo Session
My first trip to Manila!
This will be my first visit to Southeast Asia in a very long time! I’ll be playing with the dynamic seven time Grammy Award-winning duo, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr! This will be a really fun how, so I highly recommend you check it out if you’re in that the Philippines at that time. If you’ve got friends and/or family there , please let them know. It’s a fun, and high quality musical performance! They’ll be glad they came. To my best knowledge, this is our only show in the Philippines. There was talk of another show but that show was not confirmed.
Spreadin’ peace in San Diego TONIGHT!
Oddly enough there exist some very effective weapons for spreading Peace. Music is one such “weapon”. My friend Kenwood Dennard would say that music is a type of “non-violent fist”.
So, I’m about about to do my part tonight and tomorrow and spread some peace down here in San Diego w/ my brother Lennox. Check the calendar for details. Come be peace with us.