View of Lincoln Memorial towards Washington Monument 8/28/63
The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom or "The Great March on Washington", as styled in a sound recording released after the event, was one of the largest political rallies for human rights in United States history and called for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It took place in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday, August 28, 1963. Martin Luther King, Jr., standing in front of the Lincoln Memorial, delivered his historic "I Have a Dream" speech advocating that racial harmony should prevail upon the march.
The march was organized by a group of civil rights, labor, and religious organizations, under the theme "jobs and freedom." Estimates of the number of participants varied from 200,000 to 300,000. Observers estimated that 75–80% of the marchers were black.
Antoinette Tuff is the face of a Hero....the face of Love! A teachable moment of compassion for the world was displayed at an elementary school in Atlanta on this past Tuesday afternoon. Just imagine if everyone adopted the compassion, love and genuine humility of this caring soul. I watched an incident unfold on Tuesday when a television broadcast was interrupted to carry the 'live' feed of the moment-by-moment updates of an Atlanta elementary school, with over 800 students and staff, in danger due to a 20-year old gunman inside. He entered the building and made threats and demands with Staff member and bookkeeper, Antoinette Tuff, who would soon be deemed a Hero when the incident comes to a close. She was in the right place, at the right time, for what was ahead. Every life experience she had gone through, had prepared her for this moment, when she's able to talk down this gunman. I've sent her a couple of messages since the ordeal, reminding her of just how special she is, how proud we are of her and how much she is loved and appreciated.
Antoinette remained calm and supportive. The young man was suffering from a mental disorder and was threatening to kill himself and police officers, and he ordered to have a local news station on-site to witness him carrying out his threat. Anyone else in Antoinette's position would have most likely crumbled under this amount of pressure, yet she became "Mother Wit" lending care with her beautiful, down to earth personality and it brought calm to what could've turned out to be a deadly ordeal. Imagine sitting in a room with a determined gunman, unstable and packing over 500 rounds of ammunition, and an AK-47 assault rifle.
Instead of panicking, Antoinette encouraged this young man, told him she loved him and that everything was going to be alright. I am encouraged by her beautiful display and strong Faith in God and I pray that everyone who is familiar with the story takes away a lesson from how she was able to negotiate with love, compassion and empathy for this troubled soul. She became the lifeboat to someone who had simply lost their way....lost hope and she is the face of Love. If you're not familiar with this story, you can read more here: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/22/us/georgia-school-shooting-hero/index.html?sr=sharebar_twitter
Support her efforts to provide travel for underprivileged children. She would like to offer them an opportunity to see the world. She believes that if you can change their vision, you can change their lives. Make donations here: http://www.gofundme.com/41fqvw
Life can change in an instant. Give energy to the present moment. Don't distract yourself with the past, nor the hype of 'what is to come' but focus on the present moment of NOW......NOW is what is real and this is where your energy should be directed. Your frequency should be vibrating on what you can give Now....what you can enjoy Now.....what you can receive NOW...........Live in this moment, enjoying the people that you love and don't forget to make them feel loved....today....Now!
With a heavy heart and saddened, but finally grasping the reality and wrapping my brain around the news of the passing of the beautiful life ofGeorge Duke, an Iconic Legend and musical genius, I choose to "Celebrate" the generous offering of his life, which was indeed well lived. I was blind-sided and in mourning already, having received news of the sudden passing a few days ago of a family loved one and then, this morning, my phone was ringing, text messages coming in, etc., so I knew something wasn't quite right and that's when I learned that George was gone. (this was around 7AM this morning.) I had to now steady myself and rest assured that this multiplied grief would soon pass.
George Duke, who began his career as a jazz pianist in the 1960s, but made his name by crossing musical boundaries, died on Monday in Santa Monica. He was 67. I am thankful that George knew how much I loved his music....and I'm grateful that we will forever enjoy the beautiful music composed, performed, produced, arranged and delivered by such a beautiful, sincere, generous spirit. If you haven't taken the time to really "pay attention" to what George gifted us with, please don't just turn the music on and bob your head......Take the time to really listen...I mean "Listen" ..... he was indeed a Genius. One of my favorite pieces of all time, a simple, beautiful tune "Simple Things" can be listened to every single day.....he always has a message, and the lyrics in that tune are profound. Pick up his latest released cd 'DreamWeaver' if you haven't already and actually 'listen' to each track.....Truly listen to what George is giving through his keys and lyrics.....seriously, listen.
The love that he shares for his beloved wife Corine, who passed away last year, is laced throughout this latest, dedicated project to her, and I lose count of the number of times that I've listened to it since it was released, just 3 short weeks ago. Pay attention to the tracks: You Never Know.....and Change the World.......he always has a message (if you are paying attention) - May God's peace and comfort surround his loved ones and may we rejoice, knowing that George enjoyed this latest project...he was very proud of it....he appeared to have lots of fun creating it and it's evident that his heart was wide open throughout each and every track. If you haven't watched the interviews prior to the last release, take time to listen to it and smile along with him while he beams with joy in anticipation of the release.
The music of George Duke will live forever. "Happy Trails" - Life well lived....job well done....Thank You Maestro!
Enjoy the following interview given by George just prior to his recently released project, "DreamWeaver" :
- To read more about George Duke, go herefor a New York Times article.
