This year marks the 8th anniversary of the birth of the Denver Pan African Film Festival (now the Black is....Culturefeast), one of the largest cultural celebrations in the State of Colorado. In honor of the festival, I am dedicating this week's blog at Denver Urban Spectrum.com to my sister, Iya Ashara Omilade Ekundayo, who has held this baby in her very womb and transmorphed it into what I herald as one of the best film, literary, wellness and cultural celebrations of indigenous urban art here in America and across the world.

I am often in awe of the work that she does. Most individuals with her commitment and tenacity make a six figure salary and work from some posh office high up on the hill. Not Ashara. She has always been partial to Five Points. And though she is a sister that has an unwavering weakness for fine shoes, she can sit on a straw mat shoeless and look like a queen.

The Culturefeast (formerly Denver Pan African Film Festival) has attracted thousands of visitors over the years along with A-list celebrities from Don Cheadle to Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou to Melvin Van Peebles. I'm waiting patiently to see the event's founder saunter up to the podium at the Essence Awards or the NAACP Image Awards and get her just due. I know her day is coming!

This year the newly named Black is...Culturefeast will highlight some of the brightest works by Urban artists. There is a consciousness of environmentalism and wellness--this is so needed in our communities. Denver's authors, poets, as well as nationally recognized documentarians, will all be in the house for the grassroots parties, lively soirees, powerful dialogues and more that she has selectively placed on the event's cultural menu.

My message to Iya Ashara and others who do work like this, know that you do what you do for our community. And consequently, the community should never forget the sacrifice that those at the helm of this and other organizations make so that we can FEAST ON CULTURE!

For more about Ifalade Ta'Shia Asanti's work visit her web site at www.tashiaasanti.com

AFRICA AGENDA HOSTS FORUM AND COMMUNITY DIALOGUE ON ZIMBABWE: BEYOND THE CRISIS, CITIZEN MOVEMENTS, THE MEDIA, DEMOCRACY AND THE FORCES OF CHANGE IN ZIMBABWE”

Saturday, April 26, 2008, 2pm-4:30 pm in the Community Room of the Aurora Central Library
(14949 E. Alameda Pkwy, Aurora, CO 80012)

For the last decade or so, Zimbabwe, formerly Southern Rhodesia, has been labeled by the media as a failed state in the likes of Somalia. Among the reasons, the Zimbabwe economy, characterized with wide spread food shortages, is in shambles with inflation levels measuring about 24,470 %, according to recently released figures by the country’s reserve bank. Current unemployment levels reportedly stand at about 80% with citizens fleeing into neighboring South Africa and elsewhere for better opportunities. Furthermore, Zimbabweans say their country remains under the tight grip of one man, President Robert Mugabe, and his ZANU-PF party.

At independence in 1980, Mugabe was considered a freedom fighter that helped liberate Zimbabwe from British colonial rule. Today, he is called a dictator whose 28 year rule has ruined a once prosperous nation. The country is facing huge challenges stemming from HIV-AIDS, isolation and sanctions from the Commonwealth, the US and other nations concerned with human rights abuses, a controversial 2000 government land reform program. Even more, the results of the March 29 presidential elections are being challenged by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) whose leader is calling for the president’s resignation. Today, there is an impasse in Zimbabwe which has raised questions about peace and stability in the country.

There is another question we are asking. Is the stream of negative news about this nation of over 13 million people all we know about it? Or, is there something else that Zimbabweans should to be doing to help improve the image of their nation in the eyes of the world?

This forum will gather Colorado communities together to discuss ways that African-Americans, Africans and their allies living in America can support peaceful resolution in Zimbabwe. Participants will learn about what Zimbabwe leaders in Colorado are doing to support the end of the impasse and how Africa Agenda supports this vision.

Panelists Include:
George Bamu, Founder & CEO, Africa Agenda
Eliakim Sibanda (PhD), University of Winnipeg in Canada
Derrick Hudson (PhD), Metropolitan State College of Denver
Lucas Shamala (PhD), Metropolitan State College of Denver
Pius Kamau (MD) Columnist with the Denver Post

Contact: George Bamu
Phone: 303-341-1301 office@africaagenda.org
Website: www.africaagenda.org

Over the course of nearly 50 years, I have been retracing my steps back to Spirit. Connecting with the Spirits of my ancestors, tuning into the Spirit I was born with, heeding the call of my heart-spirit--this is what has driven me. My arrival in the Rocky Mountains nearly a decade ago was a key factor in the steps toward resurrecting that which would make the puzzle complete.

Words have been my guide along the path--both my own words and the words of the individuals the ancestors placed along the road. These words would be channeled through poets, activists, writers, filmmakers and practitioners of indigenous spirituality. These words would appear in the form of African and indigenous history. Sacred words moving through the mouths of cultural gatekeepers and spiritual warriors who represent the rich history of Africa, Kemet, Brazil, Cuba, Puerto Rico and Haiti. Prayers spoken into the smoke of tobacco offered during ritual in honor of my Choctaw ancestors.

Yes, Colorado is rich in indigenous history.

Upon arriving here in Denver I thought I could not survive in a city with seemingly so little diversity. But slowly, the cultural havens of the Mile High City would reveal themselves. From Brother Jeff's Cultural Center to Inner Light Spiritual Center to the phenomenal Pow-Wows. From the powerful events of Africa Agenda to Ashara's Cafe Nuba: Its Hot & Its Black--the essence of soul is alive and well in this part of the world.

Soon these places would become my village....

And then I remembered my future. That I would marry my life partner as part of a Sweat Lodge Ceremony in Longmont hosted by Ladydrummer. That I was destined to work for one of the oldest Black newspapers in the city, Denver Urban Spectrum. That I was slated to start the first Ifa temple in Colorado which now has 12 distinguished Orisa priests and priestesses. That I would join Sister Ashara Omilade as the co-director of the Pan African Film Festival and help Opalanga bring visibility to the city's Kwanzaa celebrations. It all started to make sense.

I remember the day I met distinguished poet and activist Trinidad Sanchez (now an ancestor) at a poetry reading at Brother Jeff's. He gave me a big hug and made me feel a welcome part of the family. We would go on to share the stage at many sets over the years.

What I did not find in Colorado, I was led to create. And this work has fed me like the milk from our mother's breast. If you are new to Denver or if you are feeling a bit disconnected, know that all you have to do is reach out and get involved. There is so much here to quench one's cultural, spiritual and community thirst.

Greet the Rockies with open arms and she will answer you in the most beautiful voice ever to welcome you home to her majestic pride....her snow capped mountains, her rushing rivers, the legacy of Five Points' poetry, art and jazz and much more. Just knock with the right sound and Denver's doors will open...

More about Ifalade TaShia Asanti's work can be found at www.tashiaasanti.com.

Throughout my life I have been concerned about my health and fitness level and realized that it took loving myself, taking time to exercise, changing my eating habits and maintaining a standard that fit my lifestyle.

A layman's term of fitness may be as follows: "Your ability to meet the pressing needs of your lifestyle with ease and room to spare for life's little emergencies." So, what constitutes "fitness" for one person isn't necessarily fitness for another. Professional athletes need a different level of fitness than do office workers because the demands of their lifestyles are different. Coaches need not be as fit as the athletes they train, generals needn't be as fit as the soldiers they command, and older adults(past middle- age) require a different set of standards than do younger adults.

The word "selflessness" is the act of sacrificing ones own interest for the greater good .When it comes to being fit and staying that fit you must make some sacrifices and lifestyle changes because you are your own greater good.

Being a bi-lateral hip replacement recipient since I was 48 years old, I fully understand what takes to work within the limitations that I have to remain mentally and physically fit.

Here are some noteworthy factors involved in a sound preventive program that most certainly should be incorporated over your entire life:

1) regular visits to your health care provider/ try the holistic approach

2) maintenance of a low-stress psychosocial existence/stay positive

3) sufficient exercise to produce physical fitness equal to and exceeding the demands of your lifestyle

4) foods/supplements rich in a broad spectrum of antioxidants and fiber

5) good health habits (no smoking, excessive drinking, drugs or environmental toxins)

Remember when it comes to your Health and Wellness "It Is All About You"

A BIG Thank You to all who came to the Denver Urban Spectrum Time Travel party on Sunday! And a special thanks to everyone who made the party possible from web designers to entertainment, hosts, sponsors and all.

SpectrumTalk will feature our founding featured bloggers for the next month. We are not accepting new bloggers until further notice, BUT please feel free to comment on all blogs. Also, if you would like to create your own blog at Denver URBAN Spectrum ONLINE, go to ConnectMe at www.denverurbanspectrum.ning.com. Once you sign up as a member there, you can add a blog to your page (My Page) by customizing your site with the blog feature.

When you have questions about using any feature of SpectrumTalk or ConnectME, contact editor@urbanspectrum.net. We will try to help within 24 hours.

welcome

You are viewing the premier posts of the founding bloggers of SpectrumTalk, the Denver Urban Spectrum's new blog site, launched on April 20, 2008. To introduce you to our new blogs and bloggers, we have posted the blog topics and the writers' biographies as well as a few first blog entries.

In the next weeks, we plan to add our other bloggers appearing in the categories list to the right and in the list found by clicking on the categories link up top. We also plan to adjust some of our site features such as the addition of photos.

Please keep checking back here in the coming weeks as we get the site fully functional. Our bloggers plan to post new entries at least once a week, so you'll have a chance to read more every few days.

We recommend you find categories or writers that interest you and sign up for our RSS Feed (at the top right) so you can get the blog entries sent directly to your e-mail inbox.

Thanks for visiting and we hope you have many more interesting visits!

Spectrum Editor

www.DenverUrbanSpectrum.com - connecting people to people
Also read the Denver Urban Spectrum at newstands in local stores, restaurants and libraries each month

Helen L. Burleson has a doctorate degree in public administration. She lives in Olympia Fields, Ill. She is an avid commentator on political happenings across America, especially those affecting the Black community, and is paying close attention to this historic presidential race.