2007 Real Women Archives

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Ode To Elya

(Singer, actress, writer, and acting instructor, Diane Cameron)

A fictional account of an elderly ex-slave African woman recalling being kidnapped and taken to America on a Slave Ship:

I rose very very early to go out and warm myself by the sun. The golden rays caressed my neck, arms and legs. I love the way early morning sun feels…..it is very gentle on your skin. Almost as if it appeared magically, I saw a beautiful white gazelle drinking water over by the stream and as it ran away, I watched it and watched it until it was completely out of sight. I was so excited about its beauty and the way it moved. It totally captivated my attention. I was mesmerized by my surroundings everything was so picturesque. The lush green trees, thick plants and huge red flowers were everywhere…. This was my homeland…. Africa….and I felt lucky that I was in such a paradise. I remember blushing when I thought about my soon coming marriage to Elya.

Elya was absolutely the most beautiful man I had ever seen. Rich dark chocolate skin, eyes like diamonds…and when he moved he reminded me of….of….yes…a gazelle….strong and deliberate. Mother and Grandmother went to the village to buy fabric to make my wedding dress. They picked the perfect colors, white and purple…..I was so happy. Father and the elders took Elya to a secret place in the forest. It was the custom of my people for a young man soon to wed, to have fellowship with the elders of the village for 7 days as a final initiation before he took a wife. Right over there by the running creek is the place that Elya and I would meet once a week. I was not allowed to talk to him before the wedding…. but; we would meet at our secret place and just stare into each other’s eyes. Once, I dreamed that Elya and I were married and had 6 children….but the odd thing about the dream was each child had red tears in their eyes. I remember the strange way grandmother looked at me when I told her about the dream.

I can still recall the very moment life as I knew it changed. I didn’t know at the time, but Elya had been amusing himself by watching me from a distance. He had returned from Council and I imagine he knew I was going to be at our secret place. I remember him calling my name and as I turned to see him…..as I turned to look at him…..It’s all so confusing now…..everything happened so fast….Suddenly there were 3 large men holding him and binding his arms with rope and hitting him. He cried out to me….dowezun.. dowezun….which in our language means run….run……I was filled with terror and forgot which part of my body I used to run…..legs……arms……feet…..nothing obeyed me…….I felt like stone…..I couldn’t talk…..I couldn’t move…… And Elya kept screaming…… dowezun…..dowezun……I remember being too frightened to look back at him……I just remember hearing a loud thud……and Elya’s wail…..and even louder loud silence…..then he called me no more……….Some men surrounded me and I was snatched……

I was taken and put on a large ship with other Africans. We were shackled and stretched out side-by-side like the fish I used to see on display at the village market. Confused and bewildered we endured a long journey on the water sailing for what would seem like forever. I kept thinking that I was going to wake up any moment and the wedding celebration would begin, and this would all be just a bad dream….. The ship was dark and cold all the time, and I was always hungry. I cried out for my mother and grandmother night and day both hoping they would and wouldn’t answer me back. Comfort was no longer a benefit, angrily, the ship rocked back and forth over the seas without regard for her passengers. At times the misery was so extreme death would have been welcomed. All the captives on that floating hell were dark like me……but we had come from many villages and the languages were many so there was difficulty communicating, but there was one commonality we all shared…..a burning determination to survive. It seemed like an eternity had passed and its odd how even in those kinds of circumstances you can still receive some hope.

One night in particular, after sleep had been especially gracious to me, I felt rested for the first time since this happened, I woke early that morning to find the palms of my hand burning like fire, I looked at my hand in amazement, my white and purple wedding cloth was tied across my wrist……To this day, its appearance is a mystery, but the very moment I was aware of its presence …..my body became consumed….. almost…..overcome with emotion and what happened next is something I will never forget……It was as if the sun came back out…..I felt rays of sunshine warming my neck, arms and legs, I closed my eyes and there it was again…..the gazelle drinking water from the stream, I opened my eyes and watched mama and grandmother going to the market. I saw father and the other elders walking off with Elya; He looked so proud, so strong and happy. Suddenly, I realized even though I had been removed from my beloved Africa ……….

Africa had come to me, I smelled Africa and I bathed my nostrils in the pungent perfume of those huge red flowers, this is how red smells, I thought. I pressed my eyelids as tight as I possibly could hoping this would help me hold on to this moment…..it didn’t. As the vision was fading, I heard his beloved voice whisper un yin(me) wan nou we which in my language means I love you. Vividly his face appeared before me…….this strong warrior man-child with the smooth dark chocolate skin. I looked at him in the seconds that seemed like hours and I saw diamonds……and tears in Elya’s eyes…..His face dimmed before me and I closed my eyes to see if I could find him, but it was in vain…..he was gone……forever….. My hand cooled but my ears burned hearing his admonishing for he never……never…… stopped screaming to me dowezun dowezun.

More about Diane Cameron:
www.myspace.com/dianecameron

Being Healed: Mind, Body & Soul

(Gloria Newsome)

Spend Time with People Who Appreciate You whom have the
“Welcome Joy Attitude”

If you want to feel joyful, choose to have people in your life who:
-Treat you with the utmost love and respect!
-Want the best for you as you define it! What makes you happy.
-Help you find out what you want to do and how to do it!
-Encourage you to explore all your talents and interests!
-Listens to you when you need to complain without sitting in judgment!
-Helps you learn from failures without making you feel like a bad person…for no one can or should sit in judgment because we are all human!
The group of people you associate yourself with says a lot about your character…….Who do you spend most of your time with?

Ask yourself “after spending time with this person, do I feel stronger or weaker/happy or sad?”We tend to pick up on the attitudes, language and moods of the people we hang out with.I encourage you to spend less time with critical people and more time with those who appreciate you. You’ll notice a difference in how you feel about yourself and how much joy you life’s experiences.We all carry baggage in life’s journey, there are some that bearable for us to handle but then there are some that are just too heavy of a burden…..lighten your load, be it people or circumstances….lighten your load.Stop stressing about the things you can not change, get a handle on the things that you can.Look in the mirror…..do you like what you see?Only you dear one have the power to change it….be the change that makes the difference in your life.

Learn to be truly happy, be at peace in all, mind, body and spirit….because you only have one life to live and every second is truly precious and should never be wasted….being happy on a continuous basis for no particular reason – makes you feel the joy inside yourself and you naturally smile and shine as The Father intended you to be.The ultimate goal is to…….Love yourself enough to allow happiness to fully come into your life! Make positive thinking a choice in your life!Happiness and relaxation lowers anxiety, diminished pain, improved mental outlook, and increased energy and connection to the healing power within you.Connected to something that will make you feel good within.

If you practice talking to yourself positively, repeating “I am worthy. I am lovable. I am good. desirable, I am beautiful/handsome.”, you can support yourself and keep moving forward in life you don’t have to look for someone else to validate you or tell you who you are. For many of us we tend to let the past, haunt us from having a better future…and I am guilty of that myself.The past is the past and we can not change that but we also can not let the past limit us from having a better future.For all mistakes are the learning tool for healing. Forgive yourself or someone else and move on! Stop limiting yourself and your possibilities. Don’t let fear keep you from living life…have faith to know that “The Father” will always provide a way for you, for he will never give you more than you can handle and He will always give you what you need.Yes, at times it may seem as if “The Father” has singled you out tosay “Let me play this joke on him/her….let me overwhelm their lifetoday to see just how they can handle it”.Again my sisters, my brothers, my family, my friends, even to those I don’t know but are reading my words, I stress to you to have Faith and Believe.

Please know that what doesn’t kill you surely does make your stronger for everyday we live is a life’s lesson to be learned…but you have to pay attention to the signs, listen to the tiny voice that is inside of you or that gut feeling you may experience for it is there to guide you through.Release all those negative self defeating doubts about yourself or others and tell the Devil he is a liar and he has no control in your life. Ask The Father to give you strength and ask him to show you who people and situations truly are and not what you would hope them to be….stop making excuses and take off those blinders. Being angry, negative, complaining and criticizing makes you a very ugly person inside and out and it shows that there is something unsatisfying within yourself….show yourself and others your are above that which can destroy.I always stress that hurtful words can last a lifetime and can leave an invisible scar that can never be healed.Think first and please be very careful of the words you speak to others, for they can always be forgiven, they make never be forgotten….for words may not be able to kill but they surely can hurt.

Always remember that you are not alone in your struggle….for there is someone else going through the same situations as you are. Never give power to or allow someone else to steal your joy.Living by design means taking care of you….Everyday!Don’t ever settle for someone or something that is less than you deserve.Love, compassion and faith provide a powerful opportunity for healing to take place in your life….get to know YOU and what makes you happy. If you feel that you can not do this alone…..reach out and get you a support system….a family member, a friend, maybe someone you don’ t even know who is going through the exact same thing. Often times people wear masks to disguise their true feelings.Be the change that makes a difference in your life and maybe inn someone else’s. Creating a balance between mind, body and spirit creates the ability to deal peacefully with whatever life brings.Give out what you expect or want to get in return.Try each and everyday to stay in this state of peace, love, divine connectedness, and wisdom.Realize your worth, value YOU and celebrate what “The Father created you to be

Be the Master of Your Own Destiny!

Please remember to pass kindness onto all who may cross your path, be it family, friends, loved ones or strangers…..for you may not know just how much of a difference you can make in someone’s life…please do that for me! A SMILE costs you nothing, but creates much with it’s lasting effects. It enriches those who receive it, without impoverishing those who give it.

In my life EVERYONE is Important! Your friendships are the blessings that binds our hearts together as ONE for a time!I am Honored to call you FAMILY & FRIEND!

In the search for me, I discovered truth.
In the search for truth, I discovered love.
In the search for love, I discovered God.
And in God, I have found EVERYTHING!
Again Pass the Love and Kindness on!

Mz.Gloria Newsome

Josephine Baker
(1906-1975)

Josephine Baker, African American and expatriate, found the freedom in France that America would not allow. Yet, she returned to America from her home in Paris to give benefit concerts for American civil rights groups, and participated in the 1963 March on Washington.

In a great show of generosity by any Negro during her era, Ms. Baker adopted ten sons and two daughters of different races and nationalities labeled as an “experiment in brotherhood.” But dark clouds appeared again for the “black Venus. “However, financial difficulties and poor health made it difficult for her to support the tribe and her lifestyle at her beloved chateau in the Southwest of France, Les Milandes.” Baker died of a fatal cerebral hemorrhage April 1975. (The African American Century: How Black Americans Have Shaped Our Country by Henry Louis Gates Jr. & Cornel West, The Free Press, a division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.)

Many of us watch The Oprah Winfrey Show religiously, and are aware of her generous contributions to institutions, championing causes. Her latest project is in Africa, indicating that she surely is another mother of the global village.

She created the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in South Africa. The Rev. Jesse Jackson said of Ms. Winfrey, “She might be…the best composite of the best in the global family. …” (Source: Business Hero: Oprah by Kyra Kirkwood). www.myhero.com/myhero/hero.asp?hero=oprahhero.

Once again, in 2007, the spirit of adoption of black children by African Americans revealed itself in the person of Tracey Neale, an anchor of WUSA9 Nightly News. Ms. Neale is in the process of adopting two children from Ethiopia. It appears her heart was overwhelmed after her documentary on AIDS in Africa. Tracey Neale won the prestigious Edward R. Murrow 2000 Award, the most distinguished in American broadcast journalism for this documentary.

Marian Wright Edelman said, “If we don’t stand up for children, then we don’t stand for much.” She is the founder and President of the Children’s Defense Fund.

Do not confuse these adoptions with the African American Village. This altruism is shaping up to be a global village, no doubt.

Minnie E Miller Author
www.millerscribs.com

The Definition of an Autoimmune Disease

(Courtney G. Smith)

What exactly is an autoimmune disease? I asked myself this question for about two years after being diagnosed in 2001 with the autoimmune disease Myasthenia Gravis (MG). When I came in contact with people who were unfamiliar with autoimmune diseases they would immediately think I was referring to HIV.

The word that became a neon sign in their minds was immune. But autoimmune diseases are very different from HIV. HIV occurs when the body is infected with the virus through external factors such as unprotected sex, sharing needles during intravenous drug use and contaminated blood given during a blood transfusion. Autoimmune diseases are a bit different.

An autoimmune disease develops when the body’s own immune system begins to attack normal cells, tissues and organs within the body. A normal immune system works to fight off diseases the body comes in contact with on a daily basis. For example, when a person first develops a cold the immune system begins to work to fight off the virus that is causing the cold.

The normal immune system would stop working once it fights the cold and wait for another outside virus to attack the body to then start fighting it off.
A person with an autoimmune disease has an immune system that never stops working.

So once the immune system fights off the cold it keeps searching for viruses to attack. When there is no outside virus coming inside of the body for the immune system to fight off, the immune system recognizes the body as being foreign and begins to attack normal cells, tissues and organs.

In my case, my muscles become weak because my immune system is destroying receptor sites at my muscles. The brain sends messages though out the body to the muscles. Before the muscles receive the brain’s messages, the messages must go though receptor sites that tell the muscles how the brain wants them to move.

Because my receptor sites are being destroyed by my immune system, the muscles do not correctly receive the messages from the brain. As a result I have extreme muscle weakness. Each day I experience some degree of this weakness.
Sometimes it becomes difficult for me to chew my food. At other times my speech may become slurred. My eyelids can even become so weak that it can be difficult for me to hold my eyelids open. When I am extremely weak my arms and legs are affected. Also since being diagnosed I am tremendously fatigued.

After conducting research last year for the documentary I produced “Beauty Does Lie: The Untold Stories of Autoimmune Diseases”, I discovered that there are currently over 80 autoimmune diseases. The more commonly known autoimmune diseases are lupus, multiple sclerosis, type one diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. Although each autoimmune disease attacks the body in a different way, none of these diseases currently have a cure. Most of these diseases are treatable by taking medication. According to the American Journal of Public Health (Vol. 90, No. 9: 1463-1466) autoimmune diseases are one of the top ten leading causes of death for women ages 65 and under.

This data is alarming and people, especially women, need to be informed.
I encourage everyone to contact their doctor if something within their body just does not seem right. My symptoms originally began in 1998 when I would be so fatigued that I could not get out of the bed.

It felt as if my body was paralyzed. These episodes only occurred once every other month or so. When my doctor gave me a clean bill of health after checking into my fatigued state I did not think to contact him when I began to feel ill again. I thought that perhaps I was subconsciously stressing because of my college courses. It took me three years and a car accident later to contact him again because my symptoms were now noticeable to other people.

I hope that by writing this article I can stop at least one person from having to suffer in silence as I did before seeking medical help. Please listen to your body. Contact your doctor if you notice something different. Autoimmune diseases do not always show up in initial blood work that your doctor may order, therefore it is imperative that you continue to make your doctor aware of your symptoms.
Do not be afraid to seek a second or third open from another doctor(s).

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