“Hypocrite” The word jumped off the page with a crushing blow to my solar plexus; it was not the confirmation I was searching for. It wasn’t that I had blinders on. I was fully aware of the contradictions; I simply was too sick and tired to deal with it. Having considerable experience with domestic abuse – My earliest memories include my mom knocked unconscious and my sister’s eye matching her black dress the night of her Junior prom, both at dad’s right hand. Sixteen years later, I was still wearing momma’s shoes, but it was no longer pretend, the one out cold was me. – You think I would have recognized the terrain. In retrospect, I guess I did, but in the pandemonium I really didn’t see, or really didn’t want to see, the change or die moment coming.
Back to that word. Most of ya’ll know, Not Ur Momma’s News is not mine but a miraculous gift that flows through me. And how many of ya’ll know that which is Spirit cannot/will not thrive and survive in chaos? Me too. While Not Ur Momma’s News was striving to be a light of excellence, love, understanding and unity spanning the African American cyber-community, earthquakes and volcanoes were shaking every area of my life. I’ve been warned against exposing my struggles and issues with you. I’m told literary ****** is unbecoming my “position” as publisher of a growing periodical with the vision and reputation of Not Ur Momma’s News. Alright, may-be I/we will lose readers/support, but I ain’t never done PC or pretentious, and I ain’t fixing to start now. Truth is the 600 pound gorilla and small voice, I had fought so valiantly/rebelliously to ignore, rose up, showed me their definition of unity and knocked me flat on my –grandma said, “a hard head makes for a soft”, a**. By the time I put Not Ur Momma’s News to bed on January 28, I hurt, head to sole, so bad Advil was rendered an old Richard Pryor joke. I was gonna stop and I was gonna face the chaos; a 103° temperature and very limited ability to breath gave me no choice.
While I know we all love juicy gossip, I’ll spare you the personal stuff except to say that pre-spring cleaning has lengthened the time necessary to recover from infection and congestion. And all is well now. I hope what you really want to know is when will Not Ur Momma’s News be back? I can’t wait to tell you where we are and where we’re going; so hang on ya’ll, we’re launching the next phase of this exciting ride.
First, let me/us take a moment to thank you. Your encouragement, support and love are the waters that grew that little blog, “Just Sayin” into Not Ur Momma’s News and carried it/us to the top of Blackrefer.com’s Most Unique list. (1/25/09) Through it all you’ve made your belief in us known, and words are too small things to ever convey the depth of appreciation I/we feel for you. Our gratitude for all of you who have called, written and prayed out of your care and concern for me/us and this periodical overflows. Many of ya’ll know I’m a crybaby, and what can I say: Ya’ll bring tears to my eyes nearly everyday, and I love you so very much.
Not Ur Momma’s News is founded on the belief that cyber-space offers a unique opportunity for African Americans to recreate unity and create a new definition of and resources for acquiring wealth through-out our communities, both cyber and physical. Our purpose, our vision is to provide a vehicle, a hub for a collective refocusing on all the goals, issues and heritage that make us the same. I am idealistic enough to believe that by remembering/reestablishing the common ground beneath us, we have the ability to not merely overcome, but joyously celebrate our differences. I am just idealistic enough to believe we, in our magnificent diversity, are a people well able to repossess sovereign reign over our circumstances and experience. Not Ur Momma’s News seeks to be the source of reliable and responsive information and the herald of victorious joy for/of a people walking not in the shadow of oppression, but in the knowing that ancient wisdom, first bestowed on Africa is the foundation on which every other society has been built, the voice of a people reclaiming their intrinsic royalty and the dominion inherent there-in.
The question is no longer can we overcome the Western European political attitudes and behaviors that would oppress, even murder, all people for greed; the cancer of their vitriol is destroying them from the inside. Unless our desire is to assimilate ourselves into their impending extinction, they can no longer be our focus. We must give our complete attention to bridging the chasms that captivity with-in their divide and conquer mindset has opened between us. Like the illusion perpetuated for hundreds of years that a group of genetically recessive people, who comprise less than 10 percent of the global population, are somehow entitled to reign supreme, such is the continually propagandized lie that our legacy is anything less than that of royal family. Too long, African America has been bound by the twin shackles of slavery and integration; our instincts and standards subverted in our struggle to merely survive. Not Ur Momma’s has from inception worked to attain the journalistic standards of and revitalize the purpose and scope of the post-slavery, pre-assimilation African American press; we are dedicated to lighting our magnificent heritage but the victorious road to self-determined reclamation ahead.
With royalty comes responsibility, and Not Ur Momma’s News believes it is our responsibility to provide excellent and complete coverage of the socio-political news and issues affecting African America. Yes, we will still do the fun stuff like Entertainment and Sports; we’re even planning Cooking and Advice columns soon, but issues like Diabetes and Federal mismanagement, Micro-funding, current incarceration practices and major corporations silently and systematically exploiting consumers require more time and effort than a weekly publication schedule allows. Therefore, we are scaling back publication to 13 issues annually; we believe it will allow us to exponentially enhance the quality and depth of information we can bring to you.
Now, I’ve already admitted to a slight propensity to bite off more than I can chew, and this is a ginormous bite ya’ll. What I’m trying to say is that I/we really need your help on this one. For this to be a success, we need you to keep us informed of what you already know, what your concerns are and what you want to know more about. Email your tips, suggestions, ideas etc. to info@noturmommasnews.com, Subject: Tips or Tweet us @twitter/NotUrMommasNews. Tell us where to dig and we’ll turn over the dirt.
March 11, 2009, Not Ur Momma’s News will publish a retrospective/bridge edition, A look at where we’ve come from and of course, the timely news and commentary you’ve come to expect. We realize 4 weeks is a long time in cyber-space; so to fill the gap, Not Ur Momma’s News is excited to launch “The Bridge Builder’s Update”, a bi-weekly shout-out to what’s going on across our communities. There’ll be Health Tips from Editor Belinda Anderson, Tech Bytes from the Neighborhood Computer Hero, Prosperity Pointers a comprehensive Community Calendar, the scoop on what we’re working on for the next Not Ur Momma’s News and much more.
The Bridge Builders Update is all about recreating that old neighborhood feeling in cyber-space; it’s about knowing the folks around our corners and down our blocks. It’s about the community becoming reinvested in not just the idea but the action of community. The Community Calendar is the hub; make it everything you need/want it to be. Get the word out about your book release/signing, conferences and seminars, radio shows etc., and don’t forget your local events; we want to share them too. Send the 411 to calendar@noturmommasnews.com, Subject: Calendar. We’ll get them on the calendar, and, of course, it’s free.*
We are grateful for the opportunity and encouragement you’ve given us to serve you. Thank ya’ll so much for continuing to stand by us and lift us up during this period of transition. You are the inspiration of our evolution and we can’t wait to see you soon.
*We don’t believe in censorship, but we don’t believe in hate, violence, criminal activity or stupidity either. Just Sayin
Posted By: Michelle Diane
Monday, March 9th 2009 at 8:33PM
You can also
click
here to view all posts by this author...