aprilisms

the APRIL R. SILVER blog
Established 2008

One of the 99 Million Reasons I Love Prince!

October 6, 2008

Here are lyrics to one of my favorite Prince songs. I first heard this about four years ago and have owned it for three. Shout out to Basir on WBAI Radio FM (Pacifica Radio) where I heard it first on his show (non-commercial radio is the best)! After that, I …

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Quote of the Week: Maya Angelou

October 2, 2008

I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~ Maya Angelou

“Kindly Say Your Number Twice”

September 30, 2008

If, for some archaic but occassionally useful reason, you are going to leave a voic email message for someone, leave a short but informative one. And if you are cold-calling and we (the world outside your world) don’t know you from a can of paint, then be smart about your …

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Hello. My Name is JJ and I Am So Important to You

September 25, 2008

it is a myth that woman talk more than men. OMG! i am on the train headed to the congressional black caucus in washington, dc. (from new york city). there is a young guy sitting across the aisle and one row behind me. from the moment he stopped to unload …

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Quote of the Week: On Houses (Kahlil Gibran)

September 24, 2008

Greed is money’s biggest client. Comfort is the context. The money-changers (Wall Street) have built houses made of straw. Read this week’s quote from Khalil Gibran: “And tell me, people of Orphalese, whathave you in these houses? And what is ityou guard with fastened doors? Have you peace, the quiet …

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“How Racism Works”

September 24, 2008

“How Racism Works”(One of the gems I found floating around the Internet. Simple but true.) What if John McCain were a former president of the Harvard Law Review?What if Barack Obama finished fifth from the bottom of his graduating class? What if McCain were still married to the first woman …

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Quote of the Week: James Baldwin

September 11, 2008

“I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” LEARN MORE about JAMES BALDWIN, a masterful writer.

~ In Memoriam: Oni

September 8, 2008

Quote of the Week: Harriet Tubman’s “Keep Going”

September 5, 2008

Hillary Clinton got it wrong. Here is the quote that has long been attributed to Harriet Tubman: “…If you are tired, keep going;If you are scared, keep going;If you are hungry, keep going;If you want to taste freedom, keep going.”

What Desperate Looks Like

September 1, 2008

My most dreadful love relationship showed up when I was in my twenties. I was lonely and very fearful that I would never find a boyfriend. At 25, I had never been in a serious relationship, had kept my virginity until I was a sophomore in college with very few …

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barack

August 29, 2008

test

Isn’t She Lovely”

August 26, 2008

Quote of the Week: Harriet Tubman

August 22, 2008

Harriet Tubman has deeply moved me since I was a little girl. I have been at her feet all my life. In these entries, I’d like to share with you aspects of Harriet that many people are not aware of. Here’s one of my favorite quotes, for starters: “Oh Lord, …

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Verizon Wireless In Bed with “Niggas” (from Put On BLAST! July 7, 2008)

August 18, 2008

The following Put On BLAST! item was published last month. In fact, it was sent July 7, 2008 at 9:55 am. By 12 noon, Verizon has issued a statement in response to the outcry. The POB! family played a key role in pushing Verizon to address this. Read the back-story …

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The Meaning of: Muse

August 15, 2008

muse (the verb, not one of the daughters of Zeus) – to consider or meditate at at length muse (the noun; again, not one of Zeus’ daughters) – a state of deep reflectionmuse (still…not yet the offspring) – a guiding spirit; a source of inspiration; a poet and Muse (OK, …

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Quote of the Week: On Love

August 15, 2008

One of my FAVORITE writers is KAHLIL GIBRAN (1883 – 1931), a Lebanese poet, philosopher, and artist. His most popular work is the classic book “The Prophet,” written in 1923. If there is a book that belongs in the library of any poet, writer, thinker, seeker of knowledge, it’s this …

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In Memoriam: Isaac Hayes aka Black Moses

August 11, 2008

I was visiting a friend in Harlem yesterday when I learned of Isaac Hayes’ death. The texts and emails came one right after the other. Like most of you, I was felt a pang in my heart. “Back to back! What does this mean?” I wondered. During this corridor last …

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In Memoriam: Bernie Mac

August 10, 2008

Around 8:30am, I got the sad news from Dean Meminger of NY1 News. Bernie Mac had died earlier this morning. I didn’t believe it and at the risk of insulting Dean’s journalistic integrity, I asked him “Are you sure?” Taken in with nothing but pure childlike denial, I kept saying …

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Poetry: “I Love You, Nado”

August 7, 2008

I Love You, Nado (inspired by Nina Simone’s “I Loves You, Porgy”) Monday he came back for me, Like he had before. Deep inside I knew I had to go. With his hard hands he handled me, He handled me so… When he took me Monday I had your favorite …

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Quote of the Week: New Ideas

August 6, 2008

I learned this quote from performance poet, playwright, and educator MO BEASLEY (a dear friend, client, and fellow Howardite). Mo was conducting his popular “N-Word” workshop for high school students in Mt. Vernon last spring when he explained the importance of seeking out the deep origins of the word nigga, …

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