The Aftermath

My heart is heavy today. Black people are catchin' hell just a few hundred aquatic miles away. The magnitude of the destruction is indescribable and the aftermath will stretch on beyond most of our attention spans. Clear the rubble, claim the bodies, wash away the dust. That's just the short, obvious list. Don't forget the recovery begins in the midst of injury, hunger, dehydration, and displacement.

The Fly Jock, Tom Joyner, is jockeying a flight to Haiti tomorrow to set up an Internet cafe. Communication, rather access to it, will help alleviate some of the worries of relatives left in the lurch of literal and figurative dead air space. I want nothing more than to walk away from my regularly scheduled programming and board Mr. Joyner's plane. Haiti for the day... Instead, I did what's more realistic for my means at the moment. I hit SEND twice on my cell phone, donating both to Wyclef Jean's Yele Haiti organization, and the Red Cross. I intend to give at least a 3rd time to match my Yele donation to what I gave to Red Cross. I also have sent out prayers, Light & Love to Haitian friends in support of their families.

With all that's going on, crooner Teddy Pendergrass, passed quietly away. He lost his battle with colon cancer and took with him one of the most treasured Soul music voices of R&B past, present, and future. Like in the case of Luther Vandross, young boys and girls will continue to learn to slow drag to Teddy P, babies will continue to be made. Not even the likes of T Pain's coonery road show as Teddy Bend Her Ass Down can sully the good name of Teddy Pendergrass. He will forever be classic and timeless, and missed.

I hope to lose myself in mixes in his honor today, even taking it back to his days as one of Harold Melvin's Blue Notes. Maybe my boy DJ Soup is channeling a similar pain today for the souls of black folks, and will provide a little balm. However you're soothing your own personal hurts today, don't forget to do a good turn for someone else.

Watch me move.


DONATION INFORMATION:
text YELE to 501501 ($5)
text HAITI to 90999 ($10)

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