T&T (Thoughts & Tea)

We celebrate so much and just as much fight so much. It is nearing the time of the year for celebration but let's not forget that many celebrations have histories of pain and blood underneath them... mostly as a result of the colonial encounter. I do not mean to scare you I only implore you.. implore us to not go b broke while celebrating lol but also how to fix the colonial disease that cause us to fight so many things in our lives. Music by: Stoneboy - Putuu , Lucas King- Dark piano (sociopath)

I am back after a life induced hiatus to first say thank you… for sticking it out with me. Lets talk about surviving an apocalypse… lmao. Anyway, dont take yourself or life too seriously.. eat some good food, drink a cup of tea or wine, dance off beat, sing off key (just not next to me 👀) …inhale, watch the sunset through the hole in your roof, exhale. Life can be beautiful if we take time to revel the sensations around us. Photo: Eye for Ebony Music: The cavemen

It is so unsettling that the year 2020 has brought a lot of abuse to light. SARS...SARS..SARS.. The so called Special Anti-Robery Unit of Nigeria is more of a civilian harassing organization that uses the uniforms it dons to torment, abuse and even kill our brothers and sisters. The only difference between this brutality and what happens in the USA is that these are own people. Please Black lives EVERYWHERE matter, lets speak up and stand with our brothers and sisters in Nigeria. Music: Michaels Jackson - They don't care about us (I do not own the rights to this song)

We continue our conversation with our mature men to get a better understanding of what it means to be a man. We continue our community series to get perspective on each other so we can get a better understanding of ourselves...holistically. The only way we truly grow is when we do it together. Music by: The Cavemen-Obiageli, James Brown- It is a mans world. I do not own the rights to the music.

Today we speak with our more mature men and I call the episode "Da Spice" because as Black people we KNOW food does not taste good without some good spice, It with this maturity that these gentlemen spice our minds. They are sharing their perspective of manhood through their lens and we ought to hear them. I know I am eager to learn something. Are you? I do not own rights to music used The Heavy - What makes a good man, Angie Stone - Brotha

This episode is a continuation of the first full episode of our Men Series with our young men ages 25-35 telling us what it means to be a man from their perspective. Remember, the purpose of this is to hear our men as they speak to us. It is my hope that we learn somethings from them about them. I do not own the rights to any of the music used. Music by Buju Banton- Untold stories & Yvonne Chaka Chaka- Umqombothi

As promised, this is the first episode in our community series which is starting with our men. Join me on the first part of this conversation with our young black men as they talk to us about the concept of manhood. Guys this is all about perspective. No judgements… just a way to facilitate conversation to get perspective on their experiences. Enjoy I do not own rights to music used. Music: Mannish by Muddy waters & To be a man Na wa by Amakye Dede Image by: Olu Famule

As promised, this is the first episode in our community series which is starting with our men. Join me on the first part of this conversation with our young black men as they talk to us about the concept of manhood. Guys this is all about perspective. No judgements… just a way to facilitate conversation to get perspective on their experiences. Enjoy I do not own rights to music used. Music: Mannish by Muddy waters & To be a man Na wa by Amakye Dede Image by: Olu Famule

There is no one formula for development but a good place to start is with understanding each other. Too many of the problems we face are because people do not listen to other people who are not like them. The community series will be an ongoing conversation with different groups within our Black communities globally to get perspective on the lens through which they see and the nerves through which they experience life. Open-mindedness is essential to considering other people when making decisions. We are individual stars in our own "life-show" collectively though, we can create a blockbuster! I do not own the rights to the music used. Music by @m.anisfest - No long talk, no where cool.

Too often we take our men for granted yet exert too much pressure on them as a society. Being especially a black man in this world is not easy at all and so we ought to publicly acknowledge our men who are trying and holding us down. The fathers and father figures out there deserve all our love. THANK YOU to you all. We love and appreciate you! (I do not own the rights to the music used) Song: Will Smith- Just the two of us, Beyonce- Daddys lessons

Many things can drive us to do lots of unthinkable things and the state of the world right now is not the healthiest for much , least to say the mental health of Black people. In this continuation of Dr. Kamesha Spates' session on Suicide in Black communities, we are further educated on this grim subject to equip us with knowledge which we should implement. Lasts forever and even this madness going on too, shall pass! AMANDLA!!! Music by: Ladysmith Black Mambazo- Go well and peace be with you, Bob Marley - Crazy baldheads

Life can be shitty, but even its messiness will not last forever. This week episode is the 1st in a two part talk with Dr. Kamesha Spates on suicide particularly in black communities. For the longest time, we as black people have had to be strong and endure so much so that we do not talk about uncomfortable yet real things like suicide. The first step to healing is acknowledging and BLACKLIVESMATTER… YOURLIFE MATTERS so please if you ever feel like you are alone and don’t want to live anymore I am opening my door to you. Send me a message on instagram @visionary_tamakloe or email me at Tamaklo.art@gmail.com. YOU matter and your future can be the light for another. I love you all! Music by: Joyner Lucas - I’m Sorry , D Smoke & Snoop Dogg- Gaspar Yanga (I do not own the rights to the music)

This is the most unusual time to say “thank you, I love you mom!” But nonetheless, these superheroes have always made the impossible possible so why can’t we? I will like to; on behalf of EVERYONE who has had some form of mothering from a form of a mother / mother-like figure, say THANK YOU. Music: Jah Cure- This one is for you mom, Kanye West - Hey mama ( I do not own the rights to the music used)

When the world seems like it is crushing you and unexpectedly unpleasant things seem to occur, our bodies and mind WILL react in ways to keep us alive sometimes to the detriment of self. However we need to always remember that we are NOT our situations and everything that has a beginning has an end. Image by: Markusspiske Music: Janelle Monae: I like that, Erykah Badu : Otherside of the game (I do not own the rights to the music used)

Our mind has a wonderful way of drawing from things around us to protect us… sometimes to an extreme detriment of ourselves and that is FEAR. I was schooled to get out of my head after seeing a bird who traveled from one side of a river bank to another so effortlessly. If a bird can reach its destination, so can i… so can we all. (please do not go jump into a river though lol) Image by: Kunj Parekh, Music: Fela Kuit- Water no get enemy

Olla sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers and everyone in between. I am sure that you are probably cuddled up in your bed or somewhere in your home as you read this blog post (i hope you are. You better be staying at home ((if you can help it)) to reduce the spread of COVID-19). Thank you for being here with me another week as we conclude the second part of our “Reconciliation” talk with the amazing Prof. Mwatabu Okantah (WWW.MKEPOET.COM - his website)As tensions rise all across the globe, the pressure on us black and brown people escalates at a mind boggling rate. Its almost as though the word has been machinating against us. Lets start with our brothers and sisters in America. Many are dying from this virus. Yes, it affects; gravely, mostly people with compromised immune systems but if we are being honest, the poorest parts of America are inhabited by black and brown people (African, brothers and sisters in the diaspora, Native Americans, LatinX and everyone considered “underrepresented and indigenous). We have less access to proper nutrition and health care among other things. We eat what we can afford and that in turn makes us sick which makes us vulnerable to infections (such as Covid), which is now killing us. Now when we take a mental trip to China, our black and brown brothers there; mostly African, are being faced with such inhumane treatments yet no one is making noise about it. People have been evicted from their homes for being black, they are not allowed to enter malls for being blacks, they are kept out of restaurants for being black. This is modern day segregation and if we think the Chinese government or the rest of the world gives a fuck about us, we better think again. To the rest of the world, we are dispensable! But do not fret, we are in this together. Our struggles are similar and so will our triumphs. However they will ONLY happen when we unite. They will only happen WHEN we clean up our homes and by that i mean we fix ourselves and acknowledge the work that needs to be done. We ARE the majority and let no one tell us otherwise. We have been scattered and that explains our vulnerability but as we embrace that unity, our strength is going to 360 the phase of this place we call earth.Stay safe, wash your hands, sanitize, LOOK OUT FOR EACH OTHER, do not stay silent. Enjoy the podcast…sit your a** (lol) and i will Tea u later…clink!!

For centuries, others have decided what they think is best for black and brown people all over the world. Separation and mutual ignorance has isolated us from each other but that needs not be the case. We can meet in the middle of this labyrinth and MOVE! Music: Brymo- Adedotun, Down

As we conclude our talk on anxiety, lets take a minute to look at the forces in the world that are hell bent on forgetting the golden rule of the world (KINDNESS). We are responsible for our well being and external factors will take only over if we let them. Lets educate and implement that knowledge to achieve our success. Music: Daniel Cesar: Are you okay, Gyptian: Serious Times, Mabel: Ok

Anxiety! the fear of the unknown. A sensation that creeps up and can become so strong it own and dominates the body. Where the h*ll does it come from and why does it have so much power. The best remedy to anything in life is to first identify what needs remedying. Music: Logic-Anziety, Sia- Breathe photo credit: Ian Espinosa

In wake of epidemics and disasters such as what we are facing with CoronaVirus, who are our most vulnerable via circumstances? Who has it hardest and how can that change? Music: T.O.K- Footprints, Gyptian- Serious Times, Jah Cure- True Reflection, Jah Cure- Nothing is impossible