To all my people in the Struggle.......... ( I had to snatch that from Kirk Franklin).

This is the annual wrap up and transition to the next year with the hopefulness and vision of a more prosperous new Roman Calendar Year.

For 2008, it has been a long and trying year; a financially difficult one, an arduous one, a historic one. One that is about over. From Jeremiah Wright to Jesse Jackson Jr. and Blagojevich. From the Iowa Caucuses to DC on 20-January-09. From January snow in the A-Town to mild, 60+ degree weather in December. From the unaired Boondocks episodes about BET to Reginald Hudlin leaving BET. Scandals, misspeaking, controversies, international events, murders, and the loss of many great ones......Bernie Mac, Isaac Hayes, Ertha Kitt, etc. What's next?

It's almost hard to believe we're nearing the end of the first decade of the millennium. One which many of us thought (or were duped to believe) would be disastrous at the turn of midnight 2000. I even have a millennium baby (well sorta.....she was born in 2000). Now she's eight years old and in the third grade and about to drive me and her moms crazy with her antics. I look back on my years at that age and wonder if I was really like that.......its surreal. Now every other week I find a new white hair (White, I say......not Grey, but White). And I guess it doesn't help that both moms and granny have had salt/pepper grey and platinum heads, respectively for the majority of my life.

And for those that recognize, although you don't necessarily have to celebrate Kwanzaa, I say to you Peace and Harambe. The principles I respect and try to practice daily, but my people, you know ya'll make it hard for a brotha not to cuss you out. And the elders make you wanna check them too.....But I digress. Not to be disrespectful, but I think ya'll understand my point.

To update you all, Starting on 26-Dec and ending on 1-Jan, the seven day celebration is as follows, recognizing each principle respectively:

Umoja - Unity

Kujichagulia - Self-Determination

Ujimaa - Collective Work and Responsibility

Ujamaa - Cooperative Economics

Nia - Purpose

Kuumba - Creativity
Imani - Faith

"I am The Silly Negro.....and I approve this message."

Baba Reub