Blue Antelope Productions Essays Page

essays and other writings

This page will feature essays and other writings that explore a range of topics. I present these writings for free, in hope of encouraging reflection and discussion of topics of importance to people of African descent. Feel free to share them with others.

For those new to my writings, the Essay on Ma'at is a suggested place to start: all the other essays are built upon an understanding and living practice of Ma'at, which is greatly misunderstood -- even by many who claim to be African-centered.

Feel free to contact me by email if you have any questions at: < love@blueantelopeproductions.com >. Please do not include any attachments in your email. Also, please be patient for a reply as my schedule sometimes limits my ability to respond.

**NOTE: All the essays are in a pdf format, which may require Adobe Reader to access the file. This program can be downloaded for free at www.adobe.com . Also, for those interested in conserving paper, Adobe Reader's Print Screen gives you the option to print two pages per piece of paper.

NOTE TO READERS

The book about Gandhi and Satyagraha (Nonviolence) is now complete. After addressing a backlog of personal work, I will soon return to writing and posting essays.

To download the book or for more information, click here to be taken to The Gandhi Project page.

For more recent writing projects, also check out the poetry page.

Essay on Ma'at
April 2007
(in pdf format)

This essay looks beyond popular and scholarly notions of Ma'at, in search of an understanding of Ma'at more reflective of Kemet's (ancient Egypt's) own understanding of it. Going beyond a historical or religous exploration of Ma'at, this essay looks to bring the reality of living Ma'at to an everyday way of life.

Hip Hop Directions
August 2007
(in pdf format)

This essay explores "new" directions to bring Hip Hop music into the fold of traditional African music. It also explores barriers to such an approach, many which have been glorified in the so-called Golden Age of Hip Hop music (late 1980 to early 1990s). The essay is a call to Hip Hop music creators and listeners to reflect on the brief history and current state of the music.

Culture and Racism / White Supremacy
August 2008
(in pdf format)

This essay explores racism and White Supremacy as matters of culture, going beyond analyses that limit these realities to political, social, legal, economic, systemic, etc. issues. The essay illustrates that racism and White supremacy will not end until we move beyond or drastically transform European culture. This is a companion essay to the Beginning Steps To Traditional Africa essay.

Beginning Steps To Traditional Africa
August 2008
(in pdf format)

This essay is written for those serious about embracing a Traditional African way of life. It is not a how-to essay as much as it is a be-aware-of essay. It examines factors involved in: moving to an action-oriented culture; moving beyond barriers conditioned into to us by European culture; Traditional African practices of community, society, and civilization; and, addressing some commonly proclaimed misconceptions about Traditional Africa. This is a companion essay to the Culture and Racism / White Supremacy essay -- it is suggested you read that essay before reading this one.

We Won the Super Bowl, I Mean,
the Presidency: The Continued
Spectatorship of Blacks in America
December 2008
(in pdf format)

This essay explores the dynamic of (passive) spectatorship as played out in the 2008 presidential campaign of Barack Obama. The essay examines the danger of becoming fans instead of citizens, and the significant differences between these roles that allow people to be shaped by forces in society instead of being shaping forces in society.

Introduction to Meditation
July 2009
(in pdf format)

This essay is a brief introduction to the practice of mediation, focusing on breath meditation. It addresses some socialized barriers and stereotypes about meditation, that these may not hinder those developing a practice of meditation. The essay also provides some tips and a guide to embrace a practice of breath meditation.

The Health Care Pay Day: For Who?
July 2009
(in pdf format)

This essay explores the corporate health industry imprint on the 2009 health reform care debate. While many have focused on the political and ideological battles, few are looking at how corporate money is steering the direction of the reform, sometimes veiled beyond populist jargon. If the impact of campaign contributions and lobbying is not faced, an opportunity to address America's health care problems will be greatly compromised. The essay also compares the health care reform to another recent major reform: welfare reform of the 1990s. Although presented as successful, a closer examination shows welfare reform failed in major ways despite the proclamation of quantitative trophies of success -- a warning for health care reform.