Jahiem Is 7 Years old Today! Hooray! Hooray!

My 3rd-born grandson, Jahiem Markel Williams is 7 years old today. He lives in Jacksonville, Florida with his mama, Renatta. He is a very smart and special little boy. Although we have spoken on the fone for 7 years, we have never met. Mainly because I live in Chicago.
I pray that he will have a wonderful birthday and be blessed with many more birthdays. I pray for his mother, Renatta, who has been an exemplary mommy for my grandson. And I pray for my first-born son, Ali-david, who is Jahiem's daddy.
I am so blessed.

Jennifer, I'm so sorry. Okay God, Where are you in This Mess?

Last Friday, October 23, 2008 as I was leaving the Daily Planet (the newspaper where I work), my publisher, Mary asked if I'd heard about some killings at Jennifer Hudson's mama's house that afternoon. Since it was only 4pm and the bodies weren't discovered until 3 pm or so, I hadn't been aware of

this news account and hadn't rec'd a police alert from the Chicago Police Department media dept.

In the 20 minutes or so that it took for me to walk home, the tv news accounts reported that Jennifer's mama and brother had been murdered in their home. To add insult to injury her nephew was missing. My heart immediately sank down as I reflected on several things: The fact that I am a native of the Englewood community as is Jennifer and family; and that Jennifer had just been home on the previous Saturday to accept an award from the Chicago Film Festival on program with Sidney Poitier; and that she is starring in a film that is currently running in theatres all over the country. Until Friday, Jennifer was on top of the world. Never happier, and involved in a new love affair and a life that is an 'urban fairytale'. In fact, she even has a CD project thats sweeping the charts.

This morning as I was posting this blog, the Chicago police found a white SUV with the body of a little boy inside. This is awful! Jennifer, I'm so sorry.

I have just one question for the highest authority that I know: "Okay God, where are you in this mess?" This is a very real question and I ask in all my humaness. Cuz I can't make heads or tails out of how or why this occurred. I'm simply wondern...

Did God close one of His eyes and while he had His head turned this crazy thing happened?

Are YOU in any of the details of this? Are you there with Jennifer and her family? Will she need to love and forgive whoever did these things?

Why did YOU allow this, God? Whose fault is this? Is there someone else to blame for this?

Since YOU are all-wise and all-knowing, should this be considered a blessing, too?

I'm crying out hurt and confused for my sister and her family. Can you explain in terms that my heart and mind can grasp?

Your daughter,

Vanessa (the brown skinned fluffy one--with the big eyes).

DreamGirl & Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson is experiencing a Nightmare

Academy Award-winning actress and singer Jennifer Hudson is offering $100,000 for the safe return of her seven-year-old nephew, Julian King. The child remained missing as of Sunday, two days after the bodies of Jennifer’s mother and brother were found in the mother’s home on Chicago’s South Side.
Jennifer’s publicist Lisa Kasteler released a statement saying:
“Jennifer Hudson and her family are offering a reward of $100,000 for the safe return of her nephew Julian King who has been missing since Friday, October 24th. We ask that all inquiries be directed to the Chicago Police Department, Area 1 Detective Division at 312/747-8380. Jennifer and her family appreciate the enormous amount of love, support and prayers they have received while she and her family try to cope with this tragedy and continue the search for Julian."
The Chicago Sun-Times reports autopsies showed that Jennifer’s mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Julian, 29, died of gunshot wounds. Jennifer, 27, pictured here with her mother at the Governor's Ball following her Best Supporting Actress win at the 2007 Oscars, flew home when she heard the devastating news and identified the bodies, TMZ reports.
William Balfour, who is Julian’s stepfather and married to Jennifer’s sister Julia, is being held for parole violations and not for the double murders, according to the Sun-Times. The newspaper says that up until May William lived at the house where the murders occurred and that state records show that he was paroled in 2006 after convictions for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and receiving stolen property. He spent nearly seven years in prison, according to the Sun-Times. Reports quote William’s mother as saying her son and Julia, Jennifer’s sister, have been married around two years but are estranged.
Darnell watched Julian while Julia worked as a bus driver during the day. Julian had been at his grandmother's house on Friday and the two were, Julia said, "extremely close," People reports.
"I worked, so he was always with her, day in and day out," she said. "She did everything for him. She got him ready for school. She got him ready for bed."
Julia made a public plea for the return of her son on Saturday.
"I don't care who you are, just let the baby go," Julia, 31, accompanied by Julian’s father Greg King, said at a press conference at Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church on the South Side.”I just want my son. He don't deserve this."
Jennifer’s MySpace page was updated on Saturday with recent photos of Julian and this note:
Thank you all for your prayers and your calls. Please keep praying for our family and that we get Julian King back home safely. If anyone has any information about his whereabouts please contact the authorities immediately. Here is a picture of Julian and what he was last seen wearing. Once again thank you all for being there for us through this tough time.
Sincerely,The Hudson Family

Life in the Fastlane--Surely make You lose yo Mind...

I'm baaaack! It's been a minute since I blogged but so much has been happenin' so quickly that I really haven't had an opportunity. Since I'm a news journalist and have definitely written my share of news--my blogs suffers. But because my thoughts have been so vast, I'm gonna post a bunch of reflections to bring you up to date with a sistah.
Hold onto your hats...

"It is the night, my body's weak; I'm on the run no time to sleep.
I've got to ride, ride like the wind to be free again.
And I've got such a long way to go--to make it to the borders of Mexico
So I'll ride like the wind--ride like the wind..."

Pastor Sylvester Williams: Portrait of a Spiritual Leader

My pastor, Rev. Dr. Sylvester Williams, Sr., recently celebrated his "golden birthday." Offiially "he's grown now." (That's what I always say whenever anybody I love turns 50.)
A native of Alabama, he became my pastor 6 years ago, when my former pastor, Rev. Dr. Henry M. Williamson Sr. became Bishop and the Presiding Prelate of the 9th District, and moved away to California.

He's a cool person and is beloved by our congregation. He uses a very practical approach to ministry and preaches sermons that could be considered motivational. He's not into condemnation and eschews anything that might "bring a person down." He is humble and respectful. He is committed and faithful to our Methodist tradition. He treats children and seniors as the special citizens that they are.

He loves his family and his friends. he is a dutiful son, brother and uncle. He is a husband and father of two adult daughters and a son.
He loves to eat at good restaurants and appreciates unique atmospheres and service. He also loves home cooked foods and is an excellent cook. He loves music and is fond of the blues. He likes sports and doing regular guy stuff.
The church celebrated his birthday this past Sunday. His birthday was October 11th. I wasn't there--although I emailed him a birthday greeting. Even that didn't seem enough to me so I'm sending this sentiment to cyberspace for eternity.
Happy Birthday, Pastor Williams.

You have been a blessing in my life and I have grown under your spiritual leadership. You encourage me to live right--but not cause man is watching. May God bless you with the desires of your heart.

your sister in Christ Jesus,
The Churchlady

A Pig is still a Pig...

Which of these two animals represents change? I guess Barack Obama was right, eh? A pig is still a pig--even with lipstick!

As Salaam Alaikum Imam Warith Deen Mohommed

Imam Warith Deen Mohommed recently passed away at his home in Markham, Illinois. He was 74 years old. Ironically it was on the 9th day of Ramadan (9/9/08), one of the high holy days of the Islamic tradition. He was a spiritual leader to me and a dear friend to my parents, Naomi Salaam Sharif and her former husband, Imam Sidney Rahim Sharif.

The day I learned of his death was like every other day in the news game--busy and deadline oriented.

My girl, Patti (who always manages to find out everything faster than me), left me an email with a news clip about the death of Imam Mohommed. I was simply stunned. His older brother, Jabir Herbert Muhammad (former trainer to Muhammad Ali), had died about 2 weeks earlier on my birthday and the opening session of the Democratic National Convention--August 25, 2008. Both men were sons of the late Nation of Islam (NOI) leader, The Honorable Elijah Muhammad.

I remember my earliest recollection of hearing about Imam Mohommed was as a 12 year old girl when my mother joined the NOI and became Sister Naomi 2X. I became Sister Vanessa X and my siblings all had Xs too. X became our name of choice to replace our slave name--Sanders. Wallace Muhammad was really what I like to call a 'renegade.' He openly challenged some of the teachings of the NOI as prescribed by Master Fard Muhammad, a man that NOI followers regarded as God having appeared in his person. Sorta like Jesus being God as the Son of Man.

My spirit agreed with the teachings of the NOI for the most part as a pre-teen. I was a little big-eyed, brown-skinned girl growing up in the U.S. and I very rarely had my blackness celebrated. At Temple #2 in Chicago I was treated better than a princess--more like a 'little queen'. It was great for my self confidence to know that black people were the cream of the planet earth.

We learned many things about God/Allah and the Islamic tradition. We stopped eating pork and prayed 5xs daily. We heard Elijah Muhammad speak on Sundays and on Wednesdays other ministers taught us. My siblings attended the University of Islam and later Sister Clara Muhammad School. My mom was a school nurse. My step-dad, a Chicago police officer, was a minister and in the Fruit of Islam (FOI); my brother William was in the Jr-FOI. We were taught from the Holy Bible although we were not Christian. We considered ourselves muslim.

In February 1975, when I was 16, we found out at Savior's Day that 'the lamb'--the Honorable Elijah Muhammad has made his earthly transition and that his son Wallace would succeed his leadership. My family and I welcomed the change but many did not. We would go on to follow the teachings of Orthodox Islam, many learning to speak and pray in Arabic, learning to read the Quran and to memorize suras. Many would take the holy pilgrimage to Mecca--in fact, my parents made hajj twice. We would fast during Ramadan and pay zakat to the poor. Imam Mohommed changed his name to reflect who he felt he was; from Wallace to Warith. he completed by changing the spelling of his last name, although he maintained his pride in being the son of Elijah Muhammad.

Imam Warith Deen Mohommed was a humble and wonderful man. He was brilliant, loving and intelligent. Men and boys wanted to be like him. Women admired him and envied his wife. He wanted to be more like Prophet Mohommed and Christ. He taught us to love them both and all of the prophets and men God raised up. He taught us to love ourselves and mankind. he taught us that being a muslim was a way of life--not a religion and that it was not reflected in our attire but in our hearts. He taught us to become independent thinkers and to read the Quran and Bible for ourselves. he encouraged us to pray for wisdom and understanding. He encouraged us to fellowship with muslims of other ethnicities and he led by example. And above all, he taught against us being racist or thinking one race was superior over another. Later, at age 38 I converted to Christianity and became a disciple and follower of Jesus Christ. I still respect the muslims and the impact Islam had on my life for a season. I still love and respect Imam Warith Deen Mohommed.

He was not perfect. He made many mistakes. He was a bridge-builder and did not author confusion or controversy. He was a world class leader.

Thank you for exposing the world to love, Imam Mohommed.

As Salaam Alaikum- peace be unto you