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hakimbe · 2 years

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Manny was another one of the men that made me. You might recall me burying another one "my mans" that I molded my personality in the image of, a few months back in October. With Keathel it was soccer. With Manuell it was basketball. The hours spent around the way on the court in Cedarbrook & Sicklerville were a training ground for what would become a proving ground in the Edgewood Regional High School cafeteria parking lot and at the Chesilhurst Courts (they had lights! A luxury back then...). I had game. Good enough to wind up on the opposing coach's scouting report in the Township league. Good enough to go from camper to counselor at the Touch 4 life Basketball Camp (shout out to founder and former ABA pro Gil Smith). Good enough to get my dad breathing hard when we played on-on-one on the hoop he bought me one Christmas, that lived in the driveway I would shovel every winter ... just to practice. (Come to think of it, Parents ... if you want the driveway shoveled in the winter, buy your child a hoop and slab it in the middle of driveway!)

But I didn't have the confidence to go out for the high school basketball team until Manny was like, "C'mon Hak." If he and his future wife, Keta, were an "unlikely" couple ... the Romeo & Juliet love story of our class ... me and Manny being as tight as we was, were like the Odd Couple. Back when being in "Gifted & Talented" was code for "being an Oreo" and Student Body President was code for somehow "being whiter than THAT," Manny was like "Hak can ball." The other homies' game preceded them. We knew Rodney, Andre, Tyrone, I-ron, Stephon, etc. were the hoopers, I was a soccer player. But so was Hakeem Olajuwon. I had a little bit of footwork, a little bit of vision. a little bit of handles, a little bit of jumper ... but I could dunk. Manny always picked me up when it was 3-on-3 at lunch time.

My game grew. I played one year of JV and Varsity the rest of my high school career (a few colleges even gave me a look). He was our "Point God" before Chris Paul. He was our "Answer" in the age of Allen Iverson. I think he averaged close to 30 PPG that season. During the season, he used to catch a ride with me back and forth from school ... because we had practice before AND after school. No buses. Sadly, the summer after we graduated high school he and I had a misunderstanding about a car stereo that belonged to neither one of us. It belonged to my Dad. To the point law enforcement got involved. Needless to say, Manny was upset. So was I. Neither one of us was as upset as my Dad, with both of us, but mainly me.

Rumor had it Manny wanted to beat me up, as a result. This is long before we both had any tattoos, mind you. I was hooping in his pop's outdoor league in "Ches" that summer. Both our father's were named Rick. His Rick was a former professional basketball player, an icon to all of us up and coming South Jersey ballers. I happened to be at one of my games that summer, and Manny shows up. You know how it is. There's the usual, "Guess who's here?" The usual, "What you gonna do?" We spoke briefly, the first time since the incident and ensuing phone calls. Manny even talked to my father on the phone throughout the process. That impressed me because I barely spoke to my father about it. At the end of the day, we squashed it. Right there at Chesilhurst courts.

But it wasn't the same since, and that was the last time we spoke, in person. I think what I'll miss most is his laugh. I'd ask about him and Keta, figure out how they were doing through mutual friends. But it had been a long while ... probably before my father got terminally ill in 2014/15 since I'd gotten an update. Until now. We've always had more in common than not. We're both from Philadelphia. We've both lived in North Carolina. We both made our careers trying to influence the lives of young Black men, including ourselves. Including our own. Both fathers. Both doing the best we can. Sad to hear that his life was taken in an automobile accident as he was heading home from work to take his child to practice. I'm running these roads with mine all the time, terrified. Glad to hear that he and Keta have made a beautiful life and family. South Jersey stand up. Please support the family with a contribution if you can. Sending love to the Freeny family on today's burial/memorial.

#Manuell Freeny #Manny Freeny #Edgewood Regional High School #Edgewood #South Jersey #Chesilhurst #Sicklerville #Cedarbrook #New Jersey #Lo Jerz #Winslow Township High School #High School Basketball #High School Soccer #Keathel Haynes

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hakimbe · 3 years

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We got a review from the Poetry Foundation here!

Let us know what you think!

Purchase Commissions y Corridos from your local bookseller (walk in and ask them to order and stock copies at a store near you)! #BuyLocal

Or get them direct from the distributor here.

#Commissions y Corridos #Poems #Poetry #Spoken Word #Performance poetry #Hakim Bellamy #Hakim Be #Black Authors #Bookish #Reading is sexy #Writing While Black #Albuquerque #New Mexico #New Mexico True #New Mexico Truth #NM #ABQ #Burque #Poet Laureate

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hakimbe · 3 years

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Humbled to help send off our next evolution of @uofnm futurists, (community) builders and (home) makers ... presenting the @unmsaap #ClassOf2021 🎓 #LoboLove #CongratsToAllTheGrads See the full commencement (not just my part) and witness their ascent. Link in profile. (at UNM School of Architecture and Planning Alumni Association) https://www.instagram.com/p/CPBQPHCL_ol/?utm_medium=tumblr

#classof2021 #lobolove #congratstoallthegrads

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hakimbe · 3 years

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Pandemic Pods y Poems

I had a few conversations, made a few keynote speeches and a wrote a few new poems during the pandemic. Here’s an inventory. As always I appreciate your ears, eyes and time.

Pandemic Podcasts

March 27th, 2020 Fusion Forum Podcast (Episode 2)

Laurie Thomas is a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Chair of FUSION. She is a professional actor, director, writer, educator, and host of FUSION Forum Podcast. Laurie talks with poet, educator, actor, musician and Deputy Director for the City of Albuquerque's Cultural Services Department, Hakim Bellamy, about the city's strategies for sustaining Albuquerque's artists and arts organizations during the pandemic. They also take on the creative process of poetry, Hakim's earliest storytelling, his love for the Southwest, and his experience with Annie Baker's play The Antipodes.

June 20th, 2020 Cafecito con Colón

The pandemic also inspired Colón to start a daily Facebook feed called “Cafecito de Colón,” because he missed daily contact with others. “I’m anxious because I’m used to hugging and shaking hands with 150-200 people a day.” He describes his use of technology to connect New Mexicans during this crisis as his “extrovert therapy.” Every day at 9 a.m., you can log on to his Facebook page and hear him interview guests ranging from NM Representative Abbas Akhil, who discussed the Muslim holiday of Ramadan, to Brian Blalock, head of the Children Youth and Families Department, who talked about the state’s efforts to protect children. The episode that earned some 2,000 views featured NM Lt. Governor Howie Morales. He also uses his Facebook platform to promote other organizations who are doing their part to support their fellow New Mexicans. All 47 episodes are available at any time.

June 29th, 2020 Theory of Change Podcast

Communities worldwide have been pushing for systemic change and transforming our social structures toward justice. Conversations about race and injustice can be transformative, liberating and hostile. This episodes includes a panel conversation on the nature of these conversations and how to enhance how we can have more productive dialogues on race and justice.

Panel Members:

Dr. Jessica Tyler: An Assistant Clinical Professor at Auburn University, the Coordinator of the Clinical Mental Health Counseling program, and owns a private practice primarily working with adults and trauma. Her expertise ranges from crisis counseling, working with veterans and their dependents, suicide prevention and treatment, and social networking and its impact on psychological & social wellbeing.

Hakim Belamy: The Deputy Director of the Cultural Services Department for the City of Albuquerque. Hakim was the Inaugural Poet Laureate for the City of Albuquerque (2012-2014). In 2012 he published his first collection of poetry, SWEAR, and it landed him the Working Class Studies Tillie Olsen Award for Literature in 2012. Bellamy has held adjunct faculty positions at UNM and the Institute of American Indian Arts.

Dr. Nancy Thacker: An Assistant Professor of Counselor Education at Auburn University and National Certified Counselor. Her research focus is centered on examining the ways in which culture, systemic oppression, and issues of power and privilege impact mental health and wellbeing. She applies this focus within two topic areas: theory and praxis of grief counseling, and the professional development of counselors and educators.

Dr. Linwood Vereen: Dr. Vereen's work focuses on humanism as a central tenet of professional counseling, existentialism, Black existentialism, humor in counseling, clinical supervisor development, group dynamics, and mindfulness. He has held various leadership positions with the field of Professional Counseling and Counselor Education and is currently the editor for the Journal of Humanistic Counseling

Audio Engineer Daniel Reza

Music By The Passion HiFi www.thepassionhifi.com

July 3rd, 2020 Ethics Now Podcast (Episode 9)

EthicsNOW was born of the desire to serve the public during these historic times. The world has always been full of ethical questions…but many are coming to the forefront and new questions are arising. As an advocacy, research and education organization, we have been involved in the push for an enhanced ethical culture in government and public life. We felt the need and ability to provide a forum dedicated to discussing the ethical issues that are arising for everyone in this time. With knowledgeable and experienced guests joining the host, programs will run the gamut from discussions on the ethics of campaigning and holding elections; medical ethics (from both patient and hospital point of view); the ethics of public agencies continuing to provide essential services (courts, city government, prisons, etc.); to the ethical concerns of small and large businesses with regard to employees and the public.

July 10, 2020 High School Daze Podcast (Season 1, Episode 9)

A podcast about Art & High School hosted by Rene Palomares. High school is a place that makes AND breaks us. Hear from a variety of artists about their experience during those crucial teen years that has made them who they are today.

August 26th, 2020 Humanities NOW: According to Hakim Bellamy!

Join NM Humanities for our weekly Starting Conversations livestream. On August 26th, Starting Conversations welcomes poet and Deputy Director of the Cultural Services Department Hakim Bellamy for a uniquely personal look at life, art, and politics in today's Albuquerque. Watch the stream live here on our Youtube page.

November 30th, 2020 Theory of Change Podcast

Reclaiming Your Narrative: Storytellers As Stewards of Community Episode 51 features poets Mercedez Holtry and Hakim Bellamy. Both are renown artists, teachers and writers. We talk about storytelling and contemporary struggles for space in the dominant narrative. We stress the value of expression and listening as communal and integral to our wellness.

To hear more from Mercedez and Hakim check out the resources below.

https://humansofnewmexico.com/2017/01/11/mercedez-holtry/

https://hakimbe.com http://www.beyondpoetryink.com

Contact [email protected]

Audio Engineer Daniel Reza

Music By The Passion HiFi www.thepassionhifi.com

January 1st, 2021 smARTalk (Episode 2)

Community Publishing is excited to announce our new weekly program, smARTalk! Sponsored by the leader in podcasting, Spotify’s Anchor FM and hosted by Author-Educator-Media Personality-Community Organizer Alex Paramo, smARTalk is a hybrid Podcast / Live Stream show where we invite “Guest Stars” – Film Industry professionals: Actors, Directors, Writers, Producers etc to discuss and help provide progressive solutions for issues that are pressing in our society at-large. Additionally we will be “Featuring” local visual artists, musicians, writers and local business owners to discuss their latest endeavors! Focusing on finding progressive-minded solutions to our most pressing issues, smARTalk promises to bring attention to the unique New Mexico Arts industry which originates from an diverse blend of Native American, Hispanic and new arrivals into the state, that is exclusive to the Land of Enchantment.

February 5th, 2021 New Mexico in Focus: A Moment for The Poets | Amanda Gorman Performs at Super Bowl LV

In this special episode of New Mexico in Focus, host Gene Grant talks to New Mexico Poets about the power of the spoken word in light of inaugural poet Amanda Gorman's performance at Super Bowl LV. Albuquerque Poets Laureate Hakim Bellamy and Jessica Helen Lopez join us, along with state Poet Laureate Levi Romero. The group talk about the power of language, and what they expect from Gorman's performance on the nation's biggest stage. #AmandaGorman

February 8th, 2021 Where’s Your Heart Live

Today we discuss "What Now? Continuing the Fight" with special guests, Jason Carter, Rhonda Crowder, and Hakim Bellamy.

Where’s Your Heart: Championing vulnerability as a core human strength.

NEW TIME! 8:00 PM ET / 7:00 PM CT / 6:00 PM MT / 5:00 PM PT

Hosted by Royce E TevisTownes and Teresa Robinson

https://linktr.ee/Wheresyourheart.live

#wheresyourheartlive #vulnerability #strength #education #discussion #space #understanding #goals #newmexico #albuquerque #nmtrue #blisseffectofficial

Pandemic Poems

April 18th, 2021 Bookworks Poetry Month Feature

Hakim Bellamy, Albuquerque's first poet laureate reads from his work, published and unpublished.

May 15th 2021 Virtual Lemonade: Bonus Tracks

Virtual LemonAid will showcase the extraordinary talent of northern New Mexico to raise support for Covid-19 relief funds. Singers, poets, actors, filmmakers, dancers and performers will all come together to assemble a free show streaming across social media channels and public television. 20% of all funds raised during the screenings will be split evenly between participating artists. The remaining 80% will be divided between the All Together New Mexico Fund and the Santa Fe County Connect Fund. Both funds will be used to address immediate needs of New Mexicans affected by the Covid-19 crisis.

May 15th, 2021 “Our Town” A capella

Poem by Hakim Bellamy performed live May 15th on http://enchantment.tv.

July 23rd, 2021 (New Mexico PBS) The Awakening: Poetry for Black Lives

Adding their voices to the chorus of Black Lives, Albuquerque Poets Hakim Bellamy, Charles Simon and Marilyn Pettes Hill hope to awaken America to the racism it has slept on for far too long.

July 27th, 2021 City Alive/Albuquerque Will Thrive Again - COVID-19 Recovery, Creatives and Entrepreneurs

Albuquerque stands together. We will thrive again. We are united. Poem and performance by Hakim Bellamy, Albuquerque's inaugural poet laureate.

August 17th, 2020 UNM Freshman Family Day

UNM welcomed its new Lobos with a first-of-its-kind virtual welcome celebration. Freshman Day was held Sunday, Aug. 16 and featured the “Lobo Launch” ceremony. It was the virtual edition of the Freshman Convocation Ceremony, held every fall in Popejoy Hall. The half hour Lobo Launch celebration can be viewed in its entirety by clicking here. The virtual celebration allowed UNM to celebrate its new and returning students while maintaining safe and responsible social distancing practices. It also enabled families across the state, country and world to join together to help Lobos launch their college journey. Hundreds tuned in to watch, while many more engaged with the social media posts by asking questions. Click here to see the performances given from groups across the University. The online event featured appearances from University, athletic, and community leaders. There was also be a panel discussion for parent and other events on Facebook and Instagram. Throughout the day leading up to the event, UNM social media channels featured special performances, activities and welcome videos to help generate school spirit and a sense of community.

October 10, 2020 Virtual Civic Saturday

At Citizen University, we believe that a strong democracy relies on strong citizens. Come build those citizen muscles with us at our next Virtual Civic Saturday on Youtube Live and join for Civic Circles afterward on Zoom. Civic Saturday encourages us to reflect with others around our common civic purpose, challenges us to consider how we are living up to the American creed, and inspires us to live like citizens now and in the future. In this moment where gathering in large groups is not possible for the safety of our community, Citizen University invites us to maintain our rituals and strengthen our collective civic health with a Virtual Civic Saturday. This Civic Saturday is hosted by Citizen University.

November 14th, 2020 New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence | Nursing Excellence Awards

Since 2005, the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence has had the honor of hosting the New Mexico Nursing Excellence Awards. This annual awards ceremony recognizes excellence in nursing practice and honors nurses for the contributions they make to their organizations, communities, and to our state. Created by nurses for nurses, the Nursing Excellence Awards have honored over 2,500 New Mexico nurse nominees since we began. Proceeds from the Nursing Excellence Awards support the New Mexico Center for Nursing Excellence and its mission.

January 16th, 2021 Virtual Civic Saturday

Civic Saturday is a civic ritual — a place to come together in civic community, be inspired and encouraged to reflect and connect, and create new civic traditions that are joyful and communal.

On January 16, we joined together on Zoom to name our hopes and fears, figure out what it means to be part of a coalition for democracy, and—as usual—were moved to tears by song, sermon, and poetry.

Tune in to the video for live music, poetry, and civic scripture—and a civic sermon from Eric Liu.

This Civic Saturday is hosted by Citizen University.

January 18th, 2021 MLK Day of Service at Amy Biehl High School

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hakimbe · 3 years

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I confess, there were moments yesterday where I was frustrated by the lack of force, deadly or otherwise, used by law enforcement yesterday on that display of entitlement and unchecked privilege. But then, I paused. Leaned into the emotion and located where it was coming from. It was coming from a place of grief. From the broken record of body bags that remind people that look like me that our protest, our riots, are in the name lives taken. Ours are of fear and last resort. Our grievence is one of the unloved. A country that has not reciprocated the level of sacrifice we've made for it. A country we have, to date, been unable to make love us, the way we deserve to be loved. The way it loves others. Theirs, yesterday, was a riot of fears that have yet to be realized on American soil. Fears hypothetical, yet inevitable. Fear of not being first. Fear of not being most. Fear of not getting their way. Fear of an uncertain future. Our fears, our riots are evidence based. An documented legacy of unsolved, not prosecuted, acquitted and systemically encouraged lethal violence. We march for our lives. Yesterday's "rally" was for a lifestyle. Today, our only certainty is an uncertain future...every time we leave our f****** house. They are rioting against what tomorrow might bring. We are rioting against what the past has wrought. Change is what we are fighting for, because the "way things are" hasn't worked for us since the founding of this nation. That is the desperation in our protests, I am unsure of the perceived discomfort in theirs. They are rioting to keep things stagnant, when rational science (and time) teach us that change is the only constant. "An important function of almost every system is to ensure its own perpetuation." - Dr. Donella H. Meadows, MacArthur Genius I no longer wish that they "got what was coming to them" yesterday...I just hope that next time they are the same color as me, that they are met with the same level of compassion and lack of contempt. 🙏🏾 #JacobBlake #CapitolRiots #US #Capitol #USCapitol #Kaepernick #DonellaMeadows

#US #US Capitol #Capitol Riots #Election #Certification #Capitol Breach #Riot #Protest #washington #washington dc #trump #kaepernick #Donella Meadows #MacArthur Genius #MacArthur Fellow

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hakimbe · 3 years

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“The Ayam Cemani is an uncommon breed of chicken from Indonesia. They have a dominant gene that causes hyperpigmentation (fibromelanosis), making the chicken mostly black, including feathers, beak, and internal organs.” - Wikipedia See the Sense of Wonder Experience for the full program of visual art, poetry & music. Link to full Art Reveal program in profile. https://youtu.be/c2dkct-uPz4 https://www.instagram.com/p/CIpcjE8FVOg/?igshid=rslojn90phrm

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hakimbe · 4 years

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In case your Democracy needed a lil’ church ... on a Saturday. In partnership with Citizen University and the Museum of Pop Culture. #CivicSaturday

Civic Literacy

How do you spell America?

You spell it…

[in brackets]

“Insert Last Name Here”

Spell it however you want.

But no matter what you do,

never spell it in hyphens.

Don’t subtract yourself.

America is one of those funny algebraic equations

where there’s no difference.

A Mumbo Jumbo* of numbers and letters

that have the exact same values

on either side of the equal sign.

Because for Americans 1+1=u

times me is demos

divided by us

the remainder leaves you with only a fraction of the power…

In other words Democracy is ours

if we just do the math.

Raise your hand

if America sometimes feels like a spell

that is wearing off.

A magic potion

getting less and less potent

by the purchase.

A bad relationship

built on broken promises,

when it’s actually really good promises

undone by broken relationships.

It sometimes feels like a spelling bee

and we’re all dyslexic.

Like I keep misspelling “vote”

vice. “Passion”

privilege. “Election”

effort. “Race”

riot. “Politics”

poison. “Protest”

problem. “Parade”

rally

and even the word “party” doesn’t quite have the same ring anymore.

Is it because we’ve forgotten how to sing?

That even though some of us have a different vocabulary

of ABCs taught us by the Jackson 5,

by and large

we all learned the same alphabet

set to a song about 50 twinkling little stars.

Where have our playgrounds gone?

Fluent in “argument”

but illiterate in assembly.

Even our anthems have become battlegrounds

again. Loud.

So loud we can no longer hear each other singing

over the boos and the bombs

that distract from the fact that we

don’t know all the words.

What if we are the sensation of speaking

and being unheard?