“I’m out here fightin for you. N****z watchin the throne. Very happy to be.
Power to the people. When you see me, see you… It’s time for us to stop and re-define black power.” Jay-Z & Kanye West, “Murder to Excellence,” Watch the Throne, 2011

RIGHTEOUSNESS.

It’s Friday! Thank GOD Daily Dosers! Three things to take us out this week and into the weekend. One, I am genuinely excited about this month. All around me I see elevation in people’s lives. Everyday when I go to work or talk to my peers, colleagues, and family members, victory in their lives seem so close. I’m literally watching their throne, and it is great to see people willing and ready to climb toward excellence. Two, that climb is exhausting. So please think again if you think you’re not gonna get winded. It’s been a hellified week for me. A midst the excitement is a tired heaviness that I know covers me because of the overwhelming schedule I’m keeping these days. Still, I keep on moving towards November 19th when I will take some time off for family. Until then…

Three, we’re only able to climb because of the battles that were fought for us decades and centuries ago. On Wednesday, Joshua encouraged us to encourage ourselves over the next month as we have declared November Throne Watchin’ Month.  Thursday, Brandon highlighted Women of Color. Today, I want to highlight Women of the Movement. Yesterday a group of community members in Cambridge gathered to watch “Walking With Guns”, the Emmy-winning film I co-produced with Andrew Young and CB Hackworth. The discussion that followed was intense and rich because it illuminated how poverty, crime, and violence are inextricably connected. And to chop away at it we first have to look at the level of economic disparity that currently exists. Word on the street is that Angela Davis expressed her support of the Occupy Wall Street Movement by speaking in Oakland. A former Black Panther with a legacy of being a scholar-activist, Davis is watching the 99% resist as she did years ago. Davis said to the crowd, “You are re-inventing our political universe…You have renewed our collective passion.”

The DDR: In “Murder to Excellence” Jay-Z raps, “Power to the people. When you see me, see you.” That’s heavy. It exemplifies reciprocity. As we watch his throne we are also watching ours. Angela Davis’ throne is our throne. Occupy Wall Street’s throne is our throne whether it seems that way or not. We are all connected. Moves you make today affect your brother and sister of tomorrow. Surely, this is a message threaded through “Walking With Guns”.  So this weekend let’s watch eachother’s throne because when you see my success, you should see yours also. Peace and love. God Bless You.