Westside Scholar

westsidescholar.wordpress.com 

[westsidescholar]

Republican Senators Are Hella Stalling the Appointment of a Supreme Court Justice: Call 'Em to Stop

#SenateGOP are hella stalling, call them to consider a #SCOTUS Nominee. #DoYourJob

Senate Republicans are stalling and are trying to stop President Obama from appointing the next Supreme Court Justice. This is super important because a new Supreme Court Justice may have a large impact on crucial social issues like reversing Citizens United to get the influence of Big money out of our Democracy (more…)

View On WordPress

[westsidescholar]

Bernie Sanders Ain't A Socialist!

.@BernieSanders ain't a Socialist! He's a Social Democrat and modeling N. Europe #feelthebern

  In addition to Bernie’s authenticity and passion, you just gotta love his hand gestures. People have been blasting  “Bernie’s a Socialist!” for months on end. I think its important to clarify this nuanced of a word–this very important nuance. To set the record, he’s not a Socialist but a Social Democrat. The fact that he exudes the principles of a Social Democrat is a key distinction because…

View On WordPress

[westsidescholar]

Oh you know, sitting next to Angela Davis taking a selfie 😁.⠀ I had the privilege to learn from this incredible woman yesterday at a benefits event focusing on Abolition and ending the prison industrial complex. She's an iconic figure internationally known for rocking her afro, fist in the air ✊🏾during the Civil Rights Movement. As a professor and author she focuses on writing about Black liberation, women's liberation and prison abolition. Her organization Critical Resistance has been leading the charge to stop jail expansion including LA County's most recent attempt at building a new women's jail in Lancaster. At one point she acknowledged that not only do we have to grasp the lessons of those who came before us. We have to take intergenerationality of our work seriously, and that "it's a question of elders learning from the youth".⠀ She said, "If the youth are standing [on the shoulders] of those who've come before them, they are standing even higher."⠀ I thought that was hella deep. When I was talking to her, she gave me the advice to "Follow your passion and do good work" Simple enough right? Propers to her commitment towards peace and freedom. #AngelaDavis #Black #WomansRights #Abolition #BHM #Activism #PrisonIndustrialComplex #Prison #Justice #Race #Gender #BPP50 #BlackHistoryMonth #Freedom #Peace (at Agape International Spiritual Center)

[westsidescholar]

Met Ericka Huggins yesterday, former Black Panther Party leader, at a UCLA screening of The Black Panthers. Here's a woman that's been through countless trials and tribulations and really humbled me to what a revolutionary is. Escaping death time after time, being a political prisoner, witnessing the murders of loved ones including being widowed to Panther leader John Huggins--doing it all for an undying love of the people. However in hindsight, that's not what the revolutionary part was. Two points she said stuck out to me: 1. Her late husband John told her "A person can't make revolution in society, without making revolution in themselves" That's why self-care is important she said. You must have the self-freedom and internal independence, free from societal influences to have revolution. I suppose this is why when I talked to her before the Q&A she advised me "Take care of yourself, because people like us [activist] tend not to" 2. Referring to us young activist folk eager for change, she said: "I want you alive". That you don't need to do something pre-maturely and leave the planet early. She realized that after the "10th or 11th" time her friends were murdered. She stressed she needs us and our brilliant minds to be here for the long run. 2016 marks the 50th year anniversary of the founding of the Black Panther Party. Consequently, much respect to Ericka Huggins for her decades of dedication and being a living testament of what it means to be a revolutionary. "Revolution is already happening, it's always happening, we just have to hook up to it [inside]" -Ericka Huggins #ErickaHuggins #BlackPanthers #TheBlackPantherParty #Activist #Activism #Politics #revolutionary #UCLA #theblackpanthersvanguardoftherevolution #Justice #Race #BlackHistoryMonth #bpp50 (at UCLA)

[westsidescholar]

Do you feel the bern? #BernieSanders #HillaryClinton #Democrat #feelthebern #Politics

[westsidescholar]

I like this pondering image of Abe. Maybe he was wondering how to get to know his haters better? If just a fraction of people approached human relationships this way, don't you think it'd be a much brighter world? Let's try to be like the homie Abe--at least once on his birthday 😂. #LincolnAbraham #HumanRelationships #Lincoln #People #OpenMind #Kindness

[westsidescholar]

Was tripping when I saw Roy Choi, @ridingshotgunla at @welocol. It was dope meeting him there. Roy Choi is a pioneer of the food truck movement. When I was in high school 6 years ago, I'd use Twitter to track down his iconic Kogi Taco truck @kogibbq, haha. His latest project is LocoL, a new fast food restaurant in Watts. LocoL is revolutionizing the fast food industry believing that delicious, healthy and affordable food is possible. In this fashion, they're empowering underserved communities in ways such as hiring locals and challenging the fast food status quo. You can tell he's a man of his community. When I was eating, I saw him working in the kitchen and rubbing shoulders with employees; that's humility right there. Much respect to Chef Roy and all he's done for the community and food industry. #RoyChoi #welocol #LocoL #Watts #LA #LASpotlight #LosAngeles #FastFood #FoodJustice #Community (at Locol)

[westsidescholar]

Check this out. There's been a huge victory for Democracy! Recently, the California Disclose Act, passed the Assembly with an overwhelming non-partisan vote of 60-15. AB 700 would prevent political ads from misleading voters on who’s paying for them by revealing the top 3 true funders in clear print (Instead of small longwinded text no one ever reads). The bill is now headed to the State Senate for approval so it’s very crucial to make sure they pass it to make sure big-money interest aren’t controlling our political system. To play your part, please take just a few seconds to sign the petition supporting AB 700 (Link in Bio!). By doing so, you’ll be a part of this landmark disclosure bill, prevent the influence of dark money in politics and you'll make sure our elected officials are voting for your best interest. #AB700 #CampaignFinanceReform #Democracy #BigMoney #DarkMoney #SpecialInterest #Senate #Assembly #CAPolitics

[westsidescholar]

Went to this cool kid's play yesterday. Sadeeq's on the come up 🙌, watch out. He and his fellow cast brilliantly shed light on the serious state of gun violence in the U.S. This is why arts and culture is is important. It gives perspective and it gives hope for a better world. #Arts #Play #Theater #LA #GunViolence #Hope #Perspective #Repost @sadeeqhali ・・・ Look who came out to the show last night!

[westsidescholar]

Today's Women's Self Defense seminar was dope! 🙌 Over 150 women who've mostly never done jiujitsu came out 💯.⠀ @renergracie and @evetorresgracie were great motivators towards the group of women today. At one point, when they simulated a physical fight, Eve got Rener in a choke with her legs (triangle choke), tapped him out got the women hyped up, haha 😂.⠀ Along with the dozen of assistant instructors, it was really awesome to be helping out some of these women on the mat for the first time. Not only were these women introduced with some skills to neutralize potential aggressors, I believe some were able to go home with a greater level of confidence and to know that they could be in control over any situation 👊.⠀ That way I see it, it's more than learning how to break someone's arm on knowing how to defend a punch. Jiu-Jitsu is so much greater! Life principles, philosophies, and values are what I really appreciate from it. For me, I can relate Jiu-Jitsu with women's rights ✊ (along with nonviolence and social justice). You would think that in 2016 we'd have equality for women but truth is we got a long way to go. Sexual Assault and sexism pervade our society. 82% of sexual assaults are committed by someone known to the victim. Economically, there's a large pay gap between men and women. Even the idea of feminism gets a bad rep. The word feminism is defined to mean "belief in the social, political and economic equality of the sexes".⠀ How sad is the fact that feminism is taboo and deemed as "crazy". That's how messed up society is! However, I have hope. I'd like to think for every successful tap a woman gets from applying an arm bar or choke, the further we're reaching in the fight for women's rights. It starts with Jiu-Jitsu, the gentle art. #GracieJiuJitsu #JiuJitsu #SelfDefense #Women #Empowerment #MartialArts #Sexism #SexualAssault #GlassCeiling #EverythingIsPolitical #Confidence #NonViolence (at Gracie Jiu-Jitsu Academy)

[westsidescholar]

Neutrality and tip-toeing prevents opportunities for growth. People got to have thicker skin and be proud and own what they believe in. If you have an opinion on something, speak up. Worse that can happen is someone enlightening you with a new perspective or you enlightening someone. Too much e-bullying now-a-days; we've got to say bye to the haters and welcome intellectual conversation. #LouisBrandeis #Politics #Neutral #Democracy #QOTD #Citizen #PC #PoliticallyCorrect #Haters #Millennial #CivicEngagement #Vote #GOTV

[westsidescholar]

Had the privilege of hearing @thesharkdaymond speak--his words were 🔥. I've always viewed Daymond as that one shark on @sharktankabc with swagger. However, there are more layers to this incredibly inspiring man. Daymond grew up in Hollis Queens, NY 🗽and was raised by a single mother. This was a story I knew too well myself, living in under-resourced communities of LA 🏙, raised by my single mother. He grew up with Hip-Hop; I grew up with Hip-Hop 🎧. He created FUBU; I wanted to rock FUBU. He turned up during the era of the block parties 🎉; I turned right, reading and dreaming about them in books 📚. With all these similarities, his story really resonated with me. Uncensored, he not only shared his success but his struggles such as how he worked as a waiter at Red Lobster or how his wife took away her love and their kids from him. It was then he changed his priorities and started to pay it forward like how @LLCoolJ once did for him, taking a chance by wearing his brand. Daymond said, "Why do we do what we do? What is it worth if we don't share time with others. You got to be happy at home first". His true inspiration are his daughters. One time they were watching "Finding Nemo" and his daughter who loves Dory 🐠 says, "Daddy, I have to be like Dory. I have to keep swimming, don't I daddy?". Even a shark has a heart. He has my respect 🙌; a true pioneer. #DaymondJohn #IgniteEvent2016 #SharkTank #FUBU #HipHop #ForUsByUs #PayItForward #Family #Queens #LA #PowerofBroke #FindingNemo

[westsidescholar]

"To reminisce with my old friends, a chance to share some memories, and play our songs again." -Ricky Nelson Catching up with the high school squad always brings back funny memories on how we were fools 😂. #OldFriends #LaterGram #HighSchool #Repost @hawkeyetran with @repostapp. ・・・ Finally catching up with some friends. #HighSchoolHomies #GreatMemories

[westsidescholar]

"This is foundation" -Andrew A-Game Mam, @agamethelight Had the privilege of reconnecting with A-Game, an inspiring breaking mentor from college. Honestly, it it wasn't for Andy, I wouldn't still be dancing today; he completely transformed my understanding of breaking and for that I am forever grateful. But that's a story I'll save for another day. Yesterday, he performed an incredibly powerful piece at Diggs Deep. His piece was one of those moments that though wasn't filmed, at least for me, it'll always be remembered. Combining spoken word and breaking, from my interpretation, he told a story of how the art of breaking transformed him into the man he is today. At one point, he broke the fourth wall and dedicated his piece to Ken Swift and thanked him for paving the path for him and all of those who's life was saved and positively influenced through breaking. It's funny, to hear Andy pay tribute to one of his inspirations having an impact on him, because he's the one who made the biggest impression on me in breaking. And as far as what foundation is, as much as I want to spoil the goods from A-Game's performance, to do him justice, you just gotta check him out at a performance near you. A-Game's making paradigm shifts, be on the lookout. Shoutout to @diggs_deeper for the intimate community space; y'all are doing great things. #AGame #Breaking #Bboy #LADiggsDeep #DiggsDeeper #LA #BreakLife #StyleElements #SpokenWord #RoleModel #Mentor #HipHop

[westsidescholar]

I had the awesome opportunity to learn from breaking OG, @realkenswift. This man is one of the humblest people I've ever met 🙌. He's been actively giving back to the Hip Hop culture for nearly 4 decades. I mean just look at his instagram, first words are "Since 1978 in the NYC". That's one thing I love about Hip Hop and breaking, this culture and dance is so young that you have the opportunity to learn from the elders directly. An example of his humility was when he offered his wisdom to the community at @diggs_deeper yesterday night. He told stories of how breaking was back in the day. He had light hearted memories like: how he cracked his head on tables and broke furniture practicing 😂; how he got really excited, when one time in his youth he did a swipe and caught the attention of a female🙎. And he also told us serious stories like how one time when he and his crew were dancing outside, a group of people crawled up to them at gunpoint and stole their equipment--they did end up taking it back. At the end of it all, I got three concepts from Kenny: 1. Music is the context. This is what the dance is all about, the music 🎧. 2. Respect your elders. Too often there's e-boys and e-girls dissing their elders online like nothing. Back in the day, this wouldn't have slide 🙅. At the end of the night, Kenny was humble enough to ask me about my breaking experience. I told him I had an on and off relationship with breaking. And so, the final piece of wisdom he gave to me was: 3. If you love it, keep doing what you're doing--don't worry about what other people say. He said that old friends and family were surprised when they found out he was still repping Hip Hop and Breaking after all these years; that's what makes him legendary. Next time I introduce myself and someone asks "Like Kenny from South Park?", I'll make a smirk and reply, "Nah, like Kenny from the Rocksteady Crew". Ken Swift--Respect and One Love. #KenSwift #RockSteadyCrew #Breaking #Pioneer #Bboy #Bgirl #HipHop #BreakLife #DiggsDeeper #LADiggsDeeper #LA #Dance #StyleWars #WildStyle #BeatStreet

[westsidescholar]

Ira Steward was a prominent labor leader and a major advocate of the 8-hour work day 🕔 in the late 19th century. Ira understood that our nation's hard workers were the core of our economy 📈. The more workers make, as consumers, the more they'll buy 💰. The more they buy, the more profit that is generated in all industries. Economic activity becomes constant, which leads to further job creation. From there a prosperous cycle 🔄 ensues which produces a greater quality of life for everyone. In the 1950s and 1960s, over 34% of workers were unionized at one of the most prosperous time in the American Economy; today only 7% are unionized. As a result, it is no coincidence that economic inequality is a pervasive issue. For a more prosperous society, we must ensure that our nation's workers are granted: 1. A living wage 🏠🍞💧. 2. Safe and sustainable working conditions 👷. 3. Reliable health care coverage 🏥. 4. Strengthened Maternity and Paternity Leave 👶. A necessary first step to fulfilling these goals is to create a culture where unions are valued once again. Only then, can our nation return to not only economic prosperity, but also social prosperity. #Workers #Economy #Politics #Labor #LivingWage #ParentalLeave #Work #AmericanPolitics #HealthCare #Union

[westsidescholar]

I recently picked up two new books 📚. One's by Donald Trump 😠, the other is by Bernie Sanders 🔥. Both are seeking the presidential endorsement of their respective party. Now, people think I'm 'crazy' for picking up Donald Trump's book 📖, but I'll tell you why. There's a saying that goes: before you form an opinion 🤐, be sure you can argue the other side better than they can. The way I see it, it's important to keep an open mind 🤔. I already know a lot about Bernie and his platforms, however not so much about Trump. Even though, I might not agree with all of the points Trump makes, I'm sure there are points we share in common 👍. If you can argue both sides and argue the other side better, at the very least, you're big enough of a person to be open minded 💭 and to be able to back up what you know. So often I've made and continue to make the mistake of letting opinions📢, common beliefs and my environment 🏙 indoctrinate me into a box of thinking. For myself, it's an act of being able to admit that there's a lot I don't know, but that I'm willing to seek out the answers 🔍. A black and white🏴🏳, binary mentality can be a a limited one. So, value your ability to think by forming opinions with a more humble approach. And for the sake of Democracy, be an engaged citizen--please? 😄📰 The scales of justice are in our hands⚖🗳 #BernieSanders #DonaldTrump #FeeltheBern #MakeAmericaGreatAgain #BreakEmUp #TrumpTrain #PoliticalRevolution #Politics #Elections #Books #Democracy #Think #Learn #Education #Knowledge