Anita Who? Happy Ada Lovelace Day!

as part of a 1900+ person pledge to blog about a woman in technology honoring ada lovelace day, i have to put out the name of one, anita brown. it was a toss up as we could only pledge to blog about one person or i would certainly have included red burns in the mix (red, if you are reading this:  i am very excited about working under your guidance at ITP. you’ll get my post next year!).

brown founded one of the earliest (if not first) online resources, the now defunct black geeks online, to address digital divide issues, particularly  for african americans. she was an avid advocate to close the digital divide in the u.s.- before it was popular and after the topic seemed to fall to the wayside in the u.s. i met ms. brown at columbia university several years ago. i was inspired by her knowledge and passion for the subject. i am still surprised  at how little i hear of her in conversations about early web pioneers who didn’t limit their aspirations to financial gain. i could hardly find news of her passing (she was 63) , save for an obituary in the washington post nearly three years ago.

like too many civic-minded entrepreneurs, brown seemed to run out of steam just as digital divide concerns were beginning to become of interest to the mainstream again. i am constantly reminded of lesser known talented people who could truly stand to benefit from the kind of support that will provide lasting energy to overcome fatigue. entrepreneurship can be a lonely experience. being focused on more than the bottom line can take a toll on more than the psyche. i often wonder what it might have been like if ms. brown were alive to experience the wave of socially-focused entrepreneurs and initiatives that support them including echoing green, ashoka and the school for social entrepreneurs. 

it’s easy to mistake her name for others: anita baker, anita bryant, anita hill (yes, i went there)-  but her legacy remains. there are those who know and value her work, endeavoring to carry the torch for digital literacy and information for all. i count myself as one. three cheers for passion, ideas and inspiring people.

 

learn more about the pledge here:

* http://findingada.com
* http://www.pledgebank.com/AdaLovelaceDay
* http://twitter.com/FindingAda
* http://groups.yahoo.com/group/findingada
* http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=47550446005

Artists + Party + Student Debt= AfterSputnik: The Art Project

aftersputnik, an organization dedicated to extenuating u.s. student loans, is hosting a three-day event in nyc (queens) that showcases artists and their work reflecting how student debt has impacted them. art work will be for sale and a panel will award cash prizes to top selections. my money is on any piece on display incorporating top ramen noodles.

ChildCry Rings Wall Street’s Opening Bell

ChildCry Opens Wall Street

i was thrilled to see members of Times Square Church’s humanitarian mission, ChildCry, present Thursday morning to ring the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange. it represented a different perspective toward what we should be focusing our time, energy and money on: helping others. ChildCry feeds thousands of young people in countries around the world through proceeds from offerings by its performing and recording artists.

Watch The Speech, Watch History (Inauguration Speech)

watch president barack obama’s speech and swearing in here.

“…know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy.”

in case you missed it, here is the full text of president obama’s inauguration speech (text courtesy of yahoo!; photo courtesy of karen 2020 via flickr and creative commons).

2009 Is Just The Beginning Of The Dream

Yahoo! logo with image for MLK Day 2009

it seems fitting that we celebrate mlk day this year in prelude to the inauguration of our 44th president, barack obama, the first african american elected to lead america. there have been plenty of references to dr. king’s historical “i have a dream” speech in consideration of the significance and promise of the incoming obama administration- and rightfully so. yet, its true significance is in the fact the dream is just beginning- not just for one group, but also for the whole nation. even the world.

in spite of tumultuous happening in just about every facet of our society, we have an amazing opportunity to help ourselves by helping those around us. president-elect obama has touched on this throughout his campaign and in weeks leading up to tomorrow’s inauguration. it’s not a new idea, but one that will be re-invigorated through the hope and optimism that colors the mood of the country in anticipation of change for the better.

read what dr. king said during a speech presented in 1957.

as a nation, we can do whatever we collectively make up our minds to achieve. hopefully that will be to stand united and to serve united.

A New Day Is Here…

here’s a thank you post from the Barack Obama website. if you missed the acceptance speech, check it out here.

About That Proposed Bail Out…

i just have one question, really: why the relative radio silence by moveon, color of change and the like on the lack of public hearings over the wall street bail out bill? it’s not as if there isn’t grumbling all across america about it. maybe i missed the emails that usually bombard my inbox.

did i say one question? i meant two- eh, three if you are detail oriented. since when did congress become more qualified to deal with a mess that wall street couldn’t keep out of? lawyers as investment bankers. maybe it is not such a stretch after all…

Prayer in the Square 2008 at Times Square in NYC

Prayer in the Square 2008

**update September 7, 2008** Prayer in the Square was awesome… literally. thousands came together at times square (approximately 20,000 people) and at city hall (around 30,000 people), in addition to those that tuned in by radio and live web stream around the world. you can view the 2008 gathering here.** next year’s gathering is scheduled for September 13, 2009.

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Prayer in the Square 2008 is taking place in the infamous bright lights, big city zone (aka, “the block that disney bought”) on Sunday, September 7  from 3 pm to 4 pm. over 200 churches and thousands of individuals are expected to gather in the square to pray for the city and nation. it will be an encouraging and uplifting experience. come on down at 3 pm or head over to the Times Square Church at 1 pm for an early service and walk down with everyone. it should be a sight to behold. check out the proclamation here.

Watch The Speech, Watch History

i was actually at a baseball game during the speech (don’t leave any crazy comments about my choices). i was greeted by an enthusiastic voicemail from my sister who has been following the campaign almost religiously. i read the speech transcript and was told that i must WATCH the speech. i did via a short clip on YouTube and listened again via a program on WBAI. for those of you who didn’t see it or want to view again, here’s barack obama’s acceptance speech via his campaign web site. feel free to post your thoughts as well (on his speech, not my attendance of a sporting event that evening). i’ll post my own two cents in the near future.

barack obama makes history with acceptance of the democratic nomination as presidential candidate in 2008