Hello all. It has been quite a challenge for us all to stay positively engaged during such trying times. First with Covid-19 and now… in the past few weeks… with the repeated realization that we have a broken system.

RIP

George Floyd

Breonna Taylor

Trayvon Martin

Tamir Rice

Michael Brown

Eric Garner

Philando Castile

And all the many others….. The struggle continues.

It is my hope and prayer that common sense, decency and science prevail in the end with both Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter. Remember that November is coming. I hope you are all prepared to VOTE.

As many states are beginning to open up in the effort to get things back to a more normal life flow… I can’t stress enough the importance of continuing to follow the guidelines of wearing masks and washing hands.

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Below is a  list of questions from a particularly enjoyable exclusive interview I did with RB page. If you have not gotten a chance to listen… I place it here for you now. Mostly, I am speaking on the topic of songwriting and how it is that I come up with my creations…. As some of you know… I don’t really think of myself solely as a singer. I started off in the music business as a songwriter and producer. Later, when all the magical factors came together and I began singing my own material….. Well… as they say… the rest is history… To this day I am grateful and continue to be humbled from the loyal support that comes from all of you.

SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Here’s a little ditty about sustainable development. I thought it might be cool to pass this along to some of our youngsters so they can get an idea of the kinds of things to think about as they grow older and have more responsibility in this world of ours.

UNITED NATIONS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

By now you are aware that I am an advocate for the creation of a sustainable future for everyone…. I think the United Nations sustainable development goals continue to be a good way to break down and understand the problems that not just the world, but we as individual people face towards reaching that goal. If we understand these goals in a larger context… then I believe we can really understand that all of us as human beings have the same basic needs and are after the same things. Here are goals 3, 4 and 5.

• GOAL 3: Good Health and Well-being.

It is pretty obvious at the moment that not only the United States but the entire planet is struggling with the issue of good health and well being. Covid has brought us to a strange time indeed… where people aren’t sure what the future will hold… only that it will not return to its previous state. It is my belief that every person should have the ability to maintain good health and have a sense of well being. Of course if you are not in good health you won’t have that sense of well being. Further, if you’re struggling with making ends meat it is pretty difficult to maintain. For me, this means that poverty is a large contributor to a poor sense of well being. Just think of it– if we could END poverty…. We could solve so many of the problems in this world…

• GOAL 4: Quality Education.

It is true that on the whole more and more people are being educated. That is the good news. An interesting fact on a world level is that it is women who are more likely to complete their degrees… but they will earn less and have less opportunity in the job market than men with the same degree.  So we still have a way to go… here’s a link.

Another interesting point I’d like to bring up regarding early education here in the United States, is what our children are taught in schools. The truth is, we do not teach the complete history of the United States in early education. This is one of the things that cause problems in the future. If we understood all the contributions that make up our combined history, we would have a more accurate view of each other and the world.  We need to update our history books to accurately reflect history.

• GOAL 5: Gender Equality

 Simply put… we’re still far from accomplishing gender equality… especially as it relates to jobs as mentioned above. But there is also another blaring aspect to job inequality…. Race.  Here are the statistics: If a while male gets a job and he makes one dollar…. A white woman will make 77 cents… African American women will  make 64 cents of that same dollar and Hispanic women make on average even less at 56 cents.

Until we address major quality of life issues like these here in the United States and around the world… we will continue to feel at odds with each other… Here’s a link

JUNETEENTH JUNE 19th

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States.

From its Galveston, Texas origin in 1865, the observance of June 19^th as the African American Emancipation Day has spread across the United States and beyond.

Juneteenth commemorates African American freedom and emphasizes education and achievement. It is a day, a week, and in some areas a month marked with celebrations, guest speakers, picnics and family gatherings. It is a time for reflection and rejoicing. It is a time for assessment, self-improvement and for planning the future. Its growing popularity signifies a level of maturity and dignity in America long over due. In cities across the country, people of all races, nationalities and religions are joining hands to truthfully acknowledge a period in our history that shaped and continues to influence our society today. Sensitized to the conditions and experiences of others, only then can we make significant and lasting improvements in our society.

SOME THINGS I’VE COME ACROSS

Beautiful ART in the form of Human Illusion

And for me… this is what young girls, beautiful dancing, and pure joyful abandon looks like… (plus… well… its James Brown! #getonthegoodfoot)

HAPPY FATHERS DAY

Congratulations to all you fathers out there.  And congratulations also to those who appreciate the role of father… that means all the spiritual guides… big brothers… and adoptive parents etc.… who step in when it is needed.

We have all needed guidance at some time in our lives… so praise goes out to you for your important contribution.

That’s all for now… I have some new music coming out soon… Be on the lookout.

In the meantime keep the faith.

As always, I am musically yours, Gregory