BBC Radio – Pat Marsh covering People of Poetry (POP) with Emily Smith
Posted: July 8, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Here’s BBC Radio’s Pat Marsh covering my foundation People of Poetry (POP), our fundraiser, and dedication in also helping those with mental health challenges cope with their symptoms using creative written expression, namely poetry!!! Here’s the link and remember to scroll to 49:30 secs!
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/p00tvbwl
And a special thanks to BBC Radio, Emily Smith w/ Remembaentertainment and all our supporters!
NEW NAMI BLOG POST : “Oh No I’ve Been Diagnosed With A Mental Illness..”
Posted: June 8, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a comment
Check out my new blog post featured on NAMI’s homepage. Also, some of you still may be missing my new posts if you already haven’t signed up to my new site. Hope to see you there 🙂
My Poems “Inhumanity” and “Runaway Slave” *National Poetry Month*
Posted: April 8, 2012 Filed under: Uncategorized Leave a commentCheck out my new blog post of poems from my new official website! And don’t forget to login and sign-up over there as I will be phasing out this blog. Thanks again! ~ yashi
Photo Image for New Poem
Catching Up :). . .Gone Speaking and Signing Books! – South Carolina
Posted: October 23, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 10 Comments
Young poetess, Kennae’ D. Payne and I - Kennae' has already written her first book of poetry!
Have you ever felt a blissful exhaustion? Like for some reason you’re definitely needing more rest – so you take it – but you absolutely don’t mind?? You welcome needing more and not pissy, menopausally, or pmsy (for us women and you men may not show as many of these symptoms) because you’re naturally, blissfully tired?
Dr. Doris Cantey, Psychiatrist & OAMHC Chairman
- In the past these moments were key bipolar stop signs. Big fat red neon-colored ones. Now, my health regiment is still and will always be numero uno, but I’m also realizing sharing poetry, advocating, and spending time with those in the mental health is rejuvenating me at a record pace. Yes, I’m in love. With life.
My engagements are usually 90min with 60min speaking and the other 30min signing books. The attendees are family members, doctors, social workers, advocates and patients. I am always astounded at the strength of those who have lost a loved one to suicide. Many mothers, fathers, siblings and spouses come representing foundations they now gain support from. Thank god for these organizations.
Although I’ve come to truly enjoy speaking I must say because of these topics and its seriousness it requires tremendous focus. In my opinion these individuals have super human strength, especially the mom’s and dad’s of suicide and my goal is always continued empowerment. One must move forward and my heart goes out to you all. Thank you for inspiring me.
The other enjoyment is I probably feel my most creative now than ever. I’m progressing on my audio book for “Black Daisy” among other projects including songwriting.
Here are some of the new faces I’ve met during my travels. Some of the places I visited include South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky, and Connecticut. Oh! and a quick stop over in Chicago to surprise Poetri’s wife, Juren. But today I’ll begin with Orangeburg, South Carolina 9/23/11 Speaking Engagement, Book Signing, and Friends at Five CBS News Interview!
Sonya Glover, OAMHC Coordinator
Sonya Glover was not only the coordinator for the OAMHC event but is also known as a powerhouse for all the work she’s done in the Orangeburg, South Carolina area for Mental Health. During the ceremony she was given a special award signed by Michelle Obama for all her accomplishments in making a difference. Go Sonya!
Orangeburg Book Signing
The Orangeburg book signing was a success and I sold out of books! I’ve been blessed at all my signings and have yet had extra baggage coming home. Lol. We poets appreciate it. Thanks guys for supporting poetry!
This positive burst comes at a time when me and my family need it most. In between traveling I’ve been attending court for the Murray trial to support my family and for once I truly feel I’m able to balance everything and I thank god. Some of the hardest moments came to past in the previous weeks during the trial and we made it through. By the way I want to thank and give appreciation to everyone’s well wishes. They’ve been pouring out from all areas and groups and I just want to say thank you for keeping us in your thoughts.
Backstage w/ CBS local news anchors Darci Strickland and Andrea Mock
Last but not least I was able to make a quick stop on the way to the airport at the local CBS News station WLTX News Columbia, SC. We talked about the Mental Health Conference earlier that day, advocacy, growing up is this colorful family of mine, and Black Daisy in a White Limousine. Thanks for making me feel at home Friends @ 5!
Look out for my upcoming blog entry where I go visit Louisville, Kentucky became recipient of the “Kentucky Colonel Award”, a surprise I was not expecting. Thanks for visiting and love ya more!
_
Saving Our Gentle Giants: Biglife Foundation vs. Elephant Poachers
Posted: August 29, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 3 Comments
Elephants Walking Through Grass, Amboseli 2008. Leading Matriarch killed by poachers, 2009.
Elephant Drinking, Amboseli, 2007. Killed by poachers, 2009.
Nick Brandt. One of the world’s most iconic photographers in capturing the essence and purity of wildlife with a camera. To put it lightly, I would say I’m obsessed with his work. Uncle Michael recognized his gift and enlisted him as Director for his music videos “Stranger in Moscow”, “Earth Song”, and Cry and for those familiar with these music videos, Brandt’s combining of nature, wildlife and humanity is sheer poetry in motion.
But most important and not as widely known is Brandt’s dedication to eradicating the illegal poaching of elephants that’s re-emerged through his Biglife Foundation. According to Brandt’s website since 2008, there has been a massively increased demand for ivory from China and the Far East causing ivory prices to have soared from $200 kilo in 2004 to more than $5000 today. Some experts are saying as many as 35,000 elephants are being slaughtered each year because of this new demand. A horrifying statistic.
But a lot can be done within a year and what Brandt has accomplished with his new Biglife Foundation since September of 2010 is astounding. As of August 2011 his team his brought a dramatic reduction in poaching of ALL animals in the Amboseli region, an area according to Brandt to have the highest concentration of elephants left in East Africa. Consequently a number of significant arrests of some of the worst and most prolific poachers in the region have been engineered by Biglife’s teams. Because of these successes a strong message is being sent to poachers in the region that the illegal slaughtering of animals now carries far greater consequencees than just being arrested.
At the very least Brandt’s photographic artistry and the emotions he’s able to convey through his work will move many to help him save our gentle giant geniuses. 🙂 For more information and resources on Nick Brandt and Biglife Foundation go to http://www.nickbrandt.com and http://biglifeafrica.org.
I can’t think of a better way to remember my uncle on this day than to remember his love for nature, wildlife and helping to preserve these gifts our universe has given us.
"Stranger in Moscow" music video. Click to view.
"Earth Song" music video. Click to view.
The Face of Injustice: RIP Kelly Thomas – Schizophrenic Man Beaten to Death /NAMIwalks 4 Awareness!
Posted: August 24, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 6 CommentsSo I’m on this human rights, animal rights, if-you-even-think-you’re-gonna-piss-on-something-else-besides-you-rights endeavor. I don’t want to think of it as a “phase” or “kick” because like many of us this stuff is always on the brain in between having to get my hair done, go to the bank, write a poem, eating, or like yesterday afternoon, spending time with my mother and sister.
We’re all bombarded with the harsh realities of the world that I’m finding myself wanting to tweet, blog, and chat about. Consequently, I’m dedicating the rest of the week to some of these stories which have been circling in the news over the last month. Some of them you guys wrote me about and brought to my attention. Thank you. Let’s continue to inform each other and provide resources to help make a difference!
(Graphic)
Homeless Man Dies After Being Brutally Beaten by Five Fullerton Cops
Mike Riggs | July 29, 2011
Kelly Thomas’ father, a retired Orange County police officer, did not recognize his own son when he went watch him die at the UC Irvine Medical Center after police beat him into a coma on July 5. The officers were responding to a call about vandalized cars when they found Thomas, a homeless schizophrenic, and attempted to search him. Thomas’ father says his son may have been off his meds, which would explain why he resisted arrest. Nothing explains the gang-style murder committed by Fullerton cops.
The top photo was taken at the hospital before Thomas died. The bottom photo is what Kelly Thomas looked like before he was brutalized.
Here’s Carlos Miller (to whom I owe a furious and heartbroken hat tip) on the incident:
Kelly Thomas, a 37-year-old homeless man with schizophrenia, kept calling for his father as police beat and tased him repeatedly.
But his father, a retired Orange County sheriff’s deputy, was not around.
It wasn’t until after Thomas slipped into a coma and was hospitalized with multiple injures that his father saw him.
And by then, it was too late. Thomas never recovered. The 135-pound man died five days after his run-in with Fullerton police.
Thomas’ father, a retired Orange County sheriff’s deputy, has asserted that officers used excessive force to subdue his son, who was unarmed, slight and of medium height.
After seeing his son’s injuries and talking with witnesses, Thomas told the Register his son “was brutally beaten to death.”
“When I first walked into the hospital, I looked at what his mother described as my son … I didn’t recognize him,” Thomas said. “This is cold-blooded, aggravated murder.”
Thomas, citing witnesses, said officers hit his son with the butts of flashlights even after he stopped moving.
He said his son was probably off his medication and didn’t understand officers’ commands.
A spokesman for the Orange County Coroner’s office declined to discuss the case but said an autopsy of Thomas had been completed and the results forwarded to investigators.
Witnesses are asked to call Stan Berry, an investigator with the Orange County district attorney’s office, at (714) 347-8813.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
This story for obvious reasons was close to my heart because the gentleman had a mental health challenge and diagnosed with schizophrenia which greatly impacted this incident. Hence, the need for WAY MORE awareness.
Join me and NAMI as we embark on the National NAMIwalk for 2011 to raise money to continue spreading awareness and educating the public (and authorities! )on these illnesses. The Los Angeles walk is at 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica, CA on October 1st. I’m inviting all my peeps to check out the NAMI link: http://www.nami.org/walkTemplate.cfmSection=NAMIWALKS&template=/customsource/NAMIWalks/walksitedetail.cfm&walksiteID=112
Form a team, join a team OR make a donation and think of Kelly Thomas. Love ya more 🙂 ~ yashi
Thank you Metropolitan State Hospital & NAMI :)
Posted: August 21, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 6 CommentsLast Saturday’s speaking engagement went great and I must say I had one of the most appreciative audiences. One of the things I like to do when speaking is share my earliest poems not included in my book. Although I did include some pieces from this time period, the ones that I felt were more compelling and close to my heart I chose to save for speaking live.
We laughed, cried, shared our experiences and along the way reminded each other how connected we really are on this crazy planet. Watch your life shift once you shift your mindset to all there is to be grateful for. It WORKS! And reminding each other is key 🙂
Taking Book Orders. Thanks guys!
I want to thank all of those in attendance as well as those who purchased autographed copies of my book. I also want to thank Terez Henson with Metropolitan State Hospital for inviting me out to speak and giving me a tour of the facility.
For those who’ve been asking, I apologize for the brief delay in updating the blog on this last engagement and always thank you for your continued interest, your questions, and desire to help make a difference.
Last but not least I’ve been asked by the Executive Director to come back to speak with those in the forensics department which of course I jumped at the opportunity. Forensics is an area I’ve been interested in for not just sharing my journey but especially for writing and poetry. I will keep you guys up to date on how this is progressing.
“Its Ok To Talk About It” Speaking Engagement – 8/13/11 Metropolitan State Hospital
Posted: August 6, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 5 Comments
Speaking is a chance to engage, empower, self heal, and share poetry 🙂
TOPIC : Its Ok To Talk About It
A discussion about my need to break the silence about being diagnosed with Bipolar disorder and how coming from a famous family made it more challenging. I’ll also be talking about how the creative arts (poetry in particular) has helped with finding peace, balance, and personal healing. Lastly, I’ll be reading some poetry, doing a Q & A, and book signing.
It should be a fun morning/ afternoon and already I know the highlight for me will be visiting with the patients and family members and sharing stories. It never ceases to amaze me how many of their experiences and journies reflect mine. We are truly peers in this way. It really doesn’t matter the nature of your background when it comes to the necessary support system for recovery – and we’ve all been there 🙂 Hope to see some of your faces.
Metropolitan State Hospital
Our Mission
The Mission of Metropolitan State Hospital is to work in partnership with Individuals to assist in their recovery by using rehabilitation services as our tool, thus preparing them for community living.
Vision
Metropolitan State Hospital will become a major provider of choice to the community offering consumer-based, integrated mental health services in a setting that encourages research, training, innovation and personal growth.
History and Description
In 1915 California Governor H. W. Johnson (1866-1945) signed legislation opening Norwalk State Hospital. About $400,000.00 was allocated for the purchase of the land on which to build a state hospital designed to provide care and treatment to California’s increasing population of persons with mental health challenges. The city of Norwalk was the eventual location chosen for the hospital over Beverly Hills and Signal Hill due to convenient road and railroad access. In those days, the hospital was self sufficient with its own farm, dairy and farm animals. The facility is known today as Metropolitan State Hospital (MSH). The current size of the facility, 162 acres, has numerous buildings which continue to display the rich heritage of days gone by. There are also buildings exhibiting modern architectural applications including the current construction of a new state of the art kitchen which will utilize the “cook chill” process of food preparation in place of the current “cook serve” method of dining for our Individuals. This new process will offer more diverse food choices to our Individuals and better provide for their dietary needs. It will also provide for improved nutrient retention during food preparation.
Utilizing the Psychosocial Rehabilitation/Recovery Model of mental health treatment, MSH offers its’ services to residents throughout California. This provides easy access to families and friends of Individuals treated within the facility. The number of Individuals receiving treatment at MSH averages around 670. The 1500 administrative, clinical and ancillary staff of MSH provides a variety of individualized modes of treatment designed to promote maximum recovery from psychiatric illness.
Location:
James Hall
Metropolitan State Hospital
11401 Bloomfield Avenue
Norwalk, Ca 90650
NAMI-METROPOLITAN STATE HOSPITAL IS A SUPPORT GROUP OF
FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND STAFF AFFILIATED WITH NAMI-CALIFORNIA
For more information please contact NAMI-Metro
President: Yolande Vodhanel (562) 943-0453 or
MSH Representative: Terez Henson, LMFT, SRT (562) 651- 4447
Photos: Austin & the Family Backstage at GLOBAL SOUL TV!! 7/18/11
Posted: July 20, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 14 Comments
Hanging before the show. Mom's so cute she goes "hold-up let me get in it...."
We were blown away by Austin’s performance. Not that we EVER doubted but its just a different experience to see it on a live show unedited. It was his first time and he didn’t skip a beat. Can’t wait till George Lopez next week! (Oh lord that rhymed. .)
Checking out fan comments during the taping. .
My mom. So sweet 🙂
Me and my nephew in the backroom 🙂
Dad and I had to take turns watching London in the back room because he was underage and the taping was in a night club. Here’s us during some downtime when he wasn’t attached to his ipod.! Just follow the headphone cord (cause he’s still a little guy) and there he is!
The Family!
Only thing wrong with this shot is my dad was cut out!! Good thing he’s not one too fond of the limelight. Oh and London was allowed out as long as he was considered “talent” and part of the show…he he
Bye guys!!
Sorry I didn’t get shots of Austin’s performance but for those who didn’t see it live don’t miss George Lopez on July 27th. Check Austin’s site for updates.
** Oh and one last thing, if you want to stay up to date on the latest be sure to sign-up to my blog!!! ** Love ya more 🙂
PHOTOS NAMI Convention 2011Book Signing, Doris Buffett for the Leadership Alliance Reception & Poetry Slam
Posted: July 18, 2011 Filed under: Uncategorized 9 Comments
Doris Buffett, Warren Buffett's sister and I at the Leadership Alliance Reception
Well the Chicago convention went off w/ sparks and my hotel room was gorgeous so I was in good spirits 🙂 One highlight and new face was meeting Warren Buffett’s sister- Master philanthropist & NAMI supporter, Doris Buffett. The second was her asking for a copy of “Black Daisy”! NAMI invited me down to focus on three events, 1. “Black Daisy” book signing 2. NAMI’s 1st Poetry Slam 3. NAMI’s 1st Spoken Word performance at the Leadership Alliance Reception.
Although it was a private event, the alliance reception was a highlight and where I got to meet those who make NAMI national such a driving force which are the leaders of the organization and main contributors. Every year they have an honoree and this year it was Doris Buffett of the Buffett Family. This is an amazing women who not only contributes enormous amounts of her own money to philanthropy and vowed to give it ALL away but has taken on making a difference in the most daunting environment to most philanthropists and that’s our prisons and correctional facilities. She provides a college education to inmates through her Sunshine Lady Foundation http://www.sunshinelady.org/ and its working!
Yashi, Joe of APAA & Keris First Vice President of NAMI National
Guest Poet at the Leadership Alliance Reception (Me doing my thing..)
The book signing was a hit and an amazing experience to see some loyal dedicated Jackson Fans as well! So cool to see online faces and I hope see some more of you soon!!
Me and Jeremy Horn 🙂
Lots of exhibits, workshops, seminars, book signings from great authors and opportunities to network and make a difference. Not to be bias but I LOVED the poetry slam and from the sounds of things I believe NAMI will continue having the poetry slam next year! I was overwhelmed by the poems which centered around mental health and the talent from across the country who came together for this first time event. Thank you NAMI as I truly felt at home:))
The poetry slam and once again me doing my thing..
This one cracks me up..
For many of you who have been asking me about my trip and to update my blog here goes. It was overall a VERY successful trip and I can’t wait to next year’s convention in Seattle, Washington!
Yashi Brown 