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Susan
Mangatal - susan@ariousentertainment.us
Greetings
On-Line Family:
What
Makes A Dad
God took the strength
of a mountain, The majesty of a tree, The warmth
of a summer sun, The calm of a quiet sea, The generous
soul of nature, The comforting arm of night, The
wisdom of the ages, The power of the eagle's flight, The
joy of a morning in spring, The faith of a mustard
seed, The patience of eternity, The depth of a
family need, Then God combined these qualities, When there
was nothing more to add, He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it...Dad!!!
Author unknown
The
idea for creating a day to honor our fathers began in Spokane,
Washington by a woman whose name is Sonora Smart Dodd.
Mrs. Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening
to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Having been
raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, after her mother
died, Mrs. Dodd wanted her father to know how special he was to
her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and
was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and
loving man. Mrs. Dodd's father was born in June, so she chose to
hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington
on the 19th of June, 1910.
In 1924 President
Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a National Father's Day.
In 1926, a National Father's Day Committee was formed in New
York City. Father's Day was recognized by a Joint Resolution of
Congress in 1956. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed
a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June for
Father's Day to be a holiday to be celebrated. However, In
1972, President Richard Nixon established a permanent national
observance of Father's Day to be held on the third Sunday of
June. So Father's Day was born in memory and gratitude by a
daughter who thought that her father and all good fathers should
be honored with a special day just like we honor our mothers on
Mother's Day.
As
I personally reflect on Father’s Day, my mind ponders over a
recent situation I am glad to have experienced (which I credit
to being “one of the boys”.) Just over a week ago
while having drinks with male friends “the boys”, the
conversation which always remain “lite” took a turn and
became very personal. To my surprise the tough men I am so familiar with began
talking about their experiences of being “estranged
fathers”.
One
friend expressed his joy of finding his daughter after 18 years.
Even though I was happy that he found his child, I
couldn’t help responding to him in a negative manner by
stating “how ironic, now you found your daughter after
she’s all grown up, and you are no longer legally responsible
for supporting her”. He absorbed what I said, and
proceeded to tell me and the group the many reasons why he was
out of her life and was unable to find her for so many years.
He stated the mother never really kept in contact with
him, and never took any steps to obtain child support (what a
wonderful woman she is). I
understood his explanation, and he seemed pretty sincere and
remorseful about his child being out of his life for so many
years. We extended our hope that he builds a nice
relationship with his newly found child.
As
the conversation continued, another gentleman among our party
began telling his story and experiences as the “estranged
father.” His was the typical “baby momma drama"
situation. The mother not only had his kid, but had
several kids with other man, and was collecting child support
from each men. He
actually stated while in court he met a gentleman and began
talking to him about his situation; he said they exchanged
stories but they had no clue they were summoned to court by the
same woman for child support (for the kids they had fathered
with this woman) until she walked by and said hello to them.
His
story concerned me, because I felt his little girl really
didn’t know her father. It seems what she knew of him
(from his story) was very negative, due to the mother constantly
belittling and fighting with him for some reason or another.
He sadly explained he hasn’t always been on top of
“paying child support for his daughter”, but he longed to be
in his child’s life and longed for his child to know him and
love him unconditionally!!!
These
conversations really had me reflection back on my own dad and the
life he provided for my mom and brothers, which was not great.
You see, my father had other distractions, and one of his
main distraction (which I always referred to as his mistress)
was called “Rum”. He
loved his mistress “Rum” more than anything in the world,
and he put his mistress before his family.
Of course, as a child this devastated me and the rest of
my family, because “Rum” took our father away and disrupted
our lives. On many
occasions my father became depressed, ignorant, violent, unable to think clearly, and at times unable to work (which was
absolute misery for a child.)
However, throughout the years my father got a “strong
grip” on his love for rum and has changed drastically; he
actually became a different man.
As an adult I can now say, (as I look back)
“all-in-all” I had a good father because he was always in
our lives - unlike the gentlemen I talked about earlier.
The anger I felt as a child and throughout some of my
adult life is no longer there, and I am happy that he is my DAD.
Finally,
as I compare my brother Weslie to my father, there is absolutely
no comparison; my brother is an outstanding dad. It seems
he tries to be everything to his children our father was not for
us. I admire him,
and love him dearly for the father he is to his lovely little
girls, who adore him. He
is the most remarkable, hardworking and loving father I know.
My
father-in-law “Mano” was a good man too.
My husband - Todd loves him and misses him dearly, and on many
occasions I find Todd commenting that his father was an
exceptional man, and they had a beautiful relationship.
He further states his father was always in his life, and
was always there for him and his sister.
God bless Mano (who has gone on to a better place.)
To
these men - our friends “the estranged fathers”, and to all
the men/fathers who are in similar situations, we at Arious truly wish all of
you a very lovely Father’s day, and to my
Dad and brother I send special Father’s Day wishes to you both
- all the way to
Trinidad!
This is the
time to tell your dad how much you love and appreciate him on
his special day!!! To all our on-line fathers we wish you
a very happy Father's Day!!!!
An
important event celebrating Father's Day you can't miss - The
FIRST ANNUAL FATHERS DAY WEEKEND MALE EXHALE comes to Baltimore
on Friday, June 13, and to the
Nation's Capital on Sunday, June 15th.
Urban Film Series cordially
invite you to their First Annual Father's Day Weekend Male
Exhale on Friday June 13th in Baltimore, Maryland at the
Lyric Opera House; and on June 15th in Washington DC's historic
Lincoln Theatre. This event includes a panel discussion:
the African-American Film Critics Association's Top Two
Independent Films, Tim Alexander's Diary of A Tired Black Man
(top independent) and Janks Morton's What Black Men
Think (top documentary), and a special guest appearance
by Celebrity author Jewel Woods (Don't Blame It On Rio:
The Real Deal Why Men Go To Brazil for S-e-x) which was
recently featured in Essence and Ebony Magazines. Tickets
to both events are available at the respective theatre box
offices or through TicketMaster.com and all local TicketMaster
locations. Proceeds of the event will be used to fund Next
Generation Awareness Foundation's ("NGAF")
"Generation Next" children's film and education
festival and NGAF's Health and Wellness Film Festival.
Click the following link for more details on this event and to
hear the audio commercial: http://www.urbanfilmseries.com/maleexhale.php
About The Urban Film Series
The Urban Film Series is a programmatic arm of NGAF, a 501c3
non-profit organization whose mission is connect urban
communities with history and progressive cinema, and provide
exposure of the arts and the motion picture industry to many
communities across the United States. The Urban Film Series also
produces the annual Black Docs Film Series, Urban
Film Series Tour, and Black History Month Film
& Discussion Series, and has received well over 700
films from across the world for its various film-related
programs.
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June 13th, 7pm start, Lyric Opera House, 140
West Mount Royal Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland 21201
June 15th, 5pm start, Lincoln Theatre, 1215 U
Street, NW, Washington, District of Columbia 20009
Tickets: $18.50 to $27.50, and are available at theatre
box offices, TicketMaster.com, and all local TicketMaster
locations.
National
Caribbean-American Heritage Month (June)
- Celebrating it's 2nd Anniversary! "During Caribbean-American
Heritage Month, we celebrate the great contributions of
Caribbean-Americans to the fabric of our Nation, and we pay
tribute to the common culture and bonds of friendship that unite
the United States and the Caribbean countries"
Two
years ago, in
the 109th Congress both the House and Senate unanimously
approved H.Con.Res.71, a measured introduced by Rep. Barbara Lee
(D-Oakland), on June 5, 2006 President George W. Bush issued a
proclamation designating June as Caribbean - American Heritage
Month. This proclamation acknowledges the growing
political and economic influence of the Caribbean Diaspora and
its importance and contribution to the development of the
cultural diversity of the United States.
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Caribbean-American
Heritage Month, 2008
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of
America
Caribbean-American
Heritage Month is an opportunity to show our
appreciation for the many ways Caribbean Americans have
contributed to our country.
Caribbean
Americans have helped to shape our national fabric with
their vibrant traditions and their unique history. They
have brightened our lives with the spirit and vitality
of their culture. Through strong leadership and pride in
their heritage, they have enriched America. In all walks
of life, they have contributed their many talents and
added to our Nation's development and prosperity.
We
especially show our gratitude for the men and women of
Caribbean descent who have served bravely in our Armed
Forces and those still serving today. These heroes have
answered a call greater than self, and we keep them in
our thoughts and prayers.
During
June, we celebrate and recognize the Caribbean Americans
whose determination and hard work have helped make our
country a better place.
NOW,
THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United
States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in
me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do
hereby proclaim June 2008 as Caribbean-American Heritage
Month. I encourage all Americans to learn more about the
history and culture of Caribbean Americans and their
contributions to our Nation.
IN
WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
twenty-ninth day of May, in the year of our Lord two
thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United
States of America the two hundred and thirty-second.
GEORGE W. BUSH |
As you know there
are lots of celebrations and events taking place around the
United States observing and commemorating National
Caribbean-American Heritage Month!!! Please check our "Events"
Page for what's going on in our area. Remember the DC Film festival that
celebrates this special month started last weekend, and will
continue on the 17th of this month, so log on to
our "Events"
page for all the details on this and all the other events taking
place celebrating this month. Additionally, on June 26th
plan on attending the 10 Annual Legislative Forum and Reception
which is scheduled to take place on Capital Hill - FREE; and June 27th, - A Youth Leadership Institute on
International Development will take place. For all the details on these events log on to: http://www.caribbeanamericanmonth.org
or click the banner below.
Just
a quick note friends
and On-Line family regarding this historic Democratic
Presidential Nomination.
For
me this past Saturday was a but surreal while listening to
Senator Hillary Clinton's concession speech. Only then did
it "hit me" that Senator Barack Obama won this
exciting and difficult race. As you know I wrote about it
last week and congratulated him and his camp on their win, but
clearly it really didn't "sink into my soul" (I guess
to me it meant nothing until Senator Clinton acknowledged this
great win.) I experienced a whirlwind of emotions during
her speech, actually I became quite poignant. I simply
couldn't believe it, after these 16 long months, Senator Obama
really won and has made history becoming the first black
Democratic Presidential Nominee. More importantly, Senator
Clinton finally publicly acknowledged his win and strongly
pledged her support to the Senator regarding him becoming the
next President of the United States. What a day in
history, but the ultimate day in history will soon be here in
November after Senator Barack Obama wins the General
Elections!!!
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Excerpts of Senator Hillary
Clinton's Speech delivered on Saturday, June 7th, 2008
The way to continue our fight now
– to accomplish the goals for which we stand – is to
take our energy, our passion, our strength and do all we
can to help elect Barack Obama the next President of the
United States.
Today, as I suspend my campaign, I
congratulate him on the victory he has won and the
extraordinary race he has run. I endorse him, and throw
my full support behind him. And I ask all of you to join
me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for
me.
...
So today, I am standing with Senator
Obama to say: Yes we can. Together we will
work. We’ll have to work hard to get universal health
care. But on the day we live in an America where no
child, no man, and no woman is without health insurance,
we will live in a stronger America. That’s why we need
to help elect Barack Obama our President.
We’ll have to work hard to get
back to fiscal responsibility and a strong middle class.
But on the day we live in an America whose middle class
is thriving and growing again, where all Americans, no
matter where they live or where their ancestors came
from, can earn a decent living, we will live in a
stronger America and that is why we must elect Barack
Obama our President.
We’ll have to work hard to foster
the innovation that makes us energy independent and lift
the threat of global warming from our children’s
future. But on the day we live in an America fueled by
renewable energy, we will live in a stronger America.
That’s why we have to help elect Barack Obama our
President.
We’ll have to work hard to bring
our troops home from Iraq, and get them the support
they’ve earned by their service. But on the day we
live in an America that’s as loyal to our troops as
they have been to us, we will live in a stronger America
and that is why we must help elect Barack Obama our
President.
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Let's
get ready for this 2nd round of campaigning and the real fight
to the White House, because Senator John McCain is very
determined to obtain this top position. We all must stay
focused and continue supporting Senator Barack Obama.
Remember to always say a prayer for him and his family so they
are protected from anything (seen and unseen) at all times.
As this new race begins, keep Senator Obama in your thoughts and
prayers so that he will be safe and far away from any
harm. Kindly continue standing up and not
accepting the same old tactics, rhetoric
and old politics. Most importantly, let us get ready to
vote in the Presidential election for Senator Barack Obama".
With your support and votes Senator
Obama will succeed and will be the PRESIDENT. We are certain he is "the
one"..."the one" who absolutely has the
ability and wisdom to move us forward; "the one"
who has the answers to all of the many issues plaguing America
currently, and we know he is "the one" who can take us
forward toward that change we are seeking in a positive
manner. I hope you are looking forward to
the overall change as I am in November, so lets continue making history
together!!!!"
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The
below video is of Senator Hillary Clinton entire
concession speech in Washington DC on Saturday, June 7, 2008.
Sen. Hillary Clinton formally
ended her presidential campaign, saying to thousands of
supporters, "I will continue to stand strong with
you every time, every place and every way that I
can." She urged the cheering crowd to
support Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, the presumptive
Democratic nominee, in his bid for the White House,
saying she and supporters should "take our energy,
our passion and our strength and do all we can to help
elect Barack Obama ... I ask all of you to join me in
working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for
me."
Click the 1st Picture below to launch
and view Part 1 of Senator Clinton's Speech (19
min. 55 seconds), and the click on the 2nd
Picture to launch and view Part 2 of the Speech (10
min. 58 seconds). Courtesy of CNN
The actual links
are below:
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2008/06/07/clinton.speech.part.1.cnn
and
http://www.cnn.com/video/?/video/politics/2008/06/07/clinton.speech.part.2.cnn
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Don't forget this Friday the Urban Film Series presents its First Annual Father's Day Weekend Male
Exhale in Baltimore, Maryland at the
Lyric Opera House; and on June 15th in Washington DC's at the historic
Lincoln Theatre. You will find the details on the flyer
located under or "Featured Events" section below, or
by CLICKING
HERE or the following link. http://www.urbanfilmseries.com/maleexhale.php.
You can also click on
the picture above to see the larger version of the flyer.
This Saturday, June 14th, join the West Indian
National Association as they celebrate Father's Day. Click the
picture above or scroll down to our "Featured Events"
section to get
the detail.
On Sunday,
the Father's Day Celebrations continue with Legendary DJ Jimmy T
who will be hosting his annual Father's Day party at The
Pepperpot Cafe in Bladensburg Maryland. Log on to our
"Events" page for all the details.
 Congratulations
to cousin JC on his graduation. We are so happy for your
outstanding accomplishments, and we wish you all the best in the new and
exciting life you are embarking upon.
 Thanks
to the many who have sent me e-mails in
response to my past E-Newsletters and lots of important
information. Most importantly I thank you for your
encouraging words! So until next week...and please enjoy this Weekend!!
   
To all of you
our on-line family, thanks for reading, sharing your thoughts
and comments with us, and for always supporting
us. As you know without you there would be no us.
So thanks very much for your support and One Love!
For All Events
Go To
Our "Events"
Page
Check out our
"Featured Events" listed below. Many are taking place
this weekend, so log on to our "Events Page" above to
view all the events, and please go out and Support!
Also, there are
several taking next weekend and beyond, so to view all the Events please log on
to our "Events" Page above!
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Friday,
June 13, 2008
Baltimore, Maryland
http://www.urbanfilmseries.com/maleexhale.php
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June 14, 2008
Carnivals
Taking Place this Weekend!
Philadelphia,
PA
Tampa
Bay, Florida
West
Palm Beach, Florida
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June
14, 2008
Baltimore,
Maryland
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June
15, 2008
http://www.urbanfilmseries.com/maleexhale.php |
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June
17, 2008
FREE
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June
20, 2008
North
Brentwood, Maryland
2008
Calypso Monarch Finals
Washington
DC's version of the famous
"Calypso Tents" in
Trinidad and Tobago.
at
De
Panyard (4559 Rhode Island
Ave, North Brentwood MD) and start
time is 9:00 PM.
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June
27th and 28th, 2008
Bladensburg,
Maryland
ICE
CARNIVAL
Presents
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or Click
Here
Happy
12 Anniversary to the Jacksons (Tim and Cathy), may you have
more wonderful years together!!
