Dear Dr. King (Spoken Word)

Spoken Word Piece commemorating the 50th anniversary of the death of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Dear Dr. King,

I can’t believe it’s been 50 years since you last walked upon this earth.

Although I know that every breath, every life is a borrowed gift from God, it would be nice to benefit from your continued wisdom and guidance.

But that’s alright.

Your life was a stream of light, guiding us in the direction of that which is good, righteous, and just.

 

Dear Dr. King,

Did you have any clue that you could become an icon for social justice all around the world?

Could you have known the impact of your legacy?

That a Southern Black minister from Atlanta could inspire millions around the world.

From a brave Pakistani girl named Malala Yousafzai to our first Black president Barack Obama.

Yes, we finally had a black president!

What was unheard of, downright comical in your time, has become a reality.

Because of you, children of all races and creeds know that they can fulfill their highest potential, because you showed us that it could be done.

 

But Dear Dr. King,

While some things have changed, some things have remained painfully, shamefully, the same.

Since you’ve been gone, there are those who want to whitewash you,

co-opt you, tokenize you,

soften you up to the point where you’re barely recognizable.

They wanna talk about how you were all for nonviolence and peace.

But what they don’t wanna talk about is how you taught us that there can be no peace without justice.

And these same feckless politicians, demagogues, and hucksters,

who try to remake your legacy into their own image…fifty years ago, wouldn’t even shake your hand.

 

 

They think slapping your name on a street or a building is enough to maintain your legacy.

“Let’s give him a day, sing Kumbaya,” and act like the fight for equality is over.

 

They don’t want you, Dr. King, the firebrand.

Dr. King the radical,

Dr. King who called out the hypocrisy of White Christian ministers who sat back and did nothing while their Black Christian brethren suffered.

Dr. King, the accused Communist, the troublemaking’ Negro

Dr. King who believed in a “radical redistribution of economic and political power.”

Dr. King who spoke out vociferously against the war in Vietnam,

Dr. King, who, towards his death, kept a book in his suitcase entitled “Black Power.”

 

No, they don’t want the real you.

The Dr. King who would have comforted us on September 11th but would have condemned military intervention in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Dr. King who would be on the frontlines in the war against mass incarceration and extrajudicial killings.

The Dr. King who preached against a bloated military budget that can “guide missiles but misguide the souls of men.”

The Dr. King who really understood what it would take to “make America great, and not great again.”

 

 

Dear Dr. King,

You’d be with the underpaid and overworked

With the survivors of school shootings,

With the communities plagued by gun violence.

With those fighting for affordable health care.

 

So in these dark days, in this political nightmare

where a certifiable sociopath sits in the White House,

I wonder what we can do?

How do we reach out to people so convinced of our inferiority and inhumanity simply because of the color of our skin, or the religion we practice, the language of our tongues?

 

I look to you. We look to you.

And you look back us…

Reaching out, handing us the torch

And I can imagine you saying,

“Did you really think the battle was over?”

 

So to honor your legacy, we have to take that torch

And carry on

continue the race

Because the fight for justice is a marathon

We gotta fight, we all must continue to fight!

But Dear Dr. King,

thank you so much for lighting the way

 

 

 

 

 

Film Review: Bilal, A New Breed of Hero

Here is a short write-up on my thoughts about the new film, Bilal: A New Breed of Hero. Of course, I’m absolutely biased, being an artist and a lover of anything animation. Plus, I’m always excited to see the stories of people of color brought to life. So…Bilal is an animated film loosely based on the life of the legendary companion of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Bilal ibn Rabah. He was an Afro-Arab born into captivity in 7th century Mecca. He is also one earliest converts to Islam and was persecuted for this faith. He is most famously known for his melodious voice and as the first mu’adhin, or caller to the prayer.  The film is a 2015 English-language Arabic 3D computer-animated action–adventure film produced by Barajoun Entertainment and co-directed by Khurram H. Alavi and Ayman Jamal.

So now that you got a little backstory, let’s start with the obvious.

The visuals are amazing! If you are a lover of animation like me, then this movie is a treat for the eyes. The details were so crisp and sharp that I wondered if real-life footage was interspersed between the animation scenes. From the details of a stone floor to the tiniest grains of sand in the desert, every frame contained beautiful artistry.  So yeah, there was lots of delicious visual candy. The fight scenes (yep, there are fight scenes, earning that PG-13 rating) are pretty intense and so is the sound and musical score. It has all the feel of a big blockbuster Disney or Pixar-like animation film.

For Muslims who are expecting an exact retelling of the life of Bilal ibn Rabah…don’t. The film makes it clear in the very beginning.  Whenever you see the words, “inspired by” or “based on,” prepare yourself for some artistic license. At that point, the viewer is expected to suspend belief and just roll with the story. But for Muslims who know about the life of Bilal ibn Rabah, this may be very hard. He is such an esteemed figure in Islam so some will be put off by the story’s  “embellishments.”

I also have to mention his significance for African American Muslims. Although he was not the only sahabah (companion) of African descent, he is one of the most prominent. His life as a former slave speaks to our legacy as African-descended people in this country. Our enslaved Muslim ancestors were brought to these shores. And like Bilal, they were prohibited from practicing Islam. From the mid-1970s to the early ‘80s, the community of Imam Warith Deen Mohammed (may God bless him) identified themselves as Bilalians. So for us, it’s very personal. It’s more than just seeing an animated retelling of one of our beloved figures. It speaks to our legacy as Black American Muslims.

The film touches on some very unsettling and poignant truths about man’s inhumanity to man. Oppression, slavery, and war are depicted throughout. So the PG-13 rating is warranted. In the center of it all is a man who is discovering his beliefs and questioning the status quo of Meccan society. And it’s around these points that the film gets somewhat murky. How does a film tell the story of an important Islamic figure without explicitly mentioning Islam? Bilal ibn Rabah converses with Abu Bakr as Siddique (may God be pleased with them) about a “movement” for equality and brotherhood.  The subject of Islam, or religion, is sort of skipped around. And while I was aware that the film was catered to appeal to a wide audience of those who are not Muslim, it still seemed a bit odd that God was only mentioned a few times.

The words Islam, Qur’an, and Muhammad are never mentioned. I understand the difficulty in talking about Islam without coming off as preachy or self-righteous, but can we, as artists, talk about Islam without talking about Islam? Many of us are struggling with that balance between telling a good story that is illuminated by the high ideals of Islam. It is possible to do this. I feel sympathetic towards the directors in that struggle, being a writer and artist myself. But some Muslims won’t like this, seeing it as a watering down of the message in order to please the masses. And there is no athan, or call to prayer–which is what I was holding out for–as this is what most people know about him.

Also, most historical works describe him as an Ethiopian with kinky hair and dark skin. Some viewers may feel that there is a bit of whitewashing taking place in comparison to the film’s depiction of his honey brown skin and eyes. For some who read this, they may think, “Who cares what he looked like or if his skin was dark enough?” All I can say is that representation matters. It’s important to know that Muslims of African descent are important figures in the history of Islam, not mere figures on the periphery, as detractors of our faith often suggest. 

Despite this, I recommend that everyone see the movie. We already know that no film can fully capture a person’s life, and certainly not the inspirational life of Bilal ibn Rabah. But I see this film as a small step. InshaAllah, our teenagers may watch this film and aspire to become filmmakers themselves. We definitely need more Muslim voices in the film industry.  Let this be the movie that will challenge our youth to build upon so we can look forward to more exciting films in the future.  

Childless/Childfree

I’m childless.

Or childfree.

However one wants to look at it. And to be honest, I’m not sure if that’s a trial, a blessing, or both. But as I get older, I realize that motherhood may not be “in the cards.” But as I weigh the pros and cons of a childless/childfree life, I’m glad that women like Aisha bint Abi Bakr (may God be pleased with her) are my role models. She was scholarly and inquisitive. Outspoken and beautiful. She was pious, God-conscious and exceptionally, wonderfully “human.” She was the Prophet’s wife (peace be upon him). Over 2,000 hadith are transmitted from her. She had NO children of her own, yet she became our mother–the Mother of the Believers.

So in the light of this great woman, I can’t find it in myself to feel bad or inadequate about being childless/childfree. I simply observe it as a fact, no judgment. It simply “is.” And I say this because there are some who are desperately trying to make me and others feel inadequate for something that is simply the decree of God.  Thank God, my family and friends accept me, just the way I am.

No judgment.

I don’t feel inadequate because I understand these verses. “To God belongs the Kingdom of the heavens and the earth; He creates what He will; He gives to whom He will females, and He gives to whom He will males. Or He couples them, both males and females; and He makes whom He will childless. Surely He is All-knowing, All-powerful.” (42: 49-50)

I also understand that what I desire regarding marriage and motherhood is a good thing. But it may not be good “for me.” Or it may not be good for me today, but good for me tomorrow. I may not be ready today but in the near future.  “But perhaps you hate a thing and it is good for you, and perhaps you love a thing and it is bad for you. And God Knows, while you know not.” (2:216)

So to my fellow sisters and brothers, in Islam, and in humanity

Those of you with no children,

because you can’t conceive,

because you can’t afford them because,

you haven’t met the right partner,

because you simply do not want them—please know this.

You are loved. You are precious and beloved to your Creator—just as you are.

Women in White

Women in White by Kelly Izdihar Crosby

acrylic and fabric on canvas, 18 x 24 inches, $180

My “Women in White” painting is including of a series of paintings done with Muslim women as the subject matter. It’s one of a three-part painting series. The other two paintings are entitled “Women in Black” and “Women in Gold.”

This painting is just one of many attempts to mute my palette. Whenever starting a new project, I always gravitate to using bold and bright colors. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but I’m just stretching my palette choices a little bit. All these three paintings are done with muted, neutral tones.The rose gold color is about as close to a reddish tone as it gets.

After completing these series of paintings, I learned quickly that muted does not mean boring or lacking in vitality. My ladies are decked out in milky, silky creams, accented with black, gold, copper, and rose gold. They wear soft-patterned hijabs and sophisticated turbans. I used my favorite art medium–fabric paint–to create the shiny and glittered textures.

I like how it came out. Of course, I had fun painting my ladies in various skin tones. I feel like it is absolutely crucial to show the diversity of Muslim people in my work. Islam is a global faith, but for many people, it only has an Arab, olive-skinned face.  But nothing could be further from reality. We are blue-black, sable, tawny, cinnamon, porcelain, alabaster, chai, cafe au lait. (See how I had fun naming those shades!) To promote this awareness, I’ve chosen a mixture of light and dark skin tones for this piece.

I’ve also have chosen to depict different hijab styles–highlighting another expression of diversity in Islam. Muslim women cover our heads in so many different ways. Depicting the various headscarves and wraps show our differently we interpret hijab and what hijab means to each individual Muslim woman.

2018 Calendar from KCD

Peace and blessings everyone, my 2018 calendar poster is available for $10! It’s $5 for shipping and handling! #ladiesofeid #hijabi #islamicart #muslimwomen #womenindiversity #diversityinwomen

Man Up, Woman Down?

A few days ago, I posted this status on my Facebook page and promised to expound on it at a later date.  Today is that date.  

“I hope that in the effort for some men to ‘man up,’ they don’t expect us to ‘woman down.’”

Maybe I’ve been hanging out with the wrong people but something has been disturbing me for some time. 

I get the feeling that some men (not all men, thank God) feel that women need to take a step back from all this “education and career chasing” stuff. They feel that we can be ambitious but not “too ambitious” and this ambition should be confined solely to the home. Although, this “ambition” we can be ambiguously defined as some dudes think that having a college degree and/or steady job is too ambitious.  Some folks would just call it handling your business and being responsible. 

I feel there is a twinge of resentment in these words that mask an inferiority complex and lack of ambition (in my humble opinion) of the part of some guys who think that order for them to feel good about themselves, women need to opt for a financial and educational back seat.  My reply to that?

Uh, NO!

I could sit here and write a whole book on this issue but it’s late and I need to get to bed.  The simple fact is this:  A real man knows his own worth.  His self-worth doesn’t rely on other people’s opinions or success.  He is in competition with himself alone. He strives to be a better man than he was the day before.  And a real man certainly would ask never ask a woman to downgrade her life, education, or career just because he carries the XY chromosome. 

Ugh!  I gotta avoid certain social forums and people!