News One: Witnessing Dorothy

Read on News One

“Big Sister Dorothy Irene Height, 1947-1956,” I shouted in unison with my line sisters. That was how I first learned her name. As an 18-year old sophomore at Lincoln University pledging Delta in 1985, I had to recite, quickly and convincingly, the names of our founders and past national presidents. It was as if calling forth their names would call forth their spirits to embody those of us striving to be like them. For our efforts went beyond rote memorization; we had to learn and even internalize our history, as we strove to follow in the footsteps of our Big Sisters and become Deltas.

Of all of the wondrous women I learned about, Dorothy Height stood out most who – at that time and still today – was the longest serving president of our sisterhood. Maybe it was because I noticed, right away, that she was my “birthday twin” since both of us were born on March 24th. I immediately wanted to know more. I learned how she had walked with giants. I learned that she, herself, was a giant. I learned how this incredible woman had witnessed history and, in fact, become history in a way that made my imagination scream, “Hallelujah!” But what I also learned was how unfortunate it was that I could grow up writing essays about Martin, reading books about Malcolm, and not even knowing her name.

Twenty years later, when I really did grow up, I came to grips with the sad reality that few of us learn little more than four “oft-repeated” lines from the “I Have a Dream Speech” and whatever tidbits of our history we cram into special celebrations during the shortest month of the year.

These are the reasons why, in the middle of a busy work and school week, I dragged my daughter down to Shiloh Baptist Church in Washington DC to share and celebrate Dr. Height’s amazing life. I wanted to make sure that, just as Dr. Height had witnessed history, my daughter would experience the watershed moment marking the passing of this remarkable woman into the annals of a new history. We were blessed and determined, so we made it into the sanctuary – supposedly reserved for the VIPs – to witness history, in person, with our own eyes.

The first person I pointed out to my daughter was the angelic Susan Taylor, who hosted the service, as I shared the transformational impact that Essence Magazine had on us all. And then we heard from Eleanor Holmes Norton, Charles Rangel and Al Sharpton, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton, as well as the current National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Cynthia Butler-McIntyre. How could I explain to my daughter, in one night, the reverence that all of these giants had for Dorothy Height? Of course, this task was not possible. However, when my daughter heard Stevie Wonder play the harmonica – someone whose musical genius and social impact we’ve shared with her from a young age – I saw in her astonished eyes a glimmer of the respect for the import of this special moment in time.

The big names kept rolling in: Soror Alexis Herman, Vernon Jordan, Rev. Bernice King, John Lewis, Andrew Young and Jesse Jackson to name a few. But it was really the stories that made the evening special. There was the one about Dr. Height being accepted into Barnard, but being denied admission upon arrival because the college had suddenly reached their quota for Black women – two! There was another, recounted by Rev. Sharpton, about a recent meeting with President Obama that the persistent Dr. Height could not attend because of a blizzard. Apparently, her assistant had to wheel her to the edge of her building, fully dressed in her hat and suit, to actually prove no taxi could take her. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop her from badgering those who could attend by cell phone since she was reluctant to let the conversation take place without a strong woman in the room. Ultimately, she was relieved to learn that Valerie Jarrett was there.

There were more stories about big, colorful hats, about building wells in Africa, about hard work, the Harlem Renaissance, the YWCA, and the modern feminist movement. There were even ones about how Dr. Height knitted during heated civil rights meetings, and how “the boys” relented when she was forced to put down her needles and put the boys back in their places. At Charlie Rangel’s prompting, I imagined what I would have said if I’d had the chance to tell my Dr. Height story about the last time I saw her at the National Congress of Black Women’s breakfast six months ago. I sought her advice and counsel because, at that time, I was under attack by Fox News and right-wing bloggers for allegedly “indoctrinating children” through my work as a children’s book author. It was a difficult time for me, and surely this accomplished and iconic woman who had counseled world leaders could offer some poignant and comforting pearls of wisdom to inspire me and lift me through my struggles. After listening to me detail my predicament and drone on for what must have been five minutes without taking a breath, this towering figure squeezed my hand, pulled me close to her, and whispered, “Baby, I can’t hear a thing you just said… but call my assistant, Christine, and maybe we can help you!”

Perhaps the most poignant story was delivered by the legendary Cicely Tyson who described how Dr. Height loved and had faith in her. She had once asked Cicely to deliver her famous speech from her role as Ms. Jane Pittman for her… “Life for me ain’t been no crystal stair. It’s had tacks in it, splinters, Boards torn up, places with no carpets on the floors, bare!” She performed it again for us right there at Shiloh. Maybe it was because we’d recently watched Sounder, but Cicely certainly got my baby’s attention. It was an awesome moment when my daughter agreed with me on how beautiful both Cicely and her performance was.

The evening wasn’t without its challenges. In the truth-telling cries of a 10-year old girl, I frequently heard, “Why is this taking so long?” And it really wasn’t the time or place to explain to a child growing up in this must-have-it-now, attention-deficient world that some things, my dear sweet child, just take time. At one point, I even caught her Googling on my cell phone, but she was looking up photos of Dr. Height and Langston Hughes, so I pretended not to notice. Quiet as its kept, sometimes our folks can be a wee bit long-winded when given a microphone in a church full of wonderful women in hats, sharp brothers in suits, and glorious gospel music filling the air.

Even so, my daughter persevered until the fascinating yet seemingly-endless evening was over. And despite the customary impatience of childhood, I’m positive that one day I will look into her eyes and see Dr. Height’s undying spirit flying high. For, like Big Sister Dorothy, she now was an in-person witness to history. And because of Dr. Dorothy Height, she has now learned that history itself is hers for the making.

Charisse Carney-Nunes is a Washington, DC-based publisher and author of children's books. Visit her online at www.BrandNuWords.com.

News One: Is Nappy the New N-word?

Read my News One blog post: Is Nappy the New N-word?

By Charisse Carney Nunes

I recently watched a television show about standards of beauty around the world. I sat in awe as little Chinese girls went ga-ga for White Barbie, and their mothers and sisters stood in a drive-thru line to have a surgeon slice away the fat from their eyelids to make them more Euro-chic. On one level, it felt good to know that African-American women are not alone in the emotional struggle to love ourselves enough to call ourselves pretty. But that feeling quickly vanished as the show then focused on Nigerian women who loathed their natural locks, opting for lye to straighten them out and a needle and thread to weave in wigs of women’s hair from places like India.

Read more...

Nappy Narratives Week 4: Mary McLeod Bethune

Nappy Narrative_Mary McLeod Bethune from Brand Nu Words on Vimeo.

Nappy Narratives Week 3: Ida B. Wells

Nappy Narrative_Ida B. Wells from Brand Nu Words on Vimeo.

Celebrating Remarkable Women During Women’s History Month

By Charisse Carney-Nunes
For News One March 9, 2010 6:00 pm

This week marks the 35th commemoration of International Women’s Day (Monday), celebrated by the United Nations. This year’s theme is “Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities, Progress for all.” As a woman, I am grateful that for one day out of 365, women are recognized for our achievements. But outside of this special day and month – March is also Women’s History Month – I find myself humming Sojourner Truth’s tune, asking Ain’t I A Woman and questioning where I fit in popular culture, and even in my own community.

Read more.

Nappy Narratives for Women's History Month: Week 2 - Rosa Parks

Nappy Narrative_Rosa Parks from Brand Nu Words on Vimeo.

Nappy Narratives for Women's History Month: Week 1 - Sojourner Truth

School kids singing Obama song are inspired, not indoctrinated
By Charisse Carney-Nunes
9:00 AM on 10/13/2009

Charisse Carney-Nunes is Senior Vice President of The Jamestown Project and author of the children's book, I Am Barack Obama. She was the invited guest at the Burlington, NJ school where the kids sang for her a song about President Obama. A popular YouTube video showing the schoolchildren singing is currently at the center of the national controversy on alleged "school indoctrination."

Much political hay has been made over the video of the New Jersey school children singing about President Obama and I have since found myself at the center of this firestorm. Conservative commentators and media outlets have labeled this "indoctrination by schools," fueling their listeners recently to conduct a politicized protest in front of an elementary school while in session. Contrary to this position, I believe the song - which was initiated by the school's children, not by me - represents a refreshing example of civic expression, creativity and engagement that is sorely needed in our nation's schools.

Civic education is the teaching of knowledge, skills, values, and character needed to grow into a responsible and active participation in American democracy. It is an effort to instill the values of civility, understanding and respect. Through the civic education of elementary-aged children, I have found that they not only begin to understand their place in the world, but also begin to comprehend their power and potential to make a difference in their own lives, their family, their communities, and their country.

Read entire article...

In Today's Viral World, Who Keeps a Civil Tongue?

By Ann GerhartWashington Post Staff Writer Sunday, October 11, 2009

Late last month, Charisse Carney-Nunes fired up the computer at her home in Northeast Washington to check her e-mail. Her brain already was on morning drive time: breakfast for the kids, her day's work at a government agency. She glanced down at her screen, then froze.

Read full article with picture here.

Charisse appears on Inside Edition

On Friday, October 2, 2009, I appeared on Inside Edition to set the record straight and to discuss the so-called school indoctrination issue.

C-P Editorial: Burlco school video isn't indoctrination

This is an Op-Ed by the Courier Post Online
Published on 9/29/2009

Those who are trying to make a months-old school project into something sinister need to get over it.

It's clear a faction of Americans are dead-set against ever accepting Barack Obama as president of the United States.

But do these people really need to take a simple song or two -- sung barely a month after Obama's inauguration and sung, logically enough, during Black History Month -- and try to cast the project as some kind of organized attack against the nation?

Really?

Read the entire article here:
http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090929/OPINION/909290305/-1/newsfront2/C-P-Editorial--Burlco-school-video-isn-t-indoctrination

Right-Wing Slinging About Obama Hits Author

By Felicia Pride
Published in The Root, 9/29/2009

Charisse Carney-Nunes writes children's books. Her books, which are published through her company Brand Nu Words, include titles like "Nappy" and "I Dream for You a World: A Covenant for our Children," and are designed to empower kids.

Committed to justice and equality, Nunes, whose books I've covered before, is one of the last people you'd expect to be in the middle of a sloppy smear campaign by right-wingers Michelle Malkin and friends. OK, I take that back. She is exactly the type of person who the Malkins of the world prey on.

Click here to read full article:
http://www.theroot.com/blogs/right-wing/right-wing-slinging-about-obama-hits-author

President Obama Needs to Continue to be a "Ray of Sunshine Symbol of Hope"

Published in The Los Angeles Sentinel, 9/10/2009
http://www.lasentinel.net/President-Obama-Needs-to-Continue-to-be-a-Ray-of-Sunshine-Symbol-of-Hope.html

There is a lot of noise in the media today about whether it is appropriate for President Obama to address our nation's children. Not only is it appropriate, it is necessary.

I have known for many years how inspiring President Obama is. I knew him as a student at Harvard Law School in the early nineties where he was a high achiever and a gifted orator.

When he burst onto the world stage at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, his awesome speech was no surprise to those who'd known him at Harvard. Three years later, I learned of his Presidential bid and, though surprised by the timing, I immediately signed on because I knew that this man would inspire the nation. I felt like the rest of the world would now become privy to a secret that those familiar with him had been aware of for years.

However, what I didn't account for was the extraordinary impact that Barack Obama would have on children. As a children's author, I frequently traveled to schools nationwide promoting my work and talking to kids about child civic engagement. In late 2007, I began to notice that the promise and the example of Barack Obama was infectious among our youngest citizens. And by no means was this sentiment limited to children of color or to children of partisan parents. For children in general were interested in democracy -- interested in what they could do to make their homes, schools and communities a better place.

In the urban districts the fever was undeniable. I heard stories of little African-American boys pulling up their pants, wearing belts and shunning the prevalent, prison-inspired fashion statement known as 'sagging.' In my mother's school, there was a young African-American girl who made the honor role and openly gave the credit to Barack Obama. Before Barack she was uninspired and deemed unreachable, refusing to ignite the potential inside that all of her teachers knew was there.

Meeting these children, educators and parents gave me hope and sustenance. So I set about to collect some of these stories. This process made me understand that, as much as I may support Barack Obama, this moment is really not about Barack Obama; it's about so much more.
It's about the multi-racial child from Wisconsin who told me, "When I saw him in a magazine with the other candidates, I knew right away I picked him. It struck me like thunder. He made a good effort, followed his dreams and won... When I grow up I want to be an astronaut. Now Barack showed me that I can do it."

It's about the little African-American girl from New Jersey who told me, "When I see Barack Obama I see a ray of sunshine. I see a symbol of hope. Seeing Barack Obama makes me feel special and unique in my own way. I realize that a young girl like me can grow up and become President of the United States!"

It's about the mother in DC who told me that, even though she was not a Democrat and disagreed with President Obama's policies, she wanted her children to be inspired by President Obama's example.

As the mother of two young children, I spend a lot of time thinking about the media messages my children are exposed to. I wish that Disney or Nickelodeon would commit to publishing the scripts of Hannah Montana or iCarly in advance. While I allow my 9 year old daughter to watch these shows --which I find generally acceptable-- an occasionally risquŽ episode can run dangerously close to disturbing the values I am instilling in my child. I wonder if the parents who are so upset about the President's speech to school children have voiced similar concerns to the networks and advertisers who exert so much control over the messages our children receive on a daily basis.

My first presidential experience was meeting Ronald Reagan as a teen. Though my parents had not voted for him, I was still proud to shake the hand of a U.S. president as he congratulated me for receiving a White House award in Science & Technology. His message was inspiring and simple. Education is the key to success. Stay in school. Work hard. You can achieve the American dream.

The signed letter I received from President Reagan continues to decorate the foyer of my mother's house today. And even though I am at the opposite end of the political spectrum from this late President, his letter still inspires me. And yes, we should allow our children the opportunity to be inspired by our President as well.

Charisse Carney-Nunes is Senior Vice President of The Jamestown Project and author of the children's book, "I Am Barack Obama."

Martha's Vineyard Tea

We had tea at Atria on Martha's Vineyard in honor of the First Family! What a great event.



http://www.flickr.com/photos/charissecarneynunes/sets/72157622335111306/

Charisse at Woodridge Library's Preschool Breakfast Club, NE DC

View my new photos and meet my new friends from the Woodridge Library, DCPL.

Have you bought a book today -- preferably by a Black Children's Author??

If not? Have you visited your LOCAL LIBRARY and checked one out?? DON'T LOSE IT!

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2216231&l=cbd4edb796&id=608868120

Literary Obama - Book Review

One might easily mistake the beautifully-illustrated book, I am Barack Obama by Charisse Carney-Nunes and Ann Marie Williams, for a traditional children’s biography. But it offers, in my view, a more innovative strategy by portraying our 44th President’s life simply as the story of a young boy and his extended family: the obstacles he faced as a bi-racial child with a single parent; his love of basketball, of learning, and of helping others.

Guided by the philosophy that “inspiration and optimism are the first steps” to children’s achievement, Carney-Nunes’s poetic second-person narrative speaks directly to young listeners through the life story of Obama:
You’ll travel far and wideAlong the journey of your lifeYou’ll know joy and happinessAnd you’ll know sorrow,you’ll know strife…

Parents and teachers who are already familiar with Obama’s background will recognize “Toot” and the landscape of Indonesia along with iconic images of his life and career. Additionally, the book contains an appendix with a brief bio, teaching resources, and personal essays by several children who have been inspired by the President. (”The same year Barack Obama won, I won,” writes 10-year-old Morgana, “I am currently the youngest president ever elected in my middle school…”) Their words suggest that Obama’s story can begin with any child and this is exactly point of I am Barack Obama.

Carney-Nunes is the author of several children’s books and CEO of Brand Nu Words publishing. She and Obama are also former classmates from Harvard Law School.

Making Moves in Philly

The School District of Philadelphia presented Brand Nu Words with a $12,000 check to help support the efforts of educating our youth through reading!

Read All About It!

I Am Barack Obama is showcased on the front page of The Savannah Tribune! Copy & paste the following link to read more: http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.savannahtribune.com%2Fnews%2F2009-06-10%2FFront_Page%2FCommunity_and_Boule_Salute_Young_Men_of_Honor.html&h=f4f5ce876a4bca5324811b7a164f524e

Los Angeles Boys & Girls Club Visit

On the afternoon of May 12, 2009, I visited the Boys & Girls Club of East Los Angeles. The visit was facilitated by the Afterschool Alliance (http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/) an awesome organization that works tirelessly toward the goal of quality afterschool programs for all children. The children of this club are almost all Hispanic and were inspired by I Am Barack Obama. They welcomed me with open arms and love and even performed a special cheer for me. :-)

Power Lunch!

May 2009: Harvey and I had a Power Lunch with Power People Mario and Maya Van Peebles. Ready to take over the world?