Author Archives: Bomani Armah

SupermanBatman

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The simplest statement,
spoken from the heart,
is more profound
than scripture

I fixed a four year olds favorite toy
With little more then the flick of a button
He looked me in my eyes
And smiled like he was opening a birthday present
postmarked from heaven

saying
“wow daddy, u r superman batman!”.

“Moment of Silence” featuring Lady Pcoq

Love is a language of laughter and tears But the most telling moments are ones of silence We have built this house Where love reverberates of walls And this isn’t sound The squeek of the door The creaks in the floor The pitch. The mood We’ve tuned each other out every story has been toldContinue reading ““Moment of Silence” featuring Lady Pcoq”

Bomani on NPR’s “Tell Me More” with Michel Martin

In light of the child sexual abuse scandal at Penn State, host Michel Martin explores the challenges of mentoring and how that role is changing. She speaks with a diverse panel of mentors: two fathers and a young journalist.  Join Bomani Armah, Phil Lerman (author of the “Dadditude” and former producer on America’s Most Wanted)Continue reading “Bomani on NPR’s “Tell Me More” with Michel Martin”

A Teachable Moment

This is my second home. 6pm, a crowded room of 12-18 year-olds, fresh off of their Doritos and grape soda hi’s. One of the more affable students, a 12 year old whose futile attempts at being gangsta only make him more lovable, for the first and only time gets a running start and jumps onto my back. Instinctively I reach behind me, grab him by the shoulders and begin to flip him over me. We are both laughing hysterically, and enjoying this moment. From the clues I’ve gotten from his grandparents, he doesn’t have a lot of interaction with grown men. Not in school, not at home, not in the streets that baby sit him, but here he’s my kid. Then another of student yells out “PENN STATE!”

And there you have it.

Like the rest of the nation, I have finally had a moment to breath. To inhale the stale stench of the Penn State phenomena, process this betrayal of the children, and the details of this heinous crime. This is the time to ask the cliche question “so what did we learn from this?”. In this instance that question can be quite chilling because almost all cases like this involve someone who is taking advantage of their position as a leader, mentor and educator of young lives. These crimes are perpetrated by people who are assigned the task of seeking out, and taking advantage, of teachable moments. For all intents and purposes Sandusky and I are in the same business, actively looking to have access to children, to help them through teachable moments. His alleged crimes casts a shadow over me and the millions of adults who have the trust of parents, children and communities. The “joke” a student yelled at me was just an extended part of the assault that Sandusky has perpetrated on all of us. The children involved in these crimes undoubtedly have asked “what did I learn from this? About proper adult behavior? About my own sexuality? About how the world feels about me?”

We Don’t Need Another Hero

I’ve been screaming “We don’t need another hero!” for the last few weeks. Just because Al Sharpton and Cornel West had an argument on live television does not mean that there is a crisis in black leadership, or that we as a country even need to pay attention. First of all, there is no black leader. Secondly no one is looking for one. This debate, dispute, (whatever word fits it best) is ran by the media, who have for the last several decades elected black leadership for us. Cornel West’s role in criticizing the Black President is justified and patriotic, but his racial analysis, personal hurt feelings and confusing a Black President with a “Black Liberator” has blurred any real points has tried to make.
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“Peek-A-Boo” World Premiere!!

Thanks to everyone who supports grown up hip-hop, and my sons Olu & Dela for inspiring this song, and Eshe from bringing me Olu & Dela. Please understand, my marketing and promotion team consists of me, myself, I and you!  If you like this video, please pass it along.  Forward it to great parents, soonContinue reading ““Peek-A-Boo” World Premiere!!”

“Peek-a-Boo” Video Shoot

Here are some quick behind the scene shots of the “Peek-A-Boo” video shoot from 2 weeks ago. We are scheduled to debut the video at the Genius for Men Conference in Greenbelt MD on May 9th. Special thanks to Dia, Hamilton, Janks, Tatiana, Barbara and Lee for all the technical help, and to the ReevesContinue reading ““Peek-a-Boo” Video Shoot”

Betrayed by Judgement

The jury of Knowledge, Intellect, Reason and Logic convene for as long as God blinks and return with a verdict that is true A truth painfully contraire to the version batted around while lounging on our backs with smiles flowing figure eight enticed by flickering shadows of bare feet dueling in the glow of lateContinue reading “Betrayed by Judgement”

Captive Audience

Steel doors clang and rattle out dueling D.C.go-go and Baltimore club beats as this juvenile correctional facility, poetically named Noyes, braces for another classroom shift. This Montgomery county institutions juxtaposition between two distinctly different yet devastated cities isn’t the only odd combination. The 15 year old girls with 6 year old eyes and 30 yearContinue reading “Captive Audience”

T.O. Shoulda Played Tennis

Could you imagine Terrell Owens patrolling the base line at Wimbledon? With his incredible lateral movement and reach he’d be a terror. Imagine him coming to the net with that vertical jump, or the way he could wear out an opponent with his amazing stamina and work ethic. Most importantly, imagine Terrell Owens with NOContinue reading “T.O. Shoulda Played Tennis”

Steele & Jindal: What Can Brown Do For You?

The profile of national politics has changed dramatically over the past 8 months. These changing times has added a certain “tint” to politics, a brand new “hue” if you will. Okay, enough beating around the bush, where did all these colored people come from? There was a time that Representatives Harold Ford, JC Watts andContinue reading “Steele & Jindal: What Can Brown Do For You?”

Bomani on NPR’s “Tell Me More”

The guys in this week’s Barbershop discuss a recent cartoon published by The New York Post, which many say depicts Obama as a chimpanzee shot dead by police (the paper has since offered an apology). Also, Illinois Sen. Roland Burris is back in the hot seat and baseball star Alexander “A-Rod” Rodriguez explains what heContinue reading “Bomani on NPR’s “Tell Me More””

Historic MLK Day a huge success…

This year’s MLK day at the Washington National Cathedral was attended by over 2,500 people from around the country.  The excitement over the Inauguration the following day (and Time Magazine highlighting this event and your boy as the place and people to see) ballooned the normally large crowd.  We were all treated to performances byContinue reading “Historic MLK Day a huge success…”

Barack & Michelle, Please Send Sacha and Malia to DCPS

President Barack Obama The White House Dear Mr. President. First let me tell you how incredibly proud and inspired I am by your ascension to the Presidency. As the father of two African American boys with “funny foreign names”, your tenure is already a success in my eyes. When I tell Olu Femi & DelaContinue reading “Barack & Michelle, Please Send Sacha and Malia to DCPS”

Bomani on Chicago Public Radio

Many Black Americans are still trying to take in the fact that Barack Obama has been elected this country’s first black president. It’s something people have said they didn’t think they’d witness in their lifetime. And because it sometimes seemed too much to hope for, the idea of a first black president has been aContinue reading “Bomani on Chicago Public Radio”