Last night was the final performance of the Need Ensemble streamed live on the internet and then dissolved into the ether.  Thank goodness for poetry. Thank goodness for our profound past and future presence.  Thank the Lorde for this moment.  Last night we celebrated, affirmed, showed in our bodies what this week has given us.  Testifed and held hands across space and time.   We also engaged Audre Lorde’s poem “Call” where she repeats that the rainbow serpent representative of all the unnamed and forgotten dieties aka Aido Hwedo is coming.   What is the name of the divinity that is coming for us?

Response

“We are learning by heart

what has never been taught.”

-Audre Lorde “Call”

light is coming

justice is coming

peace is coming

fearless mothers and happy babies are coming

gardening time is coming

fresh spring days, long summer nights, cozy winter cuddles and fall leaves are coming

a safe harbor is coming

a soft place to fall is coming

release is coming

reprieve is coming

a party with cake is coming

celebrating your miraculous body-self every morning as soon as you awaken is coming

khahlia is coming!

clean ocean water is coming

miracles are coming…

a lifetime of labors of love is coming

new adventures are coming

more understanding, more grace, and more listening is coming…

more feminist visionaries are coming…

fully accountable telepathy is coming

more community-building (like this) is coming

Audre Lorde's Poetry in Motion (Indeed)

The brilliant and brave Brilliance Remastered Need Ensemble has me wide open, reaching into my dreams and the dreams of my ancestors.   Last night after working with Audre Lorde’s Coal and my brother Seneca’s teachings about the relationships between dreams, wisdom and nightmares we wrote this poem together.   May you be as open to it as you need to be.

We Are the Open We Need

“Love is a word, another kind of open.”

-Audre Lorde “Coal”

ancestors screaming in my ear: open

headache in the center of my forehead open

fears open. hate open. terrors open. light open

pain i can use, open

i been here before, open

got my heart and ears ready to hear whatever you have to say open

remembering grandmothers with cleansing tears open

got my door open come in any time type open

mountains open with wisdom and protection open

rocks under pillows open

letting the light in open

magic portals open

sky open

hitting the ground so that i CAN open

breathing so my breathing can breathe open

alchemizing wasted-blood-into-lifeblood open

spirit emerging through this physical body open

legs open mouth open nostrils flaring open

arms stretched wide ready to receive open

water rum juice and tea bladders open

shamefully open. embrassingly open.

listening to my body, open

ecstatic womb open

birth open

hands open

hands reached out to hold other hands open

hands up to the computer open

heart open

heart mind body break-through open

breaking down emotional walls open

sleeping under the stars open

dancing in the rain open

rural night sky open

tired, good tired open

fed souls–open

chest crackingly open

belly laughing out loud open

eyes open with clarity open

knowing i’m noteworthy open

nobody can see me who i can’t see open

dr. g arms open open

building community open

faith open

bars open

asylum open

borders open

church open

temples open

mosque open

altars open

mounds open

heaven open

consent open

lovers open

words open

need that tastes like love open

futures open

past open

now open

love open

faith open

ritual open

mothering ourselves open

in love with the souls making up this webinar open

seeing my reflection in you, open

saying your name in my prayers, open

seeing your smile open

universe open

we are the open we’ve been waiting for open

we are the open we need

open

Ask anyone!  I have probably already told them that I strongly believe that Durham, North Carolina is the best place in the world to be a community accountable genius!  I love this place!  So as an act of love to my chosen geographical community and in gratitude for all that Durham has offered to my intellectual growth, I am offering some special Brilliance Remastered love specifically for those of you who are in the Durham radius (you lucky brilliant well-placed people!)

Community Organizations in and around Durham, NC

Audre Lorde’s insights for personal growth and transformation apply not only to individual community accountable intellectuals, but also to community organizations at many stages of organizational development.  I am available to customize any of my existing workshops for your organization and to conduct them at a discounted rate…with no travel and housing fees!

And especially for Summer 2013 check out my custom Summer Lovin’ relationship building retreats for organizations in NC!

Email brillianceremastered@gmail.com to set up a phone assessment where we can decide what workshop is best for the growth and development of your organization or group.

Individual Students Based In and Near Durham, NC (Shouts out to NCCU, Duke, UNC, NC State, Durham Tech, St. Augustine, Meredith, Peace, Shaw and everybody!)

• grad students get DEEP discounts on any of the coaching or advising curricula
• get the major benefit of in-person meetings in Duke Gardens, central park, my favorite tea spot and maybe even my porch (sign up here for one of our Spring one on one garden walks)
• get plugged into quarterly mixers I will be hosting for other local community accountable intellectuals
• undergrads get access to in person application consultations and a special “Never Leaving Durham” series of conversations!

Email brillianceremastered@gmail.com to set up a phone assessment and get started!

Colleges and Universities in and around Durham, NC

Hey there visionary administrators, faculty and organizers at NCCU, Duke, UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State, UNC-Greensboro, Meredith, Shaw, St. Augustine, Peace College, Elon, Guilford etc.

Take advantage of the fact that I LOVE WHERE I LIVE and offer your graduate students or prospective graduate students my key workshops on mentorship, community accountability, resilience and wellness and more without having to raise a budget for travel and housing!    I am also available to do ongoing work with student groups, and student services units.

Email brillianceremastered@gmail.com schedule a phone assessment so we can scheme up our partnership!!!!

After the successful launch of the three course Brilliance Remastered One-on-One coaching curriculum in 2012 we are expanding the brilliance by offering the courses to distinguished passionate cohorts of visionaries in 2013!

The cohort model allows a set of aligned visionaries to experience the life-changing curricula and to benefit from one-on-one attention from Sista Docta Lex while building community with each other.   Doing it together also allows Brilliance Remastered to provide this service at a lower rate.  (However the one-on-one version of this curriculum is still available for those of you who want me all to yourself!

Cohort Participants Commit to a 3-Month Experience with:

• weekly transformative assignments
• bi-weekly google-hangout discussion sessions with fellow cohort members facilitated by Lex
• weekly email check-ins with Lex
• access to Lex’s online office hours
• song dedications and motivation

all for sliding scale $750-1000 per participant.  Payment plans are available.  I am committed to making this accessible to you!

Participants join the cohort through a phone assessment conversation where we will determine the best way to engage the curriculum.  Email brillianceremastered@gmail.com to schedule a phone assessment for $25.  More on phone assessments here.

Here are this year’s offerings! Looking forward to working together!

Coaching Modules:

Jan-March 2014 “My Words Will Be There”:  Eternal Strategies for Sustainable Community Accountable Scholarship  (Apply by December 10th)

This advanced stage of the coaching curriculum is for graduates of the Doing What I Came to Do and Community is Not a Luxury coaching curricula or scholars who are  committed to a specific community accountable educational project in its early design stages.  This coaching process will provide you with a supportive space for transformative curriculum and program development and the tools to build a sustainable ecology for your own community accountable intellectual practice that does not depend on the economy of the university/non-profit funding.  This is a crucial tool-set for scholars who want their work to live in community organizing, to be interdependent with educational institutions, or to create their own educational/activist institutions.  More info here.

Past Cohorts:

Summer 2013 Community is Not a Luxury: Necessary Praxis for Degree Survival*  (Apply by May 20th)

“Look how you print yourself on my heart.” -Audre Lorde

This intermediate stage of the coaching curriculum trains you to implement and build a community of accountability outside of the limits of your university setting.  Community accountability is what distinguishes meaningful intellectual labor from elitist word games.  This coaching module is for scholars who are committed to making a difference in the lives of the communities that inspire them and also activates community as a superpower to sustain your wholeness and to support and celebrate you in your degree process.  More info here.

Spring 2013 “Doing What I Came to Do”: Activating Your Purpose*

*Email brillianceremastered to set up a phone assessment by Feb 15th.

“I am who I am doing what I came to do.”-Audre Lorde

This is the first and most crucial coaching module in the Brilliance Remastered curriculum.  In this coaching process also known as the “purpose-keeper,” I will facilitate and support you in remembering/crafting and supporting an intentional, generative, empowering and energizing greater purpose for your intellectual work.   This process will give you a touchstone for every step of your intellectual work, giving you consistent access to the superpower of PURPOSE which will provide energy and perspective when the going gets tough.  More info here.