Alex Haley began his writing while in the U.S. Coast Guard.

[b.1921 - d.1992]

Born on August 11,1921 in Ithaca, New York, Alexander Murray Palmer Haley grew up in Henning, Tennessee, the first of three sons to Simon Henry Haley, a professor of agriculture, and Bertha George Palmer, a school-teacher. In 1937, he attended Hawthorne College in Mississippi, and then transferred to Elizabeth City State Teachers College in North Carolina, which he attended for two years. He enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1939 and completed a twenty-year tour of duty, first as a messboy, and then, in 1950, as Chief Journalist. During the 1940s, Haley began writing short anecdotal sketches about the coast guard, some of which he published in Coronet magazine. In the 1950s, he continued to publish short, mostly biographical pieces in Coronet, as well as in Readers Digest, Atlantic, and Harper’s. He retired from the coast guard in 1959 to become a freelance writer.

In the early 1960s, he continued to publish short articles, among them an exposé of Elijah Muhammad and the Nation of Islam for the Saturday Evening Post. At the same time, he began a series of interviews for Playboy magazine, including ones with Miles Davis, Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., Cassius Clay (later Muhammad Ali), Jim Brown, and Quincy Jones. His interview with Malcolm X led to their collaboration on The Autobiography of Malcolm X (1965). Haley’s probing questions of Malcolm X and editorial skills helped shape what has undoubtedly become the most influential twentieth-century African American autobiography.

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What is Photo Phinish?

It’s hard to believe it’s already 2010. But we’re here and there are still new things in store for this blog. When I started blogging, the main goal was to share information and hopefully open up dialogue on issues that affect the black community. I think I did that in some way this year, but it wasn’t to the extent that I’d done in previous years.

The goal for this year is to continue on the track of keeping the site informative. I plan on opening it up to others who are interested in sharing their point of view with the readers of this site. There are some talented, well-written people out there and I want to showcase them and get some real discussions going.

Late in the year, when I got swamped with projects for work, I fell off the blogging scene for a couple of weeks. Blogging can be a daunting task and coming up with things to write about can be time consuming (especially when it isn’t one of my strengths). So this year, I’m going to solicit your help. If you or someone you know are interested in blogging, but don’t want to manage their own site, email me at info @ theotalks.net. I’m always in need of someone to write and it usually turns out to be a win-win situation for both parties.

This year, I also want to focus more on minority small businesses. In these turbulent economic times, a lot of people are turning to owning their own business. I think that’s great, so I decided to start a list of some of my favorite small businesses. I’ll be highlighting small business owners throughout the year, so contact me if you’re interested in participating.

Finally, here are some websites that you need to keep an eye on for 2010. I’ll be blogging a lot about them and hope to be visible on most of them as time permits. Check them out when you get the chance:

• Liberate Magazine
• Tech Relations Firm
• Dallas South News
• Barter My Biz

Have a Happy New Year and God Bless!

What is Photo Phinish?

This weekend I had the opportunity to watch my son ride his bike without my help. I was in awe as he rode down the street because this was only his second lesson. The first lesson was grueling and I paid the price with a sore back due to two hours of bending over to help him pedal. After that lesson I just knew it would be a while before he caught on. I’d be showing him how to turn and he would be looking at the rabbit running across the street. It took some patience from each of us and I knew it was going to be a long summer.

After the first lesson, about a week passed because I wanted to let him decide when he was ready to go back out. He jumped on the bike and with very little assistance from me started pedaling. I watched in amazement and gave myself a pat on the back for being such a great teacher. But when reality set in, I knew he was riding solo because he was ready to do it. All he needed was a little guidance in the right direction. Once he understood the concept of pedaling, he was on his way.

I guess that’s what parenting is all about. You give your kids what they need and pray that they are listening. They will fall, make mistakes and run into curbs, but if you’ve given them a solid foundation, success isn’t far away.  Next year, I’ll see how he does without the training wheels.

What is Photo Phinish?

There’s a passage in the Bible that reads “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens he has pitched a tent for the sun, which is like a bridegroom coming forth from his pavilion, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat.” Psalms 19:1-6 NIV.

I made a promise to myself earlier in the year to spend more time outdoors when the weather got better. I spend the majority of my week in front of a computer, doing a job that I truly enjoy. But there are times when I get sucked in to my work and it’s easy to get stressed out when deadlines need to be met.

I’ve also found that achieving that home-church-work-life balance thing, is not such an easy task. One can easily get caught up in the rat race and lose focus of the little things. When that happens, it’s important that you take some time to step out of the race and notice the little things around you. You can take a minute or an hour. You can be by yourself or with a group of people. All it takes is a commitment from you to do it.

For the first time that I can remember I watched the sun set. I wasn’t at a beach on vacation and to be honest, it wasn’t even a planned event. I just happened to drive around the corner on my way home from work and thought, “that would make a good picture”. I never realized how fast a sunset occurred and I plan on seeing more from now on. The world we inhabit is an amazing place and there are many lessons about life in God’s creation. So take the time to stop, look and listen sometimes. You might be glad you did.

What it Photo Phinish?

This weekend as I was working on computer, I found a flag pin and looked on the back to see where it was made. Recently, I’ve been doing that a lot because I’ve noticed that very few products in my household are actually NOT Made in America. I remember the big Made in America ad campaign when I was a kid and there was a lot of pride in the products we produced. What’s happened to us? I’m guilty myself because a brotha likes to save money, but come on! The American flag pin?!

Now, I’m always down for a good deal, but where are all the American products? So far my search around the home isn’t going too well. I thought I’d post a few of my findings on the blog.

• Black & Decker Toaster Oven (Made in China)
• All TVs (Made in Japan)
• Pair of jeans (Made in Indonesia)
• Hanes T-Shirts (Made in Honduras)
• Dell Laptop for Work (Made in Malaysia)
• Kids Toys (Made in China/Taiwan)
• Dishwashing Liquid (Made in America)

So what do you have that’s NOT Made in America?

P.S. Just so everyone knows, I threw this pin in the trash after photgraphing it. I just can’t bring myself to wear an outsourced flag pin. It’s not right.

The reason I chose this photo is because this is the future of America. While there are still many things we need to work on as a nation, there’s no other place like it on earth. I never thought I’d have the opportunity to see an African-American become President of the United States. I figured my sons would get to see it, but not me (and I tend to be an optimist about things). Last night changed my perspective on a lot of things.

As kids, I think we unknowingly take on some of what our parents and grandparents experienced during the civil rights era. While I may not have lived through it myself, there was always that feeling deep in the back of my mind that the playing field wasn’t always as level as everyone thought. While I tried not to let it get to me, there were times when it did. And it became even more evident when I attended college. You can teach the value of hard work all you want, but frustration can easily set in when ideals of equality is overshadowed by reality.

While Obama’s win may have broken the glass ceiling to the Presidency, there’s still work to be done. My boys get the opportunity to grow up under the leadership of a black president. Perceptions of the black family will be changed over the next four years. People are emotional and filled with hope because this is a big step for America as a country. Slavery may have been abolished under Lincoln, but the mindset of those freed slaves was still in bondage. There are a lot of things we need to work out amongst ourselves and Obama’s win is the first step in showing others (and us) that America’s past is just that.

The real work starts now with a renewing of our minds. The impossible is now possible and let us not forget that Obama’s win only happened because everyone worked together to get it done. If we begin teaching this to our youth, who knows what they’ll be able to accomplish. That’s what I want to pass on to my boys. As their father, it’s my job to equip them as best I can with the tools they need to achieve their dreams. The only limitations are those we dream up and those we allow others to place in our way. I want them to believe that anything is possible and no goal is beyond their reach. Not even the presidency.

What is Photo Phinish?

This is a blurry photo (they won’t let you use a flash) of the United States Constitution. On my trip to Washington DC I made this visit a priority because the last time I’d seen it, I was about five years old. This document and is its amendments are what governs our country and as an American citizen, it’s up to us to make sure it’s properly followed. But how many of us have taken the time to read what it says?

Sure, when it was written, we (black people) weren’t included in “We the People”. We had no input on what it said and we had to fight so these same laws would also apply to us. But today, the wording in the Constitution does apply to us and it’s up to us to have at least a general understanding of what’s in it. So when you get a chance, browse through it. Those before us sacrificed a lot and we owe it to them to make sure we know our rights.

And yes, I will be reading through it also.

What is Photo Phinish?

Sometimes life can get pretty busy. Between family, work, church and managing a business it’s important to take time off for yourself. You don’t need a fancy vacation (unless you can afford it). All you need is a place where you can be alone with your thoughts. Even if it’s for a couple of minutes, put yourself in time out. You’ll be glad you did.

What is Photo Phinish?

This is the first of many pictures I wanted to share with you in the Photo Phinish. Have you ever felt like the duck in the background? This photo makes me think how I felt on my first day at college. I’d gone to majority black schools all my life, so attending Texas A&M was definitely a culture shock. But as I’ve stated in many posts before, attending A&M was good for me. I met a lot of great friends (including my wife) and learned a lot about myself and the world around me in the process. Sometimes you’ve got to step out of your comfort zone to make things happen. That’s the only way change can happen.

What is Photo Phinish?

As a Father’s Day gift to myself, I finally went out and purchased me a decent camera. It’s been something I’ve been wanting to do and I’d saved up the money over the last couple of months so I afford it. I made the decision after returning from an East Coast Mancation (vacation for guys only) with my brother-in-law.

During the trip, I got to visit my dad’s side of the family, who I hadn’t seen in a long time. I hadn’t seen them since 2001 when my dad passed away, so it was good hang out with them and hear stories about my dad as a kid. He was very big into photography and he shared that love for photography with his brother. My uncle told me stories of how meticulous he was when it came to organizing and taking photos. I knew this to be true because as a kid I got in trouble a couple of times for messing them up. But I also remember how he let me use his camera and taught me the basics of taking a good picture. He gave me the photo bug.

I’ve always known it was there, but I never took the time to do something about it. Photography allows you to take a moment in time and freeze it forever (or until your hard drive crashes). it’s a great way to see God’s beauty in the surroundings He’s given us. It forces you to stop and notice the little things we take for granted in this fast-paced, microwaving, instantly gratified world of ours. Best of all, it’s a stress reliever.

Every now and then, I’ll post a picture that I’ve taken in Photo Phinish with a description of why I like it. I’d like to hear what you think.