Visions of Peace

People Rise Up

Let us honor the memory of our Brother Mike Brown by re-imagining Ferguson as a model for people power. Let us honor him with public servants truly helping to move our community forward, keeping our young people safe. Let us build wide sidewalks in his name and line them with fruit trees and flowers, make them safe to walk down at any time of day or night. Let us build a community center and plant an urban garden in his name, a place where folks can nourish their minds and bodies.

There are people from across the country and around the world still willing to support Ferguson with time, skills and money. Let us give them something to do.

A small group of family, friends and neighbors can get this conversation started, asking what little things need doing to make the neighborhood better. Meet face to face and put a plan down on paper. Learn how to run an effective meeting. Set broad goals and specific objectives.

We need a cop watch program to protect our children as we begin to get organized. Occupy Ground Zero for affordable housing and a living wage. Legalize marijuana. Create public art. Choose your battles and commit to nonviolence.

Find common ground and be inclusive. Get your small group to work with other small groups and begin to build a strong, diverse movement.

Know Your History

Elders, please inspire and guide. Share what you know with our youth. Help reveal the roots of this rebellion and its historical significance.

Young people, please step forward to lead this change. We need your energy and creativity to get things rolling and keep them exciting.

We must demilitarize the police and transform these local forces through community hiring, training and oversight. Vote to effect regime change in Ferguson and wherever else necessary.

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My Great-Grandmother's Coleslaw

Going through my mother's cookbooks, I found this recipe for coleslaw tucked away:

(Great) Grandma's Coleslaw

1 Small Head Green Cabbage
2 Carrots
1 Small Onion, Minced
1 Small Green Pepper, Cut Rings For Garnish, Finely Chop Remainder
1 tsp Salt
1/4 C (1/2 Stick) Butter or Margarine
1 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 C Sugar
1 C Vinegar
1 tsp Dry Mustard
1 tsp Celery Seed
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper
2 Eggs

Use outer leaves to line bowl.
Coarsely shred cabbage. Shred carrots.
Add together with onion, green pepper and 1/2 salt.
Toss and set aside. Melt butter, stir in flour.
Add sugar, vinegar, mustard, celery seed, pepper and remaining salt.
When hot, but not boiling, remove from heat; set aside.
Beat eggs. Whip in about 4 Tbsp of vinegar mixture into eggs, adding 1 Tbsp at a time.
Cook over medium heat, stir constantly until thickens.



So, we gave this a try. Way too sweet for me. Next time, half the sugar or less, more of all the spices, add some black pepper. I had never seen this type of butter/flour/egg sauce before.

My great-grandmother, Mama Maude. I believe that it was her coleslaw my mother was trying to recreate when she wrote this recipe down; and, someone told her that it was, in fact, her Mama Maude's mother's recipe.

How our tastes change. My mother taught me to make coleslaw without any sugar. My brother starts with the Joy of Cooking recipe, so about a tablespoon. I grew up with a mayonnaise-based slaw. Some carrot, onion, dill pickle and bit of the pickle juice. Sometimes a little horseradish and caraway seed.

Yemanja Diptych