Wednesday, February 26, 2020

Glenn Ellis Warrior for Wellness




Glenn Ellis Warrior for Wellness
Junious Ricardo Stanton

            Glenn Ellis was born in Birmingham Alabama during the tumultuous era when Blacks were actively engaged in a valiant struggle for human rights, desegregation and relief from the enduring ravages of racial oppression. He grew up in the thick of the struggle, seeing first hand how reactionary whites resorted to indiscriminate violence and terrorism in their vain attempt to stifle the movement.
 Ellis was one of a family of nine children who grew up in a tight nit segregated community. His father worked in the steel mill. The four girls killed in the 16th Street Church bombing on September 15, 1963: Addie Mae Collins, Carol Denise McNair, Carole Robinson and Cynthia Wesley were childhood friends of Ellis.
That hideous act of terror also injured over twenty innocent people most Ellis and his family knew.  The rampant violence became part of the fabric of life in Birmingham. Ellis was classmates with Condoleezza Rice. He knew James Bevel and Hosea Williams from their activism in the community and he worked for the legendary entrepreneur and patron of the struggle A.J. Gaston.
This experience and the tutoring of his parents, grandparents, teachers and community infused Glenn Ellis with as purpose and mission. He witnessed what it meant to sacrifice to ameliorate the egregious affects of racism and privation on Black people and do whatever could be done to facilitate change for the better. His community and family motivated him to expand his horizons and opportunities, to always remember his people and his obligation help his community.
Ellis migrated to Philadelphia to attend the University of Pennsylvania. He always had an interest in medicine, health and well being, so he was in the pre-med academic track at Penn. But Ellis’ motivation caused him to take an alternative track from medical school. He chose to pursue advanced degrees in public health and health care ethics.  In that capacity Ellis travels the world researching, lecturing and comparing US “healthcare” with services provided by other countries and cultures.
Sharing how his experiences in Birmingham and working with Dick Gregory helped shape his life path and his push to derail America’s racist system, Ellis said, “When racism takes place within the context of healthcare and medicine, now we’re talking life and death. Statistically over one hundred thousand Black people die every year from preventable deaths that only take place because of racism. This is not to say there are some white doctors out there injecting poison into people but rather they are neglecting to raise the level of care that somebody deserves or making sure their complaints are believed.”
As an example Ellis shared that many sickle cell patients are viewed as drug addicts, junkies or malingerers due to racial bias on the part of emergency room physicians and nurses. “A study was done at Virginia Tech that did a survey of medical students around the country and this study revealed that the overwhelming number of medical students think Black peopled because of our melanin can tolerate a higher threshold of pain so they require less pain medication and they are minimizing the pain Black people are experiencing.
“There are different ways to articulate it so if you come in and state exactly what kind of medication you need then you are a drug seeker, that’s what they (the medical people) call them, or a junkie. If you can’t articulate it (the level of your pain) but are begging for something to alleviate the pain, they downplay it like ‘You’re not hurting that bad.’ If the person has been to the hospital before (for treatment) then they say, ‘You like the high’ or ‘they must be selling it’”.
Citing similar studies at Philadelphia Children’s Hospital and in Boston Ellis stated the studies showed the Black children were consistently given less medication and attention. “All this speaks to how deeply institutional racism is entrenched in our society and more so in the medical field.”
Ellis has studied abroad and observed how other countries treat their citizens. Ellis travels around the United States lecturing medical students, hospital staffs and administrators to point out these patterns in the hope these students and administrators will see their roles differently and change the paradigm. He also writes a syndicated weekly column, he hosts a radio program on WURD and has written four books with a new one coming out in March and two others in the works on medicine, health care and the history of Black doctors in Philadelphia.
 For Ellis this is a calling, a life’s mission. “I don’t have a choice, this is an obligation. I’m grateful that this is something I love, that I am passionate about and all that but I don’t have a choice. I am grateful the ancestors opened a pathway for me to get to where I need to be going, I take this very seriously.”
Glenn Ellis is a man of the people; he is available for consultations, lectures and workshops. He’s committed to sharing information via the media and in person. His Website is https://www.glennellis.com there you can access archives of his podcasts, his newspaper columns and purchase his books.

                                                -30-

posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 9:10 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

David Lawrence Evolving Genius



David Lawrence, Evolving Genius

Junious Ricardo Stanton

It is fascinating watching an artist grow, expand his or her consciousness and use this personal growth to further develop their craft over time. It is rare when an artist is so influential he or she creates a singular movement all his or her own or becomes part of a newly emerging movement. In many ways David Lawrence is a forerunner in a cultural movement of Black artists, writers, musicians and filmmakers called Afrofuturism.
Afrofuturism weaves African motifs, spirituality, mysticism, symbols with modern technology creating a vision of African redemption, ascendance and transformation. I met David Lawrence almost thirty years ago and was deeply impressed by his work because it was strikingly unique and eye catching. It featured Africans, images of planets, pyramids, geometric shapes and symbols blended with indigenous patterns.
David always knew he was destined to be an artist. To pursue his dream and develop his talents the Brooklyn native attended the New York High School of Art and Design, Long Island University majoring in illustration, art and marketing and subsequently the Art Students League of New York. He subsequently migrated to Philadelphia Pennsylvania to set up shop.
David Lawrence is best known for what he calls pyramidism a multi-media art form combining and mixing water colors, acrylics, pastels, African figurines, symbology, indigenous art patterns and motifs with a unique metaphysical and spiritual flavor. In recent years David branched out incorporating astronomy and images of the cosmos into his work. Now he is venturing into blending healing crystals and earth stones into his paintings.
Elaborating on the significance of his new artistic direction Lawrence said, “I’ve been focusing on a new direction in terms of my art; how do we heal ourselves through art? So I have a new series out called the crystallization series. For the last couple of years I’ve combined the cosmologies of our forefathers’ studies of the cosmos mixed with studies of crystals and the healing effects of crystals. I work on acrylic glass which creates a translucent effect because you can see through it like stained glass. I’m using mixed media so I’m layering it. I start out with water colors, then I go into it with acrylics, oils pastels and sparkles and all of that creates a symbiotic movement of nature. Then when I finish with all of that, I put agate stones and crystals on top of that, blending it in. I put the crystals on last that blends in with the movement of the painting.”
Using agate stones and crystals is an original and purposeful touch. It is designed to be both educational and healing. He is doing research on the healing power of crystals, the origin of agate stones and passing it on to the people who see and buy his art. His goal is to get them to do research as well.
 “I didn’t know much about crystals until I started doing research. If it’s important for you to heal yourself from stress and have a peaceful environment within yourself then it is important for you to do the research.”
Embedding crystals into his artwork is his way to positively impact the environment, project healing energy and affect change. “I have a painting called Ascension. I feel as an artist it is my job is to help you ascend from where you are. When people look at the painting they say ‘I feel more relaxed, it makes me feel more serine more at peace.’ They didn’t know that they are going to feel that way; the painting took them into a relaxed state of mind.”
“My paintings are designed to make you feel that way the moment you see the painting. No two people are exactly alike so their responses will be different. There are certain main things I want to accomplish, I want to accomplish a sense of relaxation to release you from your everyday stress. I want to use it just like yoga and meditation are used as a vehicle to help you relax to distress you. My painting is a vehicle to do the same things yoga and meditation do.”
Lawrence like many creative people says his inspiration comes freely through intuition. “My crystallization series takes a lot shorter time to make as opposed to the pyramidism because I’m letting nature do most of the work. When I put the water colors down, the fluidity of the water colors creates the composition. The acrylics shape it, I may see a person in it or I might see animals in it and I shape those things that I want to bring out through other mediums. I let nature shape it. I let it sit overnight, let it dry I apply the colors but nature is making the movement. I’m allowing intuition to lead me. I have total confidence and faith that my intuition will lead me through the whole process.”
Lawrence’s work is exhibited around the United States in numerous galleries as well as in Europe in countries like Spain and Italy. In addition to his art, Lawrence also is partnering with Gallerie Isada gallery and museum in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia located at 3320 Collins Street between E. Onterio and E. Westmorland Streets where he serves as the curator.
His limited edition work is available Online via October Gallery’s Website www.octobergalleries.com .

                                    -30-

posted by Junious Ricardo Stanton @ 2:33 PM 0 comments