Arrowroots International

Ever since I was about 11-12 years old there's been a project I've been yearning to give to the world. Three months ago that yearning became a tangible opportunity and I set it in motion with a trip to Memphis, TN. It's the one thing I remember wanting to do really badly from a young age. The other was be a stand up comedian. Nothing is ever wasted. Be careful about what you wish for because it will eventually come true. You put it out there it'll come back to you. That's why I'm nice to everyone and treat others with respect, kindness, and love :-) Anyone say I do any different is a damn lie. 

My favorite rappers: Freddie Gibbs MF DOOM Danny Brown Killer Mike Devin The Dude Curren$y OutKast that's in no particular order. (not favorites but their music is cool) Drake is a pop star. Old Kanye better than new Kanye. He still makes amazing beats. Jay-Z raps with a cheat code. Reasonable Doubt is a classic. Battle Rap is becoming more mainstream. Loaded Lux: All time greatest. First battle I saw was him vs. Cal... Funeral. K Shine. The Clips vs. Ill Will battle was fire. Anyway, I been up on battle rap since 2012. I watched a few early SMACK vids in college. But never started following it until 2012 when Lux did what he did. This entire post is irrelevant and just here for the record.

This is a rant. I'm not going to go back and edit this. It's one in the morning. Women Run The Dang World. These are actual facts. And not just the Instagram models with sugar daddies who own several car dealerships in San Antonio, TX. When I got back from Russia, I worked with two Asian women entrepreneurs in Houston who had opened this really amazing little spot in East Downtown. Some of you may have been there. They're both under 35 and built a little empire that people really seem to enjoy. Good food, dope atmosphere, and most important it's something different. They've got good hands on deck helping them but for the most part--that business is booming. I worked in the main office and I saw the numbers. They making bank. Women in medicine. I know like one dude my age who is an actual doctor. The rest of the doctors I know are women. That's a grand total of over a dozen. At least half of them are Black. I dated two of them. One is my closest friend ...

I’ve spent more time in Russia than the average negro. I started back in 2009 in a summer program with Brown, Yale, Harvard, and Stanford students. We all took classes on Russian language and literature at the Nevsky Institute in St. Petersburg. That’s when I first saw her. Nappy red weave twists and a permanent scowl best describe this young lady. She never told anyone her real name. While we were there we were all given Russian names and she stuck with hers like velcro straps on senior shoes. As we were the only two black students in the program I approached her in an attempt to strike up a conversation. Me: (jokingly) “So you heard anything about Russian Juneteenth celebrations?” Her: “Dvaite, govorim po-russkii” Come on, speak in Russian. Me: “Ya ploxha, znau russkii. Luche na angslicom” My Russian is bad. English is better. Her: (eye roll) “Then why come here?” Me: That’s a great question. “I’m researching the history of Blacks in Russia” Her: (deadpan ...

Travellers are always crunched for time—get the most out of a visit to a new place with running shoes. Paris, Rome, London, Moscow, Oslo, Copenhagen... All beautiful places but a lot of things to see and just a few days to do it. Simple solution: run. Cover the ground from urban city views to waves crashing against the shore in half the time. Outline the landscape early and revisit with your friends who slept in. Own the terrain and conquer the day—hit the ground running. The streets in Istanbul are vibrant with an old world charm that demands attention—from merchants to pickpockets and musicians who play outside restaurants in the evening . My first morning there I was up with sun and out on the streets before shops were open and people were on the move. I jogged from my hotel through the neighborhood all the way to the iconic Blue Mosque and then to the Hagia Sophia. I made a loop through a different part of the city before heading straight back to my hotel —briefly catch...

Freedman’s Ward, Little Italy, Chinatown, and Meyerland—communities in the United States named for the people that live there. You can find these neighborhoods in most major US cities. Move from New York to Los Angeles and it shouldn’t be too difficult to make yourself at home—just find your people. The same situation happens overseas—you just have to make yourself available. In Helsinki, Finland, I found a Black girl from Dallas, Texas and apartment to crash while I renewed my Russian visa.   The company sponsoring my visa covered my travel and accommodations in Helsinki for one week. Visa processing for Americans takes at least ten business days (thanks Trump). I would have been on my own except I ventured into an African clothing and grocery store and after conversation with the owner, I learned a girl from Dallas lived in Helsinki. What are the odds? Two Black Texans in this unassuming Nordic country wedged between Russia and Sweden. Freezing cold, white, and ...

Searching for deeper cultural meaning often requires penetration into the interior lands of a nation. Any seasoned global trekker will share this sentiment. This past weekend, I received a crash course in French culture. It was my privilege to be invited to my friends wedding in Annecy, France. The bride, my friend, Katya, moved to France from Russia seven years ago—the same time I moved into her apartment in St. Petersburg. I left Russia after about a year and a half but Katya never left France. She fell in love and culminated that feeling with a wedding celebration at  La Ferme du Chateau , a picturesque wedding resort in The French Alps right near the Swiss border. Attire for four days in France fit neatly into my  Cenzo duffle bag —including my suit, and shoes. Wedding Party My flight from Houston stopped in at London Heathrow before I landed in Geneva. The Swiss definitely don’t take shortcuts when it comes to security. Fortunately, I kept my b...