The Dare Dreamer Movement by Julene Fleurmond

You are browsing the archives of 2007 December.

I just came back from seeing “The Great Debaters” starring Denzel Washington and Forest Whitaker and I LOVED it. It’s become one of my favorite movies. The actors in the film were so vibrant and believable, especially Jurnee Smollett and Denzel Whitaker (what a star-studded name) but I mostly enjoyed how the movie revolved around something educationally stimulating. I think that it’s great to see young African American people in that type of role on the big screen.

It was obvious that the film took a lot of thought and care to weave together, with all of the attention to detail, and the beautiful set locations and cinematography. I was reading an interview with Jurnee Smollett on Essence.com and she said that “Oprah was in on the film for ten years.” (Shout out to Charreah who did a wonderful interview!)

The movie was very inspiring and I would definitely recommend it to anyone else who wants to see a film that is thought-provoking, moving and dramatic, and has its moments of humor as well. I wish there were more movies like this that young people could watch to show historically where we have come from and what we can achieve if we continue to dream, overcome obstacles and soar. (The pics are from the movie’s website).

P.S. Also check out Denzel’s (Whitaker that is) bio on Young Black Starz, one of the sites I contribute to. He’s the new Spotlight Star for the month.

“We do what we have to do so we can do what we want to do.” – One of the quotes I loved from The Great Debaters

Above is a photo I took of my family’s Nativity Scene. In all of the stress, hustle and bustle of shopping and planning, it’s so easy for me to forget whose birthday it really is. How peacefully and beautifully the greatest gift I’ve ever gotten came into the world. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and all of the best in the New Year! God bless!

Here’s a story that shows how God can reveal His purposes in the unlikeliest of places…

When I was little, writing was my favorite thing in the world to do. From little illustrated poems and storybooks I made for my family and friends as gifts to the little magazine I started and sold in elementary school, I’ve always loved to write. It seems recently though that other things have been taking over my life. I’ve felt so drained and confused lately as to if these other interests were what I should be pursuing fully, and if there was something missing.

I got an email a few weeks ago from a teacher I met in the first grade, Mrs. O’Connor (actually she was my brother’s 5th grade teacher at the time). She’s such a wonderful woman, and always encouraged me to write, and even encouraged me to try to get my stories published, even though I was only about six years old. I wrote so many stories and poems for her, and she nurtured my dream of expressing myself in the written word. She eventually became a family friend and even took my brother and I to see a movie for the first time in our little lives (I remember it was Aladdin) and swimming for the very first time (I was a really sheltered child). Wow, she was really a blessing to us, as my family was having difficulties at the time. We lost contact with her about a year or two after we first met, because my family moved to another state. That was 15 years ago.

Last year, an old card had sparked this teacher in my memory and I thought it would be great if I could find her contact information so I could write to to her and see how she was. I never could find her address.

That same teacher was cleaning out her basement a few weeks ago and found one of the stories I wrote for her. She decided to try “Googling” my name and found some websites I had designed and websites I’d been mentioned in, and eventually found my company’s website. She sent me an email, and I nearly cried when I saw that it was her contacting me. It was amazing and we were both so excited to be able to “reunite” online. We exchanged photos, addresses, and stories; it seemed like such a miracle that she found me after 15 years.

Just a few days ago I got a package in the mail, and was from my teacher, Mrs. O’Connor. When I opened it I found the little book I wrote way back when I was six, and stopped to look at the cover: scrawled on the faded construction paper were the words “The Christmas Story, A Ryme.” As I stood there and read the poem that my little hand had penned, a feeling came over me. It was like a gentle nudge saying – here is what you’re missing, your love for writing and sharing.

After I took the book from the envelope I took out the card in which my teacher had written an encouraging message to me, as she always had done. On the cover of the card (below) was also an appropriate message: “Where there is great love, there are always miracles.”

God is so awesome, and works in strange ways. I will leave you with a snippet of the poem that 15 years ago was paraphrased from the Bible to remember the miracle of Jesus’ birth:

“There was a woman named Mary
Who on a night so dark and dreary
Received a message from God,
She received it in a dream and saw
A light shining in her eyes
Coming from the midnight skies
Then appeared what seemed like a ghost
Who was sent by God, a heavenly host
“Fear not!” soothed softly the angel
“I have good news of great joy to tell
You who in God have found favor
Will have a son and soon give labor
And with God’s love your heart be full
For with God, nothing is impossible.”

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Thank you Mrs. O’Connor for sowing in me seeds of courage that have allowed me to bloom, and wings that have allowed me to soar torwards my dreams…

I recently built a Holiday themed flash mini-site for the organization Young Black Starz, which promotes young talented stars in entertainment.

Click here to view the project.

I love magazines and I’m so inspired by young people who start their own publications to share their vision. I can’t wait until the national distribution and release of IMAGE Magazine this January. IMAGE is an acronym that stands for Igniting the Millennium with A Generation Explosion. It was founded by Fatima Hall, who has published over 100 articles and columns for publications like The Miami Times, The Miami Herald, The New Times, and The Gospel Truth Publications.


IMAGE is a bold and colorful magazine for young people promoting spiritual enrichment while “redefining urban culture.” That is what sets it apart from so many other urban publications out there. In it you’ll also find the latest trends in music, fashion, and entertainment. Their covers have featured some of my favorite artists such as Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary and Canton Jones. Not only is the magazine inspiring, it also has funky, crisp creative layouts that make it visually stunning. You can find out more about the national release and how you can subscribe to Image here.