…because he was obviously floating on some high octane narcotics to compare himself to Mandella, King and Ghandi on the Today Show this morning. Perspective? What the crap is he talking about? This clown is a total idiot!
Ew! I wanted to puke and run my fist thru the T.V. screen at the same time. I hope the impeachment committee in Illinois just goes ahead and finishes this guy off once and for all this week. Please end our misery and rid us of Rod.
I think I’m going to like this tag, an indication of the transformation from the Martin Luther King era impact as a figurative Moses to President Elect Obama taking it to a new level across a figurative cultural Jordan for America. It’s right up there with the transition last night from “Yes we can!” to “Yes we did!”
Read CNN analyst, David Gergen’s tab on the link below, commenting on Obama’s King/Moses illustration.
My fellow AfroSpear blogger, Kevin Myles is the director of the Wichita NAACP branch. On Saturday, August 9th, they are celebrating the courageous efforts of two dozen young members of the Wichita Branch NAACP Youth Council who in the summer of 1958 held a historic lunch counter sit in at a local drug store.
Sit ins weren’t recognized as a tactic by the NAACP at that time so Kevin and staff are correcting the oversight with appropriate recognition fifty years hence. I think it’s a great gesture to yet another group of actionist heroes from a generation ago.
If you’re within driving distance and haven’t made plans for next weekend why don’t you try to make a trip to Wichita and enjoy the day’s festivities. I’m sounding the alarm for my friends and extended family in St. Louis, St. Charles, and Jefferson City, Missouri and other points in the lower midwest to saddle up a carpool posse and help the Kansans have a great time. You might even meet some historic figures before the day is over.
Kudos to Kevin and the Wichita branch for all the great work that you do.
Readers do you remember Derrick Ashong who became blog famous for his interview outside an Obama campaign stop earlier this year? Refer back to my February 28th post on the young guy who gave answers to an impromptu street interview. Guess what? Homeboy is a singer and he’s pretty good too. Actually he’s the leader of the trio Soulfege.
Soulfège (‘sOl-fezh) is an Afropolitan Fusion band. The best way I can think to describe their sound is a combination of American styles and Afropop sounds. You can definitely here some African and Carribean contemporary influences throughout their tracks.
Well the band is releasing their newest beats today. According to band member, fam, “On July 15th our band is releasing the digital version of our new record “Take Back the Mic,” which is our statement on the power of music with meaning.” fam afforded me the opportunity of a sneak peak of the new release with a MP3 download link. I like the sound.
I had the privilege of previewing the tracks and I’ll give you a personal review of the eleven selections.
1. Damoshi – It contrasts the popular imagery of entertainers with no content versus those with a conscious message in their music or a positive vibe in their life. It’s a Diasporic view, “…the time is now.”
2. Do Right – Has a driving rock beat that will remind you of Lenny Kravitz style-wise. “…we’re not the ones to be trifled with…you know we’re gonna get ‘em, so you better do right, do right.”
3. Jonny’s Song – It’s a melancholy sounding song. The message is about how influences can affect the future of a child. Kinda reminds me of the TLC’s Waterfalls from years ago. Johnny is getting closer to going over the edge the older he gets with the bad habits he picks up every few years.
4. To Be Free – Good reggae beat. The trio even sings it with the syncopated Caribbean style. “What would you give to be free?…” The song addresses finding your way in the world.
5. Just Me – Has a 60′s R & B guitar running through out. Kelley will remind you of India Arie when you hear her in this selection. It’s about finding your own identity, “let me be me”.
6. Funkadocious – DNA leads with a rap on this one. As the refrain will tell you they “bring the funkadocious”, the group’s international flair. A respectful reference to Chuck Browne of Jamaica Funk fame is even thrown in there. Kelley joins in to take the second rap verse. Nice song.
7. Once – A forlorn love song of a relationship hoped for but perhaps lost for good. A nice mix of singing and rap riffing with a brass section carrying the song nicely.
8. Beans ‘n Rice – A nice up tempo jam using red beans and rice to flavor the theme. It gives the song a perfect background cultural reference. There are conga sounding drums or some sort of traditional percussion running through this piece. It encourages you to get into the Afropolitan sound.
9. Sweet Mother – This one is simply about PanAfrican pride. The mother of the world, Afrika. If you’re familiar with South Africa’s national anthem, Kosi Sikeleli Africa, then you’ll appreciate this song on that level.
10. From the Soul – Another heritage song. Refers to the souls of the past calling to us to get it right in the modern day. If you’re familiar with the legend of the Sankofa bird you’ll appreciate this song on that level as well.
11. Fight On – The final track tells us to take a look in the mirror to look at what we’ve become. It’s a song of strength encouraging you to fight on through life’s challenges and discouraging moments.
This is a great collection. You guys should definitely buy Take Back the Mic right away. You’ll enjoy it thoroughly so go ahead and jam up those web servers with your downloads and let’s all jam some Soulfège!
I get it now. Having actually heard the entirety of Rev. Wright’s post September 11th sermon I realize now that people all over the country have miss-spun and misconstrued a sound bite to horendous and comic proportions. This is basic liberation theology that you’ll hear in at least half the black churches in America every Sunday. No, not every Black preacher takes this ministerial approach but many do. I was a member of and married at a church where this was standard fare. Where the truth was dealt with in no uncertain terms at all times. This is just a no-big-deal mole hill turned into a mountain.
Man people need to get serious. But I do get it though. Those White Americans who are flipping their lids over much ado about nothing can’t comprehend it because they’ve never had to be liberated from anything in societal terms. But smart people with a clue to history, especially American church history, do understand and they aren’t losing any sleep over this. Least of all those White and Black pastors and preachers who know Rev. Wright well.
Well let your heads rest easy friends. Liberation theology is generations old and universal. It’s not just a Black thing either. It is even European and South American in nature and tradition. Where ever there is oppression or its lingering legacy there is liberation theology. In America it was spawned by racism within the Christian church. The only reason African American denominations even exist is because white preachers and parishoners were no different than the rest of society. From earliest colonial days in two story churches Black members had to sit on the balcony, not the floor (You thought that was just in movie theaters years later, didn’t you?). In one floor churches Blacks had to sit in the back not in the front (You thought it was just on busses and trains in the Jim Crow era, didn’t you?). This is how Christians were treating their fellow believers, as inferiors in God’s house.
No, I’m sorry my White friends. You guys are really going to have to get a grip on your false emotions and get over yourselves because Black people aren’t impressed. Look at your history in the mirror, read up on the parts that some of you have obviously missed and still consciously choose not to acknowledge and deal with. Until then, quit your whining White people. To my White fellow Christians, when are you folks going to show some courage and speak up to counter the ignorance your friends and families are encouraging? Crimes of omission are as bad as crimes of commission so get off your haunches and fight the lies from the spin machine.
National Press Club. But you know what? Somebody who wants to find a problem with something where it doesn’t exist will find it. And if they can’t find it they will create it. I say continue telling the truth Rev. and let the spin miesters have their way. The public will remain as ignorant as they choose to be so tell it anyway.
Want to hear one of the first multicultural-multiethnic crossover groups to break out big on the popular music scene in the early 70′s? Tuesday Tunes is a day late but that’s alright. How about we call it a hump day special? We’re going back thirty years so allow me to declare WAR on your earlobes. Not surprisingly Wikipedia gives some great background on the band.
If any bunch of guys had variety and style it was this crew. They fused the Latin sound with Afro-funk and everything in between.
Do you remember jams like…
Here’s the long play version of The World Is A Ghetto
Or hows about…
I know, I know. These dudes were so cool you can’t handle it all in one sitting so I’m going to save ya some for later. Until then though save these in your YouTube favorites file and share them with a friend. What are some of your other favorite War cries? Can you guess which ones I’m bringing to you on Friday?
Have you been keeping up with the race on NPR? In her March 25th Morning Edition segment entitled “France Tracks U.S. Presidential Election” National Public Radio commentator Eleanor Beardsley talks about French impressions of the primary season. As it turns out our sometimes testy allies the French are following the primary contest as closely as us Yanks.
There are some very interesting comments from Frenchmen concerning the potential progress and perception enhancement that an Obama presidency could bring. Sounds like our European allies are having the same discussions as we are this year. Apparently they even have Democrat and Republican support groups.
Interesting to hear someone from another country talking about their favorite potential American “leader of the free world”. They may love us or hate us in many corners but they still see us as the leader. Very intriguing perspective. Take a listen and tell me what you think.
It is the 40th anniversary of the assasination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King. There won’t be a day as historically significant as this one any time soon with the exception potentially of the innauguaration early next year. I don’t even know how to start or structure this post just with everything swirling thru my head today. All I can think to do is throw a few things up collage/montage style.
These are reflections on and Dr. King’s statments against the Vietnam conflict:
This clip is the most well known speech in its entirety:
Decade remembrances are custom made for reflection on how the world has changed and where it’s going. This day in particular is always significant for me specifically because I was born the day Dr. King was assasinated. Today is my birthday and my parents, instead of giving me the name they had picked out, named me Martin in his honor. I’m still waiting for someone to ask me “Where were you when Dr. King was killed?” so I can reply, “I was giving my mother labor pains (LOL).
But in the spirit of history and forward planning let me share a few significant items with you. If you are a young parent like me make plans to go to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and give your young ones a good visual impression of the times past and the possibilities forward. If you can make it all one southern regional tour continue north to Memphis and visit the National Civil Rights Museum/Lorraine Motel site where Rev. King was shot that fatefull day. Of course no historic site tour is complete without going to the Martin Luther King Museum National Historic Site in Atlanta, Dr. King’s hometown. It’s run by the National Park Service and you sites like the King Center for Non-Violent Social Change and Ebenezer Baptist Church where he once preached. You can also go to the historic district in downtown Montgomery and visit Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Dr. King also pastored.
Clarence Jones was Dr. King’s personal lawyer for many years and he has a new book out, “What Would Martin Say?”. See the link to the left, buy a copy and take Dr. King’s theories and life applications forward.
You would think I could put together something more significant for the greatest American of the 20th century but at the least it’s a snapshot of the impressions of greatness and positive advancement that Dr. King’s legacy have always had on me. I’m grateful God sent a force like this man like this to help force the country do and be it’s best. I pray that I can have just a fraction of the impact that he did. Hope this inspires you to learn more and do better in your life as well.
