SerenityLife
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Though I know some of you do not want to alienate me (I was told this. Come on people. It's my life. It cracks me up someone would vocalize it but I appreciate you saying it to me in writing!) because I tend to be very vocal on issues that are close to my heart, I still come to share my appreciation of you and to also open a door of communication for our differences.
Race issues are hard to discuss. I have been told that I am flat out crazy to blog on issues that some people would not like to discuss. I do not mind sharing if we can be civil with one another.
It baffled me when activist Damali Ayo made the statement that she would not discuss race issues anymore unless asked. But the more I thought about it, I understood her plight. I may get burnt out discussing these issues, and I will probably die trying to teach racial tolerace. However, my path in life is different than Damali's so I will never try to compare the two of us although we have very similar experiences growing up in America.
Damali Ayo - http://www.damaliayo.com/pages/bio.ht
If you are curious as to how some people experience race in America, please try to see the series on tonight which is called, Black in America on CNN.
http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2008/black.in.america/
If you miss it, I hope that it will be re-aired (probably) and some clips availble on youtube.
Hopefully other minorities will have documentaries on how they deal with living in America featured on CNN. I would love to know the Asian, Hispanic, Carribean (there is a difference with that and black America. I hope this is addressed), etc. experience in America.
I've always held my head in pride despite how some people want to beat me down.
Despite how others feel about my existence on this earth, I think of James Brown's song, "I'm Black and I'm Proud."
James Brown - Say It Loud, I'm Black & I'm Proud
This song was written during the height of the Civil Rights Movement in the 1960s.
If you did not know what happened during that time, let's talk for I have plenty of resources, blogs and information to share.
Information on James Brown from PBS.org
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/brown_j.html
In the past here on MOG, I have been doing some posts on one of my new favorite musicians, AlexCuba.
I had the chance to see him perform live here in New York City at Joe's Pub which made me appreciate him even more. I had been rocking to his album Agua Del Pozo for the past year but to see him perform some of those songs live in addition to some of his songs for when he was known as the Alex Cuba Band blew me away.
Alex is extremely talented for in addition to singing he is a songwriter and a musician. He is the entire packgage.
Further, how many bilingual black Cubans do you know living in Canada who looks adorable with an Afro and is as talented as him? I only know AlexCuba.
I highly encourage you to check out his new album for if you buy the actual CD he has the lyrics in Spanish even with the English translations! I think that is the best treat for buying the album. But you can always download his album from iTunes!
Footage of AlexCuba from Joe's Pub
Here is a picture of me and Alex from last week. He was in the city so I had to see him and get my picture taken with him again!
Check his myspace page for the calendar of all of his events!
sorry for being absent -- overloaded with work! I have to pay bills!!
Comments
@Cody B - really?! Ahh..I love that Alex Cuba Band Record! Thank you for sharing! 8)
As a youngster, I was fortunate to have positive and beautiful images of black women to look up to in the entertinment industry such as Cicely Tyson, Iman, Bern Nadette Stanis (she played Thelma on Good Times), model Karen Alexander and of course Jody Watley. (My Mom though is #1 in my heart of my vision of beauty for she is my MOMMIE!)
Everyone looks up to someone when growing up regardless of your culture and this is why it is important to have not only black models but models of different ethnicities throughout the fashion industry. I would love to see more women of the rich cultural ancestries represented in ads in fashion magazines but instead of me complaining I took control of how I feel about these images and I do not read these magazines or subscribe to them.
How do I find out about fashion? From what I see in the stores that is what I know about what is in season that year but I do not rely on magazines or the media to dictate what I should be wearing. I keep my style classic.
Jody Watley's music from Shalamar and her going solo in the 1980s filled my days with optimism and happiness. In addition to feeling her visual regalness and beauty, her spirit captivated me into loving myself as a black child. I could say to others that Jody Watley is one of my she-ro's because she has the full package to me of grace, elegance and refinement.
Reading Jody Watley's recent blog post of being included in the recent issue of Italian Vogue spoke to me in a variety of ways but it is best for you to read it and see how she feels about being included in this historic issue (I understand her completely considering my age for I am 34):
Jody Watley - On Being included in the Historic Issue of Italian Vogue
If you are not familiar with Jody by name her videos may ring a bell:
Jody Watley - Real Love
One of my all time favorite songs is "A Night to Remember"
Shalamar - A Night to Remember
More information from other perspectives why the July 2008 Italian Vogue is historic:
Italian Vogue Shows Black Models Only
Italian Issue of Vogue Salutes Black Models
Slide Show from the Italian Issue of Vogue
Please add her as a friend on myspace if you are on the website:
Ms. Watley, please join MOG!!
Comments
I saw a bunch of images from the black issue of Vogue Italia.... Toccarra Jones looks freakin awesome
I am largely unfamiliar with Ms Watley's music, I'm not much of a dancer. I have been banned from attempting to dance in three states and two of the Virgin Islands. But hey.... good post.
@MrFrost - ooh I need to get the magazine. I need to order it. Toccarra Jones has unbelievable body that can make any female jealous if they are not well endowed! 8)
@deadmandeadman -YOU HAVE been banned? No way. That is not fair. I would not ban you even though I am classically trained in ballet! This is why I am very open minded to different styles of dance.
Ms. Watley was HOT in the 1970s and 1980s but I was unfamiliar that she had released some albums in the 1990s which I am ordering today. I was so consumed with college and graduate school that I never knew what was going on in my music world at times! I will make some more posts about her music on MOG! 8)
Comments
Its a hell of a powder keg you're flickin' your bic at. Most won't approach this, or touch it with a ten foot pole. I know racism is alive and prospering in America. I see it all around me. Each segment of the population, every race, every demographic, has it's share of bigots & assholes. No one race has a monopoly on that.
I laugh every time I hear of some politician or celebrity say we have to have a dialog about race in America. From Anita Hill to OJ Simpson, from Jay-Z to Michael Richards, someone is outraged, someone is offended, and someone declares we have to have a dialog about race. Which usually entails someone telling European Americans how they should talk, think, and act.
Our current Presidential Election is a good illustration of the massive doublr standard in our country. Had John McCain, (or any conservative) had made any kind of comments that included the phrase "typical black folks" he'd be vilified & crucified in the press.
There are millions and millions who would never vote for Sen Obama simply because he's black. That's racism, pure & simple. But there are as many millions who will vote for him for no other reason than that he's black. None dare call it racism. But I will.
I believe the GOV should remove every reference to a person's race on every gov't form in existance. I believe they should not have whole gov't beauracracies(?) dedicated to race issues. Institutionalized racism died a slow death in this country, you'll never wipe out people's thoughts and the gov't shouldn't be in the business of tryin'.
When James Brown wrote that song he was actually being squeezed by two different sections of the black community. On the one hand, militant groups were down on the GFOS because he had visited Vietnam..The liberal black community (including civil rights folks) were coming down on the GFOS because he suported Nixon..checking out the CNN story now, thanks SLife.
I posted on that JB period back here..
This isn't worthy of a post, it's worthy of a book - maybe even a library. I say this as someone who has shared a life with a black woman for 27 years. DM is right that nothing is as clear-cut as it seems. In fact, anything I say in less than 100,000 words would be an oversimplification. There are a handful of people in both our families who have shamed us. There are many more people in our families who have been a lot cooler and smarter than any pundits or commentators on race would have us believe. Strangers have, occasionally, said unbelievably idiotic things. Far more often, they treat us the way anyone would expect to be treated. (From time to time, though, she will be not-so-discreetly followed by a store clerk anticipating a shoplifting incident.) We have two children, neither of whom has been subjected to any ill treatment on the basis of their race.
The one thing I find puzzling about DM's comment, though, is the idea that white people would vote for Obama because he is black. I know people who plan to vote for Obama and people who plan to vote for McCain, and no Obama partisan I know has even implied that the reason they're voting for him is his skin color. It reminds me of something that happened to me when Sharon and I were engaged. A new manager was hired at my workplace, and he made a point of taking each one of us out for drinks to "get to know us." When he asked about my life outside the office, I mentioned the engagement. He asked my betrothed's last name - which was clearly Latino. When he asked further, I told him that she was half-Cuban and half-black. He gave me this smirk and said, "Well, points for you...." That's the only time in my adult existence that I ever felt, even momentarily, like choking the life out of someone. I was marrying this woman because she was the smartest, kindest, funniest woman I'd ever met (and smokin' hot in the bargain) - not to burnish my liberal credentials. I am certain that any man would feel as I did.
Likewise, there may be a handful of people who vote for Obama on the basis of race - though I have a feeling McCain is more likely to profit on that basis. But I firmly believe that the vast majority of people who vote, whoever they vote for, will do it because they think that man will be the better President. I wouldn't presumptively cheapen anybody's vote by speculating that there's any other motive.
While we're on the subject, I also don't quite get the double standard idea. Not when Obama was, rightly, scolded for that "guns and religion" broad-brushing. And not when Willie Horton has been used a political pawn within our memory. I give McCain a lot of credit for not stooping to racial code phrases. Then again, I'm not sure they're so effective anymore.