The Black Power Mixtape

I'm finally watching the documentary The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975.  It's blowing my mind on so many levels, mostly because (I'm ashamed to admit) I know very little about the full scope of the black movement in the 60s-70s.  Definitely recommend.

I especially love this quote from Courtney Callender, who was also New York City's first African American Deputy Commissioner of Cultural Affairs.

“This whole kind of, uh, falling in love with black things for a short period of time is essentially racist. It still is hypothesized on a great sense of separateness and a sense of treating black activities as kind of a curiosity either benign or threatening one or the other. When it’s threatening, you know, they’re gonna riot or something; and when it’s benign, let them paint or draw or sing or dance or whatever they want to do until we the white community get tired of it. And that whole structure is essentially racist.”

Sigh.  The more things change, the more they stay the same?  We've come so far as a country, and still have so very far to go.

This is a true state of emergency.

There is a horrific famine happening right now in the horn of Africa. If you have time to read this post, you have time to do something tangible about it: write your rep and/or skip a meal out this week and make even a modest donation - every single one of us can afford it. 

mercycorps.org
unicef.org,
writerep.house.gov 

Thanks to Nicholas D. Kristof for alerting me to the severity.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/opinion/sunday/kristof-glimpses-of-the-next-great-famine.htm

On Fela, Activism, and Responsibility

Last night I saw Fela! on Broadway, and it sparked all kinds of thoughts, many of which I'm still processing. Please, please do not miss this show. Reading this review in the Times made me vow to see it, and I'm so glad I didn't let it fall into that list of good intentions sans follow-through.

(Here is a ticket discount. I went to the box office an hour before and got standing room tix for only $27.)

Two main things I want to address re Fela:

Activism
Flora and I talked a lot after the show about the nature and impetus for revolution. She made an excellent point: "How is it any different when Shell is exploiting Nigerians for oil versus the big banks exploiting middle class Americans for credit?" Why are we so different, because we're a superpower or the West or??

It's ridiculous. We just sit around and let these corrupt things happen. People won't even write a fucking email to their elected official from the comfort of their own living room, boycott a product post a link to Facebook; let alone take to the streets and march on Wall Street, which is what we all should have done last fall when everything started spinning out of control.

We deserve what we get if we're too lazy to do anything besides complain to our friends who already think the same things we do anyway.

Responsibility
I have a strong belief that most of us, certainly anyone reading this blog, have a responsibility to do certain things simply because we can.

This belief comes from my Christian upbringing, more specifically, my interpretation of Paul's letter to the Ephesians (see verse 4:11, or Jesus' lesson on the widow's offering in Mark 12:41ff, his words to the Pharisees in Luke 11:41, the parable of the talents, or Luke 19:11ff). God gives each person different talents, and a different measure thereof. So each of us has a different capacity for giving in respect to what we have. Bill Gates and Oprah giving $1 billion to help children is the same as you or me giving a few thousand. The Times did an interesting article on this a couple years ago.

So I write this blog because I can articulate my convictions about what's going on in the world and this is one of my ways of putting my words into action, not just having an opinion. I have the luxury of time and education and access to news, so I digest as much of it as I can. I have plenty of resources to have all I need, so I have an obligation to donate time and/or money to the less fortunate. I was blessed with a lovely home so I open it to others as much as I can. You see where I'm going with this.

So another thing we talked about after the show was that those of us with the blessing of living in New York, in the middle of some of the best art in the world, and with the resources to take advantage of it all, have an obligation to go to these shows, go to these museums, purchase this music, and tell our friends so that it can survive.

And those of us working in the arts have a responsibility to make it accessible to those who can't afford $250 Broadway tickets. We were turned away from another show last night that wasn't sold out, but we weren't able to pay $80, the lowest-priced ticket, to see it. (Suck it, David Mamet's Race!) There's something wrong with that when we're talking about art rather than a product. (Yes, I know, but art as commodity is a whole other post.)

And beyond the arts - I vote out of respect for the blessing of living in a democracy and respect for the women and African-Americans who secured my right to have a voice. And the hospitality thing, volunteerism, etc. But I'm not trying to be on a pedestal about this; I don't think I give at the level I can or should yet, but I'm working toward it. May we all give in relation to what we've been given, and encourage others to do so too.

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Fela! - Zombie
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy

Obama in Ghana

Watching the coverage of the Obamas in Ghana is absolutely amazing. Make sure you take a minute to look at photos or video:

Pics & article at HuffPo
CNN Video

Wow - Obama's speech to the people, he and Michelle visiting an old slave trading post (Michelle's ancestors were slaves) -- first time since the election that Obama as an African-American president has really resonated. I'm vowing to visit Cape Coast someday.

The size and the energy of the crowds is unbelievable. What foreign president has ever inspired such enthusiasm?

Aww, Malia and Sasha AND Mrs. Robinson are there too!

Kudos to CNN for putting particularly gorgeous reporters on the story, making it that much more watchable: Anderson Cooper, Suzanne Malveau, more. What? I'm just saying.

Dambisa is not impressed with your celebrity cause.

This was the most interesting article to me in Sunday's Times...

You argue in your book that Western aid to Africa has not only perpetuated poverty but also worsened it, and you are perhaps the first African to request in book form that all development aid be halted within five years. Think about it this way — China has 1.3 billion people, only 300 million of whom live like us, if you will, with Western living standards. There are a billion Chinese who are living in substandard conditions. Do you know anybody who feels sorry for China? Nobody.

Also, killer shoes!!

Read more from diva-conomist Dambisa Moyo.