"That's where I saw in the bars all of these men and women with what looked like the easiest life in the world. Plenty of money, big cars, all of it. I could tell they were in the rackets and vice. I hung around these bars whenever I came in town and I kept my ears open and mouth shut. And they kept their eyes on me, too. Finally, one day a numbers man told me that he needed a runner and I never caught the night train back to Boston."
"For 12 long years I lived within the narrow minded confines of the 'straightjacket world' created by my strong belief that Elijah Muhammad was a messenger direct from God Himself, and my faith in what I now see to be pseudo-religious philosophy that he preaches..I shall never rest until I have undone the harm I did to so many well-meaning, innocent. Negroes who through my own evangelistic zeal now believe in him even more fanatically and more blindly than I did".
"The holiest and most sacred city on earth. The foundation of truth, love, peace and brotherhood. Here I am, back in Mecca. I am still traveling, trying to
broaden my mind, for I've seen too much of the damage narrow-mindedness
can make of things, and when I return home to America, I will devote what
energies I have to repairing the damage".
"The price of freedom is death"
"If you're not ready to die for it, put the word 'freedom' out of your vocabulary".
"It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That's the only thing that can save this country".
"Once I was yes. But now I have turned my direction away from anything that's racist".
"I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation,
every form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all
human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color".
"We cannot think of being acceptable to others until we have proven acceptable to ourselves".
The life cycle and complexities of Malcolm X with its many stages as well as post death events still require ongoing scholarship forty-eight years later.
I've always been rather fascinated by Dr. Angelou's perspective on her mother and grandmother in her 5 part autobiographical series. Her new book; Mom & Me & Mom; gives us a more in-depth view of just how complex the relationship with her mother, Vivian Baxter was and the crucial role her grandmother, Annie Henderson served in providing a bridge that would eventually lead to a reconciliation between them. My decision to feature her and the book for this Mother's Day comes from a place of understanding that with all the tributes and loving asides; many relationships with our parents and for the sake of this post--our mothers are complicated. On the far end of the continuum they are daunting as well. A recent episode of Iyanla Fix My Broken Momreally drives that point home and evokes discomfort in general and for many recollections that continue to fuel bouts of anxiety and neuroses throughout the spring, summer, fall and winter seasons of their lives . Dr. Angelou becomes quite philosophical about mothers who can't live up to the idealized version of what they should be during their child's infant, toddler and early adolescent stages. She further describes her mother, Vivian Baxter in a loving manner although there were obvious missteps and abandonment during her earlier years. There is a focus, however, on how her mother stepped up to the plate during her teenage years when she gave birth to her son, Guy. "Maya admires her unflinching honesty, her
strength, and her caring nature, despite her frequent fumbling as
a parent". This was absolutely necessary to strengthen her love for her mother, absolve mistakes she made with her own young son and eventually forged a formidable bond that continued until Ms. Baxter's death.
During my previouspostson celebrating our mothers; I chose not to fully address the dismal side of motherhood and as Dr. Angelou eloquently relates that we find ways to make the worrisome aspects of our mothers mean something. Lessons learned andwisdom gained when we find ways to reconcile those complexities especially when female offspring become mothers.
There are many interesting perspectives on how to celebrate the day and give honor to our mothers. There is an article by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri that focuses on the importance of love and not so much the material gifts that we shower our mothers on that special day. The relevance of sharing that love with other women whom by happenstance may benefit through service the real meaning of honoring our mothers. The latter is a fitting introduction to The Global Mom Relaya movement initiated by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki -Moon
to save the lives of millions of women and children by 2015.
I can't reiterate enough that we should not forget to honor those women who took on
the role of mother for so many of us. She may have been a close family
friend, cousin, aunt, grandmother or a stranger with a loving and giving
heart. A magnificent day to all!
A
mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall
upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who
rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around
us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and
counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return
to our hearts. ~Washington Irving~
Image Ownership: New York State Unified Court System Photo
How wonderful is this and after researching the background of Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam I became more impressed. The Appeals Court has an awesome responsibility of assessing the legality of the cases presented and to either affirm the decision of the lower courts or return them for re-trial. As I learn more about the Criminal Justice System by reading and viewing panel discussions by authors likeMichelle Alexanderand viewing lectures byBryan Stevensonre: the maze inherent in this system and the many inequities; a judge with her history, stature and equanimity is sorely needed.
Shared this article from the Atlanta News and kudos to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who nominated Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam to serve on theNew York Court of Appeals,the state's highest court..
There are very few dance troupes in my opinion that inspires, energizes and nourishes the soul of the human family like theAlvin Ailey Dance Theatre. The group was created and catapulted into the ages by the founder Alvin Ailey and excellently maintained under three successive leaders. Judith Jamison took over after his death and the group continues tomesmerize audiences under the guidance of Robert Battle and Alicia Mack.
The Dance Theatre of Harlem, founded by Arthur Mitchell is another dance troupe of that caliber. There was a recent television interview with Virginia Johnson, Artistic Director ofThe Dance Theatre of Harlemadvising the world that they were back in operation. She and the dance troupe were also featured in aGood Black Newsarticle which provided information on their unfortunate leave from the public for nine years and their journey to resurrect the company. An acknowledgment of these phenomenal cultural giants is what this post is all about!
"We must display and be the
beauty, righteousness and love of our culture."
(Robert Dickerson)
The adage "a picture is worth a thousand words" certainly applies to the above image. In its complexity; his daughter, Rev. Bernice King was 5 years old when her father was assassinated. One can only speculate that she is experiencing some sense of comfort as she leans on this stone edifice of his likeness. I can't help but wonder if his compassion for the marginalized and fairness he advocated for all groups would have softened the hard line and restricted viewpoint she espouses--had he lived. There is concern on my part regarding her previous actions. I remember how she treated many of those who fought along with her father and supported their family after his death to accommodate the George Bush regime at her mother's funeral. Her closed door policy towards the LGBT community also comes to mind. However, the captured poignancy of this moment reveals the very personal loss his surviving offspring have endured over the past 45 years.
The King Center has an array of activities to mark this anniversary as well as other civic and religious organizations around the country. As we celebrated his birthday in January; we will, again, reflect on the amazing events that transpired as a result of his untimely death and embark on greater challenges. On April 4th, 2013, the King Center will sponsor "The 50 Days of Nonviolence"campaign. The focus will be on the exacerbation of gun violence and the loss of innocent lives and how to effectively resist intransigent gun lobbyists/legislation and to change and ultimately resolve this menacing trend. The struggle continues!
For those who've visited my blog periodically, I'm sure you've noticed my love for art and featuring artists and their works in some form or another. One of my favorite artists isMonica Stewart. The rich colors, tones and affects of the men featured in the above art piece reminds me of the various male figures that I've encountered over the years. Some are representative of men who were significant in my upbringing as well as those I've worked and socialized with during the movement years. Wise griots of the Yorubas located in NYC whom I would listen to and attend their cultural affairs, liberation theologists, academicians, legal scholars, somelaw enforcement officers, cultural artists, bus drivers, retailers...well you get the point. The common thread is that many of them were and are 'men of vision' who not only talked a good game but worked diligently towards making their varying visions a reality.
This was in draft form for some weeks and today after hearing about the death of Chinua Achebe, a Nigerian literary scholar and political foe of oppression; I decided to post a few thoughts about these men. I had grand plans to create a dynamic and engaging article; for there is still so much on the internet and media in general about the character flaws of black men and the ongoing strife between them and the females of their various ethnic groups. Balance is always the key. Human beings are complex and circumstances are dynamic within the many domestic and global milieus that we must navigate. This is especially true for people of African descent throughout the diaspora. The men in the painting featured are looking forward and I continue to see these men in their various spheres of influence today working towards improving the human condition. A few that come to mind is Bryan Stevenson, {introduced to me when featured on the Field Negro sidebar} a legal scholar who actively advocates and works towards a more equitable Criminal Justice System with a focus on minorities whom disproportionately enter and remain in the penal system. Dr. Geoffrey Canada, a Harlem educator who has a well established developmental and scholastic process that literally starts from birth through high school for those children in marginalized communities. Then of course, there are the many men of color in our communities whom we see that are not headlined. They work diligently towards rearing and inspiring their children, family members and neighbors to develop their own personal talents and skills that not only benefit their communities but mainstream society as well. Balance is indeed the key and I'd like for us to acknowledge them not because we havelowexpectationsas Chris Rock once joked about but to make sure that all the so-called black male pathologies don't overshadow what many of us know to be true on a daily basis. A caveat to the latter is that many of these dysfunctional behaviors are related moreso to the culture of poverty than race. We see these presentations among white males whom reside in low income urban and rural communities, however, they are viewed as personal character flaws and not the characterization of an entire ethnic group. The noted and deceased poet, Lucille Clifton wrote a poem about black women in "Won't You Celebrate With Me".....'that something has tried to kill me and has failed'. Those same sentiments describe that of black men in the diaspora for every day something or someone has tried to eradicate or invalidate them and has been unsuccessful.
I must say that I was most intrigued by the above book and Professor Theoharis who did the research on Ms. Parks' background. Viewed her presentation on C-Span where she revealed that this book was just a beginning for scholars in revealing the depth of this woman. It spanned back to the years when she would sit on the porch with her grandfather who held a rifle to protect his family from white terrorists in Alabama. For some reason I went with the public relations version of her life. She was described as this soft mannered woman who had finally had enough of getting up to accommodate white folks on public transit. It had been indicated in some articles that she had encountered this once before, however, for some reason it didn't get the attention of the one that catapulted her into the ages. What I found most intriguing was her association with the so-called more radical elements of the civil rights movement as well. Her understanding of human rights and the importance of global as well as domestic politics. As one who was inspired by Marcus Garvey and his movement to enlighten black folks to look to themselves for empowerment; it was especially noteworthy that her family history reflected that philosophy as well. The trauma of leaving the south for the north and the struggling years that she and her husband suffered through after the Montgomery Boycott didn't deter her from continuing in the struggle with a focus on young people. As we are finding out more about this courageous woman--I can't help but wonder if the leadership knew more about her background during the boycott would she have been celebrated as she was. By that I mean there were stories of other black women standing up to the injustices of segregation and public transit humiliations, however, the civil rights leaders were very careful about whom they designated for this task. A seamstress with a school teacher appearance and quiet elegance trumped the black women who were 'earthy' with questionable reputations. PR was important back then and understandable given what they were trying to do. It was also noteworthy to me that although she supported Dr. King and his non-violent approach; she believed as many of us in self-defense for she had to stand her ground and took great risks during her formative years in Alabama. This is speculation and I'm entitled to that but it makes sense to me now that other than the marginalization of many women in the movement; she was overshadowed and abandoned by other civil rights icons and pundits for her more radical beliefs and later associations. Professor Theoharis' "10 Things You Didn't Know About Rosa Parks", highlights this multifacetedwoman and I plan to read the book; not as the final word but a beginning to learn more about this freedom fighter. A woman of color challenged the professor on the c-span program citing that those who knew more about Ms. Parks are dead and she addressed some of her activism which I'm assuming was passed down. There was also a book review by Truthdigand a review byDon Noble that indicated the professor had left out some key players....so the journey continues in revealing that there were far more dimensions to Ms. Rosa Parks and it may be a jolt for some as well as a 'right on' for others. It will be interesting to see what follows these revelations.
By the way, I wonder how she would feel or what she would say about the statue of her likeness in Washington, D.C. and the U.S. postal stamp with her image. I must say that I'm thankful that she was around to receive the Congressional Gold Medal of Honor. I read that it is usually given to honor military leaders. She fought a war for many years in the army for the oppressed...Yes....I would say that she certainly deserved it!!
* *This is a re-posting of the 1/14/12 recognition of the King Legacy.
"The odd thing about assassins, Dr. King, is that they think they've killed you." - Mohandas K Gandhi
Happy Birthday, Dr. King
The above quote was from an illustration published in the Chicago Sun Times shortly after Dr. King's assassination in 1968 and it featured a drawing of Mohandas K. Gandhi extending his hand out in a conversation with the slain leader. Before Gandhi's death he was living in a village quietly and was killed by an extremist which catapulted him into the ages and made him an icon with a philosophy that has influenced great thinkers since his assassination in 1948. One of those thinkers was Dr. King. Although, this was an imagined event by the writer; how prophetic the message was for we have been celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. King on a national level since 1986. It was signed into law by President Reagan in 1983 and actually all the states came on board by the year 2000. Local celebrations and commemorations, however, began for this courageous leader on an annual basis after his death which eventually led to the holiday . The latter, was the result of exceptional advocacy and lobbying by his wife and supporters. We've just recently, witnessed the dedication of the MLK monument in Washington, D.C. and of course there was controversy centered around that event. There were words that were omitted on his memorial which infuriated a few and the feeling that given his legacy; he would not have wanted that money spent on any monument of his likeness. He would have preferred that it be used to help the poor and marginalized groups which was his goal before he was struck down. Many remember the poor people's march and tent city in D.C..
A memory that I have of the day Dr. King was assassinated remains as vivid in my mind as it did in 1968. I was in college and at that time was beginning to become more revolutionary in my thinking about the civil rights movement. Dr. King's last days were difficult and challenging for he was castigated by his comrades and followers for his stand against the war and many who marched with him were no longer willing to turn the other cheek. My mother called and was crying and stated towards the end of the conversation that I probably didn't care about his death because I had become so "militant". I tried to explain that I loved Dr. King but the fact that the power brokers could not accept and respect a man of peace meant possibly there were other paths worthy of consideration. She wasn't hearing it and hung up stating that she and my father had a march to participate in the next day. My mother and father..the most apolitical people I know were so moved to march. Wow...the invisible and some would say sleeping masses were awakening as a result of his death. Little did she know that I wept along with the others as we sat in the lounge viewing the news footage of Dr. King's mountaintop speech the night before his death.
It was a pivotal point in my life and although Dr. King is associated with civil rights; I truly believed (at that time) he had graduated from the domestic stage to the global theater and he recognized that the struggle was actually human rights. Vietnam Nam and other hot spots in the world fed that realization for him and upon that epiphany; he went the way of many freedom fighters. He was silenced for a moment. His message, however, rings true today as it did in the 60's. There are a number of quotes by Dr. King but these three support my basic viewpoint about him. I humbly write this tribute to a freedom fighter who so desperately wanted peace and harmony for all of humanity.
"An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity."
"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
"The question is not whether we will be extremists, but what kind of extremists we will be... The nation and the world are in dire need of creative extremists."
Before I close this piece, it was believed by some during the late 60's that Dr. King was so enamored with integrating within the larger white society that the racial component of his self-esteem and how he viewed his ethnic group in comparison were compromised. It was further believed that his ability to relate to the nationalistic fervor of loving who you are was of minimal concern in the scheme of things. This video that I viewed, initially, on the The African American Pundit Blog puts that myth to rest.
.jpg){kind=link}