The NYT did an obituary, but there is much more to be said and by people who actually knew from whence he came in life and intellectually. He was scheduled to be promoting his Malcolm X book today, the anniversary of Dr. King's assassination.
Prof. Charles Ogletree from Harvard sent me this note: "It breaks my heart.He was the quintessential scholar activist,and blazed a trail that we will faithfully follow. R I P. Tree"
A friend, Debra Robinson, said: "He did a lot with his time on earth. You were lucky to know him."
Monday, April 4, 2011
Monday, March 28, 2011
Face Time and Fried Chicken
Thanks to Facebook, I’ve reconnected with a few friends from my past. Here’s a note I received from a friend responding to a piece I did for The Root on IHOP’s “discovery” of fried chicken and waffles.
“IHOP should know that barnyard pimp has been wedded to a variety of foods. I personally have never had chicken and waffles. For years I had an aversion to fried chicken which stemed from eating it so much growing up. I had a distaste for it along with watermelon. So their aha moment with the waffles is a bit late. I am sure they will soon add other things that are already being served.
“When they serve fried spam with pancakes, etc or grits and salmon croquettes; I'm sure they will really rock and roll. Remember bisquits in brown bags that were greasy when we were in school? How we didn't want anyone to know we had bisquits? Tried our best to hide them and folks would see you anyway? We will kill for a bisquit now! Tails of oxen that were cheaper than dirt are now a much prized food along with neck bones, pig feet, chitterlings,pig ears. Theyr'e no longer a po' man's food. Might as well buy lobster.”
“IHOP should know that barnyard pimp has been wedded to a variety of foods. I personally have never had chicken and waffles. For years I had an aversion to fried chicken which stemed from eating it so much growing up. I had a distaste for it along with watermelon. So their aha moment with the waffles is a bit late. I am sure they will soon add other things that are already being served.
“When they serve fried spam with pancakes, etc or grits and salmon croquettes; I'm sure they will really rock and roll. Remember bisquits in brown bags that were greasy when we were in school? How we didn't want anyone to know we had bisquits? Tried our best to hide them and folks would see you anyway? We will kill for a bisquit now! Tails of oxen that were cheaper than dirt are now a much prized food along with neck bones, pig feet, chitterlings,pig ears. Theyr'e no longer a po' man's food. Might as well buy lobster.”
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Happy Birthday to Ya!
Check this out from the NYT: This marks the anniversary of the map that laid out the street grid system made Manhattan. But, of course, like no one tells us that 125th Street in Harlem is on an earthquake fault line, nothing on this 200-year-old map indicated that life was worth acknowledging up town. We didn't make it onto the map when"Nieuw Haarlem" was "a suburb for the wealthy." As Sam Roberts reported in the NYT about what was then "Nieuw Haarlem": "No streets were initially laid out on the Heights North of Harlem because planners thought no one would build there for 'centuries to come'. It now holds some of Manhattan's densest neighborhoods."
Black Men Behaving Badly
Barry Bonds and steroids. Lawrence Taylor and sex with a minor. Neither is a role model despite their many accomplishments on the field.
Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark
Give it up. Turn off the whole darn thing. So many actors seriously injured. Director fired. Choreographer fired. Ticket prices ridiculous. Save your $100 or so, my friends. Go to BAM in Brooklyn or uptown in Manhattan to Harlem (www.harlemonestop.com). Go to other plays on and off Broadway. Spider-Man is for folks who want to see disaster.
War in Libya
I don't get it, Mr. President. How many wars can we wage? "It is U. S. policy that Qaddafi has to go," you said yesterday. There are a whole lot of tyrrants out there, Mr. President. How do you pick and choose among them? I'd much prefer that you waged war on poverty and illiteracy here at home. Any way: here's an editorial in today's NYT.
R I P
Drew Hill, former pro football player in Atlanta.
J.T., found dead in my Fire Island neighborhood. My favorite bartender.
J.T., found dead in my Fire Island neighborhood. My favorite bartender.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Why Are So Many Black New Moms Dying?
I came across a fascinating article in Women's eNews today. Apparently “black women for the past five decades have consistently suffered an almost four-times greater risk of death from pregnancy complications than have white women.” And, writes the author, Rita Henly Jensen: “Pregnant black women in New York City face nearly double the national risk.” The medical experts are still seeking plausible answers to the disparities. Today's article is the first in a series. Check it out.
Fried Chicken and Waffles
If you have not already done so, check out my piece for The Root on IHOP’s decision to tap into blackfolks’ fondness for this dish, as evidenced by the menus of many Southern or soul food restaurants around the country. The novelty of this dish on its menu may help improve IHOP’s bottom line, but what about the waistlines of its patrons, especially blacks? I wrote the article to focus on IHOP's "discovery" of this dish, but it does make me wonder about health consequences. What do you think? Follow the link to the article on The Root and add your comments.
Is Sarah Palin "Slumping"?
According to The Washington Post, she is. Its latest poll shows that the GOP’s once presumed 2012 leading contender is losing her runaway standing among Republicans and independents. I’m actually not all that convinced by the numbers, from a poll conducted between March 10 and 13.
From the article:
“In one sense, the poll still finds Palin near the top of a list of eight potential contenders for the GOP nomination. The former vice presidential candidate scores a 58 percent favorable rating, close to the 61 percent for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and 60 percent for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and better than the 55 percent that onetime House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) received.
“But Palin’s unfavorable numbers are significantly higher than they are for any of these possible competitors. Fully 37 percent of all Republicans and GOP-leaning independents now hold a negative view of her, a new high.
“In another first, fewer than 50 percent of Republican-leaning independents — 47 percent — hold favorable views of Palin.”
If the poll is correct, her standing restores my faith in the ultimate ability of Americans to come to their senses even after periods of illogical exuberance.
From the article:
“In one sense, the poll still finds Palin near the top of a list of eight potential contenders for the GOP nomination. The former vice presidential candidate scores a 58 percent favorable rating, close to the 61 percent for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and 60 percent for former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, and better than the 55 percent that onetime House speaker Newt Gingrich (Ga.) received.
“But Palin’s unfavorable numbers are significantly higher than they are for any of these possible competitors. Fully 37 percent of all Republicans and GOP-leaning independents now hold a negative view of her, a new high.
“In another first, fewer than 50 percent of Republican-leaning independents — 47 percent — hold favorable views of Palin.”
If the poll is correct, her standing restores my faith in the ultimate ability of Americans to come to their senses even after periods of illogical exuberance.
Friday, February 11, 2011
The Future of Black Publications
Shouldn't we just get real? Remember the saying about when certain powerful people and institutions catch a cold, blackfolks get the flu? Well, it's flu-time in America when it comes to everything from magazines like Ebony and Jet to newspapers as close as the one in your neighborhood.
I think it's time to chuck the paper and make the dissemination of information an online product. It's not as if blackfolks don't have access to the Internet.
I think it's time to chuck the paper and make the dissemination of information an online product. It's not as if blackfolks don't have access to the Internet.
Infants Who Disappear Right Before Our Eyes
Have you been following the Carlina White story -- the baby who was kidnapped from Harlem Hospital in 1987 and re-surfaced as an adult just weeks ago? Please read the piece I wrote for The Root:
http://www.theroot.com/views/carlina-white-abduction-could-it-happen-today?page=0,0
http://www.theroot.com/views/carlina-white-abduction-could-it-happen-today?page=0,0
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Why is this day so different from other federal holidays?
Twenty-five years after the establishment of the MLK Jr. Holiday, so many people remain hostile to it, seeing it as a boon to “a special interest,” namely the millions of people of color, people of faith, people who believe in America. The last state to actually recognize the day was New Hampshire – in 1999. That was 16 years after President Reagan, the godfather of modern Republicanism, signed a bill creating the holiday.
In the latest display of this hostility and, frankly, ignorance Maine’s governor, who obviously does not see the Tea Party movement as one of special interests even when many of his fellow Republicans do, said that the NAACP could “kiss my butt” when questioned about his intent to skip events marking the holiday. Only after a raft of criticism did Gov. Paul LePage attend a breakfast hosted by a Rotary Club chapter and a senior citizens group. I'm guessing that the NAACP did not accept his booty call.
Before giving a keynote address at the event he chose to grace, a black preacher, the Rev. Effie McClain, said: “Don’t beat the man continually for something that’s been said.” Maybe not “continually,” but he should not be let off the hook so easily, saying something offensive but meaningful for his core constituents and then having his press office issue statements that are less vitriolic and more civil.
Maine is not the most chocolate state in the Union, but the King holiday was never meant to be a federal version of such traditional black celebrations as Emancipation Day or Juneteenth. It was intended to focus attention on the principles King stood for – and that presumably the nation strives for. Even those Tea Baggers who probably drink coffee in the comfort of their homes and trucks. Reagan said: ”So each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King, but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of us—if all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr. King's dream comes true…”
To make the day palatable to some holdouts, including Arizona (which has flip-flopped over the years), it has become a day for renewing commitment to community service. In 1993, the federal government established the Corporation for National and Community Service to, among other things, coordinate King Day volunteerism opportunities across the country. The day is now the MLK Day of Service. Even the Obamas have taken a prominent role in promoting that aspect of the holiday. This year they volunteered to help fix up a public school building.
Now, I have no problem with that. King was not big on parties and accolades to mark his birthdate, which is actually January 15 but is observed as a federal holiday the third Monday in January. But this is my question, especially to the LePages of this country: Why aren’t Americans expected to volunteer to do good on Presidents Day or Memorial Day or Labor Day or Columbus Day? Why is this day so different from other federal holidays?
In the latest display of this hostility and, frankly, ignorance Maine’s governor, who obviously does not see the Tea Party movement as one of special interests even when many of his fellow Republicans do, said that the NAACP could “kiss my butt” when questioned about his intent to skip events marking the holiday. Only after a raft of criticism did Gov. Paul LePage attend a breakfast hosted by a Rotary Club chapter and a senior citizens group. I'm guessing that the NAACP did not accept his booty call.
Before giving a keynote address at the event he chose to grace, a black preacher, the Rev. Effie McClain, said: “Don’t beat the man continually for something that’s been said.” Maybe not “continually,” but he should not be let off the hook so easily, saying something offensive but meaningful for his core constituents and then having his press office issue statements that are less vitriolic and more civil.
Maine is not the most chocolate state in the Union, but the King holiday was never meant to be a federal version of such traditional black celebrations as Emancipation Day or Juneteenth. It was intended to focus attention on the principles King stood for – and that presumably the nation strives for. Even those Tea Baggers who probably drink coffee in the comfort of their homes and trucks. Reagan said: ”So each year on Martin Luther King Day, let us not only recall Dr. King, but rededicate ourselves to the Commandments he believed in and sought to live every day: Thou shall love thy God with all thy heart, and thou shall love thy neighbor as thyself. And I just have to believe that all of us—if all of us, young and old, Republicans and Democrats, do all we can to live up to those Commandments, then we will see the day when Dr. King's dream comes true…”
To make the day palatable to some holdouts, including Arizona (which has flip-flopped over the years), it has become a day for renewing commitment to community service. In 1993, the federal government established the Corporation for National and Community Service to, among other things, coordinate King Day volunteerism opportunities across the country. The day is now the MLK Day of Service. Even the Obamas have taken a prominent role in promoting that aspect of the holiday. This year they volunteered to help fix up a public school building.
Now, I have no problem with that. King was not big on parties and accolades to mark his birthdate, which is actually January 15 but is observed as a federal holiday the third Monday in January. But this is my question, especially to the LePages of this country: Why aren’t Americans expected to volunteer to do good on Presidents Day or Memorial Day or Labor Day or Columbus Day? Why is this day so different from other federal holidays?
Friday, January 7, 2011
"Freedom" for the Scott Sisters
The Scott sisters are being released from a Mississippi prison today, Jan. 7, and with the assistance of the NAACP be transported to Florida, where they will be, shall we say, in watch care by Florida corrections officials. We must remain vigilant in our support for these women and for others who have been mishandled by the criminal justice system.
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Just say "NO"?
The GOP is returning to power in the U.S. House of Representatives and rather than talking about reaching out to Democrats, they are continuing – and even upping – their campaign to effectively end Barack Obama’s once-promising presidency.
Check out this article:
http://readersupportednews.org/off-site-opinion-section/72-72/4492-republicans-aim-info-war-at-obama
Since 2008, the GOP has pursued a just-say-no campaign to Obama. Now that they are in leadership in the House, they still haven’t given us anything to say “yes” to when it comes to fixing all that’s broke in our economy, health system, criminal justice system, public school system and on and on. And there is all this kinda sorta racism among the vocal GOPers and the Tea Party folk that the President and the Democratic Party have not shown the courage to address.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)