The Black Power Mixtape

For those of you who opted out of the viewing of The Black Power Mixtape, you were denied the opportunity to view the Civil Rights and, redundantly, the Black Power Movement through the unbiased eyes of those who were not American. Through the eyes of the Swedish, it is easier to see what America would normally have left out of their news. It is harsh, but, oftentimes, the American news only shows its audience what said news wants them to see. The Swedish, who compiled the footage shown in the movie, have no such qualms as it would not make their country look any worse for wear. They were more “free” to show whatever it was that interested them.

The movie is loosely strung together in a series of segments broken down by years ranging from 1967 to 1975. Although each segment cannot focus on each of the important events of the year, the film focuses on a variety of subjects important to the year. Here, my ignorance was made note of as many of the events and people spoken about in the movie were unknown to me before its showing.  For instance, the film opened by showing various speeches given by Stokely Carmichael in 1967 concerning his views on Black Power and the Civil Rights Movement. Here, Carmichael was asked about Dr. Martian Luther King Jr. and whether or not he agreed with his peaceful protesting methods. Carmichael remarked that, while he agreed with and admired what Dr. King was doing, he simply did not have the patience to wait for the “white man” to do something about it. He is famously quoted saying that the nonviolent works of Dr. King would only work if the opponent of the protesting had a “conscience. The American government has none.”

The film also extensively covered the trial and incarceration of Angela Davis. Among this footage and coverage included past and present interviews from Davis concerning her stance and opinions about the situation in American in the late 1960s and early 1970s. According to the film, a young African American boy shot and killed a judge and several others were killed in the gunfire that resulted from the event and the boy was then arrested. The gun he used to commit the shooting was said to be owned by Angela Davis herself and was then arrested and charged with being an accessory to murder. The whole premise for this case seems ludicrous, but it was considered a credible cause to arrest Davis. To me, however, this seemed like an excuse to arrest Davis and to avoid her from “sparking any more trouble.” She was, luckily, found not guilty in front of a jury of her “peers.”

The most enlightening component of the film, in my opinion, would be the section concerning the increasing drug problem among African Americans and other poverty stricken people in the early 1970s. Most of the history concerning this time period is focused on the Civil Rights movements, segregation, lynching and other cruel treatments of blacks, but it never focused on the problem people dealt with. Cocaine, marijuana, and heroin, drugs still vastly popular today, broke out in the early 1970s and devastated the lives of thousands of African Americans and other poor people. One of the most heartbreaking points made in this section was during an interview with a young adult woman. She told the interviewer how she often stole from her mother and was eventually forced to prostitute herself in order to supply the money needed to “get her fix.” To me, it explains one of the largest problems in our country today. The media, and often political figures, only focus on one of the bigger issues and push the rest to the back burner. Yes, the civil rights of African Americans was extremely  important, but it also eclipsed many of the other important issues that would have vastly helped blacks and the rest of poor America during the time.

There were many enlightening points of the video, and it would be a bit too lengthy for me to mention them all in one post. The aforementioned points, however, are those I remembered most and thought were worth mentioning. I would recommend the film to anyone going to study African American history or even the history of America during this time period.

The Black Panthers Are Still Here…

One would argue that black on black crime should cast a shadow on this entire case, nevertheless…this happens.

Two Interesting Clips

These two links are to audio clips from the “Blacking It Up” podcast. I actually don’t subscribe to their podcast (yet), but I do listen to “The Best of the Left” podcast which is where I heard these (and the source for these YouTube links). The first is an interesting  conversation about racial slurs and discrimination over a rather incredible clip from ESPN that (somehow) came about as a result of the whole Jeremy Lin hubbub that happened a couple of months ago. The second is a discussion about the Supreme Court’s decision to revisit affirmative action in a case involving the University of Texas-Austin, and it is also a bit of a warning to all of you about what to expect from our illustrious justices later this summer.

Clip 1:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQQXuvXgT-c&feature=plcp

Clip 2:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5fX76N9Las&feature=context-chv

Screening of “Black Power Mix-Tape”

I really enjoyed the screening of this quasi-documentary. Stokely Carmichael was a name I hadn’t heard mentioned in a long time, and I had almost forgotten how much I admired him in my youth. Not only was it interesting to see interviews and footage covering a vastly under-reported era of American history, but seeing the key moments of the movement through the eyes of Swedish media was an eye-opener as well. What stood out to me the most about the way Swedish television covered these stories was their willingness to be objective and allow their subjects to tell the story for them. That’s how journalism–at least as I understand it–is supposed to be practiced, but news outlets in our country have consistently failed to maintain objective distance when reporting a story. The several interviews with Malcolm X we viewed in class are a perfect example of how American media treated the so-called radical leaders of black empowerment groups. The Swedish reporters however not only asked fair questions of their subjects, but they allowed their subject to actually answer the question without interruption and without unnecessary goading and instant re-framing of their words.

One of the more controversial moments of the film is the footage shown of African-American youth in a sort of Black Panther classroom singing songs about using guns against police. It is also implied that these young people were being taught how to use guns as well. At first, it is easy to have a strong negative reaction to such footage; in my notes, I actually wrote “what are the ethics of indoctrinating children in this way?” Upon further thought, however, I think the stronger comment this footage shows us is the extent of discrimination the Black Panthers were reacting against. If you and yours have been pushed to such a point that you feel it necessary to teach your children such practices and attitudes, it explicitly highlights how bad the situation really was.

Another aspect of the Black Panther Party and Black Power Movement in general that was highlighted by the Swedish crew was their close ties to socialist ideals regarding community and microeconomic practices. As I have stated before in class, the Cold War and attendant “Red Scare” propaganda has inextricably linked socialism to communism in many Americans’ minds; such historical context is therefore usually left out in American studies of the recent past. What strikes me most about being reminded of this is just how far the black community of today has strayed from such beliefs. The hard right turn hip-hop culture took with the advent of gangsta rap immediately strikes me as a key moment in the culture when these beliefs began to wane. I often lament the direction hip-hop has taken over the past fifteen or so years–so much so that I have made it point to draw a very distinct line between hip-hop music (Sugarhill Gang, Public Enemy, KRS-One, Outkast, Mos Def, etc.) and rap music (Kanye, Eminem, Ludacris, T.I., Lil’ Wayne, etc.). The former classification was not only more interested in treating their brand of music as an art form, but their inspiration came from a desire to raise public awareness and heal their damaged communities. The latter classification seems to treat music as pure entertainment with little to no additional artistic value and is more interested in personal ego and status symbols as markers of their success. That is why it was so interesting that Talib Kweli–one of the few remaining high-profile “hip-hop” artists in the game–was one of the central commentary contributors. From an outside perspective, it seems that the differences in these two eras of hip hop/rap music are clearly reflected in the black community. The concept of the many before the individual seems to be dwindling more and more each day. This is true in all racial communities in modern-day America by the way, but the black community had previously resisted this changing of the guard more fervently and longer than the others.

I’ll leave you with a few quotes from the footage which really struck me. I think they will speak for themselves.

“In order for non-violence to work, your opponent must have a conscience. The American government has none.”                -Stokely Carmichael

“Naturally, this country hates the truth.” -Lewis H. Michaux

“White people came to this country with two weapons: the Bible and guns.” -Lewis H. Michaux

“…even the better, if I can even use that term, even the better coloured people don’t visit Harlem.” -Swedish (?) tour guide during his description of the “black man’s ghetto” to a busload full of Swedish tourists

“We as black people must write our own story, because if we don’t we’ll be written out.” -Miss Erykah Badu

Willaim Lynch Speech

Here is the William Lynch Speech if anyone needs an insight on the fight in the African-American community between the ligher skinned and the darker skinned.

Gentlemen:

I greet you here on the bank of the James River in the year of our lord, one thousand seven hundred and twelve. First , I shall thank you, the gentlemen of the of the colony of Virginia, for bringing me here. I am here to help you solve some of your problems with slaves. Your invitation reached me in my modest plantation in the West Indies where I have experimented with some of the newest and still the oldest method for control of slaves. Ancient Rome would envy us if my program is implemented. As our boat sailed south on the James River, named for our illustrious KING JAMES, whose BIBLE we CHERISH, I saw enough to know that our problem is not unique. While Rome used cords or wood as crosses for standing human bodies along the old highways in great numbers, you are here using the tree and the rope on occasion.

I caught the whiff of a dead slave hanging from a tree a couple of miles back. You are losing valuable stock by hangings, you are having uprisings, slaves are running away, your crops are sometimes left in the fields too long for maximum profit, you suffer occasional fires, your animals are killed, Gentleman,…You know what your problems are; I do not need to elaborate. I am not here to enumerate your problems, I am here to introduce you to a method of solving them.

In my bag, I have a fool proof method for controlling your slaves. I guarantee everyone of you that if installed it will control the slaves for at least three hundred years. My method is simple, any member of your family or any OVERSEER can use it.

I have outlined a number of differences among the slaves, and I take these differences and make them bigger. I use FEAR, DISTRUST, andENVY for control purposes. These methods have worked on my modest plantation in the West Indies, and it will work throughout the SOUTH. Take this simple little list of differences and think about them. On the top of my list is “AGE” but it is only there because it starts with an “A”; The second is”COLOR” or shade; there isINTELLIGENCE, SIZE, SEX, SIZE OF PLANTATION, ATTITUDE of owner, whether the slaves live in the valley, on a hill, east or west, north, south, have fine or coarse hair, or is tall or short. Now that you have a list of differences, I shall give you an outline of action- but before that, I shall assure you that DISTRUST IS STRONGER THAN TRUST, AND ENVY IS STRONGER THAN ADULATION, RESPECT OR ADMIRATION.

The black slave, after receiving this indoctrination, shall carry on and will become self-refueling and self-generating for hundreds of years, maybe thousands.

Don’t forget you must pitch the old black VS. the young black males, and the young black male against the old black male. You must use the dark skinned slaves VS. the light skin slaves. You must use the female VS the male, and the male VS, the female. You must always have your servants and OVERSEERS distrust all blacks, but it is necessary that your slaves trust and depend on us.

Gentlemen, these kits are your keys to control, use them. Never miss an opportunity. My plan is guaranteed, and the good thing about this plan is that if used intensely for one year the slave will remain perpetually distrustful.

 

-WILLIAM LYNCH-1772

Popularity of Skin Whitening Creams in Asia

OK, you saw it here first…maybe.

We’ve talked a bit about skin bleaching among African Americans, but it’s quite the rage in Asia too. Depressing and weird, especially the cream designed for “your lady bits.” I don’t know if this will be helpful to those of you writing about “white is right” beauty standards, but it’s certainly food for thought. Please note that these are mostly American companies selling this crap and this idea:

http://www.racialicious.com/2012/04/17/disgrasian-of-the-weak-vagina-whitening-thats-right-you-heard-me/

Explanation of the term “duende” as per Tracy K. Smith’s poem

Don’t be shocked that I’m posting a link to Wikipedia. I use it all the time to get a quick take on something, keeping in mind that I have no idea who wrote it or how credible they are–”studies show” that Wikipedia is actually more often credible than conventional (and now defunct) print encyclopedias. That being said, however, scholars typically don’t cite encyclopedias as sources, so do try to resist the temptation to rest in their authority.

Now, various meanings of duende:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duende_(art)

Oh, and bailaor refers to flamenco dancers. Just sos ya know.

Final extra credit opportunity – Black Power Mix-Tape

Dear class,

Next Wednesday, you’ll have the final opportunity for extra credit, by watching the documentary “Black Power Mix-Tape.” We saw an excerpt from this in class recently, but the full 90-minute film is well worth watching.

Where: One Arsenal Place (History/Geography Dept) – 3rd floor (card-control access, but we’ll make sure it’s accessible)

When: Wednesday, April 25, from 6:00-8:00 PM

If you come, you’ll automatically get 2 points (equivalent to a blog post); if you write about it on the class blog, you’ll get another 2 points.

Dr. Gary Sprayberry will introduce the film.

African American or Black?

     Recently, an old associate from high school and I have been in an argument concerning what “black” people should label themselves. She believes that she should be considered a “black American” rather than an African American because she was “born in American” and not Africa. In her opinion, the use of the phrase “African American” is considered politically incorrect in today’s society.

     After watching the film on race in our class and studying under our school’s local anthropologist, I disagreed with this person. I believe, as do many sociologists, anthropologists, and others, that the terms “black” and “white” are too vague or, more importantly, based on social class and other terms besides the color of one’s skin. The term “black” for me was too general, wherein this person believed “African American” to be too broad for her “race” of people.

     She later went on to rebut that neither her parents or grandparents were from Africa and that black people come from all over the world so therefore should not all be grouped into this same “category.” Her family is more from the Caribbean region rather than the African one. The questions of, “well would that make all whites ‘European Americans’?” was then brought up, and I responded with a yes because most “whites” in American date their ancestry back to Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and many other various European nations. The terms African American and European American have to do with your ethnic background and not necessarily where your grandparents and parents are from.

     Yes, I agree that we should all be coined “American” regardless of our race or ethnicity. But, however, I do not agree that “black” is a better term than “African American” in terms of labeling certain people in society. There are indeed white African Americans, as she stated, and they can be labeled as thus and most likely should be.

     I thought the discussion was interesting and thought I would share it with my fellow classmates outside of the classroom to see what your opinions on the subject are.

Context for Ida B. Wells

If you’re interested in Ida B. Wells, here is a great link:

http://www.duke.edu/~ldbaker/classes/AAIH/caaih/ibwells/ibwbkgrd.html