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“I would argue that Jesse Jackson may be doing more harm to African Americans [...] by suggesting that they are unable to effect positive change in their lives until the society around them is perfectly equal – which it may never be.”
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“The move comes after the Dutch Ministry of Justice on Monday decided not to prosecute him for inciting hatred of Muslims with his film denouncing the Koran.”
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“The thing people were going back and forth with was [New Edition had] been doing what we were doing for the longest [but] we couldn’t get cartoons and things that [NKOTB] were getting.”
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“An international coalition of cities to fight racism and discrimination was due to be launched on Monday by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).”
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“When activists started raising questions about the county’s hesitation at burying the woman in a black cemetery, the commissioners asked a white-owned funeral home in Waller to handle arrangements.”
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“Marie, 52, said that as a child raised in the segregated South, she sang both songs. But she grew to feel the sentiments of freedom expressed in the national anthem weren’t a reality “for black folks living in a town with Jim Crow laws.”
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“An op-ed piece in the LA Times claims the “Declaration of Independence’s vision endures.” I can’t argue with that. As specified in the Declaration, the threat of “merciless savages” has been a guiding force throughout US history.”
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of
cosmicsistren wrote:
RE: NKOTB and New Edition article – “The R&B, which is New Edition and the pop side for New Kids,” says RedOne” – I find that laughable because to me pop music is white rnb anyway. Everything has to be in a category……sad.
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 8:30 am ¶
DiosaNegra1967 wrote:
re: the singer who didn’t sing “the star-spangled banner”…
…..ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls….
it’s time to play, “let’s question another African-American’s “patriotism!”
y’know….this reminds me of a quote i heard a while back….
“when fascism comes to the United States, it will be wearing a cross and draped in a flag….”
…indeed…
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 8:35 am ¶
Mickey wrote:
NKOTB & New Edition? Recording a song? Together?
Time to break out the jellies and acid wash jeans!
*pulls hair into side ponytail*
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 8:48 am ¶
Misspelled wrote:
I like how many of the commenters on that article about Rene Marie are bleating about how this is the kind of thing America can expect if Obama is elected president, when the article specifically quotes him as denouncing her decision.
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 9:14 am ¶
jed wrote:
Misspelled, their belief is “that is what he says now just to get elected, but his tune will change after he is sworn in”. We see a lot of misguided hate thrown at Obama for his race that he can easily sidestep, but he cannot escape the hate that so many people have for politicians in general regardless of party affiliation.
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 4:11 pm ¶
Bob Simpson wrote:
I’ve sung both the “Stars Spangled Banner” and “Lift Every Voice and Sing” at various times. Frankly I think “Lift Every Voice and Sing” is better poetry and better music.
But if it were up to me, our national anthem would be Woody Guthrie’s “This Land is Your Land”. It’s easy to sing and it has a buoyant upbeat message.
As for Rene Marie, her gesture was in the great American tradition of defying established authority. Official ceremonies can be so boring. She sure livened up another yawn-producing occasion while teaching America some musical and social history at the same time.
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 8:17 pm ¶
Britta wrote:
Ha! I went to an afrocentric elementary school, where we sang the Black National Anthem at every assembly. To this day, I can sing two verses of Lift Every Voice but can barely stumble through the Star Spangled Banner (I still don’t know the pledge of allegiance). Of course, no one would question my patriotism because I’m a white girl.
@6 Bob Simpson–I totally agree with you about the poetry. The 2nd verse of the BNA almost brings me to tears when I hear it. Can’t say that about the regular NA.
Posted 11 Jul 2008 at 11:15 pm ¶
Renee wrote:
Know child could ever have grown up in my home without knowing the words to life every voice and sing. I think that of people actually thought about the words of that song they would realize that it is a testament to the American spirit. The problem is that America is only supposed to be recognized by things that are of a white heritage.
Posted 12 Jul 2008 at 5:43 am ¶
Phrone wrote:
The article about the Denver singer made me sad — not only because of the response (which was a bit deal more than discouraging — someone argued that ‘The Black National Anthem, by its very name, is EXclusive.’ Yeah, because that’s its official title) — but also because I, growing up in a conservative, white neighborhood, had never heard of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Makes me wonder what other elements of American heritage I don’t know…
I felt the first article was making this false dichotomy of either advocating personal responsibility OR working for societal change, when I don’t see that being the case. However, having a longer history of familiarity with feminism than antiracism, I remember hearing the exact same line argued to feminists. (”Feminism actually hurts women because it denies their agency!” Yep, heard it several times over.) I think that shows how interrelated social justice movements are, not just because of intersectionality (I know Racialicious has talked about WOC, feminism, and antiracism a lot) but also because of the similiarity of the rhetoric of the opposition, at the very least.
Posted 12 Jul 2008 at 6:26 pm ¶
merq wrote:
@Misspelled:
Oh, but what about the commenter who said “if this is an early look at what Obama’s presidency will bring, he sure isn’t getting my vote”?
Yeah, dude/lady… ’cause you were totally going to vote for him until this happened.
What irritates me about this, and every other flap involving a black public figure being said to “potentially hurt Obama’s presidential run” is that nobody’s addressing the real issue such a statement implies.
Such an assertion begs the question that it’s okay to visit the “sins” of one black person on another (who has absolutely nothing to do with him/her).
Instead of asking:
1. if it’s right to tar all black folk with the same feather…
2. what it says about the conditions under which they’re willing to elect Black Man Obama,
they’re chastizing others for “ruining it for him.” Talk about transference of guilt!
The word is out, black people. If you want to see Obama in the white house (and being that you’re black, you know you want to see him there — policies be damned… and you know he’s going to rename it the Black House).
Sorry, where was I? The word is out, black people… Because you know you want Obama in the black house, it’s time to get ta shufflin’. Bow and scrape and mumble your way through the next 6 months. If I see one of you walking tall, making them think we’re “uppity,” I’ll cut you down myself. We need to shuffle our boy into the black house.
Who’s with me???
Posted 13 Jul 2008 at 1:16 pm ¶
Kodi wrote:
Before I read the LA Times article on Rene Marie’s performance article, I had never heard Lift Every Voice and Sing.
I tried to do a little self educating and found a version of the song Kim Weston at the Wattstax festival on YouTube. I thought it was incredibly moving, and I look forward to hearing the song in person.
Posted 13 Jul 2008 at 4:07 pm ¶