...::Blame It On The Alcohol

[According to government studies, alcohol causes more deaths, car accidents, health problems, family breakups and arrests than all illegal drugs combined.]

...::Hand Jive

The media played up the so-called "inappropriateness" of Michelle Obama having the nerve to touch Elizabeth II--



Elizabeth must not have minded too much; she touched back--



But here is the touch we like--

...::Another View of the Somalia Story

You don't hear about Somalia's "pirates" in the same breath with nuclear waste, do you? What do they have to do with each other? Well, look away from the mainstream media and listen for a minute to K'Naan, a musician from Somalia.



According to a British journalist, Somalia was a nuclear dumping ground before the "piracy" started--

As soon as the Somali government collapsed in 1991, "... mysterious European ships started appearing off the coast of Somalia, dumping vast barrels into the ocean. The coastal population began to sicken. At first they suffered strange rashes, nausea and malformed babies... hundreds of the dumped and leaking barrels washed up on shore. People began to suffer from radiation sickness... This is the context in which the 'pirates' have emerged. Somalian fishermen took speedboats to try to dissuade the dumpers and trawlers..."

...::There's No Way To Put a Pretty Face On This

A Turkish TV anchor smeared on blackface to talk about Obama--



Blackface is a heavy makeup used to darken white faces so actors could play stereotyped and demeaning Black roles. So why is this still going on in 2009?

...::The Reach of Art

The headline in the NYTimes article was: "Mission From Africa." The story was about a Nigerian missionary in the U.S. But before I could read the article, I was struck by the story's photo--



I haven't even finished reading the article, yet this photo stood out for me--
-- The preacher is in a pose like you would find in a video game
-- Did you notice the "heavenly" light on the right and the extra shadow on the back wall? They give the picture a mystical quality
-- The woman is so deep in prayer; I wonder if she knows she has come out of her heels
-- Attendance sure isn't overflowing; but the preacher is passionate nonetheless

Let me know what you notice-- yemitoure@gmail.com. In the meantime, back to the article. Interestingly, it is about the explosive growth in Africa of conservative Christianity, with African missionaries coming to the U.S. to save souls. How's that for a reversal ...

...::Never-Before-Seen Pictures: The Day Martin Luther King Died

Life magazine on 02.Apr.2009 published, for the first time, pictures of the day Dr. King died in Memphis. The black-and-white images evoke the sadness of that day, 04.Apr.1968. Warning: some of the images are very disturbing.


Go here to see larger pictures and the captions.

King had gone to Memphis to support Black sanitation workers, on strike for better pay and better treatment as human beings. The night before he was killed, King gave his “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” address. It was a sign--



And the next day he was dead.

I thought I knew a lot about the day of King's transition, until I watched this wrenching video by my friend Ryon Horne. The weight of that day will come crashing around your shoulders.

...::In Praise of Black Women

Offering a set of items I came across recently about Black women...

1/Billie Holiday singing "Strange Fruit". It is a song about lynching. I have heard many recordings of her singing versions of this song, but I like this one best.



[For lyrics and more info on the song, go here and here]

2/A slide show of Black women.

Includes nice songs, including one with Wyclef Jean.



[Blues singer John Lee Hooker would call *some* of these images "drug store" images-- the natural beauty of these women is covered up by makeup and hair you could get in a drug store. But they are beautiful nonetheless.]

3/A must read--
"Black Feminist Thought" by Patricia Hill Collins. Get it from your local Black bookstore or from their online site.



4/First All-Black Female Airline Crew
Taking Flight



5/Did yall see this?

In Canada there is a Black woman who is Governor General of the nation. Her name is Michaelle Jean, and here she is, welcoming Barack Obama on his recent visit to Canada.







["Governor General" in Canada is a national office, though largely ceremonial. Jean is appointed, and deals with diplomats and protocol and such.]

6/And an important film about Black girls in the U.S. and the obstacles they face growing up.



"The Souls of Black Girls"

I saw this recently here in Atlanta. After the showing, girls in the audience came up and spontaneously told of their personal struggles over skin color-- some were called names by family and friends! Many cried. We have work to do...

7/A great short video of Black women pushing for rights during segregation. It's called Sojourners for Truth and Justice.

...::The Roots and Public Enemy together onstage

... and yes, Flava Flav was there too ...