...::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.