2012 FROM MY BROWN EYED VIEW

Public Radio International (PRI) international news program titled, The World aired a story about the press and Nelson Mandela that has me shaking my head in disbelief.


Nelson Mandela is now 93 year old and in declining health. Media outlets have been staging a death watch in his home town. There are reporters who are literally waiting on Mandela to die so they can be the first ones to report the story. 


The manner in which the media is waiting is unsettling to my sense of decency and respect for any living person. 


Ruters and the Associated Press went as far as to place a camera in the home of a neighbor of Mandela's on the guise that it was going to be used to air the World Cup Games at a fun park. The neighbor did not initially realize that the camera was actually being used to film Mandela's home.


In African culture death is not handled in the same manner as it is in the West children rarely attend funerals and in some cases women do not attend them either. 


The camera has been removed but even the discussion about death is not appropriate within the African culture. The reporters who were interviewed for this story justify their presence and actions as preparation for a major event in the world's story.  


I realize that Mandela is an internationally recognized leader and he is admired by many people. When he passes it will be a major news story. But the level of disrespect that is being shown to him and to the culture of Africa has no real excuse. 


You can listen to the broadcast clip and read the full details on PRI The World.

WORD ON WEDNESDAY

"Education System"
Spoken Word Artist: Aadil Malik

LET ME DOWN EASY : A CULTURAL PERFORMANCE RECOMMENDATION

Great Performances is currently featuring a one woman titled Let Me Down Easy featuring Anna Deavere Smith. 

Smith portrays a group of people from personal interviews who are dealing with health care issues.  It is a stunning live performance that provides a look at how people relate the cycle of life from birth to death. Smith does an amazing job of moving from one character into another with the use of minimal props and great character study.

Here is a video clip of Anna Deavere Smith giving a performance during a TED Talk performing four different characters. 

You can view Let Me Down Easy by clicking on this link.  It is an informative and well executed theatrical work. The website for this performance also provides information on the development of this show. 

THOMAS SANKARA-THE UPRIGHT MAN; A DOCUMENTARY FILM RECOMMENDATION

Thomas Sankara-The Upright Man is a documentary film that is available for viewing on You Tube. 


Sankara was the leader of Burkina Faso formerly known as Upper Volta from 1983 until 1987.  Sankara promoted the ideas of self-reliant on the resources that were available within Burkina Faso.  He championed women's rights, employment for all people, a style of governing that worked for the common good of the people.


I am recommending this film for viewing because it provides a different perspective on how leadership can work in favor of meeting the people's needs.  I found it interesting that Sankara had actual responses to environmental issues as well as the economic and social ills of the nation.


Here is a link to a website that provides background information on Thomas Sankara.  His work is worth noting because it provides a look at what happens when a nation begins the process of developing it's on resources and independence.


Thomas Sanka-The Upright Man.  

2012 FROM MY BROWN EYED VIEW

The Tea Party people in Tennessee want to revise the state's history text to enhance the virtues of the Founding Fathers of this nation.


In order to make the founders of America appear to be untainted there has to be exclusions of facts.  America's status as a participant in the slave trade would need to be excluded to make the story read proper. 


But if you know the national story shouldn't this point of exclusion be pushed further back on the historical time line that marks the birth of this nation.  What about the indigenous people who were already occupants of this territory? Does their story within the history of this nation now become invalid? How is that set of interactions any less genocidal and inhuman than slavery?  The founding fathers knew about the presence of the indigenous people of that era in time. Is that going to be excluded also?


I am making a point about extremist paranoia and what it helps to produce. A simplistic minded approach in the age of global informational access.  Excluding true historical facts in the educational setting makes sense if you support this type of educational propaganda as useful information. 


I find that it is already void of reality about what the proposed revisions will create.


Revising the story to read the way that makes one sector of the population comfortable has been a source of the problem all of the time.  There is that portion of the population that does not rest well on the exclusion within reality.  There have been a continual cycle of upheavals and changes that have improved the quality of American life. This is a matter of reality that encompasses the mass population. It has occurred due to class, ethnic background, women's rights,  child well being, education, housing, health care, working conditions. Whatever the American way is at that moment in time creates a situation that needs to be corrected. 


For the common good has been a series of long term acts of exclusions from within the society.  By any means necessary is an observation that has been enacted right here in this nation.  This is the truth and people who want to act like it has no merit are the ones who are operating out of a rebellious stance. 


Thieves tell lies. Excluding the truth is a form of stolen intellectual property. What honestly occurred is the response that was created from many different systems of belief and perspectives. 


A thief lies to cover over their criminal acts.  This is just one of those groupings in behavioral traits that appear to be consistent. Lying about reality is supposed to help avoid a confrontation with destiny.  If it's not true and the information on hand indicates that fact, it is not difficult to dismantle the falseness of the story. The truth is a force of magnitude and it is not that easy to quench people who have access to information. 


This is a major part of the problem with this idea.  A revised national story would have to go through continual series pf rewrites to make it read the way their plan is stated. Revolts did not start with information on the problem. It is the outcome of unsolved problems. It is the result of not having the sense of being connected to anything connected to a nation.  Asking the descents of groups that know about negative inhuman encounters to get over it, is the equivalent of requesting that we exclude the reality of being.  That is not that easily removed from any society.  The question of who actually made the world's communities of color is not solely in the scripting of a story that only holds up one segment of the population.


This approach towards handling the national story is one that should be challenge vigorously by the people of this nation. What manner of national pride is being forwarded as noteworthy?  A set of carefully crafted images that are supposed to override what is now common knowledge?  The idea in itself is one that makes me cringe with anger. Our collective intelligence is being insulted by this suggestion. This proposed revision is not the earmark of a proud people.  It is the earmark of the poorly informed sector of the society.  The only exposure that they can operate out of is the one that excludes truth, facts and information.  An interesting form of bias about a nation that they feel a great sense of pride about as a world leader.  These people want to have the pride and a total disconnect with reality of life in these United States. 


Related Links:
Tennessee Morphs into Texas With Textbook Censorship of Slavery.

5 Founding Fathers Whose Skepticism About Christianity Would Make Them Unelectable Today.


Texas textbook war:Slavery of Atlantic Triangular Trade

2012 FROM MY BROWN EYED VIEW

Books are an important part of my personal and professional life. I cannot imagine what my life would be like if there was not a supply of books for me to borrow to read. I have spent a nice portion of my personal income to feed my need to read appetite.


It is difficult for me to accept limitations on what type of materials I can select to read.  When I attended public school a lot of the required reading materials were dictated to us by the school board. Those stories were not necessarily poor choices for my generation of students. But there were very few titles that actually had people of color as the main characters of the stories or information.


That began to change for the better during the Black Power Movement.  A literature bomb was unleashed and we were able to acquire books on a variety of subjects that were of interest to Black people. This made reading a lot more interesting and relevant to me as a person.


In Arizona there is a law that has been passed which forbids ethnic studies in the state's public school system.  


A.R.S. § 15-112 which prohibits courses and classes that 'promote the overthrow of the United States government, promote resentment toward a race or class of people, are designed primarily for pupils of a particular ethnic group or advocate ethnic solidarity instead of the treatment of pupils as individuals,' according to the Arizona State Legislature.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087667/Shakespeares-The-Tempest-banned-Arizona-schools-law-bans-ethnic-studies.html#ixzz1kG2eD9Pm
This ban is supposed to make the Mexican American population feel more connected to this nation's theories about democracy.  


I see it as just another act of cultural theft.  A group of people who are guided by their fear are using their power to remove something that they deem anti their perspectives.


The course of study that is approved does not include any perspectives that are different than the ones the law makers feel comfortable with holding up as sound principles.


How a person interprets what they read is based on a whole lot of factors.  What may seem to anti-the status quo may be the same line of thought that another person has about should change to improve the society.  That depends on your cultural ties, economic factors and how your ideas on a particular subject was developed prior to reading a book.


One of the objections about the type of books that were used is the perspectives that they present.  

This is one of the books that has been banned.  The problem is this book teaches Latino youth that they are still oppressed by a Caucasian majority.  


This book was also banned.

These rules are supposed to make things feel more comfortable among the students. By banning the idea that ethnic groups should not promote solidarity as a part of their coursework.


This is a list of the books that were removed:

• Suzan Shown Harjo's "We Have No Reason to Celebrate"
• Buffy Sainte-Marie's "My Country, 'Tis of Thy People You're Dying"
• Joseph Bruchac's "A Friend of the Indians"
• Cornel Pewewardy's "A Barbie-Doll Pocahontas"
• N. Scott Momaday's "The Delight Song of Tsoai-Talee"
• Michael Dorris's "Why I'm Not Thankful for Thanksgiving"
• Leslie Marmon's "Ceremony"
• Wendy Rose's "Three Thousand Dollar Death Song"
• Winona LaDuke's "To the Women of the World: Our Future, Our Responsibility"s (Narcosphere, 2012)

It must be noted that James Baldwin's classic The Fire the 


Next Time  and works by Howard Zinn have also been 


removed from the schools. 


In order to be in full compliance with this ban teachers


must also turn in their books. Remove posters and any 


materials that do not align with the new policies.  In other 


words if it does not reflect the views of the mainstream 


culture then it has no place in the classroom.




I cannot support the banning or burning of books. It is an


act that denotes fear is winning over the need for truth 


and information. 


I am sure that there are people who will put up the 


argument that we cannot be Americans with this type of 


information being exposed to the people who need to 


understand what has happened from a historical 


perspective.  Without presenting the wider scope of facts 


the reasons why we are connected make no sense.  We 


should want to celebrate the reasons for our ancestors 


pain and suffering? That does not make sense from our 


perspective.  Not to know what role racism has played in


the relationships between different people is a form of 


denial that is not acceptable. It is the insistence that only


one side be presented that is the problem.


Censored News and Consortium News have articles on their


sites that provides information on what has happened to 


the children since this ban has become educational policy. 






This situation is not a done deal. Efforts are currently 


underway to oppose the banning of the books.  


The group of banned books are truly powerful in their 


content.  This struggle to open up education and allow the


truth to be a part of the curriculum is not solely confined 


to Arizona. As efforts continue to revise the national story 


and exclude individuals or actions that do not reflect the 


real nature of nation building will be re-written in the 


manner that makes the story one that reads in the 


tradition of half truths and no honest admissions of 


actions. 




The very actions forwarded by the Arizona legislature may 


be the start of the very situation that they think is being 


contained.  Books hold ideas and information. It is the 


person who uses those ideas that their real target.  If no 


information is supplied then those ideas don't develop.  But 


this is historically inaccurate as well. Revolts have


happened because people grow tired of being pressed


down in circumstances and situations. That is when the


oral story of what happened begins to circulate within 


groups and communities. 


If you think that the issues people of color deal with are


going to be tamped out without any recognition of their 


existence then you need to do some research on the topic 


of why we feel like we do about being American. It is not 


all negative but we also know how to provide some of the


needed healing and perspectives that the mainstream 


wants us to avoid using. 

2012, FROM MY BROWN EYED VIEW

Natalie and Derrica Wilson: Image from Ebony Magazine online

Derrica Wilson and Natalie Wilson have established a non-profit organization that specializes in search for missing Black people. 


Black and Missing grew out of their recognition that a large number of people of color were missing. According to the article featured on Ebony Magazine on line; these two DC mothers began a simple website that featured pictures and information about missing people.  After being featured in an article in May of 2011, they received enough high profile support to move their organization to the next level (Pickens, 2012). 


The website provides information by state on missing persons. Information is available on how to report missing people. There is also statistical information on the number of people of color that are missing as well as a break down on the number of children that are reported missing. 


These two women have been funding the project out of their own pockets. They are currently looking for sponsorship to help establish the support that is needed to reunite families. 


Please take time to visit Black and Missing. Let's help in the effort to find people who are missing. 


You can read the entire article about Black and Missing on Ebony Magazine online. 

FINDING OUR MISSING: RACE AND WHY THE BLACK COMMUNITY NEEDS THIS PROGRAM

Image from TV One featuring S. Ephata Merkison

One of the topics that MBEV has touched upon at different times is the subject of missing people of color.  I have shared information about the sites that post frequently about missing people and shared information from those sources.


I have also raised the criticism here and on the different social media sites that I frequent about media outlets that serve our community but do not address this problem. Missing people of color do not get the vast exposure on mainstream media sources. 


TV One has taken the lead in changing that lack of media focus on Black people by producing a show titled: Find Our Missing. The premiere episode will air on January 18, at 10 pm.


What has set me off mentally is the sudden outcry of this show is racist.  Really?  I am going to say what I believe to correct at this particular point about the focus of the show.


When we take it upon ourselves to resolve an issue by using the tools that are available to us, it would seem that this would not be a problem. Is it racist?  No, not at all! You might see it that way but I suspect that you also have this belief that we are going to have just sit back and wait until "Post Racial" America kicks in for real. That is not helping the families that have missing people now. We are doing something for ourselves and it is still wrong? No it's really not. 


I read a comment that really got the better of my temper. Is this what MLK would of wanted?  I am going to say this because the evidence is there to support it. Do not illusion yourself about how MLK thought on the subject of being self sufficient and self determining. If he was alive today, I don't think it would be above his understanding why we need this particular show and why it focuses on Black people. Nancy Grace does quite an extensive job on her program focusing on the white people of a certain class and gender. Media focuses its programming to meet the tastes of its viewers. 


The next argument that gets me is the raising of other people of color as an example of what would make Black people declare that programming of this nature is racist. Are you truly serious?  This is just a remix of Catch 22. You complain when we do and then you complain when we do. There may very well already be this type of program in Latino and 'Asian markets. I don't know because those programs are not available to me in the mid western market. And if you really think we are racist, what about the Native Americans? Are they being racist when they exclude everyone else?  Because they have a whole system of communications that is not featuring anyone but them.  Would these same critics dare to raise this argument in their midst?  I think not. The reasons why would boomerang these individuals back into the reality of why there is a need for people of color to stop waiting on that perfectly racial moment to respond to problems.


Before you jump to the comment section and point out that other people of different races do not get that type of coverage either. I am well aware of that situation existing. In a perfect world there would be a 24 hour channel that did nothing but broadcast information about missing people all over the nation. Perhaps we will arrive at that point one day. Believe me, I feel for every family who has a missing person that is unaccounted for because it has to be hell not knowing where your people are and if they are okay.


On my MLK post yesterday, there was a quote that I used:


"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


Enuf said. 

2012, FROM MY BROWN EYED VIEW

Gil Scott Heron left us one final gift from his talents. He authored a book titled The Last Holiday:A Memoir. 

NPR has a review of this memoir by GSH that gives the details about this work. You can read it here.


I am bringing attention to this work because Gil Scott Heron worked with Stevie Wonder to bring about Martin Luther King Day. Gil want to make sure that Stevie receives the credit he deserves for his effort.  


There is also a more detailed review of this book on the Montreal Gazette website. You can read that post here. 


I had to include this particular GSH song because it expresses a universal desire for peace and freedom for all people. 

IN THIS REVOLUTION NO PLANS HAVE BEEN WRITTEN FOR RETREAT!

Image of Dr. King by Howard Sochurek/Life

"In this Revolution no plans have been written for retreat."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr

This is probably not the quotation you would use to begin a post about celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. I selected it because it is a quotation that reminds us that we cannot back down from the struggles that continue to be a part of our lives.  


"Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


This is the beauty of MLK's leadership legacy. He provoked people to think about the set of circumstances that existed within this nation.  Enough people realized that their conscience indicated that they needed to do what was not popular nor safe to evoke a change. Even though there were times when it appeared that the enemy forces were winning, Martin realized that going forward was the only true option that supported what the collective conscience believed to be right. 


What about our current status within this nation? 
We are in the midst of a difficult set of circumstances as a group of people within this society. What does your conscience say is the right move to make to resolve problems?  Is there one problem that you feel strongly enough about ending?  You only need to be faithful to a few things to be successful. 


"Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr


Are you content with remaining silent about the different problems and human rights violations that we must contend with as a group of people?  


"The ultimate tragedy is not the oppression and cruelty by the bad people but the silence over that by the good people."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr


Saying nothing about the oppression that we know exists within this nation and globally is like a mass co-signing of this condition. Can we afford to continue to remain silent? When you look at the negative statistics regarding our lives, we already paying a major price for not following MLK's example.


"Oppressed people cannot remain oppressed forever."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr,


Within this particular statement lies a major challenge to us from MLK to make the necessary moves to end all manners of oppression--no matter how difficult that task may seem to be when we take it on. We have to use our resources and our talents to make progress happen. 


"Human progress is neither automatic nor inevitable... Every step toward the goal of justice requires sacrifice, suffering, and struggle; the tireless exertions and passionate concern of dedicated individuals."~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


Who are you waiting on to help provide solutions? You don't have to be a leader to help solve problems. We all have something that we can contribute to the cause of human progress.  If you're tired of your rights as a human being continually violated; who should be standing up demanding change?


"There is nothing more dangerous than to build a society with a large segment of people in that society who feel that they have no stake in it; who feel that they have nothing to lose. People who have stake in their society, protect that society..."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


Are you one of those people who believe that nothing will change even if we unite to fight back?


"All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


I hold no belief in utopia at all. I do firmly believe that we can make things better and improve on the things within our society that are good. However, reality denotes that there are always going to be problems to solve. If we do nothing to eradicate their existence in our society, what should we expect to occur?  




"Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed."
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.


Once again MLK is reminding us that we have a mutual responsibility to respond to all oppressive conditions within our society. No one individual or institution is going to give us freedom. We actually have to make a firm and visible demand for it to be a part of our lives. This would include making that same demand within our communities. 


Martin Luther King Jr Day is supposed to be a national holiday of service within our community. A time when we extend ourselves out to do something for our common good. While you're at home during this three day weekend remember Martin's statement regarding the nature of a celebration.


"Put yourself in a state of mind where you say to yourself, 'Here is an opportunity for me to celebrate like never before, my own power, my own ability to get myself to do whatever is necessary'".
~ Martin Luther King, Jr.




Quotations were retrieved from Inspiration Oasis: Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes