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11-11-08 EUR ALL ON ONE PAGE
OBAMA'S SECRET SERVICE CODE NAME REVEALED: White House also releases names for his wife and two daughters.
*To the world, he is known as U.S. President-Elect Barack Obama. To the Secret Service charged with protecting his every move, he is referred to by the code name, Renegade.
Officials at the White House Communications Agency on Monday released their code names for the entire incoming First Family. Michelle Obama is tagged Renaissance, 10-year-old Malia is Radiance, and Sasha, 7, is Rosebud.
Vice President-elect Joe Biden's security name is "Celtic," according to reports.
White House officials would not comment on the selection process. In a previous news report, however, an agency spokesman said the names are assigned by "sheer whim."
The Washington Post quoted a Secret Service spokesman who said all code names are chosen by military officials, suggesting that they should not be examined too closely for deeper meaning.
These days, code names have little to do with actual safety; instead they play a more ceremonial and logistical role, letting agents bark easily understood directions into their sleeves as a protectee is moving from location to location. Now the military and Secret Service can communicate over highly secured lines, making a code name irrelevant. Still, habit lives on.
WILLIAM BALFOUR STAYS IN JAIL: Parole review didn't go so well for "person of interest" in Hudson family murder case.
*William Balfour, the 27-year-old convicted felon questioned in the killings of Jennifer Hudson's mother, brother and nephew, remains behind bars following a parole review that found probable cause to detain him.
The 35-minute hearing ended Monday with a decision that Balfour, Hudson's estranged brother-in-law, violated his parole and should be held until a Dec. 3 hearing before the full Illinois Prisoner Review Board, reports the Associated Press.
Balfour has been questioned, but not charged, in the killings.
Authorities have called him a "person of interest."
During the hearing, Balfour denied any involvement in the crime, including the allegations that he had been seen with a gun.
"He seemed to be disturbed. He contested those allegations" about the gun, Board Chairman Jorge Montes said after the hearing. "He was protesting the introduction of that evidence and he denied it."
Jeanetta Cardine, an executive with the prisoner review board, was told during Monday's hearing that Balfour's girlfriend informed investigators she saw him with a gun matching the description of the .45-caliber weapon used in the three killings.
While Cardine found probable cause to believe Balfour violated other conditions of his parole, including failing to get anger management and substance abuse counseling, Montes said the gun allegation alone was enough to keep the man in custody.
"That's a very serious allegation," Montes said. "If somebody's alleging they saw him with a gun that was used in the murder of three individuals, we would definitely hold" him.
The bodies of 57-year-old Darnell Donerson and 29-year-old Jason Hudson were discovered Oct. 24 at the family's home. Three days later, 7-year-old Julian King's body was found in a sport utility vehicle on the city's West Side. Officers found the gun in a vacant lot in the neighborhood where Julian's body was found.
BLACK TEEN BEATEN BY WHITES SHOUTING 'OBAMA': Incident on Staten Island ruled a hate crime.
*The Staten Island Advance Web site is reporting that a black Muslim teenager was beaten and hit with a baseball bat by a carload of white men on the night the country elected its first black president, Barack Obama.
Ali Kamara, 17, says his attackers shouted "Obama" before the assault. The Curtis High School student and Liberian immigrant said he was about a block away from his Pine Place home when the car full of white men pulled over and yelled the president-elect's name.
Kamara didn't respond, and said he was then jumped. The teen suffered head wounds that had to be stapled closed by doctors. Police confirmed that the alleged assault is being treated as a hate crime, the Web site reported.
It is the only act of violence directly associated with Obama's election reported in the city, but community leaders said they have been fielding calls all week from black residents who have been the victim of harassment or racial slurs.
"I have had these calls all weekend long, really since Wednesday," said Dora Berksteiner, president of the Staten Island African-American Political Association. "There have been different experiences with cars full of white men."
The political association announced it is hosting a town hall-style meeting on Thursday at 75 Stuyvesant Place at 7:30 p.m. to discuss ways the community can keep the emotion from the historic win from spilling out into violence and intimidation.
No arrests have been made in the Kamara case, although the U.S. attorney's office of the Eastern District of New York and the FBI announced on Friday they had joined the investigation.
WE REMEMBER: "Mama Africa" Miriam Makeba dies after collapsing on stage in Italy.
*South African singer Miriam Makeba, known the world over as "Mama Africa," died after collapsing on stage Sunday night in Italy. She was 76.
Makeba died in the Pineta Grande clinic where she was taken after falling ill following her performance at an anti-racism and anti-organized crime concert in support of writer Roberto Saviano, who wrote "Gomorra," a book about organized crime in southern Italy. The clinic said she died early Monday of a heart attack.
The South African icon collapsed after singing one of her most famous hits "Pata Pata," her family said in a statement. Her grandson, Nelson Lumumba Lee, was with her as well as her longtime friend, Italian promoter Roberto Meglioli.
"Whilst this great lady was alive she would say: 'I will sing until the last day of my life'," the family statement said.
Former South African president Nelson Mandela said it was "fitting" that her last moments were spent on stage.
"Her haunting melodies gave voice to the pain of exile and dislocation which she felt for 31 long years. At the same time, her music inspired a powerful sense of hope in all of us," Mandela said in a statement.
The first African woman to win a Grammy award, Makeba began her singing career in Sophiatown, a neighborhood of Johannesburg that was a cultural hotspot in the 1950s before its black residents were forced out by the apartheid government.
She then teamed up with South African jazz trumpeter Hugh Masekela - later her first husband - and her rise to international prominence started when she starred in the anti-apartheid documentary "Come Back, Africa" in 1959.
When she attempted to fly home for her mother's funeral the following year, she discovered her passport had been revoked. It was 30 years before she was allowed to return.
In 1963, Makeba appeared before the U.N. Special Committee on Apartheid to call for an international boycott of South Africa. The South African government responded by banning her records, including hits like "Pata Pata," "The Click Song" ("Qongqothwane" in Xhosa), and "Malaika."
Makeba received the Grammy Award for Best Folk Recording in 1966 together with Harry Belafonte for "An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba." The album dealt with the political plight of black South Africans under apartheid.
After three decades abroad, Makeba was invited back to South Africa by Mandela, shortly after his release from prison in 1990 as white racist rule crumbled.
Makeba announced her retirement three years ago, but despite a series of farewell concerts she never stopped performing. When she turned 75 last year, she said she would sing for as long as possible.
She is survived by her grandchildren, Nelson Lumumba Lee and Zenzi Monique Lee, and her great-grandchildren Lindelani, Ayanda and Kwame.
The Recording Academy released a statement calling Makeba "a citizen of the world" and said "her music will continue to inspire hope, compassion and peace for many generations to come."
Miriam Makeba Sings "Pata Pata": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCc61z9IFu4
FRENCH FIRST LADY CAN'T WAIT TO MEET MICHELLE: Plus, Carla Bruni disowns Italian heritage after PM jokes about Obama's 'suntan.'
*France's first lady Carla Bruni-Sarkozy says she can't wait to meet her incoming American counterpart, Michelle Obama.
"I don't know her yet," the model-turned-pop singer said in an interview with TV's Public Senat. "I admire the couple though and I can't wait to meet her. To see this couple go to the White House is just magnificent, a magnificent symbol, a progress."
Inspired by Barack Obama's election, Bruni-Sarkozy and other leading figures are calling for an end to racist discrimination in French politics and society.
The daily Journal du Dimanche published a "manifesto" calling on employers to hire more minorities and urges the government to fight racism and improve schools in ethnically mixed neighborhoods. Politicians from the left and right, and other public figures, signed the manifesto released Sunday.
She said in light of Obama's election in the U.S., France is running "behind" in its efforts to build a more diverse political elite.
Meanwhile, Bruni-Sarkozy is trying to stiffarm her Italian heritage after hearing Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's crack about Obama's "suntan."
The First Lady, who married French President Nicolas Sarkozy in February after a whirlwind romance, became a French national and lost her Italian citizenship after her marriage.
In the Le Journal du Dimanche interview, she put Berlusconi on blast for saying on Thursday that Obama was "handsome, young and also suntanned."
"When I hear Silvio Berlusconi making light of the event (Obama's election) and joking about the fact that Obama is 'always tanned', it feels strange to me," Bruni-Sarkozy was quoted as saying. "Some people will no doubt put it down to humor, but often I find that I am pleased to have become French."
IT'S FARRAKHAN UNLEASHED: Nation of Islam leader boldly praises Obama after keeping quiet for months - afraid of harming campaign.
*Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan was finally able to voice public praise for President-Elect Barack Obama after months of silence, which was rooted in fear that his support would hurt the historic campaign.
In February, Farrakhan praised Obama, calling him "the hope of the entire world that America will change and be made better" at a Saviours' Day event in Chicago. But Obama quickly distanced himself from Farrakhan, denouncing the minister's support during a presidential debate with then-Democratic rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama said he objected to Farrakhan's past statements about Judaism, which many have considered anti-Semitic. Nation of Islam officials have said Farrakhan's comments are often taken out of context.
During an address Sunday at Mosque Maryam in Chicago's South Side, Farrakhan said Obama faced unfair scrutiny for his associations with the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama's former pastor, who was shown making fiery statements about the U.S. government in widely circulated video clips. Obama was also criticized because of the Rev. Michael Pfleger, a Chicago priest who mocked Clinton at Wright and Obama's former church, Trinity United Church of Christ.
"For nine months, I kept quiet because I saw that the good words that I spoke about this beautiful young man at our Saviours' Day convention and the way they were misused," Farrakhan said of Obama. "I decided it would be better for me to just be quiet rather than be drawn into the controversy that was swirling around his pastor, Father Pfleger, and others."
Farrakhan then added with a smile, "I feel freer today to say the things that are in my heart."
The Nation of Islam leader said Obama has the God-given ability to handle any burdens he'll face as the nation's leader. He added that Obama will be able to make positive changes only with help from "God and people of goodwill," and he urged followers of the Chicago-based black nationalist movement to do their part, reports the Associated Press.
"President-Elect Obama has energized all segments of the depressed, downtrodden, rejected and despised," Farrakhan, 75, said in a 90-minute speech. "Now it is up to us to take the new energy that he has given us ... and channel that energy into making ourselves better."
The once-ailing leader spoke to more than 1,000 followers in an address called "America's New Beginning: President-elect Barack Obama." He thanked black leaders including the Revs. Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton, for laying the foundation for Obama's victory, which he called Divine.
NUDE PICS OF CHEETAH GIRL HITS INTERNET: Photos of Adrienne Bailon were snatched from her stolen laptop.
*Nude photos of singer Adrienne Bailon of The Cheetah Girls popped up on the Internet over the weekend straight from her laptop, which was stolen last month at New York's JFK Airport while she waited for a flight, reports TMZ.com.
The 25-year-old Disney star filed a report with the Port Authority after losing the computer. Later that day, her record label received an anonymous phone call from a man saying he'd return it for a $1,000 fee.
A meeting was arranged at JFK with the anonymous man, where he was given the money and in exchange returned Bailon's laptop, but the nude pics of the singer were missing from the computer.
Bailon had reportedly taken the racy images as an anniversary present for her boyfriend, Robert Kardashian. Her lawyer says she "will be pursuing legal action against the person or person's sending these private photos out."
"Adrienne is deeply sorry for any pain this may have caused to her fans," the lawyer added.
SEATTLE STREET NAMED FOR AUGUST WILSON: Late playwright takes over stretch of roadway in Seattle Center.
*A dedication ceremony was held in Seattle Friday for a new street named for playwright August Wilson.
The Seattle Center Fund hosted the unveiling of August Wilson Way, a stretch of Republican Street marked with a 12-foot-high entry gate for what's envisioned as a pedestrian promenade, reports Variety.
The street is located on the campus of Seattle Center, the grounds of which encompass the Space Needle and the Experience Music Project, among other cultural and tourist-oriented offerings.
Wilson, celebrated for his 10-play, decade-by-decade chronicle of African-American life in the 20th century, lived in Seattle from 1994 until his death in 2005.
BOWLING WITH EDDIE MURPHY & JOHNNY GILL: Word has it the two friends host tournaments at the crib on weekends.
*The New York Post is reporting that Eddie Murphy and his permanent houseguest, Johnny Gill, spend most weekends hosting bowling tournaments in the property's bowling alley.
The "best friends" even hired DJ Ruckus to spin at one event, and guests have included Busta Rhymes, Bobby Brown and Dallas Austin, Page Six reported.
"When Bobby was there, they messed with him and kept playing songs by [Brown's ex] Whitney Houston," a source told the column.
OPRAH'S BRAD PITT INTERVIEW: Actor talks about Angelina, six kids, W magazine breast-feeding cover and more.
*Oprah Winfrey recently welcomed Brad Pitt on her talk show to promote his new film "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," but, of course, that wasn't the only topic of discussion.
The actor's last appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" included his then-wife Jennifer Aniston, one of Winfrey's closest friends.
In his first visit to Harpo Studios since he left Aniston for Angelina Jolie in 2005 and acquired six kids (both through childbirth and adoption), Pitt was asked by Oprah if he is the happiest he's ever been.
"Dare I say," he answered.
"Dare I see," said Oprah.
According to the Web site CelebrityRightPundits.com, Pitt also talked about daily life with Jolie and their kids. He did admit that while his children are the "funniest people," he can only handle being alone with four of them at a time.
He revealed that Shiloh is in a Peter Pan stage and will only respond to the names "John" and "Peter," and he told a story about Pax rebelling against a timeout by urinating in his chair.
Oprah also brought out the W magazine that featured the photos he took of Jolie breastfeeding one of their newborn twins. He said he shot the pictures as a way to promote "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button," and stated that, while most of Angie's photo shoots portray her as a femme fatale, she is actually "very sweet."
Oprah's Brad Pitt interview is scheduled to air on Nov. 18.
KEYSHIA COLE READIES NEW CD: Plus, new season of BET reality show begins tonight at 10.
*R&B star Keyshia Cole is returning on two fronts - her new CD "A Different Me," is due Dec. 16 via Imani/Geffen/Interscope, and her BET reality show, "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is" begins its third season tonight at 10.
The singer tells Billboard that her new album marks a fork in the road.
"The first two albums were more ... painful," she says. "It's a different me this time: a young woman who's still growing and finding myself, exploring life through different routes musically and in other areas. I wrote more about other people's situations than my own. I'm moving forward."
"A Different Me" features Cole collaborating with Polow Da Don, the Runners, Neffu, Kwame, Orthodox & Ransom and the Trackmasters.
Tracks include the lead single "Playa Cardz Right," featuring a posthumous Tupac Shakur; "Trust," featuring real-life friend Monica, and the Polow Da Don-produced "Make Me Over." Cole further hones her ballad skills on the track "You Complete Me" and flashes a sultry side on a cover of R. Kelly's 1992 No. 1 R&B hit, "Honey Love."
As part of a 360 deal she recently inked with Interscope, Cole is developing a movie based on her life. A screenwriter has been hired to go on the road with the artist in 2009 to begin developing the script.
Meanwhile, the new season of BET's "Keyshia Cole: The Way It Is" finds the family making progress and discovering their own personal paths. Frankie, Neffie and Keyshia attempt to truly step above their past hurts. During the process, Keyshia finds herself on the road to becoming the woman she is destined to be, leading her family and her business toward success. This new direction also opens Keyshia's heart and she is finally ready to allow herself to find love once again.
MARIAH CAREY TO SING AT AMERICAN MUSIC AWARDS: Performer joins Rihanna, Ne-Yo, New Kids and more.
*Mariah Carey has been added to the list of performers for the American Music Awards, set for Nov. 23.
The songstress joins previously announced artists the Jonas Brothers, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Ne-Yo, Pink, the Pussycat Dolls and the reunited New Kids on the Block.
Alicia Keys leads the nominations with five. Coldplay and The Eagles are up for four each, while Lil' Wayne and Chris Brown received three nods apiece. All five are up for Artist of the Year honors, the night's biggest award.
Paris Hilton, Kate Walsh and Akon will also be presenters at the telecast, which airs live on ABC. Tickets to the event, which will be hosted by Jimmy Kimmel from the Nokia Theater LA Live!, are still available to the public. Click here for more inf http://dickclarkproductions.com/
MALIA OBAMA'S ELECTION NIGHT DRESS IN DEMAND: Outfit from Biscotti Girls is already sold out in three dept. store chains.
*The jury may still be out on Michelle Obama's Election Night dress, but fashion critics and the nation's tweeners have been raving over daughter Malia Obama's ensemble.
The 10-year-old was sporting the Precious Jewels Christmas Party Dress with Bubble Hem ($110) from Biscotti Girls, which her mother bought for her at Nordstrom, reports Celebrity Baby Blog.
The dress is also sold in limited sizes through Neiman Marcus, and The Best Dressed Child, but Biscotti Girls says it quickly ran out of inventory after selling out in stores.
However, the company has located the fabric to make additional dresses and will have them back in stores within three weeks, the blog reported.
ISAIAH WASHINGTON WANTS BACK ON 'GREY'S': Actor weighs in on abrupt dismissal of lesbian character Erica Hahn.
*In the upcoming issue of TV Guide, Isaiah Washington was asked how "Grey's Anatomy" should fix things following the unpopular firing of Brook Smith, who played lesbian character Dr. Erica Hahn.
"Bring Burke back," the former "Grey's" star answered, citing his former character Dr. Preston Burke.
On Smith's forced exit from the show, Washington said: "For her to be treated this way I find very interesting .But the fact is that just before the holidays, you have a mother, a wonderful actress removed from a steady income without the proper reasoning behind it."
"You look at the way another consummate professional's being treated because her character, her story line, potentially made producers uncomfortable," he added.
"Now that I see what they're doing to a show that I love and I care about, I think it's disgusting."
Washington's contract was not renewed after the third season because he allegedly used an anti-gay slur toward co-star T.R. Knight.
"The world still thinks I taunted T.R. Knight and called him the F-word, which I didn't," he claims.
KANYE, LUDACRIS RELEASE DATES PUSHED UP: Albums from both rappers due Nov. 24 to milk the holiday shopping weekend.
*Island Def Jam is moving up by a day the release dates for Ludacris'
"Theater of the Mind" and Kanye West's "808s & Heartbreak," in what it says is an attempt to capitalize on the Thanksgiving shopping weekend.
Both albums were due Nov. 25 but will now arrive off-cycle on Monday, Nov. 24 in both physical and digital formats.
Each project has already spawned a hit. Ludacris' "One More Drink" co-starring T-Pain is No. 34 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, while West's "Love Lockdown" has already peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100.
ITTY BITTY BITS: Clinton clone; Usher's organic rush; Nelly's Ford Flex; Joe the Plumber at 40/40; Obama's "Huxtable Factor"; Collier shooting suspect.
*Funkmeister George Clinton tells Details magazine that he's storing his DNA so he can be cloned one day. The eccentric musician says cloning has actually been going on for thousands of years. "Cloning - we got generations of that s***," Clinton said. "The pyramids? They was for cloning. That's why embalming lasts so long. Get the DNA and pull 'em back. So somebody been cloned already, but not me. Not yet."
*One shopper in the organic fruit section of Whole Foods at New York's Time Warner Center ran to the New York Daily News to report that Usher was given special treatment and "cut [in front of] about 15 people waiting in the checkout line." The witness continued: "He was whisked to the front to pay in a 'special' line. Everyone was grumbling as he was escorted past."
*The Daily News is also reporting that Ford gave rap star Nelly a custom-made Flex vehicle at his birthday bash in Vegas. "He then headed to dinner at Lavo at the Palazzo, where the Grammy winner blew out 34 candles on a cake in the shape of his new ride," according to the paper.
*TMZ is reporting that Republican mascot Joe the Plumber ended up at Jay-Z's 40/40 Club over the weekend and was greeted by staffers with "open arms and drinks on the house." The rap mogul famously supported Barack Obama, whose tax policy was questioned by Joe during a campaign stop in Toledo. He was quickly adopted by the GOP as a middle class symbol after Obama said his tax plan sought to "spread the wealth around." Born Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher, Joe also dropped by the Navy's USS Intrepid and Coyote Ugly during his NY trip.
*Los Angeles Times columnist Greg Braxton spoke to Bill Cosby about the 'Huxtable factor" in the election of Barack Obama. "For all those people who said they didn't know any black people like the Huxtables," quipped Cosby in a phone interview, "all I can say is, 'Will you watch the show now?'" Read entire article here:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-et-cosby10-2008nov10,0,1710991.
story
*A man charged in the shooting of Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Richard Collier has pleaded not guilty at his arraignment. Tyrone Romaro Hartsfield stood silently as public defender Ann Finnell pleaded not guilty Monday to charges of attempted murder and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, reports the AP. The 32-year-old Hartsfield is charged with shooting Collier 14 times on Sept. 2. Collier is paralyzed from the waist down and his left leg had to be amputated as a result of the shooting.
Hartsfield is being held without bond. A judge set another hearing for Dec.
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EUR FILM REVIEW: Pray the Devil Back to Hell
Sisterhood Proves Powerful in Feminist Documentary from Liberia Film Review by Kam Williams
*Liberia was founded in 1847 by former U.S. slaves shipped back to Africa by the American Colonization Society.
Unfortunately, these repatriated blacks considered themselves superior to the indigenous peoples they encountered there, and so they set up a society in which the descendants of African-Americans formed an advantaged elite class.
The tensions which ensued between the two groups essentially remained unaddressed until everything came to a head in 1989.
That was when the first of a couple of civil wars erupted which combined would claim over 200,000 lives and last until 2003.
Pray the Devil Back to Hell recounts the story of how a ceasefire was finally achieved, namely, through the determined efforts of a coalition of Christian and Muslim women fed up with having to beg for food and to raise their children amidst incessant slaughter, raping and looting. Led by Leymah Gbowee, a mom with a toddler, and armed only with T-shirts, signs and a willingness to die for their cause, this intrepid sisterhood stood toe-to-toe with both President Charles Taylor and with the Sierra Leone-based rebels attempting to topple the corrupt ruler’s oppressive regime.
What makes this documentary so compelling are the reams of archival footage which allow us to witness, firsthand, the fighting, the peace demonstrations and the negotiations which led to the ouster of Americo-Liberian Taylor. Ultimately, he was replaced by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, a native and sub-Saharan Africa’s first elected female head of state.
A salute is in order to director Gini Reticker for this glorious tribute to a bi-partisan band of unarmed women who succeeded where government and UN intervention had failed miserably. For against the odds, they somehow managed to turn chaos into calm by marching en masse and refusing to compromise on their non-negotiable demand that the madness end once and for all.
Excellent (4 stars)
Unrated
Running time: 72 minutes
Studi Fork Films
Distributor: Balcony Releasing
To a see a trailer for Pray the Devil Back to Hell, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uon9CcoHgwA
EUR FILM REVIEW: Fears of the Dark (Peurs du Noir)
French Animated Feature Explores Everyday Phobias Film Review by Kam Williams
*Last year, a French film named Paris, je T’aime proved that 20 directors could successfully collaborate on one movie.
That picture was comprised of 18 independently-produced, loosely-linked shorts, each of which briefly related a tale set somewhere in the city Paris.
Now, 10 graphic artists have pooled their talents to make an animated feature highlighting a variety of everyday phobias ranging from spiders to dogs to an empty house to things that go bump in the night.
Fears of the Dark, also coming courtesy of France, is not a cartoon aimed at kids, but rather a half-dozen relatively-sophisticated vignettes for adults, as it includes a little nudity, sexuality, bestiality and other adult-oriented fare.
Shot in stark black & white, the movie makes effective use of shadows and angles to add to the overall impending sense of dread. The stories ostensibly reflect the worst nightmares of their creators (Charles Burns, Marie Caillou, Romain Slocombe, Richard McGuire, Michel Pirus, Blutch, Lorenzo Mattotti, Jerry Kramsky, Pierre di Sciullo and artistic director Etienne Robial), whose efforts have yielded an innovative flick which figures to delight fans of the genre.
An arresting array of chilling images worthwhile for the scary visual effects alone.
Excellent (3.5 stars)
Unrated
In French with subtitles.
In black & white
Running time: 80 minutes
Studi IFC Films
To see a trailer for Fears of the Dark, visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mscFpleo49o
STEVEN IVORY: Old Glory, Brand New Pride
*On the evening of November 4th, 2008, I watched television news coverage of millions around the world celebrating the U.S. Presidential win of Barack Obama. One video image I found particularly startling: among a group of students on the campus of Washington D.C.'s Howard University was a young man excitedly waving an American flag.
It was a good sized flag, the kind you see hanging from the front porches of homes and entrances of businesses all across this country. The young man waved it back and forth with dynamic purpose and exuberant glee.
Until that moment, I can't say I remember seeing a black American expressing jubilance with an American flag. Okay, during the Olympics. But these weren't athletes competing on foreign soil. They were regular people, young people, right here in America, and to my eyes the scene looked bizarre.
While I love this country, I haven't always been proud of it. To me, embrace of the Star Spangled Banner smacked of something called patriotism--the characteristically imperceptive support and defense of America, even when the country doesn't do right by its people or the rest of the world--that seemed relegated mostly to uninformed white people.
As a teen in the early '70s, I asked mama to sew onto the shoulder of my beloved green military jacket both a Black Power fist logo and the red, black and green Black Nationalist flag, but not an American flag. In my young opinion, informed by Top 40 protest songs, what I read and whatever certain people told me, the Stars and Stripes represented the mucked up actions and policies of The System and The Man.
Nevertheless, one Australian summer day in the early '90s, I stood on Bondi Beach and got into a disagreement with two locals who declared America a global bully that puts its nose in everyone else's bbusiness.
“Your statement,” I retorted, “is typical of people who live in a country without a real fucking army. Don't blame us because you guys don't have the balls to take a stand.” Huffing down the pier, I considered the irony of my arrogance. In reality, I felt the same way about America as those two Down Under friends.
And while the horrific event of 9/11 frightened, saddened and angered me, like many Americans who kept the unpopular thought to themselves, I couldn't help but think the country's shameful, decades-long activities abroad had finally come back to haunt us.
Thus, when during the Presidential race Michelle Obama, inspired by her husband's success on the campaign trail, said for once in her life she truly felt proud to be an American, I completely understood and agreed. Until the rise of Obama and Hillary Clinton, a segment of the nation felt left out of the political process.
But unlike others, I didn't joke about leaving the country to live elsewhere if Obama didn't win. Where would I go? I was born and raised in Oklahoma City. I'd already moved to another
country--Los Angeles. I enjoy traveling abroad, but for better or worse, American is what I am.
The discussion of leaving based upon the outcome of the campaign, even in jest, allowed me to grasp and appreciate the words of friends living in war torn or otherwise beleaguered parts of the world. They describe their mess, and I ask them: Why don't you just leave? After offering a myriad of reasons, they invariably answer simply, “Because this is my home.”
America is my home. And for the first time in my life, I feel like my country is edging toward the much-hyped promise symbolized by those Stars and Stripes. For the past few days, I've looked at the American flag and considered all the reasons I love this land: its wonderful people; its culture and the undying hope that somehow pervades even the worse of times.
Hey, I'm not interested in wearing red, white and blue jump suits, Stars and Stripes ties or shirts made of flags. That's just tacky. But after November 4th, 2008, I am looking at those colors in a different light.
And I'm not alone. Americans of all races, backgrounds and opinions who, before Obama's win, wouldn't be caught dead flaunting the red, white and blue, are talking about hanging themselves a flag. In Old Glory we share the feeling of a new and long overdue pride. It feels weird. But good. Leave it to a Brother to make patriotism cool.
Steven Ivory's book, FOOL IN LOVE (Touchstone/Simon & Schuster) is in stores now or at Amazon.com (www.Amazon.com) Respond to him via STEVRIVORY@AOL.COM or MYfeedback@eurweb.com
The Bridge: What Barack Represents to All Americans
By Darryl James
*It was truly a powerful feeling to watch history in the making.
Some said it could never occur, but it did.
A Black man was elected president of the United States, a place where racism is as entrenched as baseball, hot dogs and apple pie.
The mere election of Barack Obama to president means that things have changed.
There are a few things that we can speculate on in never ending circles, but there had to be change in order for such a thing to occur.
Amongst those changes are the throngs of young voters who believe that the world can change and become better.
The change that they are focusing on is the independent thinking and action of a man who is tied by blood to the majority race as well as the most oppressed minority race, and so is perhaps best able to represent the broadest base of interests of the nation.
And it took a real shift in attitude and racial perspective to make that happen.
I believe the world will recognize this shift and accordingly, hate America less.
The world will view America with less loathing knowing that it opened the highest office in the land to a member of the once lowest group of the oppressed. That view will make the nation less hypocritical when it judges the actions of other nations in its self-appointed job of world police.
Those changes are real and are already taking place.
But in this election, there was another crucial change.
For the first time in my lifetime, white people came together with people of color to effect real change.
I know this because people of color didn’t and perhaps couldn’t have created the climate of change alone.
This event took the cooperation of everyone.
Remember—Obama didn’t beat McCain by any small margin, but by a landslide victory.
That victory was real and the unified effort it took was also real.
In the coming months, the nation will reveal its true self based on the expectations of the new president and his actions after taking the oath of office.
For whites who hold on to racist ideas and expectations, the belief is that America has finally made good on a promissory note of equality and it’s very founding premise that “All men are created equal.” For them, no other actions have to take place, because all things are now level and fair in their eyes.
But people who have their eyes, ears and minds open already know that it will take more than the symbolism of a Black president to create intrinsic equality for all Black people.
Yet, racist whites are not the only Americans under delusions of what Obama’s presidency will mean to the nation.
Many African Americans are also deluded.
For some, President-Elect Barack Obama is all things.
For others, he is the physical embodiment of hopes and dreams.
But for others, he is a nightmare waiting to happen.
Let’s examine these three scenarios.
In the “All Things” scenario, some Blacks will expect Obama to deliver everything that will make them whole, including Reparations, the end of racism and a level playing field in the workplace.
Now, any thinking person realizes that these things can never be on the top of the agenda of a man who is the leader of the free world, because he must first and foremost pay attention to the things that are dragging the nation to the status of third world nation.
In addition, he can not afford to have a “Black” agenda, because he is not the president of Black people, but of all people, which means that he can not show favoritism to Black people, because they were not the only group who voted for him.
In the second scenario, Obama can not be the hopes and dreams for everyone.
The symbolism of a Black president must be employed for Blacks who will then take their own initiative to progress and make things better for themselves. Through unity and cooperative effort, African Americans can rise to higher heights than ever before—even from the depths to which we have fallen over the past forty years.
In that scenario, I find my own pride and optimism. My son will grow up knowing that all things are possible and will make full use of that knowledge, along with the self-pride and initiative I will instill in him.
My son will grow up with the racial pride in having a man who looks like him leading the world. He will understand that even though there remain vestiges of institutional racism, the nation changed enough to allow coalition building to propel a man who looks like him to the highest office in the land.
Yet my son will grow up to learn that his hopes and dreams can not be hinged on one man, but on himself and his own desires and hard work.
In the final scenario, Obama will become a nightmare.
The nightmare will haunt the dark dreams of both stupid, racist whites and ignorant Black Americans.
Stupid, racist white Americans will be haunted by the nightmare created by their own attempt to cash in on Obama’s ascension to the highest office in the land and withdraw a pass for institutionalized racism. Their new message designed to excuse hatred and racial preference is that if Barack Obama can become president, then there is no longer a reason for the nation to pay attention to historical white privilege.
Such a message will become a nightmare when it is shoved right back up the ass it comes from.
Barack Obama is one man. And while his election clearly demonstrates progress in terms of race relations, the effects have yet to ripple through the fabric of the nation where white privilege is deeply entrenched.
My question to stupid racists is this: “Can I go to the bank and tout Obama’s presidency when I am turned down for a loan when a white man with similar credit and financial standing is approved?”
The answer, of course is no. And further questions will involve contemporary violence against Blacks, including the savage treatment found at the hands of police officers around the nation.
Some of those stupid racists have Black faces.
Obama’s presidency will also become a nightmare for some Black Americans who ignorantly believe that he owes Blacks any more than he owes the rest of the nation.
These fools will eventually turn on Obama when they realize that he will not race bait in the fashion of Jesse “Cut The Nuts” Jackson. And, for them, his candidacy will be disappointing and depressing.
But for clear-minded Americans who are focused on the future and who care about the entire nation of divergent people, President Barack Obama can be used as a shining symbol of hope for change.
All of us can take pride in what I believe he will deliver as Commander-In Chief, which will include increased national pride, an improved economy for most of us and better foreign relations, which is better for the world.
President Barack Obama can not be all things to all people, but he can be some very good things to most of us if we allow him to.
Please stand by. The world has now changed.
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and will soon release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Great Expectations
*You know the feeling of camaraderie that exists between Black people when they meet on the street even though they’ve never met before? I got that feeling all day the day after the election, except this time it happened with some White people too.
A White guy at work gave me the thumbs up sign as we passed each other in the hall. Then there was the woman I passed in the park during my daily run. She looked my way as though she wanted my attention, so I looked at her and we smiled as we passed each other. As two other women passed me, even with sweat in my eyes and a shortness of breath, I couldn’t help but notice them trying to lock eyes with me. I’m not sure, but I think they were wearing Barack Obama T-shirts.
I run in the park on the regular, but never noticed these smiling White people before. I assume they are part of the 43% of White Americans who didn’t reject Obama because of his skin color, but rather chose him because of his qualifications and character.
Whether we’re talking electoral or popular votes, President –elect Obama won the election without question. He received 95% of African-American votes, as well as 66% of Latin-American votes. At the end of the day Obama beat out his Republican opponent nearly three to one in electoral votes. It’s truly a giant step forward.
Now this is Texas, one of the few states Obama didn’t win. In fact one north Texas daily newspaper ignored Obama’s historic win altogether. The publisher of the Terrell, Texas newspaper chose to highlight local election results instead. I guess residents there will have to live with the comfort in knowing that people who want to ignore progress are the true minorities now.
And as one person explained, his vote wasn’t just to elect the country’s first Black president. It was an investment in his family’s financial future and that of American society.
With all the attention surrounding the presidential election it was easy to forget that – if all election numbers hold up -- Democrats will control the U.S. Senate and the House of Representatives putting Obama in a position to make bold steps towards fulfilling his campaign promises. Now Charles Dickens is not the first name that comes to mind when someone utters the phrase Great Expectations.
Obama’s monumental feat is not an anomaly, but an indication of things to come. Luke 12:48 in the Bible says to whom much is given much is required. The media is singing Obama’s praises now, but soon the honeymoon will be over. If we think President Obama effectively can legislate change with no effort on the part of everyday people we’re only setting him and ourselves up for failure. And if he fails we might never get another chance to prove what we’ve known all along: African-Americans have always been just as educated and qualified to lead this country as anyone.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. To schedule speaking engagements or to send questions or comments email her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com
PEOPLE OF NOTE: Sean Paul “Gets Busy” at Lehman Center for the Performing Arts
By Deardra Shuler
*Reggae fans are expected to storm the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts, located at 250 Bedford Park Boulevard West in the Bronx, in a bid to get tickets for Lehman’s engagement of Jamaican superstar, Grammy Award-winning SEAN PAUL, who is expected to appear complete with band and dancers to blow the venue off the map when the superstar delivers what is anticipated to be an explosive show on Saturday, November 8th at 8:00 p.m.
People who have wondered why they haven’t heard anything from Sean Paul for awhile will be glad to know that he has been touring in support of his “Trinity” album. “I always tour and travel a lot when my albums come out. Usually all over the USA first, and then I tour Europe. I try to hit all the major markets and radio stations to show my fans love,” remarked Sean Paul who was born in Kingston, Jamaica.
Born into the world, Sean Paul Henriques, Sean Paul came by his athletic dexterity naturally since both his parents were athletes, although his mother Frances is a well known painter. Of mixed heritage, Paul’s father is a Sephardic Jew of Portuguese descent and his mother is Chinese and Afro-Caribbean. Swimming is a special talent in Sean’s family with Sean himself excelling in water polo. “I used to swim and play the sport of water polo representing Jamaica and I actually still play water polo sometimes,” stated the Paul who played for the national water polo team until he was 21.
Sean Paul is a definite money maker since his breakthrough CD “Dutty Rock” won the 2002 Grammy for Best Reggae Album, grossing six-million dollars. This hit brought global popularity to Jamaican dancehall music with Sean following up with such smash hits as “Gimme the Light,” “Get Busy” and “Like Glue.” Not to be outdone he followed his success with duets, such as “Baby Boy” (with Beyoncé), “I’m Still in Love with You” (with Sasha) and “Break It Off” (with Rihanna) making Sean Paul the most successful Jamaican artist of all time on the U.S. charts, which includes three #1 singles, five Top Ten hits, and eight chart entries over two worldwide, multi-platinum albums. He was even the first reggae artist to be on the cover of Vibe Magazine. “Yeah, getting the Vibe cover was amazing. I am really proud of that because it meant a lot for Reggae music as a whole,” commented the talented performer who is truly carrying on the work of dancehall superstars like Yellowman, Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, and Beenie Man via bringing the infectious sound of the Kingston streets to a wider audience.
Sean Paul appeals to a diverse audience pulling in large numbers of Latins as well as Caribbean and American fans. To prove he loves the diversity, Sean released a Spanish version of “Punkie.” Since then, the Spanish-language dancehall hybrid known as reggaetón has become muy caliente on urban radio. Sean admits that he views reggaeton as the cousin of reggae music. In proof of that he teamed up with well known Latin artist Daddy Yankee for a track on “Trinity.” “I have been on tour all over the world to support the “Trinity” album. I have gone to Tunisia, Malta, Sweden, Poland and Russia.
Right now, however, I’m finishing up work on my next CD. It will be out soon,” said the talented musician. “But for now, I encourage all my fans to check out “Come on Over,” which features me and my label mate Estelle. Plus, there is “Hit Em,” which I worked on with my brother Jigzagula and my hype man Farenheit. You might be able to catch it on YouTube and maybe even on Itunes,” commented the reggae prince who claims his music is often influenced by the great Bob Marley and Supercat. “I will even admit that I like a lot of stuff my Mom used to play in the house like Cat Stevens and the Beatles.”
Sometimes the experiences and lessons of life make Sean want to just sit down a put pen to paper, writing lyrics that reflect his emotions and views. “A lot of different things inspire me. Sure, I like to party and I really enjoy having a good time. But I also contemplate the serious issues that affect my country and the world. I think about the youth of today and the choices facing them and the tremendous potential they have,” said Sean who admits he is still working on the title for the CD he is presently developing. “I guess I do have a title for the album, but right now it’s in my head and for now that’s exactly where it’s going to stay,” claims Sean.
An award winner, Sean has racked up numerous prestigious awards among them nominations in the Best Male Rap Solo Performance and Best New Artist categories. He won MTV Europe's Best New Artist Award. He also garnered nominations for the MTV Video Music Award and American Music Award. He received acclaim via ASCAP/PRS in the categories of pop, R&B, hip-hop, rap, and reggae, and well as earned Source, MOBO, Juno, Much Music, and International Reggae and World Music awards.
When asked had he every performed in the Bronx before, Sean Paul did state he had played a few clubs in the Bronx back in the day but had never done a full show like the spectacular he is planning for Lehman Center for the Performing Arts. “My last engagement in the Bronx was a short show with a DJ. It will be much different at Lehman Center. In fact, I’m looking forward to playing a full 90 minute show complete with band and dancers at Lehman. I’m excited to show my Bronx fans all my love.”
Tickets for SEAN PAUL cost $90, $85, $75 and $55. Call the Box office at 718.960.8833 (Mon. through Fri., 10AM–5PM, and beginning at 12 noon on the day of the concert).
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