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Showing posts with the label black history month 365

Great Moments in Black History - Family Matters Edition

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The date was January 29, 1993… Wait, hold on a second.  Y’all remember Family Matters, right? The show was a spinoff of Perfect Strangers, apparently the black lady who worked with them at the newspaper had a hilarious family with a more hilarious neighbor and showrunners decided that their show and their random negrous shenanigans would be more interesting in the long run than Larry Appleton and Balki Bartokomous.      The whole show got aped by the popularity of the aforementioned neighbor and “Family Matters” fell victim to the phenomena of black people referring to shows by the name of the most popular character on the show as the title instead of actually mentioning the show itself by its actual title. [ Phlip note : yes, this was a real thing, I shit you not] Anyway… As at least one of the two of you may recall, the show began with three children; Eddie, Laura and Judy Winslow.  In the 4 th season, it is rumored that the real-life parents of the youngest

June 21 -- Long Live the Kane

Yes, the album... Fuck what you thought, this is another on my top-10 all time albums. To frame this conversation… The year was 1988, I was 8 years old, 9 days short of my birthday and school was just released for the summer session. As described last week, we did the park thing, then a sports camp at A&T that the 31 year-old me cannot remember the name of, then it was to the task of having a summer. In the in-between, “Ain’t No Half Steppin’” and “Raw” had penetrated the radio down here and my older sister had the tape. Well, my interest in music has never waned, so first I copied her tape, and damn if I didn’t use the money my brother and I hustled to buy a copy of the tape for myself. At 8, I am inclined to think that this was one of the first times I did that. I would go on to play that tape and play that tape and play that tape until 2 things happened… I knew EVERY word on the damned album. And… I broke that damned tape and had to buy 2 more before buying it on CD summer 1

April 15 -- The reason no one can wear #42 in baseball

Look, I know it is documented, my distaste for baseball... there is no denying, however, that it is the second most commercially viable sport in the United States right now, NFL Labor problems notwithstanding... But! I would greatly and unfairly be underplaying the necessity of the contribution of Jackie Robinson – and what it did to pave the way for April 8th’s topic – if I let my disdain for the sport he happened to play at the time to keep me from speaking on it. That said, the influence spilled over to other professional sports in the US as well. I mean, if the most popular at the time sport is taking on black players, then it is only natural that the others fall in line. I will not go into the outcome in terms of established majorities in said sports to date. People often ask me what my favorite baseball team is, and while my answer is usually something in the neighborhood of “fuck baseball,” if I had to choose one, it would probably be the Dodgers for the very act of the chan

April 12 -- Happy Birthday, Herbie!

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Another April birthday repost jant, this. Today marks the anniversary of Herbie Hancock's 70th trip around the sun, give or take the amount we lose to the idea of time being a still inexact science, thus necessitating leap years. As some of you know already, I happen to be one of the biggest fans of Herbie you'll ever come across. I happen to very much dig how easily and effectively he blurs the lines between genres of music without cheapening anything he should happen to involve himself in. Need someone to play a concert piano? You got it! Need someone to master the not-so-much-used clavinet? Yep! Hip hop is taking influence now, could you learn the 808? Damn skippy! As one of the ones tapped to play in the youngest of Miles Davis' famous quintets -- known as the "second great quintet" -- we saw Herbie come in on what SHOULD have been the coattail of an even-then careermaker in Jazz music, but still find his own right there, using things rarely if eve

April 9 -- Paul Robeson

Paul Robeson was a great many things… Singer Activist Athlete Actor The son of an escaped slave, Robeson would go on to a life of things that black people even these days don’t much get into, and was successful in them at a time where NO black people were even allowed to do them. … and he did shit HIS way… His baritone sang Negro Spirituals in concert halls. He played college and professional football at a time before blacks were fully accepted into organized sports. Hell, he even WENT to college. And this is where it gets interesting… At the top of it all, where he has been allowed into the “fraternity” of ‘safe negroes’ where he was allowed careers in sports and entertainment, he shifted the focus of his work and exposure to an interest in civil rights, and that is BEYOND commendable. He would see retribution for it by way of revoked passport, being tailed by the feds, losing work (and subsequently, income) and eventual sullying of his legacy. To that last part, he fell ill and passe

April 8 -- 715

Today we will revisit the topic of 02/05's discussion ... Given my well-documented disdain for one of the two truly American sports – and the definite more boring of them – I can only seem to allow myself to be drawn into discussion of it to speak ill of it or to draw out coffee-colored heroes of it. Today, in 1974, Hank Aaron forged through the mountain of death threats and hate mail to break a record that no black dude was supposed to ever own. Any lesser man might have simply said “fuck this” and gone and done something else instead. As times changed, “those” people seemed to get that Hank Aaron was a genuinely good human being and not to be judged by the content of his skin, but by the color of his character… [Phlip note – wait… did I get that right?] We would find later on in life when as a certain Barry L Bonds drew in on the record himself just what might happen when someone who was NOT likable made a run at a record held by someone who was and his recent conviction has me S

April 7 -- Most of My Heroes Don't Appear on no Stamps!

But one of them rightfully does... I know what you’re thinking… “Phlip, you lazy f*ck!” And you MIGHT not be terribly inaccurate in such an assessment, except for 2 things… Nothing was more “on topic” for today’s post than what I have chosen. And… if I had known that this would happen just 2 days later, I might have chosen differently the first time around. Anyway… Today marks the day that, in 1940 and quite apparently to commemorate his date of birth, Booker T Washington – my topic from 2 days ago – was made the first black American to appear on a postage stamp. I could go in on why this should matter, but I SWEAR I did the research and typing on that just a couple days ago, please refer back to that instead? Please and thank you.

April 6 -- Lando Calrissian

On today’s date in April of 1937, an ironically middle-named William December Williams Jr and his twin sister were born in New York City… This raises, I know, two questions… DAMN, he’s 74 years old?! and … middle name DECEMBER?! Anyway, the guy with the matching first and last names and a middle name after a month in which he was not born was birthed entered the world today. Known to black women of the world because now they all wanted their babies to have “good hair.” Known to the nerds of the world as the only black guy in The Empire Strikes Back. Known apparently to the guild for his longevity and versatility, having done comedy, drama, dramady, voice work, television AND movie (and music!) down through the years. 1959-now, to be exact. Last I heard of him doing was himself in an especially hilarious Boondocks episode and in a Cleveland Show episode that I do not recall off the top of my head. You know? As I type this post, I am thankful that mothers in the 70s and 80s had the good

April 5 -- And the 'T' stands for "Taliaferro'...

Here I am, 2 months and 26 (as this post goes live) days short of the release of the new Transformer’s movie my 32st birthday, and I didn’t know what the T in Booker T Washington stood for… But today, we celebrate his date of birth, which took place in 1856. An educator by ironic trade, given when and where he was born his family was granted freedom at the close of the civil war and he was given a good edumacation himself at Hampton Institute (now Hampton University) and Wayland Seminary (now Virginia Union). He would go on to lead the Tuskegee Institute, the first one to do so and the only one to do so in the 25 yeas between his taking the position and his death. An as-described “dominant” leader of the black American community – which the last 3-4 generations, including my own and those after me has lacked for some time now – he was charismatic enough to speak to a slowly-converting southern white population to allow blacks paid working positions. Rubbing elbows with the wealthi

April 4 -- Dream, Deferred

I know I mentioned being rife to use the same topic – or person – in consecutive days, but this is one that was very necessary… I mean, I COULD have gone on about Muddy Waters or Maya Angelou’s birthdays, but I am pretty sure that if either of them were still alive today, they would rather I discuss this instead. [Phlip note – I know Maya Angelou is still alive and actually lives in the next county over from me, allow me to make my jokes in peace] Anyway… As alluded to in his speech the night before, it seemed that Dr. King – not too dissimilar to ‘Pac and Biggie – spoke of his demise as if it were imminent. Yes, I just compared Dr. King, a real martyr to two rappers whose behaviors may have had a hand in their own deaths. As it were, the initial plans - changed at the 11th hour according to this bust at the end of the street named in his honor here in town – were that Dr. King was to come to Greensboro and speak at Trinity AME Zion Church in its former location on Preddy Blvd. (no

April 3 -- "I've been to the mountaintop"

On today's date in 1968 on the day before being assassinated, MLK delivered what would be one of his most famous speeches . Fun history fact is that he almost didn't GIVE that speech... He was originally to come to Greensboro, NC and speak at a church that happens to be across the street from my best friend's house after moving some years ago, but changed his plans late in the proceedings. It seemed that he knew his time was near, though, as referenced toward the end of his speech, in the most memorable passage, with… “And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats, or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't really matter with me now. Because I've been to the mountaintop. I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live - a long life; longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about

April 2 -- Hoya Paranoia

The date was April 2, 1984… The location was Seattle Washington’s King Dome. Participants were the feared-for-starting-5-black-guys (something still unheard of at the time) Georgetown Hoyas and the Phi Slamma Jamma-featured University of Houston Cougars. So yes, featuring several future Hall-of-Fame players with brown skin, this game was big because of Big John Thompson’s being a black coach to lead a black starting lineup from a private school that at the time might not have otherwise recruited them up against a bigger public school in the NCAA tournament. As we look back on this compared to the outcome of this or recent years’ tournaments, it is clearly representative of a time that the parity that they PRETEND the tournament has today was actually present. While the longshorts era has ushered in a time where the whitest of whitebread schools doesn’t feel so out of place starting 5 black dudes, in the Reagan era, it was quite the taboo for there to be 5 dudes on the whole of the camp

April 1 -- April (non) Fool's Day

Warning, reblog to come for this one... I am gonna focus on the day at hand now for what it is and what I can relate it to. Thinking back to Summer 2003, following the Epic Battle of Godzilla and Mothra , and a couple weeks in the hospital, then a couple more in the house, I chanced venturing out to do my normal things... One of them, naturally would be to set about the task of getting my considerably long dreadlocks washed, because damned if I will wash it myself, even without a broken right shoulder, which I was sporting at the time. Anyway... The homie/then-coworker Tairi was also in the shop (we go to the same lady for this function) and had been there a short while before me. We shot the shit a few minutes, as we often did, what with being on the same team at work (when I was not on leave) and of similar age and general interests and such, compared to the bevy of single black women doing the stereotypical single black woman cackle around us. We no-homeaux needed one an

March 31 -- $25 million buys the USVI

March 31, 1917… Before this date, what is NOW called the US Virgin Islands was known as the Danish West Indies. The cost of the purchase was 25 million dollars, which I REALLY hope you might have gathered from the title of this post. “but Phlip, what in the blue hell does this have to do with black history?” you ask? If you know anything about the West Indies, you know that is where the slaves were transported to (or through) when the US was making attempts to deter slave owners from importing them (link from my own archive, that). With that in mind, a great many of the black folks settled on the French (Haiti), Dutch (what we’re talking about now, among others) and mostly Spanish-controlled Caribbean nations. With that said, the white folks went to where they could own slaves or back home and the black folks became the majorities. With that in mind, the US Virgin Islands being a US Territory inhabited by brown people, this becomes a black history fact. Now, I look at the de

March 30 -- The best rapper EVAR!!!

March 30, 1962 marks the date of birth of one Stanley Kirk Burrell, a rapper who could be heralded using the right language as the best rapper ever invented… How, you ask? Well, if Jay-Z, and then Lil Wayne laid claims to being the “best rapper alive” based upon their popularity and sales figures, BOTH would be served a cold hard lesson when it is explained that NEITHER had an album remain #1 for 21 solid weeks or had an album go diamond – even approaching DOUBLE diamond with over 18 million sold to date. Yes, the album marked the beginning of the end the first time hip hop started to die on us, what with the heavyhanded sample usages and poppy simple lyrics and dancing and shit, all of which made way for a certain Robert Van Winkle to step in and play Elvis to Hammer’s Chuck Berry. [ Phlip note – yeah, I said it!] Any old ways…. Today marks the date that Hammer was born into the world, and you can take that how you want – positive or otherwise. While you can chide him for t

March 29 -- Walt "Clyde" Frazier

On today’s date, in 1955 – 24 years, 3 months and 3 days prior to allowing myself and my twin to escape from her uterus – my mother was born. I thank my grandparents for that. Unfortunately, however, in the greater interest of continued black history, my mom is not famous, so I could only offer to put her BEFORE today’s topic of conversation… Today is the balding dude who wears the crazy suits on NBA TV and TNT for Knicks games, NBA Hall-of-Famer and wearer of #10 way back when the Knickerbockers were still a credible threat to win anything of substance… Walter “Clyde” Frazier was a 6’4” point guard with shooting guard tendencies as a scorer. While Willis Reed is heralded for inspiration in his limping back onto the court in game 7 of the 1970 NBA finals, the hero of the day was Frazier with his 36 points and 19 assists. His jersey hangs in the rafters of Madison Square Garden, evidence of why the current Knicks have so few available jersey numbers to choose f

March 28 -- Not all George Bushes Hate Black People

^^^ Let the record show that I do not know that to be true, for the record... Anyway… On today’s date in 1990, President George Bush (Bush41, not Bush43) granted Olympic sprinter and pack-a-day smoker Jesse Owens a posthumous Congressional Gold Medal, which is synonymous with the Presidential Medal of Freedom as the highest civilian honor one can receive in the United States. Slightly off the point here is that, while the President ANNOUNCES and gives the Congressional Medal of Freedom, the actual granting of it is born of acts of congress, and both houses are required to put it through. With that said, George H. W. Bush might have delivered the medal – to Owens’ FAMILY, I might infer – he was just the messenger in such. The Congressional Gold Medal is given for outstanding accomplishment in the name of the US, and I am willing to bet that Owens’ showing up Hitler at the Berlin Olympics despite the irony of being a sprinter who smoked a pack of cigarettes a day for 35 years wa

March 27 -- Charleston Ride-in protests

This one will be short and sweet… On today’s date in 1861, black demonstrators in Charleston staged ride-ins on streetcars… As with any other”…-in,” this was born of their not being allowed service on the railway, and carried out in a nonviolent demand for equal servicing. It would be a little over one month following, on May 1, that the Charleston City Railway company would relent and allow everyone equal rights to ride in their streetcars. Don’t blame me for coming late in the day with a short post, there was simply very little to post on when I went into this.

March 26 -- Thomas J Marshal's big deed

Next time you go to work and see the sprinkler system, you should stop a moment and thank Thomas J Marshal. Yes, I know that a great many of the two of you have never heard of the guy… What He did on today’s date in 1872 was to get the patent for the fire extinguishing system that put together a system of pipes, valves and all that goodness to bring the water from the storage to delivery in the prevention/stoppage of your ass burning to death. That Patent # was 125,063. I wish I was able to find any more on the guy, but the fact remains that information on black inventors from the 19 th century will be scarce as can be, even on the 2011 internets. That said, not much more I can do but thank the dude for laying the groundwork for the systems that keep me safe indoors in industrial buildings.

March 25 -- March from Selma to Montgomery completed

I know this one will feel like a bit of a cop-out, but the fact remains that we all know I like to stick to things to completion. [ Phlip note – hence how I missed a day and went back the next and filled the gap instead of going on as if...] Well, y’all surely remember my March 7th post about Bloody Sunday, where the first attempt to march from Selma to Montgomery was quashed by police, fire hoses, German Shepherds, billy clubs, Uncle Ruckus, seething racial hatred, Sarah Palin and a passive-aggressive President… [ Phlip note – most of that observed, the rest understood] Well on today’s date, ironically the same number of days later then as it has been between the posts now, the 8,000ish people had initially assembled and completed what had been 4-day trek. The beauty of this is that not all were black and that not all were Christian either, the power of what was right stepped across lines out of sheer necessity. As the group approached Montgomery county, more marchers joined. The l