Words about Culture

Also, it is important to make known information about Sister Michaëlle Jean. She was a journalist. She is a famous Afro-Canadian politician. From 2005 to 2010, Jean was Governor General of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She was born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She was raised in the town of Thetford Mines, Quebec. After receiving a number of university degrees, Jean worked as a journalist and broadcaster for Radio-Canada and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), as well as undertaking charity work, mostly in the field of assisting victims of domestic violence. Jean was Canada's first governor general of Caribbean heritage. Sister Macy Gray is 50 years old. For decades, she has been a great singer who has expressed herself on her own terms. She is a musician, song writer, producer, and actress. She is a Grammy winner too. She has appeared in a number of films, including Training Day, Spider-Man, Scary Movie 3, Lackawanna Blues, Idlewild and For Colored Girls. One of her most famous songs was "I Try." She was born in Canton, Ohio. She studied script-writing at the University of Southern California. She is a trailblazer by working with artists of many genres. She shows the world that you can be yourself in self-expression and strong at the same time. She has three children that she loves and she is a living legend in our generation. Working hard is part of her forte and we all send congratulations to her contributions in music and in other arenas.


Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Gloria Gaynor. She is one innovator of disco music. Disco music is part of black culture and American musical culture. I love disco music. It caused an explosion of creativity and inspired people to come out to express themselves without restrictions of their rights. Disco was powerful. Gloria Gaynor was born in the North at Newark, New Jersey. Music was readily shown in her house when she was a child. She loved the music from Nat King Cole and from Sarah Vaughan (who was a great jazz musician). She recorded music during the 1960's. She earned massive success by 1975 with her debut album called, "Experience Gloria Gaynor." Her signature song was "I Will Survive" which was released on October 1978. It was an anthem to so many people. She continued to make disco music in 1980 and in 1981. She became a born again Christian by 1982. She made religious songs as well about the Lord. She continued to make music. By the early to mid 1990's, there was disco revival. I remembered that as a kid. She was on many 1990's shows from The Wayans Brothers to Ally McBeal. On May 6, 2017, Gloria Gaynor performed with her band at the Library of Congress' celebration of disco music at Bibliodiscotheque, a disco dance party in the Great Hall of the Thomas Jefferson building. Recently, she sang the song "Texas Will Survive" in expressing solidarity with the victims of Harvey on August of 2017. She has a powerful spirit.

Yesterday was the Birthday of Sister Leslie Jones. She is now 50 years old. She is a famous comedian and satirist of today's affairs. She was born in Memphis, Tennessee. She later moved into Los Angeles. She attended high school in Lynwood, California. She played basketball and she was a radio DJ. She started stand up comedy in college in 1987. Leslie Jones has been on television and movies for years. She also was a victim of cyber attacks, racism, sexism, slander, colorism, and other evils. Yet, Leslie Jones is a strong, honest black woman who doesn't back down. It is also clear that a person's human dignity remains while we are always in opposition to unwarranted hatreds and bigotry. She has stood up for her humanity and against the evil shown by the naysayers. Leslie Jones has shown great strength and many people are in solidarity with her. Her talent and beauty is glorious and her resiliency has shown a great light in the world. Her courage is amazing and she has inspired countless people to continue forth in the world. Transparent commentaries about life exemplify her legacy. Leslie Jones continues to display humor that makes us think, because in the midst of an imperfect world, comedy can make wit a key element in analyzing the world (so more people can change the world in positive ways). She has been on Ghostbusters and Saturday Night Live. Leslie Jones continues to amaze us with her humor and wisdom.

Whitlock has no shame in selling out. He always spews far right wing talking points in claiming to be cutting edge. Yet, his views are part of the same old propaganda that extremists have used for years and decades. His disrespect of Kaepenrick and anyone dedicated to social justice blatantly defines his insecurities about himself. He has a long legacy of disrespecting black people like Serena Williams too. Whitlock and Kid being part of a skit which was used to mock a social movement represents both of their ignorance of true revolutionary change. Haters will be haters. As other great people have mentioned here, we (as black people) are always lectured about inclusiveness when we are historically known for including all of humanity (and I do mean all) in many endeavors from fashion to politics. The hate against Rihanna on this issue is jealousy and pettiness period. It's a shame that Rihanna has to deal with this nonsense when many complexions are already represented in her project. Many of the same ones lecturing Rihanna in an arrogant, dubious fashion are silent on black victims of police brutality and racial discrimination against black people in America (and in other countries as anti-black racism is not limited to the States). Rihanna should keep doing her thing and ignore the petty haters. Not to mention that the same one hating on Rihanna ignore Afro-Latinas. (who are black people).

Certainly, Sanaa Lathan is a gorgeous black woman and her movie outlines a very accurate point. The point is that black women have the right to wear their hair in any fashion as they desire. They also have the right to cut or shave their hair off too. Bald black women have shown strength, and determination just like black women will full set of hair. Reactionaries, Hoteps, and far right people readily slander black women because of their hair choices, but black women's hair belong only to black women. In other words, a black women who is bald, have short hair, have weaves, and have a large amount of hair are equal. Therefore, Sanaa Lathan is sending a wonderful statement about not only beauty, but human autonomy. We know of her acting genius and her great work ethic spanning decades of her life. We know about her intellectual strength in the roles that she has and in her insights about black acting in general. Therefore, we all wish her the best in this endeavor and in future others succinctly.


By Timothy