Modern Black Heroes
We witness our dreams come alive daily. Being born and living is a blessing plus a dream being alive. Black heroes aren't just found decades or centuries ago. They exist now. The common myth is that there are no heroes today. With the recent events, we know that to be a lie today. There are doctors who have saved lives. There are coaches who motivated the youth to enjoy a better path in living their lives. We know that there are tons of great activists, especially black women, doing the work in defending oppressed communities, defending black lives, and saving lives too. When Kirsten West Savali wrote literature defending progressive views, we should respect that. When you witness Nina Turner defending the truth against the status quo, we ought to be inspired by her actions. When you acknowledge freedom lovers of many backgrounds, we realize that we are all in this together. It is clear what we desire. We desire to see the homeless, the poor, and other human beings to have dignity and justice. We want all black people of any background to have black liberation without exception. We desire an end to imperialism and the end of the system of international white racism. We desire to grow, to live, and to shine our Blackness in a diversity of ways. Honoring the legacy of Sister Dorothy Height is very important. She passed away in 2010 and was born in 1912. She was an icon of the Civil Rights Movement. She dealt with voting rights, unemployment issues, literacy issues, and women's rights. She was the President of the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years. She was born in Richmond, Virginia. Later, she was raised in Rankin, Pennsylvania. For over 50 years, she opposed discrimination and fought for the just dream of human justice. She worked with the NAACP and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. She encouraged LBJ to appoint African American women in positions of government. She encouraged Eisenhower to desegregate schools. She saw President Barack Obama inaugurated as President.
Her maternal line came from the Temne people of modern day Sierra Leone. The Dorothy I. Height Post Office was one of the most iconic landmarks in the D.C. area. She received many awards like the Presidential Citizens Medal in 1989, the Candace Award in 1986, the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1994, the Congressional Gold Medal in 2004, and the 2009 Foremothers Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Center for Health Research. Her life is a total representation of the longevity and power of Black Excellence. Always in love with freedom, her soul reached magnificent heights of glory plus power. Rest in Power Sister Dorothy Height. Blackness is not monolithic. Blackness can be expressed in dance, the arts, STEM fields, literature, athletics, and other forms of human expression. It is not right for some to try to give megabailouts to large, multinational corporations while minuscule resources to the poor and working class. When oligarchs prioritize their wealth over the concerns of the people collectively, then you will witness economic problems. The late hero Airicka Gordon-Taylor (or the cousin of Emmett Till) motivates us in our generation to continue forward in this journey for justice.
The Heroes
There are many heroes who should be acknowledged. Moms 4 Housing is a grassroots group of mothers in Oakland, California who desire to provide housing to people and to fight for justice for all. They have mentioned the fact that since there are four times as many empty homes in Oakland as there are people without homes, therefore children and adults deserve to have adequate, quality housing. They are right to mention that housing is a human right, and no one should be homeless. For a long time, this organization have united mothers, friends, and neighbors in promoting housing rights. It is a historical fact that many real estate speculators, big banks, and Wall Street interests want a select amount of people to have housing while establishing a lax of ownership among many other people. This group is made of dedicated mothers. They have united in common cause to help mothers and children to exist in a place to stay at. They have inspired council people in Oakland to fight for their legitimate cause. These black people are fighting the austerity regime that is found in America plus worldwide. We are fighting the serious problem of the displacement of black people from their communities via urban renewal, gentrification, and other tactics. Back in the day and even in our time, many landlords burned their own properties to collect insurance money than making them better for renters. The leaders of this movement are 4 mothers who struggled to find a place to stay. Investors buy up properties and sell them at higher prices, so the cycle of economic exploitation continues. Moms 4 Housing continue to do great work in making sure that justice, accountability, and freedom are made real.
Solomon Commissiong is one of the great young black scholars of the 21st century. He writes books from an independent, progressive perspective. He deals with analyzing hip hop culture, and he writes about how corporate power has infiltrated sections of hip hop to make it advance materialism, exploitation, and non-revolutionary themes. Solomon is a public speaker and a person who wants hip hop culture to be used to help educate especially the youth of the world. One of the books that I have read from him in real life is "A Hip Hop Activist Speaks Out on Social Issues." It is a great book, and I do recommend it for anyone. It exposes imperialism (which is related to the military industrial complex), colonialism, racism, the mass incarceration state, and other evils in uncompromising terms. Solomon is adamantly opposed to imperialism and the glorification of overt wicked people like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Andrew Jackson.
Dr. Leah Wright Riguer is a black American scholar whose works are magnificent. One of her great books deal with the complexity of black Republicans (i.e. black Republicans aren't just far right people. Many black Republicans were more moderate historically, have different life experiences, and some even disagree with Trump. I can't be a Republican, because of the obvious reason, but her research does show the nuisances of history). Her award winning book detailing this subject is entitled, "The Loneliness of the Black Republican: Pragmatic Politics and the Pursuit of Power." I do recommend her book also. The book outlines Goldwater's campaign as a turning point in American history as Goldwater aided racists in promoting an anti-civil rights agenda that disrespected the aspirations of the black collective. Goldwater voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Act which caused more black people to leave the Republican Party. Dr. Leah Wright Riguer is an Associate Professor of Public Policy at Harvard's Kennedy School. Dr. Riguer is an expert on African American history, United States political and social history, and civil rights issues. Dr. Riguer has organized seminars on racial, gender, and political issues in order to get human beings to discuss matters and establish solutions to the problems that confront us all.
Tony Weaver is the founder of Weird Enough Productions. This is an ed tech company that wants to combat media misrepresentation via original content production and media literacy education. We all know that media misrepresentation contributes to false stereotyping of black people which can cause more black people to have harsher jail sentences, less attention from doctors, and a higher chance of being victims of a police shooting. Tony Weaver has developed 13 original short films and used a web comic to promote more accurate, positive representations of black people. He is an alumuns of Elon University with a Bachelor of Arts/Science degree. He was trained at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts, the Youth Ensemble of Atlanta, and the Acting Program at Elon University. He helps to volunteer to help black men in his local community. Michelle Alexander is a writer, a civil rights advocate, and a visiting professor at Union Theological Seminary. For years, she has fought against the prison industrial complex. Her 2010 book entitled, "The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness" describes how the mass incarceration state has harmed black and brown lives for generations. It shows stats, stories, and other evidence to promote her ideals. She is an opinion columnist for the New York Times. She has a BA from Vanderbilt University and a JD from Stanford University. Michelle Alexander fought hard against race and gender discrimination. She has married Carter Mitchell Stewart (who is a graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Law School). They have three children together. She has earned awards and continues in this journey of liberation. Malcolm Mitchell is a former American NFL player who writes books promoting mental health development. Also, he promotes a program that helps children to read. He received the Promise Hero Award from America's Promise Alliance during its 20th Anniversary Summit and Gala in New York by April. He developed a passion for reading after his struggles with reading years ago. His Read with Malcolm program is helping students, especially in poorer communities, to read literature. He made his own children's book called, "The Magician's Hat." He gives the right advice for people to never give up.
Dr. Annette Joseph Gabriel is a scholar working to show the world about the intersection of politics, culture, and literature. She always does research and teaches courses on race, gender, and citizenship in France, the Caribbean, and Africa. Her research deals with anticolonial subjects, women's activism, black women's writings, and slavery all over the French Atlantic. She has a B.A. (cum laude) in Comparative Literature from Williams College and a Ph.D. in French with a graduate certificate in African American and Diaspora Studies form Vanderbilt University. Her research deals with issues of race, gender, literature, languages, philosophy, and black culture. Her recent book is called, "Re-imaging Liberation: How Black Women Transformed Citizenship in the French Empire." The book is about the leadership of black women in the anticolonial movements found in France, Africa, and the Caribbean. Dr. Annette Joseph-Gabriel has written publications and spoke to places all across the world.
Dr. Greg Carr is an expert on Africana studies. For decades, he has fought for the liberation of black people. He is the Associate Professor of Africana Studies and Chair of the Department of Afro-American Studies at Howard University. He has a Ph.D. in African American Studies from Temple University and a JD from the Ohio State University College of Law. He fought to make sure that Philadelphia' high schools have a mandatory African American history course. The reason is that many students never had an African American history course until they reach college. He has helped many students with his Philadelphia Freedom Schools Movement. He has traveled into Africa to study its rich cultural heritage. He has spoken on many shows and platforms. Professor Ashley D. Farmer is a famous African American historian. She is the Associate Professor in the Departments of History and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas-Austin. Her 2017 book is called, "Remaking Black Power: How Black Women Transformed an Era." Professor Farmer's scholarly work has been found in The Black Scholar and the Journal of African American History. Simone Biles is the greatest gymnast in human history. She has a combined total of 30 Olympic and World Championship medals, She is the most decorated American gymnast and the world's third most decorated gymnast. She won gold in Rio in 2016, and in other places. She won individual gold medals in all around, vault and floor, and other events. She has stood up against the evil person Larry Nassar as Nassar is an abuser. Simone Biles and other survivors were awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award. To this very day, Simone Biles inspires girls and women to pursue their dreams and aspirations.
Misty Copeland is a world famous ballet dancer for the American Ballet Theater (ABT). The ABT is one of there leading classical ballet companies in America. On June 30, 2015, Misty Copeland was the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in ABT's 75 year history. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She was a prodigy at the age of 13 when she first started ballet. She danced in Southern California. She is a public speaker, a spokesperson, and a stage performer. She wrote two autobiographical books and narrated a documentary about her career called A Ballerina's Tale. She was raised in the San Pedro area of Los Angeles, California. Copeland had a 3.8/4.0 GPA through her junior year of high school. She is a friend to Victoria Rowell. In 2007, she danced the Fairy of Valor in The Sleeping Beauty. She won many honors and is supported by tons of people. By 2014, Misty Copeland was named to the President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition. She also received an honorary doctorate from the University of Hartford for her contributions to classical ballet and helping to diversify the art form. Her husband is the attorney Olu Evans.
Afro-Columbian Sister Francia Elena Marquez Mina is a human rights and environmental activist in Columbia. She has fought to stop illegal gold mining in her community of La Toma and organized the march of 80 women who trekked 350 miles to Bogota (in demanding the removal of all illegal mines and equipment from their community). She was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018 for that work. Francia was born in Yolombo, Columbia or a town in the southwestern department of Cauca. This is where more than 250,000 Afro-Columbians live at. She has studied law, and she has no fear of evil. Francia is an inspiration to us all. Stacey Abrams has fought for voting rights and social justice issues for a long time. She ran for the Governor of Georgia race. Aparecida Sueli Carneiro Joacoel is an Afro-Brazilian philosopher, writer, and anti-racism activist. She founded Geledes Black Women's Institute to fight for justice. She was born on June 24, 1950 at Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Conclusion (Black Excellence remains forever)
Now, you know more of the truth. The collective of the black community, since the dawn of human history, have saved lives, endorsed justice, and liberated the lives of men, women, and children. Harriet Tubman came back and forth in America to rescue fellow human beings in bondage. Claudia Jones advanced economic justice in the UK and in the Caribbean. Clara Brown led the way to promote freedom in Colorado. These black heroes aren't limited based upon generations. They continue to exist in our generation as well. Stephon Marbury helped to send $10 million to New York to fight the coronavirus, a Maryland 1st grader used $600 to make COVID-care packages for seniors, and other black heroes are doing the right thing. This reality has always motivated us in our daily lives to pursue excellence. It takes only love and inspiration to do something positive. That is why we recognize Black Excellence as a core reality in the Universe. Black Excellence is found in philanthropy, education, social activism, health care, athletics, other political leaders, economic development, environmental growth, and other components of human civilization. We have survived the slave ships, slavery, Jim Crow, and other injustices. Still, we rise, and we are still here to be a blessing for all of the human family.
Amen.
R&B
R&B music is part of the lifeblood of world music in general. It is the cousin to hip hop, funk, disco, and other genres that we know about. The sultry voice of Anita Baker, the powerful voices from the Four Tops, and the soulful tunes from Aaliyah make us realize that this musical genre is here to stay. From parties to being at home alone, R&B music is a very universal art form. Rhythm and blues has inspired our imagination, made us dance on occasion, and stirs up our imagination. If anyone wants to study American music or music in general, he or she must have a great understanding of rhythm and blues. It is music that has existed for almost 80 years since the 1940's. Early rhythm and blues used pianos, bands, guitars, bass, drums, saxophones, and vocalists. Any great musician then and now must have a passion for the art and develop their skills in an exceptional level. By the 1960's, we saw Motown, Staxx, and other record labels dominating not only American music, but music internationally. It was another golden age of R&B music filled with the Supremes, the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Tami Terrell, Aretha Franklin, and other legends. Then and now, rhythm and blues focused on many messages like love, romance, pain, overcoming adversity, freedom, joy, etc. Mary J. Blige's ballads about suffering emotional pain and experience great love is a testament to the power of music. Stevie Wonder is a total genius. The following lyrics form Ma Cherie Amour describes his passion and the greatness of a love for a woman:
"...My cherie amour, lovely as a summer's day
My cherie amour, distant as the Milky Way
My cherie amour, pretty little one that I adore
You're the only girl my heart beats for
How I wish that you were mine
In a café or sometimes on a crowded street
I've been near you, but you never notice me
My cherie amour, won't you tell me how could you ignore
That behind that little smile I wore
How I wish that you were mine
Come on..."
The legends of Janet Jackson, Mary Wilson, and Ashford and Simpson inspire us all.
You can't talk about rhythm and blues without knowing about the 2 Great Migrations of African Americans. During both migrations, black Americans came into the industrial centers of New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit, San Francisco, Oakland, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and other locations. They came to escape the tyranny of the Jim Crow South in order to have better economic and social conditions. The irony is that the same racism and oppression in the South existed in the North, the Midwest, and the West Coast. The difference was that in many of those places in the North, etc., legal segregation was banned. New markets in those cities focused on a diversity of music from jazz to blues. Such music was found deeply in the South like New Orleans, Memphis, etc. One of my favorite shows is TV One's Unsung. Unsung did a great service in outlining the stories of some of the greatest rhythm and blues artists in history. I have learned a lot about music, stories, and black unsung lives in general by watching that show alone. Today, we have R&B music influenced by hip hop, sound cloud music, and other aspects of youth culture. Bo Diddley, Otis Redding, Ruth Brown, Della Reese, ska artists, Sam Cooke, The O'Jays, Janet Jackson, TLC, Aaliyah, Beyonce, Mary J. Blige, Ella Mai, SZA, and other musicians represent the long history of this audacious, powerful music.
Spirituals and Jazz
Long before R&B was born, its ancestors involved music like African music, jazz, and spirituals found in America. Spirituals weren't just about joy and celebration. Many spirituals back then were used a coded message to escape into the North including Canada from the bondage of slavery. Spirituals also had an oral Christian tradition with Christian themes while abhorring the evil of slavery. At first, spirituals were unaccompanied monophonic or unison song. Songs like the Gospel Train from the Fisk Jubilee Singers (who lived during the late 19th century) are very similar to the spiritual song. In fact, gospel music is a descendant of the spirituals. African Americans used the drum and the banjo as a means to express themselves. The songs from the spirituals, the drum, and the banjo came from West Africa. West African blood is within me, because as an African American my ancestors came from the Congo and Nigeria. The call and response style of preaching came from African tradition. This was when the speaker speaks for an interval and the congregation responds in unison in a continual pattern throughout the sermon. People raising up hands, speaking in tongues, and singing all have been utilized by the black community for generations. Later, it developed into more harmonized choral arrangements. R&B was born in African American communities by the 1940’s. The term rhythm and blues was used in Billboard as early as 1943. Back in the day, it was music identified, especially as shown by black Americans. R&B music during the old days had gospel influences. Really, gospel has influences throughout many genres.
During the First and Second Great Migrations of African Americans, black people came into many urban industrial centers like Chicago, Detroit, New York City, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, etc. Black people wanted to escape the terrorism and racism found in the Jim Crow South, so they would gain economic opportunities to provide for their families. The irony is that in the North, Midwest, and West Coast, many of the same racism and police brutality would exist. Though Jim Crow apartheid was illegal in many of those places of the North, the system of racial oppression, housing discrimination, economic exploitation and educational deprivation existed via de facto segregation. From the 1920’s and 1930’s, black people organized a lot of markets for jazz, blues, and other types of music. This music wasn’t just shown in concerts or bars. It was shown in homes, mass gatherings, and other locations. The mother of R&B was jazz and blues. To understand music in general, you have to study jazz and blues, because those art forms deal with the essence of rhythm, pitch, notes, creativity, and power involving music. Early blues artists back during the 1920’s and 1930’s were people like Lonnie Johnson, Leroy Carr, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, and T-Bone Walker. Bessie was famous.
More Facts on Unsung Jazz Legends
To give credit to musical excellence is to outline the stories of unsung musical legends. Ma Rainey was a black American singer who was called, "The Mother of Blues." She lived from 1886 to 1939. Columbus, Georgia was the place of her birth.She had an energetic voice with songs like See See Rider Blues (1924) and Soon This Morning (1927). Rainey recorded music with Louis Armstrong. She worked with the Georgia Jazz Band until she retired in 1935. Her song Prove it on Me from 1928 had lesbian themes in it. She ran three theaters of the Lyric, the Airdrome, and the Liberty Theater. She was inducted in the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in 1983 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by 1990. Alberta Hunter (1895-1984) was a jazz musician and blues singer. She wrote songs and worked as a nurse. Memphis, TN was the place of her birth. She resumed her music career in 1977. Back in 1914, she learned jazz from the jazz pianist Tony Jackson. Alberta Hunter worked in the 1910's, the 1920's, and the 1930's as a great singer. She wrote songs too like the Downhearted Blues song of 1922. She was inducted to the Blues Hall of Fame in 2011 and the Memphis Music Hall of Fame in 2015. Josephine Baker was a singer and performer. She lived from 1906 to 1975. She helped to defeat the Nazis in France. She was a civil rights leader who defended the human rights of black people. She adopted children of many colors to promote human tolerance. Also, she performed in a way long before Madonna, Grace Jones, and others.
Josephine Baker loved men and women who were in love with justice. Florence Mills (1896-1927) was a genius in music, dance, and showing comedy. She was born in Washington, D.C. and was married to Ulysses Thompson. She toured with the black group called the Tennessee Ten in 1917. She was in the Broadway musical Shuffle Along in 1921. She passed away long and her pall bearers were singers Ethel Waters and Lottie Gee. Her song "I'm a Little Blackbird" called for racial equality, and she broke down many barriers. Ethel Waters (1896-1977) was one of the great performers of the 20th century. She made songs like Dinah, Stormy Weather, Taking a chance on Love, etc. She was the 2nd African American to be nominated for an Academy Award. She was the first African American to star on her own TV show. Also, she was the first African American woman to be nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award. She was in the movie Cabin in the Sky in 1943 too. She was born in Chatsworth, California. Her great niece is the famous singer Crystal Waters. Ethel Waters married many times. She worked with Count Basie and other great artists. In 1933, she appeared in a satirical all-black film called Rufus Jones for President, which featured the then child performer Sammy Davis Jr. as Rufus Jones. Before Ethel Waters passed, she became a born again Christian touring with Billy Graham. She performed all the way into the 1970's.
Bessie Smith (1894-1937) was overt in who she was and what she wanted. She was the most popular blues singer of the 1920's and the 1930's. She loved to perform. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was one of the greatest singers of her time, and she inspired future jazz including blues musicians. She had a strong contralto voice. She worked with many legends and was popular on radio. She worked with Louis Armstrong, Joe Smith, Charlie Green, James P. Johnson, and other legends. She was in the movie St. Louis Blues in 1929. She was in the swing era of the 1930's too. She had relationships with diverse people like Richard Morgan, Gertrude Saunders, and Jack Gee. . As time went onward, more musicians used the electric guitar, the piano, and the saxophone.
Adelaide Louise Hall (1901-1993) was a singer who worked with Duke Ellington, Fats Waller, Josephine Baker, Cab Calloway, Lena Horne, and other musicians. She was born in Brooklyn, NYC. She lived in Britain by the time of her passing. She was one major entertainer of the Harlem Renaissance who did scat singing. She was one of the great musicians of the 1920's. Nina Mae McKinney was an actress and performer (1912-1967). She was born in Lancaster, South Carolina. She moved into NYC during the Great Migration. She was in the musical the Blackbirds of 1928. She was in the movie Hallelujah in 1928. Isabel Washington Powell (1908-2007) was a singer, dancer, and actress. She taught special education student and was once married to Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Ella Fitzgerald (1917-1996) was a great jazz singer who was born in Newport News, Virginia. She used intonation, scat singing, and timing in her song. She was the Queen of Jazz back then. She had one child named Ray Brown Jr. Her famous song "A-Tisket, A-Taket" helped her grow in national fame.
Valaida Snow (1904-1956) was a virtuoso American jazz artist. She loved the trumpet and people compared her to Louis Armstrong. She was born in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She could play the cello, bass, banjo, violin, mandolin, harp, accordion, clarinet, trumpet, and saxophone. She could dance too She toured the world. She was the Queen of the Trumpet. She married Earl Edwards during the 1950's. June Richmond worked in jazz for years. She was born in Chicago from 1915 to 1962. She worked with Cab Calloway and others in Scandinavia. Ivie Anderson (1904-1949) was a member of the Duke Ellington Orchestra and was a jazz singer. She was born in Gilroy, California. She went on tour with the musical Shuffle Along. She performed in the Cotton Club in NYC, in Cuba, in Los Angels, etc. She loved scat singing, ballads, and other songs. Billie Holiday (1915-1959) was a legend. Lady Day lived in Philadelphia and Baltimore for years. She shown the song Strange Fruit to oppose lynching and anti-black racism. Billie Holiday spoke to the streets of America about how we have to confront evil in order to promote goodness. We know how Lady Day passed away, but it is important to show her legacy being powerful and influential. The Peters Sisters were famous too. Cab Calloway (1907-1994) was a singer, dancer, jazz artist, and actor. He worked in the Cotton Club of Harlem, NYC. He sang during the swing era. People respected his long career of mixing jazz and vaudeville. He had many children. He played basketball in high school too.
Louis Armstrong (1901-1971) lived for the love of music and for the love of humanity. He was not only a legendary jazz musician. He collaborated with some of the greatest musicians of the 20th century including some of the greatest musicians of all time like Ella Fitzgerald and Duke Ellington. He played music before the 1920's. From the 1920's and beyond, he traveled the world to play the trumpet, to compose music, to write literature, and to stand up for the great valuable essence of musical expression. Music educates the soul, inspires the mind, and makes enjoyment a reality for those who live across the globe. What a Wonderful World was one of his many classic songs. He had a great sense of humor and a great personality. Satchmo lived his life. He passed away in 1971 at the age of 69 in Queens, NYC. Armstrong was posthumously awarded the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1972 by the Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. His legend is eternal and we all appreciate his work in jazz and his work in making life better for us all.
Duke Ellington (1899-1974) was an icon of jazz. Genius is an accurate description to describe him, because he has stood the test of time with his artistry and powerful music. Jazz is an architect of so much of modern day American music. Even hip hop have indirect roots from jazz. Duke Ellington was one of the most decorated musicians in history. He spread his music for over five decades. He was born in Washington, D.C. He could play the piano and compose a band. Folks known of him from his performances at Harlem's Cotton Club. Also, he worked around the world in order to express the universal language of music vigorously. His orchestra included legends like saxophonist Johnny Hodges. He had charisma, great songwriting abilities, and a timing. His parents taught him to respect his own people as Jim Crow was very common back then, even in D.C. Duke Ellington learned to play the piano since he was 7 years old. He worked with many legends like Adelaide Hall. Duke Ellington saw it all. He saw the Harlem Renaissance, the Civil Rights Movement, and the early 1970's. He revived his career during the 1950's. He worked until the day of his passing in 1974. We know of Mozart. Duke Ellington was the Mozart of the 20th century without question. In fact, he was one of the greatest musical composers in human history.
Hazel Scott (1920-1981) was an Afro-Trinidadian woman. She was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. She was known for being a jazz and pianist legend in America. At the age of 4, she and her family moved into New York City. She sang jazz music in the 1930's, the 1940's, and the 1950's. Her talent captivated the world and audiences were in awe of his performances. She supported civil rights and did a lot. She passed away at the age of 61 in 1981. Hazel Scott worked to promote positive representations of black Americans in film.
Early R&B Music
Many 1940's artists helped to establish R&B as it is. One such artist was Katherine Dunham (1909-2006) worked in dance, singing, and wanted African Americans to see their dreams fulfilled. She worked hard in theater and was an outstanding choreographer. She worked in the study of anthropology. She and was a civil rights activist. She loved African people, Haitian people, and all black people. Katherine Dunham fought for justice throughout her life with her dance company and social activism. Marian Anderson sang powerfully, and Bill Robinson performed greatly. By 1948, RCA Victor marketed black music with the name of “Blues and rhythm.” During that year, Louis Jordan dominated the R&B charts with many songs. These songs were based on the boogie woogie rhythms that were popular during the 1940’s. Jordan’s band was called the Tympany Five. It was created in 1938. It has musicians on trumpet, tenor, piano bass, drums, and saxophone. Jordan’s music was called jump blues (like the music from Big Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Billy Wright, and Wyonoie Harris). Music from Paul Gayetn, Roy Brown, and others had music called rhythm and blues by the 1940’s. Wynonie Harris remaked the Brown’s 1947 recording of Good Rockin’ Tonight.
Back in the day, early R&B was criticized by some as too risqué. Some of this music had an Afro-Cuban rhythmic influence too. Jazz pioneer Jelly Roll Morton said that the tresillo/habanera rhythm (or the Spanish tinge) was an important part of jazz. Habanera was a Cuban genre. Tresillio is part of the duple pulse rhythmic cell in sub-Saharan music traditions. There was blues in New Orleans and music of the Mississippi Delta regions too. One of the greatest artists of jazz that influence future R&B experts was Billie Holiday. Her songs like Strange Fruit and I’ll be Seeing you were classics. Ray Charles’ Hit the Road Jack certainly was very powerful. One of the unsung artists of early rhythm and blues was Lionel Hampton. Other R&B artists of the 1940’s are the Ink Spots, Ella Fitzgerald, The Clovers, The Royales, Tony Bennett, Louis Armstrong, The Delta Rhythm Boys, The Ravens, Lead Belly, The Soul Stirrers, The Staple Sisters, etc. Great 1950’s R&B groups were Ray Charles, the Drifters, the Coasters, The Miracles, the Isley Brothers, The Platters, The Impressions, The Dells, The Del-Vikings, etc.
Unsung Legends
Johnny Otis released the R&B mambo called “Mambo Boogie” on January of 1951. It had congas, maracas, claves, and mambo saxophone guajeos in a blues progression. The Hawketts, Ike Turner, and Other musicians made their records. Bo Didley had his music with the first true fusion of 3-2 clave and R&B/rock n roll. Johnny Otis’s Willie and the Hand Jive used the same blend of 3-2 claves and R&B. Early R&B records were sold primarily in African American markets. It wouldn’t be until the early 1950’s, when more diverse people of different colors brought R&B records on a high level. Rhythm and blues appealed to especially teenagers. Many unsung artists in this early era of R&B were Johnny Otis (with his songs like Double Crossing Blues, Mistrustin’ Blues, etc.), Clovers, and other people. Little Richard grew his popularity in the 1950’s. He influenced a wide spectrum of future artists like James Brown, Otis Redding, and even Elvis Presley. Little Richard is right to say that he originated a lot found in R&B and rock and roll culture. Another item of sad news is that Little Richard passed away many weeks ago at the age of 87 years old. He was one of the great innovators of rock and roll plus music in general. He changed music with his style, music, and influence. There is no Beatles, no Janelle Monae, no Elvis Costello, no Stones, no Sam Cooke, no Jimi Hendrix, no other artists as they existed without Little Richard. He was one of the first people inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986. He broke down barriers. I send condolences to his family and friends.
Ruth Brown was known as the “Queen of R&B” decades ago. She was on the Atlantic label. She made many hits in the years from 1951 to 1954 like Teardrops from My Eyes, Five, Ten, Fifteen Hours, What a Dream, etc. Faye Adams’s Shake a Hand made it to number two in 1952.
Ruth Brown is important to mention, because she is a black woman that inspired future artists to have their opportunities to express their God-given talents to the world. The doo-wop group called The Orioles had the #4 hit of the year with Crying in the Chapel. Fats Domino, Ray Charles, and other people came into prominence during the 1950’s. Chuck Berry and other people had an extraordinary amount of determination and musical talent. By the 1950's, there was a powerful renaissance of black actors and actresses including singers like Dorothy Dandridge, Pearl Bailey, Eartha Kitt, Joyce Bryant, Clara Ward, Dinah Washington, LaVern Baker, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Leslie Uggams (when she was very young), and Sammy Davis Jr. Carmen McRae (1922-1994) was one of the most influential jazz vocalists of the 20th century. She had over 60 albums and preformed worldwide. She was born in Harlem, NYC and were parents were immigrants from Jamaica. Her inspiration was Billie Holiday. Betty Carter was another unsung jazz artist.
Changing Times and a Era Growing
By the late 1950’s, culture was changing. The modern day Civil Rights Movement saw its birth with the Montgomery Bus Boycott after the evil assassination of Brother Emmitt Till. There was a large conservative culture in American society, but that would change with the rise of civil rights activists, beats, and a growing teenage youth culture that loved music (especially black music). While Eisenhower showed his capitulation to the status quo as it pertains to civil rights policies, black people and other people stood up in favor of freedom and justice. By the year of 1956, the R&B leaders of Al Hibbler, Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers, Clark Perkins, etc. were popular among the public. Della Reese was famous along with Chuck Berry, Cathy Carr, Shirley and Lee, the Cleftones, and the Spaniels. Many of these musicians toured places like Columbia (in South Carolina), Annapolis (in Maryland), Pittsburgh, Syracuse (in New York State), Buffalo, New York City, etc. Tours were filled with crowded arenas. Movies saw artists like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Elvis, Joe Turner, the Treiners, the Flamingos, and the Platters.
Nat King Cole with his songs like Mona Lisa and Looking Back further added to his legendary career as a musician, an actor, and a TV host. A new era by 1959 was starting. This was the same year when 2 black owned record labels were created (which showed R&B music). They are Sam Cooke’s Sar and Berry Gordy’s Motown Records. Later, Motown would be part of the one of the greatest movements of musical expression in world history. Artists like Brooke Brenton was at the top of the R&B charts in 1959 and 1960 with many songs. The 1960’s saw an explosion of soul music. Motown, Staxx Records, Columbia, and other labels just had a large amount of men and women who would sing just magnificently. Therefore, rhythm and blues came from jazz, blues, and gospel. It started in many urban areas in places like New York City, Chicago, and Los Angeles. In the near future, I will show more information about the soul/R&B music of the 1960’s. As we shall see, the R&B of the 1960’s influenced the development of disco, funk, hip hop, the quiet storm, and other genres of music.
This is the first part of this new, exciting series of R&B. Part 2 will describe R&B music of the 1960's and the social movements that accompany that inspiring decade.
Conclusion (for Summer 2020)
Time is always available for human beings to do right. Integrity and morality are important to promote. This doesn't mean that we use these concepts to oppress other human beings because of one's background. It does mean that morality and integrity mean that we treat people right, call out evil, and advance community building. We live in unique, special times. A Presidential election is underway in 2020. We have the mysteries of life being shown like no other time in history. Not to mention that tons of people worldwide are dealing with the coronvarius. A lot of families and friends have lost close relatives which is terrible. That is why we are succinctly inspired to advance the cause of liberation plus justice. No human being should be mistreated or experience oppression. Our goal has been the same after all of these years. I have lived through 5 decades now (from the 1980's to the 2020's). I have seen a lot and did a lot of things. I have traveled throughout the large cities of America from Los Angeles to Baltimore. It is clear that regardless of our zipcodes, we all desire tranquility, economic justice, our human rights protected, and an end to the reactionary agenda (being advanced by the current Trump administration). Solidarity among us and living our life positively including righteously encompass our mentality.
Michael Moore's Planet of the Humans have caused many debates in the progressive community. The documentary is popular in YouTube with millions of people watching the documentary. Youtube banned the documentary which I don't agree with that decision. The reason is that while I abhor the message of the film, I still reject authoritarian censorship. The problem with Moore's film is that it omits things, obfuscates real issues, and promotes false solutions to the problem of climate change. The documentary is right on many things. First, I will cite what the documentary has right, and then I will cite what the film has wrong later on. The film is right that biomass can be problematic, and we don't need massive deforestation in the world. The film is correct to cite the corporate/NGO infiltration of some (not all) environmental, international activists. Now, the film is wrong on tons of issues. The film is wrong to omit the Big Oil funding of climate denial and Trump's destruction of environmental regulations (these regulations have saved lives). It shows many falsehoods about clean energy and climate activism. Gibbs said that the electric vehicle probably runs on coal. That isn't true, because more electric vehicles have lower emissions than new gas powered cars. The U.S. electricity system is cleaner now than 10 years ago. Not to mention that solar costs have gone down. Even biomass supplied less than 2 percent of the U.S. electricity last year.
Burning fossil fuels, not wood, is the main cause of climate change. Even Bill Mckibben doesn't take massive corporate money and has been taking on corporations for years. The film is silent on how fossil fuel companies and electric utilities have lied about climate science for 30 years. The movie says that humans are better off burning fossil fuels than using renewable energy which is ludicrous. The film showed the lies that green energy is futile, solar panels and wind farms cause massive environmental destruction, etc. Jeff Gibbs doesn't even interview a single climate scientist in the film. Leah Stokes refuted the film in her article. The Sierra Club has responded to the film with a statement. The documentary has outdated information, because he or Jeff Gibbs worked on it many years ago.
Moore showed no solutions but he desires massively less consumption by humans and massive population control (the documentary doesn't cite how this would happen, who would this come down to, and which types of human beings that they want to not have children). It is a historical fact that racists and eugenicists have called for massive population control instead of holding polluting corporations accountable for their actions. The racist Prince Philip said that he wanted to reincarnate as a virus to decrease populations worldwide. Europe has little population growth, but they are some of the largest carbon emitters on Earth. There is a reason why far right people and the Breitbart crowd have praised the film, because they agree with much of its message of bashing the modern day climate change movement. So, this population control agenda isn't necessarily targeted at Europeans per se, because most people on Earth are people of color.
You have to do the math. NSM 200 is real. Anti-immigrant, hate groups do desire a radical depopulation agenda against people of color too. Therefore, the film implies that mostly poor people should have fewer children as wealthy people in the industrialized world have less children now. That agenda is wrong as it violates a woman's human autonomy. So, the documentary is filled with sophisticated deception.
The similarity between Diamond and Silk, Jesse Lee Peterson, Candace Owens, Tomi Lahren, Monica Matthews, Young Pharaoh (who once disrespected Malcolm X until later pretending to respect Malcolm X), Alex Jones, and others of that ilk is that they all support Donald Trump. These people have sold their souls. Each of these people ignore how Trump had allowed the destruction of many legitimate environmental regulations, how he hasn't addressed police brutality, and how he has tried his best to cut medical care services from the American people. Young Pharaoh is the worst type of traitor, because he claims to be "conscious," but he has openly allied with anti-black interests. Young Pharaoh (who constantly curses people out and talks down to black people that he has never done to a white person face to face in public) now have recently allied with white militia groups, and these groups have shown a Confederate flag. Diamond and Silk have been fired by FOX News. There is no secret about Diamond and Silk's Trump advocacy.
Alex Jones to this day hypocritically claims to be against the ruling class, but ignores how eugenics groups have links to the anti-immigrant movement (or how Trump have links to big banking interests plus elitists for long decades. It is a historical fact that immigrants among every color and black people represent the beautiful diversity of American culture). Jesse Lee Peterson is so sick that he said Thank God for slavery. Therefore, birds of feather do flock together. These people are total disgraces. Trump wants the extradition of Assata Shakur to America. Trump has demonized majority black countries, and Trump has disrespected peaceful protesters. Therefore, Trump is a threat to our society. Many of these agents that I have mentioned are afraid of white racists, but they want to target black people collectively. That is the truth. Many people have predicted the rise of these false prophets and bigoted people like Trump for centuries and thousands of years. This is not new. Nothing is new under the sun. That is why we should never fall into their ways, and we should always do what is right. At the end of the day, we believe in establishing solutions and uplifting humanity.
By Timothy
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