Cultural Power.

  

During the 1960's, there was a revolutionary change in music. Back in the early 1960's, times would never be the same as a cultural revolution was developing. The 1960's saw some of the most talented artists of all time. Also, it was a time when there was a shift to more pop music, more soul music, and the further evolution of Rock and Roll. By the early 1960's, pop and rock music were dominated by music groups, surf music, and Motown music. There was also the revival of American folk music with Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, Peter Seeger, The Kingston Trio, Odetta, Harry Belafonte, Phil Ochs, and other people. I love Odetta's music as her voice is incredible. Folk music readily delves into political issues like civil rights, workers' rights, anti-war messages, and pro-environmental themes. Women groups singing about love and romance were topping the charts like the Supremes, the Shirelles, the Ronettes, Betty Everett, Martha and the Vandellas, Little Eva, and other people. We saw Lesley Gore, the Angles, and Shangri-Las. Motown was a powerful force in showing black musical expression and fighting to bring people together too. Rock had many voices in America, the UK, etc. We saw Dusty Springfield, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix (who innovated guitar playing and music in general), the Rolling Stones, Chuck Berry, etc. Jazz saw Nat King Cole and John Coltraine reach their final peaks in their careers. Country music was prominent with artists like Patsy Collins, Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Buck Owens, and Merle Haggard. Some of the biggest music tragedies involved the passing away of legends like Sam Cooke, Jim Reeves, and Otis Redding. By the end of the 1960's, music had more proto-metal (with artists like Lep Zeppelin), harder beats, psychedelic sounds, and more conscious lyrics (like James Brown's I'm Black and I'm Proud. James Brown was born in the South and has been called the Godfather of Soul). Therefore, the music of the 1960's from soul to gospel set a huge, massive tone in the development of modern music in general. 

 

There is no understanding of the music of the 1960's without understanding Motown of the 1960's. Motown was created by Berry Gordy on June 7, 1958. Motown represented black style, black music, and Black Excellence to the fullest. Motown became the Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960.  In the 1960s, Motown and its subsidiary labels (including Tamla Motown, the brand used outside the US) were the most of the Motown sound, a style of soul music with a mainstream pop appeal. Motown was the most successful soul music label, with a net worth of $61 million. During the 1960s, Motown achieved 79 records in the top-ten of the Billboard Hot 100 between 1960 and 1969.Following the events of the Detroit Rebellion of 1967, and the loss of key songwriting/production team Holland–Dozier–Holland that year over pay disputes, Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles, California. Motown expanded into film and television production. Berry Gordy had a record store called 3D Record Mart that showed jazz music in Detroit, Michigan. He attended Detroit's downtown nightclubs, and he met many people. He worked with songwriters like his sister Gwen Gordy and Billy Davis. They wrote for Jackie Wilson (who was based in Detroit). Early on, Smokey Robinson, Mary Wells, and Mable John had shown music. Shop Around was the Miracles first number 1 R&B hit. This was in 1960 Later, the Marvelettes had the pop hit of Please Mr. Postman.  By the mid-1960s, the company, with the help of songwriters and producers such as Robinson, A&R chief William "Mickey" Stevenson, Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, and Norman Whitfield, had become a major force in the music industry. One large anchor of Motown back then was the Supremes. The Supremes changed everything in music from being all women traveling the world to show music and outlining unique fashion styles. The original members of the Supremes were Florence Ballad, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Betty McGlown. Later, many members were part of the group like Barbara Martin, Cindy Birdsong, Lynda Laurence, Scherrie Payne, and Susaye Greene. They were once called the Primettes. Back in the 1960's, the Sunday's best style was popular. 

From 1961 to 1971, Motown had 110 top 10 hits. Top artists on the Motown label during that period included the Supremes (initially including Diana Ross), the Four Tops, and the Jackson 5, while Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, the Marvelettes, and the Miracles had hits on the Tamla label. The company operated several labels in addition to the Tamla and Motown imprints. A third label, which Gordy named after himself (though it was originally called "Miracle") featured the Temptations, the Contours, Edwin Starr, and Martha and the Vandellas. A fourth, V.I.P., released recordings by the Velvelettes, the Spinners, the Monitors, and Chris Clark.

A fifth label, Soul, featured Jr. Walker & the All Stars, Jimmy Ruffin, Shorty Long, the Originals, and Gladys Knight & the Pips (who had found success before joining Motown, as "The Pips" on Vee-Jay). Many more Motown-owned labels released recordings in other genres, including Workshop Jazz (jazz) Earl Washington Reflections and Earl Washington's All Stars, Mel-o-dy (country, although it was originally an R&B label), and Rare Earth, which featured the band Rare Earth themselves. Under the slogan "The Sound of Young America", Motown's acts were enjoying widespread popularity among black and white audiences alike (and human beings of every color in general). Motown wanted to break down barriers.  In the United Kingdom, Motown's records were released on various labels: at first London (only the Miracles' "Shop Around"/"Who's Lovin' You" and "Ain't It Baby"), then Fontana ("Please Mr. Postman" by the Marvelettes was one of four) and then Oriole American ("Fingertips" by Little Stevie Wonder was one of many). In 1963, Motown signed with EMI's Stateside label ("Where Did Our Love Go" by the Supremes and "My Guy" by Mary Wells were Motown's first British top-20 hits). Eventually, EMI created the Tamla Motown label ("Stop! In the Name of Love" by the Supremes was the first Tamla Motown release in March 1965). The Temptations issued many soundtracks of love from A'int to Proud to Beg and My Girl. 

 

By the 1990's, Pam Grier continued to work hard in the craft of acting. She made guest appearances on Martin, Night Court, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. She was on Sinbad, Preston Chronicles, The Cosby Show, The Wayans Brothers Show, and Mad TV. By 1994, Pam Grier appeared in Snoop Dogg's video for "Doggy Dogg World."  By 1993, she was part of the movie Posse playing Phebe. Posse is an underrated movie about the African American experience in the 19th-century West. Back then, many black Americans were soldiers, cowboys, and formed their own towns after leaving the South. In real life, Grier's ancestors lived in Wyoming. By 1996, she starred as Laurie Thompson in Original Gangstas. The film is about a story of heroes fighting back against criminals in Gary, Indiana. By the late 1990's Pam Grier was cast of a member of the Showtime series called Linc's. She was in the 1996 movie of John Carpenter's Escape from L.A. By the 1990's, there was nostalgia for the 1970's. I remembered in the 1990's when I watched tons of 70's films, especially blaxploitation movies. Therefore, Pam Grier was in the film Jackie Brown (directed by the controversial Quentin Tarantino). Jackie Brown played homage to Pam Grier's blaxploitation movies. Jackie Brown was about Jackie Brown (played by Pam Grier) who acts as a courier, but she wants to have a change of heart to go legit by the end of the movie. She was nominated for numerous awards for her work in the Tarantino film. Grier was formerly romantically linked to Jimmie “Big Wheel" Wheeler, a famous boxing promoter, Soul Train host Don Cornelius and basketball player Wilt Chamberlain. In 1998, Grier was engaged to RCA Records executive Kevin Evans, but the engagement ended in 1999. One of her prominent roles was playing Detective Angela Wilson in the film In Too Deep. In Too Deep is a film about an undercover officer (played by Omar Epps) trying to take down a vicious drug dealer (played by LL Cool J). The undercover officer finds love with a supportive woman (played by Nia Long). 

 

Serena Williams started in 2008 participating on the U.S. team that won the Hopman Cup with Mardy Fish. At the Australian Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to Jelena Jankovic. That was her fourth straight loss in the quarterfinals of a Grand Slam singles tournament. During the women's doubles event, she and Venus were defeated in the quarterfinal. Serena Williams withdrew from the next three scheduled tournaments because of an urgent need for dental surgery. Serena Williams then won three consecutive singles titles at Bangalore and her fifth Miami title. This tied Steffi Graf for the most singles titles at this tournament. Serena Williams won at the Family Circle Cup, her first clay-court title since the 2002 French Open. Her 17-match winning streak was ended by Dinara Safina in the quarterfinals of Berlin. Williams withdrew in Rome in the quarterfinals against Alizé Cornet owing to a back injury. Williams was the only former winner of the French Open in the draw but lost in the third round to Katarina Srebotnik.

At Wimbledon, Williams reached the finals for the first time in four years but lost to her older sister Venus in straight sets, in their first Slam final since 2003. Serena and Venus teamed to win the women's doubles title in their first Grand Slam women's doubles title since 2003. Williams played at Stanford, but retired 6–2, 3–1 down with a left knee injury from her semifinal match against qualifier Aleksandra Wozniak. The injury forced her to withdraw from Los Angeles. At the Olympics in Beijing, Williams lost to Dementieva in the quarterfinals. Serena and Venus won the gold medal in doubles, beating Anabel Medina Garrigues and Virginia Ruano Pascual in the final. At the US Open, Williams defeated sister Venus, Safina and Jelena Janković in the final. That was her third US Open and ninth Grand Slam singles title. The victory returned her to the No. 1 ranking for the first time since 2003. At the year-end championships, she defeated Safina and lost to Venus in her round-robin matches, but withdrew from her match against Dementieva, citing a stomach muscle injury. She ended 2008 ranked No. 2 and with four singles titles, her strongest performance in both respects since 2003. By 2009, Serena Williams started at the Medibank International, losing in the semifinals to Elena Dementieva. At the Australian Open, she claimed her tenth Grand Slam singles title by defeating Dinara Safina in the final in 59 minutes. This win returned her to the No. 1 ranking and resulted in her becoming the all-time career prize money leader in women's sports, overtaking golfer Annika Sörenstam. In women's doubles, with Venus, they captured the title for the third time.

At the Open Geff Suez, Williams withdrew before her semifinal match against Dementieva because of a knee injury. Serena then played at Dubai, losing to Venus in the semifinals.

At the Sony Ericsson Open Williams, hampered with ankle and quad injuries, was upset in the final by Victoria Azarenka. This was the first of four consecutive losses for her, the longest losing streak of her career. She was defeated in her opening matches at Barcelona, Rome, and Madrid. Despite not having won a match on clay in 2009 before the French Open, she lost in the quarterfinals to the eventual champion Svetlana Kuznetsova. This ended her 18-match Grand Slam tournament winning streak. She rebounded at Wimbledon, saving a match point in defeating fourth-seeded Dementieva in the semifinals. In the final, Serena defeated her sister Venus to win her third Wimbledon title and her 11th Grand Slam singles title. Serena and Venus teamed to win the women's doubles title at Wimbledon for the second consecutive year, their ninth Grand Slam title in women's doubles.

As a US Open preparation, Williams played at Cincinnati losing in the third round, followed by a semifinal defeat at the Rogers Cup. At the US Open, she lost in the semifinals to eventual champion Kim Clijsters amid controversy involving shouting at a line judge when defending match point, an offense which cost Williams the point and consequently the match. She continued in the double's competition, teaming up with Venus to win their third Grand Slam doubles title of the year and tenth of their career. Williams won all three of her round-robin matches at the year-end WTA Tour Championships, defeating Venus, Dementieva, and Kuznetsova, saving a match point against Venus. She then advanced to the final, when Wozniacki retired from their semifinal match. In the final, Williams defeated Venus for her second singles title at this event.

Williams on her way to the singles and doubles title at the 2010 Australian Open

Williams finished the year ranked No. 1 for the second time in her career, having played in 16 tournaments, more than any other year. She also broke the record previously set by Justine Henin for the most prize money earned by a female tennis player in one year, with Williams earning $6,545,586. For doubles that year, the Williams sisters finished the year ranked No. 2, despite playing only six tournaments together as a pair. Williams had won five Grand Slam tournament titles, putting her total of Grand Slam titles won thus far at 23, and she was consequently named Female Athlete of the Year by the Associated Press for 2009. Williams was also the ITF World Champion in both the singles and doubles events

 

By the 1990-1991 season, Michael Jordan won his second MVP award after averaging 31.5 ppg on 53.9% shooting, 6.0 rpg, and 5.5 apg for the regular season. The Bulls finished in first place in their division for the first time in sixteen years and set a franchise record with 61 wins in the regular season. With Scottie Pippen developing into an All-Star, the Bulls had elevated their play. The Bulls defeated the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers in the opening two rounds of the playoffs. They advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where their rival, the Detroit Pistons, awaited them; this time, the Bulls beat the Pistons in a four-game sweep.

The Bulls advanced to the Finals for the first time in franchise history to face the Los Angeles Lakers, who had Magic Johnson and James Worthy, two formidable opponents. The Bulls won the series four games to one and compiled a 15–2 playoff record along the way. Perhaps the best-known moment of the series came in Game 2 when, attempting a dunk, Jordan avoided a potential Sam Perkins block by switching the ball from his right hand to his left in mid-air to lay the shot into the basket. In his first Finals appearance, Jordan had 31.2 ppg on 56% shooting from the field, 11.4 apg, 6.6 rpg, 2.8 spg, and 1.4 bpg. Jordan won his first NBA Finals MVP award, and he cried while holding the Finals trophy. This was a changing of the guard from Magic to Jordan. Michael Jordan winning his first championship caused a new era of the NBA. Michael Jordan and the Bulls continued their dominance in the 1991–92 season, establishing a 67–15 record, topping their franchise record from 1990–91. Jordan won his second consecutive MVP award with averages of 30.1 ppg, 6.4 rbg, and 6.1 apg on 52% shooting. After winning a physical seven-game series over the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs and finishing off the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Finals in six games, the Bulls met Clyde Drexler and the Portland Trail Blazers in the Finals. The media, hoping to recreate a Magic–Bird rivalry, highlighted the similarities between "Air" Jordan and Clyde "The Glide" during the pre-Finals hype.

In the first game, Jordan scored a Finals-record 35 points in the first half, including a record-setting six three-point field goals. After the sixth three-pointer, he jogged down the court shrugging as he looked courtside. Marv Albert, who broadcast the game, later stated that it was as if Jordan was saying: "I can't believe I'm doing this." The Bulls went on to win Game 1 and defeat the Blazers in six games. Jordan was named Finals MVP for the second year in a row, and finished the series averaging 35.8 ppg, 4.8 rpg, and 6.5 apg, while shooting 52.6% from the floor. By the Summer of 1992, Michael Jordan was the most popular sports athlete in the world other than Muhammad Ali. Michael Jordan was involved in the 1992 Dream Team during the 92 Barcelona Summer Olympics (in Spain). The Dream team defeated its opponents by an average of 44 points en route to the gold medal game against Croatia. The scoring leader was Charles Barkley, the rebounding leaders were Karl Malone and Patrick Ewing, and the assists leader was Scottie Pippen. The team collectively was inducted into the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame in 2009, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017. The Naismith Hall calls the team, 'the greatest collection of basketball talent on the planet." In 2009, the Dream Team was elected to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. The Dream Team had Michael Jordan, David Robinson, Christain Laettner, Patrick Ewing, Larry Bird, Scottie Pippen, Clyde Drexler, Karl Malone, John Stockton, Chris Mullin, Charles Barkley, and Magic Johnson. After that, Michael Jordan was already on icon status. Then, another NBA season existed.

In the 1992–93 season, despite a 32.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg, and 5.5 apg campaign, including a second-place finish in Defensive Player of the Year voting, Jordan's streak of consecutive MVP seasons ended, as he lost the award to his friend Charles Barkley, which upset him. During the Bulls' 1993 NBA playoffs, Jordan has seen gambling in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the night before a game against the New York Knicks. The previous year, he admitted that he had to cover $57,000 in gambling losses, and author Richard Esquinas wrote a book in 1993 claiming he had won $1.25 million from Jordan on the golf course. David Stern, the commissioner of the NBA, denied in 1995 and 2006 that Jordan's 1993 retirement was a secret suspension by the league for gambling, but the rumor spread widely.

In 2005, Jordan discussed his gambling with Ed Bradley of 60 Minutes and admitted that he made reckless decisions. Jordan stated: "Yeah, I've gotten myself into situations where I would not walk away and I've pushed the envelope. Is that compulsive? Yeah, it depends on how you look at it. If you're willing to jeopardize your livelihood and your family, then yeah." When Bradley asked him if his gambling ever got to the level where it jeopardized his livelihood or family, Jordan replied: "No." In 2010, Ron Shelton, director of Jordan Rides the Bus, said that he began working on the documentary believing that the NBA had suspended him, but that research "convinced [him it] was nonsense".

Coincidentally, Jordan and the Bulls met Barkley and his Phoenix Suns in the 1993 NBA Finals. The Bulls won their third NBA championship on a game-winning shot by John Paxson and a last-second block by Horace Grant, but Jordan was once again Chicago's leader. He averaged a Finals-record 41.0 ppg during the six-game series and became the first player in NBA history to win three straight Finals MVP awards. He scored more than 30 points in every game of the series, including 40 or more points in four consecutive games. Winning 3 straight titles was something that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird didn't do. By 1993 and especially after the win against the Suns, there was already discussions that Michael Jordan was the greatest NBA player in history. Ironically, in the future, Michael Jordan would make even more accomplishments that would solidify him as the greatest NBA player in history. With his third Finals triumph, Jordan capped off a seven-year run where he attained seven scoring titles and three championships, but there were signs that Jordan was tiring of his massive celebrity and all of the non-basketball hassles in his life.

 

There is a war on truth in this generation. We have some who want to exploit controversies among athletes and musicians as an excuse to make people deny that any conspiracy has existed in human history. That is a lie of course, as real conspiracies have existed throughout human history. It is that not everything in the Universe is a conspiracy though. For example, the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, the agenda of the Bavarian Illuminati, MK Ultra experiences, COINTELPRO, Operation Mockingbird, Operation Choas, and Operation Ajax were real conspiracies in the world. We know that not every elitists advocated global government, but some of them did in their own quotations. Many neoliberals advocate the new world order to advance globalization and a shift from old-school economic models into a more integrated geopolitical world. The goal of the monopolies being promoted has been written by Professor Carrol Quigley in his literature that has existed for decades. Therefore, we know the truth. We realize that NSM 200 and other nefarious plans have no place anywhere in the Universe. We reject disinformation from Qanon and other cults who seek to deflect and ignore real issues that we must deal with in making the world better. 

By Timothy