Remember when we were Black and Proud....

[blksoul_x]

Despite that fact that as a people (Africans in amerikkka'), we have always been amidst the pressure of the time, but up until the last decade or so, we never gave up on the meaning of what 'Black' was about....our music was Black, our style was Black, our clothes were Black and we had no shame or doubt at who we were and what we were about! We had an answer to what was offered by the whiter collective.


This Soul Train music video drives my point home.....Click on below

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkScpqnMBfI

Brothas' and Sistas' were so Cool back then....as James would say, 'SWEET DYNAMITE SOUL'!

As much as I hate to romanticize about the past in terms of the Black experience in amerikkka', I understand even then, times were just as precarious in terms of who we are, as they are currently to a certain extent...but the point is, when you see stuff like the above video and how we rivaled against the collective, you can't help to LOVE our people!

WHAT HAPPENED!



blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the Color you love to hate!

[Blarf]

I was black several years ago and yes I remember. Now that I'm white, I don't know what to say.

[Ray1936]

Don't rise to the bait, gang.

[Flanders]

Soul and R&B were replaced in transition by Disco, then Pop, then Rap and Hip Hop.

I loved the 60s-70s

Watched an old Dirty Harry movie, a few weeks ago, I always liked the scene where Tyne Daly waits for Clint Eastwood to finish talking to leader of that black revolutionary group.

Angela Davis, when have you gone?

Sorry,

:(

[blksoul_x]

We had shows that were the answer to what the whiter society offered. We did our thing, and refused to let the whiter society shape who and what we were. Now, we have fallen into their ways and have joined in on the mainstream shaping of who and what we are.

I remember when I would see my Uncles and Aunties dressed on family get-to-gethers in the 'funkiest' clothes and they would always be 'shooting the agate', that is, talking jive and giving five on the Black hand side.

It seems now in our generation, if you will, all of the idiosyncrasies that helped shape our unique experience in amerikkka', we tend to run away from fearing social dehumanization by the so-called larger collective. Now we have reduced our experience in this land by mimicking and following the behavior of the whiter society....and that is to bad. Our Children will never have the quality and aesthetic uniqueness that we once had and offered to this world, which separated us from everyone else.

If I see one more commercial or magazine advertisement showcasing one Black family living on a block with their white neighbors and their Black child sitting aside two white kids (usually it is one Black boy or girl, and two white boys or girls, never 2 Blacks boys and 1 white boy), I will scream!

The truth is, those commercials are the new so-called amerikkkan' dream for our people, so then it appears by those images, that we have totally given up on our dream of Freedom to which Malcolm, Martin, Jesse and Garvey spoke about.

Nevertheless, when I see images like the one I posted in the Soul Train video, I can't help but to romanticize about those times, when we were, as James Brown stated, Black and Proud!

Say it Loud!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the Color you love to hate.

[Bobl]

"...our music was Black, our style was Black, our clothes were Black and we had no shame or doubt at who we were and what we were about! We had an answer to what was offered by the whiter collective..."

I dunno, X. Enjoyed the video, but I always thought that by that time (1970), the homogenization of music was already in place. Even James Brown was morphing into the dreaded disco bullshit then!
If you ever get the chance, check out the TAMI video from California, filmed around 1965. James had just amazed the crowd, and one Mick Jagger was apprehensive about following his performance. Gave a quick "how can I follow that?!" look at the camera. He was nervous, and should have been.
What is your take on our local record label, Fortune Records, that preceded Motown?

[Danny]

blksoul_x

You want to know what happen to Blacks in America?


Blacks in America had been beaten up by their old slave masters called the White people for over 400 years.

Blacks in America had been haunted down to be hanged, lynched, whooped and set on fire from the Ghost Riders of the Confederacy by wearing white sheets and buring the holy cross to desecrate Christianity.

Blacks in America had been kept in their institutionized ghettos by white man named Jim Crow.

Blacks in America used civil rights heroes to break the white man laws, if they get killed, they will subsitute a black revoltionary to issue a Helter Skelter war against the white folks and transform into a society out of the Turner Diaries.

Blacks in America had been struggling for their civil rights, if they couldn't get it, we just have burn our own ghettos until we get our freedom.

Blacks in America had been beaten up by white police force that resulted in a Rodney King and Malice Green Era of racial profiling.

Blacks in America had black kids being beaten by white kids call skinheads.

Blacks in America had been consuming poison substances from various war torn nations and various Islamofacist terrorists so they could buy "dirty bombs" to wipe out Israel and U.S. off the map. Look what happen to the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.

Blacks in America had black women being exploited by the Black man's Gangsta Rap and Hip Hop genre, crumping their booties for showing to their black men. Black women playing house by begeting children and their black boyfriend went off to exploit more black women.

Blacks in America had a "Black Jesus" named Barack Obama who deliver black America from White man's tyranny, But he's not interested with the Black community until he fix our global economy and secure the free world from the rumors of foriegn wars.

Want to know when we were black and Proud? LIVING IN AFRICA, BONDING WITH NATURE AND MINDING OUR OWN BUSINESS.


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET!

Saying it Loud! "I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD!"

[blksoul_x]

I dunno, X. Enjoyed the video, but I always thought that by that time (1970), the homogenization of music was already in place. Even James Brown was morphing into the dreaded disco bullshit then!
If you ever get the chance, check out the TAMI video from California, filmed around 1965. James had just amazed the crowd, and one Mick Jagger was apprehensive about following his performance. Gave a quick "how can I follow that?!" look at the camera. He was nervous, and should have been.
What is your take on our local record label, Fortune Records, that preceded Motown?



Yes, I agree that the entry of amerikkkan kkkapitalism and its attached wickedness into the Black community, along with some of the mainstream barriers broken down or mitigated by the so-called civil rights movements etc, help defuse the rise of the Black and Proud concept. Since then, our identity in amerikkka' has been confined within the broader so-called amerikkkan' dream.

I'm not to familiar with the history of the Fortune Records label, but I do remember reading a little that they were located not far from Motown, (maybe around the North end of town). I do recall a record company from Detroit, that produced some of the greatest Funk Music ever, ie George Clinton, Zapp, and more__I believe it was called Sound Suite Studios?

By the way, don't dog disco totally, (or Hip-Hop for that matter), I'm a huge Disco/Funk fan, particularly music coming out of Philly, (Sound Of Philly) and the Bronx. There was also a SalSoul record label--I believe out of New York--that featured some talented Black Artist of the time.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the Color you love to hate.

[vetalalumni]

... a record company from Detroit, that produced some of the greatest Funk Music ever, ie George Clinton, Zapp, and more__I believe it was called Sound Suite Studios?

United Sound Studios?

[Bobl]

A list of some who recorded at United Sound Studios, from a Metro Times article by Adam Staffel, in May, 2004:

"...A short list of essential United sessions over the years includes John Lee Hooker’s seminal side “Boogie Chillen,” cut in 1948. A year earlier Miles Davis, Charlie Parker, and Max Roach cut “Klaunstance” for Savoy Records. Marv Johnson and Berry Gordy recorded “Come to Me,” the first release for what would evolve into The Sound of Young America and the juggernaut Motown label in 1958. Darrell Banks recorded his stunning soul masterpiece “Our Love” there in 1966. Marvin Gaye recorded tracks for “What’s Going On” in 1970. The MC5 recorded “Lookin’ At You” there, and Funkadelic, a band that helped give rise to both techno and hip hop, recorded almost everything they ever did at United. Aretha Franklin, Isaac Hayes, The Rolling Stones, and Hillel Slovak-era Red Hot Chili Peppers all recorded within these walls."

Fortune Records was located in the 3900 block of Third. They are worth investigating at the Soulful Detroit website, or other online sources.

When I first moved to the Cass Corridor after graduating from high school, I stumbled upon this great place while walking past. Some extra special music was being played inside, and their was a seedy bar nearby. I got quite an education that day when I ducked inside the bar.....my introduction to true blues music!

[ccbatson]

Collectivist/statist culture does not allow for individual pride.

[rb336]

Individual pride exists where ever there is an individual

you are really lapsing into the lamest "objectivist" language of all now, bats

[Flanders]

Collectivist/statist culture does not allow for individual pride.

Objectivist culture does not recognize artistic/ethnic contributions made to society unless they can be exploited in some manner for significant monetary and materialistic gain.

[Bong-Man]

And all these years I thought 'Danny'....'The Street Prophet'.....'Rasputin'.....and 'Blacksoulxx" were all one and the same.

[Pam]

And all these years I thought 'Danny'....'The Street Prophet'.....'Rasputin'.....and 'Blacksoulxx" were all one and the same.


How about 2 people with 2 names each? Works for me.

[gibran]

when is "pride"defined by another person? I Guess pride is when you extend humanity and commpassion to all people equally despite what other try do from a rhetorical perspective..

Freedom is an indivisible word. If we want to enjoy it, and fight for it, we must be prepared to extend it to everyone, whether they are rich or poor, whether they agree with us or not, no matter what their race or the color of their skin.
Wendell Willkie


Social Justice right back atcha...

[vetalalumni]

Good post # 16 gibran.


Individual pride exists where ever there is an individual
Tell it like it is rb336!

[gibran]

It is, therefore, essential that we guard our own thinking and not be among those who cry out against prejudices applicable to themselves, while busy spawning intolerances for others.
Wendell Willkie

[Danny]

Pam,

I not blksoul-X or Rasputin. Their codespeak is different.

[Detroitej72]

Collectivist/statist culture does not allow for individual pride.

I thought this thread might get ugly when I first read it last night.

Now that Bats has chimed in and made it all about the myopic individualism he craves, it kind of torpedoed the whole race discussion and now it lies in the realm of comedy.

[Alfie1a]

i watched the vid. then spent the next hour and a half looking at James Brown videos. great stuff
still tryin to get those moves down. lol

[Bobl]

"Music is your only friend
Dance on fire as it intends"

OK, that was off the wall. Perhaps silly.
But it makes a lot more sense than all this white vs black B.S.

The quote, of course, is from James Morrison....

[ccbatson]

Individualism is the opposite of myopia.

[vetalalumni]

Collectivist/statist culture does not allow for individual pride.
You feel squeezed out ("does not allow"). Here is a prescription - individual pride makes room for itself when the wielder knows how to manage it. The pliable restraint that "does not allow" is loosed with smart ideas, finesse and good will. First prove it to yourself, and then to others.

In the United States of America, "individual pride" does not have to alienate others. This is where your ingenuity comes in. Enjoy the rejuvenation of your ideas, and the fruit of your "Individual pride", and do so in a manner that is not at the expense of other citizens of the United States of America.

And oh, by the way, retire the cave man.

[vetalalumni]

Individualism is the opposite of myopia.
What is the equivalent of myopia? Prove it.

[blksoul_x]

In the United States of America, "individual pride" does not have to alienate others. This is where your ingenuity comes in. Enjoy the rejuvenation of your ideas, and the fruit of your "Individual pride", and do so in a manner that is not at the expense of other citizens of the United States of America.



Very well said V.....metaphorically speaking, as with a funky horn soloist in a James Brown set, 'individuality' is promoted in order to sustain and increase the creative friction within the set (collective)__a friction that generates higher levels of performance to achieve the aim of the collective operation. ESPECIALLY as it relates to the 'Black and Proud' concept within the Black experience!

Say it Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud, as we struggle in amerikkka'!__go figure!

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, the Color you love to hate!

[ccbatson]

Collectivism is the equivalent of myopia by virtue of the refusal to see the profound potential of individual freedom. America exceptionalism is the modern example

[vetalalumni]

Thanks blksoul_x. Our common ground, in the way you see it, and in the way I see it, is a pleasant place. Be strengthened.

[ccbatson]

MLK had it right. It is not the color of one's skin that they should be proud of, or not

[vetalalumni]

Collectivism is the equivalent of myopia by virtue of the refusal to see the profound potential of individual freedom. America exceptionalism is the modern example.
These arguments are so weak that I'm growing weary. Like Brad Pitt said, "Is there no one else?".

[ccbatson]

So weak?? Not weaker than no response at all

[vetalalumni]

So weak?? Not weaker than no response at all.
Please, when you don't have anything good to say, then don't say anything at all.

You seek and receive pity. Not attractive.

[Linda from Detroit]

Pride, whether it's Black, White, Red or Rainbow, is when you can look in the mirror, meet your gaze straight in the eye and say "I did well today and tomorrrow I'm going to do even better not just for myself, but for those around me."

[gibran]

that is also character ....nicely put Linda

[ccbatson]

Well said Linda....keep it up.

[vetalalumni]

blksoul_x, I'm reading an interesting book you might appreciate as well. It is titled "A Companion to African Philosophy (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy)" by Kwasi Wiredu. Negritude is discussed in pleasing fashion.

[Trumpeteer]

Pam,

I not blksoul-X or Rasputin. Their codespeak is different.

DANNY ...whatever.

[blksoul_x]

blksoul_x, I'm reading an interesting book you might appreciate as well. It is titled "A Companion to African Philosophy (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy)" by Kwasi Wiredu. Negritude is discussed in pleasing fashion.

Thanx for the hint 'V'. On my way to find it as we speak. Anything else you find of interest in Black Philosophy etc., holla at me.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!

[Papasito]

Until we are American and proud FIRST, and culturally diverse second, this nation will continue to need healing.

[vetalalumni]

blksoul_x, I'm reading an interesting book you might appreciate as well. It is titled "A Companion to African Philosophy (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy) (http://books.google.com/books?id=0HIbKtzjcQYC&pg=PP1&dq=inauthor:Wiredu&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=100&as_brr=0)" by Kwasi Wiredu. Negritude is discussed in pleasing fashion.
Thanx for the hint 'V'. On my way to find it as we speak. Anything else you find of interest in Black Philosophy etc., holla at me.

blksoul_atcha!
The BJL, we a movement by ourselves!
There is a preview of "A Companion to African Philosophy (Blackwell Companions to Philosophy)" (http://books.google.com/books?id=0HIbKtzjcQYC&pg=PP1&dq=inauthor:Wiredu&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=100&as_brr=0) at google books --> http://books.google.com/books?id=0HIbKtzjcQYC&pg=PP1&dq=inauthor:Wiredu&lr=&as_drrb_is=q&as_minm_is=0&as_miny_is=&as_maxm_is=0&as_maxy_is=&num=100&as_brr=0 You will find many other Authors mentioned throughout this book.

Carefully peruse these additional sources:


The African American Literature Book Club (http://aalbc.com/) --> http://aalbc.com/
Thumper's Corner (http://www.thumperscorner.com) (a robust forum) --> http://www.thumperscorner.com/
African American Review (http://aar.slu.edu/) --> http://aar.slu.edu/

I own a very small personal library of black historical literature.

[humanmachinery]

I think the problem is that you're trying to define yourself by opposition to white people.

That's a "no" philosophy. It's a non-starter.

It's not enough to say what you don't want to be. You have to come up with your own definition of who you are, and then work on what you do want to be. You also have to accept that other people who share your cultural and ethnic background might not want the same things you do. That's all part of the deal. Being free means being an individual, and sometimes it means accepting views and choices from other people that aren't for you.

This is now a bigger issue for black Americans as buppies are ascending to privileged positions of money and power. It's true that the black experience in this country has been defined for centuries by struggle and frustration, but much of that is now changing. People like Barack Obama and Colin Powell now have to ask themselves a question that countless others asked before "how do you fight the man once you've become the man?"

[humanmachinery]

I'll elaborate for further perspective. Yes. I'm a white guy. Here's a discussion I had with my friend William, on our mutual love of Soul Train.

-----------------

Me: Teddy Pendergrass was maybe half a notch below Barry White and Marvin Gaye in the pantheon of '70s makeout music.

ioIy1ZlRALk

That's nothing to sneeze at. In the words of Outkast "Teddy Pendergrass was cooler than Freddie Jackson sipping a milkshake in a snowstorm."

William: Such was the power of Soul Train, that a white Canadian such as myself knows the show.

Ah... the 1970s. A magical time when black people had as bad taste in clothes as anybody else!

Golf pants!!??

I used to watch it back then on a Buffalo, NY station, and then I'd flip the channel to PBS and watch Doctor Who starring Tom Baker.

It was strange time, with many cool messages going into my vertebrae.

When I went over to the house of my Black Friend (™) Chris Wilson, this is what we'd watch. He never liked Doctor Who, though. So we'd play with Star Wars toys instead.

After about the age of 11, I thought Chris's older sister Karen was hawt. I kept those ideas to myself.

I still have a rather disturbing memory though. Karen was screaming in the kitchen while her mother poured some rather terrible-smelling hair relaxing chemicals on her hair. Karen had had an afro up to about 1980, but she wanted long braided hair in the Jamaican style after that point.

The chemical process was rather painful. I didn't understand why she wanted to do it until later. Karen was 14 when I was 11, and she wanted to look more "cool" once the afro went out of style. After this ordeal, she looked a lot like the girl at 1:02 in the video below.

r7MiG2fe8lE

The chubby guy from 1:08 to 1:11 is channeling the very meaning of the universe.

Some of the nerdiest black people I have ever seen dance (badly) in this video. Ah, it restores my notions of equality for all just to watch it.

[vetalalumni]

Humanmachinery, your last two posts (# 41 and # 42) had me laughing and contemplating simultaneously. You have yourself demonstrated style in those posts. Kudos for not mocking or deriding, while having the courage to voice your opinion. While in the minutia everyone will not agree with your assertions, the point is that this is an example of the dialogue that should be encouraged on the personal level. It is a start. A commitment to honesty and respect is required.

For me, studying the history of Africa and black people is fundamental. But it is not taught, so one has to acquire the information independently.

Have you studied African or black history? Wiredu piqued my interest out of a sense of root value. Next for me is Paulin Hountondji's "African philosophy: myth and reality (http://books.google.com/books?id=dtLyJuzASbgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false)". Here is a substantial Google books preview --> http://books.google.com/books?id=dtLyJuzASbgC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_v2_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q=&f=false

[humanmachinery]

I've made a fairly concerted effort to understand black culture and history in the United States, but I'll admit my understanding of African history (notwithstanding ancient Egypt and the horrors of European colonization) is pretty meager.

Back when I was in grade school, I actually had to explain to my parents how in the first millennium CE, Africa was far more advanced than contemporary Europe. There were actual empires with systems of trade, written languages, and planned cities. Folks like the Vikings, Visigoths, and Angles were too busy smearing shit on cave walls and burning villages to the ground to worry about stuff like that.

Mom and dad thought I was full of it. They assumed Europe had always been the "natural" center of everything.

*sigh*

[Detroit Stylin]

When I went over to the house of my Black Friend (™) Chris Wilson, this is what we'd watch. He never liked Doctor Who, though. So we'd play with Star Wars toys instead.

Thats funny.....why did you trademark that? LMAO...

[Pam]

The chubby guy from 1:08 to 1:11 is channeling the very meaning of the universe.



Hey, isn't that Fred "Rerun" Berry?



Some of the nerdiest black people I have ever seen dance (badly) in this video. Ah, it restores my notions of equality for all just to watch it.


Ha, ha. I used to watch Soul Train too and I don't remember the kids dancing that badly. Guess it was an off day.

[Thomcat52]

Disco chicks were easy...

[vetalalumni]

I think the problem is that you're trying to define yourself by opposition to white people.

That's a "no" philosophy. It's a non-starter.

It's not enough to say what you don't want to be. You have to come up with your own definition of who you are, and then work on what you do want to be. You also have to accept that other people who share your cultural and ethnic background might not want the same things you do. That's all part of the deal. Being free means being an individual, and sometimes it means accepting views and choices from other people that aren't for you.

This is now a bigger issue for black Americans as buppies are ascending to privileged positions of money and power. It's true that the black experience in this country has been defined for centuries by struggle and frustration, but much of that is now changing. People like Barack Obama and Colin Powell now have to ask themselves a question that countless others asked before "how do you fight the man once you've become the man?"
You've demonstrated a slight lack of decorum in your communication. Blksoul_x did not request advice or recommendations from either of us. Your post # 41 could be interpreted as preachy or authoritative due to the directness in your words. However, it is very doubtful that you intended to offend because that would serve no real purpose. And you are obviously cognizant of the often sensitive nature of such discussions. I'm being rather direct with you because you've here in this thread shown a propensity to use that tone and style.

If I may be so bold, your references to "buppies" and "fighting the man" might be a bit cliched. Most people are closer to the middle and will never be a President or Secretary of State. And many realize the man they might need to fight the most is theirself.

Many simply dismiss people and views they disagree with or don't want to understand. We do see many contemporary examples in society of the "no to everything" approach.


Thats funny.....why did you trademark that? LMAO...
Yeah, the trademark was funny.


I've made a fairly concerted effort to understand black culture and history in the United States, but I'll admit my understanding of African history (notwithstanding ancient Egypt and the horrors of European colonization) is pretty meager.

Back when I was in grade school, I actually had to explain to my parents how in the first millennium CE, Africa was far more advanced than contemporary Europe. There were actual empires with systems of trade, written languages, and planned cities. Folks like the Vikings, Visigoths, and Angles were too busy smearing shit on cave walls and burning villages to the ground to worry about stuff like that.

Mom and dad thought I was full of it. They assumed Europe had always been the "natural" center of everything.

*sigh*
Well you may have studied more than most. My studying has been all over the map. I've met and have signed copies of writings by Juan Williams, Cornel West, and even have a signed book by the late Judge Leon Higginbotham. The best knowledge I've attained came independently.

[humanmachinery]

You've demonstrated a slight lack of decorum in your communication. Blksoul_x did not request advice or recommendations from either of us. Your post # 41 could be interpreted as preachy or authoritative due to the directness in your words. However, it is very doubtful that you intended to offend because that would serve no real purpose. And you are obviously cognizant of the often sensitive nature of such discussions. I'm being rather direct with you because you've here in this thread shown a propensity to use that tone and style.

Sorry for my belated reply. I've been away for months, busy with other things.

Yeah, that's a general failing of mine on a lot of fronts. I have a tendency to adopt a lecturing tone, even when it's not appropriate. It often gives people the idea that I'm a pompous robot who doesn't have any feelings and doesn't care about anyone else either.

Still, I have to weigh this problem against knowing that if I always worry about hurting other people's feelings, I never say anything of consequence.


If I may be so bold, your references to "buppies" and "fighting the man" might be a bit cliched. Most people are closer to the middle and will never be a President or Secretary of State. And many realize the man they might need to fight the most is theirself.

Many simply dismiss people and views they disagree with or don't want to understand. We do see many contemporary examples in society of the "no to everything" approach.

Well, I was assuming a simple response to what I saw as a simple and repetitive series of posts. And yes, you're right that most people will never achieve the sort of success that Obama and Powell have, regardless of their background, but it really does show that an "us against the world" scenario doesn't exist. That mindset is one of the uglier consequences of groupthink, and ethnic nationalism only exacerbates it. It not only obscures balanced self-criticism, but precludes the possibility of understanding the world in any logical or empathetic way.


Yeah, the trademark was funny.

Yeah. I can't speak for William, but I think he was making fun of how left-wing, sophisticated, and sympathetic white people like to congratulate themselves on having at least one black friend, even if they know nothing about black culture or history.



Well you may have studied more than most. My studying has been all over the map. I've met and have signed copies of writings by Juan Williams, Cornel West, and even have a signed book by the late Judge Leon Higginbotham. The best knowledge I've attained came independently.

Cool. I've read Williams, but the other names are new to me. I'll have to look those guys up.

Thanks for understanding. :-)

[Papasito]

I respect the "black and proud" thing but


in amerikkka'

Is a very racist generalization.

[gibran]

FYI: read Dr. West's ( Im a huge fan)....in his book he reflects on his journey:

I hope I qoute this right: " It wasn't til I visited and Indian reservation and saw such poverty that I realized I have to get past my Black struggle and look at the human struggle..."

I look at a child born in poverty, and it is a direct reflection of our values and society..when a child in Detriot suffers ..children suffer in Warren, Grosse Pointe and Birmhingham...we are all connected to each others suffering an dloss...our fates are tied together...time to stop building silos around each of our own experiencesa dn fill each others up with hope and commpassion...I have seen the face of poverty and it is reflected in my actions... I have seen the face of "others" and it is built into our dna...and I have seen the face of responisbility...it is in our mirrors,

[vetalalumni]

Sorry for my belated reply. I've been away for months, busy with other things.

...


Glad you replied humanmachinery. As usual, you convey good intentions. Don't go changin, etc...

Reading more, and replying less on DYes these days. I too receive ample criticism regarding how I communicate. Actually, some of the same criticisms you alluded to in your post # 49. Nobody is perfect right?

Met Juan Williams twice and Cornell West once. And a distant relative knew Judge Higginbotham.

Let's make a deal humanmachinery. If you resume contributing more to various threads, I'll do the same. Silly idea, but it provides an incentive.

Has blksoul_x been around on DYes lately?

[terryh]

Great rythm music and dancing in those vids..I liked those sexy black babes slippin and slidin around the dance floor...very sexual..glad I was able to experience black women...back then it would have been VERY difficult in AmeriKKKa for a white guy to hook up with a black chick...:D:p:)

[Ravine]

"..glad I was able to experience black women..."

And we're all glad for you, Terryh, if I may be so bold as to speak on behalf of the group and ourselves.

I hope it was a quality experience. Was there, like, 3-D glasses involved, or anything? Or was it like an amusement park water ride... you just hop in, secure your harness, and soon, *blooooshh!!* down you go?
Or were they, basically, pretty much like women in general, only a bit darker of skin?
For that matter, was there anything more to them, as people, other than (I'm guessing; humor me, por favor) being bubbling cauldrons of torrid sexuality?
I acknowledge, and pre-apologize for, the fact that some of these questions may seem kind of personal, but somebody's got to personalize the tone, here, goddamit.

But it's so good to know that it's really you, Terryh, and not some infidel imposter from, well, you know.

[Pam]

I hope it was a quality experience...


You actually believe all his stories? I'm doubtful.

[terryh]

"..glad I was able to experience black women..."

And we're all glad for you, Terryh, if I may be so bold as to speak on behalf of the group and ourselves.

I hope it was a quality experience. Was there, like, 3-D glasses involved, or anything? Or was it like an amusement park water ride... you just hop in, secure your harness, and soon, *blooooshh!!* down you go?
Or were they, basically, pretty much like women in general, only a bit darker of skin?
For that matter, was there anything more to them, as people, other than (I'm guessing; humor me, por favor) being bubbling cauldrons of torrid sexuality?
I acknowledge, and pre-apologize for, the fact that some of these questions may seem kind of personal, but somebody's got to personalize the tone, here, goddamit.

But it's so good to know that it's really you, Terryh, and not some infidel imposter from, well, you know.actually Ravine I was always attracted to women of color...of course the 'black' women I dated were as indivual in personality as any other female I guess...the tones...physical forms...certain cultural behaviours..I dont know if it was a subconcious stereotype on my part whatever it was it was exciting.....I think many black women tend to exude a certain blatant sexuality on the dance floor...

[terryh]

You actually believe all his stories? I'm doubtful. Actually they are true Pam...several white females I dated were FURIOUS when they seen some of my pics of black former girlfriends....I was glad it bothered them they were arrogant anyways..:D;):)

[Pam]

Actually they are true Pam...several white females I dated were FURIOUS when they seen some of my pics of black former girlfriends....I was glad it bothered them they were arrogant anyways..:D;):)

It's the internet, anybody can claim anything. I'm doubtful of the whole superstud story, whatever race the women were supposed to be.

[Detroitej72]

It's the internet, anybody can claim anything. I'm doubtful of the whole superstud story, whatever race the women were supposed to be.

Ouch, that's got to sting!

[Pam]

Ouch, that's got to sting!

Oh come on, I could have been a lot harsher.

[Ravine]

Pam doesn't buy everything being peddled at this here flea-market.
I was toying, a bit, with Terryh, but I wasn't entirely kidding. No woman of any substance wants to be thought of as being interesting because she is of a particular racial makeup, and stereotyping black women as being some species of Red Hot Mamas whose veins throb with extroverted carnality is just as fucked up as thinking of Asian women as being inscrutable geisha girls.

[Detroitej72]

I was toying, a bit, with Terryh, but I wasn't entirely kidding.

I know what you mean. When I first read his remark, I thought, oh uh, open mouth and insert foot.

It's been awhile since we read about his libido, guess it was a long time in coming.

[terryh]

Not trying to convey superstud just saying Ive always been open minded and free sprited for the most part...anyways Ill stay on subject as far as the black and proud thing if it helps uplift individuals who feel disenfranchised ,picked on and marginalized is o.k. so long as being proud of the black 'race' doesn't include the condoning of discrimination and segreagation of the 'races'.....make sense?

[East Detroit]

Is Pam a jilted woman from terryh's past?

[Ravine]

OK, Terryh, I'm not wanting you to get in any more trouble, here.

You mentioned open-mindedness and marginalization. I believe that you are open-minded, and that you are against the marginalization of any person, or group, because of their race. Why would I disbelieve it? "Innocent 'til proven guilty" still works, at least for me.

Just think about this, if you will indulge me (for real, this time.)

Your original post, with its implicit leering, conveys a sense that your libido is stimulated by saucy black women whose dance style is notably uninhibited. Cool. Mine, too. Why would it not be?

But that is different from having an open mind; that is more like having a, well, you know, one of those, that is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Additionally, while your statement doesn't marginalize black women, or blacks in general, it sort of does something similar; it blatantly objectifies black women, and when you view folks as objects, you-- in a sense-- marginalize them, because Homo Sapiens is a group of actual living, feeling beings who have much more to them than merely their bodies and the ways in which they may sinuously undulate those bodies. When you view them in an objectifying manner, you disrespect them.

So, if you are the socially evolved, free-thinking person that you present yourself as being, I think that you should give that some thought.

And I'm not making you out to be a Bad Guy, or a shit-head. If I felt that way, I wouldn't have this much to say to you.

[Pam]

Is Pam a jilted woman from terryh's past?


No. I'm not his type.

[313WX]

Soul and R&B were replaced in transition by Disco, then Pop, then Rap and Hip Hop.

I loved the 60s-70s

Watched an old Dirty Harry movie, a few weeks ago, I always liked the scene where Tyne Daly waits for Clint Eastwood to finish talking to leader of that black revolutionary group.

Angela Davis, when have you gone?

Sorry,

:(

Soul/R&B pretty much split into two pathways. Artists like the Sugar Hill Gang helped split the pathway.

There's the hip-hip/rap that we here today, then there's the songs by artists such as Jill Scott, Angie Stone, Dwele, Eric Benet, etc. which still contain that soulfulness.

[terryh]

OK, Terryh, I'm not wanting you to get in any more trouble, here.

You mentioned open-mindedness and marginalization. I believe that you are open-minded, and that you are against the marginalization of any person, or group, because of their race. Why would I disbelieve it? "Innocent 'til proven guilty" still works, at least for me.

Just think about this, if you will indulge me (for real, this time.)

Your original post, with its implicit leering, conveys a sense that your libido is stimulated by saucy black women whose dance style is notably uninhibited. Cool. Mine, too. Why would it not be?

But that is different from having an open mind; that is more like having a, well, you know, one of those, that is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Additionally, while your statement doesn't marginalize black women, or blacks in general, it sort of does something similar; it blatantly objectifies black women, and when you view folks as objects, you-- in a sense-- marginalize them, because Homo Sapiens is a group of actual living, feeling beings who have much more to them than merely their bodies and the ways in which they may sinuously undulate those bodies. When you view them in an objectifying manner, you disrespect them.

So, if you are the socially evolved, free-thinking person that you present yourself as being, I think that you should give that some thought.

And I'm not making you out to be a Bad Guy, or a shit-head. If I felt that way, I wouldn't have this much to say to you.Fair enough Ravine. Many women of color Ive known have expressed a negative view ofAmerican men of African decent, and seem to seek out white men as a payback to white females for running off with black men...Ive never EVER have been scolded by an 'ethnic' woman for my views and perceptions, more often that not they were flattered by the attention...isnt it in our nature to objectify the oppostie sex regardless of race? We view them as sexual beings, procreate and reproduce.

And Ravine if Im being a bad guy or shit-head feel free to call me out on it :)Im thick skinned and open to criticism....

[Ravine]

"Many women of color Ive known have expressed a negative view ofAmerican men of African decent, and seem to seek out white men as a payback to white females for running off with black men..."

No doubt. And that is objectifying behavior, as well. Being a black woman, or any other make & model of Homo Sapiens, does not provide an exemption or a Free Pass of any kind.
At least you are up-front about this topic, and you absolutely do not come off, at least not in my view, as being a Bad Guy or a shit-head. Not at all. You like what you like. Why not? It is your way of referring to them that is potentially alienating.

"Ive never EVER have been scolded by an 'ethnic' woman for my views and perceptions, more often that not they were flattered by the attention..."

Yeah, probably because they just plain Dig The Attention and-- like so many women-- don't over-question the reasons behind that attention. Guys do the same thing, of course, and all of that directly feeds into why so many folks, of all colors and genders, wind up with people with whom they do not belong. In this case, the "novelty" of the race-difference wears off, over time; after a while, the other person is just a woman (or a man) whose actual personal qualities will either continue to charm, or cease to charm, their partner.

Further: Yeah, objectification is something that we all have a tendency to do, with other folks, particularly with the other gender. Unfortunately, while it provides a viable starting point for a male-female relationship, it doesn't provide a game plan that will see the couple past half-time and into the fourth quarter, for the reason I mentioned: the novelty wears off.

One last thing: If, as you conjectured, black women are going out with white guys because they are pissed off at black guys, and/or because they are pissed off at white women, that sorta means that within the male/female - black/white "spectrum," white guys "win out" not because of who they are, but because of who they are not.

And, if you end up with a woman partially because of who she is pissed off at, believe me, buckaroo: eventually, she will find a reason to be pissed off at you, too.

[Pam]

and you absolutely do not come off, at least not in my view, as being a Bad Guy or a shit-head.


Guess you missed that post in the past where he said women were only good for sex and housework. (I think that was Terry, but it could also have been Perfectgentleman, Craigd or Sstashmoo. Apologies to Terry if I am remembering the wrong caveman.)

[Ravine]

I don't remember such a post. I'll leave it up to Terryh to claim, or disavow, that one.
In the meantime, I will stick to my statement, although maybe I should amend the ending of that sentence to, "...or any more of a shit-head than are the rest of us humans."

In any case, while I do not know the source of that "sex & housework" comment, I certainly hope that the statement, itself, is false, because godnose that if it is true, the extended meaning is that about 85% of womankind is not good for anything at all, whatsoever.

[Jimaz]

godnose?

Severely depressing thread title, BTW. It could have been so much more constructive if it were reworded.

[terryh]

No. I'm not his type.Opposites attract!;):D

[LeannaM]

I don't know if Blacks are less proud to be black today. Perhaps society just doesn't care as much about who is Black or who is white anymore. Perhaps one reason Blacks developed a distinct culture was because they were fighting for their rights. They wanted to have their own culture and something to bind them together. Anymore, you don't have segregation or Jim Crow laws. In most places, Blacks and whites congregate together, whether it be on church, school, the store.

Maybe in the 1940s Black kids grew up with other Blacks and went to school with other Blacks, so the culture they developed was Black culture. Today schools are generally more diverse, so Black kids (depends on the school and the area) grow up with Hispanics and whites and Asians. So, why would kids want to develop a culture that their non-Black friends could not be a part of?

I think culture has homogenized somewhat, but perhaps that's a good thing. Maybe we are not as divided by our differences as we used to be. Nothing wrong with Black culture or any other kind of culture, but maybe it just doesn't develop as easily as it used to, since people are all mixed together.

I mean, what are Black kids fighting against today? I'm sure there is still some discrimination somewhere, but not like it was decades and centuries ago. They may be fighting against Economic Discrimination, but not Racial discrimination to the point that their parents, grandparents, and generations before them felt.

Just my perspective of it.

[Ravine]

So how is the weather, in France? Looking forward to that whole "April In Paris" thing?

[MickeyMac]

I black and I am still proud!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[terryh]

The concept of being 'cool':cool: evolved in black American culture as did the musical institutions of Jazz and the Blues, without which we would not have been graced with the Beatles and Rolling Stones who were influenced by American blues and jazz artists....

[cinthb]

Individualism is the opposite of myopia.

Socialism is actually the opposite of individualism.
Taking is opposite of assimilating.
Revolution however is both the opposite, and proponent of death.

Do something together, or don't bother.

[gibran]

we stand on the shoulders of giants...we owe so much to so many....the strength of our country is in it's diversity....if you look at it as a cable (with lives and experiences interwoven) you can break a plate of steel easier than the strength of the cable....diversity is the cable of our future..so be proud and loud, but be humbled at those who care for all ....