“As an artist, you have to get outside of the concern with what other people think of what you do. I don’t do what I do to appease people. I do the opposite. I do stuff that makes you uncomfortable, that makes you get up and say ‘What are you saying? James, did you read… Continue reading Of Gods and Men
Category: Black History
Finding a Place Between the World and Ourselves
I had been anticipating Ta-Nehisi Coates’ book, Between the World and Me for all of three weeks. I must confess, I had not heard he was writing a book and I did not want to know too much of its content before reading it, in the same way that I detest previews and would rather watch… Continue reading Finding a Place Between the World and Ourselves
What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?
Delivered July 5, 1852; Corinthian Hall; Rochester, New York Mr. President, Friends and Fellow Citizens: He who could address this audience without a quailing sensation, has stronger nerves than I have. I do not remember ever to have appeared as a speaker before any assembly more shrinkingly, nor with greater distrust of my ability, than I… Continue reading What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?
A Necessary Start
The part of Florida I’m from is remarkably more like Mobile than Miami. From Grandma’s house, it’s a short drive to the Alabama border, the gateway to the Heart of Dixie. Riding in the backseat as kid, with Mom driving, I was always amused by the fact that, as we crossed that border, at some… Continue reading A Necessary Start
In Memoriam
To the black men—and women—who died fighting for a country they believed in, even if it didn’t believe in them, we give eternal thanks.
Remembering Selma
Fifty years ago, in March of 1965, thousands of people protested restrictions on the voting rights of black citizens in Alabama by marching from the town of Selma to the state capital at Montgomery, a distance of 54 miles. State and local police beat marchers unconscious and white militia groups attacked and killed participants, all… Continue reading Remembering Selma
OG: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
OG commemorates pioneering men of color throughout history. Do we really need to explain the acronym? Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (1750-1818), was a Haitian-born trader and pioneer, most famous for being the first non-Native American to settle in what would letter be named Chicago, Illinois. Du Sable established his farm and trading post near the mouth of… Continue reading OG: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
Making Black History: Aliko Dangote
Listed by Forbes as the richest man in Africa, Aliko Dangote is worth an estimated $21.6 billion. Rumored to have gotten his start on the strength of a loan from his uncle, the native of Nigeria is founder and CEO of the Dangote Group, one of the most diverse business conglomerates in Africa, dealing in… Continue reading Making Black History: Aliko Dangote