We have arrived at part two for the month of July in the Great Gas-Out. This Saturday - don't gas up - instead, gas-out. Let us continue our unified effort to make the corporations understand that it is our money that keeps them in business and it is our money that can shut them down. If we don't make them aware of that very fact, gas prices will continue to soar. This effort takes many months to make their receipts reflect a loss in profits, so please don't give up. Please inform your family, friends, and include a reference with any e-mail correspondence that you send.
No Gas On Saturday, July 26th, 2008
In an effort to prepare you for future Gas-Outs, here is a short schedule for the upcoming months:
August 23rd and August 30th
September 20th and 27th
October 18th and 25th
Solidarity and consistency are the keys to our success, and perhaps a return to the days when we could all afford to gas-up our vehicles. Here at The Renaissance, we thank your for joining us and hope that you will continue to support our efforts. Peace.
Finally!! I have something in Black arts and entertainment that I can feel good about. Stepping away from the barrage of negative images and derogatory stereotypes that are propagated by both black and white media outlets hails the National Black Arts Festival. The festival began in 1988 and is now celebrating it's 20th anniversary! What was originally a bi-annual event has evolved into a year round institution. The festival is a cultural celebration showcasing our diverse artistic talents in the areas of: dance, music, theater, film, literature, and visual arts. Its mission is “to develop, expose and educate audiences to the arts and culture of the African Diaspora and provide diverse opportunities for artistic and creative expression.”
Being an absolute fanatic over all things "indie" and loving to see my culture depicted in the glorious and positive light that makes me ever more proud to be a Black woman, I will be in definite attendance for as many events that I can squeeze into my schedule. I'm a bit dismayed that as I drive around my city and listen to the radio, I don't see very many advertisements posted nor do I hear much publicity given on the radio. It's a sad testament to our times when we are more apt to be exposed to culturally and racially demeaning images and words rather than those that are rich, uplifting and celebratory.
I'll be doing my part to practice what I preach, as regardshelping to build more positive images of Black America by becoming a member and only financially supporting the media and entertainment venues that depict me in the light in which I wish to be seen. As I take my foray into the festival and all it has to offer, I will take time out to highlight many of the events that I attend by commenting/reviewing and yes, posting pictures of them here.
The National Black Arts Festival will take place in Atlanta, GA July 18th-27th. Mark your calendars!
Once again, it is time to boycott the oil corporations, and flaunt our economic power. The boycott for this month will be:
Saturday, July 19th
and
Saturday, July 26th
Please do not make any gasoline purchases on those days. If you must do so, please do so sparingly. We must let the corporations know that it is our money that keeps them in business and it is our money that can shut them down. Without some type of input from the people, gasoline prices will continue to soar. We must tell our families, neighbors, and our cyber friends. Each time that you send an e-mail, send a link to this page , or to your page telling them about the project that is afloat. With your help, we can make much progress.
We are adding a new facet this month: progress report. If you find the time, please stop back on Sunday or Monday and let us know how you fared. Whether you succeeded or were forced to make a purchase, we'd like to know either way. We promise not to scold if you made a purchase. Sometimes, desire must fold to necessity.
If we all work together, and spread the word, we can make a difference. We thank all of those who have previously participated and we welcome those who decide to join us now. Peace.
As you may recall, this past weekend, I was “At Da Club” for the first time in many a year.In fact, it was the first time that I went and actually stayed until closing in an even longer amount of time.I realized that the club scene is no longer for me, but, even with that, it was a pleasurable outing:the women were gorgeous (albeit most too young for me), the music was loud, and the drinks were not “through the roof” expensive.I guess that I haven’t really said anything because just how expensive can a glass of ginger ale get to be?What club doesn’t attract women half my age?Notice that I said the music was “loud”.I can’t say that it was good.I recognized about ten songs out of about seventy, and the DJ, to me, hadn’t the foggiest idea how to spin.I absolutely love “Get Me Bodied”, by Beyonce, especially the video re-mix which is almost twice as long as the original.However, the song sounded like it was being sung by Alvin and the Chipmunks.The DJ failed to play the music at the proper speed.I’m glad to say that I didn’t dance, as I would have been tired after only one song, as fast as they were being spun.
Part of the allure of going to a club, is what happens after closing: standing outside watching the procession, as the party-goers leave the club.OK – watchin’ the honeys strut!You can do that inside the club, but, once you get outside, the lighting is better and you can really get a bird’s eye view of some of the finest women to walk the face of the earth.But, not here!!!We were not standing at the front of the club for more than two minutes before Philadelphia’s Finest showed up.They didn’t just show up, they showed out!!!
The club sits on a small street off the main thoroughfare with enough room for parking on both sides of the street, and room for only one car to get by at a time (a two-way street).In this small, short city block, there were no less than ten (10) police cars, parked all over the place.The officers got out of the cars with blackjacks in hands, ready to bust heads.They walked from one side of the street to the other, up and down, telling everyone to “Walk or be arrested”.Did I or did I not just explain the dynamics and beauty of standing by the front of the club after closing?You talk about putting a damper on things . . .I understand the concept: disperse the crowd which would produce less trouble.Had we all decided as one unit to “diva gaze” and “ab search” (for the ladies who wait outside), then, we may have been in violation of creating a public gathering without a permit.However, each of us who decided to stay and watch did so of our own doing and not at the urging of others, so if anything was violated, it was our civil rights.
Let’s leave MORGAN’S and head downtown.Center city Philadelphia has more clubs “per capita” than any other section, of any other city that I’ve ever had the pleasure to visit.I kid you not.Picture the block of Second St., between Market St. and Chestnut St. – that’s one city block.There are, at least, five (5) clubs and seven (7) bars on that one street.Add to that, Market St. on both sides of Second St., and Chestnut St. on both sides of Second St. – that would be approximately twenty (20) more clubs and bars.Traffic on Second St. is southbound and folks turn off Market St. onto Second St. - non-stop – until about 1:00am.The police block the street at that time, allowing only cabs to get through.You can still walk down the street, but driving is not allowed.
Ninety-nine percent (99%) of the clubs downtown are not minority-owned.I’ll bet that you can see the difference in MORGAN’S and the down town clubs already, can’t you?Well, there are no policemen with blackjacks in hand, telling folks that they will be arrested if they do not move along.There are no squads of police cars littering the area.There is one lone patrol car blocking half of the street so that only the cabs can pass.That’s the extent of crowd control in the area of the down town clubs.
Again – I can see the benefit of telling the crowd to move along: less potential for trouble.What I can’t fathom is the disparity between the manner in which people are treated in different sections of the city.I have stood outside the clubs down town without ever hearing a policeman tell me to move along.I have never witnessed a bevy of police cars in that section of the city for basic crowd control.
Those clubs, down town, are not minority-owned.
Did I mention that MORGAN’S is Black-owned, and has been since it opened over twenty years ago?
It sits in the heart of a section that we call Germantown, a Black ghetto.
If there are 1000 guests on any given night, no less than 999 of the patrons are Black.
It’s a Black club!
I guess that if the clubs are Black, that calls for “Black jacks”.Peace.
I hate, hate, hate to jump on the bandwagon!Unfortunately, everybody seems to be doing it, these days.It has come to be expected upon reaching certain blog pages.If it’s good for the goose, then, it must very well be good for the gander.Therefore, I present the first of many “wrap-ups”.I’ll make it a bit different by not so much wrapping up the events of the last few days, but, rather, simply adding a few thoughts to what has happened recently.OK – fine!!I’m jumping on the bandwagon!!There – I said it.
Impeachment – Like most of the country, I am all for the impeachment of G Dubya.If ever there was a person to whom I did not take a liking, it has been old G Dubya.Before we impeach Mr. Dubya, I think that we need to impeach someone else first – but quickly.That would be Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.She has, in no uncertain terms, decided that there will be no impeachment of G Dubya – at least not until after the general election in November.Rep. Kucinich took the time and effort to present as many facts as could be garnered, presented his impeachment motion, and Ms Pelosi and the remainder of the House, including those who voted in favor of the motion, sent it to a committee that is known for “killing off” a bill, motion, or idea.We can question why we elect these people into office, thinking that they will do our bidding.A wiser question is “Why do we continue to allow them to remain in office, if they are not doing our bidding?”
Discrimination – Colt 45 is at it again.I don’t mean the gun manufacturers – I’m speaking of the other African-American killer, the other producers of weapons of mass destruction – the malt liquor company.In Philly, as may be the same elsewhere in the U.S., we have a ton of murals throughout the city, depicting historic eras, celebrities, politicians, and just “plain old folk”.The murals were designed as a two-fold venture – to stop the senseless graffiti which had plagued our city throughout the years, and to bring forth education through the huge renderings.One of my favorites is the two- or three-story depiction of Julius “Dr. J” Erving.It is so detailed that it actually looks more like a photograph than a painting, and one that constitutes a spitting image of the man.I consider myself to be “up” on my Black history, but, I have come to find that I learn something from nearly every mural that I come across.
Now that Colt 45 has decided to add their two-cents into the game, I have learned something from their mural, as well.The company has no qualms about selling a product that is not only counter-productive to society, but, also dangerous to the body, mind, and soul of a human being.They have plastered a huge mural on the wall of the well-traveled Girard Avenue, depicting graffiti-type characters wielding Colt 45 cans and bottles high in the air.Several community groups have already spoken out against this discriminatory practice, and, there is no doubt in my mind that the mural will soon be removed.The message on the mural?“The Tales Of Colt45.com . . . works every time”.In smaller print it reads “Yo, enjoy our frosty malt beverages responsibly”.Walk through any suburban community and you will be hard-pressed to find one small ad depicting the benefits of drinking malt liquor, much less a larger-than-life mural on every other billboard.The sale of malt liquor is designated as a ghetto product and is marketed there and there only.I said that I have also learned from this mural, just as I have the other positive murals:genocide comes in many forms.
Music– I have already given you “La Factoria”.I ranted and raved about them for forever.If you recall, I had no clue as to what their message was – their music is sung in Spanish, which I don’t speak.I also said that I refuse to translate the words because they sound good and I’d hate to find out that the translations don’t sit well in my mind.I still listen to them everyday, and I still do not know meanings of the words.I do know the meaning of the word “harmonize”.If you check your “down wit it” dictionary for its meaning, you will most definitely find a picture of K-Ci and JoJo.Slide on over to Free Napster, and step back into time, a time when harmony was at an all-time high.The album, as well as the song, was “Tell Me It’s Real”.O-M-G!!!!!Not since the Persuasions has there been such a coming together of the forces of nature.Don’t stray too far.The next album is “Love Always” and the song is “All My Life”.If you were never a fan, these two songs alone might make a believer out of you.Go ahead – believe.
Are you sill on the Free Napster page?Good for you, because you know that I would not leave you hangin’ like that.Your eyes are probably getting weary from all of this reading so, here’s a little something that will make you get up out of your seat and make you dance a jig across the room.Guess what?It’s jazz!!Who woulda thought, huh?The group is called Us3, the album is Rare Requests, and the song is Cantaloop.I personally guarantee that if you don’t get up outta your seat and start dancing, I will double your money back!!Unfortunately, unless you are a member of Napster, as I am, you will not be privy to the re-mix that I listen to.It is Bebop at its best and it has a slice of Rap thrown in, and is topped off with some very unique scat thrown in for good measure.While you check that out, I’m gonna check out, ‘til next time.Peace.
