Carter Woodson (b Dec 1875-Apr 1950) Journalist, historian, author and father of Black History Month I've maintained a blog for years, despite not always having something to say. When Black History Month approaches, I feel a responsibility to write-- for sentence exercise, if nothing else. As I've gotten older and more comfortable with being a …
BHM #15: FIFTEEN WAYS OF LOOKING AT SHEA BUTTER IN RASHID JOHNSON’S WORK
"A POEM FOR DEEP THINKERS" INSTALLATION BY RASHID JOHNSON AT GUGGENHEIM, NY Knowing oneself begins from within; take a spoon of shea butter, the first medicine grown in nature years before any chemical you claim to understand. In a scene from the disturbing film, Unmoisturized Houses of the Damned1, houses vacant of Vaseline or simple …
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BHM #14 : RASHID JOHNSON
Rashid Johnson, Self Portrait as the Professor of Astronomy, Miscegenation and Critical Theory at the New Negro Escapist Social and Athletic Club Center for Graduate Studies, 2008. I am strongly attracted to visual art. I'm a poet with visual art dreams who can take an okay photo but can't draw or paint any better than …
Black History Month #: POEM FOR RECLINING FIGURES IN KEHENDE WILEY’S WORK
(Background: Young Tarantine, modelled by Babacar Mane. Foreground: Young Tarantine modeled by Mamadou Gueye) Taken by me at SFMOMA in 2023 When the Buddha became sick He asked his disciples to make for him a cushion within the bushes where he could simply lie down. He had the luxury of waiting for death’s ride --who …
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BHM # 12: I AM SOMEBODY
Martin Luther King, Jr. and Jesse Jackson, photo: Bob Fitch Jesse Jackson left us today. He was a longtime civil rights activist beginning his career adjacent to Martin Luther King, Jr. He was an politician and Baptist Minister. He was born in Greenville, South Carolina in October 1941 and died this morning in Chicago. He …
BHM #11: “I’M JUST GONNA LEAVE THIS HERE…”
44th President Barack Obama's portrait by artist Kehinde Wiley Happy Holiday. No writing on weekends, or holidays apparently. Just to note President #44 Barack Obama was born August 1961 and was president from 2009-2017. This gorgeous official portrait was painted by one of my favorite artists, Kehinde Wiley in 2018. Kehinde is from Los Angeles …
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BHM: #7 EKPHRASTIC RESPONSE TO ‘CRY’ / POEM FOR JUDITH JAMISON and ALVIN AILEY
Judith Jamison (b. May 1943- Nov 2024) from 'Cry' circa 1971. Judith Jamison, Dancer and Choreographer with the Alvin Ailey Dance Troupe Jamison was from Philadelphia and stood tall at 5' 10". For 'Cry' she had to be sewn into her custom costume Watch a staging of Cry choreographed by Alvin Ailey for Judith Jamison, …
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BHM #4: BOB MARLEY MANIFESTS LIGHTNING AT THE ONE LOVE FESTIVAL, 1978
One of the choir girls in my childhood church caught the Holy Spirit during service for the first time. "It was burning," she said surprised to be chosen and touched by hot fire stubbornly invisible and eternally curious. The Holy Spirit moves like a minister of smoke through the congregation, the church, touching people for …
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The Dirty Rat 