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 #16: FIRST TIME WITH ROBERTA FLACK
ROBERTA FLACK b. Feb 1937 - Feb 2025 Roberta legendarily could play anything on piano and finally she played me. I knew her, heard her, but had not sat and really listened to her. She was a musical auntie I'd rarely visit; ubiquitous on radio and tv throughout my childhood, hers was music that sounded …
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 #9: AMBROSIA WYSINGER JONES of CHARM BEAUTY COLLEGE
Ambrosia Wysinger Jones (b Aug 1905 - Sep 1999) Business owner who established Charm Beauty College in Oakland My mother's currency was hair. Juanita Cagney remodeled elder's naps and sweat flattened loops into bread, milk, cigarettes. On weekends, our kitchen was a revolving door of women getting press and curls, perms, cuts. Sparrows couldn't match …
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BHM #8: SOMETIMES I FEEL LIKE A MOTHERLESS CHILD
Jazz Vocalist Par Excellence Jimmy Scott (b. July 1925-June 2014) Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child has always been with us. When I looked up its origin, there was none. One day, it stood up on his hind legs in the distance and wailed. Its origin is America itself. Its an old, traditional spiritual …
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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 #5: AN EKPHRASTIC POEM AFTER ARTIST AMY SHERALD
Planes, Rockets and the Spaces In Between (2018) by Amy Sherald There is a blue sky across the street from the end of the world a sky without center or capitol even the birds have deserted the horizon birds know better only a rocket dares reach toward the eternal without consideration of heaven. On the …
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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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BHM #2: OLA RAY (*WHEREIN THE WRITER REWATCHES MICHAEL JACKSON’S THRILLER BUT ONLY FOR OLA RAY)
Ola having tea on set of Michael Jackson's Thriller Consider Ola Ray / cover girl, model, Playboy centerfold, actress, monument to Black History. The God commissioned creme of her delicate and dreamy skin / a full galaxy thrives in her miracle reflecting eyes Ola Ray (b. 1960) as Classy Curl Model Attaché to male singers …
The Dirty Rat 