12 Years A Slave - A Brutally Honest Truth!!

 

"YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH!!!!"

 

...Or, so said the Jack Nicholson character in A Few Good Men.

Well America, TRUTH has been served with all the trimmings. And, we'll see how your taste buds respond to the bitterness. Prepare yourself for the most heartrendingly honest and agonizingly vivid depiction of slavery ever portrayed on the silver screen.

This film is a dramatic adaptation of the 1853 historical autobiography Twelve Years a Slave written by Solomon Northup. Directed by Steve McQueen and screen-written by John Ridley, the film magnificently describes the turbulent trials of Northup, a free Black citizen of New York, who was kidnapped in the shadow of the nation's capital, sold into slavery and transported to Louisiana to live in perpetual torment for 12 horrific years.

The book itself is masterfully written in an elevated prose reminiscent of Dubois' The Souls of Black Folk. In the age of tweeting and texting, 12 Years stands as a 19th Century triumph of linguistic dexterity putting the average American college graduate of today to shame.  In describing a particularly barbaric slaver, Northrup pens:

"Yet to speak truthfully of Edwin Epps would be to say -- he is a man in whose heart the quality of kindness or of justice is not found. A rough, rude energy united  with an uncultivated mind and an avaricious spirit, are his prominent characteristics. He is known as a "nigger breaker," distinguished for his faculty of subduing the spirit of the slave, and priding himself upon his reputation in this respect, as a jockey boasts of his skill in managing a refractory horse. He looked upon the colored man, not as a human being, responsible to his Creator for the small talent entrusted to him, but as a "chattel personal," as mere live property, no better, except in value, than his mule or dog...He could have stood unmoved and seen the tongues of his poor slaves torn out by the roots -- he could have seen them burned to ashes over a slow fire, or gnawed to death by dogs, if it only brought him profit. Such a hard, cruel, unjust man is Edwin Epps...Ten years I toiled for that man without reward. Ten years of my incessant labor has contributed to increase the bulk of his possessions. Ten years I was compelled to address him with down-cast eyes and uncovered head -- in the attitude and language of a slave. I am indebted to him for nothing, save undeserved abuse and stripes."

After reading the book, I was skeptical the filmmakers could muster the courage to give cinematic clarity to the unmitigated inhumanity blanketing the pages of Northrup's masterpiece. Well, congratulations, Messrs. McQueen and Ridley! You have accomplished a monumental feat in visual storytelling...as convincingly as 12 years of captivity and debasement at the hands of the brutish, the beastly, and the ignorant could be told in the span of two hours.

Chiwetel Ujiofor delivers a tour de force performance as Solomon Northup. Michael Fassbender and Sarah Paulson are also magnificent as the villainous Master and Mistress Epps. But, who can remain unmoved by the unrelenting torment, treachery and turmoil heaped upon poor Patsy played by Lupita Nyong?  The youth and innocence of Patsy stole our hearts...leaving us in tears at her unfathomable plight. Our hearts having been stolen, perhaps Nyong's spellbinding performance will steal the Oscar.

Morgan Freeman stated that he was reluctant to see the film because, "I don't want my anger quotient exacerbated..." In a backhanded compliment, another reviewer referred to 12 Years as,  "the film for folks too smart for The Butler." Due respect to those distinguished gentlemen, but I think their statements are both flippant and misguided!!

Mark Twain once said, "A man need be reminded much more often than he need be instructed."  Accordingly, this film serves as a vividly brilliant reminder! It gazes into our brutal past equipping us with insight through hindsight. That insight  clears our vision to see seeds of ignorance and intolerance sprouting in our very midst. If that insight makes movie goers "too smart," then thank goodness! You see, Mr. Freeman, I'm much more concerned with the "intelligence quotient" than the "anger quotient." In fact, intelligence is often an antidote for anger. (Take a hint Tea Party.) 

As the hauntingly evocative soundtrack continues to echo in my head, thoughts drift back to Patsy....that tragic soul exemplifying the fate of so many enslaved African women...last seen staring despairingly as her former comrade strides toward freedom...and she remains mired in thralldom not so far from New Orleans' frolicking French Quarter.

 

In my personal "production," I imagine one song added to the soundtrack, "Le Front Caché sur Tes Genoux" by Cecile McLorin Salvant.  Salvant is a 23 year-old Miami born jazz vocalist of French and Haitian descent. "Le Front Cache sur Tes Genoux" is loosely translated as "the hidden face on your knees." It is a sorrowful tune which, although sung in French, reaches back and borrows the voice of those enslaved Africans whose faces are forever hidden...forced to their knees, if not by the lash, most certainly in prayer.

In my actively optimistic imagination, Patsy finally escapes the cruel clutches of slavery, secures her "freedom papers" and finds her way to a stage in the French Quarter... telling her story through Salvant's song... and renaming it, "Patsy's Theme."

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ka6kxDPCd5E

...and at a table in the corner of that dimly lit groggery sits Solomon Northup, eyes transfixed and heart overflowing...he proudly and loudly proclaims "Now, THAT is the TRUTH...the whole TRUTH...and nothing but the TRUTH!"

HANDLE IT!

Until we rendezvous...


Peace!!

Algebra...."I do dis, yeah!!!"

Every now and then simple arithmetic just won't do!! Complex lives...complicated people...compound problems...we need complete solutions, right? Well, it's time for some higher learning.

Maybe we all can't master Trigonometry, Calculus, or Physics. But, Algebra...you can do dis, yeah!!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lELxn-WxdYQ

 

 



That's hot, Algebra!!  Keep bringing "the learnin' and the burnin'."

Until we rendezvous...


Peace!!

L.............LO.............LOV.............LOVE!!

Art by: Susan Marie Olmetti

 

 

Isn't it funny that you're sometimes strangely stricken with an old memory...a place...a person...a situation...a song.  The Universe has its way of communicating the essentials of life.  I awakened this morning with a song on my mind...humming and singing the words I could remember (out of tune, of course). LOL

 





 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIKC2ggCed4 

 

In my humble opinion, whether you are religious, non-religious, or merely spiritual, LOVE is really what makes life worth living.  Allow it to embody your essence and move you to care more deeply for others. If that makes you different, so be it. Nod your head to that distant drumbeat and shake a leg to a remote rhythm.

 

"And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music." Friedrich Nietzche

 

Shhhhhhhh....can you hear the music?

 

Until we rendezvous,

 

 

Peace!!



In America, a Royal Persecution...In Britain, a Royal Birth!!!

The juxtaposition of the royal birth in Britain and the royal persecution of Trayvon Martin in Florida is somewhat dizzying. 

Imagine Michelle Obama giving birth to a little Black boy while President Obama is serving in the White House.  Certainly, the young Obama would begin with many more privileges than the typical American child, Black or White. But, would young Obama be on schedule to inherit over a billion dollars as Kate and William's baby is predicted to inherit? Would he be immediately regarded as "His Royal Highness?" And, would he (the Black child of the President) be able to look forward to walking the streets of America without immediately raising suspicion of criminal intent? The answers to these questions are undoubtedly, No.

I understand, Britain is a constitutional monarchy and British royalty serve a merely ceremonial or symbolic role. But, to the degree that national symbols are important in affecting societal norms, enhancing national or group pride, and highlighting things upon which the nation places great value, the world-wide attention paid to the "royal baby" speaks volumes about how Britain feels about its young boys.  And, the symbolism of the Zimmerman verdict speaks volumes about the value placed on young Black boys in America.

All little British boys can see themselves valued as little "Princes," while little Black boys in America are encouraged to see themselves as "Paupers," "Prisoners," and "Pariahs" worthy of only suspicion and never receiving the benefit of the doubt. You see, in spite of all the privileges that accrue to being the son of a U.S. President, young Obama would lack the one privilege capable of protecting him on a dark street in Florida...white skin privilege.

So, forgive me if I'm seen meandering down the street with an unsteady gait. I'm not drunk, high on drugs or aimlessly looking for a place to burglarize. No, I'm just trying to regain my sense of equilibrium after witnessing America's bewilderingly disparate treatment of it's own young, Black Prince (Trayvon) vis-a-vis its reverence for the British "royal baby."

Mind you, on that fateful night in Florida, Trayvon was as innocent as a newborn baby!

STAND YOUR GROUND, STEVIE!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99gNYaz6YaM

Until we rendezvous...

Peace!!

Blood on the Leaves and Blood at the Root - Ode to Trayvon Martin

 

"The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

 Thomas Jefferson

On the night of February 26, 2012, the blood of Trayvon Martin and George Zimmerman spilled in the streets of Sanford, Florida.  While Zimmerman left the scene sporting only butterfly bandages, Trayvon spilled so much blood that he died tragically on that rain drenched street. Jefferson's "Tree of Liberty," parched from lack of nourishment, drank its fill that night!! But, in this real life Jeffersonian tragedy, who plays the role of Patriot and who plays the role of Tyrant?

Having some experience with it, I know that the criminal justice system is not necessarily equipped to provide the MORAL justice we seek. Why? Because the "system" often employs people ill-equipped to participate in it, and the laws supporting the "system" are often horrifically flawed.  State laws such as Florida's "Stand Your Ground" are often vile, ideologically motivated, and ill-advised. Prosecutors and/or defense attorneys are sometimes incompetent or inadequately resourced. Judges and/or jurors often harbor secret biases or prejudices. These biases are exacerbated by imbalanced jury pools heavily weighted against minority inclusion. Lack of minority inclusion is accomplished by insane drug laws which permanently strip minorities of the right to vote or serve on juries.

So, is it really surprising that Zimmerman was found "not guilty" by a nearly all-white, all-female jury incapable of relating to the plight of a Black teenage male, dressed in customary teenage clothing, innocently walking home from the store with tea and Skittles (while talking to his girlfriend on the phone) in a predominantly white neighborhood? Not really. The script was written, the scene was set, the lines were rehearsed, the actors were in place, and the die was cast long before the verdict was rendered. Final Scene: The victim, Trayon Martin, transformed into the scary, vicious, monstrous perpetuator.

 

Michael Vick kills dogs and gets jail time...Plaxico Burress accidentally shoots himself in the leg and gets jail time...Marissa Alexander, a Black Florida woman who fired a warning shot into the ceiling while being threatened by her husband, gets 20 years in prison...while George Zimmerman takes the life of an innocent teen, walks free and is returned the gun with which he does the dirty deed. The dutiful neighborhood watchman...free to racially profile, stalk and perhaps kill again!

But, the story shouldn't end there.  An epilogue is still to be written. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, "The arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice." He lived in a time when "southern justice" was criminal in its treatment of Black people. Obviously, King was speaking not about mere criminal justice, but moral justice. In a twisted and perverse way, the verdict delivered by the jury in the State of Florida vs. George Zimmerman may serve a higher purpose...the purpose of bending the arc of the moral universe more quickly toward true justice...a battle lost on the road to ultimate victory.

Zimmerman may have been judged criminally "NOT GUILTY," but he is morally RESPONSIBLE for the death of Trayvon Benjamin Martin!!

The Zimmerman verdict highlights a moral gap in America's views on race, class, culture, public policy, and criminal justice. I'm hopeful that it will serve to accelerate the closing of those moral gaps in our society. And while George Zimmerman and the other Tyrants of "gun culture" stand their ground inside "Castles of Paranoia," Trayvon Martin will take his rightful place alongside the many Patriots whose blood have nourished the roots and splattered the leaves of that precious "Tree of Liberty."

We should follow the dignified and elegant example of Trayvon's parents while heeding the President's call for calm reflection. Still, how  much more "Stange Fruit" must the "Tree of Liberty" be forced to bear?



...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4ZyuULy9zs

 

 

Until we rendezvous...

Peace!!

A Day of Honor for Those who Died in the Arena!!

 

 

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

 

When I served in the US Army, I was honored to have one of my soldiers personally create a piece of art for me bearing this, one of my favorite quotes. I proudly displayed this artwork until the day I left the military. 

 

I don't always agree with American foreign policy. In fact, I often disagree with it.  But on this day...and everyday...we must remember that soldiers aren't responsible for creating American foreign policy.  Soldiers aren't responsible for STRATEGY...they are responsible for employing the TACTICS which hopefully accomplish America's strategic goals. 

 

American soldiers are Black and White...Gay and Straight...Republican and Democrat...English speaking and Spanish speaking...Male and Female...Christian, Jewish and Muslim...Political and apolitical...God fearing and Atheist. 

 

When a soldier gets an order to go into a combat zone, he or she follows it.  And, that order may have been given by a President for whom he or she did not vote! But, the soldier follows that order.

 

All soldiers serve...all soldiers bleed...and many soldiers die!!

 

So on this Memorial Day, please take the time to reflect on those who have served and died for the rights and privileges which many take for granted.

 

Until we rendezvous...

 

Peace!!

 







"I am a Lesbian." (Updated 11-5-2013)

Chirlane McCray wife of NYC Mayoral Candidate Bill de Blasio

For those who aren't closely following the New York City mayoral race...ATENCION!!

Allow me to introduce CHIRLANE McCRAY… the most important spouse in the race for New York City.

Ms. McCray is the wife of candidate Bill de Blasio. Ms. McCray and her husband have been married for 19 years and have two beautiful children.

  

Mr. de Blasio is White and Ms. McCray is Black.  Mr. de Blasio is an avowed heterosexual.  In 1979, Ms. McCray wrote an article in Essence magazine proudly proclaiming:

"I Am a Lesbian."

She became an instant gay rights icon!!

You now understand some of the intrigue surrounding the current mayoral race. The plot is thickened by the fact that Christine Quinn, the first openly gay female to run for mayor of New York, is leading in most recent polls.

Life, being the messy complicated animal that it is, revels in presenting us with these irresistibly complex conundrums. So, the LGBT community is looking on with interest...the African-American community is doing likewise...ditto for Anthony Weiner who might have expected to garner great support from both those communities…and the Hollywood crowd is split in their allegiances.

I understand the philosophical quicksand that befuddles the minds of some in the LGBT community whenever a gay rights icon is perceived as "ex-gay." After all, it strikes at the heart of one of many arguments supporting the rights of gay Americans.

The LGBT community argues that being gay is not a "behavior." It is a "state of being.” It’s not simply a life choice, but it represents the very essence of one’s existence. Since the Constitution doesn't generally protect against ALL forms of discrimination but against "invidious" or unjustifiable discrimination, it gets tricky. Generally speaking, most illegal forms of discrimination are based on immutable or unchangeable characteristics…like skin color or gender, etc. Hence, Ms. McCray's perceived ”ex-gayness” could present a problem...in theory.

I believe every American should be treated equally before the law, period! I have no issues with gays, "ex-gays," gay marriage, or interracial marriage. But, I do have a problem with lying politicians! And, I'm always amazed at what politicians and their wives will say to get elected.

Ms. McCray avoids labeling herself as heterosexual, bisexual, or lesbian.  That's not a problem! No one should be forced to accept an unwanted label. However, she says that when she first met her future husband in 1991, the biggest obstacle to a relationship was NOT his race...NOT that he was a man and she was a lesbian (although she'd never had a relationship with a man), but that he was six years her junior.  How cute...but, Wha!!!!!

Listen…I really want to give Ms. McCray the benefit of the doubt.  I want to believe that, 20 years ago, she was simply one of the most openly progressive and forward thinking people in America. I want to believe that her traditional ideas about age trumped her non-conventional views on race and sexuality, but…

My elders wisely advised me that, “Every closed eye ain’t sleep, all ‘goodbyes’ ain’t gone, and everybody carrying a suitcase ain’t headed outta town.”  In other words, things aren’t always as they seem, and don’t believe everything you hear…especially coming out of the mouth of a politician…or his wife.

Ms. McCray, good luck to you and your husband in this race. I admire the courage you showed coming out as a lesbian in  '79 in the African-American community. I applaud your personal and professional accomplishments, and I support your right to live as you please. I advocate for the right of all Americans to pursue happiness in whatever way that doesn't harm others. 

But, Ms. McCray, don't stoop to typical political rhetoric, and please don’t insult my intelligence. Just sayin...

Until we rendezvous…

Peace!!

UPDATE!!!  Bill DeBlasio has been elected Mayor of NYC.  The first Democrat in 20 years! Therefore, Ms. McCray is the First Lady of New York!! Congratulations!! I wish you and your husband the best!  For those who find it important, although David Dinkins was the first Black mayor of NYC, Ms. McCray will be the "most colorfully hued" First Lady to occupy that lofty position.