Follow the Yellow Brick Road...

Well, once again, I'm moving. I've finally got my url all set up over at www.uptownnotes.com. Also check out my more professional side at www.professorlewis.com
I'll migrate the other posts over at some point. When I do that, I'll activate the redirect script.

BHC: Black Women on Leading

This past week I had the opportunity to listen to Vincent Harding who is truly a living gem. He reminded me of many things, not the least of which was Ella Baker. After hearing multiple reactions to the debates and other discussions of Black leadership, I'm going to post a couple of thoughts here about leadership and Black folks. First, two scoops of Ms. Baker,

"I have always felt it was a handicap for oppressed peoples to depend so largely upon a leader, because unfortunately in our culture, the charismatic leader usually becomes a leader because he has found a spot in the public limelight. . .”

"There is also the danger in our culture that because a person is called upon to give public statements and is acclaimed by the establishment, such a person gets to the point of believing that he is the movement.”

Next is a excerpt from last year's State of the Black Union by the legendary Julia Hare as she breaks down Black relationships, leaderships, and a bunch of ish.

BHC: The Diaspora

“They talk about the failure of socialism but where is the success of capitalism in Africa, Asia and Latin America?” -Fidel Castro

BHC: Negro-American?

One ever feels his twoness-an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.
- W.E.B. Du Bois, Souls of Black Folk

BHC: A Black Woman's Smile

This video is a poem performed by Ty Gray El. I was forwarded it and thought it's a good watch. I'm embedding the video, watch it, then read my comment below please.







But what, besides "her man", makes the Black woman smile? I'm with 90 percent of the message, but the "Black man" come back and take responsibility ending was not my cup of tea. Your thoughts?

BHC: The tragedy of the Black Bourgeoisie

"The tragedy of the black bourgeoisie in America is not that it simply "sells out," since all bourgeois classes are prone to compromise their sovereignty in a crisis. It is rather that no class the world over sells out so cheaply as the American black bourgeoisie ..."
-Harold Cruse from The Crisis of the Negro Intellectual: A Historical Analysis of the Failure of Black Leadership

Black History - Contemporary

Each year, Black History Month is ushered in with mild fanfare from Black folks and Whites. As some of my students told me, "We probably don't need it anymore because we learned it all in school already." (Don't worry I took me about 2 minutes to blow that assertion out of the water) Still, I think it's important to contribute to the work that our ancestor Carter G. Woodson initiated. Black History has been and should be a living history. With that being said, I've decided to contribute to the project. All too often, we compartmentalize the utility of our history. "Teach the children their history so they know who they are(were)." History must apply to the contemporary contours of life. If it doesn't, we risk making Black history, the present, and the future a mockery. I'm creating a post category called BHC which stands Black History-Contemporary. These posts, in my humble opinion, reflect Black History but are pertinent in the contemporary day and age. For those reading, most will acknowledge Black history is relevant, but how do we agree on yesterday's meaning for today's relevance? The posts will be short, feel free to share you thoughts.