BHM Profile #4: Whitney Houston

“Whitney if you could hear me now, you weren’t just good enough, you were great. People just don’t like you Whitney, they love you.”- Kevin Costner 

Whitney Houston (1963-2012) 

(Click here for a nice list of Ms. Houston's best performances and here for a photographic retrospective)

"Great" - that's the only word that I can use to describe Ms. Whitney Houston; she was great.

I think that I'm too young to really remember Ms. Houston's tracks or impact on the music industry. I was not even born when her first two albums came out in 1985 and 1987. During the 1990s, I was too young to really understand her music; however, I knew Whitney Houston was great and one of the best singers around. The first time that I really recognized and appreciated her music was in 1998 when she and Mariah Carey came out with "When You Believe" - a truly epic song.

Although I knew Whitney was great, I was not aware of her rich musical background; in fact, I did not know that Aretha Franklin was her godmother or Dionne Warwick was her cousin.

Another thing that I really did not realize was how the manner in which Whitney Houston really transcended a lot of barriers. First off, in contrast to a lot of black artists who emerged in the 1980s, Whitney was a pop artist and not a R&B artist. This simply choice really took a lot of courage and Ms. Houston was really a trailblazer. Next, Whitney Houston was one of the first women of color to appear on Seventeen magazine: 

Here's the third way Ms. Houston paved the way for other black artists (and the one most relevant to my generation): she was one of the first African American female artists on MTV. The music video for Whitney's "How Will I Know" (1985) was released at a time when MTV still was not playing a lot of music by black artists. This track (and its music video) paved the way for black pop artists, such as Rihanna, be both pop and R&B artists:

Finally, as much as I love Marvin Gaye's version of the National Anthem, Ms. Houston's is the best and most definitive version ever sung: 

If there's one thing that I've learned from Ms. Houston, it's this: we need to live our own lives. I admire the way in which Whitney utilized her God-given talents and defined her own path. That's a simple, yet powerful lesson to take away from a phenomenal person.

Rest In Peace Ms. Houston. 

Reflections on the VMs

About an hour ago, I was in the audience watching Princeton students perform the Vagina Monologues... and I deeply appreciated the show.

Honestly, I never thought that I would be in the audience of the Vagina Monologues (VMs), but I was there for two reasons (1) I'm currently back in Princeton to spend time with my younger friends and (2) some of my good friends were involved with the production including M who closed the show with a very poignant, warm performance and S who served as its director.

As it turns out, viewing the VMs was a good experience. I had a few laughs and learned a few things. When we're watching a play, TV show, or movie we don't often consider that performance as a medium of communication i.e. a way to get a certain message across to an audience. While sitting in the Forbes College BlackBox, I learned more about the ways in which women around the world are oppressed. The one particular monologue that really spoke to me was called "The Holy Ones," which was written by my friend S. Prior to the this monologue, a member of the audience read a fact this fact about female infanticide in China. Although, I have heard about this tragedy before, this was the first time I really listened: in China, many mothers make the decision to kill their female children in order to spare them from a harsh life. "The Holy Ones" is a monologue in which two unborn female babies who were left to die in a hole (hence the title) speak to the audience about what is and what could have been. During this monologue, the lights were dimmed and the actresses playing the babies were delivering their line from offstage to communicate the fact that they were not with us. This was powerful stuff and it just spoke to me. While listening to the babies, I thought of Toni Morrison's novel Beloved and how Sethe choose to kill her baby daughter in order to spare her a life in slavery.

Powerful Stuff

To reiterate, I deeply appreciated the show and the performances. For me, great entertainment (no matter what the medium is) has the ability to both illuminate and educate; this performance of the VMs got it done. 

BHM Profile #3: The Funk Brothers

The Funk Brothers in the studio with a young Stevie Wonder.

The Funk Brothers (1959 - Present)


(Wikipedia has a nice article on the Funk Brothers here) 

"The Funk Brothers 'have played on more number-one hits than The Beatles, Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, and the Beach Boys combined.'" - opening lines to the 2002 documentary

It wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that every American born after World War II has heard a classic Motown song. Aside from R&B radio stations, Motown songs have been featured in commercials, movies, and even American Idol! There are certain songs that we just know by listening to the first few beats such as:

"What's Goin' On" Marvin Gaye

"Stop! In the Name of Love" The Supremes

"My Cherie Amour" Stevie Wonder

Some of the Motown hits (including those listed above) are timeless and are still played today, while others are less seldom known and still belong to those folk who grew up in the 1960s. Regardless of the individual popularity of each of these songs, Motown music (as a whole) was significant because it was the first widespread infusion of black music into mainstream, white American culture. Although black artists such as Ray Charles and Little Richard had previously charted top pop records, Motown was unique in the volume and frequency in which their artists topped the charts. More importantly, Motown was black-owned and black-operated from the label's owner, Berry Gordy to its house band, the Funk Brothers.

Consider this: The Funk Brothers provided the instrumentation on virtually every Motown record from 1959 to 1972. Let's say you decide to take 30 minutes to listen to a few of the biggest Motown tracks from this 13 year period. From this little exercise, it's likely you'll make two big observations (1) most of the tracks are no longer than three minutes long and (2) for the most part, they sound very similar. This was the Motown formula as perfected by The Funk Brothers. Moreover, The Funk Brothers had a signature sound that featured the following distinctive characteristics:

Two drummers playing together or overdubbing one another

Tambourines to accent the back-beat

Prominent and often melodic electric bass-guitar lines

Gospel-like call-and-response

Simple musical arrangements

No wonder Motown records sound so tight...

The Funk Brothers helped launched the careers of so many Motown artists including its biggest stars Diana Ross (and the Supremes), Stevie Wonder, and Marvin Gaye. Speaking of Mr. Gaye, it was The Funk Brothers who backed-up Marvin on his best and most influential album 1971's What's Going On. This album marks the first time that The Funk Brothers were actually credited for their contributions; prior to What's Going On, the band was left uncredited (hence the title of the exceptional 2002 documentary on The Funk Brothers, Standing in the Shadows of Motown).

In 1972, Motown moved its headquarters from Detroit to Los Angeles and this moved marked the end of The Funk Brothers involvement with Motown songs. This is important because there is one major Motown group that The (original) Funk Brothers never had an opportunity to work with: The Jackson 5. Furthermore, if you compare the Jackson 5's sound to that of let's say The Temptations, you'll find that there are significant differences.

So overall, more so than the chart-topping hits that played on, here is The Funk Brothers lasting contribution to American culture as put best by the legendary Smokey Robinson:

"Into the '60s, I was still not of a frame of mind that we were not only making music, we were making history. But I did recognize the impact because acts were going all over the world at that time. I recognized the bridges that we crossed, the racial problems and the barriers that we broke down with music. I recognized that because I lived it. I would come to the South in the early days of Motown and the audiences would be segregated. Then they started to get the Motown music and we would go back and the audiences were integrated and the kids were dancing together and holding hands."

The Beatles might have been the most popular band in the world during the 1960s, but they weren't the ones who provided the soundtrack for the American Civil Rights Movement and integration: that was Motown and more specifically, that was The Funk Brothers. Between 1959 and 1972, these men played on 86 #1 songs.

86 #1 Songs

And here are their names:

Joe Hunter (Pianist, and Band Leader)
Robert White (Guitarist)
Eddie Willis (Electric Guitarist)
Joe Messina (Guitarist)
James Jamerson (Bassist)
Benny Benjamin (Drummer)
Richard "Pistol" Allen (Drummer)
Jack Ashford (Percussionist)
Eddie "Bongo" Brown (Percussionist)
Johnny Griffith (Pianist and Keyboardist)
Uriel Jones (Drummer)
Earl Van Dyke (Keyboardist)
Bob Babbitt (Bassist)
Dennis Coffey (Guitarist)

And just in case you were wondering, here is my favorite Funk Brothers backed, Motown song:

BHM Profile #2: Curt Flood

"After twelve years in the major leagues, I do not feel I am a piece of property to be bought and sold irrespective of my wishes. I believe that any system which produces that result violates my basic rights as a citizen and is inconsistent with the laws of the United States and of the several States." - Curt Flood in a 1969 letter to MLB Commissioner Bowie Khan

Curt Flood (1938-1997)

(For an excellent summary of Curt Flood's battle for free agency click here)

After Jackie Robinson, Curt Flood is the most important figure in the history of professional sports in the United States. Whereas Jackie Robinson was the man who integrated baseball, Curt Flood was the man who made it possible for all baseball players (and eventually, by extension, all professional athletes) to become free agents and thus have greater control over their labor.

Prior to free agency, baseball had something called the "Reserve Clause" in place. The Reserve Clause effectively (1) gave ownership exclusive rights over a player for the duration of his career (2) kept salaries perpetually low because players could not negotiate with multiple teams and (3) forced players into retirement or other extenuating circumstances if he could not come to an agreement with his club. The Reserve Clause always gave ownership the advantage over players.

When Mr. Flood challenged the Reserve Clause (he did so because at the end of the 1969 season, he was traded to Philadelphia against his wishes) he was doing something very uncommon for black athletes and especially rare for black baseball players: activism against the institution. As much as I love Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, Ernie Banks, and Hank Aaron, none of these men really did as much for baseball (and other professional athletes) as Curt Flood. In fact, when Mr. Flood against Major League Baseball to the Supreme Court, no other active baseball player neither offered testimony on his behalf nor attended the trial. Maybe it's appropriate that Jackie Robinson was one of two retired players whom offered testimony (the other being Hank Greenberg).

Here was the outcome of the Supreme Court case of Flood v. Khun (as summarized in The Atlantic):

"In effect, the court ruled that yes, Flood should have the right be a free agent, but that baseball's antitrust exemption could only be removed by an act of Congress and that free agency for players should be attained through collective bargaining."

In 1976, the Reserve Clause was eliminated when "when pitchers Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally agreed to play a season without a contract" and an independent arbitrator declared the players to be free agents. The direct results of this event were threefold: (1) baseball salaries sky-rocketed, (2) attendance and TV ratings also sky-rocketed because of increased fan interest due to free agency and teams' ability to acquire premium players, and (3) other professional sports followed-suit in terms of eliminating their versions of the Reserve Clause and instituting free agency; however, this story does not have a "happy ending" for its protagonist.

Unfortunately for Mr. Flood, he never had an opportunity to benefit from free agency. After sitting-out for the entirety of the 1970 season, Curt Flood made his final Major League appearance on April 25, 1971 for the Washington Senators. During this time, Mr. Flood was despised by baseball fans and his fellow players for trying to "destroy baseball." Moreover, he received multiple death threats on a daily basis. Read this:

"As Miller had predicted, Flood never benefited from the revolution he helped begin. High-strung and sensitive, Flood had been a heavy drinker practically since the time he became a professional ballplayer, and by the early 1970s he was an alcoholic. His first marriage fell apart in the mid-1960s from the combination of alcohol abuse, long stretches away from home, and the animosities his unwavering Civil Rights stance inspired. After the Supreme Court decision, he was bombarded with hate mail from fans who accused him of trying to destroy baseball; his teammate Bob Gibson estimated 'He got four or five death threats a day.'"

"Flood left the country and opened a bar in Majorca, Spain, frequented by American sailors. Plagued by increasingly debt, including unpaid child support, and guilt that he had been a bad father, Flood was finally admitted into a Barcelona psychiatric hospital. His sister sent him the money to return to the U.S. In one of the most moving scenes in the documentary, journalist Richard Reeves says, 'Being with him at that time was like poking your finger in an open wound. He was a broken man and bleeding.'"

It would be years after the emergence of free agency that Mr. Flood experienced the recognition that he rightfully deserved. Curt Flood sacrificed so much for his fellow professional athletes and he suffered alone. One of the special considerations about this story is the manner in which Mr. Flood really "put himself out there" when other baseball players (black and white) did not. The overwhelming majority of ball-players (and this is an especial consideration for black players who were only 20 or so removed from Jackie Robinson and were still experiencing discrimination in many ways) did not want to risk losing what they had, even in the face of blatantly unfair treatment. I respect Curt Flood so much for standing up and sacrificing a stellar career for what he believed in. Mr. Flood's actions have immensely benefited every American who enjoys any type of professional sport  from athletes to fans to (ironically) owners and corporations.

Yet how many of us know his name or are aware of his contributions?

Could you imagine professional American sports without Curt Flood's contributions? Could you imagine the NFL, NBA, MLB, or NHL without free agency? I can't. 

BHM Profile #1: Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson

I want to do something special to celebrate Black History Month. A few days ago, I hinted in this blog entry that I was frustrated that a wider and more diverse array of black folk were recognized. And well, if I say this, then I have to do my part. This month, I am going to profile some of the black individuals and organizations whom efforts and contributions I believe to be understated. I'm just going to highlight amazing people from all walks-of-life and offer a few thoughts.

"You could feel her power in SNCC on a daily basis" - Matthew Jones, SNCC Freedom Singer

Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson (1942-1967)


(Please check out a good wikipedia about Ms. Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson here)


Raise your hands if you've heard of a group called SNCC - the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Now raise your hands if you're familiar with either John Lewis or Stokely Carmichael? How about this: How many of you have heard of Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson?

Before I took a class on the Black Power era in college, I had never heard of this awesome lady. And the reason I call her awesome is that she was really a "bad-ass" lady! As SNCC's first female Executive Secretary, she instituted a "jail, no bail" policy, which meant when a SNCC member was arrested in a demonstration, he or she would not be bailed. Prior, to the implementation of jail, no bail, older members of the black community would gather funds to post bail for jailed SNCC members, but eventually, this practice became burdensome for the community. Ms. Smith-Robinson's effort demonstrates true concern for the people and a spirit of sacrifice. Moreover, it would be one thing if she simply created and implemented this policy; however, she actually lived it. Read this:

"On February 1961, students used the "jail, no bail" tactic, serving jail for 30 days after getting arrested in Rock Hill, South Carolina for participating sit-in of honoring the anniversary of Greensboro. Once she joined the Freedom Riders, she immediately took part of a ride that was going from Nashville, Tennessee to Montgomery, Alabama in May 17, 1961. However, she was violently attacked and was beaten in Montgomery, and was arrested in Jackson, Mississippi for traveling inflammatory. After the arrest, She used “jail no bail” by accepting 45 days in Parchman State Prison"

If that isn't leadership, then I don't know what is.

It takes a special type of person to be able to work "behind the scenes." For everything that John Lewis and Stokely Carmichael did in the public sphere, I can imagine that Ms. Smith-Robinson had to do twice as much. She was the main logistical mind behind SNCC as well as an active participant in many of the sit-ins and freedom rides. I really don't think that Ruby Doris gets the credit or recognition that she rightfully deserves and this might be in large part due to the blatant patriarchy that existed within SNCC, particularly during Carmichael's leadership. In any case, I just want to say that I appreciate Ruby Doris Smith-Robinson's contributions and life.

What Does Black History Month Mean To Me?

What does Black History Month Mean To Me? 


A lot...

In the broad, overarching sense, black history is at the core of American history. One could not tell the story of America without featuring black folk as essential players i.e. their contributions, struggle, and ultimately perseverance; however, this country's history has been told without giving African Americans due credit. When historian Dr. Carter G. Woodson established "Negro History Week" back in 1926, he noted that blacks' contributions to American history "were overlooked, ignored, and even suppressed by the writers of history textbooks and the teachers who use them." It's in Dr. Woodson's original purpose, to better acknowledge the richness of black contributions to our country, with which I most agree and value. Furthermore, it's essential that kids are able to learn about who they are and the deep legacy which they inherit.  

When I was in elementary school, I couldn't really appreciate black history because it was framed as a story of "victimization." Looking back on my early encounters with my history as it was taught in public schools, the lack of detail or multiple perspectives greatly hampered my outlook; I thought black history was embarrassing (it pains me to type these words). Think about it like this; I would summarize my early understanding of black history in three statements: 

1. Black people were slaves to white people. 

2. Black people were segregated from white people and were treated unfairly. 

3. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. came around and made everything better; now we're all equal.  

I also learned about other historic African American figures such as Harriet Tubman, Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington, Jackie Robinson, and Rosa Parks. Basically, I was taught about who these people were, the obstacles they faced/overcame, and their contributions to black people... not American society overall, but just black people (that was the way it felt). After February, it felt as though these folks either disappeared as their posters were taken down or I wouldn't hear about them again until next year. A lot of this exposure to African American history felt like "lip service," but at home, it was definitely a different story. 

My parents grew up totally in blackness. Both my mother and father grew up in a racially divided 1960s and 1970s Washington D.C. and lived a lot of what I was learning in school. I remember my Dad telling me about seeing Dr. King in church as a little boy or my mother mentioning how she used to see James Brown in the Howard Theater for a Saturday afternoon matinee show (mind-blowing). My parents knew about the watered-down version of black history taught in my school and attempted an intervention of sorts by trying to teach me more, but I wasn't ready. At a young age, I wasn't ready to absorb and understand the complexity of the black experience - the pain or the joy. 

It wasn't until I participated in the W.E.B. DuBois Scholars Institute (essentially a nerd summer camp for minority scholars with an emphasis on African American history) in 2004 that I truly began to study and really appreciate black history. At this time, I was more mature and ready to take in the complexity of blackness. I enjoyed learning about different, and in my opinion, more interesting black historical figures including W.E.B. DuBois, Ida B. Wells, and of course Malcolm X. It was at the Institute that I learned that a people's history can be tragic in the atrocities, yet beautiful in the perseverance and triumphs. 

Today, I have a more favorable opinion of Black History Month. I am glad that it exists in that it increases awareness, but agree with the popular sentiment that by no means should the study or celebration of black history be limited to a single month; it needs to be an ongoing process. I hope that schools don't stop (or decrease) exposing kids to black history because it's no longer February. Also, I deeply dislike how commercialized this month has become - just look around. 

If I had one wish for the future of Black History Month, it would be this: More exposure for the efforts of some of the less recognized figures of African American history - that would be great!

Believe it or not, my favorite historic African American figure to study is  the first black World Heavyweight Champion Jack Johnson: his story is deep.