Uptown Notes

A tribute to Atlanta artist Charles Huntley Nelson

What Michael Jackson taught me about Social Justice

We remain in a moment where people are beginning to realize that the election of Barack Obama does not mean a Black political agenda, one in which race is central, will continue to be pushed into the public sphere. So the question becomes, who advances the concerns of the faces at the bottom of the well?

This post will not be a lofty tribute to Brother Malcolm, if you would like to see one like that, check it out here. This will be a call to action, because that is one of the things El Hajj Malik El Shabazz was about. Today is a National Day of Action to Stop the Execution of Troy Davis and today I saw a heinous video of a young teenager brutalized by the Police of Toledo. I do not doubt that Malcolm would have been disturbed to action by both. Let’s honor him by doing the work!

Slavery did not end, it’s just been updated in the form of human trafficking! Beneath you will find a video that I was recently emailed that features a song by Peter Buffet andAkon. The song is entitled, “Blood into Gold (Remix)” and was commissioned to heighten awareness of modern day slavery in the form of human trafficking. Human trafficking is a major problem throughout the globe, but flourishes in many places throughout the African Diaspora. Please spread the word and also visit www.istheresomethingicando.com to find out how to move from awareness to action!

Yesterday, at the age of 94, the unparalleled historian of the African-American experience John Hope Franklin passed away into the [...]

So yesterday I was all existential on twitter, which I rarely do, so today I’ll mesh them on my blog. I’m declaring this weekend “wellness weekend” because I was passed three events happening in NYC that stimulate the psychological, spiritual, mental, and physical. Most are free or low cost. Check them out!

Today is Biggie day. I let the man speak for himself. Rest in Peace.

A libation for our ancestor Malcolm X and two events uptown to commemorate the 44th anniversary of his assassination and entry into the ancestral realm.

Recently, I had the chance to check out one of my brothers weave his craft in the city. Marc Bamuthi Joseph is the truth. Read that again, the man is the truth! I have been familiar with Bamuthi’s musings and deeds since the mid-90s but his recent show The Break/s: A dream journal presented as a mixtape for stage, which headlined the Hip Hop Theater Festival demonstrates not only that he’s a great performer but that he is beautifully human. The battle for balance and transformation are beautifully captured in Marc Bamuthi Joseph’s piece The Break/s, more so than any other performance piece I’ve seen in years. Check it out at LOCATION until Saturday (1/18) in NYC at the New York Public Theater with Under the Radar or catch him on the road as he brings The Break/s to the nation.