The New Americulture

The Great Willie Bester

2010-05-15T10:16:00.000-07:00

So perhaps there has been a bit of a misnomer. Using, "The New Americulture," as a title may be too strong of a statement.

The world is so much larger than America, isn't it? In my American foolishness, sometimes I forget.

Yesterday, I visited the Detroit Institute of Arts and I discovered a new favorite artist. It is a beautiful experience to walk into a room and be moved by the thoughts and expressions of people you have never met. To understand, misunderstand and not understand the creation and construction of artists.

What would the world be without great art? Without art -- perhaps it's greatness is implied and stating so would be redundant.

Welcome to the world of Willie Bester. Enjoy.

Please visit Willie Bester at http://www.williebester.co.za/.

Great Lyricists: Adam Falkner

2010-02-27T10:57:00.000-08:00

At some point, everyone needs a push, a bit of encouragement. There are critics who ask, What good can poetry do? Or, what difference can poetry make?

Sometimes, even writers begin to question what difference any of their efforts make. Until later, you stumble upon the teacher-poets. These spoken-word artists, these writers are inspiration personified. And their works of honesty, transparency and truth makes you want to get off your ass and do something. Anything. Write. Speak. Yell. Scream. Teach. Learn.

Begin again.

If you follow a poet long enough, even from a distance you will witness the miracle of growth. Falkner, and many of the poets who he inspired and those he was inspired by, is the exhibit of growth and the possibility of change.

Please Visit: http://louderarts.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=248:adam-falkner&catid=37:poet

The Talent of Black Violin

2010-02-18T05:45:00.000-08:00

There are artists in the world who are bridge builders. These artists bring together centuries of artwork, blending their own talent with what people love and yearn for. Those that can master the universal language, music, are able to speak across boundaries from the classical world into hip hop culture.

Black Violin consist of two emensely talented men. If you have the opportunity, you should definitely see them live. Whether through electric or traditional violins, their vibrato will slip beneath your skin and move you -- demanding your attention and respect.

There are those who say that the power of hip hop lies in it's ability to, "demand an instant affirmative." As soon as the beat drops, you begin to nod your head.

Black Violin makes the demand. Yes! When they begin to play, you immediately begin to bob your head to the hip hop rhythms. And after awhile you'll realize -- wait, this is classical.

It's both. It's a beautiful unison.

Please visit Black Violin at: http://blackviolin.net/

The Truth of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

2010-02-15T13:25:00.000-08:00

There is a beautiful generation of writers publishing all over the globe, demanding the attention of people of all ages, backgrounds, desires and interests. Adichie is one of the writers whose fierce realism and poetry-embedded prose is leading a literary movement that redefines what beauty is and why it must be noticed, appreciated and preserved.

http://blackbookshelf.blogspot.com/2009/08/31-thing-around-your-neck.html

http://blackbookshelf.blogspot.com/2007/12/beauty-of-sun.html

Please check out Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie at: http://www.halfofayellowsun.com/

Great Lyricists: Long Hairz Collective: Joe Reilly, Will Copeland & Brian Babb

2010-02-13T02:16:00.000-08:00

There are artists, and there are activists. In divine order, there appears those who are destined to be both. These artivists are a beacon of light for each person who encounter them.

These artivists are the peace makers.

These artivists are the feminists.

These artivists are the dream.

Once I read, "I am the culmination of my ancestors dream." These words uttered and etched by Alice Walker are the embodiment of now. We all are the culmination of a dream once believed unseen.

The artivists are the ones who know it.

I am certain that I have found the greatest song ever written. "America 2001" is a classic. I believe it could be an anthem of a millennium. One would be hard pressed to find a song that describes America since the millennium.

What happened to holiness
Do you know how lonely life gets,
Trying to worship in a community of deceivers?
The unity of believers
like sustaining pain relievers
are hard to find, so
little children like myself
lie attending to kill themselves
as often as they kill time
You see
Prodigal sons and daughters are being born every day
But become lead astray
Learning to consume society's ways

--Brian Babb

This country, founded in violence,
Needs protection, not by missile defense
But from its own pretense, from our own presidents
How evil can you get?
Child, you ain't seen nothing yet
Pass legislation. But you can't erase
Imagination. What about emancipation?
What about incarceration?
What about exploitation
of Indigenous nations?
That colonization.
Not just equality, we choose ecology.

--Joe Reilly

See I'm not talking about chilling with politicians
I want shamans and wizards to be handling business
This black man is a man on a mission
Examine conditions
Cause, we don't got time to be
Standing and wishing
Sitting while our thumbs are twiddling
Crying and Bitching
I want teachers trying to teach
And children trying to listen
Now I ain't protesting no more
I'll just be buying the building
Cause it's the new school
This time we won't be lying to children
With proper History, Identity, and yes, Peace Studies

-- Will Copeland

The Great Ms. Walker

2010-02-12T11:45:00.001-08:00

African America has a great, long matrilineal legacy of Walkers. Our first black millionaire was the renowned Madam C. J. Walker. Literature and Feminism alike were both radically changed by the poet novelist essayist scholar Alice Walker. Blackness was defined and redefined by the poet Margaret Walker.

Now, paving a new vision of what art is, what blackness is, what womanhood is, and what history is lies the work of Kara Walker. Art scholars, admirers and novices alike are amazed as Walker lives up to the powerful grace of her name.

Please visit: http://learn.walkerart.org/karawalker?n=Main.HomePage

The Vision of Tyree Guyton

2010-01-15T12:10:00.000-08:00

There are some artists who remind you that beauty and possibility is everywhere. All it takes is a breath, a moment and a will to see beyond what is expected. An artist can transform desperation into hope. And from hope, all things can be built and rebuilt.

Tyree Guyton is an artist in Detroit, who has transformed a neighborhood riddled by scattered abandonment into a living work of art.

I admire visual artists, not only because the look more attentively at the world -- but because they create the beauty that was already there. Through awe and admiration we must give credit to the artists who remind us what it means to live with vision.

The Heidelberg Project located in Detroit, Michigan

Artwork located at Western Michigan University

Please visit: http://www.heidelberg.org/

The Fashion of Elise Bergman

2010-01-05T19:42:00.000-08:00

It never ceases to amaze me how close one can be to talent, to gifted artistry without ever knowing it. Sometimes it takes years to discover the fullness of another artist's creativity.

Welcome Elise Bergman to The New Americulture.

Admittedly, I am a novice to fashion. But, perhaps foolishly, I choose to believe that I have cultivated my tastes to recognize asthestic artistry that sometimes is called style.

I prefer clean, classy simplicity. I prefer a look that allows the wearer to standout in a crowd; not loud enough to draw unwanted attention, but subtle enough to draw envious admiration.

Just as Aja-Monet's spoken word makes me wish that my voice had the sultry timber that holds the beauty of her message together; I look at the creations of Elise Bergman in awe of those with an eye for fashion.

Spring Summer 2010 Line

A Few from the Fall Winter 2008 Line

The Wool Multi-Wrap is my favorite!

Please Visit: http://www.elisebergman.com/

Great Lyricists: Aja-Monet, the voice of the young

2009-12-31T11:08:00.000-08:00

so julian bond was elected president and rap brown chief
justice of the supreme court and nixon sold himself
on 42nd streent for a package of winstons
(with the down home taste) and our man on the moon said alleluia
and we all raised our right fist in the power sign
and the earth was thrown off course and crashed into the sun
but since we never recognized the sun
we went right on to work in our factories
and offices and laundry mats and record shops
the next morning and only the children
and a few poets knew
that a change had come
Nikki Giovanni January 22, 1972

I rediscovered this passage from, "Nothing Makes Sense" in one of my old day planner calendars from high school. What I find most interesting about Nikki Giovanni's prediction is not that all of the poets, or all of the writers knew; no.

In the morning, when change had come - only the children and a few poets knew.

Aja-Monet is one of the few.

Please visit: http://ajamonet.blogspot.com/

Great Lyricists: Sooz Kim: Ancient, Angry, Acoustic

2009-12-30T08:11:00.000-08:00

Sooz Kim may very well be my favorite singer/songwriter of all times. Mind you, this is not only because of her brave wit (well, that too), but because I love each and every one of her songs.

Sooz Kim says she, "has mastered the two minute song, and is looking beyond." I'm sure you'll find, as with haiku's and sonnets, two minutes is more than enough.

"I Still Carry You"

"Love My Dog"

(Sooz Kim owns the copyright and reproduction rights to her music. This music has been posted without permissions.)

Honestly, I think the only thing better than a Sooz Kim song would be a Sooz Kim/ Joe Reilly duo. Ah, maybe later...

Please visit: http://www.myspace.com/soozkim

The Photography of Nia Mora

2009-12-29T19:31:00.001-08:00

There are certain people in life who I am certain they have the most beautiful, most fulfilling jobs in the world. At the top of the list, I assume to be choreographers, dancers, sculptors and photographers.

Lately the wonderful Nia Mora has been on my mind, a few weeks ago I was delighted to discover her website and witness the progress of her work.

(Nia Mora reserves the copyright to each of her photographs. Each picture has been placed on this blog without permissions.)

I can not express how much I love each of these photos.

Please visit: http://www.niamora.com/.

Single Ladies: The Black Girl Problem

2009-12-29T02:31:00.000-08:00

Honestly, I tried to avoid this post.

Some things are unavoidable; some things can only be delayed. And so I must face what a few women (see clip) have dubbed, "The Black Girl Problem".

How does it feel to be a problem?

"The Black Girl Problem" can be identified as the quandry that college-educated, professional Black women face when searching or waiting to meet and ultimately marry a man. This concern is most frequently vocalized by Black women of both Generation X and Generation Y. Once upon a time - when I had my life together - I fell into the category of eligible, single Black women. (Though I have in recent years, removed myself from the dating pool.) From personal experience, nothing irritates Black men more than hearing a Black woman complain about the marital status of African American women. Lately, I've been tired of the argument, too. Whenever I stumble into the, "Why are Black Women Single?" conversation -- it seems like the only Black men who understand are those who were raised by single Black mothers.

Here are a few things I've noticed Black men are tired of talking about:

1. The percentage of single black women: 70%.
In a 2007 article, the New York Times noted that only 30% of Black women are married (or technically, "living with a spouse"). While 70% of Black women are unmarried, this does include women who were once married and are currently divorced. 49% of all American women are unmarried.

2. The percentage of Black women that have never been married: 42%.
In a recent ABC report, it was mentioned that 42% of Black women have never been married at all. This is twice the number of white women.

3. The number of Black men who "outmarry".
You've heard the arguments: 1. Black women are too difficult; 2. Black women demand too much; 3. Black women are too materialistic; 4. Black women set their standards too high. An MSNBC report explores why Marriage eludes high-achieving Black women.

Here is a brief discussion with Steve Harvey on ABC:

Well there are only two plausible explanations -- and I am not certain if either has a cure.

1. Black men - across races - are more widely desired to marry, thus they are in higher demand.
In the last ten years, the number of Black women who are marrying non-Black spouses has increased. Perhaps one could assume this implies more non-Black men are willing to date Black women. However, most Black women I have encountered express the difficulties of being courted, or even approached, by someone outside of their race.

On the other hand, Black men as a whole have never faced this problem.

I mean, I don’t know what the fuss is about. I mean, everything in the world loves you. White men love you. They spend so much time worrying about your penis they forget their own…And white women? They chase you all to every corner of the earth, feel for you under every bed. Colored women worry themselves into bad health just trying to hang on to your cuffs. Even little children–white and black, boys and girls–spend all their childhood eating their hearts out `cause they think you don’t love them. And if that ain’t enough, you love yourselves. Nothing in the world loves a black man more than another black man. It looks to me like you the envy of the world. (Toni Morrison's Sula, quoted from Elis Cose's Envy of the World)

2. Black women greatly out number Black men, especially when demographics of education and income are considered.
You've heard the arguments: 1. the numbers of Black men in prison; 2. the numbers of Black men with college degrees

Although there may not be any quick solutions, aside from prayer alone, one woman has decided to tackle the issues on the page as well as the big screen.

"Bitch is the New Black," apparently a brown-er "Sex and the City"...

In closing, Steve Harvey offers advice for the women and Hill Harper offers advice for Black men.

Great Lyricists: Joe Reilly "Greyhound Bus Tour"

2009-08-23T07:18:00.000-07:00

There are some musicians who will entertain you. And, in this lifetime, we could all stand to be entertained. Yet, there are some musicians who remind you what it means to be alive.

Joe Reilly is a native Michigander, a fellow Wolverine and a great writer-musician. When the whole world stands against you, his lyrics alone will make you believe that you can endure.

Joe Reilly is an artist who challenges America to be all that it can be. He has a substantial following in Michigan, Illinois and throughout the Midwest. He has performed throughout the US. This is a meditation upon his "Greyhound Bus Tour".

Anything is possible. Anything.

I could not think of any greater way to begin the New Americulture Blog. Joe Reilly's lyrics are strong enough to heal the world, strong enough to change a life.