"This Is How We Do It" - The Misappropriation of a culture

Perusing Salon.com, I came upon, "American Idol" recap: Crystal Bowersox saves by Mary T. Kelly and damn if that Montell Jordan title didn't just pop into my head!  Here's a little of it:

Alicia Keys, a woman who could make believers out of the most cynical among us, was the mentor for the week. Talk about a god in the music industry. This woman has earned 12 Grammy awards and sold over 30 million records. However, Keys' gentle and compassionate guidance wasn't miraculous enough for most of the contestants, and. quite frankly, Crystal Bowersox and Lee Dewyze would have done as well without her feedback...(emphasis mine)

...Crystal Bowersox sang "People Get Ready" -- without any kind of instrument! I was so excited. I've been waiting weeks for Crystal to go solo. Alicia, like so many, named Crystal one of her favorites.

Crystal's rendition of the song had the angels and saints singing from the rooftops of heaven. People were rolling around in the aisles, throwing up their hands and speaking in tongues. Forget about goose bumps! I had been filled with the Holy Spirit and was jumping up and down in my humble living room screaming, "Praise the Lord, Praise the Lord, Alleluia, Alleluia!"  (emphasis mine)

We-l-l, this excellent, 1994 interview with Curtis Mayfield in the UK's Independent, described Mayfield's obviously enduring, mid-60s hit, "People Get Ready," this way:

That decade was barely halfway gone when he began to expose a third facet of his work - and perhaps the most important. With 'People Get Ready' in 1964 he had revived the coded messages of the old negro spirituals to imply support for the civil- rights movement. (emphasis mine)

While young Crystal certainly S-A-N-G that song (she reminds me a little of Joss Stone), both she and Ms. Kelly seemed to only have gotten the "religion" part that definitely influenced Mayfield's penning of the song - but nothing else. It always seems that when white privilege and cultural difference collide, the result, more often than not, is a huge amount of co-option for financial gain and revisionism. Hell, ask Chinua Achebe about "It takes a Village to raise a child, " or even George Lopez about flat-bottomed tacos! But I digress.

I was around eight or nine years old when this song came out.  It was important to us - as a people - which is why, even today, I still feel and prefer The Impressions version whenever someone else sings this, and many other back-in-the-day songs.  It harkens back to a social consciousness and cultural bond that sadly, seems  particularly lost on this generation of young, Black folk:



During "Elvis Week" on Idol, Ms. Bowersox got rave reviews for her rendition of, "Saved."  Yes - Elvis did record "Saved" - but HE covered it.  It was originally written and produced by Jerry Lieber and  Mike Stoller for a Black female vocalist from Chicago - the inimitable, LaVern Baker.  But somehow, with no props to Baker at all - it's an "Elvis Presley" song. 

Well, in honor of LaVern Baker, here's how "Saved" made its way to American Idol (my sister, Cinie - musical archivist extraordinaire and former Chicagoan that she is - probably has this Baker 45 in her collection!) :









Young Crystal did pay an homage of sorts to both Gospel music and Blues saying, "That's really where my roots are."  I get wanting to claim those roots as her own - after having lived in Chicago for some time and being influenced by its great, Black music scene - but what happened to those, born-and-raised-on-an-Ohio-farm-playing-the-harmonica-and-guitar-since-she-was-seven "roots" from whence she came?  Is it just me feeling that we still can't have shit of our own??  Hell, I never signed on for that whole "melting pot" thing - I prefer the "tossed salad" analogy, where everybody brings their own distinct flavors to the bowl that we enjoy together.  But that's just me.

Don't get it twisted, my issue is NOT that there aren't any commonalities among all of us in the experiences expressed by "Saved."  But my issue IS, the mis-education about, and the slow-but-sure diminishing of, OUR musical "roots" by first attacking it (the same things they're saying about Rap, are the same things they said about R&B back in the day), and then co-opting it for financial gain while slowly whitewashing Black folk completely out of the picture.

Even though I think this "girl-child" (as my Grandmama used to say) has an amazing voice, my soul can't help but feel a different kind of Jill Scott wince at the continued cultural genocide of a people who, among all the ethnicities in this country, were forced to surrender - everything about themselves that made them themselves - just so white America could build a culture of their own (not to mention plenty of this country's stately edifices) on their backs .

"Bruised but not Broken" - Blagojevich a media joke or Rahm's worst nightmare?

For countless media outlets, Gov. Rod Blagojevich was the joke of the day as he responded to his impeachment by the Illinois House today. Seems no one was really listening to what he actually had to say - too busy laughing and asking, "What is this guy talking about?"

He said a lot. To a few people. And in their continued unbalanced, "Obama love" - the media missed it all. Call me a conspiracy theorist, but here's some of what I heard:

Click :38 - "Let me tell you what I'm not going to do. I'm not going to do what my accusers and political enemies have been doing and that is talk about this case in 30 second soundbites on "Meet the Press" or the TV news." (emphasis his) Direct hit - Sen. Harry Reid.

Click :59 – “And I want to assure everyone who’s here and everyone who’s listening, that I intend to answer every allegation that, uh, comes my way. However, I intend to answer them in the appropriate forum – in a court of law.” (emphasis mine) Direct hit - Obama & Co. on that first part. He let them know that he plans to tell it all (unless of course, in requisite Chicago-style, they do something to get him out of this mess). The second part, direct hit - Illinois House. He told them to kiss his behind. He didn't show up to their kangaroo court because a court of law is the finder of fact - not them.

Click 1:46 – "Now I know there are some powerful forces arrayed against me. It’s kind of lonely right now. But I have on my side the most powerful ally there is. And it’s the truth." (emphasis his) Direct hit - Obama & Co. Just a reminder, if it comes down to it, he's tellin' the whole truth.

Click 1:05 - "From the very moment of my reelection, I've been engaged in a struggle with the House to get things done for the people...The House has stood in the way...In my view, those of us who make the rules ought to be able to uh, follow a simple lesson that I was taught to believe in in Sunday school. It's called the Golden Rule. That you do unto others as "you would have them do unto you." That sounded like a veiled threat to e-e-erbody!

When he entered, I said, "Now why did he bring all these people up there?" He answered, here:

Click 3:09 - 4:43 " So the House's action today and the causes of the impeachment (emphasis his) are because I've done things to fight for families who are all with me here today. Now I'm gonna talk about some of the examples that I'd like you-to share with you and some of the counts that the House is actually choosing to impeach me on. For example, The "I- Save" Prescription Drug program is among the things the House said I should be removed from office for. That was a program we began, I believe it in late 2002, or early 2004. That was a program brought to me by then-Congressman Rahm Emanuel (emphasis his) who suggested that since the big pharmaceutical companies had a tremendous amount of sway with the FDA (emphasis his), that too many senior citizens were being forced to ration their medicine or couldn't afford to buy their medicine...that maybe we should try somethin' different and go to Canada. And Go to the place where ya' make the exact same medicines, for the exact same companies only if you have free and open trade (emphasis his) and go to Canada you can help our senior citizens save up 30-40-50 percent on the cost of their medicines. We did that in Illinois, being the first state in America to defy (emphasis his) the FDA and the big drug companies. And I'm happy to say we were joined by the state of Wisconsin, the state of Kansas and the state of Vermont and a lot of senior citizens in Illinois have had the benefit of being able to afford their medicine at prices they can afford. The house is impeaching me for that. Is that an impeachable offense?"

The 11th Article of Impeachment reads, "The Governor's actions with regard to, and responsibility for, the I-SaveRx Program, as more fully detailed in the Final Report at Section IV-F and in the Committee Record as a whole."

The House Committee on Impeachment's report , upon which the articles were based, is a detailed accounting of the governor's alleged, illegal activities involving the I-SaveRx program (Pgs 39 - 42). And Rahm was right there with him. So why is Blagojevich headed to federal court, while Rahm is headed to the White House "Court" to sit at the Changeling's right hand? Will anybody in the mainstream media ask that question? Particularly since there's this pesky, little thing over at the Illinois state government site.

"Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and Congressman Rahm Emanuel (D-Chicago) were joined by Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle for the launch of the new I-SaveRx prescription drug importation program -- the first program in the nation to allow Illinois and Wisconsin residents to purchase lower cost, safe prescription drugs from Europe and Canada."

I don't know if it's an impeachable offense or not but, Direct hit - Obama & Co., Senate Dems, Illinois legislature and especially, Rahm Emmanuel! Blagojevich made sure we knew that he and Rahm had been "talking" way before his "President-elect Advisor" status popped up in Fitzgerald's complaint (not indictment as I'd said previously - shame on me for picking up the media's terminology).

And if the President-select's right-hand man was "talking," with the governor for all that time, I'd venture a guess -he was not alone in doing so (no wonder he's all but blended into the background since the story broke. I guess they figure if he draws no attention to himself, no one will ask the important questions). People, we are fiddling while Rome burns.

(Blagojevich - 5/Democratic leadership - 0)

Richardson steps down, before he even steps up

In my No Permanent Friends, no permanent enemies... post back in April '08, I pretty much summed up what I thought about Gov. Richardson - nothing's changed. Though I am a bit surprised that in exactly one month, we went from this... To this...

M-m-m-m... *smdh* This Andrea Mitchell video is interesting: "The Obama team has been rigorous about demanding......to have everything examined before their hearings are scheduled." Yep - and they knew about this too - even as he was being nominated. From the Hartford Courant: "A senior Obama adviser said Richardson gave assurances before he was nominated last month that he would come out fine in the investigation and the president-elect had no reason to doubt it. But as the grand jury continued to pursue the case, it became clear that confirmation hearings would have to be delayed for six weeks or even longer until the investigation was complete, said the adviser, speaking on condition of anonymity."

So what was this one-month appointment real-l-y about? Hubris? Strategy? What? I just do not believe Obama & Co left such an obviously long, and potentially garment-ripping thread hanging off the presidential cloak this close to the crowning for no reason. Look at the number of people jammed up under those huge charter buses of his for reasons way less important. Unless, there is a reason.

When asked, "Any idea who might be on this next list then to take over this job?" Ms. Mitchell said she frankly wasn't sure which way it'll go. Is that other Daley, you know, William M., former-Secretary-of-Commerce-in-the-Clinton-Cabinet-integral-cog-in-the-Chicago-Daley-Machine Daley? Is he still lurking around?

And doesn't it sound like there should be violins in the background as she quotes him saying he said, "I will remain in the job I love, governor of New Mexico and will continue to work every day..." (under investigation). More ammunition for Blagojevich? Hey! He only has to show there was no actual quid pro quo right? Then he can return to the job he loves - until impeachment and conviction anyway.

I read Earl Ofari Hutchinson's, "Richardson the Odd Democrat Out" over at HuffPo (Yes, I go there - sometimes). While I found nothing new as I scanned it, that very last paragraph seems awful prescient - for a few people, not just Richardson:

"The play for pay scandal just reinforced the notion that politicians who try so hard to be major players in the political ranks will often wheel and deal, cut corners, and or not averse to lining their campaign and even personal coffers with dubious contributions to get ahead. When they do, and they're called out on it, it insures that they remain not just odd men out of the rarified political circles they desperately want to crack, but disgraced ones too."

I'm sure if Molly Ivins were alive today, she'd have told the governor in that deep, smoke-laced, Texas drawl, "Now Bill, ya'll know ya'll gotta dance with them what brung you if you want to get anywhere!"

By the way, any statements from the Clintons yet? Why am I picturing that car insurance commercial with those squirrels jumping up and down, high-fiving each other as the car runs off the road?

Slipped, Tripped and Fell??

**Correction: There was a complaint not an indictment against Gov. Blagojevich**

After running a tightly controlled, very well-financed and some would say - flawless campaign, it seems Obama & Co., in their hubris, may have loosened the reins a little too soon and now, somebody's about to slip, trip and fall knee-deep into a whole heap of trouble - maybe.
And wonder of wonders, someone in the mainstream media seems to have been awakened from their Obama-love induced slumber long enough to slip in a relevant question or two about this Changeling/Blagojevich, "somethin' in the milk ain't clean" drama going on. ABC's Jake Tapper at least stuck his toes in the water with "Questions Arise About the Obama/Blagojevich Relationship."
Along with a little background information on the - according to the Obama camp -"non-relationship," he raises the same two questions I did when I read the indictment:

1. How did Blagojevich know the Changeling wasn't willing to give him anything in exchange for the Senate seat -- who told him?
2. Did that person report Blagojevich to the authorities?"

And if the answer to question #2 is "No," were it you or I, wouldn't we be looking at some kind of charges right about now for failing to report the overture? I'm just sayin'.

Let's see just how long it takes Obama & Co. to come up with something a little more believable than his little-boy-caught-doing-something-wrong, Shaggy sounding, knee-jerk response of :

"I had no contact with the governor or his office, and so we were not — I was not aware of what was happening, and as I said it is a sad day for Illinois. Beyond that I don’t think it’s appropriate to comment."

Especially since, basking in the glow of his selection, he made sure it was all over the damn news that he WAS meeting with the governor on November 5th. I read "Ill. governor meeting with Obama today" by Carol Stowers at ConnectTristates.com. myself!! I'd saved the link in one of the many drafts started, but not finished - but when I linked to it (as you can see), it was "unavailable."

But that's okay, Not only did I find the text, but got this screen shot.
Man! I guess information about this guy being "disappeared" so often from the internet sure has taught people to quickly capture whatever's online hasn't it? I'll have to remember that. Oh, and after the shit hit the fan, ConnectTristates.com quickly ran this about the "disappeared" article. Sounds like somebody's ass got chewed!!

People, people, people!! We are asleep at the wheel, yet again, when it comes to politicians and the press. By the time we wake the hell up, we'll find ourselves with a genuine government-run media with no pretense at all about being unfair and unbalanced.

The RNC may have paid for this, but they're right - "Questions Remain":

A tribute to new Senior White House Advisor, Valerie Jarrett and the President-elect...

Flineo's done it again!



And just to refresh your memory about the "ties that bind," I'm re-posting this link to The Boston Globe's excellent piece of investigative reporting, Grim proving ground for Obama's housing policy, published in June '08 about Grove Parc Plaza. And please, watch the video introduction as well. It seems knowing where all the bones are buried is another, great political "strategy."

Now, we're re-e-e-ally "Off To See the Wizard"

I'd decided to post less about the campaign because I'm just worn the hell out with all the double-talking bullshit. But Glenn Greenwald kicked me in the shins and I had to post this. As I've been told that I am long-winded (like I didn't already know that!), I'm only saying what I said to Glenn regarding his, "Obama, telecoms and the Beltway system" article.

####

Bravo Glenn!!! I've seen no one more dogged than you in covering this FISA sham by the HPIC (Head Party In Charge)!!! Oh, and to your question, "Has anybody seen Obama?" and your statement, "Several readers have emailed to say that they called the Obama campaign and were told that Obama and his staff are "literally reviewing the bill right now and will make a statement shortly." - not to worry, just like no flag pin, now flag pin/Rev. Wright & Trinity, no Rev. Wright & Trinity/NAFTA, no NAFTA/Hamas, No Hamas, etc., etc., etc. - the senator from Illinois and his crew will hold their finger up, test which way the wind is blowing and comment accordingly - I promise you ( remember, the goal is the first Black president, period)! He didn't move most of the DNC OPS to Chicago for nothing! The Daleys are seasoned in this kind of two-step! But I think you may have put his proverbial "ass in a sling" by pointing out his support of Barrow over Thomas. I'm not laying any bets, but I guarantee "Orator the Great" will come up with something that at least sounds a little more coherent than Pelosi's babble. And if he doesn't? Oh well. Now that he's anointed and the presidency is in the grasp, nobody will really hear what he is or isn't saying anyway.

No permanent friends, no permanent enemies...

“No permanent friends, no permanent enemies, just permanent issues.”-- Rev. Al Sharpton

I heard the reverend say this during one of his last broadcasts on what was Miami's only Black talk-radio station, WTPS-1080AM (Radio One sold WTPS to Salem Communications Corp. for approximately $12.25 million in late 2007. It's now Christian talk-radio.). I remember immediately writing in my Things to Blog About file, "more like, just permanent - opportunistic issues!" (I've got to check out the National Action Network's site to try and ascertain membership growth !).

Early in the primary race, the tenor of his show as it related to politics was surely not pro-Obama. His tone was notably different when, during her segment on his show, Jeri L. Wright, publisher of Trumpet Magazine and Rev. Wright's daughter, expressed her concern about Sen. Obama ceding to his handlers on the issue of having Rev. Wright speak at his coming out party on the Old State Capitol steps in Illinois. There were even rumblings that the reverend was jealous of the senator, particularly after he discussed Sen. Obama’s endorsement of Richard M. Daley for mayor with guests, Dorothy Brown and William "Dock" Walls, the two Black candidates who also ran for mayor last year. But that was before Sen. Obama started looking like he could win this thing.

He invited the three remaining Democratic candidates to come on his show via telephone to discuss issues. The last candidate was to be Sen. Obama, but he wasn't available, but Mrs. Obama filled in. After that call, I noticed a slow but sure turnaround in Rev. Al. Though he didn't say it then, I knew he'd soon be throwing his support behind Sen. Obama. He did. I’ll venture a guess the senator and Rev. Sharpton are not and never have been "friends" - at least he’s honest about that part.

The reverend falls into the same category as those Daley boys in Chicago. In December 2006, William M. Daley (former Secretary of Commerce in the Clinton Cabinet and adviser to the Gore campaign) became an advisor to the Obama campaign. The next week, Hizzoner himself (well, the son of THE Hizzoner - same difference), six-term Mayor Richard M. Daley, threw his support behind the senator's campaign as well (quid pro quo?). In this Newsmax.com article, "Daley Machine Backs Obama," writers Jim Davis and Tom Squitieri clearly laid out how beneficial it can be to have opportunistic issues in common. Politics makes strange bedfellows and the history of the Daley Machine (this post by Skeptical Brotha gives a short, but telling account) bears that out.

September 7, 2007 brought yet another opportunistic endorsement for the senator from Illinois - Former Denver Mayor Federico Peña (also former Secretary of Transportation and Secretary of Energy in the Clinton Cabinet as well as a "friend" of New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson). With that endorsement came the announcement that he'd also be co-chair of the senator's national campaign.

The recent endorsements from former senators Sam Nunn of Georgia and David Boren of Oklahoma are just more opportunism. Though they both bring extensive records on foreign policy and national security and are from states where Republicans historically dominate - as is usual in politics - their endorsements didn't come without some quid pro quo. Both will be serving as advisers on the senator's national security foreign policy team.

As for the Richardson endorsement, I'll just say, with "friends" like these, Sen. Clinton needs no enemies (Do you hear the O'Jays singing, "They smile in your face, all the time they wanna take your place..."?). And before you jump up and down, NO – friendship does not equal endorsement. But endorsement sure does seem to equal opportunity. In an April 12th interview with the Seattle Times, when asked if there was ever any talk of the vice presidency, or any other job, in an Obama administration, the governor's response was very telling - "I never say never in politics, but I'm not pining for it." According to the writer, the governor also suggested, he would not settle for just any Cabinet post, having served before. You be the judge.

I'd like to remind the governor of his reaction to his "friend," Federico Peña endorsing Sen. Obama before he was even out of the race. It might just help him understand why his "dear friends," one of whom for which his wife "has great affection," would be a little warm. And Robert Reich? Please! You would think that if your "friends" of 40 years were doing things which, according to Reich, his conscience wouldn't let him be silent any longer, he'd tell the friends - first!

Let’s be clear, as much as I talk about, think about and write about the necessity of real change - it is never, ever done in a vacuum. I understand how things are done in this country, from the bottom to the top. I know there is w-a-a-ay more, "What's in it for me?" than there is pure altruism or doing the right thing. Trust me, I get that. But somewhere in the midst of all the glad-handing, backroom dealing, false promises and the greasing of palms, it's hard to believe that actual, long lasting "friendships" can turn on a mere difference of issues. But I guess that's just me.