Are We Really ALL That
Cool…..
By Brother Tracy Gibson…..
I have to ask the question. Are
We as BLack People really all that cool, or are we just accepting our own
visual, literary, and creative view of ourselves as ``COOL’’ to avoid the work
we have to do to reach any kind of acceptable level of real and positive
achievement in North America and the World—including AFRICA and THE CARIBBEAN?
Are we really cool when we would
rather watch ``the game’’ instead of help junior with His homework? Is that
``cool’’? Are we really all that cool when we get fat as houses by eating
MacDonald's food when there is a healthy restaurant we could go to called
``Hummus’’ ONE property away on 40th and Walnut str, but we are too
lazy to do the research to discover how important diet is in curbing high blood
pressure, diabetes, obesity, joint ailments, heart ailments and other physical
problems that plague our community and ``our’’ bodies? This doesn’t sound very
``COOL’’ at all to me, but we accept the vision of ourselves as ``COOL’’ people
because we created Jazz and have an illustrious JAZZ History, but WE are NOT
listening to it and are NOT the ones buying it in great numbers—our so-called
enemy ``THE WHITE MAN’’ and ``THE WHITE WOMAN’’ are the ones buying and
enjoying Jazz!!! Sometimes I think Dizzy, Miles and Lionel and Nina and Ella
are turning over in their graves at our acceptance of the thought and design of
ourselves as ``COOL’’ People when we really are NOT all that ``COOL’’ at all.
We need to make a breakthrough from all the Bull and get to steppin!! And start
doing some heavy lifting and helping ourselves instead of engaging in so much
of this popcorn and potato chip culture we live in in North America. I’m not
kidding, if you haven’t noticed…
Maybe I am exaggerating. Maybe I’m NOT giving us due credit. There are some really ``COOL’’ Black people
like the hoard of Black Progressives and Black Radicals that work at WURD Talk
Radio—900 AM our stellar talk radio station in Philadelphia [I’m talking about
Sarah Lomax Reese, Al Butler, Michael Coard, The Karamu, Sister EYE-JOY, the
financial People who give us millions of dollars in advice, and Sandra Dungee Glenn to name just a few ;
and the Brothers and Sisters who are part of and work for and are connected
with Michael Coard’s work, and helping Him with the work of ATAC [The
Avenging the Ancestor’s Coalition]—now there, in my mind, are some
really ``cool’’ Black People who have taken the time to learn our History and
act in the present to move us onward and upwards as Black People into a
Progressive and even, Radical Black future—a future that our children can be
proud of as WE stand on the shoulders of the work of Rosa Parks and Malcolm x
and Kwame Ture, and Ella Baker and Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Nelson and Winnie
Mandela and Medgar Evers and yes, even good ole Martin Luther King Jr.—those
were cool Black People in my mind and there are examples of cool Black People
today. Like Angela Davis and Alice
Walker and Shirley Kitchen [the State Senator from North Philadelphia] and
State Senator Vincent Hughes [who champions many causes in our community -- such
as education-- for His district, mostly in West Philadelphia]; and there are
even some City Council People who are ``COOL’’ to me like Councilman Curtis
Jones and Councilwoman Blondell Reynolds-Brown and a few others.
But there always seems to be too
many handkerchief heads in the mix as well.
People who sometimes hold high positions and just want to go along to
get along and NOT change things and shake things up that so badly need shaking
up. People like Associate Supreme Court
Justice Clarence Thomas—who causes me to be ashamed of our People and who has
caused our great late former Supreme Court
Jurist Thurgood Marshall to
spin in His grave so many times and with such centrifugal
force and speed that He has almost literally caused a pipeline to China
to be built with no help from real and actual technology and hard ware. Of course I’m joking here, but I think you
get my drift. You get my point—sharp ain’t it!!
I am amazed at our People who eat
at fine White dining establishments about once or twice a week and never even
think about supporting the fine Black dining establishments in Philadelphia
such as the ``RELISH’’ Restaurant on Oganze Avenue [I ate there a while back
and the Sunday Buffet was OUT OF THIS WORLD!!!] or ``WARM DADDY’S’’ in South
Philly near Delaware Avenue….. Our BLACK
establishments REALLY need our support, but don’t get it with the kind of
significant consistency that will help establish a financial base that can help
us and our children do greater things in the future. I have seen good BLACK restaurants like The
Café Harlem that used to be over in Yeadon close their doors when they used to
serve food that was more than terrific and with prices that were more than
reasonable and the setting incLuded JAZZ and a fine ethnically sensitive atmosphere
for a date between two men, or two women or a man and a woman—but we would
rather do Downey’s in Central City or The Irish Pub on Chestnut Street and rub
elbows with White People who sometimes don’t even want us there. [I have been to Downy’s and the Irish Pub also,
and never experienced discrimination, and enjoyed the food, but in hard
economic times we need to find restaurants that are about us and owned by us or
at least owned by our Progressive allies.
It is not that hard a thing to do. It is not rocket science. Read Sister Maggie Anderson’s book ``Our Black Year…..’’ and YOU WILL see
what I’m talking about.] We have work to do to be a really ``COOL’’ People.
But don’t get me wrong. There are really cool Black People in our
midst. Like the People who run Philabundance Community Kitchen in North
Philadelphia and Philabundance in general….
They have a Culinary Arts Program that graduates People who are down on
their luck and have been unable to find work.
These graduates, mostly BLACK Brothers and Sisters, get a second chance
at life and learn ALL the ins and outs of being a fine Chef. They also, and this is at least just as
important, they also get a chance to learn about their weaknesses and strengths
and how to survive in a work condition and work environment that may well be
designed for their failure. They learn
about positive attitude; good grooming; hygiene; getting and keeping a good positive
attitude; working with people who are not especially like you; and getting to
know one’s own faults that can hold you back and how to overcome them. This
program and just about EVERYTHING else that Philabundance does needs to be
supported by ALL BLack People who are Cool and those who are NOT so cool, but
think they are, because what
Philabundance is doing—providing food for mostly Black People [78% of their
clientele are Black People, according to their own figures], but many other
People as Well in Philadelphia who need emergency food right now, before they are
almost literally starving. This is happening right here in Philadelphia right
now today…..October 21st, 2013. That is a very Cool thing in deed. I
Will be writing them to offer my services as a Public Relations Expert, for a
fee, to help them start the ball rolling to create a full-service,
state-of-the-art restaurant that serves Poor and Homeless People and the
general public--ALL races--for free or for very little. My vision, and I am
sure other People have a similar vision, is to serve ONLY really healthy food
[no pork products and no processed foods, not a lot of fat and salt and sugar]
to the public so they can go about their day healthier and ready to face the
challenges of living and moving forward in Philadelphia. [I believe there is a similar program and
restaurant in Baltimore, Maryland that hires many of the less-fortunate, including
ex-convicts and so-forth--which is excellent]. I have written them,
Philabundance, a letter about this and about how I can help them in hopes that
they have the same or a similar vision as I have. I was supposed to go through with their
chef’s program, but it was rather intense and I was not ready at the time
because I have my own company to run [even though we are not making money right
now, Minister Brian, what we do thank you—education, advocacy, Public Relations
and Research—is vitally important and I didn’t want to put it aside right now
when we are making a breakthrough.] Plus I’m currently attending the Wharton School at the University of
Pennsylvania to learn about Financial
Literacy [I got a certificate for that already—BREAKTHROUGH,
BREAKTHROUGH!! Is anyone listening??!!]
and Entrepreneurship [I will got a certificate for that also. BREAKTHROUGH, BREAKTHROUGH!! IS ANYONE
LISTENING!!!??? Plus I will be learning about saving and investing money in a serious and
on-going Way next week that has great positive implications for my for-profit,
parent company—Brother Tracy Gibson and Associates, Inc. If it is NOT in my name and
fully controlled by me right now, it Will be very soon, I guarantee it…..].
GOT THAT MINISTER BRYAN?
I have supported other people who
are making breakthroughs ALL the time, literally on a daily basis. Breakthrough. Breakthrough. Get it? Like Attorney Michael Coard’s Avenging the Ancestor’s Coalition [ATAC].
I write Him frequently and support His work and the general work of ATAC—such
as seeking and getting recognition of the slave-ownership History of the First
President of the United States, George Washington—through creating, with over a
million dollars in federal funds—creating a memorial to some of George
Washington’s Slaves such as Hercules.
This memorial is right there on 4th or 5th and
Market near the site of the First White House, which was located in
Philadelphia. I went to early meetings
for that process to come to fruition with my mentor, Ms. Carrie Engraham, my
now late neighbor from Sansom Str--and learned a great deal about colonial
times and slavery and HOW we overcame. [I took a course at Temple University’s
Community Education Program [] where former radio host Reggie Bryant was a
guest speaker. He told us the REAL
history about what happened to slaves—not the made-for-TV niceties of the ABC
miniseries ROOTS. Runaway slaves, for
instance, when re-caught, were sometimes forced to drink hot molten led, which,
of course, led to their death. Sometimes such run-away slaves and slaves in
general were also forced to wear these oddly, torturous neck braces that had
strange sharp prongs on them that made it next to impossible to do almost
anything like eat or go to the bath room or clean themself…. The cruelty was
unheard of….. By the Way, Michael Coard teaches a class on basic
Law which is excellent and which I took; and a class about Rap Music, which I
tried to take but only attended a few lectures because of scheduling conflicts. If you haven’t listened to The
Radio Courtroom on WURD, 900 AM [MAKE the Time] instead of watching
the football game and those losing lousy Dirty Birds. If you are not listening
and have a hard head like ED you are NOT cool in my book. You are part of the
problem. The Radio Court Room is part of
the solution to solving the conundrum which is our oppression. And what does
Michael Coard get for His troubles? He gets a fat bill to pay every week to
keep the activism going [don’t I know about that], and He gets the
un-opportunity to NOT be recognized by the People who He works for You and Me
and WURD. Who, WURD by the Way, decided NOT to give Him an award. They gave the
awards to Codie Anderson and Reverend Louise Bishop. I’ll reserve further
comment until next week when things get really HOT as they get cooler. Cool. A
nice concept, but are we really all that cool?? The Radio Courtroom is chocked
full of so much Black History and literally thousands of Bucks worth of legal
advice, you feel you come away from the program with your pockets full of money
and a degree in Black History—which may not be of value—the Black History
degree that is-- to some people like Minister
Brian at Unity Fellowship Christ Church in Philadelphia, but is worth a
Million Dollars to me. Attorney Michael
Coard is a treasure chest of information, funny anecdotes, and general warmth
for Black People, that is part of the glue that holds our City’s Black Radical
and Black Progressive community together and helps other BLACK People who don’t
have Radical or Progressive views, become more open-minded, curious and thirsty
for knowledge and positive information centered on BLACK PEOPLE!!! [Knowledge
is the LIGHT Minister Brian as the young Mr. Jordan—not even out of
college--said in His preaching Sunday at the Arch Street United Methodist
Church. [I invite some of the snooty people from my HOME church to stay a while
after church and meet and eat with the Homeless People—that’s right, those
``dirty’’ homeless people who carry bed bugs and dirt with them, but have open
minds and open hearts and actually let a 20 something preach in front of them
even though he doesn’t have a deep manly voice and is a bit effeminate. And He
did an excellent job. Attorney Michael Cord MUST, not should,
Brother Brian, Minister Brian, MUST be supported by us as Gay and Lesbian Black
People if we are by any means necessary serious about our liberation….. Don’t miss
the radio Court Room because it may well be the hippest trip you ever did take.
[Remember that from Soul Train? Remember the Afro-Sheen Commercials that
instilled self-respect, Black Pride and Black Unity—well they have taken, I
believe, they have taken Afro Sheen off the market. Funny how a small thing
like that can show the White Washing of America and the loss of our decency as
Black People, isn’t it Minister Brian. Attorney Michael Coard is literally a walking
Black computer mind of knowledge [they used to say encyclopedia but they have
mostly done away with them also. Did you even notice how easy it is to lie in
the net. The encyclopedia didn’t often
lie, But they are doing away with them. HUmmmmm. Is this getting to be too much for you,
Minister Brian? …and Michael Coard is very, very key to our success as Black
People right here in Philadelphia. His
sexual identity is NOT important to me and none of my damned business. He is a Black precious stone, a gem, a man
for ALL seasons, a Man who holds golden futures in His hands as He helps
educate our Black People—as are you, Minister Brian. I salute Him and I salute
Reverend Al Sharpton and I salute you as well, Minister Brian….. GOD BLESS the
three of you……
There are a few more Golden,
Black COOL people I want to mention. I will be accused of nepotism for doing
this, but I don’t care about that. I
don’t care because Joseph Beam planted a seed in me 30 years ago and so did
Joseph Bunch. Do you know who these Brothers are Minister Brian?... My Sister, Mrs. Claudia Aziza Gibson Hunter
is a Progressive to Radical artist who works out of Washington, D.C. She has raised some of the most intelligent,
thoughtful and LOVing Children you can imagine, along with Her great husband, Doctor Keith Hunter, also of
Washington, D.C. The Children are now grown and in school or working, but they
were raised vegetarian. Do you know how
rare that is—to be raised vegetarian and go to BLACK colleges and be raised by
Progressive-thinking parents who have high expectations of you? Unfortunately
this is too rare and is something we need to get COOL with and make
breakthroughs on and get with the program.
We keep throwing our children into the public school system and asking
them to teach them, which is like throwing them in front of a bus, sometimes,
and I literally mean that. I LOVe our
children and I don’t want them taught most of the bull crap that is being
taught in public schools. Our BLack churches and Black Mosques need to take on
this challenge and change this picture. SOME Charter Schools are doing a fine
job with our Children, but some are worse than public schools. The Civics, Math
and Science Charter School on Buttonwood is a fine example of what can be done to bring
forth the best for our children as they have an advanced success rate and a phenomenal graduate rate
and a Phenomenal % of children going on
successfully to college or university………………..….. Sometimes breakthroughs take two or three
generations—if you know what I mean, Brother Minister Brian—not just seven
years……….. By the Way, my sister ran an art collective and Had her own Greeting
Card business while she raised those four well-behaved vegetarian children who
either have or will graduate from Black colleges soon. And Her husband, Doctor Hunter, did a lot more than
watch football—the game-- and basketball during the process. He didn’t allow Himself to be brainwashed. He has held health conferences for Black MEN
[one this past summer, which I missed, but which was very successful], and He
has also actually run a company that filmed President Obama’s trip to
Africa. Doctor Hunter has been to Cuba and Ghana and has an incredible
educated Black mind—Buffa, Buffa. Now
this couple is REALLY cool in my mind, and there are several hundred such
couples in the Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia; Chicago; Atlanta and Los Angeles
area—just to mention a few places and by no means be all-inclusive….
Breakthrough, Breakthrough…. Are you getting this Minister Brian? Breakthroughs
are NOT only financial. I make them ALL
the time. It starts by not being scared to stand up for yourself and your Black
people no matter what headquarters says. How about lunch with your friend Carl,
Minister? I want to talk REVOLUTION wit ya. Buffa Buffa!!
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