Dear Stevie Wonder: Rough Draft Letter:
I Am writing you to let you know who I am ND HOW I HAVE BEEN INSPIRED BY THE WONDERFUL WORK YOU HAVE DONE TO MOVE OUR WORLD more towards decency for all of humanity. You have always been a good and wholesome role model for me. The fact that you are a Black man, as I Am, is part of the equation, but your wholesome stewardship in helping Black People always do their best must also be mentioned. Your music, especially Songs in the Key of Life and InnerVisions, have served to lay a fantastic foundation for us as Black People working to loosen the oppressor's Grip. New generations of Black Youth will be inspired and held accountable for their actions and for making this world a better Place, as you have. I must mention one thing that I'm very concerned with about you, and it is something I also suffer with and that in your weight. I know many of us, and please don't take offense because it is mentioned in kindness and LOVe, many of us as advocates for the soon-to-be no longer oppressed, downtrodden and beleaguered don't take the proper time to eat correctly and get the proper exercise we need. It took me ten years to finally listen to my doctor and join Planet Fitness Gym. Now that I go at least five times a week, [I actually do my best to go seven times a week for three weeks and then take three days of, to be totally accurate] my life has changed for the better in many Ways. I am more energetic, more focused, my blood pressure has gone down [I need a new blood-pressure machine to determine this is a constant]; and I have a more bound and determined attitude about the future as well as a better outlook about life and my role in the world as an advocate for Black People, other People of color and the Down Trodden. [I have actually called myself an Earth Father, and say I have 7.9 Billion children-that includes everybody on the earth.]. Mr owner, we all LOVe you and want the best for you, so please take this issue seriously and see a doctor about your issues and concerns involving weight. We, as Black advocates for Black People and for general Human RIghts and the environments, want you around for a long, long time to help inspire and guide us, so of course we want you to be healthy, wealthy and wise. There is one thing I heard about that you did that moved me to tears literally and made me know I was following the correct leader as I listen closely to your words and music and watch your actions. When I heard that you actually pay for blind People of all ages, and races who can, to be lifted up with a cherry-picker to feel the face of the new Martin Luther King Junior statue, I knew you are made of great stuff and have True Grit. This is such a thoughtful and wonderful thing and it helps King remain alive and new in all our hearts and lives. You hold GOD Himself or Herself in Your heart and I will never forget such kindness on your part. There in no Way I could write you and talk about only my achievements and your great achievements as well. I have three movie ideas I want to share with you in hopes you can get then to the proper People who can make these ideas into real, full-length quality movies that we can all LOVe, share and appreciate, 1] I am a man and I never want to forget our Black Sisters. I would LOVe to see a movie made to reflect the life of famed actress Venetta McGee. She may well have starred in Blackula and Malinda and several other Hollywood films during the 1970's & 1980's but many if our Black youth, especially our young Black girls, need desperately to be reminded of who She was and the fantastic style and grace with which She Graced the Hollywood Screen. I Am now a homosexual, but let me tell you something, I was, as a high-school teen totally infatuated and in LOVe with Vanetta McGee, She was our Black Audrey Hepburn and She lit up the screen with Her Black beauty, Grace, elegance and positive attitude. I know a movie about Her is not only in order, but is chomping at the bit to be written, produced and starred in by a new Black leading lady. If there is anything at all I can do to help get such a major film project underway, please let me know. I know such a film about a Black woman with such style and Grace would be a big help in our young women toning down some of the negative behaviors We hear so much about in the media. And, frankly, I have seen some of those negative behaviors first hand and even among family members. I have also seen Black women abused and, with no self-defense training, found myself unable to do anything much about it. 2] The second Movie project I want to see produced is a film about famed Back-to-Africa leader, stat man, business Gigantor, and Black Nationalist Marcus Garvey. This Brother, who lived from 19-- to 19-- , had an uncanny ability to motivate, lead and organize Black People in an effective manner. He started the Universal Negro Improvement Association which was part of Garvey's legacy which included ownership of a major newspaper, a major shipping line and other major businesses. Black women played a major part in the Universal Negro Improvement Association, taking par at of the eldership and organizing at every level & stage. The Universal Negro Improvement Association was not a religious organization or religious movement, but was a movement to help Black People build Black Self-Pride, Black LOVe, Black Self-reliance, Black Political awareness, a Back-to-Africa mentality and respect & appropriate LOVe for our Black People. throughout the world. If you were a member of the Universal Negro Improvement Association, you were respected in the Black community and you were known to be very serious about Black liberation and our economic flourishing as well as our social healing and a general moving forward of our Black community. The individuals involved with the Universal Negro Improvement Association had the mechanism in their hands to move our Black People and our movement ahead with a Progressive, Black Nationalist, device that was authentic and known to be effective. The Universal Negro Improvement Association still, 100 years after its inception has an office near 16th and Cecil B. Moore Avenue in Philadelphia. They still hold organizational meetings as well as public events and the office hold historical documents and photos dating back to the start of the UNIA. WOW!! Brother Marcus Garvey definitely deserves to be the topic of a major Black North American film. I suggest Denzel Washington as the director since he did such a Magnificent job with the film ``The Great Debaters,'' in which He also starred. For the part of Brother Marcus Garvey I suggest a world-wide search for New Black talent. The more known faces maybe considered ore ``bankable'', but a nation-wide search, when implemented properly, will help propel the film itself through the roof at the box office and with critics who have any kind of knowledge of what the importance of such a historical and dramatic document this film will be. . 3] The Third film I strongly suggest being produced is a dramatic portrayal of famed Back publisher John Johnson who took a $500.00 loan and started the most successful Black publishing firm in our nation's history. I am presently reading His book, Succeeding Against the Odds: The Autobiography of a Great American Businessman. I have not finished the book, but I am more than impressed with the sheer effort it took on Mr. Johnson's part to create a market of Black consumers and sell it to advertisers and I am also impressed that He helped in a Big Way to propel our Freedom Movement in the late 1950's and 1960's by putting Emmett Till's mangled body in Ebony Magazine in August of 1955, after Emmett's mother Mamie Bradley Mobley, said publicly She wanted ``the world to see what they did to my boy'' [Young Brother Till was hung, beaten and burned after he allegedly whistled at a White woman. Whites accused of the brutal murder were found innocent at the time.. There is a telling and well researched film documentary on the Emmett Till murder that included an interview with Mrs. Mobley. ] I mention the case because showing the pictures of Brother Till was not an easy decision for a major publisher to make, but Mr. Johnson came through for His community of Black People nationally. He also took on several White advertisers of major White corporations who were obviously not motivated to place ads in a Black publication. Brother Johnson and His talented staff of journalists, researchers, secretaries, mail room clerks, ad men and ad women followed leads to bring in the stories with impeccable quality and follow down every dime in advertising money to help this group effort succeed. This is a story about getting the story right and I think it can be exciting and bring hope that more of our young Black students will get strongly motivated to go into the field of journalism in the future. What Am I Asking For?
