When Frederick was about sixteen, he was placed under the control of Edward Covey, a small farmer reputed to have the ability to break a slave’s spirit. Frederick was whipped repeatedly, and very nearly was “broken” in spirit until one day he fought back – defensively, not striking Covey, because that would likely have gotten him severely punished, possibly killed – but by simply fending off the farmer’s attack. The contest lasted about two hours, when Covey called it off, and he never attempted to beat Frederick again.
Jared Ball and Ishmael Reed (discuss) Reed's book Obama, Jim Crow Media and the Return of the Ni**er Breakers (Click here to listen or download)
We can use more open discussions of this kind, since mass media does seem to have an agenda that doesn't include the improvement of our condition. While Mr. Reed and Mr. Ball are not always on the same page, in my opinion, they are both looking toward similar endings. Hopefully we will be able to get more input from the listening audience in discussions of this kind. Better yet, I hope this will stimulate more of us to participate in similar discussions of our own.
produced by Tamarva Butler over a period of about 24 months. I happened to see it on the Blogged web site today and was pleased to see that it has become even better than it was the last time I saw it. Ms Butler's education in Communication has not gone to waste. The young sister has put together an interesting, visually pleasing site that informs and entertains. This weblog is covering a variety of topics of interest to the African American viewer. I think it would be good for Black children also because Butler projects a very positive image as she touches historical and contemporary subjects. I cant' wait to see what she'll be producing when she turns pro. Check it out and see for yourself.
For those who have heard the Girl 600 podcast from time to time be advised that she has moved to -African American Podcaster I don't listen to her podcast that often because I find she tends to ramble. On the other hand I like a lot of the the material that I find on her web site. She is always original and IMO she keeps it real and there is always something new. This keeps me going back cause her stuff is like a box of choclates---------.
BLACK PUBLIC MEDIA.ORG is an online destination for free video streaming and distribution of fresh factual and fictional media related to the global black experience. Here you can watch free full-length streams of select documentary and narrative shorts, purchase to own engaging downloads, DVDs, and engage with multi-platform public media projects.
I was so delighted to discover this site that I only watched a couple of videos and didn't really explore it very much before I decided to put it on the blog right away. Hopefully you'll explore it more carefully and return with some helpful feedback pro or con. I also hope to see you spread the news so that more of us can benefit from the effort that's being made here. It is productions such as this that will help to bring us to a place where we are able to see the potential we have to advance ourselves through cooperation and mutual understanding. We should do whatever we can to help ensure the success of this and other projects like it.
"How to drive more of the Black collective to the internet and the Black blogsphere?"
My feeling is with you, I never stop thinking about ways to reach the Black masses. One important way to get answers is to broaden the question. So we can add ----How to deliver the contents of the internet and the Black Blogosphere to the Black coillective?---- to the original question.
I think we shouldn't forget that while we have been many moons in America, we are still more of a verbal culture than a written one. Griots have always been an important factor in African communication, history and genealogy many generations of information was passed on unbroken by this means. Up until the point where many of us, in the diaspora, were hijacked and thus pulled completely out of the loop, this means of communication was working for us.
Even then, after several centuries our young folks are coming full circle with Rap. A rapper may be compared to a griot telling stories of the things that folks in the village want to know about. It is another spoken word means of communication which has proved to be very effective. So much, that millions have been spent in America to divert and circumvent the original form, in an attempt to subvert the output and once again minstralize our image while at the same time raking in tons of money.
Rap reaches so many people around the world, that it truly is a force to be reconed with. People of all cultures find it appealing but especially those of the African Diaspora . Outside the US I have seen quite a few progressive presentations and productions being utilized by young people to express their impression of how they perceive and are determined to respond to their sociopolitical environment.
African Underground: Hip Hop in Senegal
We have to work together to inform our people that Black folks around the world are ready, even sometimes a personal risk to speak out for the cause of liberty and justice. While we may appear to be separated, we are not alone.
Cuban hip hop group protests racism and injustice
Brazil Official Estilo Hip Hop Trailer
Closer to home People like DaveyD, Professor Jared BAll, Rosa Clemente, Sista Souljah and other Media Activists are working to bring us together. Black bloggers have to get on board and back these brothers and sisters up.
Media Activist Davey D on media consolidation ncmr 2005
http://www.voxunion.com/ VoxUnion.com is a fantastic site that IMO all Black bloggers would benefit plugging into. My favorite feature on this site is the Freemix Radio concept, that suggests we all create mixtapes of music, news, current events and such and listen then pass them on and if we have the resources create more add to it and pass that along too. I could see this model working for e-mail newsletters as well.
There are others also out there working and we all have to somehow communicate with one another in order to consolidate and or coordinate at least some of our efforts in order to take advantage of the fact that right now we have potential access to millions of people. In the last ten years I have seen a number of excellent productions come and fall by the wayside because of lack of support and the people producing them just couldn't maintain their level of output while working alone.
Blogging, youtube, podcasting, skype and more resources are available, in various combinations for those of us who will challenge our imaginations. Never before and (when this window closes) possibly never again, will we have such a fantastic opportunity. We have to talk about it, we have to learn real fast how to combine efforts for maximum use of input.
And yes, I think we have to do everything we can to drag the collective, (even if kicking and screaming) right along with us.
I'll close with this message from Davey D at the NCMR 2007
Total Black TV is a fresh, Web 2.0 venture directed at the Black Collective.
You can upload, download, watch, buy and sell your video productions.
Somewhere I've seen it compared to youtube but it is more than a copy of youtube.
This appears to be their mission statement;
Finally! That’s all I can say! Finally, there is a website that challenges the mind and our everyday perception of the world around us. Total Black TV allows me to express myself freely and without restriction. Within this productive atmosphere I feel I am understood, and supported. Total Black TV is a breeding place for thoughtful conversation and exciting yet controversial news. Log on to totalblacktv.com to share YOUR ideas on topics YOU care about. Don’t forget about our sister site totalblacktv.com/myview, for all your social networking needs.
Some comments I came up with doing a google search;
I say welcome, to another vehicule that has been made available for us to use to, tell ourstory. Total Black TV has the potential to be a very important tool in the unification of The Black Collective but potential is nothing unless it's put into motion. Use it or lose it! TotalBlackTV.com
