Jackie Robinson's Birthday January 31, 1919

Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson 

(January 31, 1919 – October 24, 1972)

see also Jackie Robinson Court-martialed

Motown Special for Black History Month

I found this gem and decided to save it for Black History Month. It wasn't that long ago but it just goes to show how much things can evolve in a relatively short time period. I hope you all enjoy this trip back to mid-sixties Motown.
 The story of Motown is a success story of musical and business talent and I hope it'll serve to inspire some of you to strive with those talented folks around you to create your own enterprise. This video gives you the chance to have a little inside look at the world of the artists, producers and the executive of one of the most successful African American organizations of it's time.

Stokely Carmichael (Kwame Ture) Speeches

I regret to inform you that this wonderful youtube channel is no longer available. I only hope that you were able to benefit from the great videos that were shared with us while it was active.

Carmichael/Ture Speaking in London, England

The Kwame Ture Youtube Channel
(Click the link above to see all videos)

The youtube channel is gone 

This channel, at time of  this writing, consists of about 80 videos between a minute and a half to almost 2hours in length. Spanning from Carmichael's/Ture's time with SNCC through when he moved to Guinea-Conakry. The videos cover a wide range of topics such as Politics, MLK, Malcolm X, The Police, The Media, Guns, Gangs,  Education, SNCC, Vietnam, Black Power, Religion, Revolution, Pan Africanism and so much more. I haven't watched them all but it appears that the bulk of the videos contain live footage of Carmichael/Ture speaking. I will probably include this post on the blog to be posted in advance of Black History Month 2013 because there is so much interesting material, from the civil rights movement of the 1960s through the 1990s, that you might want to check it out and share it yourself during BHM.

Kwame Ture (aka ; Stokely Carmichael June 29, 1941 – November 15, 1998) was a Trinidadian-American black activist active in the 1960s American Civil Rights Movement. Growing up in the United States from the age of eleven, he graduated from Howard University and rose to prominence in the civil rights and Black Power movements, first as a leader of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, pronounced "snick") and later as the "Honorary Prime Minister" of the Black Panther Party.

Initially an integrationist, Carmichael later became affiliated with black nationalist and Pan-Africanist movements.  He popularized the term "Black Power".  Following his expulsion from the Black Panthers in 1967 and widespread riots following the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968, Carmichael moved to Guinea-Conakry in 1969. He resided there for the rest of his life, except for receiving medical treatment in the US late in life. - From Wikipedia

I'm adding some Ture videos here so you can sample the previous channel.

Etta or Beyoncé?

I saw on Twitter where someone said "sorry Etta...Beyonce took this song to another level......" about ( I'd Rather Go Blind ) 
What do you think?

In my opinion Etta was there first and Beyoncé didn't really take it someplace all that far away, unless there is a version that I didn't hear, which is entirely possible.

Enjoy

Etta

Beyoncé 

Happy 74th Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali (born Cassius Marcellus Clay, Jr. on January 17, 1942) 

World Heavyweight Boxing Champion and a Man of Principle is loved by the little people all over the world.

"Float Like a Butterfly Sting Like a Bee"