Category Archives: news

50 SHOTS This Time

Posted on by drumsintheglobalvillage

 

 Time to pull out our Bruce Springsteen CDs. 

41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots….
and we’ll take that ride
‘cross this bloody river
to the other side
41 shots… cut through the night
You’re kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his lifeIs it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
Your American skin

41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots and
Lena gets her son ready for school
She says “on these streets, Charles
You’ve got to understand the rules
If an officer stops you
Promise me you’ll always be polite,
that you’ll never ever run away
Promise Mama you’ll keep your hands in sight”

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain’t no secret
It ain’t no secret
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
Your American skin

41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
(music bit)
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it in your heart, is it in your eyes
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)

41 shots
And we’ll take that ride
Cross this bloody river
To the other side
41 shots
And my boots caked in this mud
We’re baptized in these waters
(baptized in these waters)
And in each other’s blood
(And in each others blood)

Is it a gun, is it a knife
Is it a wallet, this is your life
It ain’t no secret
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)
It ain’t no secret
(It ain’t no secret)
No secret my friend
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
Your American Skin

(41 shots)You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)You can get killed just for living in
(41 shots)You can get killed just for living in

Five Questions For Barack Obama

Posted on by drumsintheglobalvillage

Mr. Senator: 

1) How will you get the international experience you need to make a credible run for the White House?

2) Why are you the only politician who keeps feeling the need to publicly mention that you have a wife who keeps you in check?

3) Who are you AGAINST? Who do you OPPOSE? What about America today makes you ANGRY enough to make ENEMIES?

4) As John Edwards’s future running mate in 2008, how will you fulfill your role as Vice President?

5) With respect, how will you fulfill the legacies of the circa 1968 MLK and RFK when you haven’t really said anything?

Seen Them Yet?

Posted on by drumsintheglobalvillage

“Them,” of course, are the two pieces of video folks are talking about.

First, the tasering of the Iranian UCLA student.

Although it’s clear he didn’t use the best judgement in his dealings with the police (was he angry over being racially profiled?), it goes without saying…. REPEATEDLY TASERING someone who’s not ARMED? IN A COLLEGE LIBRARY??????

At least there’s a demonstration. Let’s see how this resolves.

And second, that Ward Connerly statement…….  🙂

About Black Writers: Hurston/Wright Foundation Legacy Awards And Freedomways

Posted on by drumsintheglobalvillage

 

Went to the ceremony last Friday. Shook Morgan Freeman’s hand and told him that, to me, he’d always be Easy Reader  from “The Electric Company.”  🙂

So the Foundation (based in my adopted hometown of Hyattsville! Woo-woo!) gave out its Legacy Awards for Black literary excellence.

Emcee S. Epatha Merkerson (yep, the sister from NBC’s “Law And Order”) could not have been funnier. 

The physical award was especially cool—a beautiful statue of Djhuiti.  No joke, bay-bee!

Here’s the winners, most of whom were there to pick up their awards and speechify:

NONFICTION: John Hope Franklin (for “Mirror To America: The Autobiography of John Hope Franklin”)

First Finalist: Donald Bogle (for “Bright Boulevard, Bold Dreams”)

Second Finalist: Lisa Farrington (for “Creating Their Own Image: The History of African-American Women Artists”)

CONTEMPORARY FICTION: Clyde W. Ford (for “The Long Mile” )

DEBUT FICTION: Denise Nicholas (for “Freshwater Road” )

FICTION: Nancy Rawles (for “My Jim”)

First Finalist: David Anthony Durham (for “Pride of Carthage”)

Second Finalist: Tayari Jones (for “The Untelling”)

The Madam C.J. Walker Award went to Yao Hoke Glover III and Simba Sana, founders of Karibu Books. W. Paul Coates and Bill Cox were the individual recipients of the North Star Award. Those non-competitive awards acknowledge outstanding contributions to the world of Black books.

Meanwhile……..

While we’re talking about Black writers, thought I’d also add this article. The Sister Elder is the editor of this, the compilation of the “little magazine” she helped launch.