An Interview with Dr. Yvonne Thornton

Dr. Yvonne Thornton - one of the real-life subjects of "The Ditchdiggers Daughters" - talks about her road to success with NPR's Michel Martin. I still remember that movie (loved it)...one of my favorite films. She also discusses her new memoir "Something to Prove: A Daughter's Journey to Fulfill a Father's Legacy". Listen Here.

The story of Dr. Thornton, in a way, reinforces the point I was making in the post about Amy Chua. The general approach of Amy Chua is not too far removed from the Black American legacy and tradition in this Country when it comes to raising children. So why is it treated as foreign?

NPR Series Follows Unemployed in St. Louis

NPR is spotlighting six unemployed St. Louisans as they look for work. Listen to the ongoing series here.

A Conversation With Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Hear an extensive interview with Dr. Henry Louis Gates Jr. (A Must Listen).

Direct Audio Link

The topics cover race, Obama's otherness being used against him as a weapon by the Republican Tea Party, post-racial America, anthropology, genealogy...etc.

Great discussion. A couple of Tea Partiers even call in....resulting in some interesting exchanges.

The Miseducation of NPR

I was perturbed to learn this week that NPR chose rapper/singer Lauryn Hill for their 50 Great Voices Series. This is their list of the 50 greatest singers ever, based in part on suggestions/voting from listeners. Each week, for the rest of this year, NPR will feature a new artist. Are you kidding me?

Lauryn Hill? Really?

I guess this is the point where I should add another disclaimer... I am not a fan of Lauryn Hill. (I'm not going to gain much support from this commentary). I have never cared for her music... and anyone reading this blog long enough should know how I feel about rap and the Hip Hop culture. However, I do respect Hill for being a talented musician. I can recall flipping through the channels several years ago and stumbling upon her unplugged performance. She's talented, there are no ifs ands, or buts about that.

She's a pretty good singer in my humble opinion. But one of the 50 Great voices in the entire world, EVER? Let's stop with the nonsense. Who made this decision at NPR? This is the point where NPR's 50 Greats adventure went from a serious project to more of a joke. This seemed to be more of a PR effort on the part of NPR to reach out to a younger, more Hip Hop oriented demographic... a group that doesn't listen to NPR in great numbers on a regular basis.

One big irony here is that Mary Christine Brockert & Roberta Flack have yet to make the list and may never be chosen. I doubt if NPR will pick both, and chances are slim that even one will be recognized. Yet Hill has borrowed heavily from these two singers during her career....covering their performances, using their riffs, their phrasing, their style and so on. Hill doesn't come close to Brockert or Flack when it comes to the art of singing. They would both blow Hill off stage. Hill's voice has a limited range...and her singing style is much more forced, her delivery more contrived. Her voice may be natural, but she's not a natural singer.

Another issue is the fact that Hill has had a limited career compared to the all-time great singers around the world. There is not that much material to base such a big decision on. Hill has benefited from an era of sampling and technology to enhance her performances and boost her career.

I was lucky enough to have seen Brockert live in concert in St. Louis back in 1994. I was stunned by the performance... to this day I shudder thinking about what I saw and heard that night. How could such a powerful voice come out of such a small package, I thought to myself. THAT is a singer.... I can recall how she held one note for somewhere in the ballpark of 30 seconds...(not hyperbole), just to play with the crowd...which was screaming & throwing roses on stage at that point. Circular breathing perhaps? I'm not sure. But I had never heard a singer like her before or since.

The generations of "singers" who came after Luther Vandross and Whitney Houston (in her prime) just never quite measured up for me. Perhaps it's my old age (only 37 this month). But I have always identified with older generations of artists. That's not to say that the current crop of young singers isn't talented... there are definitely good singers still around...but they are hit & miss.

The list of 50 Great voices were supposed to be the very best in the world...the best ever...the best that some Countries had to offer...the best that some cultures had to offer. On an exclusive list like that, a Lauryn Hill just doesn't measure up in my book. If this were a list of 500 Great voices... then there might be enough room to fit her in. But this is a list of 50 of the best throughout modern human history.... since the introduction of the vinyl record over 100 years ago.

Hill is a folk hero to generations of young Black Americans (those 35 & under), although I don't really understand why. I have never understood this phenomenon. But that folk hero status may have something to do with the admiration her supporters have for her and may ultimately be the reason for the selection. That probably played a bigger role in her selection than her actual impact, voice, or singing prowess.

The cult of Lauryn Hill is one of many things in the "Black Community" that never made any sense to me...someone looking at it objectively from another perspective. Perhaps its that identity thing again... The fact that I don't identify with today's Black culture, and certainly don't identify with Hip Hop culture (which has largely taken the place of a real Black culture), probably has something to do with my bewilderment. But that's not a bad thing... because it allows me to make an unbiased assessment. I have been a connoisseur of good music for a long time...and I think I can say objectively & with confidence that Lauryn Hill doesn't make the cut.

Comments Off

Excellent Week In Review Discussion from NPR

Hear On Point's week in review discussion from this weekend. Panel included Trudy Rubin, Clarence Page, and Jack Beatty.

They covered just about everything... including Obama's falling support, the death of Healthcare Reform, the gridlocked and completely dysfunctional Congress, and the public's misplaced anger. They didn't go far enough though...they seemed scared to say that the Country is screwed. With voters set to return Republicans to power, America's decline will continue.

NPR To Profile 50 Great Voices

NPR is seeking input from listeners for a series that will highlight 50 great singers. The list will eventually be narrowed down to 50 of the greatest, from all the nominations sent in. I will send in 50, but you don't have to send in a list that big....you can send as few as you like.

The list below is not necessarily a list of my personal favorites, although NPR doesn't discourage that. It was tough to suppress the urge to include my personal preferences to make sure a variety of deserving singers were included. Although the vast majority on this list are among my favorites.

I wrote the rough draft for this list in about 25 minutes at work earlier this week (had to change a few though)

My list - In no particular order:

1. Mahalia Jackson
2. Sam Cooke
3. Donny Hathaway
4. John Lennon
5. Marvin Gaye
6. Bob Marley
7. Otis Redding
8. Joan Baez
9. B.B. King
10. Mercedes Sosa
11. Luther Vandross
12. Smokey Robinson
13. Whitney Houston
14. Willie Nelson
15. Aretha Franklin
16. Luciano Pavarotti
17. Nat Cole
18. Lou Rawls
19. Miriam Makeba
20. Louis Armstrong
21. Billie Holiday
22. Patsy Cline
23. Frank Sinatra
24. Pattie Labelle
25. Gladys Knight
26. Ray Charles
27. Ella Fitzgerald
28. Stevie Wonder
29. David Ruffin
30. Russell Thompkins Jr.
31. Ronald Isley
32. Chuck Berry
33. James Taylor
34. Elvis Presley
35. Diana Ross
36. Elton John
37. Fats Domino
38. Mary Christine Brockert
39. Mavis Staples
40. Grace Bumbry
41. Michael Jackson
42. Dinah Washington
43. Bessie Smith
44. Sarah Vaughn
45. Bill Withers
46. Little Anthony
47. Michael McDonald
48. Natalie Cole
49. Roberta Flack
50. Sammy Davis Jr.

Weekly Roundup Discussion from NPR

Another great On Point discussion from last week.

NPR Discussion on Healthcare & Race

Hear NPR's On Point discussion from last week... (from the weekly roundup).

Great commentary about the influence of race in our current politics, and how Obama should have been more aggressive on Healthcare (I didn't think it was a good idea to try reform right now....but if he's going to do it, he should have called all hands on deck and been a lot more aggressive and should have taken on opponents earlier). The panel echoes what I have been saying for months.

And on race...I loved how President Carter told the truth. He knew he would be criticized...but he told the truth anyway. Although he was pointing out the obvious.... the media and people of authority in American society have been late (or entirely unwilling) when it comes to telling the truth about how race is influencing the tone of the political debate in the Country.

It's been interesting to see how the GOP immediately dispatched their #1 & #2 firemen on racism (Michael Steele and Ron Christie). As if their Black skin is able to wipe away history and sugar coat the current state of race in America. I was amused to see how they immediately dismissed Carters comments.... same with FAUX news.... as if they have better collective and cumulative insight than this 85 year old white man from the South....not to mention a former President.

Of course the Obama Administration distanced itself from Carter... (Carter is probably not surprised). The Obama Administration HAS to do this.... we know that! I completely understand why Obama has to publicly come out against folks stating the obvious on this issue. Politically he can't afford to make race a big deal... at least he knows it can't come from The White House or anyone from his camp. But Carter and the rest of us can say what Obama can't say.

The Story of Sylvia Martinez

NPR has a new segment on Sylvia Martinez. The program is part of a radio series on the experiences of the unemployed as they seek work during the recession mini-depression.

This segment seems to be just as depressing as the last one.

Slavery By Another Name - A Recounting of Black Re-Enslavement After the Civil War

NPR has a great interview with author Douglas Blackmon who talks about the history of Black Post-Civil War Re-Enslavement, particularly in the South. In the book “Slavery by Another Name: The Re-enslavement of Black Americans from the Civil War to World War II", Blackmon gives a chilling account of how Black men were systematically steered into jails and work camps throughout the South, often on bogus or nefarious charges, and used for their labor.

In many ways...he is basically describing the early years of the modern prison industrial complex.

I knew about some of this...particularly about sharecropping...and how that kept Blacks in financial bondage. But Blackmon goes into more detail about the obstacles faced by Blacks after the Civil War.

Listen Here

A Discussion about Dick Cheney and His Efforts to Make Obama The Fall Guy

NPR had a great discussion about Tricky Dick II last week and his efforts to turn the tables in the torture debate. Dick Cheney has been on a media blitz lately on behalf of the Republican Party (and in an effort to cover his own rear end). His aim seems to be to argue that tough interrogation techniques (torture) worked and therefore were justified. He is also attempting to use fear (although I don't think it's working this time) to support his argument. He keeps repeating the argument that getting rid of "enhanced interrogation techniques" will put the U.S. at serious risk of another terrorist attack. Although none of the top experts and national security officials (National Security Adviser Jones, DNI Blair, the CIA Director, nor the Joint Chiefs Chairman) believe that changing the interrogation process will increase the risk of another 9/11. Even if there were another attack...it isn't even remotely likely that it could be tied to the change in interrogation rules. But by using this argument, Cheney's goal seems to be to set Obama up for blame if another terrorist attack takes place under the new Administration. In other words... he is hoping to use another terrorist attack as a way to breathe new life into the Republican Party. Sickening stuff!

Listen to Discussion

The Human Cost of The Broken Economy

Hear an NPR story about the way this economy is impacting everyday people. It shows how brutal this economy can be.

American Capitalism can really rob people of their dignity and humanity. It can rip the spirit right out of you. A cruel system indeed.

I am becoming more and more hopeless everyday (and i'm employed full-time...although under-employed). I guess I should feel lucky...but my employment situation is becoming more precarious with each passing day. Bankruptcy was officially announced this week. I started working when I was 16. And I have been employed continuously... and full-time (except for 3 months) since I was about 19 years old. I'll be 36 pretty soon. The idea of not working is unthinkable to me.

But the hopelessness is real. I have the constant feeling that i'm falling face down from the top of the Sears Tower in super slow motion.... going down a little more everyday....knowing what is waiting for me at the bottom but not being able to stop it.

Hear the Final Segments of NPR's Race Series

Hear parts 5 & 6 of NPR's series on race and the 2008 election. In these last two segments, the participants talk about how they feel now that the election season is over. Some seemed to have softened their earlier positions on race.

Hear Part 5

Hear Part 6

Listen to Parts 1 & 2... and Parts 3 & 4.

Update to NPR's Race Series - Part 4 Added

Part 4 of the series has been added. Listen to parts 3 & 4 here.


"If Obama is elected, there will be chaos"-- Interviewee from York Pennsylvania
(an example of how fear is still influencing people)

Hear The Third Segment of NPR's Race Series

Listen to the third installment of NPR's series on Race, as it relates to the 2008 election.

NPR started this series last month. Click here if you missed parts one and two. I found the first two segments to be quite interesting. They will do at least one more segment, after the November election.

UPDATE
Listen to Part 4 of the series

Racial Prejudice and the 2008 Election

NPR has just completed the first segment of a series of programs that focus on how race will influence voters in the upcoming election.

In the first program (in two parts) the hosts talk with voters in York Pennsylvania.

This is a must listen....

Hear Part I

Hear Part II

It helps confirm many of the problems that I have been pointing out regarding the aptitude of the American voter, and the impact identity politics may play in this election. This is why Democrats should have cause for concern.

This election, in my view, may likely come down to Race for many voters.

A Fundamentalist Half A Heartbeat From Nukes

American voters are about to put a radical Fundamentalist Christian just half a heartbeat away from controlling nuclear weapons and the U.S. Armed Forces. Sarah Palin's brand of Christianity is that of John Hagee (an earlier endorser of McCain), Rod Parsley, James Dobson, the late Jerry Falwell, David Brickner, Pat Robertson and others... all Christian radicals. Their view of Christianity falls outside of moderate mainstream Christian teachings in this Country. They preach a brand of Christianity that centers on rapture, war, the end times, and the fact that such events should be welcomed. In fact, many see a role for themselves and their flock in bringing to pass some sort of "end times" scenario.

Palin herself recently referred to the War in Iraq as a mission from God.

Yet this Fundamentalist will become the most powerful woman from that community, almost overnight. The idea that she could be in control of the U.S. Armed forces in a time of crisis (or at any time for that matter) should be cause for...not concern... but alarm to the American people. But brainwashed American idol sheep (voters who will decide the next election) are too busy admiring her spunk and charm to pay attention to the issues or any of the nuts and bolts substance behind this woman.

Hear a brief story about Palin's Religious background from NPR

***************************

Related Links

Palin Connected To Anti-American Fringe Group

John McWhorter Actually Has a Point

Hear John McWhorter on NPR, discussing the book All About the Beat: Why Hip-Hop Can't Save Black America.

I typically don't agree with John McWhorter, but on the issue of Hip Hop, I tend to agree with his position more than I disagree. 15-20 years ago, I would have probably been more resistant to his position. I once saw Hip Hop as something that had a lot of potential to be a vehicle for social change. That's not the case anymore. That fire fizzled out a long time ago. It has been replaced by something completely different.... something much more destructive than constructive.

I have become a little more Conservative as I have gotten older, and I can't stand anything about Rap music or Rap culture, particularly as it is packaged today. The problem for folks like John McWhorter, Bill Cosby, and Juan Williams is that Black folks are not very open to their message...often because of the messenger. Part of the reason has to do with the fact that a large number of Black folks are so brainwashed and indoctrinated into the Hip Hop lifestyle, and brainwashed by the Black establishment (Civil Rights Inc.) that they will never be open to the ideas of McWhorter or Cosby/Puissant. And so the message fades with the messenger.

This will ultimately be to the detriment of Black people, IMO.

Hillary Clinton Spews More Lies in NPR Interview

In an NPR interview that aired today, Hillary Clinton offered more lies and distortions about Barack Obama and the Democratic Primary. Listen Here.

It is clear to me that there might be something pathologically wrong with this woman.

She suggests that the results from the ceremonial Florida and Michigan contests should be counted as is (because she "won"). She goes on to play the victim by suggesting that it was not her fault that Obama took his name off the ballot and didn't compete in the States.

In response to the issue of Barack Obama's name not being on the ballot in at least one of the two States, Clinton says:

(taking his name off the ballot)

"That was his choice".

There she goes again....attempting to mislead voters and play the victim. But those of us who have been paying attention all along understand that when the DNC stripped Florida and Michigan of their delegates, that part of the punishment was to have candidates avoid competing in the two States. Obama was not the only candidate who took his name off the ballot (as if that matters). But she is clearly trying to trick voters into believing that Michigan and Florida were normal primaries and that the results should be counted. She is also trying to send the message that she was somehow robbed of her delegates.

From ABC News: (regarding the Florida and Michigan results)

The results were meaningless since the elections violated national party rules. The DNC stripped both States of their delegates for holding the primaries too early, and all Democratic candidates — including Clinton and rival Barack Obama — agreed not to campaign in either state. Obama's name wasn't even on the Michigan ballot.

Source (page 2)

So the idea that the results in Florida and Michigan were fair and should be counted (since they were in her favor) is utterly ridiculous. How on earth can delegates be fairly and properly allocated in States where all of the candidates did not compete on a level playing field...and in States that the candidates were in fact told to avoid by their Party leadership? Her "i'm the victim" routine is also absurd, and it's getting a little old.

Here is the agreement that Hillary Clinton broke.

It is ironic that during the interview...when Hillary Clinton is caught lying, she ends up telling even more lies to cover up the lies she has already told. Talk about a tangled web.

Hear The Democratic Radio Debate From NPR

NPR hosted a great Democratic radio Debate earlier today.

Hear the entire debate here. This was one of the best debates so far.

Sparks flew on the subject of Iran, in light of the recent NIE Report on Iran's so-called nuclear weapons program.
Clinton supported the Bush Administration's effort to label part of the Iranian Army as a terrorist group, providing the Neo-Conservatives with all the approval they need to launch an attack against that Country. But Clinton bought into the Bush Administrations disinformation campaign on Iran far too easily, with little skepticism, just as she did when she voted in favor of the invasion of Iraq. When you vote in favor of an ill advised war once, you may be able to get away with calling it a mistake. However, when you do it twice in a row, there is a thing called "judgement" that has to be called into question.