Barack Obama is Cliff Huxtable

This is soooo something I would have done. In case you needed any more proof:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	M - Th 11p / 10c
Barack Obama Is Cliff Huxtable
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And for all my Brooklyn and Queens darlings, Happy Brooklyn-Queens Day!

Summer Forecast: Sun Showers

AKA Crown Heights, this is not looking good.


The Associated Press (via the NY Times) has reported that 4 black 14 year-olds have been arrested for throwing rocks and yelling racial epithets at a Jewish school bus full of toddlers (See article here). As we've seen both here and here, things have not been shaping up so nicely this summer.
Unfortunately the neighborhood will continue to live under the cloud of the 1991 deaths and riot. Although the storm may have come and gone, apparently there are still showers of racial discord that still have not been properly addressed.

I ain't saying nothing, but I'm just saying

....when black people did this, Fred Hampton ended up dead. Let's just hope our friend Al doesn't stir anything up. Because while I, like Spike, am confident in black folk's ability to act rationally, I do not have the same confidence in Al.

People we do not need another long and hot summer to teach us to Do the Right Thing.

Somewhere Sammy is reminding us we can all get along

(p.s. there will always be more Spike loving..I'm doing my dissertation on whiteness in black films. You know he is all up in there)

HAUL,
The Queen

Money, It's gotta be the shoes/Crown Heights, again./ What's really hood, Meagan Good?

Back during my obsession with U-N-I's "K.R.E.A.M." and the video, I also did a Throwback special on Spike clips, including the commercials he did with Jordan. Now all love of the Spiz'ike aside, Mr. Lee has been making quite some noise at Cannes. First off is the news that he will be doing a documentary on His Royal Airness, Michael Jordan himself. Peep the Variety article here. Yay, excitement. Think we'll get a little celeb-style gossip about the post-marriage era? I really don't care, but it just may be entertaining. Better yet, do dyou think he can do a Michael Jackson documentary?

But that's not all getting Spike attention. He also has a film coming out this fall that focuses on black soldiers during WWII. He let Eastwood have it for making two WWII films back to back that featured an all white army. I'm not sure what the exact segregation laws were then, but I'm certain there were some black soldiers there. It's a shame that in 2008 the entertainment industry has still not come around to the idea of inclusiveness. New York is not an all white city and the nation is not an all white nation. So while groups of friends and families may be of all one race/class/creed at least be a little representative in the people bumping into them. Read Spike's comments here.

And my requisite New York Times article. Crown Heights. Sigh. Apparently things don't change.

Also, Meagan Good, Vanity? I thought Vanity Fair reserved that for up and coming actresses trying to get noticed. Oh well, guess I answered my own query. Y'all know Cousin Skeeter was a long time ago. But then again, Jurnee Smollet just got her picture and they were both in Eve's Bayou together. And well, apparently Good is a producer now too.

a 3fer, really I should be learning stats.



http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117986150.html?categoryid=13&cs=1&nid=2562
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hikJlTUDy35zQ7x5J8LpXidpmZhgD90Q2PIO0

Brooklyn Art Space

Out on Main Street in Dumbo is a neat exhibitions space called the Powerhouse Arena. Note, I've never actually been there (well I've been to Dumbo and I've even worked on Main street...but never been to this arena), but was put on to them just now by Around The Way Girls blog and am impressed with what I see. So many good exhibits are ending today, but some pics are up so you can get a taste of what you missed. Visit the Powerhouse website here.

A few missed exhibits

Black in White America: From what I can tell its a collection of black and white portraits dedicated to portraying a sample of the black experience in America, but on a real level. The pictures don't immediately shock or anger, but is reality on a day to day basis. There are kids playing in hydrants, ladies with rollers in their hair, and the such. Still through it all you get a sense of what life is : the highs and the lows, and injustices that occurred. I wish I could tell you more but I don't have much to go by. The photos are from Leonard Freed, a prolific photographer and artist.

Partnered with Black in White America is Jamel Shabazz's Seconds of My Life. I can't lie, I'm feeling the photo with the Nike Jackets and the parts in the hair( These are the same jackets Kanye blogged about on his blog, tho he didn't mention the book Seconds of My Life...I also think there's a pic of Ye in the book with Johnny, either its them or all black people look the same to me). This is another day to day exhibit and it goes far beyond the materialism of Nike and their hold on the black community (I'm taking Spike on for that one day...but that should be an exhibit in and of itself...Nike and the Urban Community). He also captures performances, ceremonies, a girl with a scary cat and a Sistah Souljah book, and what appears to be The Nation of Islam along with Israelites (well not in the same picture). The pictures also range over time, from people rocking fades and using Nynex pay phones to murals of Dipset. You can also check out the book and more images there from one of the links on the URL that is linked above.


Another two exhibits that are partnered together are The Breaks: Stylin and Profilin 1982-1990 and Born in the Bronx. These two exhibits take two different but complementary looks at Hip Hop culture in the early years. The Breaks, photographed by Janette Beckman showcases the B-Boy stance and shows a lot of images of both male and female artists, crews, djs...etc. It's EastCoast/NY centered and captures some of the more influential folk of the Period. Born in the Bronx examines hip hop as originating from the Bronx (even tho Run DMC sneaks there way in there) and was done by Joe Conzo. Looking at the Bronx, the Hispanic influence and participation receives more of a focus, but not an overpowering one. It's something that makes sense since it is the Bronx/NYC (and we all know NuYoricans are a huge part of the culture and its all jumbled anyway), but not something that's thought about (at least I never thought about it) that much: so a history lesson for all. They were in there before Big Pun and Fat Joe.

And according to the PowerHouse website, the Smithsonian is now taking on a Hip Hop exhibit...so brace yourself.

All in all, a neat exhibition space and someplace to keep in mind for the future. Brooklyn has so much to offer...if you can take it in, don't let it pass you by.

Throwback Pop Culture Video of the Week

In honor of my new love of U-N-I and K.R.E.A.M. (also peep their songs Beautiful Day and Fat Girls), I'm posting two --yes two--classic Spike Lee clips from which U-N-I drew inspiration from for the K.R.E.A.M. video.

First up, someone uploaded this for a class I took last year, and I had the joy of analyzing this scene from Do The Right Thing. Here a white guy, wearing a Larry Bird Boston Celtics jersey(can anything symbolize more whiteness...repping racist ol' Boston? ugh..) steps on Buggin' Out's, played by Giancarlo Esposito, Jordans and all hell breaks loose. Gentrification==> dirty sneakers.




Second up, one of the series of Spike's commercials for Nike. Peep the hat...remember the Inglewood cap.."Money, It's gotta be the shoes!"




Step on my shoes, I will kill you....

HAUL,
The Queen

And now for a little Bklyn History

Thanks to the NYTimes. There's a pretty informative article this week about the Underground Railroad and the form it took in Brooklyn, leading to the designation of Duffield, a popular street in Brooklyn's Downtown as Abolitionist Place, "On the Trail of Brooklyn's Underground Railroad." The article also touches on the history of Weeksville, an important historical but oft forgotten neighborhood of Brooklyn. Get edumicated here.

Watch the NYTimes video on the subject here

If you ever want to really get into NYC history on an almost block by block basis, there's this guy that often does specials on PBS. I can't remember his name of the title of the program right now, but they are on point.

On another note, does anyone else feel intrigued by the case of Pinky? yea..

For related reading check out Monied Metropolis by Sven Beckert. It gives everything through an economic history of the city. Quite informative.

Haul,
The Queen

Brooklyn's just better

Can't even really call this a battle, tho' that's what Perez chooses to title it. I'm a big Ye fan, but Mos Def killed it. If you haven't yet, peep their joins together on Graduation, Kanye West's latest album. They're called Drunk and Hot Girls and Good Night.


p.s. Am i the only one dying of laughter from Shar Jackson's rap on Celebrity Rap Superstar? She's been pretty decent on the show spitting other people's raps, but the Britney line in this piece takes the cake:

THROWBACK POP CULTURE CLIP : BELATED EDITION

You know California Dreams was that show.


Also in honor of the weather in New York this week. Tornados in Brooklyn? This was definitely worth some Vanity Dark posting. Poor tornado probably felt like a black person in a Harvey C. Mansfeld lecture-out of place and unwanted. "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto."