A Special Editorial – Mamie~Louise Anderson

LIGHT EGYPTIAN* 2012
When a rising star, born in New Jersey and raised in Queens and the Dominican Republic, set off a firestorm covered in publications ranging from the New York Times and Jet Magazine to the Daily Mail, my interest was naturally piqued. But ire is another thing and mine was provoked by a recent email that I received. 
Forwarded multiple times, it attached photographs on Ms. Saldana on the movie set in her role as “Nina Simone.” This email had the rather malicious subject line “Zoe Saldana - blackface-disgrace.” Now that’s a loaded claim, as offensive as Al Jolson singing “Mammy,” so I am addressing this notion here and now for all to consider having second thoughts on the matter.

First of all, how can an Afro-Hispanic-American woman be accused of appearing in "blackface?" It would only be disgraceful to me if she fails to capture the essence and complexity of Nina Simone, but for now I will give Ms. Saldana the benefit of the doubt.

For those of us galvanized by Simone's force of nature artistry during the Civil Rights Struggle, Hollywood is trespassing on sacred ground; but, for a generation that has never even heard a note of her signature protest song "Mississippi Goddamn," we will soon have a chance to correct the record, even if it means disassembling our romantic version of the true woman and artist and the fiery times she walked through by critiquing the finished film. Who was talking about Nina Simone's legacy before this movie casting, hmmm?

For Saldana, it's an enormous acting challenge and a sensitive undertaking, but don't get it twisted. This is Hollywood, not history. We have a better chance at re-electing President Obama than getting Hollywood to be enlightened and invested in telling our stories right every time. I suggest we keep our eyes on the prize, where passion matters most - at least for the next seven history-making days.


So this is my "red-bone" perspective, certain to hit a nerve if not rile others up: I hope, for the sake of Nina's legacy and future investment in bringing our iconic women to screen, that Zoe far exceeds the premature anxiety of her detractors. At the mercy of Show Biz (and make no mistake, despite a pantheon of stars and box office successes, we remain so since "Birth of a Nation") I suggest that we have to have more imagination about what is possible for individual projects until proven wrong. And we have to own the human right to make mistakes without the whole community casting an artist out as a pariah.

It's no secret that a diversity of imagery and authenticity is lacking; that "shadism" is a subtle, painful, intimate and cinematically unexplored conundrum; that, in the wake of diversity programming, our narrative as African-American women, richly portrayed in literature and theater, is marginalized. But it is also true that in order to remain financially viable, we have to keep "skin in the game," so to speak (emphasis on "game").
To my way of thinking, the career success of Halle Berry and Zoe Saldana makes future artistic inroads possible as did the Dorothy Dandridges and Diahann Carroll's of bygone eras. They keep the door cracked with their transcendent, often incandescent creativity and pioneering self-determination. Their lonely trajectory should be embraced, communally and spectacularly.

I really am standing up for the right of artistic freedom which in some cases is the right to be wrong, but not abused. Less a crusade to preserve the memory of Nina Simone, cowering beneath criticism of this casting decision, I suspect, is the envy and contempt for the privileges of that old stereotype, the "tragic mulatto."  Don't believe the hype! You don’t make it in Hollywood without paying dues.

Alienating and slamming these sisters for their "acceptable" aesthetic or taking advantage of the measly opportunities to be a female star, the questionable kudos Langston Hughes called "crumbs from the table of joy," seems historically shallow to me. I don't see the same outrage in the now inevitable interracial coupling of African American male actors. We seem to have a memory lapse on how insulting that once was to the tune of putting Black actresses out of work for decades now since traditional partnering roles have been usurped by others.  Now it’s perfectly acceptable… in fact, expected.

The world is changing and I suggest we hold our horses on this while we assert our creativity and resources where it really counts. And I'm not just talking Hollywood, where myth and fantasy abounds. Blackface Zoe? Get real. One week before an election that will determine the future for many generations to come, I humbly suggest we have other fish to fry.

Meanwhile, consider this:

Stir Builds Over Actress to Portray Nina Simone
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/13/movies/should-zoe-saldana-play-nina-simone-some-say-no.html?_r=0
See Zoe Saldana As Nina Simone On Set of  Biopic
http://www.cinemablend.com/new/See-Zoe-Saldana-Nina-Simone-Set-Biopic-33829.html
Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone Darkens Controversy
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/zoe-saldana-nina-simone-darkens-controversy/story?id=17555205#.UJAXp2_R5xM
Zoe Saldana embodies legendary jazz singer Nina Simone as she dons one of her signature head wraps for new film
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2224329/Zoe-Saldana-embodies-legendary-jazz-singer-Nina-Simone-dons-signature-head-wraps-new-film.html?ito=feeds-newsxml
Zoe Saldana: After Being Cast As Nina Simone, A Controversy About Racism in the Movies Begins
http://www.policymic.com/articles/15101/zoe-saldana-after-being-cast-as-nina-simone-a-controversy-about-racism-in-the-movies-begins
JET Magazine: Photos of Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone
http://jetmag.com/entertainment/photos-of-zoe-saldana-as-nina-simone/
And this:
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/showtracker/la-et-st-black-family-tv-20121013,0,914003.story
And, just for historical perspective, this:
Max Factor and the Light Egyptian* Makeup
This is story of Lena Horne and Max Factor. The clip is an excerpt from the 60 Minutes interview in 1981. The interview was conducted by the late Ed Bradley
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4683607n&tag=api

And lighten up,

Mamie~Louise Anderson
BIO: http://about.me/nialoves2dance
BLOG: http://mamielouiseanderson.posterous.com/

Now that is a Thought Provoking Perspective...
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THOUGHT PROVOKING PERSPECTIVES HAS MOVED!!!

Yes, it’s true but I want you to come with me to http://thoughtprovokingperspectives.wordpress.com

THOUGHT PROVOKING PERSPECTIVES the powerful blog designed as a potent source of empowering knowledge to broaden the information base with those who share my passion for the written word. I firmly believe education is the single most important ingredient necessary to neutralize those forces that breed poverty and despair. 

THOUGHT PROVOKING PERSPECTIVES has moved to WordPress. I am grateful and very much appreciative for all the support from my many followers. So, I cordially invite you to follow me to http://thoughtprovokingperspectives.wordpress.com

 

I’ll see you at the new location.

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The History of Slavery – Never forget!!!

The history of America’s past is an ominous one that is not as nostalgic as many today would have you believe, particularly for the descendants of those stolen from Africa. It has been said that history often repeats itself. If this is true could this happen again? With a man from a religion that did not recognize nor allowed anyone other than white people to be part of his faith desiring to be president – it could happen!

When you consider the possibility of having this man with a Supreme Court on his side, possible 7 – 2; it is a scary thought. Willard might be the one to turn back the hands of time… View the video and learn, but never forget! And this is my Thought Provoking Perspective…

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Race in the Race – Center Stage

I was talking with a friend a few days ago, who made the most insane comment I think I’ve heard since the wanna-be president opens his month on any given day. The friend, who is a republican, said, “It’s good to see that America’s prejudices have change and race is no longer a problem. Please forgive me if I sound like Herman Cain but my response was “you have be brain washed by the Good Ol’ Boys”.

I tried to explain to my friend, who may not be considered such much longer, that I lived through part of the Jim Crow era and find striking similarities to those days. She could not understand that what we see today is en-essence James Crow, Esq. a more grown and sophisticated version of bigotry because racial attitudes have not improved. If one looks carefully they might conclude that the issue of race has become diabolically worse!

The Associated Press (AP) reported this week that in the four years since America elected its first black president a slight majority of Americans now express prejudice toward blacks whether they recognize those feelings or not. The poll found that 51 percent of Americans now express explicit anti-black attitudes, compared with 48 percent in a similar 2008 survey. When measured by an implicit racial attitudes test, the number of Americans with anti-black sentiments jumped to 56 percent, up from 49 percent during the last presidential election. In both tests, the share of Americans expressing pro-black attitudes fell.

Another poll taken in 2011, found that 52 percent of non-Hispanic whites expressed anti-Hispanic attitudes. That figure rose to 57 percent in the implicit test. The survey on Hispanics had no past data for comparison. The AP surveys were conducted with researchers from Stanford University, the University of Michigan and NORC at the University of Chicago.

African Americans have noticed that the president has treaded cautiously on the subject of race as its community sees no change in incidents involving police brutality or cite bumper stickers, cartoons and protest posters that mock the president as a lion or a monkey, or lynch him in effigy. Republicans have called the president - "the Food Stamp President", they rant about "taking our country back", they continue to question where the President was born, they refer to him as "Barry Soetero" all as part of a concerted effort to make the President "one of them" not "one of us". When people of color see this – we see it as being directed to all of us and the entire community.

I tend to agree with Fredrick Harris, director of the Institute for Research in African-American Studies at Columbia University who says, “Part of it is a growing polarization within American society. The last Democrat in the White House said we had to have a national discussion about race. There’s been total silence around issues of race with this president. But, as you see, whether there is silence, or an elevation of the discussion of race, you still have polarization. It will take more generations, I suspect, before we eliminate these deep feelings.”

We have seen this movie before – it’s called “History” with a sub-title called “Manifest Destiny”. If you have not seen - it there are graphic representations of slavery, lynching’s, poll taxes, and separate but equal throughout the entire story. It is a sad disgraceful reflection of what might be things to come.
Not surprising, however, in the AP poll that racial prejudice is not limited to one group of partisans. Although Republicans were more likely than Democrats to express racial prejudice in the questions measuring explicit racism (79 percent among Republicans compared with 32 percent among Democrats), the implicit test found little difference between the two parties. That test showed a majority of both Democrats and Republicans held anti-black feelings (55 percent of Democrats and 64 percent of Republicans), as did about half of political independents (49 percent).

Overall results from each survey have a margin of sampling error of approximately plus or minus 4 percentage points. The most recent poll, measuring anti-black views, was conducted Aug. 30 to Sept. 11.
Many will say they remain cautiously optimistic that the future of America bends toward the side of increased racial tolerance. I say although “we’ve come a long way, but clearly we have a long way to go.” And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

http://johntwills.com

Introducing Author Deliah Lawrence

The John T. Wills Book Tree Radio Show is proud to presents our first Saturday Night Special – “In The Spotlight with Author Deliah Lawrence”. Deliah’s debut novel “GOTTA LET IT GO” won a finalist award in 2011 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in the multi-cultural category. She’s an attorney and member of the Maryland Writers Association.

Deliah is an amazingly gifted write with a creative writing style that will captive your imagination thought her romantic-suspense novel entitled, Gotta Let It Go. She’s currently working on her second novel, entitled, Love, Honor and Contempt which will be published soon.

You don’t want to miss this incredible interview Saturday October 20^th, 2012 at 8:30 PM (est): http://www.blogtalkradio.com/johntwills

"Gotta Let It Go"

Synopsis:
Moments before Deidre Hunter signs the papers that will end her marriage to her cheating husband, her best friend and divorce attorney get murdered. Devastated by this tragedy, she sets out with one intent: to find the killer. In the midst of the investigation she finds herself attracted to Hill Harris, the handsome but elusive homicide detective assigned to handling the case. Despite his warnings to follow proper police procedures, she strikes out to uncover clues on the crime-ridden streets of Baltimore which forces her into dangerous circumstances and potential heartache.

Excerpt from Chapter One:

The glint in his eyes dimmed, and his smile faded when I got to my feet. “So,” he said, clasping his hands behind his back. “I guess, this is it, huh?”

He looked at me with sad puppy eyes which always softened my heart and made me forgive him his indiscretions over and over again. But not this time. As I remembered his words, “you’ll never win,” which he spat at me like venom when he received the divorce papers, and they jolted me back to reality. Without a doubt, I had to go through with this, right here and right now.

“Yup,” I said, gritting my teeth. He had a real talent for rattling me. Every time I caught him lying or cheating, he somehow managed to turn things in his favor by focusing on ‘extenuating circumstances,’ or ‘the entertainment’—his definition of the women he bedded. I loved him, but it was no ordinary love. It’s the type of love that would make me go crazy or would kill me slowly. And I love me.

 He nonchalantly stretched out one arm, then theother, to adjust his gem studded cuff links in the sleeves of his starched white shirt. “So where’s your attorney?” he asked, smoothing the blue silk tie that matched the pinstripes of his elegant Italian suit. I couldn’t sit down any longer and let him continue to have the upper hand. So I straightened my back and then stood up next to him. Despite being five-seven from wearing three inch heels, he stood almost six inches taller than I, and he overshadowed me.

“Not to worry,” I snapped, grabbing my handbag. “We don’t want to keep you from being single a minute longer than necessary.” I tucked my handbag under my arm so hard I thought surely I would find a bruise later. “You’ve always been single in your mind and heart . . . and married only when it served your purpose.”

 

To Preview The Entire Chapter One:

Just click on this link
http://www.linkedin.com/redirect?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Ecreatespace%2Ecom%2FPreview%2F1066321&urlhash=Ln9B&_t=mbox_mebc

Gotta Let It Go is now available for sale 

Visit the following online stores to purchase a copy of my novel (trade paperback, hardback, Kindle, Nook) at www.amazon.com, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/, and www.xlibris.com/Bookstore. 

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The Face of Pride

I recently read an article where the author asked a question that needed not to have been asked – “Are Black People voting for Obama because he’s black”. Let me say first, he is half white by virtue of the woman who birthed him and he was raised by white grandparents. So let’s take that off the table.

The author asked; “are black people supporting Obama mainly because he's black? If race is just one factor in blacks' support of Obama, does that make them racist? Can blacks' support for Obama be compared with white voters who may favor his Republican challenger, Mitt Romney, because he's white? These questions have long animated conservatives who are frustrated by claims that white people who oppose Obama's policies are racist.”

History is clear; an entire race of people was taken from their land by force, survived slavery, segregation and discrimination that have certainly forged a special pride within the African-Americans soul. There is enough evidence to show a hard-earned pride in a president who looks like us. Our loyalty to President Barack Obama is pride - not prejudice!

It has been reported that the president lived a life much like many African America and therefore can empathize with our plight and by the mere fact that his complication is dark makes him black. He needed assistance in the form of food stamp at a point in his early life and has endured racism like the rest of us, and that also makes him black. Just look at the racism he has endured since he became president.

Race matters – there is no argument here. Voting for someone who would understand your side of the coin is not racism. It is voting for your interests. Such logic runs into trouble when applied to a white person voting for Romney because he understands whiteness better. This is a right afforded to us in our political Diaspora.
It is a fact that Martin Luther King Jr. fought Jim Crow laws, which deprived blacks of political rights after Reconstruction, upheld by Southern Democrats. But black voters switched after Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson pushed through the 1960s civil rights legislation and Republicans successfully pursued the votes of white people who disliked the civil rights agenda.

This is democracy at work. When you have the right to vote it means to vote for that which or those who supports your interest. In the case of President Obama he smashed what was thought to be the ultimate glass ceiling. He understands that black pride springs from a shared history of being treated as less than human, while the history of pride in whiteness has a racist context.

Black people understand the dog whistles of the GOP and the negative stigma about us through their generalizations in speeches about our race, such as terms like welfare queens. But the danger here is that they have taken such language to a whole nother level; like Romney’s 47% comment and those concerning reproductive rights that now include at least half of the American citizenry.

The author of the article quoted Sherrilyn Ifill, a law professor at the University of Maryland, who wrote a column exploring why so many black voters are rejecting Romney. She said it has less to do with the candidate than with his party's treatment of Obama, such as John Sununu calling the president "lazy" after the debate, a congressman shouting "You lie!" during the State of the Union address, claims that Obama is not a citizen and more.

In an interview, Ifill said that for black voters, such accusations feel like white people are attacking their own dignity. "In essence," she says, "they are closing ranks around Obama."
She noted that women were justifiably moved by Hillary Rodham Clinton's candidacy and Catholics flocked to the polls to elect President John F. Kennedy. Comparing black pride in Obama to white pride in Romney is a "false symmetry" because of the history of black oppression. "There should not be this resistance to pride over the first black president," Ifill says. "If we get to the fifth one, I'll be with you."



This is why we support! And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

http://johntwills.com

A Saturday Special

From time to time I get in the mood where I want to groove. Today is one of those days and I want to share something very special with you. There few entertainers who rise to the level of greatness but it is my opinion that "Earth Wind and Fire" is one such group whose music has stood the test of time. Happy Saturday.

 

“Just a Season”

Visit: http://johntwills.com

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Legacy – A New Season

Slavery was a ‘blessing in disguise’ – Really!!!

Something’s people say are insensitive and sometimes outrageous. Often times within these statements you will find truth! For example, a GOP State Representative from Arkansas has released a book that he is calling his own personal memoir, which means he is revealing his soul. Most of the Good Ol’ Boys routinely blow what we have come to know as the typical conservative dog whistles. No, No, No, not this guy –he screams his racism loud and clear.

I know this post may help his book sales but I thought it was more important to call-out this guy for the bigot that he is. Arkansas State Representative Jon Hubbard writes in this newly released memoir titled "Letters to the Editor: Confessions of a Frustrated Conservative" a host of complaints and grievances commonly spoken by conservatives. However, he exercises his freedom of speech to extremely take his work one step further.

As reported by Michael Cook's post on talkbusiness.net:
 

Hubbard argues that slavery was actually a "blessing in disguise" and that African-Americans have benefited from it in the long run. From reading Hubbard’s writings, it is clear he believes that African-Americans are lazy, ignorant, lack discipline and that they should be thankful they were once enslaved. Let’s start looking at the extreme words Hubbard put to paper:

First, Hubbard believes that slavery was, in the end, a good thing for African-Americans:
“… the institution of slavery that the black race has long believed to be an abomination upon its people may actually have been a blessing in disguise. The blacks who could endure those conditions and circumstances would someday be rewarded with citizenship in the greatest nation ever established upon the face of the Earth.” (Pages 183-89)

Here is what Hubbard is really saying: Hey black folks, yeah, I know, we kept you in chains for hundreds of years, beat you, raped your women, lynched innocent teenagers, destroyed your families, but isn’t that really a good thing?

Hubbard believes integrating schools is harmful to white students because, in his opinion, blacks are lazy, have no discipline and are causing a decline in education:
“… one of the stated purposes of school integration was to bring black students up to a level close to that of white students. But, to the great disappointment of everyone, the results of this theory worked exactly in reverse of its intended purpose, and instead of black students rising to the educational levels previously attained by white students, the white students dropped to the level of black students. To make matters worse the lack of discipline and ambition of black students soon became shared by their white classmates, and our educational system has been in a steady decline ever since.”  (Page 27)

Hubbard believes blacks are too ignorant to know the value of a good education:
“Wouldn’t life for blacks in America today be more enjoyable and successful if they would only learn to appreciate the value of a good education?”  (Page 184)

Hubbard believes black folks were lucky they were once enslaved because living in Africa is bad:

African Americans must “understand that even while in the throes of slavery, their lives as Americans are likely much better than they ever would have enjoyed living in sub-Saharan Africa.”

“Knowing what we know today about life on the African continent, would an existence spent in slavery have been any crueler than a life spent in sub-Saharan Africa?” (Pages 93 and 189)

Here is where Hubbard basically says black folks are lazy and don’t do anything worthwhile:
“… will it ever become possible for black people in the United States of America to firmly establish themselves as inclusive and contributing members of society within this country?”  (Page 187)

Although I should not have been surprised because this is what’s considered mainstream for the Republican base and maybe the new “Citizens Counsel” we know as the Tea Party. In this political environment, which is not all that much different under the surface than it was in the days and times where the conservatives want to take America back too. You know the mantra, “we want to take back our country”!

I did a little research and have not found a single word from any so called conservative who has condemn this intolerance and ignorant attitude. While the mainstream Republicans party might not be as clear as Hubbard, the underlining core of their bigotry shines through. Silence  speak volumes!

Let me just add that the faith of this year’s presidential candidate did not allow Black people to participate or become members until 1968. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

 “Just a Season”

Visit: http://johntwills.com

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Legacy – A New Season

Mamie~Louise Anderson's Special Editorial

My Morning After Response to the Debate

Just when we think our champion is the underdog, watching powerlessly as his opponent preens with over-confidence, puffs up his (or her, in the case of Hillary) chest, juts out his jaw and scrambles ideology like the shape shifter he's known to be, the Commander in Chief delivers the unexpected knocked out by a deft, dignified, unassuming and lethal stroke of genius! Alas, that didn't happen. In last night's high stakes verbal sword fight, hope and change was not the case. I was waiting for the element of surprise - some wry and pointed remark to cut through Romney's barrage of conservative talking points and well-rehearsed mythology that Gov. Christie warned us on "Meet the Press" was coming.

Romney showcased his CEO command at President Obama's expense and the moderator was as ineffectual as a lowly employee serving tea in the board room. For the president to allow Romney this runaway performance so late in the game showed the miscalculation of a cagey enemy by his handlers who neutered him with his own brand: Mr. Nice Guy. I doubt President Obama has allowed himself to think of Romney as "the enemy," but that psychological adjustment would have made his fighting skills effective.

And make no mistake, that skinny guy can fight! But you don't bring a butter knife to a gunfight; this is war! The camera angles made it worse. Practiced Romney faced the nation and the President, confidently. President Obama looked down, like a student taking notes. The optics were awful. Like most of you, I was screaming at the TV, trying to coach our distant leader out of that sleep walk.

And yet... Here we are, the morning after, weighing the lopsided victory of the desperately animated, amped and dominating Governor that has the pundits and fact-checkers doing President Obama's work for him, in effect, proving Romney aggressively wrong on points and even more distasteful as he flipped into attack mode in a manner absent of diplomacy. In the President's defense, everybody now talking about what (contender) Obama coulda or shoulda said is effectively building the case against Romney, siding with the Prez in a whispering campaign that highlights the lies and distortions that have characterized his feckless, Etch-a- Sketch campaign.

If letting the media do the work for him is the Obama campaign's calculated risk, and I don't believe it is, Chicago is slicker than slick and more street smart than we've ever given them credit for. They have mastered the politics of shaping public sentiment by default, allowing rude Romney to display his latent bully as Obama's cool and likeable persona remains presidentially intact. I think, to be honest, Romney kicked Obama's ass at a time when mastery of debate was all it would have taken to put Romney away for good.
This is a choice election and mano a mano, it was ideology vs ideology. Conservative vs liberal, a dichotomy antithetical to President Obama's "there are no red states; there are no blue states" core values, pragmatism and political philosophy. He needed to take it to the bridge, but he didn't. 

The President's table was set and Romney was his guest, but he let him take over the house, not just the dinner party. I'm watching this and thinking, confrontation is a skill the President would be wise to master. When the enemy is face to face; in point of fact, in your face and looking down his patrician nose at the nation, pretending to have compassion, it's time to ball up your verbal fist and land one, Pow! Right in the kisser! The President lacked this killer instinct and without it, he lost round after unstructured round when facts and figures, a few pithy anecdotes and a flash of humor would have won by a knockout punch upside Romney's big head! I waited all night for that. It didn't come.

This is all spin. We will see in the days ahead how it all shakes out. Romney's lies landing on our punch-drunk champion. The President's unvoiced deflections. Michelle's brow creased with concern. Miss Ann's smug condescension. The nation's compassion for the leader who has run himself raggedy on our behalf, crisis after crisis. The Black Man who dares to climb to the lonely heights yet a second time to save us from oligarchy. Time will tell...

 Initially, the polls will shift in Romney's favor, if only because America loves a comeback and a fighter. After all, as Joan Allen pointed out, he was boning up on debate skills while the President was running the world. In the end, that doesn't matter. This is WAR! If debate is the arena that can determine this close race, our fearless gladiator, President Obama, must master it and come out swinging next time, preferably without the gloves. (but that's just me talking smack, a girl from Harlem 's tenements and el barrio's projects who learned to fight to survive.)

And this thing about suppressing Black rage and appearing to be unflappable. Here's my thinking: To be human is to display the full range of human emotion, no matter how it is broadly misinterpreted. Surely a second term president has earned the right to fully express fighting instincts. The non-angry Black Man is a reverse stereotype we simply can't afford. Yet, Obama doesn't have to be mad to defeat Romney. It ain't personal; it's business. He doesn't have to stoop to conquer or fight dirty, but he really does have to fight like the devil to win.

What you bet he brings his “A game” next time and the final debate will be brilliant, no matter what else is happening in the world? What you bet? 10,000 Monopoly dollars? Let this be a lesson in gauging the enemy and ferreting out Romney's long-hidden agenda. Seeing how far he's willing to pivot from his base to take the Oval Office. I am confident President Obama will rise to the occasion. There is too much at stake for him not to and with The First Lady in his corner, he cannot simply lose. 

KEEP THE FAITH, BABY!

Mamie~Louise Anderson

ABOUT ME: http://about.me/nialoves2dance

BLOG:http://mamielouiseanderson.posterous.com/

http://johntwills.com

Happy Birthday Donny Hathaway

On October 1, 1945 the world was gifted with a singer/songwriter/keyboardist best known for his duets with Roberta Flack, Donny Hathaway. Donny fused R&B, gospel, jazz, classical, and rock strains in a modestly successful solo career. He was raised in St. Louis by his grandmother, Martha Pitts, a professional gospel singer. From the age of three, Hathaway accompanied her on tours, billed as the Nation's Youngest Gospel Singer. He attended Howard University in Washington, DC, on a fine-arts scholarship.

He worked as a producer and arranger for artists such as Aretha Franklin and the Staple Singers. After serving as the band director the Impressions, he recorded the single "I Thank You" for Curtis Mayfield's label and sang backup with the Mayfield Singers. His first single "The Ghetto, Part 1" reached #23 on the charts. After recording several more singles and an album, Donny recorded "You've Got a Friend" with Roberta Flack. Their single "Where Is the Love?" reached #5 on the charts & earned them a Grammy Award.

He sang the theme song for the television program "Maude" and was hired by Quincy Jones to score the soundtrack for the 1972 film "Come Back Charleston Blue." In 1973, reportedly suffering from periods of depression, his partnership with Flack deteriorated and Hathaway faded into relative obscurity. Five years later, he recorded "The Closer I Get to You" with Flack. This was their biggest hit & reached #2 on the charts as well as earned them another Grammy nomination.

Gone too soon but he left a profound footprint upon the souls of mankind. We loved you Brother Donny and miss the gift you shared with the world but you will never be forgotten. Rest In Peace! Listen to the music I’ve added; trust and believe it will warm you heart. And that’s my Thought Provoking Perspective…

 Put Your Hand In The Hand

Young, Gifted, And Black

What's Goin On

“Just a Season”

Visit: http://johntwills.com

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Legacy – A New Season