FOR THE BROTHAS: AN INTRODUCTION

It must have been about 20 years ago when I first began thinking about creating a "Cultural Salon" as a reaction to the mundane social circles In Washington D.C. The richness of intellectual and artistic interchange had died, college friends had moved, the internet had not yet become the phenomenon it now is... I romanticised about the Salons of the mid to late 1800's in Paris, London and Berlin and the cultural dynamo of the Harlem Rennaisance. I was fortunate enough to meet a gentleman, an artist who lived and traveled with James Baldwin... Jimmy he affectionately called him, and he spoke often of their small cottage in southern France and of the many Artists, Poets and Luminaries that dropped in to chat and relax. Well, the impressionists, cubists, modernists, etc. all hung out together famously in those days and shared their ideas with one another creating a creative greenhouse in a world that was rapidly changing. I longed to have lived in those times, to have met Cassat, Rodin, Ellington, Fitzgerald, Baker, Balwin, well I did finally meet Baldwin and others purely for the joy of intellection upon the arts. This was in the late 1980's and by the mid 2000's I happened to run into a friend of mine from Hampton University who had been living in New York since he graduated in the early 90s. Well, I was surprised to hear him comment that in all of the wonder that is New York he never met anyone who ever really had anything interesting to say about art, literature, architecture, science, fashion or anything... I was so surprised to hear this since it had also been my experience. Well here I am in 2011 attempting the Virtual Salon...

Monday, January 10, 2011

Welcome to "FOR THE BROTHAS"

I am launching this blog as a means to celebrate intellectualism, style humor and culture among Brothas.  I hope to inspire conversation that is at the cutting edge and I wold like to encourge every member to always feel free to express their honest opinions on any topic. 
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8 comments:

  1. Bigdaddy BluesJanuary 10, 2011 at 2:55 PM

    The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday is approaching and I am still certain that it is want of a truly meaningful ritual and symbolism that will establish it as a tradition. We recognize the iconography of the feasts of the Saints, of Lincoln and Washington, and as I ponder the many men distinguished Americans we honor I need Frederick Douglass to be included.

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  2. AnonymousJanuary 10, 2011 at 3:31 PM

    Looking forward to some thoughtful, intelligent and insightful exchanges Bigdaddy!

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  3. Inspirational Genius January 10, 2011 at 11:42 PM

    Congratulations Bigdaddy Blues on becoming a part of 'Blog-dom.' It is certainly the place to voice all those things that make life richer for the author without the need of a soap-box. Or, is it this the soap-box of the 21st Century sans the limitations of one's domicile or city of origin? Hmm... Nevertheless, Dr. King is an outstanding benchmark. Of this epoch, I can't think of a greater example than he to began discourse. He reached farther and wider than most-standing in the stead for those who didn't know him and for those who despised him. To further, the real work has yet begun. The beneficiaries of his cosmic efforts are betwixted and between enjoying pseudo Middle-class status and forging a 'new' post-Obama Black identity. Is 'Blackness' solely Afro-American identified achievement claims or is it self-identified accomplishment regardless of shared ethno-physical similarities?

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  4. UnknownJanuary 11, 2011 at 11:13 AM

    Congrats! This blog will be a great way to have great discussions.

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  5. Bigdaddy BluesJanuary 11, 2011 at 11:33 AM

    Blackness is a measurement that will always appear be measured against the acomplishments of reighning icons. The struggle inherent in any credible understanding of Blackness is however a very grey medium romanticised as the "Struggle" in a blinding continuum from the first slaveship to the civil rights movement...and beyond. The Black experience occurs on all strata of socioeconomics and it also extends into other ethnic communities that interact with african americans, theirs is also a ligitimate "Black Experience"

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  6. Bigdaddy BluesJanuary 11, 2011 at 11:55 AM

    The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday is a new tradition looking for rituals. But rituals are social responses generated from a community that is coherent and unified in its reverence of those specific elements that will define ritual. Take Christandom for example, The Holy Eucharist is a ritual celebration of the life, death and ressurection of Christ, in a short ceremony it symbolically retraces a life of some 30-40 years. The story is well known even by nonbelievers. Although the hummanity of King is globally celebrated, as is Ghandhi, the journey of his life is not well known enough to crsytallize into a ritual everyone would relate to. I am not suggesting that a King cult arise and create some sort of saintly ritual around the celebration of his life but I am saying it if you follow me. Right now it is wide open! Now is the best time to establish credible traditions. As generations who knew King begin to die without writing down their experience of him so will legends and myths grow such as that of George Washington throwing a silver dollar accross the Delaware River. Well, we all know that the dollar did not even exist at that time as an established currency, we still used shillings and other English standards. This is the time for intellectuals to get together and create ritual for the celebration of Kings life and legacy. As history has shown the ones that reach the most people will be preserved by society much as popular culture and those that are too esoteric or severe will dissapear. We have seen this exemplified in the Dead Sea Scrolls and other Apocalyptic literature that has surfaced after millinea of being lost and forgotten sheerly by virtue of their cultural obscurity. Lets focus back on Kings traditions. in 1980 Stevie Wonder created a song, "Happy Birthday" this is the first official song of celebration of King.

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  7. Inspirational Genius January 11, 2011 at 10:50 PM

    I was just discussing true Salvation with an Apostolic friend which led me to research further into the meaning of Apostolic. Whoa! I am a believer of more than meets the eye. If we, the self-proclaimed intellectuals, realize the genesis of our beliefs we might listen more and talk less. Again, if this precious "Blackness" that we hold on to and defend so was truly understood, then holidays and holy days (such as MLK day) would be celebrated to mythic proportions! How about that for leaving a legacy worthy of discourse? Thanks again for the blog!!!

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  8. Bigdaddy BluesJanuary 13, 2011 at 6:26 AM

    Well, things happen in evolution, any great tradition typically began as an obscure event and as the dictates of popular culture evince, the ones that were most easily identified with, (most popular), became the traditons we now celebrate, its all about presentation and publicity...this is why communism and fascism has largely died in lieu of capitalism and democracy...

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