More Resistance...

-

Arrested Development is a great example of the "conscious" or "resistance" music of the 90s. I was a student at Savannah State back then majoring in English. I was fired up! It was all about "Blackness," identity, and joining some militant campus organization. Back then, I remember having a t-shirt that read, "The Blacker the College, The Sweeter the Knowledge." Ahhh...those were the days. Power to the People!

Comments

Fly Girl said…
Those were the days! My fave tee was "It's a Black Thing, You Wouldn't Understand."
Thursday, February 05, 2009 5:12:00 PM
christina said…
Yes, I remember. "Speech" was a hometown hero! I kid you not Stephen, there is a coffee shop here that is named "coffee makes you black". I go there once or twice a week to grab a cup and head to the train. Every time I open the door the owner yells, "coffee makes ya what? And in my shy voice I yell- BLACK! : )
Needless to say I dig the pride.
Saturday, February 07, 2009 10:27:00 AM
Anonymous said…
Not only all that, but good music too!
Monday, February 09, 2009 7:44:00 AM
Stephen A. Bess said…
Flygirl-
I still have that slogan on a button. :)

Christina-
lol! I've never heard of something so funny. Wow!

Emil-
True. We used to jam to this and few of there other hits.
Monday, February 09, 2009 11:31:00 AM
Crankyputz said…
Glad you took the softer/sweeter route
Monday, February 09, 2009 5:01:00 PM
lyre said…
ALUM! My favorite picture of me is with a frizzed out FRO with a comb stuck smack dab in the middle with a red black and green teeshirt on. But I was c/o '78!
Monday, February 09, 2009 8:34:00 PM
get zapped said…
Great post, Bess. Although the people aren't walking around with chains around their wrists, there are still some invisible ones that need to be broken. As well as our personal chains, keeping us from being fully realized. Thanks for sharing the wonderful video.

Peace.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 12:55:00 PM
poeticpin said…
I agree with Get Zapped. As Bob Marley sang "emancipate yourselves from mental slavery, non but our selves can free our minds" ...

One love
Wednesday, February 11, 2009 6:24:00 PM
Lyrically speaking said…
When the video first came out, I couldn't stop singing the lyrics and watching the video made me proud of my black heritage...thanks for sharing and bringing back some sweet memories. You took me to another place...a game of horseshoe...wow...that's way back. An ultimate treat.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009 12:35:00 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DC Legend: Chicken Wings & Mumbo Sauce

-
Image
Mumbo Jumbo Noun. 1. Confusing or incomprehensible language or activity. 2. An obscure ritual or incantation. [Mandingo origin.] American Heritage Dictionary Of the English Language Mumbo sauce? Anyone who has ever traveled east of the Anacostia River has heard the term, Mumbo Sauce. What do I mean by east of the river? I mean if you have ventured anywhere near Benning Road, Wheeler Road, Southern Avenue, or Minnesota Avenue in North/Southeast Washington, D.C. There is no way that you can go into any Korean owned and operated “Kerry-Out” [ trans. Carry-Out food ] in DC and not hear someone order french fries with chicken wings and Mumbo Sauce. Impossible! Some like it on the chicken and others (like me) like it on the side. I’ve always thought of Mumbo Sauce as a DC thang, but where did it really come from?  Actually, Mumbo Sauce originated on Chicago's Southside in the early 1950s by a man named Argia B. Collins, who was known for his famous ribs and barbeque Mumbo Sauce. N...
Read more

Remembering Linda Pollin

-
Image
I grew up in the  Linda Pollin Memorial Housing Projects.   First of all, I did not know that it was built in memory of Abe Pollin's daughter.  In fact, I didn't even know the name, Abe Pollin.  I was a child, so I thought it was just a name given to the apartments.  At the time, my siblings and I had no idea that we lived in a housing project.  Well, the complex had a swimming pool, and the grounds were well kept. Also, it didn't resemble the well known surrounding projects like  Valley Green , Condon Terrace , or Wahler Place . The manager was Ms. Royster who was sort of a no-nonsense type of landlord based on the conversations I heard from grownups.  However, she seemed nice; plus, we all played with and knew her son, John. Well, although Mr. Pollin passed away back in 2009, I would still like to thank him for building the "LP" as we used to call it.  When I became old enough to learn that it was built by Mr. Pollin to honor his ...
Read more

Frank Brown (A.K.A. Uncle Ben???)

-
Image
Did you know that Uncle Ben was a real person? We really don't care who is fact or fiction when we want some rice to go with those red beans or peas. We just want to eat, right? Well, Uncle Ben was a African American rice farmer from Texas who won many prizes for his methods and quality in growing rice. I know that most of us think of Asia when it comes to the cultivation and quality of rice, but there was a region in West Africa that Europeans called the "Rice Coast" near Sierra Leone. That area was a strategic focus during the slave trade in the late 1760's because rice was becoming a fast growing industry in America. Uncle Ben's ancestors were most likely victims of the rice boom. Anyway, Uncle Ben's reputation grew and his rice soon became the standard in which all rice would be measured. How did his face get on the box? Did he start his own company? Well, no. That's not even his face on the box. The face on the box was a man from Chicago named Frank B...
Read more