Bloggin' Out

Stepping Razor

2011-12-28T12:08:00.000-05:00

Stepping Razor (Peter Tosh) 12x16 Acrylic on Canvas

"Truth has been branded outlaw and illegal. It is dangerous to have the truth in your possession."
- Peter Tosh

The work and words of Peter Tosh have been hugely inspirational to me. I was influenced by the way he used his art to speak on social issues, even when his opinion wasn't a popular one. Artists should never be afraid to get up, stand up.

Blessings.

A Walk in the Park

2011-12-25T15:50:00.001-05:00

This year, like most years, I gave my family art for Christmas. This piece, A Walk in the Park, is one of the new ones that I just finished. I had fun making it and it makes me smile.

Featured Artist: Afrikards

2011-12-20T19:05:00.001-05:00

The other day I came across Afrikards' shop on etsy, and was immediately drawn in by the strong black and white renderings of African women and children. The images were not only well done, but also very soulful. They speak for themselves.

The Afrikards series emerged from a portfolio that artist, Ibironke Lawal started in her teens while she was growing up in Nigeria. On her website she says, "I love the tactile feel of a pencil on paper and how it allows me to manipulate light and shadow to create images that are detailed and life-like." You can definitely see her love of the medium and her mastery of it in her work. Check out her art prints and greeting cards. In addition to supporting great art you can also suport a good cause. 15% of all Afrikards sales go to Doctors Without Borders, helping to save lives in Africa and around the world.

Holiday Feature: Universal Love Jewelry

2011-12-19T23:43:00.000-05:00

Today's feature is Universal Love Jewelry, a family of jewelers from Brooklyn, NY, who call Macon, Georgia home. You can find them on their online store: etsy.com/shop/ulovejewelry, or catch them in marketplaces all over the country. They have appeared at events like the Essence Music Festival and Jazz Fest in New Orleans. Artist, Adam wholesales all of his handcrafted items. His line of ear cuffs and coin jewelry are amongst his best sellers

Universal Love Jewelry has been creating handcrafted Afrocentric jewelry since 1969, and are proud to have contributed to the black arts movement in America. They would like to see more African Americans in the global marketplace selling beautiful handmade goods.

You can receive 10% off of your purchase in their store by using the coupon code: LOVE10 at checkout. Visit their store today. Support the arts and support small business.

Holiday Feature: Nikki C

2011-12-17T20:59:00.000-05:00

As promised, I'm continuing to feature creative people and their work as an alternative to the big chain store shopping experience this holiday season. Today I am pleased to feature Nikkea, the owner and designer at Pieces of Me by Nikki C., an artisan jewelry company based in Brooklyn, NY. Knowing what it is to be both fashion and money conscious Nikki, wanted to create striking jewelry at great prices. She taught herself the craft of jewelry making, and her dedication shows in her work.

Where to find her creations:
You can find and purchase Nikki's work online at her etsy store: Pieces of Me by Nikki C

Nikki's work in her own words:
"I design handcrafted artisan jewelry. My main goal is to give my customers the designer look at the fraction of the price. I create necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings using various wire wrapping techniques. I also make custom pieces upon request."

Holiday Sale and Giveaways:
Right now, Nikki is having a 20% off sale in her etsy store. Customers can enter the coupon code HOLIDAYS at checkout to receive their discount. She's also having several giveaways on her facebook page and on her blog, piecesofmebync.blogspot.com.

Places to find Pieces of Me by Nikki C online:
Official Website
Twitter
Facebook Page
Blog**
E-mail: piecesofmebynikkic@gmail.com

Nikki works hard to provide quality at an affordable price. She also believes that customers' needs are of the utmost importance and is willing to create custom pieces. Remember her when you're doing your holiday shopping!
_____

** Nikkea features a different artist on her blog every Friday and I was this Friday's artist! I love to see artists supporting other artists.

Kwame Cards

2011-12-04T18:10:00.000-05:00

Rejoice is a new greeting card in my etsy shop. I have single cards or 20 packs available. Order now and I'll ship them quickly to get them to you in time for the holidays.

December Sale!

2011-12-04T18:05:00.001-05:00

20% OFF all items in my store all month long! Use Coupon Code: DECEMBERSALE2011, when making a purchase. Sale Ends January 1st, 2012. www.etsy.com/shop/marcuskwame

Holiday Feature: Allison's Creations

2011-12-04T15:36:00.001-05:00

I started the Holiday Feature series in an effort to support small businesses and to take back the season from the corporations. The next entry in the series is Allison's Creations, an etsy shop owned by Allison Harrison. Allison customizes hand-crafted jewelry for chic & savvy women. Her pieces are simple, yet stylish and can be worn on any occasion. Be sure to check out her necklace and bracelet sets, earrings and hoops. Allison says she creates the pieces that she would love to style. She welcomes custom orders. Stop by her shop if you're looking for gifts for the ladies in your life.

Allison's Creations is offering 15% off, free shipping and a free gift box with a jewelry purchase. Just use the coupon code: ACTHANKS when making a purchase.

Allison is also an Independant Travel Consultant, so if anyone is looking to book a cruise or a family vacation, or just a weekend getaway, e-mail her at allisons.creations@yahoo.com.

Allison's Links:

Her Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Shop responisibly! Support artists and small, independent, and local businesses.

Holiday Feature: A List Designs

2011-12-04T12:49:00.001-05:00

Silver Moon & Moonstone Necklace by A List Designs

Holiday season is upon us once again, and if you've been reading this blog for a while it shouldn't surprise you that I'm not a fan of huge corporations and chains. I believe it's far better to support small businesses. Wal-mart will survive if you don't shop there, but every sale counts for a small business owner. In an effort to support small businesses I'm starting the Holiday Feature series on my blog where I'll be profiling different creative small business owners who sell handmade items as an alternative to the mall shopping experience. The first of those businesses is A List Designs.

A List Designs is made up of Brenda and Alea, a mother and daughter team who love creating original jewelry designs. They offer handcrafted earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings using sterling silver, 14k gold fill, precious/semi-precious gemstones and pearls. They also have custom made sterling silver metal work available. These beautifully made pieces of jewelry would make the perfect gift this holiday. Check out their shop at www.etsy.com/shop/alistdesigns!

Here are just a few examples of their work.

Swiss Cheese Silver Bracelet

Pearl & Garnet Cluster Silver Snowman Earring

You can also find A List Designs on:

Contact them at: Bankston55@Bellsouth.net

Shop responisibly! Support artists and small, independent, and local businesses.

Marcus Kwame's Art Holiday Sale!

2011-11-25T10:41:00.001-05:00

If you buy anything in my online store between now and Friday 12/2 you can receive 25% off by entering the coupon code: HOLIDAYSALE2011. You can avoid Black Friday madness, give the gift of art, and support independent business all at the same time!

Visit www.etsy.com/shop/marcuskwame today!

Angels

2011-10-24T14:51:00.000-04:00

Angel Adia - 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas

This earthly life is fragile.

Love is forever.

This painting is a tribute

to my special little angel.

I love you.

Justice?

2011-09-21T03:01:00.001-04:00

This poem is dedicated to Troy Davis (R.I.P) and was partly inspired by Nina Simone and Peter Tosh's renditions of the traditional song, Sinnerman.

(UPDATE: I felt this poem was so long that it ended up being unfocused so I shortened it. Here is the edited, more concise version. The parts that were cut out will probably become a different poem.)

Sinner's Hands
by Marcus Kwame Anderson

georgia listen
listen please
hear the pleas
amidst your
poplar
strange fruit
trees

justice
none
clock is
done
hour 11
no mourning
this morning
time for movement

death row
no solace
a man
touches
niece's hand
for the first time
through barriers
as his time
dwindles

witnesses recant
coerced words
guilt
innocence
rendered
irrelevant
different day
same song
familiarity
frustration
lives destroyed
I am troy

I am troy

in search of justice
none discovered
the law
selective
slippery
truth bends
but energy
never ends

truth be told
we're all doing life
with a death sentence
just understand
that life is endless

on that day, sinner man
will you beg repentance?

sinner man you ought to be praying
we ought to be praying

we ought to be praying
~

Artcentric Reception Photos

2011-09-14T00:15:00.002-04:00

Move the Crowd (Black Thought) 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas

Here are some photos from the reception at Artcentric Gallery in Troy. We had a good time. It was Troy Night Out's College Night Out, celebrating college students' return to town, so there was a lot of youthful energy in the air. There were also other great exhibits going on around the city. If you didn't see the show yet, get down to Artcentric, 274 River Street, Troy NY.

New paintings by my favorite artist, Jen Wojtowicz!

Peter Tosh Poster Contest: Vote Now!

2011-09-01T14:17:00.001-04:00

Earlier this month, I entered a contest to design a poster to commemorate Peter Tosh, one of my favorite musicians of all time. My design (above) made it through to be one of the five finalists. The voting has been opened up to the public on the Peter Tosh Facebook page and you can vote here.

Obviously, you can vote for whoever you want, but why not vote for design #3 by Marcus Kwame, a super cool artist who spent a lot of time creating a hand painted design (there is something to be said for the vitality of old fashioned painting in this increasingly digital age) that brings the inimitable spirit of Peter Tosh to life. Your vote would be appreciated! Thanks.

Peace!

New Art at Artcentric!

2011-08-25T17:51:00.000-04:00

During the time that I've been away from this blog in recent months, I've been making a lot of new paintings. If you're in the capital region, come out and see them in person at Artcentric Gift Gallery, 274 River in Street, Troy NY. This Friday evening during Troy Night Out, Artcentric will be celebrating it's one year anniversary at it's River Street location. My wife and I are the featured artists. Come check it out!

Here is a preview of some of the work you'll see there.

Taylor Mural Work in Progress

2011-06-21T21:01:00.001-04:00

In 2010 the folks at Troy Alley Action and the tenants association of Troy's Taylor Apartments asked me to design a mural and assist members of the community in painting it. During the winter students from Troy's School 1 after school program got very involved. I had the pleasure of meeting them and speaking about my art. They were very interested in the historical figures in some of my work as well as the idea of conveying messages and feelings through art. Assisted by their incredible history teacher, Rita Cao-Garcia, they contributed words and ideas which would become vital parts of the mural.

Last Friday we had an amazing day of painting. The energy that the kids brought to the mural helped take it to the next level. I'm happy to say that the mural is almost finished. I will post photos of the entire wall (which is at least 100 feet long) when it's finished, but for now, here are some photos I took last Friday of the work in progress.

Troy River Street Festival!

2011-06-17T15:04:00.002-04:00

I'll be sharing a booth with Jen Wojtowicz and AleeBird this Saturday, June 18th at Troy's River Street Festival.

We'll have all kinds of art, prints, clothes and more. Check out Jen's Baby D Designs. Art, food, music, and an all around good time. Come and check us out!

Underground Railroad Annual Conference

2011-04-08T22:49:00.000-04:00

Moses (Harriet Tubman) 16x22 India Ink

This weekend the Underground Railroad History Project of the Capital Region is holding it's 10th annual conference. Check out the list of events here and come out if you can. The conference's theme is Abolishing Slavery In the Atlantic World: The 'Underground Railroad' In the Americas, Africa, and Europe. Events include workshops, lectures, cultural performances, and walking tours of local underground railroad sites.

I will be a part of the art exhibit being held at the Rensselaer County Historical Society, Saturday April 9th from 6:30 to 8:00. Moses (above) will be one of the new pieces that I'll be showing. If you're in the area come and join us.

Black History: The Genius of Dwayne McDuffie

2011-02-23T17:52:00.003-05:00

This blog entry is my contribution to Etsy Artist of Color's Black History Month collective blogging event, Rising of an Ancient Craft: Black Art and Craft Movement, in which EAOC members blog about a past or present artist, entrepreneur or historical figure of African decent who they've been influenced by. As I wondered which of my many creative inspirations I wanted to write about, the answer hit me with the news of the death of comic writing legend, Dwayne McDuffie. I thought of the ways that McDuffie's brilliant creative legacy inspired me in my own missions to create comics and to represent people of color with the nuance and diversity that they deserve. He was not a visual artist like myself, but his work was extremely influential to my artistic development. McDuffie was one of the Co-founders of Milestone Comics, a company owned by African Americans formed in 1993, and the writer of most of Milestone's titles. He has also done a lot of acclaimed writing for various Marvel and DC titles as well as writing for television and the silver screen.

One day in 1993 as a teenager I walked into Earthworld Comics, a mainstay of Albany NY, and found pure magic and inspiration in comic book form. I'd been anticipating this trip since my father, knowing of my love of comic books, had showed me a newspaper article about the then upcoming launch of DC's Milestone Comics. It is an understatement to say that this was a huge event for me. In fact, I felt I'd been waiting for Milestone Comics my whole life. On the day of that fateful trip to Earthworld--a store that I'd visited many times before--I left with something different. I left with comics starring characters who not only looked like me, but also had a wide range of perspectives and backgrounds. In Milestone comics, characters and communities of color found representation beyond the token and or stereotypical roles that were too often the case in the world of comics. On the subject of black representation in comics, McDuffie said,

"If you do a black character or a female character or an Asian character, then they aren't just that character. They represent that race or that sex, and they can't be interesting because everything they do has to represent an entire block of people. You know, Superman isn't all white people and neither is Lex Luthor. We knew we had to present a range of characters within each ethnic group, which means that we couldn't do just one book. We had to do a series of books and we had to present a view of the world that's wider than the world we've seen before."

My favorite Milestone title was Static, the story of Virgil Hawkins a high school student who gained superpowers after being exposed to chemicals. A high school student myself, I related to Virgil immediately. McDuffie and Robert L. Washington weaved a story that perfectly balanced action, humor, drama, political and socioeconomic issues, and everyday teenage problems. Static was later developed into the award winning WB animated series, Static Shock. I also enjoyed reading Icon, Hardware and Blood Syndicate.

McDuffie's body of work is extensive and goes far beyond Milestone. He wrote for many TV shows, including Teen Titans, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited (which he also edited and produced). He also wrote Deathlok, a Marvel comic whose main character is a black man trapped in a cyborg body. Though it was a mainstream comic, McDuffie cleverly worked in racial commentary inspired by his love of books like Invisible Man and The Souls of Black Folk. I admire his spirit. As a black writer in corporate America--particularly at a company as big as Marvel--the path of least resistance would have been to avoid race altogether.

Here is a video where Dwayne McDuffie speaks on the realities and challenges of being a black comic book writer.

McDuffie passed away at the age of 49 on February 21, 2011 due to surgical complications. He is one of many examples that we are continuing to make Black History today. I have tremendous respect for McDuffie and his work. My respect for him goes far beyond the fact that he wrote comics with people of color. I also respect him for insights like the ones he voiced in the video above. Not only was he a great writer, but he also knew what time it was. I am in the process of working towards getting some of my comics published. I hope that one day I'll be able to say that I've made half of the impact on comic book culture that Dwayne McDuffie did.

Rest in peace, brother.

"In my readings, Milestone Media was cited by scores of comic scholars and culture experts as the most prominent efforts to bring multicultural heroes into the mainstream comics. I enjoyed his thoughtful representations of minority characters in all walks of life, from the ghetto to the penthouse. More impressive still was his ability to bring all such character into superhero genre without missing a beat. Icon, Raquel, Hardware, Static—these were superheroes through and through."
- Sirui Huang, PopCultureShock.com

Today should be a day of reflection and appreciation for one of the greatest names in comics, and one where we can look at all of the amazing influence that Dwayne McDuffie has had on this industry, Today, take a moment to read a comic by Mr. McDuffie or go out and buy your copy of All-Star Superman. Celebrate his life, work and legacy, and let him not be forgotten.
- Sara Lima, ComicVine.com

Be sure to visit Etsy Artists of Color to read the other bloggers' contributions to the Rising of an Ancient Craft series.

Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely

2011-02-11T17:28:00.001-05:00

Who Protects Us From You 11x16 Mixed Media on Canvas

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

- John Emerich Edward Dalberg-Acton

Not all cops are bad. The problem is, the good ones and the bad ones wear the same uniform. In addition, labels such as good and bad tend to blur when men and women following orders become the instruments of state sponsored suppression of a people's rights.

The title of this piece was inspired by a Boogie Down Production song in which KRS ONE gave voice to the feelings of mistrust that many oppressed people hold towards the police. As the world watches the rampant brutality suffered by the people of Egypt during their battle against government corruption, we are reminded of the danger of unchecked power.

This is not a condemnation of law enforcement in general. It is a snapshot seen through the eyes of the victims of those corrupted by their own power. This point of view is too often ignored. Protect and serve ALL people.

Peace.

Proctors Art for 2011

2011-01-26T23:29:00.001-05:00

Debra Lockrow, of Artcentric Gift Gallery and R.P.I. joined forces to organize local artists for another Proctors art project. I was one of seven artists who contributed large paintings on plywood panels to beautify the facade of the abandoned Proctor’s Theater on 4th Street in Troy, NY.

Each piece of art depicted a piece of Troy’s history. My piece was a tribute to Liberty Street Church, an important meeting place for the Capital Region”s underground railroad, and abolitionist, Henry Highland Garnet.

You can read about the project and the unveiling in this Troy Record article. There is an embedded video of the seven panels. Inside Rensselaer published an article on the panels as well.

Check out the work of the other talented artists.

Dave Austin

Kate Glasheen

Vinnie Tocco

Tony Thompson

Jason Schultz

Tony Iadicicco

College & Eighth

2010-12-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

Earlier this year author Herb Hyde published his memoir College and Eighth and I painted the cover illustration. It was a pleasure to work with Herb on this project. He is a genuine person who always has an interesting story to tell. He is also a great writer and humble on top of that.

His book details his experiences growing up poor in a Troy neighborhood (by the intersection of College and Eighth) which no longer exists. In his book he takes us along with him on his journey from early childhood through middle school. The book is filled with funny, sad and poignant moments and Herb's conversational narrative voice always keeps things flowing.

College and Eighth is available at Bread and Jam in Cohoes, Marra's Pharmacy and Harmony House Marketplace. You can also contact herb at collegeandeighth@gmail.com to order a copy. I recommend this book. It's a good read written by a good guy.

Troy Record Article

Lynne Allard's blog

A Strange and Bitter Crop

2010-12-29T21:49:00.004-05:00

"I Cannot Forget" 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas

"American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it."

- James Baldwin

James Baldwin is one of my favorite writers of all time. His timeless literary voice is representative of the best that America has to offer. His is an eloquent and unflinchingly truthful voice that, like the blues, could never have existed without America's stubborn and brutal refusal to fully acknowledge the humanity of Black people. The painful reality expressed in the above quote is part of the reason that it took me four years to complete my painting I Cannot Forget. Though I feel it's one of my more important pieces, I do not necessarily like this painting. Not because I have any problem with it's execution. In fact, I think that the painting is quite successful in that it effectively conveys a particular ugliness that began with the creation of America and still exists today. This ugliness is the refusal to recognize a peoples' humanity, the devaluing of Black lives. Before I go into the reasons that I Cannot Forget took me four years to complete, I'll give a little background on lynching and my introduction to it.

I first learned of the practice of lynching--the illegal execution of an accused person by a mob--and the way that it was used to terrorize Black people, when I was in grade school, but it wasn't until I was in 7th or 8th grade that I actually saw photographs of lynchings. Photographs like those collected by James Allen, which can be seen in the book Without Sanctuary. In these photographs I saw the horrors described in the classic Billie Holiday song Strange Fruit, written by Abel Meeropol. I saw the corpses of men, women and children swinging lifelessly as mobs looked on in satisfaction. The expressions on the faces of the murdering mobs were as revolting as the acts they committed. These were not the faces of passive observers. These were people who turned out in their Sunday clothes to view lynchings, posing for photographs with the bodies, cheering as the victims were killed, castrated, burned and mutilated. These were terrorists in the truest sense of the word. Most victims of lynchings had not been found guilty of any crime at all. Guilt or innocence was irrelevant. The mobs that carried out these killings were never brought to justice or held accountable (anti-lynching legislation has never been passed in America). These images--often printed on postcards--are ones that you can never un-see. Like Billie Holiday's pained voice on Strange Fruit, they are forever burned into your memory in brutal detail once you bear witness to them.

"Even Dead, the victims were without sanctuary."
- James Allen

After the emancipation of slavery, lynching--which had been used as a weapon to suppress slaves' desire for freedom--became a tool of subjugation which allowed racists to protect the supremacy they had become accustomed to during slavery. Despite the fact--or perhaps because of the fact--that it is one of the ugliest parts of our history, America has a collective amnesia about lynching. I, personally cannot forget. This is what led me to create I Cannot Forget.

When I started the painting in 2006, the only elements were the profile of the boy and the flag noose on a black background. I stepped away from the painting at that point, knowing that it was unfinished, to work on some other projects. This is not unusual, as I am usually working on multiple projects at once. That being said, I'm sure that part of the reason that I stepped away was the intensity of the emotions that the subject of lynching brings up. When I am focused on a painting I become very heavily involved with it to the extent that it feels like I'm in the painting. With everything going on in my life at the time, I wasn't ready to dive into this painting headfirst. So I set it aside and created a lot of other work.

Then 2008 rolled around and I closely followed the journey of then senator, Barack Obama in the race for the United States presidency. As pundits, politicians and everyday people weighed in on Obama, it seemed that for every positive voice, there several negative ones whose coded language barely concealed their feelings of racial resentment. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that all criticism of Barack Obama is automatically racist (a common defense of many people who say racist things about Obama). I have no problem with people giving thoughtful criticisms of Obama's policies and decisions. However, character assaults like the Aunt Jemimah-ish caricatures and the Obama monkey doll are the definition of racist. And it didn't stop with the presidential campaign. Once Obama was elected the monkey comparisons continued and several republican elected officials were caught sending openly racist e-mails and newsletters about the president. Hell, on election night when Obama spoke before a cheering crowd, my excitement was coupled with the fear that some random racist would make good on their death threats. I could not help but notice the parallels between the racial attacks directed at Obama, and by extension all Black people, and lynching. In A Festival of Violence: An Analysis of Southern Lynchings, 1882-1930 authors Stewart E. Tolnay and E.M. Beck note:

"Mob violence against African-Americans served four functions within southern society during the lynching era:
to eradicate specific persons accused of crimes against the white community;
as a mechanism of state-sanctioned terrorism designed to maintain a degree of leverage over the African-American population;
to eliminate or neutralize competitors for social, economic, or political rewards; and
as a symbolic manifestation of the unity of white supremacy" (50).

Though the physical act of lynching Black people is no longer prevalent, the post civil-rights era gave rise to the figurative lynching, which also serves the four functions mentioned above, particularly functions 2-4. The stereotypes (monkey, dangerous, unintelligent, etc.) employed by the mobs calling for Obama's head are a part of a longstanding attempt to dehumanize people of African descent. As I witnessed these figurative lynchings and others, like the murder of unarmed Oscar Grant by a Bay Area Transit officer, the elements that I needed to complete my painting came into focus. As Obama and his supporters pushed for health care reform in 2009, I was struck by the venom scrawled across the signs held by members of the emerging Tea Party at town hall meetings across the country. Signs like the ones reading, "I want my America back." This raised the questions, back from whom, and which America did they want to return to? Back from the first African-American president? Back to the days when mobs of American terrorists could take the law into their own hands and go unpunished? I decided to parallel past and present lynching imagery in my painting. The thinly veiled--and sometimes not-veiled at all--racial anger over the perceived inversion of the traditional power balance in America, juxtaposed against the type of image that one would find on a lynching postcard. In fact, the image of the lynching victim in my painting is based on a photo of an unidentified man, which is a metaphor for a nation's unwillingness to acknowledge the victims of these crimes.

I cannot forget, because the ghosts of lynching victims have received no justice. I cannot forget because in the faces of the dead, I see myself, my friends and family. If I were born in another time I could have been one of those nameless corpses on a faded postcard. I cannot forget because far too many have. While there have been many positive strides made in the area of race relations, the lynch mob mentality is alive and well in many places in America today. We must learn from history in order to not repeat it. Let's work towards being a truly civilized society.

Peace and Love.

Here is Strange Fruit, an award winning short film made by Daniel Weldlein, about lynching and the creation of Holiday and Meeropol's classic:

UPDATE: After reading this post, a friend told me about this Radio Diaries audio story, Strange Fruit: The Anniversary of a Lynching. It tells the story behind the lynching photograph that inspired Meeropol to write Strange Fruit.

Peace on Earth

2010-12-26T15:42:00.000-05:00

Happy Holiday season to everyone and Merry Christmas to those who celebrate it. I make that distinction because we are, too often, a society of "defaults," operating on the assumption that being of a certain religion, ethnicity, race or orientation is the default and everyone outside of the default falls in the category of "other." The "default/other" dichotomy goes against the spirit of brotherhood and sisterhood that are so sorely needed on this earth. The same spirit of kinship and kindness that were championed by Jesus. It strikes me as more than ironic that the U.S., a country purporting itself to be a christian nation is so enmeshed with the idea of out of control, rapacious capitalism. Cutthroat business practices directly contradict the teachings of Christ. I find myself wondering why so many christians regularly engage in the act of judging others, choosing to ignore all of Jesus' "judge not" messages.

Regardless of religion, the message of peace, love and understanding found in the words of Christ are needed in these days and times. The United States and it's taxpayers continue to pour endless money (and lives) into two wars, while the idea of universal health care is demonized. The divide between the haves and the have-nots continues to grow. There is more than enough food and water on the planet, yet people continue to starve and go thirsty. To say the least, our priorities are out of order.

A better world is not built overnight, but we can each work towards it in small ways every day. We can lend an ear to a friend in need, let our children know how special they are, take a second to smile at someone, stand against injustice, do volunteer work, and so much more. Why not strive to be like Christ or like Ghandi, whose often quoted statement "Be the change you wish to see in the world" motivates me to do my part to make the world a better place. None of us are perfect, but we all carry with us the capacity for tremendous good.

Peace on earth and goodwill to men, women and children.

My first Children’s Book

2010-11-18T16:57:00.001-05:00

This summer I spent many nights awake illustrating the pages of a children’s book. That book, Roy’s G Biv’s Big Day, written by Donnell Stewart, was recently published and is available online at Amazon in hardcover and Kindle editions and at Barnes and Noble.

Follow Roy on his big day with mom as he learns about the colors of the rainbow and is introduced to Navajo culture. An educational and fun journey for parents and children.

Ode

2010-10-23T02:04:00.000-04:00

A week ago, on the morning of my 34th birthday, I checked my email and found a gift from my mother in the form of a thoughtful and heartfelt poem. Yes, poetry runs in the family.

I am very thankful for the wonderful woman who raised me. I am truly blessed.

Ode to my son

by Beryl A. Anderson

Bright Jamaican sun welcomed you,

On the most gorgeous Friday afternoon,

One could ever have witnessed.

A wise-looking baby

With the brightest brown eyes,

That have come to be rivaled only,

By those of your daughter dear.

Small patch of gray hair,

To the mystique added

Of the wonderful man

You came to be.

Happy 34^th birthday

Much love

Mom.

Back to blogging

2010-10-13T14:35:00.000-04:00

It's been a very busy summer and early autumn. I'm working on some pieces of writing that I'll be posting soon. In the meantime, here are some of my recent creations.

Iron Lion 24x30 Acrylic on Canvas

Revolutionary Voices • An Illustration from the 2010 Peace Calendar

Make Me Wanna Holler 14x22 India Ink

Freedom (poem)

2010-07-07T23:52:00.002-04:00

Freedom

by Marcus K. Anderson

freedom is the complete

and unfettered recognition

of the oneness of one’s heart percussion

and that which rises from drum skins

freedom is nakedness

refusal of the wretched robes

which often clothe deadened souls

lost desire is no longer the attire

freedom can never be purchased

nor can it be granted or handed

over via proclamations signed or

spoken on land which was stolen

freedom is at odds with the dollar

until the road of freedom

is one walked by all

we can never truly

rest in clean conscience

until your plight is my plight

until our light is their light

until we discard our arms

and her fight is his fight

until every river of discontent

flows in unison pushed powerfully

through tributaries, carried to one

expansive and knowing ocean

until we discard our stubborn eyes

and learn from the pages of the past

until we begin to build the world

which our dear children deserve

until the expanse between what is

and what ought to be vanishes

until we free freedom from

the insincere realm of propaganda

until these things come to pass

none of us will be free

true freedom waits to be claimed

live for it
or die for it
if need be

Steps of a Giant

2010-05-05T21:49:00.000-04:00

"Steps of a Giant (Coltrane)" Acrylic Paint on a Found Object

I've heard John Coltrane's song Giant Steps countless times (every day, actually since it's the ring tone on my cell phone) and it still blows my mind every time. Partly because it's a complex roller coaster ride of progressions and changes that only Coltrane could create, but also because of the simple fact that it puts me in a good mood. The song is a celebration—wonderfully jubilant, passionate, energetic and cool. It overflows with love and shouts it from the mountain tops. Trane is peerless.

It was the spirit of Giant Steps that led to the creation of the piece pictured above. I painted it on an old platter that my wife and I had been using as a paint palette. It is a tribute to a true American genius. Below is a great rendition of Giant Steps by Wynton Marsalis and his ensemble. Keep Steppin'.

Noir

by Marcus Kwame Anderson

black is every shade on the spectrum
combined into one
builders burnt to perfection
from the loving gaze of the sun

this cat named amerika
tried to tell me that black was
just rap, baggy clothes, street talk,
40s, blunts, glocks and techs

i just stared at him blankly
adjusted my sagging jeans
said, "aight then, playa"
and walked off into the sun
humming giant steps

Interview

2010-03-14T18:34:00.001-04:00

Last month multi-talented artist, Renaissance Austin interviewed me on her blog The Artful Chatter Box.

You can read the interview here: Marcus Kwame Interview

And be sure to check out some of her creations at raghousenternational!

Hourglass

2010-03-11T13:43:00.004-05:00

black hand side wipes the brow,
callouses thicken working this soil
toil tirelessly amidst grey haze,
weary bones have yet to see a payday

"that's how it goes," said my man,
poured it over like tears in the rain,
one who has family, love, health
and wealth of self need not complain

recommitted, i pledge to love life,
because... see, life has a limit
and i'm learning not to dwell on days
as i'm conquering these minutes

Still Here

2010-03-07T14:58:00.000-05:00

I've been blogging pretty infrequently as of late. Not because of a lack of things to say—quite the opposite, in fact. It's just that life is moving really fast and I rarely sit still long enough these days to collect my thoughts and put them into writing. When I'm not chasing around my wonderful, brilliant, energetic 1-and-a-half-year-old daughter—trying to keep her safe in her fearless toddler explorations—I'm teaching full-time (and trying to climb out from beneath a mountain of paper work) and working on a bunch of other creative projects. It's crazy how easily time gets away from us. Anyways, I'll be back shortly with some new art, poems, etc. Peace!

Donations

2010-02-02T23:39:00.006-05:00

Over the next few months I'll be donating half of any money made from the sale of prints through my online stores, marcuskwame.com and marcuskwame.etsy.com towards relief efforts for the people of Haiti. Upon the sale of a print the donation will be made to American Red Cross or the Haiti disaster relief charity of your choice.

If you're not interested in prints, cool, but please do your part and donate directly. I suggest one of the charities on this list put out by the American Institute of Philanthropy. These are the top rated aid organizations. As with any charity it is important to research how the money will be used.

The impact of the earthquake was worsened by the poor infrastructure and rampant poverty created by years of injustice and neglect perpetuated by many world governments. The world should not have turned it's back on Haiti before and we most certainly can not afford to now.

blessings,
Marcus Kwame

MLK Poem

2010-01-18T14:51:00.005-05:00

I wrote this poem 10 years ago on Dr. King's holiday. I had just found out that my employer at the time, a small weekly newspaper, didn't close for the day. I reluctantly went in to work that winter morning with a lot on my mind. My thoughts were on all of the people who faced death, beatings, lynchings, dogs, fire hoses, lawless lawmen and countless other injustices in pursuit of basic human rights. People fighting to have their humanity recognized. It was not lost on me just how unjust and cruel it is for any group of people to ever have to ask for their humanity to be recognized (as many still are around the world today). Needless to say, I did not make it through the morning at work. Around 11 am I told my department manager that I needed to leave. I explained that the day is one of great significance to me and that it felt wrong for me to be working on this day of recognition that so many people fought so hard for. I told him that I wanted to take the rest of the day off, without pay of course. Though it was a particularly slow work day and there was little for me to do, he was not happy with my request. He offered some disapproving words that I can't remember right now, and I asked him to think about history. "Thinking about history, do you understand why I would ask to leave for this day of reflection?" I asked.

"I understand but I don't agree," was his answer. In the end I left work around 11 receiving glares from my manager and the paper's publisher. I went home for a day of reflection and wrote this poem:

i keep love in my veins
in honor of a non-violent king
even though blood stains his name...
i sing his song because of the pride it brings

the message rang loud
and clear
that day on the balcony
amerikan alchemy
attempting to turn your priceless hope
into stone
as your undying peace
was pierced by a piece
of metal

the message still rings loud
and clear
that some would rather dismiss
your gift
as the 9-5 jive continues
as if today were just another monday
as
if...

but i can’t

i left the office at 11 am
because you can not and will not
be ignored
so i’m taking a
pilgrimage to the universe’s ceiling
where i’ll steal some
of your breath
to bring back to earth
and use it to
braid the hair of the children,
intertwining your hopes
into their heads
so the dream
will never be dead

i keep love in my veins
in honor of a non-violent king
even though blood stains his name...
singing your song because of the pride it brings

© 2000 Marcus Kwame Anderson

Happy Birthday to ya!

2010-01-15T13:12:00.011-05:00

Today is the birthday of a great man. In honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s struggle, we must not fool ourselves into thinking that his dream has been realized. As I've said before, though we've made some great progress, the specter of injustice still looms around the world and in the United States in particular. Dr. King's words in his letter from Birmingham jail are just as relevant today as they were in 1963. It was in this letter that he stated, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere"—the quote from which the above portrait draws it's title. Dr. King opposed all injustice. He opposed the Vietnam war and many of his antiwar speeches could easily be applied to our current wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. He opposed not only overt racism, but also institutional racism. He stood up for oppressed people everywhere.

Over the years his message has been whittled down and sanitized in order to avoid threatening the sensibilities of those who refuse to recognize the prevalence of racism and injustice. If we listen to the I Have a Dream speech in it's entirety, beyond the sound bites, and his speeches in general, we see that Dr. King's dream has not been realized. Let's all continue to move forwards and work towards that dream.

Peace,
Marcus Kwame

Help Haiti

2010-01-13T22:12:00.003-05:00

My heart goes out to the people of Haiti. I'm a firm believer in the concept of world community and our help is needed now. Here's a link from NPR about some ways that we can help: Some Ways To Help

-- The State Department's DipNote blog writes that "for those interesting in helping immediately, simply text 'HAITI' to '90999' and a donation of $10 will be given automatically to the Red Cross to help with relief efforts, charged to your cell phone bill. Or you can go online to organizations like the Red Cross and Mercy Corps Mercy Corps to make a contribution to the disaster relief efforts."

-- The American Red Cross has posted more information about its efforts and how to donate here.

-- Mercy Corps' online donations page is here.

-- It's Just Light, a blog by photographer Nick Zantop, has collected a long list of aid organizations and how to donate money to them here.

-- CBSNews.com has its list of aid groups here.

-- Musician Wyclef Jean, who's from Haiti, says if you text "Yele" to 501501, you'll automatically be donating $5 to the Yele Haiti Earthquake Fund. The charge will show up on your phone bill. You can find out more about Yele here.

~

This is a time for compassion, brotherhood and sisterhood.

Peace and Blessings,
Marcus Kwame

analog

2009-12-14T22:47:00.004-05:00

information overload

stimulation immoderation
desensitized lives
digital inoculation

update status...
stress on the brain?
connect to mainframe
just to maintain

digital trail is evidence
of one's existence
and zeroes and ones
serve as subsistence

(unplug)

seemingly prehistoric
strange and ancient
i touch book pages
with the warmest of sentiment

not above digi-indulgence
i'm equally dependent
firewired, uploaded
files stacked to the heavens

(unplug)

entire lives encased
inside of flash drives
viral assaults negate
identity nosedive

free fall
free-for-all

information
free for all

enough.

tonight i feel
the need to disengage
reclaim my senses and
caress a printed page
just like
back in the days

just like
back in the days.

Proctors Mural Pictoral

2009-12-03T11:48:00.008-05:00

Photo by Debra Lockrow

Yesterday was the unveiling of seven large paintings which now adorn the boarded-up facade of Proctor's Theater in Troy. One of the seven pieces was my Lady Day painting. Below are photos of the other artists' beautiful work. I really enjoyed being a part of this project. Thanks to Debra Lockrow for making it happen with RPI. You can read more in this Troy Record Article.

Photo by Debra Lockrow

Art by Kate Glasheen and James Staley

Radical does it again

Kim Schaller

John Cummings Jr's jazzy piece

Last but not least, Kristine Domenichini's pretty painting.

Work in Progress

2009-11-14T13:19:00.008-05:00

I'm currently in the process of painting a 4-by-6 foot version of my Lady Day painting on plywood. The painting will appear along with other local artist's work on the boarded up windows of Proctors Theater on 4th Street in Troy. The aim of the Proctors project is to bring some needed beauty and creativity to the neighborhood.

Here's a preview picture of the work in progress.

I'll post more pictures when the piece is finished. The TU recently wrote an article about the Proctor's project.

From the Times Union:

By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer
First published in print: Saturday, October 31, 2009

TROY -- Proctors Theater's barren plywood boards will have a new appeal in time for the city's Victorian Stroll.

Photographer and gallery owner Debra Lockrow is working with eight artists and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, the theater owner, to adorn the 84 Fourth St. building with artwork.
"The whole Proctor's initiative is to make the street look better,'' said Lockrow, who opened Artcentric Art Gallery at 95 Fourth St. in June.
"We're trying to encourage a positive use of the building,'' Lockrow said.
... Kristine Domenichini is one of the eight artists painting 4-by-6 foot murals with a music or theater theme... The other artists recruited by Lockrow to participate are participating are James Staley, Kim Schaller, Jesse Schaller, John Cummings Jr., Marcus Kwame Anderson, Dylan Lockrow-Lindsay and Erik Savage.
Lockrow said the goal is to have the art hung a week before the Troy Victorian Stroll.
Read more: http://www.timesunion.com/ASPStories/story.asp?StoryID=859993#ixzz0WrUisjUU

Faux News caught again

2009-11-12T11:47:00.003-05:00

If Fox news wants to keep doing what they're doing, they should have to take "news" out of their title. Other possible titles: "Fox Fiction" or "Pundit's Palace," and their slogan should be, "The truth is relative."

Art Show!

2009-11-10T17:22:00.005-05:00

My wife and I have a show. Come see our new art at Artcentric Gift Gallery. The opening reception will be a part of Troy's monthly art walk, Troy Night Out, Friday November 27th from 5-9 pm. Artcentric is located at 95 4th Street, Troy NY. We'll be there and we hope to see you.

Blessings,
Marcus

Imani

2009-10-28T21:03:00.004-04:00

Imani (faith) 7x8 Mixed Media

I've really been feeling like working with mixed media recently. This piece is called Imani, which is Swahili for faith. Being a music lover, I naturally gravitated toward a musical manifestation of faith. I also used Imani for the greeting card design below. I had a lot of fun making it and I'm looking forward to doing more collage/painting work soon.

Peace.

Imani Cards for sale at Marcuskwame.com

Musical Youth

2009-10-28T17:07:00.005-04:00

I just saw this video over at Bold As Love and I had to repost it. In a society where we are constantly bombarded by one-sided negative images and characterizations of black youth, it is refreshing to see videos like this. Do your thing, lil' man!

Greeting Cards by Marcus Kwame

2009-10-13T08:50:00.006-04:00

Guardian Angel Card

ahem... please excuse a moment of self promotion...

New on my website marcuskwame.com, greeting cards! All of my cards feature my art and designs and are blank inside so that you can write your own personalized message for any occasion. They are about 4.5" x 7" and come with envelopes. They also look nice in a frame. I will have more holiday cards available soon.

You can order cards directly from my site using paypal. Prices are 1 card for $4, 3 cards for $11, 5 cards for $15, or 10 cards for $15.

Here are some of the cards that I have in stock now:

Eight (poem)

2009-10-11T20:51:00.004-04:00

Serenity • 7x12 Ink and Watercolor

Eight
by Marcus K. Anderson

eight hours or more
of every twenty-four
spent scratching at the door
blending, bent and endless
incensed by the senseless
suits hovering, buzzing
granite faced defenses
push papers expressionless

office politics tic-toc
thoughts remain gridlocked
the clock turns heavy handed
free logic reprimanded
Lord grant us reprieve
from the hold of thieves
i’ll reply to my own pleas
once i recall the answer

smuggling pens
as creative contraband
laying freedom train tracks
by my own hand
plotting better tomorrows
painting a broad sky
and drawing wings to fly
finally realizing my wingspan

writings stashed abruptly
upon overseer’s approach
reflecting ancestors ghosts
i must escape the past
i am stronger than this
but 9-5 is complicated math
minutes burn as i relearn
not to block my own path

minutes burn as i relearn
not to block my own path
~

Howard Zinn Day

2009-10-11T13:22:00.007-04:00

The makeup of the American population is undeniably diverse. This diversity is not necessarily reflected in the media, government policy, schools or the workplace, but it exists. Our differences are many, but we also share many common experiences, for better or for worse. One unfortunate experience shared by most people educated in this country is the myth and outright lie of Christopher Columbus' greatness. We are taught that Columbus "sailed the ocean blue in 1492." We are taught that he alone knew the earth's true shape. He is made to seem like a hero, a brave and noble man. These things clearly are untrue. As a teenager I unlearned many of the lies I had been taught early in my education. It was around this time that I learned that Columbus was in reality, a pirate willing to massacre and enslave native people in his pursuit of gold. As adults, many of us know the disturbing truth of Christopher Columbus, which raises some troubling questions. How could our teachers have taught us something so far from the truth? Why would they present a cruel and bloodthirsty man as a hero? I suppose every mighty nation needs an great and heroic origin story. Apparently that great origin story does not necessarily need to be true.

The problem with these creative truths, is that they write entire groups of people out of history, at best painting them as afterthoughts. The version of American history taught in public schools is the story of a select few. Many of us live, as Ralph Ellison observed in the classic novel Invisible Man, outside of history. This is the case when history is written by the conqueror. Obviously, it is not always in the conqueror's best interest to tell the entire story as it occurred. Fortunately there are people like Howard Zinn, who has worked tirelessly to tell the story of those living outside of history.

In his book, A People's History of the United States: 1492 to the Present, Zinn presents the brutal truth of American History, the truth that we did not learn in the classroom. He writes:

"My viewpoint, in telling the history of the United States, is different... The history of any country, presented as the history of a family, conceals fierce conflicts of interest (sometimes exploding, most often repressed) between conquerors and conquered, masters and slaves, capitalists and workers, dominators and dominated in race and sex. And in such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the side of the executioners.
Thus, in that inevitable taking of sides which comes from selection and emphasis in history, I prefer to try to tell the story of the discovery of America from the viewpoint of the Arawaks, of the Constitution from the standpoint of the slaves, of Andrew Jackson as seen by the Cherokees, of the Civil War as seen by the New York Irish, of the Mexican war as seen by the deserting soldiers of Scott's army, of the rise of industrialism as seen by the young women in the Lowell textile, of the Spanish-American war as seen by the Cubans, the conquest of the Philippines as seen by black soldiers on Luzon, the Gilded Age as seen by southern farmers, the First World War as seen by socialists, the Second World War as seen by pacifists, the New Deal as seen by blacks in Harlem, the postwar American empire as seen by peons in Latin America. And so on, to the limited extent that any one person however he or she strains, can "see" history from the standpoint of others."

Zinn details the truth behind Columbus' brutal exploits. Many of the details of Columbus' cruelties come directly from his own journals. Columbus was shocked by the Arawaks' kindness and quickly sought to exploit it as a weakness.

"The Indians, Columbus reported, 'are so naive and so free with their possessions that no one who has not witnessed them would believe it. When you ask for something they have, they never say no. To the contrary they offer to share with anyone...' He concluded his report by asking for a little help from their Majesties, and in return he would bring them from his next voyage 'as much gold as they need... and as many slaves as they ask... Because of Columbus's exaggerated report and promises, his second expedition was given seventeen ships and more than twelve hundred men. The aim was clear: slaves and gold. They went from island to island in the Caribbean, taking Indians as captives. But as word spread of the Europeans' intent they found more and more empty villages. On Haiti, they found that the sailors left behind at Fort Navidad had been killed in a battle with the Indians, after they had roamed the island in gangs looking for gold, taking women and children as slaves for sex and labor."

And...

"But too many of the slaves died in captivity. And so Columbus, desperate to pay back dividends to those who had invested, had to make good his promise to fill the ships with gold. In the province of Cicao on Haiti, where he and his men imagined huge gold fields to exist, they ordered all persons fourteen years or older to collect a certain quantity of gold every three months. When they brought it, they were given copper tokens to hang around their necks. Indians found without a copper token had their hands cut off and bled to death."

This is the "hero" who "discovered" America, and this is only a portion of the ugliness that he set into motion. If you have not read A People's History, I suggest you do. This Monday, as the country pays tribute to a man who is anything but heroic, my wife and I are choosing to celebrate Howard Zinn day. He and so many other American's are more deserving of a day of recognition.

It is sad that Martin Luther King Jr., a true American hero, was refused a national holiday until the 1980's (a day which was not recognized in all 50 states until 2000), while observation of Columbus' journey has been a national holiday since 1934—and celebrated since colonial times. Columbus Day? We can do better. Join me Monday in celebrating true heroes. Whoever your hero may be. So many brave men and women have gone without proper recognition. Columbus is not a hero, so let's give his day to the heroes. Long live the truth.

Peace and Blessings.

www.howardzinn.org

Self

2009-09-23T17:35:00.006-04:00

Here's a piece I did for the autumn, self-portrait themed issue of Poets and Artists, a quarterly literary and visual arts magazine. I'm working on some other new things right now. Stay tuned.

Blessings.
MKA

Live Love

2009-09-02T15:56:00.005-04:00

by Marcus Kwame Anderson

to state the obvious
life is
to be lived

the sky
to be
contemplated
admired
while clouds
are counted

children
grinning
singing
spinning
yarns

dizzy
school yard
barbs
forgotten

the next day
they play
as if
yesterday
never stung
and storm clouds
never hung

the concrete
is alive
the fields
kiss the skies

life is
to be lived

living is
to love

love is seen
clearest
in the eyes
of those
you would
die for

the ones
who make
life worth
living

for them
we state
the obvious

life is
to be lived

living is
to love
~

© 2009 Marcus K. Anderson

Check Your Self

2009-08-19T16:53:00.006-04:00

The WWF-type atmosphere that the Health Insurance companies and right wing zealots like Glenn Beck have stirred up under the guise of "grass roots protests" at town hall meetings is embarrassing. The misinformation and simple-minded propaganda are bad enough, but the number of people who buy into the lies are unbelievable. So when I saw this video where Rep. Barney Frank lets one of these misinformers have it, it made my day. Check it out.

Good stuff :)

Sun Daugher

2009-08-04T22:07:00.003-04:00

I just finished this painting, the latest in my Children of the Sun series.

peace and blessings.

Open the Gates to Dialogue

2009-07-26T13:31:00.008-04:00

Purse Clutch 9x12 Acrylic on Canvas

Truth be told, I'm growing a bit tired of the discussion surrounding the arrest of Harvard scholar, Henry Louis Gates Jr.

Make no mistake, it's not that I don't believe that it is relevant. I believe that it is very relevant. More specifically, I am tired of the direction that the discussion surrounding the arrest has taken. What could and should have been a starting point for a much needed open and honest discourse about the tenuous (at best) relationship between law enforcement and non-white people in America, instead became a drawing of battle lines.

On one side you have people who wholeheartedly deny the existence of racism, bias and privilege. On the other side you had people of color like myself, who connected with Gates' story because it mirrored our own experiences, not just with law enforcement, but also with the tendency of many white civilians to view people of color with unfounded fear and suspicion. Many times I've found myself feeling self-conscious about actions as innocuous as walking through an aisle at the store with my hands in my pockets. And just when I think that maybe I'm being paranoid, I spot some employee of said store ridiculously breaking their neck to keep an eye on me, and guiltily averting their gaze when they notice that they've been noticed. I learned early, that in the eyes of many, a brown skinned person's pockets serve the sole purpose of holding stolen goods. Hell, my mother, one of the classiest, most law-abiding, well-dressed and mannerly people I know has been repeatedly followed around stores.

So when news broke that Professor Gates—an ivy league scholar, author, historian and director of the W.E.B. DuBois Institute for African and African American Studies—was arrested for "breaking into his own home," the reaction for many people of color was, "Here we go again. Even Black Harvard professors aren't above suspicion!"

And that suspicion is what I would like to speak about. Much has been made of President Obama's remarks and the debate over whether or not the arresting officer is racist, but none of this would have happened if one of Gates' neighbors had not asked a woman passing by to call the police about what she "perceived" as two brown men breaking and entering. When the story first broke, my initial disgust was not with the police, but the woman who called the "burglary" in. I later found out that the caller did not identify Gates and his driver as black. She also pointed out that she spotted suitcases and that she thought there was a possibility that they lived there. She was calling on behalf of an older woman who saw the same events but assumed that these black guys couldn't possibly live there (in a nice neighborhood). So I have no problem with the caller. The older lady set these events into motion with her assumptions and suspicion. This suspicion is a threat to the very existence of black men in America. In one of my poems entitled Purse Clutch I wrote:

"so while you clutch
your purse in fear
it is your fear
which i fear

the same fear
which killed mockingbirds
and dotted poplar trees
with strange fruit"

The fear I spoke about is as old as America. It is the same fear that sparked such heinous events as the massacre at Rosewood in 1923 and the Race Riot of Springfield in 1908 (click the links for the full stories). In both cases false allegations against black individuals led to massacres of entire black communities. It is the same fear that made lynchings commonplace throughout the U.S. It is the same fear that leads police to react to an unarmed black man with 41 bullets, as they did in the murder of Amadou Diallo. This is what I mean when I say I fear the fear of others. America has yet to admit to this rampant fear of black people, and the progress of electing President Obama has allowed many who wish to deny the existence of racism to hide behind the myth of "Post-Racial" America. I am not one who believes that everything bad that happens to my people equals racism, but I do firmly believe that denial of racism's existence empowers racism and it's legacy.

We are missing the boat in arguing about whether Gates or the arresting officer was at fault. Doing so paints the arrest as an isolated event between two people, and allows Americans to ignore the larger issues at play. A more intelligent conversation is needed. A conversation like the one that President Barack Obama tried to initiate.

As most of you know, last week at a press conference which focused on Health Care Reform, reporter Lynn Sweet asked an out-of-place question about the president's opinion on Gates' arrest and what it says about race relations in America. This was an eye-rolling moment for me, as I thought, "How's she gonna try to catch him out there like that?" Obama is after all, the First Black President... what does that mean? It means his every breath and action is subjected to at least 10 times the scrutiny of any president in history. Don't believe me? I'll get to that in a moment. Obama clarified from the start that he is a friend of Skip Gates, and that he did not know the full details of the case. He went on to say that "any of us would be pretty angry" and that "the Cambridge police acted stupidly in arresting somebody when there was already proof that they were in there own home." These were all very common sense comments, which I applauded. The president then went on to state that "separate and apart from this incident ...there is a long history in this country of African-Americans and Latinos being stopped by law enforcement disproportionately." He then said that this is evidence that race is indeed still a factor in our country before ending on a positive note.

I was overjoyed by the presidents comments. They were all things that I would have said on any given day, but I am not the president, let alone the First Black President, so I'm free to say these things. President Obama walks a political tightrope and faces unprecedented scrutiny everyday, but he chose to be frank and honest in a way that no elected official in my memory was willing to be on the subject of racism. Knowing the scrutiny that this man is under, I shouldn't have been surprised the following day when the hounds descended on him, but I was. The media, including NPR—who I look to to be a little smarter than other media sources—continually delivered a truncated version of the president's statement: "the Cambridge police acted stupidly..." This shortened version is of course, still true, but it robs Obama's comments of context—which is nothing new for the media. And law enforcement officials and unions from all around the country began a relentless campaign of demonization. One guy went as far as to say that Obama owed every cop in America an apology, which is insane because he wasn't referring to every cop in America, and there are a whole lot of cops (not all) that do stupid and racist things! America responded to a pretty harmless, common sense response (to an out-of-place question) with indignation, seeming to say, "how dare that uppity negro suggest that there is still racism after we elected him!" Even Obama is not exempt from being told to, "stay in his place." But he is after all... the First Black President.

In the end, it's up to us to start listening to one another. If someone speaks on racism, sexism, or any other ism, try listening to them instead of being defensive. We should not allow disingenuous people to distract us from the iniquities and injustices that continue in our world. Discussion is key... not the mess of a discussion that has been going on for the last couple of weeks, but an honest and open one.

peace,
Marcus

Ink

2009-07-23T10:47:00.000-04:00

Hungry

2009-06-08T20:40:00.003-04:00

"We're hungry but we won't give in." ~Sade from When am I Going to Make a Living (my theme song)

Mother Appreciation Day

2009-06-08T20:31:00.002-04:00

Much love to the woman who raised me to be the man that I am.

Blog Love

2009-06-08T11:55:00.006-04:00

Every now and then I wonder if anyone reads my blog, so it was a very nice surprise to receive a One Lovely Bog award from Angelina Fong.

Much thanks to Angelina, who has a very nice, creative blog herself. The Lovely Blog Award is the gift that keeps giving, in that once you are given it you give it to 15 other blogs you dig. Here are mine (in no particular order).

1. Lichiban Blossom
2. Racialicious
3. Jennysdresserdrawer blog
4. The Soaring Impulse
5. New Black Man
6. The Kitchen Table
7. Illdoctrine.com
8. Anti-Racist Parent
9. Tea and Honey Bread
10. Get Angry With Me
11. Angelina Fong Designs
12. Angry Asian Man
13. Stacey Epps
14. Okayplayer News
15. The House of Tomorrow

It's good to give love and it's good to get love!
Peace!
_____________

The rules to the One Lovely Blog Award:

1. Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2. Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered.

3. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

New Painting

2009-06-01T20:24:00.004-04:00

This piece, titled Sunshine (Nurture the seeds) is the first of a new series, Children of the Sun.

Injustice

2009-05-27T21:45:00.005-04:00

"Injustice" 7x10 Prismacolor Pencil by Marcus Kwame Anderson

"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." ...Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"It is a time for martyrs now, and if I am to be one, it will be for the cause of brotherhood. That's the only thing that can save this country" ...Malcolm X

These are historic times indeed. We are taking wonderful steps in the right direction, but we are far from the finish line. The two quotes above have never been more true. While a select few prosper, far too many struggle. While we celebrated history, Oscar Grant was murdered in cold blood by law enforcement. The economic woes that the entire nation is feeling, have long been a reality in America's inner cities. Complacency is dangerous. The two men I quoted gave their lives for the cause of freedom and dignity. Let us continue to move forward and grow. The struggle is far from over.

Peace and blessings,
Marcus Kwame

Inkwell Army (poem)

2009-05-18T00:04:00.002-04:00

by Marcus Kwame Anderson

the inkwell turned to desert
deserting the smoldering embers
strewn across the soil

glowing golden
the sun’s children
struggle for sustenance

a little oxygen would
keep them ablaze for today
but i’m looking at tomorrow

thinking beyond sunset
because the sun wept
as the moon took the stage

quiet as it’s kept,
i’ve slept too long and
i don’t wear complacency well

we all dwell in cells
from the jails to the cubicle
mentally chained and dutiful

the inkwell had deserted
and i stood ready for war
depleted, unarmed and leaden

looked to the heavens
and then to the earth
stabbed the soil with my pen

ink floods the implement
voice resounds as an instrument
spilling the tune of the infinite

i, too, sat at the table
when company came
beautiful in the face of their shame

lifted audre’s chalice of words,
the lorde manifested in ink
and took a long drink

i’ve often wondered if i was born
into the wrong time, but perhaps
this is the time which needed us most

i hold my daughter close
her infant smell spell-binding
reminding me to smile

welling up with pride
upon the earth’s promise
the inkwell swells as well

spilling tales of old
chronicling the present
and narratives yet untold

lifting voices to sing
timeless melodies
until the firmament rings

singing glorious songs
calling on every last
have-not within earshot

the world is ours
and we battle for peace
like the heavenly host

i’ve often wondered if i was born
into the wrong time, but perhaps
this is the time which needed us most
~

© 2009 Marcus Kwame Anderson

Rude Bwoy

2009-05-06T17:11:00.003-04:00

Meet Quentin. He's a character in a comic that my creative partner in crime, Mr. Gone and I are working on. Quentin runs a Jamaican restaurant and is very much an old school yardie who rarely smiles. He does, however, have a sharp sense of humor, a strict code of honor and is one of the most well read individuals you will ever meet.

Waters of Potential

2009-05-04T20:36:00.002-04:00

This piece was a commission that I did last year. I forgot about it until I stumbled across this jpeg on my computer. It's strange when a piece of art leaves your hands right after it's done. It feels like contemplating the fate of a long-absent child.

I miss this one... but, moving forward, I'm continuing to plant creative seeds.

Peace and Love,
MKA

"I'm a Good Man"

2009-04-22T17:42:00.004-04:00

Father Father Video by NYOIL

In the video link above, socially conscious Staten Island emcee, NYOIL gives props to all of the good fathers out there who stand as strong and loving pillars of their families. My daughter and I appear in the video (around 1:47) along with many other fathers and their children. I love this video because it proves that Hip Hop can still be positive, and it also reminds us that there are a lot of men of color who are good fathers.

"Dedicated to the Father I always wanted and the one I'm trying to be." -NYOIL

It's Been a Long Time...

2009-04-19T00:18:00.006-04:00

I haven't posted much recently, but I'm back. I've been going through a creative dry spell in recent months, a dry spell which I'm happy to say that I'm coming out of. I have a bunch of half finished projects that I'm getting back to. This watercolor pencil portrait of influential poet and Hip Hop icon, Rakim is one of my in-progress pieces. It's only a beginning. I have big plans for it.

It feels good to be painting again. I'm sure all of you creative people out there know how frustrating creative droughts can be.

I leave you with Eric B. and Rakim's Paid In Full and In The Ghetto.

peace and blessings.

Roots Rock

2009-04-01T22:02:00.002-04:00

It's been one of those weeks. I need 3 weeks off and a lot of roots reggae. It's nice to dream.

Demand Justice for Lavena Johnson

2009-03-18T17:53:00.002-04:00

With March comes the end of Black History Month and the beginning of Women's History Month, and while I feel it is important to recognize and celebrate Women's history and Black history, I don't feel that either should be confined to a single month. But hey, America has a long way to go in terms of it's treatment of women and people of color, so these respective months are certainly better than nothing.

This month while we recognize Women's history, we should also confront the violence which so many women face. Why? Because the present will one day be history, and violence against women is unacceptably prevalent today. The department of defense has released alarming statistics which state that one in three women who join the US military will be sexually assaulted or raped by men in the military. Americans tend to view terrorism as an act solely perpetrated by foreigners, but a lot of American women live with terrorism in their homes everyday. And what about those women in the armed forces who are sexually assaulted and/or killed by other US Soldiers, while risking their lives in service to this country. Women like Lavena Johnson. If you haven't heard her story, don't feel alone. Though Johnson's death occurred in 2005, it has been absent from mainstream media headlines. This silence is deafening in light of the facts that have surfaced since her autopsy.

Lavena Johnson entered the army fresh out of high school and was sent to Iraq in 2003. When her parents were notified of her death in 2005, they were told that she died of self inflicted wounds and her death had been ruled a suicide. Upon viewing his daughters corpse, Johnson's grief stricken father, Dr. John Johnson knew that the official story was far from the truth. The supposedly self-inflicted M-16 wound was too small to have been made by an M-16, and was on the left side of the right-handed woman's head. And then there were her brutal injuries.

From Firedoglake.com:
After two years of requesting documents, one set of papers provided by the Army included a xerox copy of a CD. Wondering why the xerox copy was in the documents, Dr. Johnson requested the CD itself. With help from his local Congressional representative, the US Army finally complied. When Dr. Johnson viewed the CD, he was shocked to see photographs taken by Army investigators of his daughter’s body as it lay where her body had been found, as well as other photographs of her disrobed body taken during the investigation.

The photographs revealed that Lavena, a small woman, barely 5 feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds, had been struck in the face with a blunt instrument, perhaps a weapon stock. Her nose was broken and her teeth knocked backwards. One elbow was distended. The back of her clothes had debris on them indicating she had been dragged from one location to another. The photographs of her disrobed body showed bruises, scratch marks and teeth imprints on the upper part of her body. The right side of her back as well as her right hand had been burned apparently from a flammable liquid poured on her and then lighted. The photographs of her genital area revealed massive bruising and lacerations. A corrosive liquid had been poured into her genital area, probably to destroy DNA evidence of sexual assault.

Despite the bruises, scratches, teeth imprints and burns on her body, Lavena was found completely dressed in the burning tent. There was a blood trail from outside a contractor’s tent to inside the tent. She apparently had been dressed after the attack and her attacker placed her body into the tent and set it on fire.

Any rational adult can see that there is a mountain of evidence of murder and a cover-up, and yet the military maintains their story that Lavena Johnson's death was a suicide. Her father has worked tirelessly to get someone to investigate Lavena's death, but little progress has been made thus far.

You know all those "Support the Troops" bumper stickers and flag magnets that adorn countless vehicles? Lavena Johnson and many other women like her are troops who need support. Again, one in three women who join the US military will be sexually assaulted or raped by men in the military. It happens in the military and it happens in American homes. We must work to end violence against women, a fight which cannot be won without the full cooperation of men. Do it for your mothers, grandmothers, daughters, sisters and aunts.

To learn more about Lavena Johnson and to find out what you can do, check out www.Lavenajohnson.com and ColorofChange.com. Spread the word.

Peace.

(Link) Frank Miller’s “300″ and the Persistence of Accepted Racism

2009-03-16T21:15:00.010-04:00

A couple years ago my wife and I went to see the film version of Frank Miller's 300 in theaters, and left feeling like we'd seen a post-9-11, war mongering, Bush/Cheney, Birth-of-A-Nation-ish piece of racist propaganda. We were even more dismayed by the fact that there seemed to be next-to-no mainstream critical analysis of the comic and film's troubling underlying themes. It was one of those things that made me ask, "doesn't anyone else see this?!"

I really wanted to like 300. I'm a big comics fan and grew up with Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns and Sin City. Because of this, I wanted to give Frank Miller the benefit of the doubt, even after my initial gut reaction to the comic version of 300 was a bad one. Then came the film version, which took all that I disliked about the comic and magnified it. My disgust with the film led me to search the internet for others who "saw what I saw." In this search I came across a jaw-dropping, inaccurate, islamaphobic, fear-based interview with Frank Miller on NPR. This confirmed that the ugly undertones I had seen in 300 were, in fact, intentional. Still there was no public outcry. People celebrated the testosterone heavy, ultraviolent film and it's easy-to-remember catch phrases.

Maybe I was crazy... or was I?

Last month I came across a brilliant essay by Jehanzeb Dar at Broken Mystic. That Essay was Frank Miller’s “300″ and the Persistence of Accepted Racism. Even the biggest cynic would have trouble arguing the ideas being presented. Every argument is backed with facts and a long list of citations. So if you're into 300, Frank Miller, history, comics, or discussions on racism read the article below (with an open mind).

Frank Miller’s “300″ and the Persistence of Accepted Racism

by Jehanzeb Dar

When Frank Miller’s “300″ film was released, I was absolutely outraged by the racist content of the film and more so at the insensitivity of movie-goers who simply argued “it’s just a movie.” Later on, I would hear these same individuals say, “The movie makes you want to slice up some Persians.” I wrote an article about the film almost immediately after it was released, and now that I’m still noticing people quoting the movie or listing it as their “favorite movies,” I’ve decided to update my original post and discuss some points that will hopefully shed some new light.

“300” not only represents the ever-growing trend of accepted racism towards Middle-Easterners in mainstream media and society, but also the reinforcement of Samuel P. Huntington’s overly clichéd, yet persisting, theory of “The Clash of Civilizations,” which proposes that cultural and religious differences are the primary sources for war and conflict rather than political, ideological, and/or economic differences. The fact that “300” grossed nearly $500 million worldwide in the box office may not be enough to suggest that movie-goers share the film’s racist and jingoistic views, but it is enough to indicate how successful such a film can be without many people noticing its relentless racist content. As Osagie K. Obasogie wrote in a brilliant critique of the film, “300” is “arguably the most racially charged film since D. W. Griffith’s ‘The Birth of a Nation’” – the latter being a 1915 silent film that celebrated the Ku Klux Klan’s rise to defend the South against liberated African-Americans. Oddly enough, both films were immensely successful despite protests and charges of racism.

Art and Poetry

2009-03-11T11:09:00.004-04:00

My artist friend James "Kyote" Staley and I will be having a one night show March 27th at the storefront located at 7 Broadway (next to the Martinez Gallery) in Troy, NY. The show will run from 5 - 9 pm. I'll also be doing a poetry reading at 8 pm. Hope to see you there!

Comics in Progress

2009-03-05T10:19:00.005-05:00

It's hard being a man of many hats. Sometimes you don't wear one of those hats for months at a time. This has been the case with my comic, Untitled Love. The story for Chapter 3 is completely written, but I haven't found the time to illustrate it all yet.

However, in my ongoing quest to master the art of time management, I have been able to carve out some time to slowly start working on Untitled Love again. Page 4 (shown above) was recently completed.

Those who are familiar with the first two chapters can look forward to finding out more about a past connection between Malik and Charlene, the introduction of some new characters, and Tre's struggle to come to terms with his actions. If you haven't read Untitled Love yet, you can read the story so far in the Comics section of my website.

New pages and updates are coming soon.

Hope Springs

2009-03-02T18:38:00.004-05:00

"Hope" 24 x 48 Acrylic on Canvas

Recently, a friend of mine who teaches high school art asked me to talk to her class as a Visiting Artist. I had a great time talking to the kids. I was very impressed by their work and they asked a lot of really good questions. The only question that stumped me was when one of the kids asked me which of my paintings is my favorite. I had just never thought about it. Then, today I was walking past some of my paintings in the hallway at my house and I realized that my favorite painting is Hope (shown above). I feel connected with all my paintings, but the connection is strongest with Hope. It was inspired by my many readings of George Orwell's 1984, the feelings of dread which accompanied the Bush administration, my love of graffiti, science fiction, and the idea of hope existing even in the darkest times.

So, yeah... Hope runs tings.

We Are (chapter 2)

2009-02-26T12:26:00.004-05:00

by Marcus K. Anderson

we are the future
of the funk
and the promise
of the past
sometimes loving
sometimes vulgar
we are known
to wear many hats

a beautiful contradiction
overflowing testosterone
and simultaneously feminine
in our gift of creation

confused children
we’ve often made
the mistake of trying
to pimp our better half

often vilified
often praised
the truth resides
between the extremes

there comes a time
when every culture
must pause, reflect
and check itself

and if said culture
disrespects it’s women
it fails to truly
respect itself

we must respect our wealth
health and diversity
our steps have faltered
but we are not fallen

despite our
tell-lie-vision
representation
we represent...
and we’ve come to
represent all nations
creeds genders
and orientations

so excuse us
if we sometimes
trip, stumble
and curse ourselves

we are hip hop

and you don’t stop

still, sometimes
we must stop
and check ourselves
respect ourselves
we are fresh
we are dope
we are grown...
or so we think

are we to blame
for societies ills
or are we merely
a product of?
they say we do
the devils work
yet we often rep 7’s
knowledge and love

no one
is any
one
thing

we strike the balance
between dreams
and unflinchingly
cold reality
somewhere between
sentimentality
and american born
brutality

we are hip hop

and you don’t stop

still, sometimes
we must stop
and check ourselves
respect ourselves
we are fresh
we are dope
we are grown...
or so we think

youthful... yet maturing
in our essence
we are tagging our story
in eternal ink

© 2009 Marcus Kwame Anderson

We Are (poem)

2009-02-22T21:17:00.002-05:00

We Are (chapter one)
by Marcus Kwame Anderson

reborn in the boogie down
we came to resurrect
we came for respect
our breath is backspins
and rhythm that snaps necks

head nodding
bobbing
diddy bop
pop... lock
ghetto block
to boondock
the tune knocks
through the boom box

we are hip hop

we are

we are the movement
sometimes meaningless
ancestors manifested
wise... intelligent
arrested in development
originated in melanin
uniting all people
regal... illegal

we are a beautiful contradiction

we are

we build
we destroy
taking out
all toys
we love
we hate
we battle
we create

we are diversity
cursed commercially
the illest radio shows
at the universities
homegrown
locally
disseminated
universally

public enemy #1
the children of the sun
the native tongue
the rhythm of the drum

the krylon
rustoleum
TNS
justoleum
the youths
the older ones
uncouth to holy ones
...the solar ones

universal magnetic
eclectic
mos definite
electric
soul shockin’
body rockin’
the endless loop
cold rock-rockin’

spun from ancient tongues
reborn in the boogie down
kool herc put in work
cold crush any herb
parliament funk
planet rock
tribes on a quest
from a queens block

ya don’t stop

we emcee
and get up
we freeze
and loop wax
we box beats
our tables
aint periodic
they turn tracks

Staten isle to BK
manhattan, L.I.
moneymaking
midwest... worldwide
dirty south... westside
we bump in the bay
get live in LA
down to ride

we’re in japan
ichiban
number one
spread love
we will be here
forever
making it do
what it does

knowledge reigns supreme
shaolin monks with the c.r.e.a.m.
razor blade sharp
can’t stand the sharks
we are the motherland
spanning seven continents
the sometimes self conscious
personification of confidence

we are a culture’s embodiment

we are hip hop

we are...

© 2009 Marcus Kwame Anderson

Poetry!

2009-02-15T16:49:00.005-05:00

If you're in the Albany area come out and listen Friday, February 27th, 8-11 pm at the Fuze Box, 12 Central Ave. I've been writing some new stuff. Vo X is an open mic, so all you poets come and let your voice be heard!

Happy Birthday, Bob.

2009-02-06T16:39:00.002-05:00

It's Black History Month and today is Bob Marley's birthday. Happy birthday, dread!

In a Just World...

2009-02-05T22:53:00.004-05:00

Keep criminals off the streets.

Aschcroft, Cheney and Rumsfeld too...

Keep America Safe.

My name is Marcus Kwame Anderson and I approve this message.

Unity

2009-02-05T09:56:00.002-05:00

I forgot that I had done this painting. I finished it hours before I hung it up in a gallery and it sold that night. Fortunately I had scanned it before I brought it to the gallery. The text reads: "We pray the children will carry with them this spirit of unity... The same spirit which so many elders dropped along the way."

I miss it. Maybe I'll do another one for my daughter.

Ba-ba

2009-01-29T10:58:00.001-05:00

My daughter insisted on holding her bottle all by herself today. Sigh* they grow up so quick!

sunday melancholy

2009-01-25T15:12:00.002-05:00

an old self portrait.

it's crazy in the jungle.

Really?!

2009-01-23T13:50:00.010-05:00

Post-Racial... Wow. This fairy-tale concept of an America that is somehow beyond race continues to make the rounds, and as it does, Americans turn their back on the type of honest and open discourse about race that is necessary if this country is to ever truly achieve racial harmony.

Don't get me wrong. I'm far from a pessimist, but it is insulting and dismissive, as one of the many Americans that faces racism and bigotry on a regular basis, to be told that everything is all happy and "Post-Racial" now.

This week I was truly moved by the inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama. Not just by it's historic nature, but also by the way so many people of varying colors, ethnicities and religions were genuinely excited and moved together. It was amazing to witness, and yes, it was a huge step in the right direction. But make no mistake. It was just that—a step. America's denial of it's own racism runs so deep that not even something as huge as Obama's election could singlehandedly defeat it. Horrific incidents like the execution-style murder of Oscar Grant, an unarmed black man who was shot while laying on the ground by a Bay Area Transit cop, are far more common than many would like to admit, and are the direct result of America's fear-based reactions to black men. I know these reactions all too well. I carry myself in a dignified and humble manner, yet time and time again, I am met with unjustified fear.

It is wonderful that Obama was able to break one of the biggest glass ceilings of all, but that does not automatically remove the glass ceilings that exist for many different Americans. There still exists what I call the "Pino Effect." There is a scene in Spike Lee's film, Do The Right Thing where Pino (John Turturro), an Italian man who is very outspoken in his hatred black people, is questioned by Mookie (Spike Lee) about his favorite movie stars, musicians and athletes. Pino proceeds to name people like Magic Johnson, Eddie Murphy and Prince, all African-Americans. Mookie says, "Pino, all you ever talk about is "nigger this" and "nigger that," and all your favorite people are so-called "niggers." Pino responds clumsily, stating that the aforementioned individuals are "different," and are "not really black." This is the Pino Effect, where a person who holds racist views towards a particular group justifies positive feelings towards a member of that group by viewing them as exceptions who are somehow different. My point is that merely supporting Obama does not automatically mean that white America has completely purged itself of racism. Far too many people choose to view him as "different" or an exception, rather than an example.

We are not post-racial. Obama's election is a huge step toward Dr. King's dream, and it is a big opportunity for America as a whole to advance the discussion on race. If we were to buy into the myth of our country being post-racial, we would be missing a golden opportunity to make some real progress, begin to heal old wounds and have a greater understanding of one another. The choice is ours.

I Too...

2009-01-23T12:31:00.007-05:00

Blues (who feels it knows it) 18x24 Acrylic on Canvas

This is one of my favorite poems of all time.

I, Too by Langston Hughes

I, too, sing America.

I am the darker brother.
They send me to eat in the kitchen
When company comes,
But I laugh,
And eat well,
And grow strong.

Tomorrow,
I'll be at the table
When company comes.
Nobody'll dare
Say to me,
"Eat in the kitchen,"
Then.

Besides,
They'll see how beautiful I am
And be ashamed-

I, too, am America.
~

Langston Hughes Bio and Suggested Reading

The Day Has Come.

2009-01-19T19:06:00.006-05:00

I feel truly blessed to have seen this day come. In some ways it still had not completely sunk in for me. But as of Tuesday it will be indisputable. It is of great significance that the inauguration of Barack Obama falls on the day after Martin Luther King Day. I've spent the day at home with family reflecting on where we've been, where we have yet to go, and listening to the amazing stories of how this election has moved so many people. The stories of the 100 year old black men and women, who lived to see this event impacted me the most. Today, I'm not thinking about all the problems we face. I'm just enjoying the beauty of this wonderful day.

Working

2009-01-03T22:18:00.006-05:00

I am one of the featured artists in Oranges & Sardines' Spring 2009 issue. Check it out. It's a well put together magazine which features a lot of talented people.

I have some new creative projects coming soon. I'm back in the flow again!

More soon.

end blog.

Work

2009-01-02T11:56:00.003-05:00

I know it's 2009 and election talk is "so 2008," but I just came across this video and had to post it. Video blogger, Jay Smooth of Ill Doctrine offers his thoughts on Obama's historic election, and the need to embrace it's tremendous symbolism while simultaneously staying rooted in the work that we as citizens need to do to bring about change. These are all things I've said, but he said it so much better. Check it out, and Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

2008-12-31T00:55:00.004-05:00

This has been a great year for me. The best year of my lilfe, actually. I've received many blessings. I got married and had a became a father. I am looking forward to 2009, and I wish everyone a happy and safe new year!

~Marcus

Wounded Knee (our bloody history)

2008-12-29T14:54:00.009-05:00

I am America 2 • 9x12 Acrylic on Canvas

December 29th marks the anniversary of one of the most egregious acts of American domestic terrorism, the massacre at Wounded Knee.
~

Atone
by Marcus Kwame Anderson

america has much to atone for
our dwellings rest on soil
cursed and blood-soaked

edifices erected on the backs
of slaves who worked and toiled
for pirates and cutthroats

ghost dancing chanting
fallen bulls not forgotten
in the words the elk spoke

the earth weeps crimson for
the western genocide exemplified
in Wounded Knee's gun smoke
~

From The Writer's Almanac:
Today is the anniversary of the massacre at Wounded Knee, which took place in South Dakota in 1891. Twenty-two years earlier, the local tribes had signed a treaty with the United States government that guaranteed them the rights to the land around the Black Hills, which was sacred land.

But in the 1870s, gold was discovered in the Black Hills, and the treaty was broken. People from the Sioux tribe were forced onto a reservation, with a promise of more food and supplies, which never came. Then in 1889, a prophet named Wovoka, from the Paiute tribe in Nevada, had a vision of a ceremony that would renew the earth, return the buffalo, and cause the white men to disappear. This ceremony was called the Ghost Dance. The Ghost Dance scared the white Indian Agents, and they moved in to arrest Chief Sitting Bull, who was killed in the attempt.

The next leader they focused on was Sitting Bull's half-brother, Chief Big Foot. He was leading his people to the Pine Ridge reservation, seeking safety there. But it was winter, 40 degrees below zero, and he contracted pneumonia.

Big Foot was sick, he was flying a white flag, and he was one of the leaders who had actually renounced the Ghost Dance. But the Army didn't make distinctions. They intercepted Big Foot's band and ordered them into the camp on the banks of the Wounded Knee Creek.

The next morning, federal soldiers began confiscating their weapons, and a scuffle broke out between a soldier and an Indian. The federal soldiers opened fire, killing almost 300 men, women, and children, including Big Foot.

One of the survivors was the famous medicine man Black Elk, who told his story to John Neihardt in Black Elk Speaks (1932).

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-28T12:23:00.002-05:00

I wish everyone a merry and happy Christmas, Kwanzaa, Chanukah and have a blessed New Year.

Peace and Love,
Marcus Kwame

Bloggin' Out Books: Jackie Ormes

2008-12-17T16:16:00.007-05:00

Months ago I read a review of Nancy Goldstein's biography, Jackie Ormes: The First African American Woman Cartoonist, and was intrigued. I knew I had to have it. The only obstacle is money. Being the responsible family man that I am, I was delayed by the infamous "B-word" ...Budget.

Anyway, I finally got around to ordering it from Amazon, and found it waiting for me when I got home from work yesterday. I've only recently become familiar with Jackie Ormes, and I was missing out. Reading through some of the strips, I was struck by how ahead of her time and timely she was. Her work is packed with social commentary, satire, and spat in the face of stereotypes. In addition to that it's beautifully drawn. It was not hard to see her influence on many modern cartoonists of color. I can see echoes of her in the work of artists like Aaron McGruder.

Ormes' work is of great historical importance as well. Reading it gives insight into the black experience during that era. I look forward to reading the rest of this biography. I don't usually recommend a book before I've finished reading it, but I strongly recommend this one. Jackie Ormes' strips and story deserve to be preserved and shared, and this book does so beautifully.

More info can be found at www.jackieormes.com

A Blues for Auntie (poem)

2008-12-09T09:36:00.008-05:00

Auntie (for Nina Simone)

strong back, black pitch flesh
wooly crowned …drown in the sound
birthed on my baby’s lips
her songs continually haunt me

when they called me auntie
she struck a match
inside my womb

they never called me misses… only auntie
I heard her wail from within this skin
little one who spits the sun,
"God damn, Mississippi!"

Alabama is vexing
i have a little one in my womb…
soon the flames will be catching

© 2003 Marcus Kwame Anderson
~

Nina Simone, born Eunice Kathleen Waymon (Feb. 21, 1933 - April 21, 2003), is one of my biggest inspirations. Her voice, overflowing with soul, pain and passion, penetrates the listener like no one else. She displayed an incredible versatility throughout her long career, working overtime as a singer, pianist, songwriter, arranger and activist. Her civil-rights activism and unflinching honesty about the plight of her people were prominent in her music.

My poem, Auntie (above) is based on a story that Simone would sometimes tell during performances of her song Four Women (see the video below - unfortunately it does not include the "Auntie" story). Simone spoke of how in the south when her mother went to the store she was never referred to as Mrs., Ma'am or any other term of respect. People referred to her as "Auntie." Simone said that she wished she had been there when they were calling her mother auntie. She would have burned the store down to the ground. This story reveals the pain of seeing her mother, a woman deserving of respect, viewed as less-than; a feeling that many black people—myself included—know all too well. Four Women is a powerful song about four black women of varying complexions, speaking about their experiences. Songs like this one and Mississippi Goddamn are examples of Simone's directness when dealing with racism and the Black struggle. A directness accentuated by the power of her voice.

Her frankness has influenced me as an artist. I've never been shy about creating work that speaks directly about issues and causes which I find important. Nina Simone was a true treasure, who left us with a wealth of stellar music. She will live on forever in song.

The clock is ticking for Watchmen!

2008-12-09T08:34:00.004-05:00

As some of you may know, I'm both a child of the 80's and a comic book fan. What does that mean? I'm ridiculously excited about The Watchmen movie coming out this March! Even people who aren't really into comics can get into Watchmen, due to it's complex and realistic take on what a world with superheroes would really be like. Check out the new trailer:

Amazon.com Reviews of the Graphic Novel
Watchmen Movie site

Darling Daughter

2008-12-03T20:50:00.002-05:00

Here is the first of many paintings of my daughter.

Wal-Mart's Bloody Gifts... enough is enough.

2008-12-01T14:49:00.015-05:00

Most of my blog entries are accompanied by an image of one of my paintings or drawings, and today's entry is brought to you by Dollars Aren't Divinity. This is not the first time that this painting has appeared in this blog—Dollars was featured in my first-ever post on Bloggin' Out—but it is sadly appropriate, given the events which took place at a Valley Stream, NY Wal-Mart on Friday, November 28th. Shoppers became zombies as large corporations continued in their worship of the almighty dollar.

I'm sure you've heard the story by now. The annual American tradition of "Black Friday," the ultimate marriage of corporate and consumer greed, hit an all-time low with the horrific trampling death of Jdimytai Damour. Most people who have heard this story are asking, "how this could happen?" How could hundreds of people trample another human being, in a rush to get their hands on appliances, video game consoles, televisions and a bunch of other meaningless goods? How could these same people not only fail to help Damour up, but also interfere with first-responders who were trying to help him? How could they trample other employees, who were fortunate to escape with their lives? How could the scene get so ugly that a pregnant woman was knocked to the ground, suffering a miscarriage? Having just become a father four months ago, it makes me furious that a family has been robbed of the opportunity to experience the joy which accompanies a baby's arrival, all in the name of consumerism. The people who participated should, of course, be held accountable for their actions, but Wal-Mart (and corporations like them) has many things to answer for as well.

UPDATE: Simon from bloggasm.com sent me this video which was put out by wakeupwalmart.com. It mentions some of the ways in which Wal-Mart benefits from our economic woes.

Being that the events of the Black Friday tragedy have been detailed and covered extensively in the media and on blogs, I won't rehash them. Instead, this blog entry is a plea. It is a plea to the decency and morals of anyone reading. The corporate and consumer greed which whipped that crowd into a frenzy is nothing new. It's been out of control for years, and Damour's death was a glaring wake-up call. The problem is, almost a week later I don't feel as though the country as a whole is hearing that call. Sure, people everywhere have been voicing their disbelief, but I don't see much change. People have not curbed their holiday shopping. There has been no change in marketing practices. Our senses continue to be assaulted by messages about all the things that we "need" to buy this season. There is no sign of remorse or reflection on the part of corporate America. Hell, the Wal-Mart where the scene unfolded did not even remain closed for the entire day. That is unthinkable to me. But it is not surprising. Wal-Mart has a long history of human-rights violations and questionable practices. The International Labor Rights Forum cites some of the deplorable conditions that employees in Wal-Mart's supplier's factories are subjected to. Visit the Take Action against Wal-Mart sweatshops page to make your voice heard.

Walmartwatch.com highlights Wal-Mart's need for reform in the areas of discrimination, health care, the environment, community impact, labor violations, and more on their issues page.

I am a firm believer that history will repeat itself until we learn our lessons, which is why it concerns me that Holiday-mania has not been slowed all that much by the wake-up call that we received last Friday. This should be a time for reflection. Do those toys, clothes and gadgets that we just "have" to get for the people in our lives really prove our love? Do they bring any sort of fulfillment? I'm no scrooge. I like fun things as much as the next person, but there can definitely be too much of a good thing.

This should also be a time for action. Wal-mart is certainly not the only greedy corporation with disreputable business practices, but it is one of the worst offenders. Their response to the "black friday" tragedy left much to be desired and was the straw that broke the camel's back... at least I hope it will be. It will be if everyday people stop funneling money into this behemoth. It will be if we all say, "enough."

I have not given Wal-mart my money in years, but I feel very strongly that there is a need for a larger, organized boycott. I am aware that this blog only has a handful of readers, but if everyone who reads this passes these ideas on to everyone on their e-mail list, and so on and so on we can get the ball rolling. If you have a blog with a lot of readers, re-post this. WE MUST STOP GIVING WAL-MART OUR MONEY. Yes, they have low prices, but it costs in other ways. They treat their employees terribly and force their way into communities where they are not wanted, often putting small businesses out of business. Do 3 things for me:

1. Read ILRF's Take Action page and Wal-Mart Watch's Issues page.
2. Resist the temptation to shop at Wal-Mart this holiday season. Corporations only listen to money or a lack thereof.
3. Seek alternatives to buying a bunch of junk, that will probably just end up in an attic, this holiday season. Make a gift. If you're not an artsy or crafty person, buy a gift from someone who is. If you have to shop, support small businesses instead of huge corporations.

Let's turn this around. Happy holidays!

~Marcus Kwame

Mercy Mercy Me

2008-11-25T15:38:00.007-05:00

Marvin (Sepia Blues) 8x11 Acrylic on Paper

"Inflation no chance
To increase finance
Bills pile up sky high
Send that boy off to die

Make me wanna holler
The way they do my life"

~ Marvin Gaye, Inner City Blues

These words, sung almost 40 years ago, resonate just as much today as when they were first sung in 1971. This is both testament to the timelessness of Marvin Gaye's album, What's Going On and evidence of the hurdles that America has yet to overcome. I was inspired to create the art above while listening to Inner City Blues, my favorite song on that classic album. On his 2004 album, The New Danger, poet, emcee and actor, Mos Def asked,

"If Marvin was alive now, wow..
What would I say to him?
Where could I start?
How could I explain to him??
I know the modern world would probably look strange to him
Would he feel like today had a place for him?
Global imprisonment, sickness, indifference
When he said, "Save the babies," was we listenin?
When he said, "Mercy, mercy," did he really know..
That decades later we'd still be killin folks?
Or did he hope that we would realize..
That we the first, the son of earth..
The moon and stars, the great beyond..
We black and proud, we brave and strong..."

We can only wonder. One thing is sure though; in turbulent times it is very comforting to have musicians and artists so beautifully articulate the everyday struggle. Next time you're going through it, throw on some Marvin, holler and throw up both of your hands. Trust me.

Coltrane

2008-11-23T12:46:00.004-05:00

I have John Coltrane's music on the mind today, so this post is dedicated to him. Here's an old poem inspired by Coltrane's music.

Love on the C Train
by Marcus Kwame Anderson

baby, i'm a dreamer...
even in spite of the fact
that i don't sleep

maybe you won't weep
if i pass tonight
i'd like to think
that i'd be the crescent
on your lips
ear to ear beaming
like 7am sun fingers
lingering thru the blinds
giving birth to sight

and even though you'd miss the shell
you'd take comfort knowing that
i'd now dwell amongst the rest
of the universe's music
and you know i'd probably
feel like coltrane
in your veins
making brass cry
puffy cheeked
nappy headed
afro glow
warming the flowers
in the head of lady-day
who is finally free
of the venom in her veins

half of my heroes
were jazzy cats and birds
and 3 quarters of them ended
in tragedy or was it that
they began fresh in tragedy
shedding flesh and tragedy
to magically dance
through time long after
legs have rotted away
and horns no longer play

do you recall the day
when we first bumped into
one another on the C 'Trane
you dropped your grocery bag
full of dreams
and i bent down to help you
pick them up begging your forgiveness
and i was answered by that
crescent that
i wanted to be so badly
i remember...
i took that day
and hid it in a cowry shell
one that i wear in my locks
to keep close to
my thoughts

so if tomorrow i'm no more
know that i'll be much more
and take that shell
from my head
holding it to your ear
and you'll see me
you'll be me
and i you

and i'll be the Trane
in your veins

baby, i'm a dreamer
holdin' a love too supreme
to name

© Marcus Kwame Anderson

9-5 Jive

2008-11-13T17:38:00.000-05:00

Staff meetings at work make me feel like...

Inside of History (Poem)

2008-11-05T10:23:00.006-05:00

by Marcus Kwame Anderson
~

i am the son of ellison
one of many
who have lived outside
of history

invisible

my mother is royalty
a precious jewel
feared for her beauty
strength and integrity

we have lived outside
of history
invisible
for too long
beaten
forgotten
erased
lynched
unwritten

last night i watched
one of our brightest suns
ignore barriers
reaching beyond
boundary

we the people were
his sinewy fingers
reaching for history

and we transcended

we grasped history tightly
overlooking its cruelties
we held it close to our chests
and history danced
to our heart's
percussion

last night
one of our brightest suns
stood up and demanded
to be seen
and he was

he grasped history
we were his fingers

we must hold this moment
look forward
and never
ever
lose
our
grip
~

© Marcus Kwame Anderson 2008

Today's the Day!

2008-11-04T15:02:00.003-05:00

My daughter went with me to vote for Obama today. It was a good feeling having her there with me on what will hopefully be a historic day. Now comes the hours of anticipation, nail biting, pacing and brutally slow, repetitive news coverage.

Have you voted yet? Let's make history!

blessings.

"So well spoken!"

2008-10-23T16:44:00.016-04:00

"Barack Obama is exploding the very facile and simple notions we have of what it means to be a black man in this society." - Historian, Jelani Cobb

Filmmaker and activist, Byron Hurt has once again, challenged us with some food for thought. The short film shown above, Barack and Curtis: Manhood, Power and Respect is his latest documentary. It takes a close look at America's morbidly limited view of black men and black masculinity, highlighting the two extremes represented by future president (God willing) Barack Obama and Curtis "50-cent" Jackson, as well society's inability to recognize the wide spectrum of black men that exist between those extremes.

I was introduced to Hurt's work in February 2007, when his documentary Hip Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes premiered on PBS' series, Independent Lens. In it, Hurt took an honest and critical look at gender roles in hip-hop in the same manner which you would approach an unhealthy family member who you love but must correct on their destructive behavior. While many other criticisms of hip-hop's faults often miss the mark, due to the critic's bias and lack of knowledge on the culture, Hurt's critique came from the perspective of a hip-hop head, and was informed, thought provoking, and constructive.

So it was no surprise to me that Barack and Curtis was engaging as well. It is made up of a collection of eloquent and heartfelt interviews with historians, activists and artists. Radio host and playwright, Esther Armah speaks about how she's seen gangster rap shape society's perception of black manhood, to the point where middle class black men lost their place as "real men" in the eyes of women. She attributes this to the overflow of gangster images of black men in the media. This image too often influences young black men who lack male role models, until life imitates art in harmful ways.

Writer and educator, Matt Birkhold offers one of the most profound observations in this film when he points out the manner in which "black, gangster masculinity" does the work of white-supremacist, patriarchal capitalism. Fueled by the pursuit of money, the gangster mold which 50-cent represents, requires black men to be willing to harm or sacrifice other black man and control black female minds and bodies. Birkhold compares this persona to the mentality of the white men who created the trans-Atlantic slave trade. In light of the violence, dysfunction, and broken homes which follow the thugged-out lifestyle, this premise is difficult to argue against.

This film resonated with me because these ideas are things that I've tackled in my own art and writing. I've heard people ask why black folk think about race and racism so much? I usually reply, "Because we don't have the luxury not to." I could try to not think about race, but would be reminded of it the next time I'm being profiled, or when some lady clutches her purse extra tight while I'm just minding my own business (see the painting above). Or I might be reminded of my race in the form of a compliment, like the dreaded "He's so well spoken!"

Purse Clutch • 9x12 Acrylic on Canvas

A few years ago, my brother and I were looking for a 25th anniversary present for my parents. We went into Macy's and asked a saleslady for help. I explained that it was our parents 25th anniversary and we were looking for a gift that was appropriate for that particular milestone. I don't remember the exact words that I used to say this, but apparently they blew her mind, because her response was, "Where are you two from? You're SO well spoken! My God!" This was one of those rare racist moments that you don't get emotional about. It was one of those "Wow, did you really just say that?" moments. And for anyone that thinks I am reading too much into this, I wish that was the case, but I was there and this lady's voice, expression and utter shock were completely condescending. It's one thing to compliment an individual on a trait, but she was totally blown away by the idea of two tall black men who could string together an articulate sentence. She followed up this compliment with the phrase "My God!" This event was so unprecedented for her that she had to call the Lord's name!

This event was interesting because in it you saw a living breathing example of "the very facile and simple notions that we have of what it means to be a black man in this society" that Jelani Cobb spoke of. This woman's limited perception of black men clearly didn't allow for intellect or dignity. I don't think that she's a bad person. In her own way she actually meant well, but make no mistake, what she said was racist. The idea that it should be a surprise that someone could be black and well spoken reflects just how little she thought of black people to begin with. This is the type of mentality that is shaped by a media and pop culture flooded with negative stereotypes of murderous, greedy, barely literate black men.

This election year I've been extremely disheartened by the level of unadulterated hatred and ignorance that has been directed at Barack Obama. However you feel about his politics, the man is a dignified, hard working, highly intelligent, highly accomplished and highly educated brother. Yet when all that is said and done he is just some dangerous, untrustworthy, unsavory character to a huge chunk of America. I learned as a child that if you're black you have to work twice as hard to get half the recognition and this election year has brought that point home very clearly. Don't believe me? Watch this video:

or read this article about a GOP Women's group putting out a newsletter containing an image of Barack Obama's face on a food stamp, surrounded by many offensive stereotypical images.

In Barack and Curtis, Ras Baraka speaks about the fallacy of the stereotypes directed at black males. He notes that there is probably a lot more to 50-cent than what he is allowed to show on TV and CD. Ras speaks of knowing black men for real, not just the images on TV. He says, "I know these men to cry, to love their families, to want to be successful, to be afraid, to have every human emotion possible... and to be weak and vulnerable, and at the same time to be dangerous and strong."

That's what I'm talking about. That's all I want. To be recognized as a full human being, not a cardboard cutout, pre-packaged image. I'm well spoken. I'm proud to be black. I'm a father and a husband. I'm many things.

Peace.

Hope

2008-10-20T18:44:00.010-04:00

This is a crucial time.

That of course, is an understatement. The choices in the current election couldn't be more diametrically opposed. On one hand you have a man who has extended a hand to Americans of all colors and creeds, working as a uniter. On the other, you have a man who in his desperation to win, has wholeheartedly indulged in the politics of fear, hatred and racism.

I, and so many others, have waited a lifetime to have the opportunity to vote for a candidate like Barack Obama. And I am referring to more than his ethnicity. Obama represents opportunity... an opportunity to move into a new era. I am not putting him up on a pedestal, ascribing mystical powers to him, or suggesting that he can singlehandedly repair our nation's problems. No one human being can do that. When I say Obama represents an opportunity to move into a new era, I am speaking of his ability to move us, the everyday people to action. His eloquent words have been written off by some as the misguided words of a dreamer, but a dreamer is exactly what we need right now. What I like about Obama is that he dares to dream but he also has tangible ideas that can become reality. The necessary ingredient is us.

So many of my generation and my parent's generation have had their dreams beaten out of them. The fire of the Civil Rights movement was dampened by the systematic and deliberate destruction of it's leaders through the efforts of the FBI's COINTELPRO. Throughout history, men and women have fought for the things that were truly worth having. Freedom, rights, equality, justice. I have been wondering for the last eight years or so, what happened to our dreams. The Orwellian nightmare that has been the Bush presidency has cast a dark shadow over us, and throughout it I found myself hoping that this was a case of things needing to get really bad before they got better. And then there was Obama. He stepped on the national stage in 2004 with an eloquence that couldn't help but draw comparisons to the most famous dreamer of them all, Dr. Martin Luther King jr. I understand that these are two different men living in different times but they are alike in their ability to inspire people to take control of their own destinies.

Prior to Barack Obama I can't remember the last time a politician made me feel motivated. The often criticized youth vote has been mobilized this election year like never before. Record turnouts of young voters are expected. In Obama, those of us who dare to dream and believe that a better world is achievable, have found someone who hears us and encourages us to get involved. At the Republican National Convention Obama's experience as a community organizer was openly ridiculed. This was a new low and the type of class and racial discrimination that would be at home in a KKK meeting. That experience as an organizer is exactly what makes Obama such a breath of fresh air.

As I said at the beginning of this blog we have two polar opposites running against one another this year. The difference between these two men is of special significance to me due to the birth of my daughter this past August. A mere two months old, she represents what is at stake. She is cradled in my arm, sleeping peacefully as I type this. I think of all my hopes and dreams for her. I think of the kind of world I want to leave behind for her. When put in those terms, the choice is easy. Barack Obama is the type of role model I would like her to have. His achievements could inspire her to one day be the first woman president. We are embroiled in seemingly endless conflict in the middle east and John McCain is already looking forward to the next war. This is the guy who claimed that the American people don't care if we are at war in Iraq for the next 50 or 100 years. I don't want my daughter seeing her peers die in the sands of Iraq when she is my age.

The American public made the wrong choice in '04 (everyone knows 2000 didn't count) and we are still paying for it. I pray that this year is the year we begin the long process of turning things around.

I urge you to inform yourself through as many sources as possible. And make sure you separate the issues from the distractions and side issues (Bill Ayers, etc.).

~

Misconceptions about Obama

Secretary-Treasurer of theAFL-CIO Richard Trumka talks about unions, race, internalized racism and Obama

Author Irwin Tang discusses his new book, “Gook: John McCain’s Racism and Why It Matters.”

Declaration (free your mind)

2008-10-08T17:16:00.010-04:00

i deplore war
therefore i greet
my peeps with "peace"

running the gamut
between country crops
and concrete blocks

firmly rooted in the wind
i'm often found
lost in thought

taught to walk true
while strangers
simply walk the talk

paper shuffling
jiving shucking
glass ceiling touching

i can say with certainty
that i was destined to be
more than a worker bee

even scorched earth
will bear fruit
if given proper roots

beautifully nappy headed
heavenly hellions
sparking rebellion

telling my zealots
the world is ours
so lets get it

set it off for
your rights when
left without option

spent from punching
clocks... there's
no time for watching

free minds so that
truth may blossom...

there's no time
for watching
~

© 2008 Marcus Kwame Anderson

American Terrorists

2008-10-01T11:47:00.014-04:00

The following article is re-posted from Daily Kos. This story is appalling, to say the least. This is a case of how wrong things can go in a country being ruled by the politics of fear. I am deeply troubled by the fact that American media has, for the most part, ignored these events. After reading it, share it, blog about it, talk about it.

Muslim Children Gassed at Dayton Mosque After "Obsession" DVD Hits Ohio

by Chris Rodda

Sun Sep 28, 2008 at 08:50:29 PM PDT

(From the diaries -- kos)

On Friday, September 26, the end of a week in which thousands of copies of Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West -- the fear-mongering, anti-Muslim documentary being distributed by the millions in swing states via DVDs inserted in major newspapers and through the U.S. mail -- were distributed by mail in Ohio, a "chemical irritant" was sprayed through a window of the Islamic Society of Greater Dayton, where 300 people were gathered for a Ramadan prayer service. The room that the chemical was sprayed into was the room where babies and children were being kept while their mothers were engaged in prayers. This, apparently, is what the scare tactic political campaigning of John McCain's supporters has led to -- Americans perpetrating a terrorist attack against innocent children on American soil.
Click here to read the full story.

If you are outraged by this story I urge you to email the McCain campaign.

Peace and blessings,
Marcus Kwame

More on this story at Racialicious.com

Kindness

2008-09-15T16:48:00.004-04:00

This piece was a collaboration between my wife and I. "My religion is kindness." Great words from a great man, the 14th Dalai Lama. I love statements like this. Ones that are brief, yet hold so much meaning. The world would be a much better place if we would learn to live by these words. I am trying every day.

Masterpiece

2008-08-25T17:52:00.004-04:00

On Thursday, August 21 my wife gave birth to our greatest work of art, our daughter, Jenny-Adama Grace Anderson. She is such a beautiful little person and I am humbled that she chose me to be her father.