Yesterday, I saw you gaze
Beyond the now
Into the future
Slipped on your shades
To block the bright
Still squinted against the glare
As I sat by your side to stare
Into the light...
Today, I hear your struggle
To be relevant
In the present
By speaking about the past
As if it's the future
I'm here with you now
Still dreaming...
Are my dreams foolish?
Candy-coated drops of goo?
Am I wasting my present
By presenting you
An alternative point of view?
Waiting...
Let me know now
Before time passes us by
Ride with me in the passenger seat
Or inspire me into your own car
Because...
Viewing you through my rearview
Makes you appear smaller than you are
Either way...
Choose now to act now
I see you in my future
As you see me in your past
Are we both blind?
Or building a great future's past?
We may not see eye to eye
But our visions are intertwined.
I just read a very insightful and well-articulated post written by Sister Toldja, titled "Without Choreography (Unfinished)", about her feelings on President Obama having to dance around the subject of race. She admits upfront that this is an unfinished piece, but it's published so I treated it as a complete opinion when I commented on it. After pushing "send", Blogger told me my comment was too long, so I broke it up into two parts...and realized I had written a blogpost of my own under someone else's comment section.
So I'm reprinting my comment here for your viewing pleasure. Enjoy and share your thoughts!
DISCLAIMER:
[If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that I campaigned for President Obama as an Obama Organizing Fellow. So I'm emotionally, financially, and politically invested in his service to my country as President of the United States (POTUS).
Just in case you're not a regular reader, to catch you up to speed: I did not decide to support Obama because he's black (although that fact is a very a nice bonus). I based my choice to support Sen. Barack Obama for president on the following factors: his senatorial voting records, legislation he introduced/co-sponsored/passed, tax returns, international experience, educational background, political strategy, experience as a grassroots executive director, civil rights cases he fought & won, knowledge of the constitution, commitment to family, etc. Obama wasn't my "lesser of two evils" choice, as I've heard so many discontented blacks grumble. He was my choice between not voting and voting. So that's the bias I'm working with here.]
Excellent post! I've literally discussed Obama with thousands of people. You are one of the few people I've heard/read who understands the nuances of the tightrope he must walk as POTUS.
Symbolically, we claim Obama as a leader for blacks because of his skin color and his racial self-identification but we must share him with millions of other Americans. I don't think some blacks understand this. And I don't understand why some blacks don't understand this. I find it very ironic that no other group of "minority" Americans criticize Obama for not speaking for them. Obama's not a civil rights activist. We should not be looking to him to affirm or speak for our feelings of anger towards this country.
As POTUS, his main job is to be this country's cheerleader. Cheerleaders do not criticize the team. Period. Yet Obama has already done more in the way of criticizing this country's historical and current practices than any other U.S. president (see his speeches in Berlin, Germany and Cairo, Egypt). But that's not enough for blacks who HOPEd that his election would radically CHANGE the social and symbolic position of blacks as a group in this country. To expect that to result from his election was begging for disappointment. To expect that to result from the legacy of his policies is more realistic.
I agree that Pres. Obama is dancing, but I don't find it painful to watch. To the contrary, I find his ability to dance masterful. Because all the while he's dancing, he's getting shit done. It's up to us to pay attention.
The three incidents you mentioned - the Gates beerfest, Van Jones' resignation & Jimmy Carter's racism remarks - are high-profile and they are all meant to be distractions from discussing the passing of healthcare reform, the success of Afghanistan occupation, and a whole host of other things on Obama's plate. The media doesn't want to discuss the House's passage of the first major overhaul of the student loan program since it's creation in the 1960's , for example (an issue that's disproportionately affecting BLACK STUDENTS/GRADS!). If you're relying on mainstream news for current events info, you'd think all Obama has done in the past 8 months is drink beer and not stand up for blacks.
But look deeper and you'll see that he's doing what he has always done as a politician - move down his to-do list while his opponents fight over nothing. Then, once he's done ticking off yet another to-do item, he delivers some BIG SPEECH that immediately and effectively deads the much-talked-about issue. But we would know his strategy/pattern if we had paid attention to him BEFORE he looked like he was going to win the election for POTUS. With each conversation with black people re: Obama, I'm learning that we collectively didn't start paying attention to him until...oh..Feb 2008. Not even then did most blacks I've spoken to think about RETROACTIVELY researching this man's record in the Senate. If they did, they'd know what he stands for, what his tactics are, etc. But no...
...People don't stop to think how a junior senator was able to get so many monumental bills passed - rivaling his rivals McCain and Clinton - in so short of a time. While you're fuming over Van Jones' resignation, Van Jones is probably still working for the Obama administration - unofficially, that is. By the way, that's also Obama's M.O. --> publicly distance himself while still using you in another, more private capacity to force his critics to get back to the main issue (To see how Obama rolls, ask pre-BIG RACE SPEECH Rev Jeremiah "I was dis-invited to speak at candidate Obama's event but am still a spiritual advisor" Wright and Samantha "I quit the presidential campaign because I called Hillary Clinton a monster but am now working in Obama's Admin" Powers).
So he keeps using the same tactics... because they work, especially on so-called "conscious" blacks who are getting most of their news from CNN. SMH. The irony of all of this is that the ones who AREN'T fooled are the "stupid" Neocons. They see exactly what he's doing - essentially giving blacks and other ethnicities reparations on the low-low. Why do you think most of the 9/12 protesters are crying about their country being "taken away" from them? They're not delusional. Bit by bit, this country IS being taken away from them...and reformed into a better country that serves more than just one group of people. But WE are too blind to see how Obama's doing it: he's dancing and juggling.
Today, I watched the first part of Oprah Winfrey's interview with one of my favorite artists, Whitney Houston. Whitney's willingness to completely bare her soul to us made me feel for her. It takes so much guts to lay oneself open for the public to pick over one's mistakes in life. There are some that are rooting for her to fail, while others couldn't care less about her welcome-back. I don't speak for them. I speak for those who awaited her return with open arms. I'm so thankful that one of our brightest stars was saved before it was too late...
For Whitney
"Redemption"
A supernova outshining the entire galaxy
Found a partner to bring me inner peace
We floated back to earth on a strong breeze
Lost my focus, vision blurred by laced trees
Blunted my soul until my inner voice would cease
To lift him above the clouds of our dreams,
Paid my dues but not the spiritual fees
On the fuel of friends' and family's pleas,
Bowed my head & bent my knees
So the Most High can do as it please
The omega was the alpha of my release
Second chances for second choices, 360 degrees
Never again will I dim my shine to appease
Those that shade my light as they stand next to me
"Hello?" "Hey, looks like your flight is canceled." "What? Quit playing. You're just trying to get out of picking me up." "You don't know? I'm serious. Turn on the news."
That's when I saw it. The gaping, burning hole in the World Trade Center's North Tower. Initial news reports were saying a commercial flight accidentally slammed into the building. I looked over at my dad and we both said the same thing at the same time: "That is no accident."
Of course, we weren't sure at the time but our instinctive reaction came from our recent experience attending the World Peace Conference against Racism, Racial Discrimination, Xenophobia and Related Intolerancein Durban, South Africa. The anger from the protesters outside the stadium on the opening night was palpable. As I sat there listening to country after country list their grievances with America, I sunk lower and lower in my seat. As an American, I was embarrassed that we had allowed a family of gangsters to steal the presidential election and we had an illegitimate fool in the White House representing us. As an African-American, I had my own lengthy list of grievances against my country.
So I didn't bother defending my country to anyone. I just listened and watched people waving signs of Bush with X's across his face and banners that read "George W. Bush, Palestinian blood is on your hands!!" (By the way, people around the world hate Bush more than ever even after he left office.)
At 21, this was my first time being so far away from home and personally experiencing the impact of America's foreign policies on the rest of the world. It was my first time seeing how much other countries aren't in love with us. To many, the fact that America pulled out of attending this huge, international peace talk at the last minute symbolized its unwillingness to face the music or negotiate with various countries.
We left Durban on Saturday, September 8th and arrived back in the States on Sunday, September 9th. I was scheduled to fly out of GA to CA on September 11th to start my final year of undergrad...Obviously, things didn't go as planned.
9/11 changed our country forever. We lost ~2,993 people in the attacks and tens of thousands more in the subsequent rushed "War on Terror" in Iraq. We lost our sense of safety. I lost my political innocence that day (I'm not buying the official version of what happened). But I believe that everything happens for a reason. George W. Bush was able to steal the 2000 election because America had fallen asleep at the wheel, lulled into a state of ignorant bliss by the "peace and prosperity" of the Clinton years. Without the anger at our national government for exploiting our PTSD in order to manipulate us into a "dumb war" based on a bunch of lies, America may have still been sleeping. We may have never awakened enough to finally elect an unorthodox president with the entire package: clever, (relatively) clean and, most of all, competent.
Today, while I mourn all that we lost, I also celebrate all that we have gained. Out of tragedy comes a rebirth. Now that our eyes are open, I believe that "yes we can" make this country live up to its promise of greatness.
Where were you on 9/11/01? How did you learn about the attacks? What were your first reactions?
The 2,870+ people that we lost in those 4 attacks eight years ago today.
Check out this amazing blog written by Max Reddick:
I'm writing this blogpost while I wait for someone who I'm having a gchat with to finish using the bathroom. Why? Because I can't just sit here in silence reflecting on my own thoughts, now can I? I must DO something to keep my mind occupied. This (self-diagnosed) form of ADHD has been getting worse over the years. I place much of the blame on new technology which rewards what I call our "now" culture. As soon as a thought pops into my head, I can shoot it into the ethers before the idea is even fully formed via text, email, tweeting, etc. This isn't a good thing. At all. It encourages unnecessary arguments, hot-headedness, impatience, thoughtlessness...the list is quite lengthy.
Kim Wayans recently wrote a (unintentionally?) humorous blog post* about how, as a society, we basically have lost the art of true listening. Does anyone really LISTEN to each other anymore? I don't mean just recognizing that a person's lips are moving, but truly absorbing the words, the meaning, the emotion, the intent behind another person's words? Did we ever do this?
The foundation of society is interpersonal relationships. The foundation of interpersonal relationships is communication. The foundation of communication is "active listening". If we're not actively listening to (or, in many cases, reading) one another, then why do we all think we deserve to have meaningful relationships with others?
1) "The Pretender”- That’s the person who pretends they’re listening to you, but it becomes painfully obvious they’re not when they ask you “how are you doing today?” and you say, “Not so great…my dog died.” And they respond, “Oh, that’s great! Have a nice day.”
2) “The One-Ups Man” - This is the person who just listens long enough to hear about a trip you took, or a promotion you got, so they can jump in and one-up you with an even more fabulous trip they took, or a bigger, higher-paying promotion they got.
3) “The Impatient Listener” - This person gives you rapid fire “uh-huh’s” while tapping their toes, checking their watch, nodding their head, and anything else they can think of, short of just screaming, “WRAP IT UP!”
4) "The Amazing Kreskin” - This person thinks he’s a mind reader, so before you can get the thoughts out of your mouth, he’s cutting you off and telling you what you meant to say before you say it. He loves nothing more than finishing your sentences for you.
5) “The Hollywood Listener” - (My favorite) This person appears to be listening, but their body is turned three-quarters away from you, and their eyes are actively scanning the room for someone more important to talk to.
When I'm being a bad listener, I'm a mixture of "The Impatient Listener" and "The Amazing Kreskin". Often times, the reason why I'm impatiently Kreskin-ing a convo is because the person I'm listening to is either repeating him/herself OR taking entirely too long to get to the point (if there even is a point to be made). Yes, there are many bad listeners out there, but I'd argue that inconsiderate speakers who refuse to hand over the mic have a hand in creating many of the bad listeners.
How do you listen? Do you know any bad listeners? Are YOU a bad listener? Here's your chance to be heard/read because I'm listening...well, not really.
Who's the speaker here? Who's the listener? Is this a picture of good or bad communication?
Disclaimer: I'm an 80's baby who grew up humming "Saving All My Love" (home-wrecker!!), dancing to "How Will I Know" ("I'm too shy...") and singing "Greatest Love of All" ("...is inside of me.") in the shower. As a kid, I had crushes on Michael Jackson and Prince but I wanted to be Whitney Houston's little sister. I own all of Whitney's albums (yes, even the holiday album people keep swearing my imagination invented) and know all of the lyrics to all of her songs (yes, even the unreleased B-sides). We all know her recent "D" issues with a Deadbeat ex-husband (excuse me, King of R&B), Divorce (yay!!), Drugs and Diva moments. But none of that takes away from the fact that she has one of the greatest soul/pop/r&b voices in history. I haven't loved all of her most recent work but I'm always rooting for her to do well. So that's my bias. On to the review...
Two Words: Whitney's Back!!
Million Dollar Bill- In the album opener, Whitney advises us to hold onto that person who makes us feel rich over the bouncy, obscure sample of Loleatta Hathaway's "We're Getting Stronger" . The track was co-written by Alicia Keys (aka The Homewrecker) and Swizz Beats (aka The Philanderer). No (more) comment on those two. Catchy song. Next...
Nothin' But Love- I've got nothing but love for this reggae-ish track. It's like a big middle-finger to all of her critics. She literally sings shout-outs to "Givers...Takers...Players...Haters." Bless you, too, Whitney. :)
Call You Tonight - "The stars must be aligned...tonight...Lightning had to strike...tonight...'cause the two of us are finally meeting..." Whitney's singing to a lover but she could easily be referring to the reunion between her voice and her mojo because she's in rare form here. Her voice is beautiful on this sexy mid-tempo ballad (wow @ the note she hits at 3:25).
I Look To You - This track has a gospel/inspirational flavor. No one knows how to write a better redemption song than Mr. Robert "Nobody Knooows the Troubles I See" Kelly. This is definitely Whitney's "I Believe I Can Fly". Her angelic voice will have you believing there's a God (if you don't already).
Like I Never Left ft. Akon - I'm not a big fan of Akon, but this song gets two thumbs up from me (it's in a tight race with "Call You Tonight" for my favorite track on the album). From hearing his unreleased tracks with Michael Jackson, Akon obviously knows how to deal with musical legends by staying in his lane and letting them shine. In this song, he supports through subtle background vocals and trading verses without stepping on Whitney's figurative toes. Check for Whitney's notes at 3:05 and 3:24 into the song.
A Song For You- My first time hearing this song was during Whitney's 1991 "Welcome Home Heroes" concert for the Gulf War troops (see video below). At 11, I didn't know about Donny Hathaway's version, so I'm comparing this version to young(er) Whitney's version. It's one of my favorite live performances from her so she set the bar pretty high for herself. If I hadn't heard that version, maybe I could give this one a chance. Unfortunately, I can't un-hear the superior 1991 version so this one gets a big fat FAIL. Booooo! @ Stargate, the producer who had the horrible idea to turn Leon Russell's beautiful ballad into a house/disco song a minute and a half in. I choose to pretend that this version doesn't exist. Next...
I Didn't Know My Own Strength- Remember all of those saccharine mid-to-late 90's songs by Celine Dion ("Because You Love Me"), Aerosmith ("I Don't Wanna Miss a Thang") and Toni Braxton ("UnBreak My Heart")? Well, they were all written by Diane Warren - the same person who wrote this equally-sugary ballad. I can tell this is supposed to be Whitney's version of Mariah's "Hero" but it falls short. This ballad covers the same redemption topic as "I Look To You", but it's too cliche for me to love it. And it's not Whitney's fault. Next...
For the Lovers- This dance track will have to grow on me. It reminds me of Brandy's "Aphrodisiac" (2003) but...not as automatically catchy. In about 5 more listens, I'll probably be "throwing my hands up" and loving it. Until then, next...
I Got You - This song is undeniable proof that Akon is the new Wyclef because this is basically a recycled version of Whitney's own "My Love Is Your Love" (1998), which was written by...Wyclef. The only thing keeping this from being an exact clone of MLIYL is additional dramatic "strings" and there's no Bobbi Kristina in the background chiming in with "sing mommy!" It's a nice song though. Definitely not a weak spot on the album. It's not an immediate favorite but I can see this one getting better with each future listen.
Salute- Another one written by R.Kelly...but God is nowhere near this song. Whitney's bitter here, telling her lover to basically go kill himself: "You're thinking your sh*t don't stink...took me all of these years to realize I can do better without you...." (Hmm, who could this be directed at??) "Don't call it a comeback...I've been here for years..through all of the drama...and all of the tears..." Okay then. The end.
The true test of a good album for me is whether I answer "Yes!" to the following three questions:
*Can I listen to this entire album without skipping more than one track? (Yes!)
*After the last track played, do I immediately feel that the album is too short? (Yes!)
*After the last track played, did I immediately listen to the entire album all over again? (Yes!)
As you wish, Whitney, I won't call it a comeback, but it's definitely a welcome return to form for you. It feels "Like [You] Never Left".
Have you heard Whitney's new album? What do you think? If not, click on the song titles above to hear each song. If you like it, support Whitney & Buy the album here!! (Amazon)
Check out a recent Whitney interview discussing the new album...
My favorite Whitney version of "A Song For You" (1991)
The short version of my favorite Whitney performance of "All the Man I Need" (1991) (I dare you to listen to her at 3:44 and tell me she doesn't have the best. voice. ever.)
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