The musings of a madman...

Look, we've all seen it... It has been argued since it happened. Today was the day that, in 2002, Halle Berry won the Academy Award as best actress. This is black history because she was the first black woman to win it. The argument/discussion is because she had to get done by a white dude while screaming one of the most awkward "while being fucked" quotes I have heard before or since. Take what you will from it, I was going to post a vid of the scene, but decided against it.

Fellow basketball fans out there these days know PRECISELY who I speak of when they read the title of this one… Since Moses Malone, the closest we will have gotten to him in the current league as far as a 2-way player is my as-mentioned most improved player Kevin Love. Except for the fact that Kevin Love gets his on 100% effort in a league where such things are not exactly common. Moses Malone had to come up in a league where one needed to know how to take a punch and deliver one as well. Today marks the date that Moses was born, about 2ish hours up I-85 from me in Petersburg VA. A veteran of the old ABA and then in the NBA post-merger, Moses Malone retired after 19 professional seasons as the LAST holdover from the pre-merger ABA days. 1 – time NBA champion in 1983 1 – time NBA finals MVP (same year) 13 – time NBA All-Star 3 – time NBA MVP 2001 Naismith Hall-of-Fame inductee 2 nd all-time in free throws attempted and made … and the one that impresses me most,

Look, I know it sometimes feels like I am harping on this whole slave trade thing in these posts… I also know that I seem to find something completely new in my searches for things to use from day to day… March 22, 1794; Congress passed the Slave Trade Act of 1794, which made it illegal to build and equip a boat with the then-necessary tooling to transport slaves. The first person tried and convicted under the Act would not be for over 3 years, in which John Brown of Rhode Island lost his boat. In 1798, Congress went a step further to place a PER slave fine of a then-astronomical $300 on people convicted. Personally, as I read these, I find it quite odd that there was so much legislation, attention and general opposition to slavery in general for the whole of the time of its institution, yet it was allowed to last for so long in spite of. The act would be modified several times over the course of its effectiveness, receiving even an upgrade even

Those who love hip hop like I love hip hop know who the Extra P is... To those who don’t, take a moment on Google and Youtube to familiarize yourself. Today happens to be his 39 th birthday. Rather than bog the proceedings down with a bio that you can find on 50 different sites, I will let a video tell this one and call it a day.

March 20… This is ironically hilarious. Today, in 1852, Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom’s Cabin, an anti-slavery novel that is said to be what led to the Civil War and with it, the end of slavery in America… What’s so ironic about that? Well, last week, ESPN aired “The Fab 5” documentary, in which Jalen Rose explained that the 18 year-old Jalen thought that black Duke players were “uncle Toms” Furthermore, Duke and Michigan – where Jalen played his own college ball – played a game in the NCAA tournament today as well. So now you can see how this could be both ironic and funny. Anyway, the book became the best-selling novel of the 19 th century. The focus of the story was the fictional Uncle Tom at the center of the story. From there, it explains the cruelties of slavery and presents the hypocrisy of a culture of love (Christianity) nurturing such a culture. [ Phlip note – at least that is how I took it] Anyway, the story progresses where Tom i

For those too lazy to read words and shit, start here and continue through your torrents until you have watched the movie... Anyway… On today’s date in 1966 – 7 years to the day prior to the birth of my older sister – Texas Western University, who you all know as University of Texas El Paso (UTEP) won the national championship against the University of Kentucky. What, ask you, does this have to do with black history? well… Black people LOVE basketball And… UTEP was the first southern university to integrate its athletics programs, and in turn became the first to GO AFTER black players… In 1966, this all came to a head with Don Haskins fielded an all-black basketball team and THEY won the national championship. Look, I know that an all black team is EXPECTED to take it all in 2011, though it just won’t happen these days. HOWEVER In 1966, I don’t even think black people could VOTE yet. [ Phlip note – wait, just one year removed… thanks, Google!] Back to the

Those who are inclined to refer to themselves as “activists” – and by “activists,” I mean the people who actually get off their asses and do shit instead of the passive aggressive type who sit on Twitter and berate people until their subject of ire loses interest and does something more important – knew what this post was about at the first lining. The whole “let me see your ID” was one of the reasons that people had such an issue with Apartheid in South Africa… People, most often black, were questioned and asked for their identification for little to no reason, then treated worse than I treat Bruiser when I come home to find a warm pseudo-chocolate treat on my floor when I come in from work. [ Phlip note – I whoop his ass and put him in a smallish cage] All this in the name of segregation, which was allowed to exist in South Africa under legal pretenses until 1992… Officially, the policy was called “Apartheid,” and was far more daunting than anything one might

Did y’all know that there was once a time where all that shit you threw out of your horse-drawn carriage had to be swept and cleaned up by actual people? Yeah, I know it seems weird to me too, but prior to March 17, 1896, when C. B. Brooks designed and patented the street sweeper, which attached brushes to trucks and at least pushed the stuff to the side of the roads, making trampling of workers less common. “just what in the blue hell does that have to do with black history?” Seriously, if you had to ask that, then you’re too far gone for me to help you. C.B. Brooks was a black dude. As ever, I couldn’t find much about him, so let us not look for his bio here today. Mr. Brooks, we salute you on behalf of the city workers the world over!

Terrible reality TV programming and being an individual who can draw out “too far man, too far…” jokes even in a roast, one must stand aside and see that Flav was an integral part of an influential group of individuals in hip hop. The hypeman/sometimes-rapper/comic-relief member of Public Enemy, we initially knew him for his adlibs randomly placed in the middle of songs – most especially “YEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAH BOYEEEE!!!” if we know nothing else of him. Some of us remember other things like “911’s a Joke” and--… well hell, I can’t think of another song of his that I could make myself listen to if I had to do so right now. Beyond that, he became famous for his bastardization of the “dating reality show” mold that was initially used on The Bachelor and has now become VH1’s go-to move. It was so much to the point where one contestant that lost on his show, then TWO that lost on HER show got identical shows of their own – two EACH at that(!?) And as I understand it, as the one who brainsto

On today’s date in 1933 the Los Angeles Sentinel was founded… This is a black history fact because that makes it the longest-running and most influential black-run newspaper in the Western US that it’s 125,000 readers actually PAY to read. Started by Col. Leon Washington at a time where black readers would surely NOT find things of interest to them in conventional newspapers. While I am sure that the approach has had to be massaged a bit for new-millennia viability, the same COULD be said for it as it relates to current times as well. Not that I expect my couple of readers in the LA area to read newspapers. See, I know most (all but one) of them through internets interaction as it were, I am going purely on my source material on this one in the statement that the Sentinel is a “staple for black life in Los Angeles.” As it were, that is said to be the focus of the paper, so that is the audience catered to. Yet, I THOUGHT I’d heard nothing of it until I began looking for something to use

Wait, what? March 14, 1794… Eli Whitney secured the patent for the Cotton Gin, which quickly and easily performed the task of separating the cotton fibers from the seed from whence they came. “well what in the great blue hell does this have to do with black history?” Well… Slaves, and then indentured servants, and THEN sons/grandsons of those indentured servants did this work in the state where my roots are seated. Speaking of sons and grandsons, my own grandfather dropped out of high school, to join the army and come back to finish that AND college to avoid this future. Hell, his brother left the fucking mule in the field and left to go to DC for the same reason. Fun fact: the cotton that your drawz are made of are basically of the “flower” of the cotton plant. Funner fact: that “flower” is damn near as thorny – and a WHOLE lot more leathery – than the hulls around a ROSE. With fun facts behind us (or above us, as the na

Fun fact: Lonnie Rashid “Common” Lynn is one of my favorite rappers, if only based upon his second, third and 5 th albums. Funner fact: Lonnie Rashid “Common” Lynn is one of my LEAST favorite ACTORS, if only based upon his performances (or lack thereof) in EVERY movie has been in would be the reason why. I remember when I was in 7 th grade, rushing home to see I used to love H.E.R. on Rap City with Joe Claire and Big Lez on BET (when that station mattered) every day. I remember buying the CD and learning every word of it, then losing it and having to wait 8 years to buy it because it was out of print. I remember buying One Day it’ll All Make Sense ON the day it released (record store was a mile from my highschool) . I bought the next albums on their respective release dates, though I only loved one of them, and just tolerated The Electric Circus ... Anyway, through all of these, and the budding of an acting career, One Day… remained my favori

This is only a one-half black history fact, as only Banneker was black, L’Enfant was a Frenchie. Anyway… On today’s date in 1791, President George Washington commissioned L’Enfant – with whom Benjamin Banneker worked on the project – with the task of designing the 10 square-mile spit of land of Federal territory that was to be the nation’s capital. As legend has it, the Frenchie was less than diligent in handing in his homework, and in such was failed out of the course by the president. Having handed in nor published NONE of his work, one could say that the capital city was up shit creek (or the Potomac and Anacostia Rivers, as it were) without a paddle. This is where Banneker becomes the “man who saved Washington,” when he purportedly spent two days completely reconstructing the majority of the plans from memory. The story has it that these plans were what were eventually became the blueprints that became the capital city. This is a bit embellished, as Banne

March 11, 1959... Lorraine Hansberry’s play opened in the Barrymore Theater starring Sidney Poitier and Claudia McNeil in the starring spots. At 530 showings, it was the longest-running black-written production in Broadway before or since it. ( Phlip note – how GREAT is it that it was this and not some Tyler Perry bullshit?) I could go in on the remakes of the play, I will be honest that I NEVER heard of it until Mrs. Mewborn’s class in 5 th grade, when we watched the made-for-TV 1989 version she recorded on VHS (HA! remember those?) and we watched over the course of 2 days in class. As it were, as with any of my pop-culture jokes that are carefully woven in the jokes that are in-person conversations with me, I have a few go-to moves from this production. ( Phlip note – a conversation with me in person goes a LOT like my blogs, foul language and all, just imagine I’m doing a lot of talking with my hands too) Back to the point, here… The original was nominated for four To

Look, we know who she was and what she did. In being the lynchpin for the very actions that saw that which she was most strongly against actually put down – and WITHIN her lifetime, no less – she is one of the few black heroes that would see at least a portion of their dream (semi-pun totally intended) come to fruition. Well on today’s date in 1913, she passed away at the believed age of 93, though we know quite naturally that we would be fine to assume a “give or take” when discussing the ages of those born slaves. The sad part about this in 2011 terms is how people nowadays choose their “heroes” in the most bass-ackwards of manners. People are deified and damn near worshipped who do nothing, stand for nothing and are often not much more than some slick words and a pretty packaging. We really must start choosing our idols better, people.

Look, the fact that I don't agree with the Canibus line, does not mean that I don't recognize Biggie's spot in the history of hip-hop. For the record, I do not possess the opinion that Tupac was the best ever either, but this post is not about that either. As it were, however, I know I was more of a Biggie fan than probably anyone in my high school - packed to the gills with 'Pac stans. I was more a fan of his ability to tell a story in a conversational manner, not relying on tricks to make his rhymes rhyme. Yes, I know there was a ton of drug/gun/sex talk, a great much of it probably fabricated, but what did I care? I was 17! I will go as far as to say I remember the very night it happened... The homie Damian threw a party (most epic one in all of high school) for the first weekend following his birthday, and his pops LEFT the house and let him do it. Being that Damian and I lived on the same street, I walked to and from the party. Well, I kinda stumbled home at 3somet

This article was written in 1774 (yes, BEFORE the revolution) and published on March 8, 1775, (ALSO before the revolution). It was initially published in the Pennsylvania Journal and the Weekly Advertiser. While Thomas Paine did not claim to have written the anonymously-submitted article, he has since been credited with its scribe. I am of the opinion that he is so credited because of his involvement with anti-slavery movements that began popping up the following month. The text of the article, as found here thanks to the good folks over at Google, reads… To Americans: That some desperate wretches should be willing to steal and enslave men by violence and murder for gain, is rather lamentable than strange. But that many civilized, nay, Christianized people should approve, and be concerned in the savage practice, is surprising; and still persist, though it has been so often proved contrary to the light of nature, to every principle of Justice and Humanity, and even good policy, by a

Look, I know we all (should) at least know about the Selma to Montgomery marches of 1965. The fact remains, however, that it was the best representative black history item relevant to my interests with the date of March 7th. Born of the Voting Rights Movement, and with the support of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. and his organization, who would bring prominent support to the effort. The planning of the event took place in the face of injunctions against “civil rights activity,” with meetings that could be considered as ‘rogue’ when considering the (unfair) laws that they defied. … but they pushed on… Voter registration drives and protests commenced over the months leading up to the marches in several counties surrounding Selma as well. At one of these – non-violent, mind you – demonstrations, state troopers attacked the crowd gathered, and one man was shot trying to protect his mother as they fled. He would die a week later And now it was time to march from Selma to Montgomery. The

As ever, I know that this is one we have been beaten in the head with as far as items to cover for black history is concerned, but the other options were an unfunny black comedian (D.L. Hughley) and a basketball player who has been out of my good graces for 7 years now (Shaquille O’Neal). So… On March 6, 1856 the US Supreme Court ruled that people of African descent imported into the United States as slaves (or THEIR progeny, whether or not they themselves were slaves) had no protections under the Constitution and therefore had no rights as citizens. Also, congress had no authority to stop slavery in federal territories and since slaves were not to be citizens, due process applied not to them, and they could not sue in court. Speaking of due process, however, slave OWNERS – owner being the operative word here – were protected in that their slaves were viewed as property and therefore could not be taken without due process. What is funny about Dred Scott is th

Look, I know that anyone reading this SHOULD know the name immediately upon reading the title, we were killed to death with that during black history month in school. What we did not know, however, was the date. At least I wasn't, not without researching for this post. Crispus Attucks – a VERY slave-ish name – was believed to be in his 40s when he was the first person shot to death by British redcoats in the Boston Massacre. he is held as a martyr of the American Revolutionary War, with which there IS no America. As ever, with black “heros,” even those only famous for dying, his history is an amalgamation of “little is known” and “well, we still argue over his race… was he a slave, freedman or escapee. Hell, we think he may have had a little Indian in him too!” See the ramp-up to the election of one Barry Obama for continuation of the effectiveness of diminishing the blackness of someone who cannot be denied. Ironic that the prevailing truth that fl