X'd Out Again? My opinions on the recent Malcolm X controversies.

Peace all, Let's skip the chit chat and let's get down to business, OK? First my apologies for what may seem to many to be a late blog, seeing that we are now living in the age where "news" is trendy, and people are now given the impression that things work in a vacuum, or at least are considered "isolated". I assure you although this bit of "news" is about a few weeks old, it all ties into a much bigger picture. And allthough I thought of speaking frankly about Nicki Minaj's song Lookin' Ass Nigga, I hesitated much, one because of my procrastination, but also because I witness more "knee jerk" reactions when news hits the air nowadays. We tend to take the little information we feel we know, and then comment right away based on what we have at that moment. I for one think this is planned by the main press. However, if there is anything that 9/11 has taught us, especially for those who do not believe the official story, is to research, research, research before coming to conclusions that affect the masses of people.

The controversy surrounding Nicki Minaj's song with the Malcolm X picture is one of many attempts to distort the name and the legacy of the late Al-Hajj Malik Al-Shabazz, better know as Malcolm X. Although she supposedly apologized and removed the image, stating that this was a conversation piece and was not the official first song off the album, it still poses as a marketing tactic that Michael Lindstrom, author of Brandwashed: Tricks Companies Use To Manipulate Our Minds and Persuade Us To Buy, says that Calvin Klein used in 1995 when it pulled its controversial ad after an uproar from the public, and even the federal government.  In his opinion it really didn't matter that CK apologized and pulled the ad , because the controversy surrounding it and the attention it garnered was the main focus. It didn't adversely affect CK's bottom line in the end, and I don't think this incident will affect Nicki's bottom line either, seeing that many who were disgusted with the song and image most likely don't buy her work to begin with, and not to mention it won't affect the sponsorship she gets from "old money." Her target audience probably doesn't know a thing about Malcolm and what he stood for, nor the background behind the image. But I'll discuss that issue later.

 How many of us remember what happened around the same time of this controversy? You know In Queens, NY? The issue involving the teacher who barred her students from writing any reports about Malcolm because she thought that he was a bad man? How many of us who may have heard or read the article noticed that the elementary teacher who made the remarks was nowhere to be mentioned by name in ANY ARTICLE? Nor was the teacher even interviewed by any media who covered the story? Doesn't that sound strange to you, that the accused is not mentioned nor interviewed as to why they would make such remarks?

Many people have forgotten so quickly about the book Malcolm X: A Life of Reinvention, a book written by Manning Marable, a book that caused so much controversy because of its claims that Malcolm had a homosexual encounter in his hustler day, as well as allegations of having a tumultous marriage life with Betty Shabazz, especially with his busy schedule, among other claims. I didn't read the book at all after hearing what some of the book entails, simply because I didn't believe that I wanted to read a so called definitive book entitled A Life of Reinvention about a man who died in 1965, only to have supposed stark revelations 45-46 years AFTER his death? I don't think it would've taken the American press THAT LONG to dig up dirt on such an important figure.

And to think this book won a Pulitzer Prize in 2012, despite the criticism received from his children and close associates? So who's really behind this?

Well deeper research brings up a figure by the name of Wendy Wolf, a self proclaimed progressive who is the editor and publisher of Viking Books, who went on a tour touting this book and the supposed craftsmanship of a writer such as Manning Marable. However after listening to her make statements about Malcolm's "native" intelligence, and her own admission that she did not read the book in its' entirety due to the fact that it "scared" her, one must ask oneself would a person publish a book which castes a good light on a man that they practically can't stand?

 By now if you're still reading this, you're probably thinking "ok, another person claiming conspiracy" and to each it's own. I just think something smells fishy when one recollects the recent events and put them together. Why is this man hated so? Why is there an attempt to either distort the name and what he stood for, or at least neutralize his influence, which one can bear witness when one looks at the number people he influenced from the former members of the Nation of Islam to the international love he gets from within and outside the Muslim World, the white Muslims who point to his autobiography as a major influence in their becoming Muslim, to the ever growing love and support from the Hip Hop Community?

But I have an even more pressing question. In light of the events that's going on in America, with gentrification all over the place, the growing discontent for America's first Black President, the killing, miseducation, disenfranchisement and incarceration of Black people, especially Black Men beyond the likes of Trayvon, Oscar and Jordan, with the drone strikes and security breaches and invasion of privacy going on in a global fashion, why do we see these sporadic attacks on a man who's been dead for 49 years? Why would an unnamed teacher seek to dissaude their students from writing about such a figure if old people are supposed to be "irrelevant"? Or are they really sporadic? Are they controlled in the press as to what, when and how we receive such information?

 Is it because he represents a  dramatic transformation from hustler to a well respected world figure for human rights and self sufficiency, instead of a figurehead that's controlled by old money and corporations, who seeks to intergrate with a society who feels and teaches the inherent inferiority of Blacks? Is it because he saw the false empathy from White Liberals, and made many statements against the likes of them, for example in an open roundtable he made this statement in 1961:

  Most of your white liberals who profess to love Negroes and who profess to be pushing for this integration thing, they themselves live as a rule in lily-white neighborhoods and sometimes they’re the first ones to put the FOR SALE sign on their door when a Negro who has fallen for this integration thing moves into their neighborhood. I think that it’s very hypocritical today for me as a black man and the white man to sit down with each other and pro fess that there is a great deal of love between us. 

  Or another statement: ...no the Jews are the ones who usually represent themselves as white liberals. More so probably than any other segment of this society. Now if the Jews are genuinely liberal and they want to help the Negro, then they should show the Negro how to use the same kind of strategy and tactics to solve his problem that they used to solve their problems. And you’ll find that all over this country, wherever the Jews have been segregated and Jim Crowed, they haven’t sat in, they haven’t been sittin’ or Freedom Riders, they usually go and use the economic weapon. They bought Atlantic City, and now they can go there. They bought Miami Beach and now they can go there.

  Or another statement: We see masses of Black people who are thoroughly fed up with the deceit of the so-called white liberals, or the white so-called liberals. White liberals who have posed as our friends, white liberals who have been eager to point out what the white man in the South is doing to our people there, while they themselves are doing the same thing to us here in the North.

Why isn't he projected as an example for all of the young Black hustlers as a vehicle for transformation and reformation? Why do we have to keep hearing Dr. King's speeches about I have a dream, which was about intergration, and not about Black people's quest for justice, human rights and independence? Is intergration going to make these young men pull up their pants, start respecting their elders and become more responsible, and not lead lives that will either have them in prison or dead? I think not.

Or, do we really want to see transformation or reformation among young Black men or in the Black community? That's my real question.... www.qartworks.com

Sum-ma Sum-ma Summahtime!!! (Scenes from the Uncensored Exhibit)





Had a great time at the Art Hotel's Uncensored Exhibit in Downtown Dallas on June 15th. Saw some amazing work, also received news that the gallery is moving from its Downtown location and heading up north to the Gallery at Midtown at Valley View Mall. Kinda saddened in a way, but happy for them, especially because there will be more space for them(and me too!) to exhibit their work, and plus being in the mall will give them a bigger presence, especially since the Gallery at Midtown holds an artwalk every third Saturday of the month.  I tried submitting my work to the gallery about a month ago, but ran into some difficulties. Hope this move will work out for them.

Some people(like me) took a lot of shots that night, although for viewer discretion, I didn't include any of the mature themes in this blog. Guess you had to be there to see it. The piece on the wall was done by Sharon Neal Bagley, one of the co-ops at the gallery. Couldn't take separate pics of the piece, so I got it all in one shot. Please excuse the lady taking pictures....lol

This is another interesting piece by Rita Barnard, entitled Ball of Confusion, a piece that also contained a book made by her describing the inspiration behind the piece. She had a lot of questions, especially after her only sister died of cancer. This made her question a lot of things in life, and she also offered viewers to add their own questions.

Artist Samantha McNulty created these two exciting pieces called Escape. They were done with screenprint and other mediums. This gave me some ideas about some things I am working on, especially with the screenprint.



This was a nice piece about Bob Dylan. I can't remember who the artist is who created it, but they also included some 3D glasses, to give it a certain feel when you look at it. I didn't try it out though.



This is my piece Hardwired 101, which is a look into addiction. I want to get the people to start looking at addiction in an emphathetic way, instead of casting judgement on people for either becoming addicted or not rehabilitating as quick as we would like for them to.  I'm pleased with the outcome, but I want to do more, and increase the scale.

Another patron looking at my second entry entitled Portrait of My Hood. This piece gathered alot of attention and compliments for the theme and styling. The sides of the canvas have collage ranging from lotto tickets to condom boxes, depicting scenes and thoughts about the area I live.

I enjoyed this piece as well, although the name and the artist escapes me. My sincerest apologies to the artist.



This is one of the funniest and best pieces there. It's an assemblage entitled The Nut Doesn't Fall Far From The Tree. It's filled with some of the most peculiar statements that former President George W. Bush made while in office. The one that got me was the statement that he wanted to shake the hand of the brave Iraqi who had his hands cut off. I'm still tripping over that one.



  

Overall is was a great event, and what a way to cap off a great first half of the year artwise for the Q. I was blessed to participate in 4 shows, two at the TVAA Gallery earlier in the year, the TVAA New Members and the Wildness of Nature exhibits, and two with the Art Hotel Collective's exhibits The Whole Enchilada and Uncensored. Not bad for someone who basic is not known in the art scene. I had hoped that my work would be considered for the New Texas Talent show at the Craighead Green Gallery, but that looks bleak. Am I down? Honestly, yes, but not too down.  I've enjoyed the openings I've crashed at the Continental Gin Studios, Waleed Arshad, Jamaal Stafford, Kijana Martin, Janice Thacker, Jerome Bolden, and others that I've had the privilege to meet and greet and share infomation. I may take a break from it all, especially in getting ready for Ramadhan, the Islamic month of fasting, which should start in July, but I do have a community program in late July, where I will be helping the youth in creating collages.  Hopefully I can resurface in late August, when the Art Hotel Collective opens up at the Gallery in Midtown...who knows? Take care all... www.qartworks.com

                                          

Like......WHOA!!!!

Peace all....

OK, before everyone jumps on me all at once, my sincerest apologies for the lack of blogging during the month of February, things went off course, I mean in a good way that is, but what's in store was not expected in the least.

For starters the Grey Matters exhibit...It's still on, but let me tell ya, after reading an awesome book this past February entitled Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon, and watching Roots and The Next Generation Miniseries over and over and over again, I saw and read things that made me say like....WHOA!!! I was forced to think twice before rushing to put out a half done exhibit, ya know? I mean I was knocked flat by the things this book alluded to that was not clearly shown or explained in Roots: The Next Generation.

The book goes into details in what was known in some circles as "The Black Codes". These were some of the most bogus laws ever drempt up, mainly intended to put Blacks back into another form of slavery. I came across this issue years back, but this book put it into clearer perspective. The author, who found out that some of his distant ancestors somehow benefitted from this rehashed form of slavery, wrote this book which focuses on one individual, but goes into detail about what happened to thousands of Blacks after the Civil War. Horrible deaths, sexual perversion and all types of crimes of humanity went without a hitch, and scores of convict graves have surfaced. The author also has planned to show a documentary on PBS this year, and you know me...I had to get the book if it was available, and whoop! THERE IT WAS!

Anyway, the story goes that after the "Emancipation Proclamation" many southern states sought other ways to enslave Blacks. They would concoct some of the most ridiculous reasons to arrest Blacks such as forbidding sharecroppers from selling their produce as night, so called vagrancy laws, talking loud in public or speaking disrespectfully in the presence of White women...oh boy...Then the person was taken to court and slapped with fines ranging from paying the arresting officer court fees and the like. Now of course the person did not have the money to pay it, so White plantation owners, or other corporations like the mineries and so forth would claim to pay the fines, in exchange for the "convict" to work off the fine in either their plantations, coalmines, railroads etc. There they were subjected to extremes that make the antebellum slavery look good. Many companies profitted big time from forced labor, and the companies, arresting officers and the neo-slaveowners got away virtually without a scratch.

Many Blacks had no idea of the convict-leasing system that went on in America, they were given the idea that the people broke the law, and so they deserved what they got. Just like today with the prison-industrial complex. Corporate media has skewered things so much as well as government propaganda, to where Americans actually believe those who enter the prisons deserve it, especially Blacks.

In a nutshell, I felt I could not just throw up an exhibit after reading such great books, which shed much light on this subject and the ongoing subject of racism and slavery in America...It ain't over folks. I mean this is not the only reason, because I am reading other books as well that's expanding my scope.

In addition I have some other things on tap that I hope to explain in my next blog, so don't worry folks, no more string of Youtube videos for a while, ok?



Take care....CWATIC @ www.realquwwa.com

...Sweet Sorrow

Peace all, Yesterday was one of those days you wish you could capture it on camera, well at least I wish I did....lol. There was a series of events that gave me optimism and a better perspective on things and how I should approach my upcoming project Down Here on the Ground. .

But first let me tell you about my entry into Borders' Book Store, which brought me back to the old days.For those unaware of the situation, Borders' Bookstore is going out of business, and are now in the process of liquidating all assets, even the bookshelves. It didn't hit me until I walked up to the door and noticed from looking thru the window that the cappucino bar with all of its Wi-Fi capabilities were gone, just a bunch of tables lay scattered all across the area. As I walked into the doors for what will likely be my last time there, I saw that all of the materials had been pushed to the front. In the background an old James Brown classic Papa Don't Take No Mess piped through. I didn't know they had it in them. As I looked throughout the barren areas in the back, I felt a presence of sadness, well at least for me that is, I mean I could never be ranked among the best customers there, but it's just the whole idea of a bookstore closing down that gets me. Call me a sentimentalist, aren't all artists? Anyway, the books had discounts ranging from 60 to 80% off. WHOA!!!!!! DOUBLE WHOA!!!! TRIPLE WHOA!!!!


So what does a brother like me do? Take advantage of the opportunity? I WISH....LOL...I mean in these lean and trim times I had to pass up the opportunity. It wasn't easy though, I mean where else will you find books originally sold for $27 become drasticatically reduced to like 5 or 7 dollars? And the selection was one to go GAGA over(no pun intended). First I found a book entitled The Fifteen Biggest Lies the Right Does Not Want You to Know About Taxes, Jobs, and Corporate America, then I saw Dark Alliance....ooooooh, this is the one I've been looking for, about how the CIA collabed with drug dealers to the sell crack in the inner city of Los Angeles, all to fund a clandestine war in Nicaragua...then I found Bought and Paid For: The Unholy Alliance Between Obama and Wall Street ooooooh, man, I started calculating right away....let's just say I hadn't found so many that I wanted to cop all at once.

The only thing I couldn't get with was the "sexy" fishing magazine they had on the magazine shelf, I mean when did women think so low of themselves nowadays to allow their bodies to be exploited to sell fish magazines? I mean imagine a woman in sexy lingerie holding a prize winning bass....and the slogan read "Putting more throb in your rod" Have we stooped that low as a society?

This picture is a little more lame than the one I found on the front page. The back page had a totally naked lady hiding her breasts with her arms and with certain balls covering her private areas. God Help Us.

But alas instead of indulging, priorities came first, especially when I look down and the shiny silver Reebok running shoes I found for little or nothing now show serious signs of wear and tear, especially at the sole, where the front portion started separating from the shoe itself, making my "rims" look as if it was sticking its tongue out whenever I walked....sniff...sniff...

Thankfully I found that the library had all three books, so I requested them all, but I like to own my materials, especially books like these....Someday God Willing I'll get them. But this is a final tribute to Borders' Bookstore and my "rims" my shiny silver Reebok shoes...you've served your purpose well.....KUDOS...Parting is such sweet sorrow.....Peace.

Keepin ya HIP!!!!

Peace all,

Been a while since blogging, but still at it...Blogging gives me a sense of expressing myself in ways I don't necessarily think I can on Facebook or Twitter(especially Twitter since you are only allowed 140 characters anyway.)But here I get to spew completely uninhibited random thoughts without worry...well maybe some worry...lol

Anyway keeping you abreast on some things have become a bit of a task since my internet has gone kablewy, but on the real it was not all that I had expected in the first place...the wireless internet became more of a pain than an upgrade, and from the onstart I encountered problems with this system, especially being in a neighborhood with homes older than 20 years...And the customer service has been a problem too...

ANYWAY ENOUGH OF THAT...WHAT'S BEEN UP WITH YOU? HOW'S YOUR HEALTH SINCE THE PIT BULL ATTACKS?

Well, the wounds have healed pretty much, and I wasn't diagnosed with hypertension, but was given a strong warning to watch my diet and exercise more. The daily walks are great, but they want more of a faster pace to get the heart going. Eliminating or reducing stress, now that's a horse of another color....haven't been able to figure that one out yet.

HERE'S TO HOPING FOR A SPEEDY RECOVERY...NOW WHAT'S UP WITH THE ARTWORK?

Well I have several projects on tap, I can't fill you in all at once, but hopefully as things develop I will ...First off I have opened the Lifestyles Of The Ignored Gallery on my website http://realquwwa.com. I have a few photos there, and plan to build more as time progresses...I really like what I have done so far, and I pray this is only the beginning. I have also began posting my tshirts and other apparel on the site too.

THAT'S GREAT...ANYTHING ELSE ON TAP?

Oooooh if you only knew...I am filming footage for future video in the works...Shooting most of the footage in my hometown area...

ANY WORD ON THE DIRECTION OF THE VIDEO?

Well it took a turn the more I started filming and gathering more info. It started out as something personal, but as I filmed more on the subjects, it looks like something else is going to come out of this. Not so much as focusing on the homeless, but moreso my area in general and attitudes toward certain sectors of towns, including politicians and such...Can't tell you all about it yet, but it is taking more shape now...This coming Ramadhan, the month of fasting for the Muslims, I will spending it reading The Qur'an and A Book Entitled Black on the Block...It's about gentrification in the Black Neighborhoods, and the behind the scenes look at who really benefits...This will help give direction as well..

GOTTA NAME FOR IT RIGHT NOW?

Tentatively it's called Down Here On The Ground I'll keep ya hip to the latest updates, God Willing.

COOL...ANYTHING ELSE?

Gotta stay tuned...Working on my own exhibitions...May have one in the works...But that's all I can say on that matter for right now...Can't give it all away just yet...

OK, I'LL GIVE YOU YOUR TIME TO KEEP UP POSTED....ANYTHING ELSE?

Just to be on the lookout...I love being under the radar....LOL...PEACE



http://realquwwa.com