Peace all....
Putting the finishing touches to the online exhibit entitled
The 554, everything looks great, hope to be finished with it and ready to present in a couple of days, God Willing...I think you're going to like it...
Anyway, I wanted to touch a few bases with the reader here, who if one has read a few of my posts or even heard an interview, has heard or read from time to time about my disgust of the declining quality of life in my area, especially in regards to the inability to purchase produce and adequate food unless one goes to the nearest food store 10 minutes away, and if one is "underprivileged" to have meaningful transportation, then one must walk to the nearest dollar store, and get whatever they can find until one can get such means of transportation. Such is the life at the 554....
To set the record straight here, this is not the only beef I have, but it is a strong symbol of a much larger issue that we tend to overlook or even AVOID, and that is the reason why the quality of life is declining in my area so rapidly, especially with the post office threatening to close its customer service operations, just leaving a shell for local carriers to convene, along with attempts to make the local landfill here the GO TO Dump for ALL of Dallas and surrounding areas. Add the emerging police presence and Gang Units roaming throughout the area, the proliferation of liqour, the half-hearted efforts to fix the streets in the area although the people of Dallas allowed intoxicants to be sold in order to "create revenue" , the building of a prison in the locality, and the resegregation process taking place with a new name redistricting, one should understand that there is a certain belief about the people here which is the catalyst for why such events take place here.
Last week while at the library an African American woman was speaking with an White American man who apparently is trying to open a business in this area. While discussing the issue, the Black woman, who appears to be some sort of real estate agent or broker of some sort mentioned that there is a "perception" about this place that needs to be changed before this "revitalization" effort takes place here.
By the way, revitalize is a code word for gentrification. And gentrification has taken a new face now, it's no longer just the White middle class trying to oust the Blacks, but now the Black middle class is ousting the Black poor, calling it revitalizing efforts instead of what it really is, which is removing the grotesque look of "indecency" and "filth" in one's neighborhood. Which is why no one questions the occupying presence of a police, which didn't even come into existence until newer homes were being built in the area, around 10 years ago.
I strongly disagree that there is a perception about my area which disallows people to view my area in anyway except negative. I believe strongly that there is a REALITY that needs to be dealt with, not avoided, not hidden from the masses of the people by corrupt politicians, but CONFRONTED, but before confronting the reality, proper knowledge about the issue must be dispersed.
This picture looks innocent in scope, until you realize the reality behind the picture. I just found out this place which looks like any old warehouse or storage room is actually a peep show. This establishment was actually an underground event until the city of Dallas got wind of the issue, which only resulted in allowing the owner to legalize the business by getting a permit. This establishment which is actually walking distance from my home, somewhat like the prison here, but the city of Dallas is content with this establishment residing near a predominantly Black neighborhood. Never mind the consequences and the stigma that a place of pornography does to a neighborhood, especially one that has a problem with drugs and prostitution that came as a result of the truck stops built in the area, just as long as they pay their taxes and get the necessary permits.
This is a serious indictment upon a city and how it treats is so called constituents, when they feel it is ok to dump all of the unwanted things that predominantly White neighborhoods refuse to take, and go to extreme lengths to do such things. I remember going to the town hall meeting in '92 to protest the building of the prison in our area, only to listen to a prison official tell a predominately Black audience that allowing the construction of a prison will bring the prisoners closer to some of their relatives....And the Black politicians who paraded around television cameras and socking White joggers because they broke through picket lines DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! In fact one Black politician retorted aloud "I DON'T SEE ANY OF YOU COMING UP WITH ANY OFFERS ON THE TABLE!!!"
It's becoming more and more obvious of the intentions of many if not all of these Black politicians, yet many Blacks fail miserably to see the point. We fail to see the double dealing of these politicians to get what they want, the lies and shakedown tactics and the demagogery they display, all many of us see is the color of the skin, and despite the chicanery of these criminals we allow them to continue and let them "get a chance to get a piece of the pie."
We as humans will continue to suffer the consequences of our failure to change our reality...
Peace all...CWATIC @ http://www.realquwwa.com
In order to bring my website to the forefront, I've decided to move my artwork to my website and put pictures of work in progress only on my social networking pages. I've realized that although exposing my work to the public via Facebook and Twitter may generate some buzz, it takes away from my website, which was created to give a total experience, and not just to try to sell art. It's high time I took my site seriously and promoted it as I initially intended, and give all walks of life a chance to see my expression. Hope you enjoy the journey....Till next time...
