I interviewed John and Maggie Anderson (an Oak Park, Illinois couple with two small children), who are conducting a social experiment: The Empowerment Experiment. They are buying black, or patronizing Black-owned businesses exclusively, for one year.
In my interview with them (below), I talk to the Andersons about their “pledge” to buy black, the dark side of integration’s legacy, what it means to keep money in a community, whether buying black is racist, and what’s more important: buying black or buying green….
the above interview was originally broadcast on Vocalo.org 89.5fm.
It’s Jack Johnson, 1 — Scooter Libby, zero. Senator John McCain delivers some straight talk we can believe in with the announcement this week that he is seeking a presidential pardon for the late Jack Johnson, the nation’s first black heavyweight boxing champion, who he “feels was wronged by a 1913 conviction of violating the Mann Act by having a consensual relationship with a white woman” (
What you’re missing on 
Version Fest 09 (which will feature “An art parade, temporary housing structures, independent contemporary art space networking, one day only exhibition formats, video sweat lodges, an artist run art fair, a reincarnation of the depression era Public Works of Art Project, a social networked free public school, impressive musical performances, boring theoretical nonsense, the revamping of a local community center, mapping projects, a design agency for social movements, and korean polish bar-b-queing….”) is the pride and joy of Bridgeport’s own 
Dear Michael….
What bothers me are bandwagon tributes. An Icon, they say. A Genius. The same cackling media outlets that refused to play Michael Jackson’s music for years, and affixed an implicit punchline to his name. Whatever. Artists are not perfect people. We can choose to accept the art without embracing the artist. In the case of Michael Jackson, I embraced both[.
Born in Gary, Indiana (a fairy tale story in and of itself) the whole family accomplished amazing things. At one point, the Jackson 5 had the nickname of “Black Beatles” because of the Hysteria that ensued when they arrived on the scene. But Michael, dear Michael. He shook hands with the Queen. He changed pop culture forever. His music will live on forever. And there’s a generation of us that will idolize him as long as we breathe as untouchably “bad”. He gave us infinitely more than we ever gave him.
So here come the tributes, the tears. Celebrate genius in life. Not as it’s ripped away. Flowers for the dead pale in the glow of flowers for the living.
Steve Walsh and I interviewed his Brother, Tito, about the family’s story (including Michael’s) and about their Gary Roots. Listen here:
And, from the FIRST Michael Jackson album, I bring you my joint, “I Wanna Be Where You Are”….
Leave a comment | tags: Ayana Contreras, History, jackson 5, Michael Jackson, Steve Walsh, vocalo.org | posted in Arts & Culture, Chicago Cultural History, Commentary, High Culture, Jive Culture, Local Chicago Music, Music