the Goodness
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Wattstax (1973) Cult Movie of the Week
Movie trailer for the 1973 black documentary, Wattstax. Perhaps the closet thing to “BLACKstock” we’ll ever see. Great performances from Memphis’ Stax Recording artists of the time and an indelible message of unity, self-determination, and respect (and fly fashion). I can’t be 100% certain, but I’m pretty sure that the chemical pink ensemble (complete with white,…
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Electric Mud: Electrified Delta Blues got a New Jolt
(“Tom Cat” by Muddy Waters) The late sixties in Chicago was a wild time. The Democratic National Convention and the Riots in 1968 labeled us as unruly, Serial Killer Richard Speck in 1966 labeled us as unsafe, and Martin Luther King, Jr., (marching in North Lawndale for equal housing in 1966), labeled us as a…
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Dream Big.
It’s easy to feel disheartened in these staunch economic times, but consider a chair with a dozen layers of paint. It’s full potential is only evident once that paint is stripped away, allowing pure possibility. That said, one of my favorite television shows right now is nextTV, a local program produced by the Chicago Urban…
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Portraits of Black Chicago: The Beat Goes On
Black bongo player performs at the International Amphitheater in Chicago as part of the annual PUSH [People United to Save Humanity] ‘Black Expo’ in the fall of 1973. October 1973 Chicago’s PUSH Black Expo was a powerful tour de force for Black Businesses nationwide at the time this photo was shot. Time magazine stated in…
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i miss van hunt… THE UPDATE!
So, Van Hunt’s folks have graciously passed me this note with the following EXCELLENT news…“I’m thankful for your patience during the wait for new music. I’ve been working on a brand new collection. It’s close, but not quite ready. In the meantime, I’m offering a salve, a few rare items from the vault. I picked…
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Daykeeper by Foreign Exchange: Black and Blue
A couple of color-coordinated music videos for you… enjoy. First up, out of North Carolina, it’s Foreign Exchange. You just don’t see such beautiful videos on the tube anymore (great track, as well)… When I saw the above lusciousness, I was reminded of this one. Black and blue, Black and Blue. Still a visual stunner,…
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Jive on Icon: Daphne Maxwell-Reid
Here’s the original caption that accompanied the above shot: 25 Oct 1967, Evanston, Illinois, USA — Northwestern Homecoming Queen…Daphne Maxwell, 19, of New York, has good reason to flash that bright smile; she was named Northwestern University’s Homecoming Queen October 20th. Daphne, a sophomore who is studying design, is the first Negro ever to be…
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Festival of Colors: Photography by Poras Chaudhary
I found these photos on a blog called desinuts.com. Very cool site focusing on pop culture and graphic design with a lot of Indian culture peppered in, as well. I think these colors are so dope. NOTE: the pictures are of a Hindu celebration called Holi, the Festival of Colors. Holi is celebrated as a…
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Ain’t No Love Lost…a lost Curtis Mayfield gem
The year was 1972. The Year of his “Superfly” soundtrack (arguably, one of the best albums ever to come out of Chicago), and Curtis Mayfield could do no wrong…including this record, produced by Mayfield (and arranged by Rich Tufo). A sixteen year old Nashvillian named Patti Jo says to some Cassanova, “ain’t no love lost“. …
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