Gains without the requisite of diligent effort, learning, and the patience to wait for goals to manifest are destined to wane and disappoint the impulsive obtainer.
In bypassing the required steps to reap
virtuously, it’s not just the results of sustainable success that eludes, but
resiliency, experience and character.
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What makes a character in fiction, be it a book or movie, or even a real person whom you dislike softens your heart over time as the person’s internal struggles are revealed to the point of bringing you to tears, as their own heart, compassion and need for affection is finally expressed behind a wall of pain inflicted by a human experience that left them hardened and wounded?
Witnessing such character development is mutually transformative, as it
produces a positive change in the wounded; and an understanding to the observer,
leading to being less judgmental of others.
This brief commentary was inspired by Lena Waithe’s, You Ain’t Got These, where a comparison between the rich and poor was made on the “Jordan” episode, concluding that both demographics are linked through their ownership of designer sneakers.
The documentary in whole is a fascinating exploration of people’s need
to feel socially validated and esteemed with the rich and famous through
material ownership of the latest iconic brand.
This commonality, via material possessions can divert one’s focus on the
simplistic commonalities that we all share … a mind, skills, gifts and talents
that impart the universal opportunity to seize, acquire and possess our innate
status, as Jordans are just a brand extension of the man who honed and executed
his gift, hence imploring the question, what are your gifts and the brand
extension thereof?
See the trailer at:
He was in his late forties, she, late twenties. The year was 1971, the place London – the filming of what would become a legendary discourse between James Baldwin and Nikki Giovanni on Ellis Haizlip’s landmark show, Soul!
This two-part episode,
entitled James Baldwin & Nikki Giovanni – In Conversation, was as compelling
in its directional discourse as it was in its cinematic direction – leading to
a conversational debate that provided insight into the other’s point of view
with close-ups of a thought-leader in the making, in a young Giovanni, and Baldwin’s
impassioned comments on surviving slavery to his analyses on black male rage, as
the camera becomes its own voice, magnifying gestures, facial expressions and
turning worn accessories into statement pieces, all adding depth to the discussion.
To view this conversation
and learn more about Ellis Haizlip and Soul!, visit the following:
One strand can tell a tale – classify a race, detect DNA, to unveiling historical events, and customs stemming far back in history.
TEXTURES: the history
and art of Black hair is an educational exhibit delving into the indigenous
customs pertaining to Black hair and the complex experiences relating to its
physical attributes. Organized by Kent
State University’s faculty and co-curators, Dr. Joseph L. Underwood, Assistant
Professor of Art History, and Dr. Tameka N. Ellington, Associate Professor of
Fashion Design, the exhibit is currently showing at KSU Museum until August 7,
2022.
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One of the most striking points in Sidney Poitier’s, “The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography,” was his measurement of time, which could have been a book in itself, as he asked himself what is he doing with his time, after a futile search to find something of value to watch, led to him throwing his TV remote across the room.
At the time Measure of
a Man, was published, streaming services that are now available weren’t. Cell phones, providing entertainment at our
fingertips with a wide option of entertainment apps were yet to exist, and all
that we now have access to, is still a matter of what to select to stimulate
our minds.
Next to measuring our
qualities, values and character as human beings, time is just as valuable,
particularly in regards to the audio-visual content that we choose to consume,
which we should carefully question if we have not.
Is there any edification in
it, and if so, is it sufficient to outweigh the excessive negative content to
successfully deliver the moral?