In art, immorality cannot exist. Art is always sacred.

                                                                              – Auguste Rodin                       

The Magic of 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.

Universal Opportunities

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:

Hillman Grad Productions

An Exchange of Ideas

Photo courtesy of: The Ellis Haizlip Estate

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:

Baldwin + Giovanni

Mr. Soul Movie

Links to Excellence – A Virtual Preview Exhibit

Exhibit Image Courtesy of the Curators

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.

For a Virtual Preview on this and other exhibits, visit 

https://www.kent.edu/museum/event/textures-history-and-art-black-hair

https://www.kent.edu/museum/exhibits

Somethings are strong enough to stand alone without a visual.  In honor of Women’s History Month the following quote is such an example:

“It’s a myth that to be a whole person and a complete woman that you have to do these things.”

                                                                                                  – Ava DuVernay                                                                                                                                                (on having kids and getting married)

Another Thing to Measure

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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?