Welcome to Afronerd!
A new and needed web sanctuary for people of color with intellectual and artistic pursuits. In this blog we will be addressing interesting and varied subjects, i.e. current national/world affairs, culture, science, religion, politics, entertainment and literature(including graphic novels a/k/a comic books.....yes comics). We hope you enjoy the exchange of ideas.
Peace & Godspeed.
I Guess The Saints Really Did March in This Time-31 to 17, But Check Out This Group I Discovered During the Commercials-The Heavy!
I finally got around to upgrading my cell phone and I chose the app friendly Verizon Droid. One of my favorite applications is the Shazam service which allows one to use the phone's mike to identify songs. Low and behold, during the game, I heard the above James Brown inspired tune during a Kia Sorento commercial and Shazam!....retrieved the correct info. Check out some additional rock funk from The Heavy:
First up, check out the above treat courtesy of Marvel Animation, John Romita, Jr and Reginald Hudlin. Enjoy it while you can. Secondly, there's the preview that I promised....well, as the title of this entry entails, The Comic Shoppe team will bring pulp cultural analysis to the following: now the latest news is that the Invaders (Sub-Mariner, The Original Human Torch and Union Jack, etc) will make a significant cameo in next year's First Avenger: Captain America film; Smallville captures respectable Friday ratings with the airing of the JSA inspired Absolute Justice episode; Marvel's warped version of Superman does the unthinkable in the latest Siege event storyline; more on Avatar as a cinematic game changer (or not...think Tarzan in the 21st century, again) and lastly or favorite graphic novel picks from the previous week. Don't forget to tune in to hear our latest broadcast this Tuesday at 7pm eastern. Feel free to call in with your comments and questions at 646-200-0104 or via email/IM-thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com. But while you wait for the show, check out Smallville's Absolute Justice:
Making Up For Lost Time.....Afronerd Actually Disagrees With A Kindred Spirit....A Critique Of Dr. John McWhorter's "Rethinking African-American"
In the spirit of full disclosure, I was fortunate enough to conduct an interview with the esteemed Dr. John McWhorter (of the conservative Manhattan Institute think tank) right before then Senator Obama won the presidential election. Although McWhorter is a self-described liberal/centrist, he also unabashedly possesses a conservative bent in his writings and socio-political discourse. For the most part, there is very little that I have encountered in his books and op-ed pieces that I disagree with, except on this rare occasion stemming from a recent New Republic blog entry entitled, Did "African American" History Really Happen in Atlanta, Cleveland, Philly, and Detroit? Listening to the Census. And like most issues discussed in the blogosphere, McWhorter's article was subject to further analysis, courtesy of a New York Times blog entry entitled, Rethinking African-American. Check out this snippet from the McWhorter piece, which was also flagged by the aforementioned Times blogger:
A possible objection, I imagine, is that native-born blacks are African in a “different” way than actual African immigrants–but this would be a feint rather than an argument: clearly, the proper formulation, if we are to put it on the table, is that native-born blacks are African to a much lesser extent than African immigrants. In truth, a black man from Jacksonville has more in common with a white one from Tucson than he does with a man three years out of Senegal.
And I would argue that native-born blacks are so vastly less “African” than actual Africans that calling ourselves “African American” is not only illogical but almost disrespectful to African immigrants.
I would agree in part with Dr. McWhorter's assertion that there is a definite cultural ignorance or disconnect many Black Americans have with the Dark Continent but that alone should not deter Black folk from using the term "African-American" in matters of self-identity. Keeping my argument succinct, it all boils down to paying homage to our African forefathers who endured unimaginable pain and sacrifice during their 300 plus years of bondage in the Americas. As much as I have labored over the inability of many Blacks to overcome, if not compartmentalize, the victimization mindset that has made us spiritually and/or economically impotent post segregation, one should never forget our African origins.
There has always been a great deal of controversy aimed at those who identify as a "hyphenated" American. During the mid 19th through early 20th century, a fair share of public disdain was levied against White ethnics who chose to merge their native ancestry with a new American identity. But currently, in my estimation, those who maintain their European ancestry seem to receive very little vitriol when compared to their African and Hispanic counterparts. Why is there a governor imposed on Black self-description in this day and age? Is it really about overbearing political correctness? Let's hear from our readers on this....can one be African, African-American and Black? What say you?
Well I know Better Not To Compete With the Superbowl.....so If There's No Afronerd Radio broadcast...Let's talk Black History-The Wilmington Riots!
As the title clearly states, our Afronerd Radio broadcast will be preempted due to tonight's airing of the Superbowl, however I think it's imperative to reflect on seminal periods within the African Diaspora especially since we are in the throws of Black History Month. I readily admit that among some friends and colleagues I have been playfully chided for often exclaiming that there is still hope for Black folk and by extension Black popular culture. Despite the critique I have received (and it hasn't stopped...) for promulgating measured Black Conservatism (in addition to trumpeting the need for an alternative pop cultural counterbalance), it is an increasingly difficult endeavor to fault those who have a wary if not dystopic viewpoint of the future of Black culture. The elephant in the room, of course, is that our country is currently being presided by a man of color. Unfortunately, if you listen to some right wing pundits, the Obama administration might just have something in common with a fictional government depicted within an Aldous Huxley novel-but I digress.
Since this is BHM, I do find myself reflective on where African Americans are currently as well as what life was like post slavery. One question arises-have we actually learned anything from certain historical events that not only showed Black excellence but also the societal campaigns that sought to extinguish that selfsame genius? One such period in time centers around what has commonly been referred to as The Wilmington Insurrection of 1898 or The Wilmington Riots. To the consternation of many Black progressives and intellectuals, the term "pogrom" (and perhaps to a greater extent "holocaust") has often been used to describe historically targeted violence enacted against Jews and other Eastern European ethnics. But history bears witness to a number of racially motivated violent campaigns specific to people of color that certainly can be defined as a pogrom....case in point, the post Reconstruction riots in Wilmington, N.C..
Despite the tragedy of the riots, in which innumerable Black folk lost their lives, it was also a testament to the extent White supremacists will go to impede Black progress and autonomy. Much like the riots that occurred decades later (1921) in the Black business district of Tulsa, Oklahoma, what transpired in Wilmington essentially was the stomping out of the state's Black republican power structure by the White Supremacists that comprised the Democratic Party during this time in our nation's history. But what was it specifically about Wilmington that caused this rage and usurping of power from its Black citizenry? The simple answer is Wilmington was a majority African-American city with a burgeoning Black middle and professional class who also possessed a cross-racial Republican political power base as its backdrop. For your further edification, check out this excerpt from an article summarizing the PBS documentary, The Rise and Fall of Jim Crow:
Courtesy of PBS.org-
In 1898, Wilmington, North Carolina, located in eastern Carolina, where the Cape Fear River enters into the Atlantic Ocean, was a prosperous port town. Almost two-thirds of its population was black, with a small but significant middle class. Black businessmen dominated the restaurant and barbershop trade and owned tailor shops and drug stores. Many black people held jobs as firemen, policemen and civil servants. A good feeling between the races existed as long as white Democrats controlled the state politically. But when a coalition of predominately white Populists and black Republicans defeated the Democrats in 1896, and won political control of the state, Democrats vowed revenge in 1898. For many Democrats, black
Prior to the riot, almost two-thirds of Willmington's population was black, with a small but significant middle-class. Headline: A Day of Blood at Wilmington
political power, no matter how limited, was intolerable. Daniel Schenck, a party leader, warned, "It will be the meanest, vilest, dirtiest campaign since 1876. The slogan of the Democratic Party from the mountains to the sea will be but one word ... Nigger." The Democrats launched their campaign by appealing
to the deepest fear of whites -- that white women were in danger from black males. The white newspaper in Wilmington published an inflammatory speech given by Rebecca Felton, a Georgia feminist a year earlier: "If it requires lynching to protect woman's dearest possession from ravening, drunken human beasts, then I say lynch a thousand negroes a week ... if it is necessary." The article infuriated Alex Manly, a Wilmington African-American newspaper editor. He replied by writing an editorial sarcastically noting that many of these so-called lynchings for rapes were cover-ups for the discovery of consensual interracial sexual relations.
To keep my diatribe simple, African-Americans come from a proud enterprising and politically conservative (god forbid!) stock. We have overcome some insurmountable travails where once we were in slave quarters to now the White House....let's start acting like we've been here before. Perhaps a dramatic piece should be produced encapsulating this tragedy would be more apropos than an Oscar nomination for the film, Precious-I'm just sayin'. For more on the Wilmington riots, click on the links below:
New Comic Shoppe Broadcast Tonight at 7pm ET-Discussing Avatar, Last Week's Graphic Novels, Chuck, Smallville & More!
As if you didn't know.....The Comic Shoppe team returns tonight for another informative and fascinating pulp filled broadcast. Join Max, Daryll and yours truly as we discuss the following topics: our thoughts pertaining to the mid season return of many our favorite (and not so favorite) sci-fi/fantasy shows-Heroes, Chuck, Fringe and Smallville; last week's highlights in graphic novel/comic book runs; my thoughts on Avatar as it reaches the 2 billion in ticket sales mark; DC releases Milestone Forever;a new direction (toward a future war) for the Sgt. Rock movie and more comic related news courtesy of the Shoppe's own Daryll B. Feel free to stop and call our live show at-646-200-0104 or via email-thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com. And remember make yours The Comic Shoppe! And while you wait for the show, check out this latest piece from Daryll B:
Hi faithful Afronerd readers! It is I Daryll B. with some quick hits in and around the Fantasy world for you:
As stated on last week's show, I can not recommend the animated Black Panther series enough. Reginald Hudlin does out-do himself by actually IMPROVING upon the graphic novel source material in my opinion. There are not many things you can say that do that.
I saw Legion over the weekend and I have to say the movie was pretty uneven to me. I think that after reading stuff like the current Ghost Rider run, Preacher, Crimson, and even the Grant Morrison "fallen angel" arc; the whole traitorous angel / preventing the second coming / hell on earth scenario has gotten to be like zombies and emo-glittering vampires to me.
On a related note, have Dennis Quaid found a sci-fi rebirth or what? GI Joe, Pandorum and now Legion....
We will go over this one soon but Planet Hulk was great. A perfect follow-up to last year's Hulk Vs. and in its own way a set up to a Hulk movie series.
On a friend's recommendation I picked up a couple of the Marvel Knights 4 series focusing on the Fantastic Four. I'll admit I totally underrated this series. The first trade with Roberto Aguirre-Sarcasa writing and (the little known back then) Steve McNiven on art captures the team's voices perfectly. I rank it in my top ten Fantastic Four stories alongside the Waid-Wieringo and Lee-Kirby stories definitely.
I know Dan Jurgens is moving on to other things for awhile but I will miss his Booster Gold when he leaves in April. That being said, I don't mean to slight Keith Giffen's abilities. I'm sure he'll have fun with my fav time traveler outside of Doctor Who.
Reminder: The JSA Smallville 2-parter is this week on CW along with the season ender of Demons on BBC America. Kristin Kreuk and Brandon Routh are both on this week's Chuck and be on the lookout this week for news involving another major comic franchise's third movie. That's all I am going to tease you with today... Enjoy your week fellow readers and until next time, Keep Fantasizing!
The Comic Shoppe Reopens This Tuesday at 7pm ET-Discussing Planet Hulk, Black Panther, Trades vs Singles & Favorite Books From last Week!
So join Max, Daryll and yours truly as we discuss the following pulp oriented topics: the casting of Stargate's Jason Momoa as the new Conan The Barbarian; further discussion on the new Black Panther & Planet Hulk cartoons; a response to a fan's critique on the physical fragility of comic books; more on the Walking Dead and Powers making it to the small screen; a long awaited analysis of trade paperbacks vs single comics and lastly, our favorite reads from last week. Remember to call us "live" at 646-200-0104 or via email at thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com.
As I alluded to in my prior entry, I will put forth further analysis into former BET exec, Reginald Hudlin's last project for the network, The Black Panther. I'm not sure when (or if) the animated series will actually air on BET but the premiere episode aired in Australia for some reason. The voice acting talent is top notch, with such thespians as Alfre Woodard, Djimon Hounsou, Jill Scott and Stan Lee making the rounds. I'm not sure of the stop motion "comic" style animation (reminiscent of the Marvel Superheroes cartoons from the 60s) but it seems to work for me somehow....anyway, this will be tabled for tomorrow's discussion.
OK, You Might Have Noticed No Afronerd Radio......Hey I'm Not Stupid-I'm Not Going To Compete With Sunday Football (Go Jets BTW).....In the Interim...
Well like the title says, I'm not going to do a show while the game is on! However, let's try for tomorrow at 7pm (ET) for a new Afronerd Radio broadcast. I haven't spoken about Haiti, simply because the tragedy is so overwhelming that mere words just wouldn't convey an iota of the suffering that is going on in the country right now. I will try to say a few words on Monday's show to discuss the reprehensible Pat Robertson as it relates to the above clip and his silly assertions regarding the tragic event. And speaking of the above clip, I'm not a complete fan of the Young Turks, who are unabashedly Progressive, but in this instance with their analysis of Pat Robertson, they are dead on target!
So again, for the next show, I will try to cover some of the topics that I missed for the last couple of weeks that we were off air. Topics such as: Rush Limbaugh channeling Harry Reid regarding "light and dark skinned Black folk" becoming more enamored with President Obama if he helps Haiti (wow...); Gilbert Arenas' stupidity; Marvel's Black Panther cartoon airs in Australia and not the US (!!); the passing of Teddy Pendergrass and Percy Sutton and lastly, as the Precious film gets closer to Oscar recognition, another article encapsulates my thoughts about the racial and stereotypically regressive nature of the movie. Remember, join me tomorrow (and then back to Sundays thereafter) at 7pm and feel free to call in "live" at 646-915-9620 or via email at-afronerdradio@yahoo.com.
Thanks to our vigilant supporter, Sergio Mims for pointing out this Kenyan sci-fi film, Pumzi.....the question remains why their American brethren can't seem "beam" themselves out of the ghetto aesthetic:
I guess the Senate and Most Major Corporations Aren't Enough? Some Folks Are Pushing For The Return Of An All White Basketball League....
First the article and my op ed in a few.....
OK, a "few" has transpired, so I will briefly give my opinion of this latest controversy centered on the promulgation of an all White basketball league. The fortuitous question is...."why now, brown (or is it White) cow?" Is this actually "racial residue" from the election and subsequent presidency of Barack Obama? If you believe the Moose Lewis, the athletic director of the AABA (All-American Basketball Alliance) this all White initiative has absolutely nothing to do with race. And I have a bridge in Brooklyn ready for sale at a discount. He does have a point about bad behavior being exhibited by some of the NBA players (he alluded to the recent Gilbert Arenas fiasco) but is it simply bad behavior or Black behavior.
I guess the psychological illness of racism prevents the sufferer from using discernment to make the distinction. And while we're on the subject of discernment, perhaps the same can be said when it comes to picking players for the NBA, irrespective of race. But I ask our readers, when will the public and media (including Black media) step up to the plate to not only point out the absurdity of a racially exclusive AABA but also demand for better behavior from NBA players-I'm just sayin'. A quarter for your thoughts (adjusted for inflation).
Courtesy of AugustaChronicle.com:
A new professional basketball league boasting rosters made up exclusively of white Americans has its eyes set on Augusta, but the team isn't receiving a warm welcome.
The All-American Basketball Alliance announced in a news release Sunday evening that it intends to start its inaugural season in June and hopes Augusta will be one of 12 cities with a team.
"Only players that are natural born United States citizens with both parents of Caucasian race are eligible to play in the league," the statement said.
Augusta Mayor Deke Copenhaver, who has publicly expressed his support for minor league teams in the past, said he would not do the same for this team.
"As a sports enthusiast, I have always supported bringing more sporting activities to Augusta," he said. "However, in this instance I could not support in good conscience bringing in a team that did not fit with the spirit of inclusiveness that I, along with many others, have worked so hard to foster in our city."
Clint Bryant, athletic director at Augusta State University, laughed when he heard the news.
"It's so absurd, it's funny, but it gives you an idea of the sickness of our society" he said. "It shows you what lengths people will go to just to be mean-spirited. I think at any basketball level, no matter if it's all black, all white, all Hispanic, all Asian or anyone else, the players should just be a basketball team."
Don "Moose" Lewis, the commissioner of the AABA, said the reasoning behind the league's roster restrictions is not racism.
"There's nothing hatred about what we're doing," he said. "I don't hate anyone of color. But people of white, American-born citizens are in the minority now. Here's a league for white players to play fundamental basketball, which they like."
Lewis said he wants to emphasize fundamental basketball instead of "street-ball" played by "people of color." He pointed out recent incidents in the NBA, including Gilbert Arenas' indefinite suspension after bringing guns into the Washington Wizards locker room, as examples of fans' dissatisfaction with the way current professional sports are run.
"Would you want to go to the game and worry about a player flipping you off or attacking you in the stands or grabbing their crotch?" he said. "That's the culture today, and in a free country we should have the right to move ourselves in a better direction."
The Atlanta-based league, which will operate as a single-entity owning all of its teams, is looking for local contacts to pay $10,000 to become a "licensee" in one of 12 cities throughout the Southeast. Lewis said he has already received threats from people opposed to the roster restrictions and several cities have told him to stay out of town. Lewis said he has yet to hear from any one in Augusta.
"We need a local person ingrained into the community to make this successful," he said.
Lewis said he expects to eventually find support in every town with a team.
"People will come out and support a product they can identify with. I'm the spoken minority right now, but if people will give us a chance, it'll work... The white game of basketball, which is essentially a fundamental game, works."
Lewis said he wasn't sure where the team will play.
Augusta has had problems with minor league basketball teams in the past, but the issues never centered around race. The Augusta Drive lasted less than a month before folding in 1995, citing financial reasons. The Augusta Groove made it through a full, 20-game schedule in 2009, but accusations from players and local businesses that the team wasn't paying its bills surrounded the team during the second half of the season. The team later shut down in the offseason.
We'll Discuss Haiti, Dr. King's Belated B-Day & Pro- White Basketball Next, but First-The Comic Shoppe & Words From Daryll B!
This really must be my last promissory note to our supporters and Afronerd Radio listeners to get our blog back to some degree of consistency. Let's start things off by reaffirming tomorrow's Comic Shoppe broadcast! Join Daryll, Max and yours truly as we banter about all things pulp. Tomorrow at 7pm (ET) we'll chop it up about the following topics: Why Robert Downey Jr's Sherlock Holmes provided a better insight into what the Dark Knight missed; an article posits why some heroes endure and others fall by the way side; Spiderman (or the lack thereof) movie news; our thoughts on Fox's Human Target (and whether actor, Mark Valley would make a good Captain America); our impressions of Marvel's and DC's latest even storylines-Siege, Blackest Night, Brightest Day and of course our favorite graphic novel reads from the previous weeks. Stop by or better yet, call in (at 646-200-0104) with your comments and questions at: http://www.thecomicshoppe.com. Next...check out the latest words of comic wisdom from Daryll B:
Hi once again Afronerd visitors and today I am going to pay tribute to one of the greatest science fiction runs ever that has recently come to an end: David Tennant's time as Doctor Who. As the Doctor, Tennant was just a bundle of energy who showed his acting range from episode to episode. Joy, pain, anger, happiness, love, sorrow, fear, and comedy were all displayed expertly by the actor from show to show as the Doctor faced varied threats to the universe. I admit to one thing while watching the end run marathon last week: I took this show for granted as far as dramatics. Seeing the episodes back to back to back, you can see how Russell T. Davies and the team behind Doctor Who set up the foundations for this story 2-3 years ahead of time, giving fans the ultimate payoff and satisfaction at the end. Sure there are things left hanging like River Song and Jenny (I won't even try to explain those here), but most of the dangling storypoints were tied up sufficiently and expertly. Thank you Mr. Tennant and I wish you well in your future roles.
Recommended episodes for any science fiction fan: 2-part finale Season 2 Army of Ghosts and Doomsday, all of season 3 (you'll see why..prep lots of popcorn and when you watch Blink for goshsakes DON'T do it in the dark or by any statues....trust me) and in season 4, it is the same as season 3 but you will love Silence in the Library and Forest of the Dead before the final 9 episodes which are a continuity nerd's dream when watched in order. You will not regret this....
Quick Hits
-I think I found my Buffy substitute in Demons on BBC America. If you got the channel, I urge you to check it out.
-Daybreakers is very gory and melodramatic. If you got a kid interested in vampires through "Twilight", I would suggest a little caution before taking them with you to see this. DEFINITELY not Twilight here folks...trust me..(am I getting repetitive on this or what?)
-Just when I was getting burning out by big events, Suicide Squad and Avengers The Initiative pull me back in....Grrrrr
-DC just scored a coup by singing David Finch to an artist exclusive contract. His art was the only good thing with Ultimatum and I can see fanboys drooling now to the thought of him drawing Batman, Wonder Woman or Superman. Personally, I want to see him draw a big action team book like JLA or JSA.
Until the next time Sci-Fi fans, keep fantasizing.
Well I'm Back Into The Fray...Again! Harry Reid Speaks Crudely (But Truthfully) & The Conservatives Are Right Too! (Check The Double Entendre..)
I promise that we'll get back to some sort of consistency with Afronerd Radio but sometimes a new year can bring an individual new headaches....but that being said, let's talk about Democrat and the Senate Majority Leader, Mr. Harry Reid. There's a new book entitled, Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime that's causing quite a stir in the media and amongst politicos for bringing to light some rather disturbing allegations concerning many of the major players in last year's historic presidential campaign. Ironically, a great deal of controversy has been levied against Senator Reid for privately theorizing that then junior Senator Obama probably stood a plausible chance at becoming POTUS because he was "a 'light-skinned' black man' with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.'" But are the statements alleged to have been made by the faux "first Black president," Bill Clinton more telling?
The book affirms that Clinton, who was vying for an endorsement (on behalf of Hillary Clinton) from the late Ted Kennedy, exclaimed that Obama "a few years ago this guy [Obama] would have been getting us coffee." Again, this is coming (allegedly) from a person that was given honorary Negro (ah...that word again) status in the African-American community. And then there's the rub that if Reid were on the conservative side of the aisle, the Dems would not have been anywhere near as forgiving. Perhaps what Reid said was rather crude but we are keenly aware that Obama had to be presented as a palatable Black person for White (and Black) public consumption. Heck, we've encountered this with Rosa Parks and Jackie Robinson. Both Parks and Robinson had to be a certain "type" of Black person in order to pursue their respective agendas. But this will be tabled for our next radio broadcast. There's a lot to chew on this week for Afronerd Radio....the census, Reid, Arenas.....but what say you regarding this latest dust up?
Wow...you guys know how I feel about this frabernackle bulls&%$! More in a few moments...I have to exhale first...
Ok, I've exhaled (sometimes it can take a few days....) and it really can be a difficult endeavor to write about absolute idiocy. One could say overstating the obvious is an exercise in futility. I'm pretty sure our readers-sports and non-sports fans alike-have heard about the alleged Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton altercation that occurred in the Washington Wizards locker room. If legend and/or hearsay stand somewhat near the truth, the altercation ended up with guns being drawn over a $500 bet...in the Wizards locker room. So now once again, we have young Black multi-millionaires (Arenas specifically has a 100 plus million dollar contract) risking their livelihood (and freedom) over negligible money. I will let our commenters respond to this nonsense.....I will delve into this further on our upcoming Afronerd Radio broadcast but in the interim, I would like to hear from other voices on this matter.
Happy Belated New Year Folks! Back On The Grind....Check Out Tuesday's Comic Shoppe Broadcast at 7pm ET
You know the routine...The Comic Shoppe returns tomorrow for another event-filled talkfest featuring myself and my colleagues, Max and Daryll. So to keep it simple, join our own special Just Us League to discuss the following pulp oriented projects: our impressions of a recent article highlighting the 30 most important comics of the decade; the final approval of the Disney-Marvel merger; Marvel's push for a female oriented comic book line in 2010; the team Comic Shoppe's thoughts of trends to look forward to this ensuing new year and of course our favorite graphic novel reads from the previous weeks. Feel free to call us live at 646-200-0104 or via email/IM-thecomicshoppe@yahoo.com. And as always....make mine the Comic Shoppe!
|
that's causing quite a stir in the media and amongst politicos for bringing to light some rather disturbing allegations concerning many of the major players in last year's historic presidential campaign. Ironically, a great deal of controversy has been levied against Senator Reid for privately theorizing that then junior Senator Obama probably stood a plausible chance at becoming POTUS because he was "a 'light-skinned' black man' with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.'" But are the statements alleged to have been made by the faux "
