Empowered by Super Fly Forty Years later

I was going on ten years of age when the movie SuperFly was released. It was the talk of nearly everyone I came in contact with. My first experience came with the album cover and soundtrack, the pictures and the music and although I would not be able to see it for another six years, when my family secured our first VCR, namely because back then parents would not take children to such foul language movies as many in our community do today, it has left a lasting impression on me.

Superfly was released in 1972. The movie is about Youngblood Priest a stylish and successful cocaine dealer who smart enough to know that there's no real future in dealing coke, and decides with his partner to purchase 30 kilograms of Coke to sell in four months and get out of the drug game for good with a million in cash (big paper in those days. Priest was played by Ron O'Neal

Ron O’Neal, who we lost to a battle with cancer in 2004, and which I wrote about on these very pages then, out did himself. His role, along with the movie showed me that my world and what I saw in Memphis occurred in another place – New York. Everything from the Eldorado’s and Cadillac’s to the way they dressed was what a ten year-old would see while walking down the streets of Memphis.

O’Neal’s first big break came in a Broadway production of Lonne Elder III's “Ceremonies In Dark Old Men”. In 1970, he appeared in Charles Gordone's Pulitzer Prize-winning play, “No Place to Be Somebody”. His performance earned him an Obie Award, Drama Desk Award, Clarence Derwent Award and the National Theater Award.

The cinematography was ground breaking at the time, with the chase scenes on the street of new York, on the Bronx River Parkway and the camera angles. But such was to be expected seeing it was directed by the legendary and historic Gordon Parks, Jr. The writing also was exceptional, being written by Phillip Fenty, the father of Adrian Fenty, former Mayor of D.C.

The movie was a box-office smash and even with that, one of the few movies in which its soundtrack made more money. The soundtrack was produced and written by another American legend – guitarist, singer and songwriter Curtist Mayfield. It was his third album and considered by many in concert with Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On,” as one of the most socially conscious collection of messages in the form of song for positive, pro-active Black consciousness. “No Thing on Me”, “Pusherman,” “Superfly” and “Little Child Runnin' Wild” were all popular along with most of the singles released from the album. My personal favorite was “Think.”

I could never figure out why years later such a film would be described as “black exploitation,” seeing it provide opportunities for artist the likes it would be hard to find comparison too currently. Strange is it that the folks who say such consider “Boys in the Hood” and “Menace to Society” as being great and something to be proud of. I would disagree and place “Superfly” above both. It was not exploitive but rater empowering.

take it on the chin

I am a firm believer that Ignorance and freedom is incompatible. Likewise I accept that my folk, including the members of the House and Senate are just as ignorant as well. Last night in a unique move the Senate grandstanded and passed their version of a financial market stabilization act – this time, 450 pages of feces. Fuck bailing out banks, although I do feel that Paulson messed up when he did not attempt to save Lehman, the truth is that market fundamentalism – the idea that the market can do no wrong, will exist no more jones.

I don’t want to scare nobody nor second guess (to steal a phrase from Sarah Palin - can’t name a single Supreme Court case she disagrees with other than Roe v. Wade LMBAO) nobody on this, but I would like to provide a terse commentary on saying that something is better than nothing, when no one has really thought about this from a pragmatic perspective and just seems to me giving Paulson what ever he needs with out review and thorough examination, is some of the dumbest shit I done ever heard. I figure 200 billion invested in schools, bridges, and even securing our ports will go a lot father than dumping loot in the hands of folks who have a history of looting that has placed us in the mess in the first place. By doing the aforementioned, albeit common sense, I think it would proffer job creation at the grass root level for we know politicians will never be or desire to do any real labor like us common folk. Not to mention it would not take 700 billion if one spent the money on helping folks who own homes like me to keep them, and the steady stream of mortgage payments going to said banks.

Too much credit got us into this problem but now we trying to make folks get more credit. It is nothing more than the banks controlling the government. I mean the standard is obvious is that its cool for folk to make millions while those that don’t, it is cool for them to suffer.

Maybe I am wrong, but I say let them mutha fucas fail, let them take it on the chin. I mean, if I mess up, for bad business judgment, are they gone help me? Where my bail out papers? I don’t even know where the 700 billion dollars went in the first place, I aint get none of that loot did you? When I do my books I do the regular old school accounting, you know traditional accounting methods that match cost and revenues. But Paulson, and HIS bill want me to bail out, excuse me rescue folks that employ the Enron” economically satisfying” approach of accounting for valuing assets and liabilities. Robert G. Haldeman, Jr. wrote: “Fair value derives from “a hypothetical transaction at the measurement date … A fair value measurement assumes that the transaction to sell the asset or transfer the liability occurs in the principal market for the asset or liability or, in the absence of a principal market, the most advantageous market for the asset or liability. The principal market is the market in which the reporting entity would sell the asset or transfer the liability with the greatest volume and level of activity for the asset or liability.”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Paulson folks from the house he used to run Goldman Sachs laced his pockets to get this shit passed. All I am saying is that I want some to. Bail me out jones, I mean this shit, I aint even no crook.

And yawl talk about Obama, tonight was his first vote since June (i think) in the Senate, and McCain’s, first vote since April. They say this is needed, and all we can do at the moment, but it may or may not be a quick fix and what we need is a well thought out and permanent solution. I just think that this talk of something is better than nothing is feculent, and makes me think they are saying if I had the choice to think something well out versus panicking, I would do the latter. That’s all these two pieces of legislation show me, that these folks would rather panic than think on solving the problem. Shoot, I think DeFazio’s plan is better thought-out than Paulson’s and really like is suggestion regarding banning short selling of stocks - selling'' stock at a lower price before actually taking ownership.

But this is just me, and as I said it ticks me off when the average citizen complains or approves of something, like these bills when they don’t take the time to read them. Ignorance and freedom is incompatible folks; and I will never side with panic over thinking something out thoroughly, why should you? I say let them folk on Wall street take it on the chin, cause it don't impact Main street as they say - newspeak is all it is. vote

point of order

Just left San Diego and they say it was an hour before an earthquake hit up North by San Jose. Now I am in DC, really Bethesda, Maryland for a scholars round table sponsored by NIH. As a scientist, I often make use of higher order statistical and mathematical models for the purpose of evaluating the efficacy of my research outcomes. My personal profiecincy ranges to cover Item response analysis, structural equation modeling and assorted regression analysis techniques.

Regression allows me (at least in theory) to predict outcomes of one variable based on another. Unfortunately utility is limited to numbers and not humans nor human actions or events. In the world we reside, regression means sliding backwards in time.

Last week, Clarence Davenport Jr. was laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Although he should, from this purview listed in the annals of U.S. History somewhere, chances are his story won’t. You see the retired Army Colonel was the 6th African American to ever graduate from West Point. A member of the class of 1943, he matriculated some five years before President Harry Truman ended segregation in the military in 1948.

During this time at the academy, Davenport was subjugated to a practiced referred as being “SILENCED.” It was mainly used against cadet who had broken major rules of conduct. Not Davenport, his was the result of his skin color and ethnicity. He was made to eat alone, not speak or be spoken to by anyone unless it regarded official Academy activities and lived in isolation. It has been written that other cadets did horrible things to him including but not limited to putting sht in his bed, clothes and shoes.

This was some 50 plus years ago when segregation was retro chic. It just seems that the same attitudes are prevalent now. A lot of states now like Texas and California have passed ballot efforts that have banned the use of Affirmative action for college admissions. Some states such as Florida spend more of corrections/prisons that they do on higher education annually. The Supreme Court just struck down measures in Kentucky designed to curb school segregation issues resulting in race not being viable whe trying to implement equal and quality education for all students.

They say at his funeral, some member of his graduation class attended his funeral. They also say these same men, the ones that didn’t speak to him, stood in silence again as his casket passed them and placed in the earth. I guess showing up is a form of change. If it took them fifty plus years, how long will it take for the rest of the folk to fall in line?