What are some good things you’ve read?

Side Effects by Woody Allen.

Nigger by Dick Gregory.

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison.

What are some good things you’ve watched?

Rock tweeted that this Charlie Chaplin clip was ‘the best.’

Lost in Translation “I remember bumping into Sofia Coppola, and I said: “Dude, ‘Lost in Translation’ is, like, the blackest movie. Bill Murray, that’s exactly what it feels like to be black and rich.” It’s not horrible. It’s a little off.”

Man on Fire.

What are some good things you’ve used?

Twitter.

Lemonade and Starbucks.

“The best sandwich I’ve ever had in the United States is the Shrimp and Bacon Sandwich at The Cheesecake Factory,” Chris says. “I know it sounds crazy. Shrimp and bacon. Incredible. Whoa.”

Today is the 80th birthday of African American comedian and activist Dick Gregory, instrumental in breaking down the stereotypes that had governed representation of African Americans in comedy before his time. Discovered at a small Chicago night club by Hugh Hefner in 1961, he burst onto the national stage just as the Civil Rights Era was reaching its peak. And he’s been doing the same thing ever since. So much so that I had to wade through scores of contemporary clips before I could find this vintage one:

 
Dick Gregory
 

The main problem I had with Dick (that’s a sentence I never thought I’d have to write) was that, even with a change of micro-phone early on, he  was barely audible and when he was, he spent most of his time (60 minutes) ranting about the world, how Blacks are this, White people are that.  It’s a poor showing when you can barely hear the main act.
 
There was too much in his set based on tired, old racial stereotypes. For £35, to be hearing this from expensively brought in US imports didn’t impress me.

One interesting nugget he left us with was that African-Americans owe most White Americans an apology for blaming them for racism. His experience has taught him that the reality is that not all white people are racist, but more relevantly around 800 white people own the corporations or are in senior management positions in which they wielded the power and influence to implement the racist decisions and institutional structures that really harmed Black people’s economic prospects. I’m not convinced at all about his statistics but appreciated the point he was making.
 
When discussing the economic crisis he made further interesting comments regarding how people shouldn’t be relying on Oxford, Yale or Harvard Dons telling us how things are. Rather, citizens should be thinking for themselves.
 
His joke regarding praying to God for a job was funny. As he said, why ask for a mere job from the God who could give you anything, when what you really want is money? Just get straight to the point and pray for money! This got a great audience response.
 
He had the audience in hysterics after a round of applause broke out when he happened to mention he’d been married for 54 years: “Stop clapping. I didn’t say I was happy!”
 
Asked to explain the secret of his enduring marriage to his 75 year old wife he said it was down to two words. Fear and half. Fear that his wife Lillian will beat him if he even contemplates leaving her and take half (of everything) he owns in divorce!
 
He seemed quite obsessed with the Queen, making plenty of references to Her Majesty, Buckingham Palace, how it took its name from the Duke of Buckingham and other royal facts and observations.
 
The last 10-15m of his set was quite unintentionally funny. I could see he was being given his signal to wrap up, but he just ignored the signaller. 10m in the Signaller gives up and goes back stage. Or so I thought. All he did was scamper back stage and appear on the left side of the stage to re-start his signalling again. Dick sees him and goes, “I see you. I know. I know.” And carries on for a few more minutes. He’s in full flow and isn’t about to be silenced by anybody.
 
The signal man was tenacious, I’ll give him that. Why he had a little rucksack on all night I don’t know. It looked ridiculous. Maybe it was done for comical effect like the Court Jester in a Shakespeare play. In truth, it was a little bit un-professional on Dick’s part. Dick’s extended set on this occasion caused problems later on. Shows run to a timetable and it’s generally not on for an act to ignore the signal to get off stage for such a long time. Not only that, it’s one thing if you’ve got the audience in hysterics eager for more to finish the joke(s), but when that’s not the case it really is best to listen to the Producer’s cue and leave the stage.

That said he did leave the stage to a standing ovation, so maybe it was just me that was not impressed.

Paul Mooney

Paul was very, very political, in fact, stridently polemical in his delivery. I actually found his set a little uncomfortable, if not outright racist. He left the audience in no doubt that he hated white people. Or so it seemed.
 
His set was also full of references contrasting the differences between Black and white people. It was tiresome, stereotypical rubbish that offered nothing new in terms of comedy or humour.
 
Many Americans over use the Nigga word like it’s going out of fashion (I wish it was), but Mooney took its usage to a whole new level which was tedious and embarrassing. American’s ought to know that an educated British audience, particularly a majority Black one, doesn’t care too much to be hearing that vulgar, derogatory word. It’s not funny. It’s insulting.
 
The Black, British Comedians were on great form with very good sets from Mr Cee and Brixton’s own Curtis Walker.
 
Curtis Walker
 
Curtis seemed very happy to be doing a local gig he was able to walk to and regaled the audience with his tale of the “welcome home fat boy” greeting he received on a recent holiday in Jamaica. That went down a storm. His Olympic jokes went down well, especially the feats of the Paralympians that put those of us who are able-bodied, but lazy, to shame.
 
Mr Cee
 
Mr Cee remarked how we never see legends on TV like the two here tonight, Dick Gregory and Paul Mooney, progressing to a killer joke re “The last time being in the 70′s was the stallion black beauty…”
 
He made a neat joke regarding media stereotypes when it comes to reporting news as ‘Black on Black crime’, ‘Muslims and terrorism’, yet it’s funny how no other crime is reported thus e.g. ‘paedophilia and catholicism’.”
 
He made a plea for more balance and recognition that there’s a lot more Black and Black love out there than the media would have us believe. That was a nice, positive message to leave the audience with.
      

Spoken Word Poetry

There were a number of excellent spoken word poets on the line up – Akala, Anthony Anaxagorou, Suli Breaks and Floetic Lara but my sense is that the mix of comedy and spoken word poetry didn’t really work and unfortunately that was made clear to Floetic Lara in no uncertain terms when a vocal section of the audience tried to boo her off the stage during the second half. Bravely she stood her ground, rebuked the boo boys and girls and carried on. She endured further boos. The problem was not so much the poetry, which was fine, but it was too long, romantic and not in keeping with the flow of a big comedy show and crucially she was the barrier to one of the main acts of the night, Paul Mooney, who the audience were keen to see. Time was also moving on. It was nearly 11pm. Instead of providing a near four hour show, it might have been better to reduce the time, limiting the night to the two main American stars, 1 poet and 1 singer at most.

Floetic Lara

In earlier poems Floetic Lara suffered by having her lyrics overpowered by an accompanying drum beat. It was superfluous and spoilt what she sought to achieve. When she just sang, the audience heard a beautiful, harmonious voice.
 
Akala

He delivered fast, indecipherable lyrics. It sounded good and he might have been saying something of note, but it was nigh on impossible to comprehend a word he was saying, so it was hard to appreciate his set. Very disappointing.
 
Suli Breaks 
 
His RIP poem (Rewind it Please) poem was brilliant.

Comperes

Leo Muhammad was a fine co-compere with Floetic Lara and kept things moving along nicely.

Finale

The show ended at 23.45pm. This was far too late and people were streaming out as Leo Muhammad closed the show. As co-compere, Leo didn’t deserve that indignity, but that’s unfortunately what is likely to happen when you have far too many acts on the bill and the main star over runs by 10-15 minutes. Worst still, many attendees, like this Blogger, missed their last train home. A near midnight finish, beyond the last train of the night for a comedy show is just not acceptable. Especially on a Sunday.  

Mixing comedy and spoken word was a promising concept, which didn’t quite work and the promoters are to be praised for introducing a British audience to American comedy legends who sought to uplift and edutain, it’s just a shame they didn’t manage to pull it off.

All in all it was an OKAY night. It wasn’t good value for money, but there were some very good laughs, especially from the British comedians. Added to which, there was good quality, hard hitting poetry and music, but overall one was left with a feeling of great disappointment and being under-whelmed by the two American stars of the night.

© Tiemo Talk of the Town

27th September 2012

We (artists) have countered their slings and arrows the good old fashion way; by creating and disseminating even more art. This blow/counter-blow is one of humanities mighty engines, of progress.

Group of individuals apposed to any idea or questions that are at variance to their beliefs, have learned to use the internet to censor. Now they have frightening new powers both gross and verbose to potentially “Veto” the artist at last!

It is called the The Heckler’s Veto.

The Heckler’s Veto is not new but like a fire, it is growing. A hateful film posted on YouTube is the spark that has touched off this blaze, which in time may eventually engulf us all!

This is more bad news for the art community who, in recent years, have seen growing levels of censorship on privately owned networks like FaceBook, Flickr, YouTube, Google, etc…because of pressure from small but vocal groups.

A brief history…

New York, 1951, Chief Justice Fred Vinson wrote the majority opinion, which held that police officers had the power to arrest a speaker if “motivated solely by a proper concern for the preservation of order and protection of the general welfare.”

Chicago, 1969, Comedian Dick Gregory and others while protesting against school segregation were arrested when the bystanders began to act unruly. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court who unanimously over turned the conviction.

Supreme court Associate Justice Judge Hugo Black, argued that arresting the demonstrators as a consequences of unruly behavior on the part of the bystanders would amount to a “Heckler’s Veto”

Today…

The Middle East, 2012, US Ambassador Chris Stevens and three others on the embassy staff killed in Benghazi, Libya.

Enraged by a low quality film on YouTube; depicting the profit Mohamed in an unflattering light. YouTube, though they have not removed the video entirely, has blocked it in several countries and is poised to block the video in still more.

The fallout from this action—repellent though the film is—may open the door to all manner of material being “blocked” because someone or group may feel insulted.

Countries around the world are watching YouTube’s reaction to demands for the Anti-Islamic Film’s removal, with great interest. Russia and Saudi Arabia are the latest to demand the removal of the video and have threatened YouTube—and this is the issue that concerns the art community—with a complete block of YouTube itself in their countries.

This threat and its potential economic damage to YouTube’s bottom line may signal a great shift in free artistic expression.

How can we artists keep the lines of communications open?

By creating more art and pushing the envelope, but it will hard.

Question Is the idea of “I may disagree with what you said, but I will defend to the death your right to say it!” on the way out in this global world we find ourselves in?

I was taught that the solution to objectionable—the video was pretty objectionable—speech is to counter it with more and better speech.

Question Is this now considered too idealistic for our modern world?

Question Should we (USA) follow the rest of the world and amend the constitution by putting an asterisk next to the words Freedom of Speech*

Answer Hell NO…

But be afraid, be very afraid of the new and improved heckler’s veto.

I am.

~from the easel of
Julian Greigh

*If no one feels threatened by it, then and only then, you are “free” to say it. Rules are subject to change without notice.

This is perhaps one of the rare occassions that one interview can cohesively cover old school rap, underground comics, The Jeffersons, Dick Gregory and American Presidential history. I cannot wait to get my hands on Mr. Ceschi’s book.

Following, Mr. Ceschi shares his inspiration, highlights and challenges while researching and writing “Tutti i colori di Obama.”

CFM: WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?

CESCHI: My thesis in American History was on the explosion of black music in the post-World War II period. At the time I was often in a small comics shop not far from the university discussing and drawing cartoons. At home, as a background to my long drawing marathons, there were Old School records like Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five, Sugarhill Gang, Kurtis Blow, Run DMC, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, De La Soul and classics like Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Jimi Hendrix. My passion for music led me to the team of a well-known Italian music magazine, where I am still a regular columnist. After graduation, I also immediately started to work at my university as Teaching Assistant, first in U.S. history, later in Contemporary history, which allowed me to participate in international conferences and meet European and American scholars.

CFM: HOW DID YOU MAKE THE TRANSITION FROM COMICS TO THE MORE SOBER SUBJECT OF AMERICAN GOVERNMENT?

CESCHI: For me, there is no transition but an essential continuity in my artistic and historical interests.

CFM: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE A BOOK ABOUT THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY?

CESCHI: Tutti I colori di Obama. L’altra storia delle elezioni americane (All the Colors of Obama. The Other History of American Elections) originates in my deep passion for African-American culture in all its aspects and nuances – I began as a child in the early 1980s with TV series like “The Jeffersons” and “The Bill Cosby Show” and gradually felt the need to study it seriously along the lines suggested by scholars like Rickey Vincent, author of the classic book, “Funk!” and Scott N. Brown.

Jesse Jackson participating in a rally, January 15, 1975 (Source: Wikipedia)

The rise of Sen. Barack Obama and the affirmation of a post-racial and post-ethnic approach to society led me to investigate the roots of this position, discovering exceptional figures like the comedian and political activist Dick Gregory and the Democratic Representative, Shirley Chisholm, who had campaigned in the Democratic primaries for the presidency back in the late ‘60s and the ‘70s. I discovered the Rev. Jesse Jackson – another staunch voice of post-racial politics when, as a young comics fanatic, I first parsed the verses of Melle Mel’s “Jesse.” That was 1994. His name and his story grabbed me, just as Spike Lee, Malcom X and the Black Panthers had done.

L to R: Dick Gregory, Malcolm X, Shirley Chisolm

CFM: HOW ARE AMERICAN PRESIDENTS VIEWED IN YOUR COUNTRY?

CESCHI: I was born during Gerald Ford’s brief presidency and my first memory of U.S. politics is Jimmy Carter at Camp David in the News on my maternal grandmother’s TV. Like a large part of the world’s population in the ‘80s, I grew up in Ronald Reagan’s shadow, but I kept a healthy young distance listening to rap. So I’ve always had a lot of interest in who was sitting in the Oval office, even if in my country U.S. politics and the ups and downs of the various presidents only sporadically interested public opinion before Obama. With the sole exception of Reagan, whose eight year presidency coincided with a period of epochal historic change, I would say that in Italy the U.S. presidency has always been seen with a vaguely positive indifference as something comfortable and certain to turn to with a little more attention now and again when there is some international crisis or presidential elections.

CFM: MANY HAVE WRITTEN ABOUT THE AMERICAN PRESIDENCY AND PRESIDENT OBAMA, WHAT SETS YOUR BOOK APART FROM THE REST?

CESCHI: In the three years of research the book involved, I read a lot of the books you mention. Some, like David Remnick’s The Bridge, I liked; others a lot less. If I were to indicate a difference from what has already been written about President Obama, I’d say that Tutti I colori di Obama has the advantage of restoring the fundamental (for Obama, too) experiences of figures like Dick Gregory and Shirley Chisholm – alas, too quickly forgotten by voters and politicians alike – and of integrating the history of the elections and the analysis of the political language and gestural character with pop/popular elements in day-to-day social culture like music, graphic arts and the web in the most natural way possible.

CFM: WHAT ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM YOUR BOOK?

CESCHI: Mmmmm……the heroic challenge Dick Gregory and the Peace and Freedom Party issued to the two major parties in the 1968 elections, and his “shadow government”; the feeling between Shirley Chisholm and the college crowds; the citizen diplomacy that preceded and accompanied Jesse Jackson’s first candidacy in the 1984 Democratic primaries, and Barack Obama’s fundamental parenthesis at the Harvard Law School (indispensable in the refining of his post-racial sensitivity).

CFM: HOW DID YOU SETTLE ON THE COVER IMAGE FOR YOUR BOOK?

CESCHI: At first I thought I might do the cover myself, but then I thought that would be too much of the same (some of my work is on display at www.coroflot.com/ceschi1974). So I began to look through the web for names of artists who had looked at Obama. As soon as I saw Grey Williamson and Kilroy III’s [Renegade Obama] bust, I thought, “This is the one for me!”

Discovering a common background with one of the two artists only confirmed the first excellent impression. I have always appreciated a 360° approach to the artistic life. My editor liked it a lot and so we got in touch with you.

CFM: WHEN WILL YOUR BOOK BE AVAILABLE?

CESCHI: The book will be on sale from Oct. 5 – just a month before election day.

CFM: WHY SHOULD AN AMERICAN READ YOUR BOOK?

CESCHI: Why should the American public read my book? Well, because it’s very, very readable and it would improve their Italian a lot! And then you can always learn something new. Seriously: because at the moment there is nothing on the American market with an approach like my book.

CFM: WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN ABOUT YOUR BOOK?

CESCHI: The phrase “I couldn’t put it down!” coming from a highly respected historian colleague who had kindly offered to read the rough draft.

CFM: WHAT WAS THE MOST CHALLENGING THING ABOUT WRITING YOUR BOOK?

CESCHI: It was quite difficult to find material on the black presidential candidates – surprisingly so in a number of cases – especially with regards to Shirley Chisholm (perhaps the first serious presidential candidate to be a woman). The greatest difficulty I had, however, was finding objective material to compare with the autobiographic narration Gregory furnished in his books. The last uncertainties were resolved only in Jan., 2012 at Amsterdam’s International Instituut voor social Geschiedenis.

CFM: WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE CHAPTER OR PART OF YOUR BOOK AND WHY?

CESCHI: Sincere, I’ve never thought about it. But if I had to choose, I’d say the long chapter on Jesse Jackson, the politician whose story comes closest to Obama’s. Both, in fact, tried- though with different results – to win the presidency in a moment in which the media played a fundamental role in the success of a campaign. Not many people know that Jesse Jackson was the first national political figure to make use, during the course of the Louisiana Democratic primaries of 1984, of the immense resources afforded by informatics for political ends. In 1984, 24 years before the army of pro-Obama Facebookers!

CFM: WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE AMERICAN PRESIDENT AND WHY?

Former president Jimmy Carter fields a question during his news conference in Washington, October 10, 1978. (Source: Salon)

CESCHI: Without doubt Jimmy Carter is, for reasons linked to the memory of my maternal grandmother, as I mentioned earlier; the first American president I remember. As a scholar, I have found his policy on ecology interesting and have treated it in part in an earlier book, Musica e ecologia negli Stati Uniti da Bob Dylan a Bruce Springsteen.

CFM: DOES PRESIDENT OBAMA COME IN A CLOSE SECOND?

As a historian, I think we have to wait before trying to give any final evaluation of the Obama presidency. On the other hand, while hanging on to a vigilant and healthy critical eye – a position I share with Cornel West – I cannot certainly deny that Barack and Michelle Obama have held my attention over the last six years. If the president has always impressed me with his personal sincerity – as we see it, for example, in Amy Rice’s documentary “By the People” – Michelle’s strong personality makes me think of the American past’s iconic, up-front, purposeful black ladies, like The Cosby Show’s Mrs. Claire Olivia Huxtable. Here again (as with Carter) my own early impressions inspire my sympathies and my work.

CFM: WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR READERS WALK AWAY WITH AFTER READING YOUR BOOK?

CESCHI: A more vital and informed view of the United States and the Obama presidency, whatever their political orientations may be. I would not be at all displeased if some Italian reader should take Tutti i colori di Obama along on a trip to the U.S. and go to visit some of the places the book talks about.

And I would not complain if some U.S. reader with a working knowledge of Italian wrote to me to give me any constructive comments that came to mind.

CFM: WHAT WERE YOUR OBSERVATIONS AFTER WATCHING BOTH THE REPUBLICAN AND DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTIONS?

That both conventions were held in the South is heavy with complex significance, though no one has explicitly “unpacked” the components yet as they really should.

The icon of the Tampa convention was, significantly, no candidate – not even any political figure – but a disappointing, even slightly uncertain, Clint Eastwood, and an empty chair. The Republicans showed themselves not ready to deal adequately with Hollywood, leaving viewers depressed as to what might happen when they turned their eyes or attention to everyday US reality. The Democratic convention in Charlotte showed us a far more varied assembly as to age, origins and socio-economic placement. It showed that the president’s party enjoys vigorous good health despite the economy and multiform obstructionism in Congress and in the society. Julian Castro, Bill Clinton (who cited Obama’s “More Perfect Union” speech and set out the “mathematics” of both Obama and Bush) and, perhaps even more, Michelle Obama, focused on their candidate and his personal qualities, his political stance and his achievements as president- as the Republican convention, engaged chiefly in image politics had not really attempted to do – or been able to do? – for its own candidate and his political record.  It did, however, tread lightly enough to barely allude to hot internal issues (abortion, stem cells, homosexuality ); even if Clinton mentioned alternative energy, he tied it firmly to future ‘freedom’ from ‘Arab oil’. It was left to the roaming TV cameras to show two women (one with traditional headscarf) displaying “Arab-Americans for Obama” placards. Prudently, no mention was made of the unrealized promise to close down Guantanamo, or the continuing concern for the on-going violations of the word and the spirit of the First Amendment. If Obama not only wins, but the Party wins a Congressional majority, perhaps this scene may change.

Summing up: the convention(s)’ climate, over-all, was sort of ‘80s sit com and so leads me to hope for the best over the next four years. Nor do I think that the dramatic events in Libya, Egypt and some Middle Eastern countries can seriously damage Obama as a candidate.

CFM: WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED FROM RESEARCHING AND WRITING THIS BOOK AND WHAT ARE YOUR NEXT STEPS?

I got to know two exceptional people – Dick Gregory and Shirley Chisholm (Jesse Jackson I already knew) – and I followed their human and political adventures step by step.

At the moment I’ve got a headful of ideas. The search for a new challenge might be resolved “on the spot” in January, 2013, when I’ll  be in Boston for about ten days. Maybe that will pull the switch and point a spot-light in the right direction. Who can say?

Have a question or comment for Mr. Ceschi? (Please email him at matteo.ceschi(at)yahoo.it). His book will be available October 5th through Franco Angeli Editore (www.francoangeli.it).

Thanks for reading!

~ Onjena

#sayitLOUD #spreadLOVE

Matteo Ceschi is a historian of African-American culture and U.S. counterculture. He writes for a music magazine and teaches History of journalism and music journalism at the University eCampus in Italy. He has worked with the chair of North American History and Contemporary History at the faculty of Political Sciences of the University of Milan. In 2000 he joined the comparative history project Milan-Montpellier Group, founded in 1980 by Italian, American and French academics. He is author of Musica Nera/Black Music (Milan: 2005) and Green Rock. Music and Ecology in the United States from Bob Dylan to Bruce Springsteen (Milan: 2008) and numerous essays in Italian and English.

Last week, in honour of Mr. James Baldwin’s birthday, a good friend of mine shared with me a forty-minute video that I must now share with you. It is eye-opening, honest, and inspiring.

This film is the story of a cultural legend as told by the innovators of an important, and in some cases overlooked, era in Black culture. Spanning the late 1980′s through to the early 2000′s, this story goes deep into the fabric of soul music, it’s definitions, it’s pioneers, it’s offspring, it’s movements, the challenges with the “mainstream” industry and the evolution of the FunkJazz Kafé, a music and arts movement born of Atlanta’s diverse musical heritage. The film covers the decade when Atlanta’s underground music scene became established on the world stage and a new generation of soul singers and musicians emerged.

Conversation with Dick Gregory:

“From producer/director Byron Hurt (“Beyond Beats and Rhymes”), the documentary uses history and humor to examine this bittersweet culinary tradition, its roots in slavery, the scarcity of healthy food in America’s inner cities and much more.”

This sounds very interesting.  Considering the stagering number of people with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high cholesterol,  etc. that are mostly attributed to the amount of ‘soul food’ we eat.

check out the trailer.  Would you watch???

Looking at some of the derivations of the word “race” may help understanding. Before I looked this word up, I was wondering why we can’t just “flow” with whoever a person is, however he or she presents at any given moment — or over time. Why the recurring, historical need to dominate, designate, and win the race?

race (n.1)

“act of running,” c.1300, from O.N. ras “running, rush (of water),” cognate with O.E. ræs, which became M.E. resen “attack, incursion,” but did not survive into Modern English. Both the Norse and Old English words are from P.Gmc. *ræs- (cf. M.Du. rasen “to rave, rage,” Ger. rasen). Originally a northern word, it became general in English c.1550. Meaning “contest of speed” first recorded 1510s. Race-horse is from 1620s.

Meaning “strong current of water” is from late 14c., possibly influenced by O.Fr. raz, which had a similar meaning, and which probably is from Breton raz “a strait, narrow channel;” this French source also may have given race its meaning of “channel of a stream” (especially an artificial one to a mill), recorded from 1560s.

race (n.2)

“people of common descent,” c.1500, from M.Fr. razza “race, breed, lineage,” possibly from It. razza, of unknown origin (cf. Sp., Port. raza). Original senses in English included “wines with characteristic flavor” (1520), “group of people with common occupation” (c.1500), and “generation” (c.1560). Meaning “tribe, nation, or people regarded as of common stock” is from c.1600. Modern meaning of “one of the great divisions of mankind based on physical peculiarities” is from 1774 (though even among anthropologists there never has been an accepted classification of these).

Just being a Negro doesn’t qualify you to understand the race situation any more than being sick makes you an expert on medicine. [Dick Gregory, 1964]

Klein suggests these derive from Arabic ra’s “head, beginning, origin” (cf. Heb. rosh). O.E. þeode meant both “race” and “language;” as a verb, geþeodan, it meant “to unite, to join.” Race-riot attested from 1889, Amer.Eng.

= = = = =
“race.” Online Etymology Dictionary. Ed., Douglas Harper. 2001-2102. Web. 21 Jun. 2012..

Every Sunday I share something, usually a video, that I have found that I hope will cause you to THINK. The world we live in is full of deception, mis-truths, and outright lies.  And that’s my Thought Provoking Prospective…

http://johntwills.com

Listen to this powerful message.