Riverpoet31 said:

I don't think you truly understand or just don't want to. The Hispanic community which involves various ethnic groups, have symposiums as well discussing issues that affect their community. I see no problem with that, and respect what they do as a whole. There is nothing "victimizing" or "separatism" about the SOBU or members of the Black/African-American community coming together to discuss economic/social/political issues that affect our communitya as a whole. They have guests outside the Black community that take part in it every year as well, and are members of it. Maybe you should "educate" yourself about it, instead of pointing fingers and making accusations that are "unfounded".

Don't take it so personal because a community is taking responsibility and accountability for itself. My generation or race is also not responsible for making anyone have any "white guilt", one can only feel that way if he/she is of course, already harboring those type of feelings within, based on their own insecurities or fear. American historical facts, as ugly and horrific as it was/is, cannot be erased because it "already happened." So what better way to deal with that, but to empower and educate those in our current generations so that, that ugly part of American history never returns. That's just about it.

I can't change the way you feel, as I am not responsible for the way you feel nor am I trying to force you to accept what I explained in my previous post. Lastly, I am not a clown, I am a Human Being who happens to be African-American, and proud of it without needing your permission or any clearance from you to feel comfortable about who I am. Get it? Got it? Good. Now, at this point, I will not discuss this with you any further on this forum. If you want to discuss it further, then you're welcome to take it to the P&R forum, where there is already a topic and discussion going on. In the meantime, I'll be watching the program and enjoying it. Peace.
[Edited 2/28/09 18:36pm]

Quote:
It's no different from any other community that gets together and have seminars, meetings and events targeting areas of concern involving their culture or community. Jewish groups do it all the time, as well as other groups, so there is no crime being committed because it is called "State of the Black Union" Black encompassing and meaning all the ethnic groups of African/African-American descent, that share many common bonds, historically, culturally, socially and politically although we all come from various ethnic backgrounds/communities.

Lol... i aint talking about 'crimes' here.

But my doubts about events like this deal with the situation that there are people creating 'black' or 'afro-american' events, lumping themselves together like they share common values, simply because they are not white.

Jewish groups mostly share a religious and/or geographic background, while the people labeling themselves 'black' are as diverse as someone who is a sibling of nigerian slaves brought to the USA centuries ago, or a a nigerian immigrant who tried his luck in the USA, by moving there 20 years ago.

To put it simple: i simply don't 'get' the tendency among people who label themselves as 'black' to start seperate events. In the end it tells more about how you perceive your 'blackness', then what is actually happening in society.

IMO its both easy and destructive to play the 'victim'-card, and use your colour of skin as something that seperates you from other people.

And if you are looking for expressions of 'white guilt', you can wait centuries for it. Me and my generation arent responsible for what happened in the past, its time that a bunch of clowns like you start to realise.

Cuddles said:

I love that performance!

2elijah said:

I don't know that I could have responded to that much idiocy with that much tact and diplomacy. Thanks for the effort. You done the Union proud.

CJBabyDaddy said:

Really tho.

you were there Dr?, well, here's what I can add...

Here's the setlist as it appeared on the stage (we were that close):

Ol School Company
Dreamer
Everyday People (Prince dedicated this to Jesse Jackson, who was up front, stage right)
I wanna take U higher
Play that Funk Music
1999
Shhh
Musicology
North Carolina
when Will we b paid
Cream
U got the look

then, the encore consisted of:

The Bird
Jungle Love
The Glamourous Life (with Sheila looking so damn hot)
I feel for u
Controversy

I think I missed a song or 2, but this is pretty accurate.

THE highlight of the evening was Dr. Cornell West...my man tore it up on stage!!! It was also cool to see Prince surrounded by Tavis, Cornell, and other pillars of the civil rights movement...as well as seeing Jesse a few feet away pushing his hands up....it was a good night, most indeed.

serpan99 said:

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North Carolina

you were there Dr?, well, here's what I can add...

Here's the setlist as it appeared on the stage (we were that close):

Ol School Company
Dreamer
Everyday People (Prince dedicated this to Jesse Jackson, who was up front, stage right)
I wanna take U higher
Play that Funk Music
1999
Shhh
Musicology
North Carolina
when Will we b paid
Cream
U got the look

then, the encore consisted of:

The Bird
Jungle Love
The Glamourous Life (with Sheila looking so damn hot)
I feel for u
Controversy

I think I missed a song or 2, but this is pretty accurate.

THE highlight of the evening was Dr. Cornell West...my man tore it up on stage!!! It was also cool to see Prince surrounded by Tavis, Cornell, and other pillars of the civil rights movement...as well as seeing Jesse a few feet away pushing his hands up....it was a good night, most indeed.

serpan99 said:

[img][/img][img][/img]

idas said:

Hey... for those of us who havent had the pleasure of hearing Shelby's "North Carolina", how is it?

CJBabyDaddy said:

Really tho.

hey folks, first post here, first Prince show after 26+ years of diggin the music... just amazing to be 15 feet away all night among such a great crowd. Made some new friends in line so the wait wasn't so bad; I think at least one was jotting notes so there's probably some better setlist updates on the way, but I can remember a few extra highlights:

That Musicology dance party on stage led into (once Tavis was up also & dancing) PTFM, which also had a big 'Hollywood Swinging' break. 'Frankenstein' (just the intro/a 'verse') was the bridge from Old Skool Company into Dreamer.

Shelby's song I remember was pretty sweet (Prince yielded the stage), and there were no drums for When Will We Be Paid. Way late, pretty sure it was U Got the Look, they broke into 'Long Train Runnin' by the Doobies. Sheila got the crowd up for the encore set, then stayed after Glamorous Life & added some backing vocals next to the keyboards for Feel For You.

Also, 2nd Encore - 'Purple Rain'! Sweet close.
[Edited 3/1/09 18:44pm]
[Edited 3/1/09 18:53pm]

Riverpoet31 said:

If this were anywhere else but the org, I'd be surprised at a statement like this.

To this very day, people do what they can to distinguish us from everyone else. The media is: black this, black that, first African American this, first African American that. If you think we celebrate our skin color and not our heritage that's your problem.

Do Irish get guff for celebrating being Irish? Do Hispanic people catch hell because they have their own television station?

Who the fuck is playing victim?

When hate groups stop adding members because Obama because president and ignorant mayors stop emailing pictures of watermelons patches, come back and holla at me.

You and your generation can very well put an end to the racism today but I get the feeling that you are of the "get over it" ilk.

lezama said:

Every year. My dad tapes it.

Vendetta1 said:

i find the discussion interesting, because it is about identity. personally, in terms of black people calling themselves black, they can do that if they want. we all have a right to identify ourselves as we wish. it's just the symbolism behind the use of words which evokes different emotions.

steve biko once said something like (back in the day): "we do not want to be non- this or non-that" ... so, blackness was an affirmation of an identity not defined by colonial authorities, or - those with the power to label black people, non-this or that

i will let you all decipher for yourselves the historical and symbolic representations behind the reference 2 humans in other colours...brown, white, yellow, red...they all have historical connotations.

for what it's worth, i think their is an international human right known as 'freedom of association'
[Edited 3/2/09 11:09am]