Reid My Mind

Gil Noble and his award winning program Like It Is, represents some true milestones in my life. With his recent death, due to complications from a stroke last summer, I can’t help but reflect on what his show meant to me. If my life were a movie, Like It Is would have to be included on a television screen in at least two or three scenes.

Like It Is, was the only television show in New York City that covered issues of the African diaspora fully from the perspective of those within the community. It was unapologetic during a time when it was more common to tone down and seek mass appeal.

If you were to ask me to describe a perfect Sunday while I was living in NYC it would include two NYC treasures; Hal Jackson’s Sunday Morning Classics on WBLS and Gil Noble’s Like It Is. I honestly considered not having these two influential programs in my life as a factor in moving. In fact, I was under the incorrect impression when I moved out to the Poconos that the cable company carried the NYC ABC affiliate which I thought would allow me access. Fortunately, I still enjoy the Sunday Classics via the online stream.

There’s no way for me to think about Like It Is or Gil noble without warm fond memories of my father.

My introduction to the show and an afro centric perspective was more like a rites of passage.

My father would watch “Brother Gil” religiously. As a youngster I wasn’t really interested in watching two or more people sitting around a table talking. However, around the age of 13 or 14 my father didn’t ask me to join him he very politely commanded. I was smart enough to obey.

This started a process that would repeat each week until I was ready to go off on my own. I could be in the kitchen getting my favorite “Jungle Juice” fruit punch and my Dad just seemed to appear announcing “Let’s go, Like It Is.” Into his room I would follow taking my place on the floor in front of the television. In the early days, I would hope for the episodes featuring people and things I knew, Dr. King, Malcolm X or the black Panthers. I loved the black and white clips of the 1950′s and 60′s. I would have a hard time staying awake for the round table discussions about Pan Africanism or political issues that I couldn’t understand.

My father would point out elders like Dr. Ben and john Hendrick Clark, making sure I was aware of their importance to our history.

The day came when I graduated from my passage training. My Dad no longer sought me out when he realized I was already in front of the television waiting for it to start. Then I was in my own room watching it alone. I never knew then how much I would miss the early days we shared watching the show together.

I was fortunate enough to meet Gil Noble during a small intimate presentation I attended at Baruch College around 1991. He spoke of his experiences in the media. It was easy to see that he enjoyed these opportunities to hear from the next generation and use the occasion to encourage. He was one of those speakers that seem less concerned with time or a busy schedule and more so with his audience.

I don’t know if my father ever met Mr. Noble. I wish I could have taken my Dad with me to that presentation, but he was already diagnosed and well into his experience with Parkinson’s disease.

As a father now, I know what it would have meant to him to attend the presentation with his son. It was obvious that he wanted to assure that I was equipped with information and a healthy perspective of what it means to be an African American man. In a way it would have been both a confirmation for him that I received what he was teaching and it would have been a thank you gift right back at him.

My Dad wanted for me the same thing Mr. Noble wanted for the community.

Dad knew the importance of instilling a true sense of pride. He knew there were other personalities and stories from our community that would benefit his child’s self-image.

Mr. Noble had the ability to bring the community the other side of stories that mainstream news organizations too often failed to present.

The archive of this show is truly a treasure chest containing over 40 years of information on all relevant issues impacting the African diaspora. From politics to culture Mr. Noble has interviewed them all.

In this age where information is so readily accessible, I would hope that something is done to not only preserve the Like It Is legacy, but make it available to all via the internet.

Thank you to my Dad and Gil Noble for introducing me to the true history of African Americans, Africans throughout the diaspora and subsequently myself.

Now all I can do is my best to pay it forward.

That would’ve been 1985

I was 17 a high school senior. I was thinking about college, girls, friends and my future. Like most 17 year olds it probably wasn’t in that order!

Back then we wore AJ’s, Lee’s, Adidas, Nike and yes hoodies – hooded sweatshirts. In fact, there still a major part of my work from home wardrobe. Go to any college campus and you will find all types of students dressed in hoodies; some with baggy jeans others with shorts and sandals. You can even find them in offices and cubicles in Silicon Valley, i.e. Mark Zuckerberg founder of Facebook.

I stress this idea that the hooded sweatshirt is a universal garment because people in the media are using Travon Martin’s wardrobe as a way to categorize him and judge his character.

As you probably know, Travon Martin is the young teenager who was murdered by George Zimmerman, a 28 year old wanna-be cop. As of this writing, Zimmerman has not been arrested for this crime.

Not many facts about the case are truly known. We do know that Zimmerman is reported to have called the police close to 50 times in a year. Each time reporting observing “suspicious characters.” We know he was told to stop following this so called suspicious character who turned out to be Travon. We know a young man is dead.

A real unfortunate fact that so many don’t like to discuss is that this is not new to America. African American males assumed criminals and murdered whether by gun, beating or rope. It’s a fact that those who don’t want to deal with accuse those who remind them, of “making it racial.”

Since 5^th grade I learned I was no longer an innocent boy in the hearts and minds of many in this country. When clowning around with a friend in school, I alone was removed from the class. I remember my teachers face turning evil as she yelled at me in the hall and accused me of looking at her with “that face.” She towered over me, but yet said she was scared of what my face was telling her.

I learned that this would be something I would have to deal with all my life. My “look”.

Fortunately, my father explained to me that I would never be looked at the same. Now I was getting a little size, my voice was getting deeper and people’s perception of me would move me from the innocent to the suspect category.

Throughout my life, I have experienced situations that could have ended much worse than they actually did. Whether driving while black, walking while black, riding the train while black and the first incident, looking while black.

This isn’t new!

It’s hard to read and watch how this story is being played out in the media. It all starts with the criminalization of Travon’s name and image. Again, none of this is new. Next, panelists are brought out to analyze the story and bring up issues that are unrelated to the case. Yes, there’s black on black crime, yes there’s the glorification of gangster life, but none of that has to do with this case.

Emmett Till knows.

Yusef Hawkins knows.

Amadou Diallo Knows.

And so do many others who are nameless.

This case is so heavy on my mind and I’m not exactly sure why.

I’d like to hope it’s because I am human and the senseless loss of life affects me.

I wonder if it’s because I am a Dad and I can feel for Travon’s parents.

Maybe it’s because I can remember being Travon and the wonderful memories of that time in my life. So much hope and potential, but another young brother won’t have that same opportunity all because he was assumed guilty.

As a child growing up in the 1970′s, I thought everyone was watching Soul Train on Saturday morning.

It was just one of those things that you did. Take care of all that other business like brushing your teeth, washing your face, eating breakfast; just make sure you are in front of the T.V to watch that bouncing train open the hippest trip in America.

Everything about Soul Train for me as a child was amazing. The featured artists like Stevie Wonder, the Jackson 5 performing Dancing Machine or the dance group the Lockers, augh sookie, I loved that stuff.

Of course you had the culture changing Soul train line – a staple at what was first probably mainly Black weddings and parties, but now can be found in celebrations around the world.

Even the commercials of that time were powerful; Afro Sheen (I wanted a big afro although not a popular trend in my predominantly white Catholic school)

Soul Train was a time for African Americans to see strong, talented images of ourselves. Don Cornelius, with his large afro and deep baritone voice standing on the Soul Train stage appeared like a father figure to all of the young teens taking a ride on the train. He provided an opportunity for all to have a good time, but you had the feeling that if something got out of line, Don would quickly put you in check. There was a love there; it wasn’t just a hosting gig – a love of the culture, the people and of course the music.

Police are in the process of investigating his death which right now seems to be a suicide.

In situations like this when people I admire die with some controversy, I always hope that their impact on society isn’t tarnished with a permanent footnote.

Today February 1 marks the beginning of Black History Month. Soul Train has definitely carved its place in our history not only as black people but in the popular culture as well.

This makes it more difficult for me to wish you all Happy Black History Month!

Let’s remember the true Don’s wish for us all;

Love Peace and Soul!

Every year when we approach February, Black History Month (BHM), I partake in my annual ritual. I search the web looking for events celebrating the many contributions African Americans have made to this country and throughout the world.

It seems to be the one time of year that television programming as well as events in museums, libraries and art galleries feature people of African descent. Very similar to watching a show in which African Americans are the dominant or exclusive subject matter and all of the commercials have so called black themes.

Michael E. Ross ,author of “The End of Black History Month” from The Root, is suggesting now that the United States elected an African American president, it is therefore time to eliminate BHM.

The author is absolutely correct when he says:

The issue of continuing Black History Month isn’t really a debate over its value or the worth of expanding it to a yearlong event or a decade-long event.
It’s realizing the most important thing about history in general and black history in particular, is that it provides a springboard, a lesson plan for
the future.

He later says that African American history is American history.

All true.

The problem is what it has always been, the history taught in the schools is not inclusive.

Discussing “The Dream” of Martin Luther King or approaching the subject of slavery by mentioning Harriet Tubman does not equal inclusion.

The logic suggesting that a African American being elected president of this country equates to the achievement of a balanced society, well to put it nicely is off. The appointment of New York State Governor Patterson, did not “automagically” eliminate;

• 70 percent unemployment among people who are blind or visually impaired
• Lack of accessible transportation
• in accessible currency, websites, software, consumer electronics

It just doesn’t work that way!

The time to eliminate Black History Month is when;

• History books  reflect the truth-  Black history does not begin with Slavery. Explain that African civilization was exactly that, civil. History, mathematics, engineering, art and so on were thriving way before Europeans stepped off their ships.
• Class discussions include the Contributions from people like Crispus Attucks to Malcolm X and so many others in between
• So called African American programming is not just marketed and aired during  February.

The election of President Obama is progress, it is not the finish line.

Carter G. Woodson would roll over in his grave!