The more I read the article, the angrier I became. In case you haven’t read the “About Yam Internet,” section of my site, I am a NYC public high school teacher… by day! I have never met Principal Blake. I learned of him after reading the Playahata blog entry which dubbed him the Hip Hop Principal for using music to motivate students in doing the right thing.

Taking a closer look at Blake and adding (in some cases repeating) the Playahata blog, the recently fired Prinicipal appears silent since the New York City Department of Education axed him for misusing funds earmarked for school lunch, snack and graduation. Instead, he used the money to support his students in the production of a school spirit/dress code promotional videos. The students were honored when their second video, “Tuck That Shirt In” - a dress code promotional video, was featured at the TriBeca Film Festival. Yeah, you read it right. He was fired for allegedly misusing $30k not on himself but on his students in another capacity. That is the primary reason he was fired as the NYC DOE investigation fired him for allegations of “financial management and inappropriate conduct…”

Watch the Tuck That Shirt In video on Youtube.

With regards to the conduct issue, news reports and a report from the DOE have thrown in a June 2006 allegation that Principal Blake choked and punched a student three times in the chest because the student supposedly talked negatively about Principal Blake’s son (who at the time attended IS 109, a school for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders). Now, this incident was noted and investigated by the DOE. No criminal or other charges have been levied against Principal Blake in this supposed public confrontation that took place in front of two other adult staff members. Now, if this had happened why wouldn’t the DOE, parent of child, etc. involve the NYPD? Is the DOE neglectful in the welfare of this child? Is this not assault and battery, endangerment of the child, etc.? Someone call ACS!

I know such an allegation might seem strange to someone who has never worked in public education. However, it is not as uncommon as one might think. Take into account that public education is required for all students - including the ones who do not want it - which can often lead to student disciplinary problems and allegations. That is not to say that allegations should not be investigated, however, if a student repeatedly makes such claims - as is alleged of this student - then it should be taken under consideration that some students make more trouble (for themselves and others) than actual progress in the classroom. To be honest, Blake would have to have a series of such student/faculty abuses for me to believe this act of violence. The charge itself is shaky as I - and more than likely he as a former English teacher - have been called every name under the sun by several students. Unfortunately, you quickly learn to disassociate yourself from the incident and anecdote it later. It is a given; as an educator and administrator of an NYC Public School System, that you will be cursed out by a student, at a minimum of once (a year), if you are doing your job correctly!! All good educators know to QTIP - quit taking it personally (call home, contact the dean, write the referral,… Back to the other students!). The fact that the child who alleges the abuse had two other staffers in the room when he went to principal sends alarms in my mind that the child most probably had previous discipline problems. Had this been a first offense (for allegedly dropping the “f” bomb on the school’s Public Address System), the child may have only met with a dean. Back to Blake. …

During his four year tenure as principal (and five years previous as the school’s assistant principal), Blake instituted a no tolerance policy (which led to stern discipline against student and educator infractions), he implemented and enforced a schoolwide dress code, and introduced career and vocational educational classes such as engineering, nursing and fencing for the junior high school students. When he applied and took the post, he had a designated “failing” school and in four years; he flipped the script.

Blake is a married father of five who lives in Queens, the borough in which he was principal. His children attended the public school system. These two facts - living where one works and children in public school - alone make Principal Blake unique! His father, James Blake, is an activist and a college professor at Borough of Manhattan Community College and his mother, Dr. Bessie Blake, was a former dean at another NYC college. He is the son of educators. Blake’s successes had not gone unnoticed as his work has been mentioned on Oprah and locally in black media such as Kiss-FM’s Open Line program. He and his students’ hip hop video, Tuck That Shirt In, was featured at Robert DeNiro’s TriBeCa Film Festival as a positive way to impress the “dress for success” mantra most common in Empowerment Zone schools.

What is most ironic is that NYC Commissioner of Schools Joel Klein is featured in a cameo at the end of the “Tuck That Shirt In” video in which he suggests that the video’s protagonist tuck his shirt in his pants. Klein is ultimately responsible for the firing of Principal Blake.

As for the Queens Village (neighborhood in the borough of Queens) community, the vast majority are standing behind Blake and as of Friday, September 21st are demanding his reinstatement. Conservative media outlets (who are not worth mentioning) using propaganda to suggest everyone should support the DOE for dumping a dead-head principal who beats a child and is a thief. Yet, the parents who have children in the school think otherwise. That in itself is telling. The DOE has decided that parents and the majority of children have no say in their public schools’ education or administration. The DOE will be judge AND jury for both civil and potential criminal infractions. Whaaaaat???!!! C’est fasciste. N’est pas? (That is fascist. Isn’t it?). Essentially, Blake was fired resulting from a report issued by one man at the DOE, Richard J. Condon, Special Commissioner of Investigation For The New York City Public Schools. However, the overbearing silence of Klein and the lowering of qualifications that allowed Condon to hold this position (He only needed 5 years of law enforcement experience… no college, no experience in education and he could even fire Klein if he so investigated and desired!!) is all New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s fault. No judge, no jury, just one man and his staff. If it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, walks like a duck… it is a duck (fascism)!! And, apparently, that is exactly what you should do if you are an administrator or educator employed by the DOE (duck and maintain the non-performing status quo of poor black, brown and ethnic white failing schools) or else Condon (an ex-cop) cometh for yee.

Which makes me wonder, when a Principal is responsible for turning a school around and promoting the much touted need for a dress code and discipline but is ultimately fired on weak premises (still allegations never proven in a court of law only in the court of Condon’s ruling)… who is the real public enemy? At least, if the DOE were a true defender of children, the child-beating allegation should have resulted into a criminal investigation (the real NYPD (not Condon court) and the juris prudence of New York). But, apparently, there wasn’t enough information to hold water on that charge. Unless, the DOE has dropped the ball? Hmmm. With regards to the misuse of funds, why not fine Principal Blake and let him respond to the allegation legally. If found guilty, he pays the $30k back; if not; then that is the second dead issue. Having invested so much into the success of the school, it is a tragedy that the DOE (really Condon and the City for being dumb enough to allow such a position to exist) is the public enemy (just ask the parents of IS 109 children).

Principal Blake is certainly no more controversial than the likes of Joe Clark was in Paterson, NJ. Enforcing the rules does not win you popularity contests. However, Blake’s innovation in merging hip hop culture into education as well as career related courses does show that his love for the success of his school students are at his heart. Unfortunately, the attack on Blake only reinforces the belief among African American teachers that it is not worth it to become an administrator; even when you know what should be done to improve failing schools, the school fascists will destroy you.

More information…

• Queens Chronicle Article - Demanding Exoneration for Blake
• Black Star News - Commentary on the qualifications of Richard Condon (Someone tell me… Why does this person’s position have less educational requirements than mine and yet he can fire me??!! What the hell?)
• Tuck That Shirt In - Producer’s Project was IS 109’s video partner
• Principal Shango Blake’s biography Still on the school’s website but they have started deleting his files (success record).
• Time to Shine at 109 is the first hip hop video by IS 109 students. You need QuickTime. Includes interview with Principal Blake and shots of the classroom and students. So much for school pride. Doused by the DOE. (”Don’t Push Me ‘Cause I’m Close to the Edge!!” - old school beat).
• US Congressman Gregory Meeks - He is supporting the reinstatement of Principal Blake. Contact the Congressman to see how you can help.

Spread the word!
Deidra

This weekend is a national holiday in the United States known as Labor Day Weekend, a time for honoring America’s workforce. However, in Brooklyn, New York, the festivities tied to the West Indian influenced Carnival overshadows Labor Day by injecting Caribbean culture onto the streets of Eastern Parkway and throughout Brooklyn. The West Indian American Day Carnival parade is the second largest of the city with an estimated 3 million participants and attendees (Only the Puerto Rican Day Parade is larger.). Perhaps it is fitting, as Carnival, traditionally, is the last party effort before the pious season (back to all seriousness) of Lent. There are many such Caribbean influenced Carnivals throughout the United States (and in England and Canada), usually styled after Trinidadian, Brazilian or other Caribbean/Latin American Carnivals or Carnivales. Brooklyn Carnival, also connected to similar pre-Lentan celebrations in such nations as Brazil, Trinidad & Tobago, Panama, Italy, France and elsewhere, is celebrating its 40th year and is primarly styled after the country of Trinidad & Tobago. As such, the music that flows through the streets is Soca, an offshoot of the slower, more poetic Calypso music that consists of an influx of fast-paced African and East Indian (that’s India) rhythms. Even though both Calypso and Soca music still exist throughout the Caribbean (along side numerous others with the most popular being Reggae and Merengue), Soca has captivated the youth as both a message and dance music form. Via the internet, soca has become an international phenomena with adherrants as far aways as France, Italy and even Japan.

Neither Calypso nor Soca is new to the shores of the United States. In the 1940s, it was popular for white artists to cover songs written by black Caribbeans. One of the most famous being the Andrew Sisters coverage of Rum and Coca Cola (written by Lord Invador (lyrics) and Lionel Belasco (melody)). In the 1950s and 1960s, Trinidad’s The Mighty Sparrow and Jamaica’s Harry Belafonte (video includes Nat King Cole) had major hits in the U.S. Many white American artist have created their own Calypso songs as well as covered famous ones originally written by black Caribbean artists. For instance, in the 1990s, the band The Squirrel Nut Zipper’s penned a song called Hell that fit classically in Calypso. However, in the 1980s, an actor by the name of Dexter Poindexter covered a Calypso-Soca song originally performed by Monserat artist named Arrow that sold multi-platinum throughout the world. However, in the U.S., it was the originator of the song was virtually unknown. That song was Hot, Hot, Hot!! (literally, the name of it). In the late 1990s, Calypso and Soca artists had not faired much with original soca songs being presented to the American public by way of Caribbean cover bands. For instance, the mega hit “Who let the Dogs Out!” was originally writtened perfomed by Trinidadian Anselm Douglas in 1998 but would be released by much younger Caribbean men known as the Baha Men in the United States. Finally, fast forward to 2007 and many Soca artists are, finally, having their cake and eating it too with international hits at home (Caribbean) an abroad. Below is a snapshot of what is happening today in this ever-changing genre.

Guide for ratings:
7 : Excellent
6 : Very Good
5 : Good
4 : Average
3 : Fair/Needs Improvement
2 : Pretty Bad
1 : Horrible

AF: Appearance & Functionality
U: Usefulness of Content

Machel Montano
Current website: http://www.machelmontanohd.com/
MySpacePage: http://www.myspace.com/machelmontanoandxtatik
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machel_Montano

AF:
U:

Once referred to as the Michael Jackson of soca music as his career launched with a hit at the age of 12, Machel Montano continues to re-arrange soca music with the help of his band Xtatik. He is as likely to merge soca with more East Indian Caribbean Chutney music of Trinidad as he is to merge it with the sounds of Jamaican reggae, or American hip hop & R&B. His lyrics focus on the spiritual to the nitty gritty of devilish Carnival antics. True to Calypso, his sexual lyrics are not overt and profanity is non-existent. In as such, his brand of soca makes for enjoyable listening for fans as young as 8 months to 80 years plus. His contant collaborations with numerous Caribbean artists serves to market the music to the world stage. To date, he is the only Caribbean artist to sell out Madison Square Garden’s The Theatre (an approximate 6,000 seat theater in NYC) twice in the same night this past March. The concert aired, in part, on BETJ this summer. As is common for a soca performance, the general rule is to stand and jump not sit and clap. His website is better than most but the developers should learn the basics of never having a “coming soon” section. With new album releases nearly yearly; one can expect a new look to everything by Christmas time as soca artists prepare for the next Carnival season. Also, the Montano family (he is managed by his mother and marketed by his brother) could learn to capitalize on the worldwide web by hiring designers to create collateral (i.e. t-shirts, handkerchiefs (flags), etc.) that are on par with the annual image. I suppose it is the old web developer/marketer in me that he could also use a better logo than “HD.”

On YouTube:
Young Machel at age 12
Machel with The Mighty Sparrow & Calypso Rose - Live in Concert
Machel at MSG - A fan’s view of the introduction to the March concert in NYC.
Jumbie - music video of the 2007 j’ouvey anthem and Trinidad Soca road march winning song written by Xtatik bandmember Kernel Roberts (son of the late Lord Kitchener).

Alison Hinds
MySpace: http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=66649643
Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Hinds

AF:
U:

This Bajan (from Barbadoes) is the Queen of Soca with long-standing hits. She launched her career at around age 16 as the lone female singer with the popular band Square One. Even though Square One had male lead singers, when Hinds fronted the band, she became the first female singer to win road march titles, two back to back no less, in Barbadoes’ carnival known as Crop Over. The downside to searching for Alison is that there is very little content on her or Square One. The MySpace page leaves much to be desired and the website does not exist. Still, her power house voice reigns supreme even through amateur videos on YouTube.

YouTube Extras:
Hold Yuh Bumper - Square One (featuring Alison Hinds and Peter Ram)
Faluma in Concert - 2006 hit song.
Wining with Allison
Roll it Gal - 2007 video.

Shurwayne Winchester
website: http://www.new.shurwaynewinchester.com/
AF:
U:

A new soloist who started with the band Traffik Jam, he has fewer megahits than Machel or Alison. Winchester has exploded on the scene in 2004 with his first (of two back to back) road march winner “De Band Comin’.” His style is known to waver from hard hitting percussive pan (steel pan or steel drum) songs, such as “Dead or Alive,” to new hits that are heavily infused with East Indian rhythmns, like “Don’t Stop” A native of Tobago (the smaller of the two islands of Trinidad & Tobago), Winchester has coined the genre of “groovy soca” with melodious lyrics over jazzy chutney soca instrumentals and beats. He scores well for having investing dollars in producing videos on par with musicians who have been around the block more than he. His website is among the best an others Caribbean artists should take note. Although, the “shop” link was broken when I visited and the developers should probably ask users if they want to hear music before blasting it (NOTE: That is the reason why most people can websurf at work!).

Don’t Stop - video
Dead or Alive - 2006 Trinidad & Tobago Road March Winner.

BONUS – Unreviewed News:

Soca 101 - For a Crash Course in Current Soca Artists from Trinidad:
Escape 2 Soca - a collage of various artists in a video directed by Rembuction.

RemBunction:
Home on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RemBunction
MySpace: http://www.rembunction.com/

A director, graphic artist, musician, and, seemingly, jack of all music trades, this artist is making waves on YouTube by showcasing established artists he has produced or directed as well as highlighting his own musical skills. Musically, if you like David Rudder or Stevie Wonder, then RemBunction will appeal with the likes of A Quiet Evening (speaking out against violence) and Black Queen. His comical ditties, such as Mr. Santa Claus and Roti & Kuchela will amuse. Also, since he posts his own videos, he will provide insider details personally.

TriniJungle Juice
http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/junglejuice.html
Music from TriniJungle Juice: http://www.trinijunglejuice.com/music.html

Despite its name, the site does not only focus on music out of Trinidad. It is opportunity to listen to all the English speaking songs (and some Spanish) released in the Caribbean as well as follow concerts and events. The site is cumbersome to navigate but there is lots of information there, also includes steel pan, reggae, salsa, and chutney.

That’s it for now.
Regards,
Deidra

Preview of Next Blog Entry: Technology:

Hotter than the surface of the sun, this water laser won’t burn your hand but water fuel could power your car.

This documentary fell short on actually revealing the contributions and delinquent in revealing an accurate racial makeup of Moorish Spain - a phrase that was not uttered by the many professors and the like who were interviewed (they instead opted for the oft repeated Islamic Spain that is the equivalent of doing a documentary on the Ottoman Empire and only referring to it as Islamic Turkey or, more properly, Islamic Europe-Asia never once saying Ottoman Empire. WTF!!!). The era supposedly chronicled by this show is called Moorish (Moros) Spain in English. The real name is of major importance as when one uses the term Moor of whom does one think; the fictional Othello, perhaps? A-ha! But there is more…

The reason the production was racist and more of a political construct than anything else is because aside from, maybe, 5 extras the re-enactments of the period were an all white cast; from Visigoth (okay, this would be accurate), to Sephardic Jew (uh… not too European white looking for that time period considering they were North African/Asian/Sephardic and not Ashkenazim-German-Russian Jews), to the Berber and Arabs (the Moors…. heck no! At that time, they could not pass for white in a dark room with no light!!). The documentary had more poltical motives than historical ones at it relied heavily on retelling how the Sephardic Jews at the time (remember re-enacted by white people) served to preserve and meld together the history of the time-period. Now this part is true but not accurate because the filmmakers left out the African (read: black) element of the Jews (who would, in many cases, have had large segments who looked identical to the African and Arab invaders) and the Moorish relationship. Not to mention that the invading Moors also had Jews among them as co-invaders!!

Now, let’s get back to the erroneously racist productions. How do I, an amateur, know that the Moors were black? Some are thinking: Couldn’t they have been white? I mean, they were from North Africa and were Arabs and everyone knows, by watching American TV, that they are all white except for a few blacks (who probably were slaves back in the day). That is a lie then and now. I know that the Moors were “black African” (a phrase many white people like to use as the attempt to divide Africa into geographic racial areas whereas African Americans know that Africa = black, in its many shades, ethnicities, nations, etc.). I know this from the primary sources of the period (which the interviewees… far from scholars; unless of course it is the directors fault in the editing process … should have cited). The Greeks and Romans described dark skinned Africans using terms like Mauros and Maurus, respectively, both of which mean black people; as synonyms for the ethnic groups within these same “Mauros/Maurus” they aslo used Ethiope (as in Ethiopia), Afer (from one source in which Africa is derived), and Niger (from which Negro would later be derived). All the terms described black people from the Southern/Eastern European perspectives and even in the egymologies of the oldest English language dictionaries. (Rogers, J.A. “Nature Knows No Color Line” 1980, pp.55, 72-73). Long before Moorish Spain, its root words were being used to describe many black people of Africa.

However, most important were the chronciles of the primary sources. What are primary sources? That would be people who wrote exactly what they saw because they were there and a part of it!! Contrary to what the documentary showed (Moorish conquest of part of modern-day Spain), the Moors actually conquered parts of Southern France and were stopped short of Paris (in Tours) by Charles Martel’s army. They also controlled and invaded Sicily and parts of Italy including raiding the Vatican (and later reselling their stolen goods back to the Pope when Jewish people served as intermediaries). In any case, one primary source wrote of the French invasion that occurred in 700s in an epic poem called the “Song of Rolond” (ca. 1100, written years after the invasion but the Moors were still in control in parts of Europe during this period). Fortunately, this poem describes in vivid detail exactly what the invading forces looked like. Now, you tell me if this is black or white:

At their head rides the Saracen Abisme[Saracens are Arabs and Abisme is his name believed to be related to Abyssinia]: no worse criminal rides in that company, stained with the marks of his crimes and great treasons, lacking the faith in God, Saint Mary. And he is black, as black as melted pitch…

[Another excerpt from “The Song of Roland”]

Ethiope, is a cursed land indeed; The blackamoors, from there are in his keep, Broad in the nose they are and flat in ear, fifty thousand and more in company.

[Okay, now we know that they are black and there are plenty of them. One more quote from that work.]

When Roland sees that unbelieving race, those hordes and hordes blacker than the blackest ink - no shred of white on them except their teeth…

(Source: Van Sertima, Ivan; editor; Brunson, J. & Rashidi, R., authors; “Golden Age of the Moor,” Transaction Publishers (New Brunswick, NJ), 1993, p. 43.)

Well! That was interesting, wasn’t it! The invaders were black Arabs (Saracen, specifically) as black as melted pitch (note, picture originally from this blog) and blacker than ink (Original this source). Some are thinking: But wait, when I do a Google search on Saracen, I see white people! The Saracens were white!! Uh oh, we already forgot that I am quoting primary sources of what white people, of the era, said the Saracens looked like. What you are seeing are depictions that are NOT primary sources. Those are not the eyewitness descriptions of people of that era.

For instance, there is more. The 13th Century Dutch epic poem called “The Romance of Morien” is part of the King Arthur Legends of the Round Table. Morien is a Moor who is described in the work as “…all black his head and his hands were all black saving his teeth… Moors are black as burnt brands. But in all that men would praise in a knight he was fair, after his kind… Morien… blacker than any son of man whom Christian had ever beheld.” (Rogers, p. 56)

When I read the above, it reminds me that the Cubans have a peas and rice dish called “Moros y Christianos.” Now, ALL of the Caribbean eats peas and rice (or rice and peas, as some would say). But, the thing is that the type of pea or bean changes. If you are in Jamaica, you would have a red kidney been with some spiced up/slightly coconut flavoried rice (Picture Source); whereas in Trinidad & Tobago a brown pigeon pea is used and the rice is spiced using a burnt sugar method that turns white rice brown (Picture Source). I don’t know what Haitains do but I have had a dish with peas that are black and the white rice is seasoned to a black color as well (could not find a picture of the dish I had). However, in the Cuban dish the rice is clearly white (Christians) and the peas are clearly black (Moors). But, I digress…

A Christian monarch Alfonso X (Alfonso, the wise. (1221–1284)) and creator of his work the “Cantigas de Santa Maria” was part of the reconquest of white Christianity over the Moors. His Cantigas are part of translations of works and research done by the Moors. The instruments are not native to Europe. They were instroduced from the East (including Africa, Arabia, and Asia). Let’s look at what he said of the Moors (another primary source):

[describing the Moors who attacked the Castle of Chincoya as] black as satan.
[Source: Van Sertima, I.; Brunson & Rashidi, Golden Age of The Moors, p. 28.]

[and…]

Los moros de la hueste todos vestidos del sirgo et de os panos de color que ganaran … las caras dellos negras como la pez el mas fremoso dellos era negro cmo la olla

[Translation] All the Moorish soldeirs were dressed with silk and black wool that had been forcibly acquired… their black faces were like pitch and the most handsome of them was like (as black as) a cooking pan
[Source: Van Sertima, I., editor; Pimienta-Bey, J., author, Golden Age of the Moors, p. 184.]

In addition to Alfonso’s words is the art that he included in the Cantigas. (NOTE: These are primary source images done at the time. Not some artist rendering of his/her imagination!!) The first image (chess) is directly from the Cantigas. Others are other primary source images.

Primary Source Pictures
• Noble Men Playing Chess - The Moors introduced chess into Europe (ironic, isn’t it). Chess was invented among the dark races of India (even more ironic, isn’t it?). The original name was “Oh, King!” (Ya! Shah!) (Source: Van Sertim, I., editor; Chinyelu, M., author; Golden Age of the Moor, p. 362)
• Muley Archid - Brother of Muley Ismael, both of whom were Princes of Morocco. Both had same parents but there is no known sketch of Muley Ismael. Archid, Arsheid, did have this sketch, circa 1670s. Ismael was prince at the end of Moorish Spain on the European peninsula. He was said to be a principal in the European slave trade of white women into Africa as sale for harems (another prevalent part of Moorish culture omitted from the PBS documentary). Ismael, himself, was said to have 25,000 white slaves, of both genders, who built his palace in Meknes.
• Moor’s head in Heraldry - This is contempory of the current Pope’s Coat of Arms. I could not find online pictures of the numerous coats of arms with Moors heads which are African in appearance. The only debate I have with the site is that the pictures are of slaves. Often, the moors have wrapped heads and are featured with scarves or crowns and are not connected with slave-trading family business.
• Moors in European Hereldry - Here is a more accurate description of its use and primary source pictures of coins and artwork featuring Moors. One more link on Moors’ Heads, which are depicted as black people. Again, here is the heradly for Zurich with Moor’s heads connected to Euroean family names.

Another picture that is beyone the Moorish Empire but is used to epitomize the typical male Moor is Austrian painter Eduard Charlemont’s The Moorish Chief (click this for the story behind the painting). This picture is often used in Shakespeare’s Othello promotions as well. This was the first Moorish picture that I saw in my history of Spain textbook when I was in high school. It was the only picture as the Moors themselves would not have created graven images of themselves as it was against their faith. Therefore, we have had to rely on European pictures and descriptions as well as Arab historians written descriptions. I once saw a print in a bookstore and had a conversation with another patron who suggested that the figure looked like Bobby McFerrin (it was the 1980s and “Don’t Worry Be Happy” was playing every other minute). I think he was right. There is a resemblance.

Finally (for this part anyway), there is all the post-Moorish Spain literature that addresses Moors and characterizes them as the blackest of blacks.

On pages 74-75 of Rogers work, he writes of Christopher Marlowe’s “Lust’s Dominion” (also known as the “Lascivious Queen” in which the lead character Eleazer, Prince of Fez (Morocco) has the Queen of Spain as a lover and she has his child. It was written before Shakespeare’s Othello and refers to the Moroccan as Moor, Negro, and black interchangeably. In 1659, Richard Brome wrote “English Moor in which he uses Blackamoor, Ethiop, and Negro interchangeable. Then, of course, there is Shakespeare’s Moor of Venice, “Othello,” who is described by his nemesis as having a “sooty bosom.” [Also, is described as a black ram when defamed by Iago and “far more fair than black” when being defended by the Duke.] However, Shakespeare’s Titus Andronicus aslo decribe Goth Queen Tamora’s love of Aaron the Moor (also described as being a Negro).

I write all this to say that, no doubt, there were blond haired, blue eyed Moors of Moorish Spain. However, the overwhelming majority were black - very black as per sources - Africans and Arabs of the Islamic Faith. It is critically important to retell history in context. The shotty work done by Gardner and PBS (for airing it) would be like me doing a documentary on the history of Norway and casting all re-enactments with Sengalese (including 5 or six white Sengalese for good measure) then airing it in, say, Far East Asia somewhere where they are not familiar with Norwegians. It is no wonder that those seeing the documentary would believe that the Norwegians were Africans ( a few light ones among them).

Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain is an insult and an attack on African and Arab people everywhere. It is a blatant attempt to whitewash and Europeanize history that is not white. Think of this: If the Moors were phenotypically white, wouldn’t they have ALWAYS been part of American history books!!??!!

SHAME ON PBS!! (The BS is the only correct part of the station’s call letters when it comes to airing this racist documentary.)

More parts to follow,
Deidra

I leave you with a Youtube video of present-day Mauritanians.
Mauritania

What exactly is a vegan, much less a raw food vegan? It is someone who not only does not eat meat (i.e. no fish, chicken, beef, lamb, pork, etc.) but also does not eat any meat by-products (such as milk or milk products like cheese, sour cream, yogurt, etc.). Most vegans don’t even eat honey (which is manufactured by bees through a regurgitation process) but some raw food vegans do. Raw food vegans do not cook their fruits, sprouts, vegetables (green leafy ones and root ones), seeds, and nuts either (only some dehydration is done at times) whereas vegans will cook their food. That’s a brief explanation in a nutshell.

The little bit of weight I have loss is due to incorporating more raw veganism into my daily lifestyle. The elimination of dairy was easiest as I am already lactose intollerant and had already abandoned most dairy products anyway. Baked breads and pasta was a little more difficult but I was never much of a bread eater in my life anyway. However, I ate pasta ritually, teetering between baked macaroni and cheese (an African American favorite) and Italian fares such as baked ziti, spaghetti with red sauce and linguini with clam sauce. Yum! Stuffing (instead of potatos) was also ingrained into my brain (Damn! Stove Top Stuffing!!). Ugh!! Just writing about this stuff is killing me as I just started Stanley Burrough’s Master Cleanse (Also known as the Lemonade Diet) and so for the next 8 days I will only drink herbal teas, a maple syrup and cayenne pepper lemonade and water!! I picked the wrong time to start this thread but hopefully it will encourage me to continue with my weight-loss goals. In any case, the reviews and news below is a little bit about the raw food vegan revolution!!

Guide for ratings:
7 : Excellent
6 : Very Good
5 : Good
4 : Average
3 : Fair/Needs Improvement
2 : Pretty Bad
1 : Horrible

AF: Appearance & Functionality
U: Usefulness of Content

Fruitarian Fitness
Fruits Only!! Raw Veganist: Richard Blackman website
URL: http://www.fruitarianfitness.com
AF:
U:

Okay, I am African American. Therefore, I am already predicting the feedback from my own community (i.e. “Raw food vegans!! That’s white people’s stuff!!). So, I’m starting with one of the more extreme raw vegans online. Richard Blackman is, well, a black man who only eats raw, whole fruits (no water, no vegetables and no nuts!!! No less!!). He is a personal trainer out of Dallas, Texas and runs his “Shud Up N Train” Bootcamp. This site has clear language that explains Richard’s lifestyle and how he believes such a diet (and an exercise program) could help anywone. It also has pictures showing his physique. He has a blog that features articles by other raw foodists and a myspace page that includes Big Daddy Kane’s “Raw” as his theme music. His site has no “bells or whistles” but it is clear cut and informational.

Raw Vegan Radio
Podcaster Steve Prussak
URL: http://www.rawveganradio.com
AF:
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What it lacks in design flare it more than makes up for in content. Raw Vegan Radio was the first website/podcast that I stumbled upon after a Google search for “Vegan recipes no dairy” introduced me to the raw foodist world. The host, Steve Prussak, is soft-spoken and non-preachy. He re-introduced me to familiar people through one-on-one interviews with Jay Kordich (episode 33) of “The Juiceman Juicer” fame and John Robbins (episode 23) of the Baskin-Robbins ice cream fame. Both men speak about how raw food diets saved their health. However, even better are the unkowns to the mainstream diet world such as the likes of Angela Stokes, who lost more than 100 pounds after becoming a raw veganist; Sergei Boutenko, part of a famous raw food family whose mom, Victoria, recently published a popular book called “Green for Life” (and yes, I did purchase, read it and love it!), Dr. Hal Huggins, a dentist whose interview will scare the heebee geebees out of you; and Ani Phyo (yes, Asians are raw foodists too), a raw foodist gourmet chef and entrepreneur. The drawback to the website is that it is often difficult to find the “link to listen” due to the homemade design of the site. Helpful Hint: Click the graphic with the microphone that says “To listen to this show now, click here.” Overall, I’d have to say thanks to Raw Vegan Radio for interesting and diverse interviews with various raw foodists.

Natural Paradigms
Raw Food Network
URL: http://www.naturalparadigms.com/
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After watching a YouTube video featuring Storm (posted by wife JinJee) Talifero (another raw food family who featured their lives in a DVD documentary called Breakthrough), I became aware of Natural Paradigms. This site is a nice mix of people from various ethnic backgrounds showcasing documentaries, reality shows, and recipe clips and the raw food lifestyle. One famous raw foodist is the dancer/actor Ben Vereen. After visiting this site, I purchased the Taliferos’ “Breakthrough” DVD and found it to be very informative. You can join this network online for a fee to see entire episodes of shows such as the reality show of “Raw Vegans on A Boat.” This site has lots of compelling digital video information on the raw vegan lifestyle; promotionals of which can be found on Youtube.

BONUS – Unreviewed News:

Youtube Video Leslie Bega:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-OHIuaf0cA
The Latina actress from HBO’s “The Sopranos” fame is also a raw veganist gourmet chef.The gLiving network, which empasses raw food chefs as well as green living programming, features Leslie Bega as one of its gourmet chefs. You can find her on the gliving site or on Youtube. (And, yes… Latinos are raw vegans too).

Youtube video: Clip from “Breakthrough DVD”
Comparison of nutrients from raw foods compared to cooked counterpart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbSB9rGp3HU

After this clip, I no longer complain when my son only wants to eat fruit!! It is Storm Talifero who is doing the talking.

Youtube Video: Advice on Transitioning to a Raw Food Diet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkGxESvTBMs

Preview of Next Blog Entry: Music:

How a Caribbean music form is using the web to promote its music worldwide. What is this music? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20a76cVXZxU

Guide for ratings:
7 : Excellent
6 : Very Good
5 : Good
4 : Average
3 : Fair/Needs Improvement
2 : Pretty Bad
1 : Horrible

AF: Appearance & Functionality
U: Usefulness of Content

Fun School Kaboose
Target: Pre-K through Grade 6
URL: http://funschool.kaboose.com/
AF:
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This is a free online educational game site that is graphically intense site. Be sure to have a cable or fiber optic connection. The site’s colors are pleasing enough. However, it is annoying to scroll downwards to play a game as the top navigation and advertisement consume so much space. Additionally, the large advertisements that appear during play are equally annoying. Parental supervision is advised to help first-timers navigate the site and read the often-two-long directions provided for some games. Otherwise, games are fairly good with content focusing on subject matter such as mathematics, science and English (language arts/literature). Finally, once you are playing a game; it is often difficult to find another grade appropriate game without returing to the home page. The best aspects of the site is that it does not require pre-registration to play and there are many games from which to choose.

Up To 10
Target: Ages 6 to 10
URL: http://www.uptoten.com
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Here is an independently owned site that young children would be able to navigate without much supervision. It is a free online site that uses icons (pictures) to guide student users to games involving improving motor skills (coordination, problem solving abilities (puzzles) and creativity (art). The site is designed in flash and games load quickly to a full screen. Youngsters are able to play with directions provided in English or French without having to register for premium services that provide instructions in other languages. Up to 10’s premium services is a non-advertiser supported paid subscription that provides additional games for children under 6 but not older than 10. Subscribers can pay monthly at a rate of US$6.60, for three months at $16.50, six months for $29.70 or for a year at $49.50. Gift certificates for premium services may also be purchased. Premium members can participate in the creation of original Up to 10 characters television show production.

Tabula Digita
Target: Upper Middle Grades – High School (Pre-Algebra & Algebra)
URL: http://www.tabuladigita.com/
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Tabula Digita has a game (http://www.dimensionm.com/) with graphics that match the level of the offline console based games. It is a site that you would want to refer to Algebra teachers as the games are aligned with teaching standards and provides an area for teachers to match curriculum to the games. Additionally, the games must be purchased as part of a license package. Tabula Digita’s games are great for the student who always asks “why do I have to know this?” There are single and multi-player games that teach pre-algebra and algebra. Games require download and installation but have both PC and Mac O/S X compatibility.

Scratch
Target: Third Grade – High School
URL: http://scratch.mit.edu/
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Scratch is not a game. It is a free animation creation software program. It is a product of the MIT Media Lab (http://www.media.mit.edu/?page_id=13) and the UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Scratch allows members to create animations and share them online with their peers. You can watch video tutorials of Scratch (ex: http://scratch.mit.edu/videos ) or download references in .pdf format http://scratch.mit.edu/howto . This is a great site for teaching students to be creative with their artwork and photographs.

BONUS – Unreviewed News:

Youtube Video on Connexions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRymi-lFHpE
(Connexions: http://cnx.org/)
(Excerpted from a TED conference: http://www.ted.com/ )

This is a nearly 20-minute video explaining Connexions, an online virtual publishing resource where teachers and others can access free curricula that is being actively created by professionals (i.e. engineers, musicians, etc.) and/or teachers who freely share their curricula. Users are free to produce, use, share, alter, and, to some extent, even commercialize the curricula found on this site as long as they are compliant with the Creative Commons license. For example, if you were in search of implementing an engineering programming in your child’s school, you might direct and educator to Connexions to find the educational material as opposed to selling candy to raise funds to purchase it.

Youtube video: School Violence
“All We Ask Is That U Listen”
Germantown High School student’s documentary
On school violence this past spring:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUKybQQUyNE

This is twenty-five plus minutes of Philadelphia high school students’ responses to the student beating of one of their teachers over the confiscation of an iPod. The discussion extends from school violence to urban school environments, African American history and race relations.

Preview of Next Blog Entry: Health & Fitness:

What would happen to your kids if you only fed them raw fruits and vegetables?
Reviews on what Storm Talifero refers to as the “Gentle Revolution”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFUmw_A8Qlo

     By now, you may be wondering what my qualifications are. Well, once upon a time, I used to write website reviews in the late ’90s for a defunct publication called “The Net.” (When it was sold, the new company replaced it with the current Business 2.0 in order to compete with Fast Company.) I only wrote for three issues, June, July and August 2006, but since I wrote about 30 reviews in that short span of time; I guess it can serve as one qualification. Qualification two: My first career was as a journalist for about a decade and I have a bachelor’s degree in print journalism (a masters in education). Therefore, I can write and teach. Otherwise, I am no different from any other opinionated blogger. I suppose you’ll get to know me better the more often I blog.
     You can expect to read fairly short - this is actually a long introduction, for me - entries that summarize the item being reviewed, give my opinion, provide a link and my “sweet potato” (otherwise known as the “American yam, even though it is not a yam”) rating. I will not be able to blog everyday but perhaps that is best. Isn’t in better to know that I’ll only choose to blog if I have something interesting to write?
     I hope you enjoy the blog and I look forward to your comments, criticisms and/or collaborative agreements!

Best Regards,
Deidra