a mission?
I know exactly what I'd like to do. I want to tell stories, of African American life and African life that haven't been told. If there is anything that I think it'd be really worth it to do, that is it. I'm sick of all the potrayals out there and I think there are far more worthy and interesting stories to be told from within those populations. I'm African, but America is my temporarily(?) adopted home. I hate that the media only sees this population when they need a foil for America's success or a boogey man to scare the good people of the suburbs. I hate that Africa is never potrayed except as a helpless receptacle of Western goodness or greed. Everytime I see a pathetic piece of tripe like City of God, I cringe and feel the need to punch a wall. I must sometimes alarm my neighbors with my tendency for gutteral yelps and boxer like bouncing whenever one of these things gets to me.
So, I'm doing photography these days and trying to say something interesting about Harlem. Whether I'm successful in that or not, I'm going to continue. I'll tell stories, in prose, in poetry, in rap, on TV or on film. Perhaps I'll do it in all of those. But I think that's a pretty decent goal for one person to set himself. There, I have a little more direction in life. It's decided.
So, I'm doing photography these days and trying to say something interesting about Harlem. Whether I'm successful in that or not, I'm going to continue. I'll tell stories, in prose, in poetry, in rap, on TV or on film. Perhaps I'll do it in all of those. But I think that's a pretty decent goal for one person to set himself. There, I have a little more direction in life. It's decided.
posted by Flint at 6:30 PM
6 Comments:
Just curious - have you ever been to Africa?
I grew up in Africa. I'm Nigerian.
I love that first question... ANd the response right after :)
Ultimately in the 'American' society certain groups of people will never be potrayed in a positive light. They will be starving horrible need 'America's help' (right after America steals from them that is). Or they will be horrible, cross the road to avoid types of people.
Lots of reasons for this, I'm sure you know all this Flint so no need to get into it..
I'm happy to hear about your project, ultimately when black people (esp in the states) start to appreciate their culture and respect themselves, when black people start to view each other in a positive light maybe the rest of the country will too. Though I am not in any way implying that black people chose the negative light either.
Africa is helpless and pathetic.
But not for the reasons cnn tells us.
Of course there is greed and corruption, but then does anyone talk about who backs those leaders? And what they get in return for backing them... I know, do you? You probbaly do... Most people don't.
Africa is helpless and pathatic because they are an undeveloped nation that have been robbed and raped for decades, and continue to be robbed and rapped today... Slavery wasnt shit compared to the kinds of things most africans have to deal with under the guise of world trade and globalization.
And then curruption within africa, money being held by very few hands? I dont blame them! Do you? How else can you ensure a quality education and better standard of life for your children? Better, sending them to europe or the united states.. better education etc...
And with that, they rape africans again...
FUCK THIS IM getting annoyed typing this.
ps did u read news story that was link on my previous blog post?
I guess Africa is now LITERALLY getting raped under the guise of Peace missions.
:(
awesome! My family is from Kenya. We've travelled a lot in East Africa but I've never been to the west coast.
Be sure to check out the work of my friend Chester Higgins, Jr.
whenever I tell people I'm Cameroonian they have this idea that a trip home is a trip to the jungle. Or that my family is rotting away in a hut. I wish people could see the things I do when I go home.
When did you come to the U.S. I was born and raised here, but I'll be going back to Cameroon during the holdiays this year.
Oh, and about portrayals of blacks in the media. I'm not one of those people who are offended by the black pimp/whore/crack dealer criminal characters. Those people exist and those stories can be told. My problem is when those are the only stories told. I'm one for balance. I like for the good/bad/ugly/and indifferent to be shown. That's just me.
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