Books, Hip Hop culture, and everything else in between...
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
A Learning Opportunity: Michael Jackson's Transition
If I learned anything in my 36 years of existence on this plane is that one should see every experience as a learned one. With Michael Jackson, this is a shared experience. One that we should all be learning from. During the past few days, I realized quite a few things.
1. You will always have naysayers...
...so why sweat them? If anything, why give them power by responding? Why even mention their name? It's wild because people actually make money talking junk about people. Here is the thing: we give them power when we respond to them or tune into them. When we ignore them, they go away and are forgotten. Over the years, I realized that there are people who made careers off of taking advantage of Michael Jackson's personal problems. Yet they did so because we listened, watched, and discussed what they had to say. It's kind of like the little beefs with have with people on the day to day. There is always going to be someone who doesn't like us. There will always be people whom we can never satisfy. We should learn to not give them power.
2. A shared experience
I remember when James Brown (who Michael Jackson admitted had a huge influence on him) passed. I was hurt. However, if you were of a certain age group or a particular lover of music history, the Original B-boy was someone whose grandparents listened to. I can honestly say I don't know anyone down to my 8 year old daughter (you remember the Thriller debacle at school right?), who doesn't not have a personal story about Michael Jackson. We can safely say that at this moment we had a shared experience. The ill part is that within my lifetime, this has only happened one other time: the election of Obama where even the naysayers shared an experience and can tell you where they were when he won the election and when he was inaugurated.
3. No matter how much money you got, you are still a human being...
It's funny to watch how people look at celebrities. People assume that just because that person makes a large amount of money and garners a good amount of publicity that somehow said person is smarter and savvier then everyone else. Let's face it, Michael Jackson was a wonderful entertainer whom so many people try to emulate. Yet the brother made some horrible decisions that will cause pain for several of his family members in the years to come. Like all of us, Michael Jackson bleeds red and like all of us makes some horrible decisions. It doesn't make him less than any of us and it doesn't make us any less than him.
It bothers me how we invest so much into celebrities and icons. We place so much emotional value in people we really don't know, and let's admit we really don't know Michael Jackson like that, that when they crumble we crumble with them and attempt to defend them as if he or she is a member of our family. To me that's scary and it causes me to detach myself from the world of celebrities to the point where I often just turn everything off. I did the same with Michael Jackson because like everyone else, I got sucked into the circus. And honestly, people can say what they want but he didn't deserve that. Like I said, I didn't know him but to be honest, I felt that I should let his family mourn him and avoid being sucked into the nonsense.
4. If I hear someone say something about race again...
When it came to race, Michael Jackson like the rest of us had issues with it. Yes there was some self hatred there but we all suffer from it. While I dug Michael Jackson's efforts at race reconciliation, I never saw him as an expert on race relations. In the end, I take issue with folks who want us to reconcile with race by just holding hands and singing kumbaya. So I ask people to stop toting Michael Jackson as this great race relations PR guy. If we are going to discuss Michael Jackson and race, then let's discuss it in it's greater context.
5. Our mortality
As much as we would have liked for Michael Jackson to live forever, alas none of us are immortal. There are only two guarantees in life: change and our transition. Eventually we will all return to the essence. The question is what will do with our time here. It's very, very easy to say "let me change that person in the mirror..." This is something I have been hearing people say all the time. So what now? I don't find that life is short. Michael Jackson did his thing in those 50 years of existence. Life is long, sisters and brothers. Let's utilize our time properly.
Again, none of us are superhuman. We bleed. We tire. We hurt. As much as we aspire to be bigger than what we were built for, our imperfections are what makes us beautiful. They ground us. They tell us where our limitations are. They urge us to strive for perfection. So life should be about constant elevation. Michael Jackson worked tirelessly to perfect his craft. It seemed like at every moment he was trying to flip the script when it came to his music. That was where he was God and could pretty much not be surpassed by anyone. That is how we should work when it comes to what we do best.
6. Love...
I watched quite a few interviews over the last few days from people who knew Michael. Some told great stories, some told personal stories, and some told some pretty weird tales. The common thread in these stories is that everyone admitted that Michael Jackson had issues. While I don't doubt them what bothered me was during the interviews, no one said "I tried to tell him you know..." Now they might have said that and it was edited. They might have said "hey can you leave that out of the story." They might have even told Michael Jackson to slow down. I was not there. Yet it made me realize that I am so grateful to have people in my life who always bring me down to planet earth when I start to wild out. My wife always grounds me. My moms can still beat my tail (not literally but you catch my drift) and my siblings will put me in check in a heartbeat. I have friends who also refuse to let me go off the deep end. That's important. When I look at people in the news who are in trouble or hurt themselves, I realize that oftentimes it is a cry for some love. That in their lives, they have no one to turn to. In their desperation they cry out in ways that are harmful to all. Again, I didn't know Michael Jackson. What I do know is that everything he did was put under a microscope. While there is a price to pay for fame, I honestly find that Michael Jackson just wanted to make music and be left alone. He never came off like he was holier than thou or make political statements he felt he was inclined to make. One thing that hurt me the most is the reaction of his parents. I don't know them but I remember when a co worker who I barely knew lost a 3 year old child in a drowning. Man, I cried. I would not wish the passing of a child to no one.
I will say that I only caught a glimpse at his memorial. I never been good at those things. I prefer to remember people the way I want to remember them. I know when I pass I want folks to party. I am sure Michael Jackson wanted me to pass the time singing his songs and b-boying. Anyone care to join me?
My Letter to Trader Joe's (inspired by Liberator Magazine -- big up Achali)
I have been shopping at your store's throughout the country for the last five years. My mother and my siblings have also shopped at your store locations in New York City for around the same time. I have recommended your stores to several friends throughout the country. I can safely say that I have bought thousands of dollars worth of business to your stores. I enjoy your stores immensely. Your customer service in every story I have been in has been of a caliber I have never experienced in any other super market. Your prices are inexpensive and you always seem to have sales on items that we need. Your store is also environmentally friendly and filled with organic produce.
I have noticed that I come from a demographic that normally doesn't frequent your fine establishment. I hail from the projects. I am Afro Latino, participate in hip hop culture, and I teach Capoeira. When I go to your stores, which is usually out of my way, I don't see too many people that look like me. I don't have a problem with it but I have a solution for you.
Oftentimes, we are told by the powers that be that people from economically deprived neighborhoods should eat healthier foods. I wholeheartedly agree. Our family has been vegetarian for over ten years. We drink plenty of water and get plenty of exercise. However for us to get those healthy food choices, we have to travel out of our way. Where we currently live in Dayton, Ohio, we have to travel close to 25 minutes to go to your store. A family we know rides their bike an hour each way to reach your store with a baby in tow! As you can see, quite a few of us are determined to make sure we have healthy eating choices. Yet a good number of us do not have those opportunities.
I think it would do a good number of us a huge service if Trader Joe was to open up a store in an economically deprived community. Think of the good it will do if your fine supermarket were to open up a store in the Bronx, New York or Detroit, Michigan. Think of the access, the healthy choices, and the wonderful customer service people in those deprived areas will have. My mother will not be able to find it difficult to convince her friends to shop there. People I know and love will not have to take a plane, train, and an automobile to reach your stores.
Some will say that people in those neighborhoods will not buy healthy foods if given the alternative. I disagree. How can we say something to that effect if we do not give people in our community that choice? Studies have shown that people in economically deprived neighborhoods actually pay more for poor quality foods then people in economically advantaged neighborhoods when they pay for higher quality foods. I am sure if given the opportunity to purchase healthy foods at reasonable prices, people in economically deprived neighborhoods will make the right choice.
I know my family and I did and we don't live in economically advantaged areas. We don't mind paying a little extra to drive out to your stores. We live in a free market economy and I know how it works. There has to be an incentive for Trader Joe's. There is. You will make a substantial amount of money. Of course, there is no way for me to guarantee it. As a valued customer, I am sure you value my opinion and will take this idea into consideration.
In the last few months, I have been hearing quite a few people state that the institution of marriage should be thrown out. Many have come out to say that the institution of marriage is outdated and should be discarded. It is obvious that I disagree with them on so many levels. I am a historian, so I am no fool.
I understand that in most cultures, marriage is pretty much slavery for women. Despite the economic advantages, women would still be second class citizens. In some cultures, women were passed on pretty much as property from their fathers to their husbands.
I don't find that marriage is outdated. Studies across the board that children that come from a two parent home do much better across the board and through all economic levels then others. I know that for our babies, marriage gives them a greater advantage. It gives them one that we can visibly see each and every day.
What has changed is gender roles. Women can go out and earn their own and be financially independent. It is not considered unmanly for a man to learn how to cook and clean. We also don't live in an agrarian society anymore. We don't need to have scores of children to maintain a farm. Those are things we should keep in mind. Marriage can be more than just a stable financial unit.
The naysayers can be split into three categories: a.) those that have never been in a FUNCTIONAL monogamous relationship, b.) those that have never been married (and probably never will), c.) those that have been married and it failed miserably.
I can't blame them for being cynical. I can't blame them for being frustrated at not being able to find a mate. It's real out there and scary. To be honest, I could not see myself out there dating. Some of the stories make me cringe and hold on to my children. As usual I digress.
In my almost 9 years of marriage, I continue to learn the valuable lesson that love is hard work (big up Miguel Alcarin and big up to my Mother, the divine GODDESS). I also realized that not everyone is built for this. This does not imply that someone who is not married is less than someone who is. I look at it like the military, not everyone is built for the military and the military is not built for everyone. I know plenty of strong and fierce women and men who never served in the military and who I know will give their life for me in a minute just like I know women and men who served who would do the same. I can apply this to marriage.
Instead of complaining, I think more people should man/woman up and admit that they are just not built for it. Heck, there are quite a few things I am not built for and yes I have tried them. I never parachuted out of an airplane but I plan on doing it. After executing that move, I will tell you whether I am built for it. I remember a paratrooper admitting to me that he pooped his pants each and every time he jumped. He did 24 jumps and earned his parachute wings. He never did it again. He admitted that he was not built for it. I admired him for his number of jumps, but I admired him more for admitting that it just wasn't for him.
Marriage is a large amount of work. I look at it like a garden. You get what you put into it. One must stand a constant vigil over one's garden. You don't want to find patches of brown throughout the garden, it would mean impending doom for what you have grown. In marriage, one cannot think of one self. The best analogy I can give is that of the Akan symbol of the two lizards and one stomach. If one mate eats something poisonous, both will suffer.
Are there days when I want to quit? No doubt. Are there days when I think I made a big mistake? Of course. What we should ask ourselves is when do we not doubt ourselves? Like everything else in life, it's a risk. It is a risk that is well worth it.
I enjoy our marriage. We have more ups and downs. The downs really test our love for one another. Those downs are enough to break any individual down. But as a unit, we can break through brick walls with ease. We are both built for this.
(as of this writing, Quincy Jones has offered to buy back Vibe Magazine)
I had very mixed feelings about the closing of Vibe magazine. When it was first published and launched by Quincy Jones in 1993. I was one of the first to get a subscription. Back then it was just $8.95 a year. Many of my favorite writers from the Source ended up there so it made sense to start reading it. The pictures were as sharp and vivid as those of Rolling Stone. Their exposes were rich and intriguing. Yet right before the murder of Biggie, it fell off hard. No more good write ups, most of the best writers were gone, and they seem to market their magazine to the 106th and Park crowd. So I canceled my subscription. Every now and again, I would pick up a copy after a friend advised me to read a particular article. Yet it was never the same. Even the pictures seemed to lack the artistry from the jump.
I would be a liar if I didn't say that I know quite a few people who launched their careers while working there. Heck, I tried to get a gig there almost 15 years ago and didn't even receive those dreadful letters that declined my resume and letters of inquiry (I just learned that Harry Allen, the infamous media assassin and 50% of reason why I began writing was never offered a permanent gig there -- so I am in good company). I also know a handful of people who ate well and supported their families working there. Yet the magazine still managed to fall off.
When I heard that their offices were closing my feelings were mixed. Being laid off is not something I would wish on my worst enemy especially in these dire economic times. So my heart goes out to those who are losing jobs they needed.
However, Vibe magazine was wack and I don't think contributed anything but a stepping stone to up and coming writers. Yet that is not the focus of this entry.
It pretty much comes down to business models. We all know that magazines make no money through subscriptions. Those rolls are needed to convince advertisers to purchase ad space in those magazines. As a former editor I know the deal. Folks won't buy pages if you don't show them the numbers. However no one, even the fine intelligent folks at the New York Times, saw the writing on the wall. One cannot depend solely on advertising dollars. Newstand sales in the last decade for any magazine or newspaper have fallen sharply for a myriad of reasons. Yet no one made a move to start something new. No one made the move to flip the script.
I am sure, there were some people who said "hey, why don't we try this to make some dough?" and were probably laughed out of the boardroom (doesn't this always happen? I have been a victim to this and I am by no means a genius). But alas, I was not there so I can't really speak on it.
My biggest gripe I have with Vibe is who they were marketing to. Yes, they marketed to the teenie bopper Lil Wayne fanatics. In other words, they put out low brow puff/nut sac pieces. Every now and again, they published a banger or two but pretty much after 1995 to 1996, it was a wrap.
Some will say, "well no one wants to read cerebral pieces..." My response? Tell that sh** to The New Yorker Magazine or Vanity Fair. "Well Dan Tres Omi, there are no music magazines that do that..." Hello, every heard of URB? What about Wax Poetics which doesn't even a discount to subscribers (gee, that's an idea, having subscribers and making $$$ -- see someone was paying attention in the boardroom). Those are but a few magazines that have a nice following and put out some great articles. Some have been around for decades while others just in their teens. One can put out a wonderful magazine that focuses on the aesthetics of a culture and still maintain a sizeable staff and a very supportive following. Trust me that teenie bopper crowd is very finicky, homie.
Quite a few people will argue that print is dead anyway. I beg to differ. If that was the case, people would be buying the Amazon Kindle like crack in the 1980s but they aren't. We must remember that only a little over 21% of the world's population are using the internet. It is easy to live in a post industrial modern society and assume that everyone else lives like we do. I digress, sisters and brothers, but you catch my drift.
What is different is how we need to market things. What is different is how we need to approach acquiring money to produce what we want. What we should be learning in this day and age is that corporate money is not the end all be all.
What we should be worrying about is the fact that despite all the technology we have, fewer people are reading. Or fewer people are reading the right things. Reading is brain food however that is a post for another day.
To the Vibe Magazine, good riddance. Get te vale para carajo! You will not be missed.
a. consisting of or functioning as a return in kind
Another important part of any relationship, be it between mother and son, best friends, husband and wife, boss and subordinate, is reciprocity. This is the best way that each person knows that their investment is valued. And yes, a relationship is an investment. As Miguel Alcarin said, "love is hard work."
I know that as we get older and get caught up in the hustle and bustle of working life, we tend to make less time for our peoples. Moving away from our folks on the east coast has been hard on our family. Yet the Omi's always hold it down and have no problems making new friends and creating that nurturing community. However, this does not mean that I forget my friends back east. If anything, it should strengthen our bonds and make us value one another more.
One would assume that with all the new technology, it would be much easier to stay in contact. This has not been the case. Thus, the issue of reciprocity.
I have been known to really stay in contact with folks. I still write letters and send postcards. It's a habit I picked up while in the Navy. If you want me to write, just say the word and I will. I still send cards with written words in them. I call to check up on folks and if I am in your area, I make an attempt to contact you. I am that brother. While I am still working on being a human being, I am not the best friend to have by far. I still have things to work out.
What bothers me however is that if I call someone a few times a week and leave messages, I MIGHT get a text message back. If I send someone a post card letting them know that I am thinking of them, I get a comment on facebook. What's up with that?
Again, I don't expect folks to write me a ten page letter (yes, I write ten page letters!) to reply to one I wrote them. I would rather they give me a call. While I dig technology, a good number of us have used it to replace intimacy and real social contact. I am old school cat, I prefer building with folks face to face. I prefer drinking beer with strangers and sharing life experiences. I prefer to hear people's voices and know that they are okay. So much is lost in texting, IMing, or leaving comments on someone's page.
To be honest, you never know how much it might mean to someone if you call them, or send them a little card, or hop in for a little 15 minute visit. It is important for us to maintain those bonds. Those bonds are maintained through healthy physical contact.
I can't front, I need that reassurance as well. I am a human being. I don't want to be that ghost in the shell. Affection is more than just electro magnetic stimuli to me. I need to hear voices, see folks, see pictures in print.
Reciprocity fits into that. Again, I don't expect a ten page letter or a fat order on snapfish on photo books. A phone call will suffice.
Sequels are a tough thing to pull off. I find that there are only a few directors in the history of Hollywood that have followed a movie with a better sequel. To be honest, only George Lucas comes to mind. I think anyone can admit that "Empire Strikes Back," is the best sequel ever. Yet I digress. I must admit that I never felt Michael Bay as a director. When I heard he was tapped to direct the first Transformers adaptation I decided I was not going to see it. Somehow, I made it to the theater and I was impressed. I was so impressed that I was looking forward to the sequel.
I was able to get a ticket for a Wednesday evening show. I had the opportunity to talk to other eager movie watchers. Like me, they were excited. The general mood was that this was going to be the summer blockbuster. This was going to be the one to beat after the disappointing Wolverine movie.
Like most Hollywood summer blockbusters, the storyline was thrown out the window and the director just added several explosions with some half dressed latest go to girl running around blasting bad guys. It seems as if the writers decided to just throw every storyline about the Transformers ever written (death of Optimus Prime, the leadership Cog, the Primes, etc.) and mythical archetypes of the Messiah and other earthly ditties into one 2 and a half hour movie without a clever way of tying it all up. What made the first Transformers movie great was that it was a simple plot. Mind you, I wanted to see robots blow each other up but I don't mind some decent writing thrown in to keep the story flowing. I guess this time, Bay was looking for the loot.
The Good
Optimus Prime really saved this movie. To be honest, the things didn't get down until he showed up. The fight scene between Prime, Megatron, Starscream, and another Decepticon reminded me of why I went to see this film. Although the fight scene moves fast, Prime gets busy. The fight seen in the end with Fallen and Megatron is also worth the price of admission.
A Rail Gun. A rail gun gets used in the movie. You don't see too much of those.
They figured out a way to put Soundwave into the movie without making him a boom box. He was made into a satellite and helped coordinate Decepticons to come to several locations. The Bad
Where should I start? Megatron gets handled in this movie. I mean he came off like Starscream. Even earthlings were handling Megatron. In part one, everyone ran from this Decepticon. This time, he gets treated like an extra.
Decepticons turning into humans? Decepticons turing into sex starved co-eds? With metal tails that come from their rear ends? Or with tongues that seem to stretch with no end?
Mrs. Witwicky eating marijuana laced brownies and running around a college campus discussing her son's virginity? Dogs humping each other? A robot humping a human woman's leg? Is this Transformers or "Superbad?"
A Decepticon named Fallen? Did I spell that correctly? And they want me to take him seriously. He is the guy behind this entire war. Gee, reminds me of this guy named Beelzebub. But his name was never Fallen. And Megatron was his apprentice.
Sam Witwicky is the Chosen one? Gee, reminds me of this guy named HAY SOOS. Hey, I came to see robots blow each other up. Why all the mysticism? Again too many subplots to try to fit into a 2 and a half hour movie.
If I see one more slow mo scene I will puke. I think every other scene in this movie was done in slow motion. Despite slowing things down, the subplots were not tied together in the end. I know that with the CG some of the scenes were overwhelming so the frames had to be slowed down so that the audience can see what is going on. In Part Two, however, even the scenes were in slow motion. Scenes that didn't need to be in slow motion, were framed that way. It was tiring.
Too many new robots. I dug the first one because there were only a few robots to keep track of. It seems as if every two minutes, a new robot was introduced. Again, just too much going on.
What's up with the old SR-71 Decepticon? I think his name was Fire Fox. A robot with a cane? Come on man, folks are reaching for humor.
When I was a youngblood, I thought the Constructicons were the joint. Not anymore. Thank you Michael Bay for ruining that. The Ugly
I know, I know. I cannot expect Hollywood to really show love to non whites. It's like expecting Lil' Wayne to say something intelligent. I have always found Hollywood movies in the 21st century to be slick with their racism. Not in Transformers 2. Introducing Skids and Mudflap. Yes a robot named Mudflap equipped with a gold front to boot. Yes, he even had googly eyes like those old sambo characters. Yes, I said it, a robot with googly eyes. One would think that technologically advanced robots from another galaxy would have it in their right minds to make robots with eyes that stay transfixed in their domes. Did I mention that these two buffoons consistently say "bus a cap in yo ass," and "...bitchaz.." throughout the entire movie.
As usual, people of African descent can't build a darn thing on their own. So of course, Kemites could not have designed and constructed the pyramids. It was the Decepticons! There is even a close up of John Turturro's character saying "aliens built the pyramids, YES!"
Again, I find it amazing that most of the movie takes place outside of the U.S. and no people of color, other than Tyrese, have a hand in it. Okay, Jordanians make a quick entry into one scene but they don't have the firepower we Americans have so the Decepticons took them out in seconds. By the way, Tyrese gets less lines than KRS One did in Who's The Man.
Oh don't take your children to see this, even robots have testicles! I don't know what one has to do to get an R Rating but come on. Again, I thought I was watching the robot version of Superbad at times. Whatever happened to robots blowing each other up?
Overall, the movie is worth getting on bootleg from that guy at work you don't care too much for. Thank you Hollywood for ruining another childhood past time.
I am 36 years young and I do work in white collar job. In that sector, many of the men in my age definitely go out of their way to promote their male privilege (let's not even talk about white skin privilege). Part of that is playing golf. What the mainstream media doesn't tell you is that golf is where many high powered executives and white elites make their deals. This is one of the reasons why golf clubs remain one of the very few all white organizations in this country. Yes, they let in the occasional person of African descent in there but that's just for publicity.
(Profesor Mandrill and I in Kentucky)
Every now and again, someone invites me to play golf. Of course my response is always, "I don't play golf, I play capoeira!" Which is also followed by a brief history lesson. While I always approached Capoeira from the vantage of person of African descent, it was not until the last couple years that I began to approach it from an academic level. Capoeira is tremendously different from golf not just from an aesthetic and physical level. It is also different from an economic, environmental, and a hierarchical level.
1. You can play Capoeira anywhere and pretty much at anytime.
This is why I really enjoy it. I have played capoeira in a darkly lit, hole in the wall bar, in a cathedral, and for the United Nations. Sometimes we have played with a full bateria (orchestra), one berimbau, or even one pandeiro (tambourine). There are times I might run into a capoeirista and we play a quick jogo (game). You never know who you will meet. Now extend this further into the world. Capoeira is world wide. From the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to the shanty towns of Lagos, Nigeria to the skyscrapers of Tokyo, folks get down like that.
2. The music
Capoeira is a prime example of the universal appeal of music. The lyrics to the music in Capoeira are sung in portuguese. To do otherwise would be sacrilegious. Many will say "but singing in portuguese represents how that group of people oppressed Africans." While they have a point, the delivery, concepts, and what is discussed is African based. Even the instruments used are based on african drum percussions. So even the singing is a form of rebellion.
Yet it's dope that i can go to NYC or Mexico City and jump into any roda and sing and we all get it. Can't do that in golf. It is a language we can all speak or understand. While we many not speak portuguese, we understand the concepts discussed in those songs. We can apply them or understand their applications. Golf is devoid of any universalizing rituals.
3. One doesn't need much to play a game
This is definitely where one sees a class difference. I have always found golf to be white male patriarchy's conquest of space. I have always found it interesting to find golf courses in the middle of the hood where the residents of that community have completely NO access to that space. At the same time, those same communities have lost prime space to develop for their own purposes not due to their fault of their own.
With capoeira as I mentioned before, I can play anywhere. Capoeira is essentially, like most african diasporic forms of martial art and dance, a fight for time and space. Often in response to situations like the white upper class taking over real estate in deprived neighborhoods for their own purposes.
This is where Capoeira takes on a more radical approach to things. It reminds me of how police stop cats from b-boying in the street. THe same approach here. In Brazil after emancipation, the police stopped people from playing capoeira. It was an unconscious attempt to claim space. In capoeira, it is the same thing. Most of us acquire spaces with permission from the state. Sometimes the police will ask us to move without any provocation from anyone and sometimes they leave us alone when we don't get permission. But even if we post up in club or at a festival, the struggle is obvious. What's dope is that the audience gets caught up in that struggle. They dig it and stay on the edges of the roda (circle) and at times participate. When someone asks us to stop, the audience even gets mad and their support is there.
In Golf, that does not happen. Usually people in the communities surrounding those courses have no say in the matter.
One needs space to play either. Yet with Capoeira, not much is needed. Heck, I even played right outside of a bathroom one time with two other cats from Abada. It was dope. For that moment in time, we claimed that space for our own. With golf, one needs to take down homes and parts of communities to conduct a game.
4. Environmentally, golf sucks.
Plain and simple. Trees are taking down and lands flattened. Nothing of ecological value is recreated or replaced. Golf courses are not sustainable on any level. Again this is a clear demonstration of white male patriarchal conquest.
Now I will admit that when it comes to Capoeira, we need to find a new material to replace the berim wood on the berimbau. Other than that, one can play capoeira anywhere, no landscaping needed. It is sustainable and thrives on being out in the open air. Unlike golf, it urges its practitioners to stay in shape.
For those of my homies who play golf and might be offended by this piece. Please be offended. Remember that an agnry response is a subconscious tick that is urging one to defend their male privilege and golf represents that privilege. Yet that is a discussion for another post.
I might change my mind when golf course allow our folks to work, play, and use the space for other things outside of golf OR golf courses found in the hood sell their space for affordable housing and garden plots.
