Black Heritage Day February 4
Reply
Ira Gardner: Happy belated birthday Dr. King
Martin Luther King Day
Happy belated birthday Dr. King. I am typically late with birthday wishes and this one is no exception. I started to write this the morning of January 16th but was interrupted by a lack of confidence that as a white male I had any right to publish words about such a great leader. Today I thought better of it and decided to push through my own discomfort.
Today is Martin Luther King’s birthday and a Federal holiday. I took this day off to enjoy being with my son and his boy scout troop skiing. I am grateful for this time together but also feel obligated to acknowledge and honor the gift Martin Luther King has given us through his words, acts, and ultimately with his life.
Thanks to the power of the internet and podcasts, I started the day listening to a lecture by the poet Rita Dove and learning about a African-European concert violinist George Bridgetower who at one time was the acquaintance of Beethoven and inspired him to write a sonata dedicated to him. I have been a fan of Beethoven since I learned to play Für Elise as a young child on the piano. I was surprised I had not heard of Mr. Bridgetower before, but then again I wasn’t as it seems most of the contributions of people of color are overlooked in mainstream society and we continue to teach our children the ideology of Manifest Destiny.
Writing Your Life Story Class Correction
In our post “We All Have A Story” of February 1, 2012 we gave information about a writing class. The class has been cancelled for winter quarter but will be offered in the Spring. The new information is below. For more information check the Community Colleges of Spokane Continuing Education website.
| Writing Your Life Story* | |
| Item: M370 | Dian Zahner |
| 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM | Location: Magnuson Building, Rm: 0120 |
| Sessions: 5 Tu | 2917 W Fort George Wright Drive Spokane, WA 99224 |
| 4/3/2012 – 5/1/2012 | Fee: $36.00 |
How To Be Black: Baratunde Thurston
It’s no coincidence that Baratunde Thurston’s new memoir and satirical self-help book How to Be Black was slated for release on the first day of Black History Month.
“I feel great about that,” Thurston tells Fresh Air‘s Terry Gross. “I think we have a moment every year in our country where everyone buys black stamps and thinks more explicitly about black people and blackness, so it was a perfect month to release a book on this subject.”
Thurston, a stand-up comedian and The Onion‘s digital director, says that he doesn’t get as many gigs this month as one might think.
Let Baratunde tell you his story.
This is for Rose
Don Cornelius: remembering the music he brought to us
And remembering the Don Cornelius memories Rose shared with us the summer of 2011.
Ivan Bush Joins Police Use of Force Commission
The membership of the City of Spokane’s Use of Force Commission is now complete. Ivan Bush, equal opportunity officer for Spokane School District 81, and Susan Hammond, director of outpatient and psychiatric services for Spokane Mental Health are two of the members.
Former mayor Mary Vernor established the commission and chose Earl Martin, former dean of the Gonzaga Law School, as the chair.
The purpose of the commission was originally to investigate the use of force by police in the Otto Zehm case. Chair Martin says the the commission will now also review police procedures and training and civilian police oversight.
Other members of the commission include retired Washington State Supreme Court Chief Justice Gerry Alexander and Bill Hyslop, former states attorney for Eastern Washington.
See the Spokesman Review article of January 25, 2012 for additional details:
Ex-chief justice joins police use of force panel
Black Heritage Day February 2
We All Have a Story
From Angela B:
Loved the calendar story today and I found a lot of similarity with self. I am supporting the Giants for once because a Ugandan is playing in the team.
Kiwanuka Goes Home, but His Heart Is Far Away
By SAM BORDEN
Published: January 30, 2012 New York Times
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Mathias Kiwanuka says he does not remember how old he was when he first found out his grandfather had been assassinated. He struggles to remember the point at which he realized the true meaning of his own last name. He is not certain when he became aware of his family’s importance in African history.
But that is not important, Kiwanuka said recently, because he knows now. He read about his grandfather Benedicto Kiwanuka’s becoming the first prime minister of Uganda and heard about the plight forced upon a man trying to mold freedom out of a society stiffened by chaos. He learned about the pain and suffering Benedicto saw and felt.
And so he knows, too, about Benedicto’s being killed by the despot Idi Amin, a death foretold by some, dreaded by many and seen by experts as a development that set back progress in East Africa for years.
This week, as the Giants prepare to face the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, Mathias Kiwanuka will be the subject of countless articles and interviews. The reason is obvious: This is his return home. Kiwanuka, now a linebacker for the Giants, was born in Indianapolis. He went to Cathedral High School, a little more than 10 miles from Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Super Bowl will be played Sunday. He won two state championships.
Everyone will want to tell his story, whether it is about his old high school days or how he ended up at Boston College. Old friends will gather around, too, wanting to know about how this season went or how Kiwanuka’s brother, Ben, is doing a year and a half after a horrific motorcycle accident that Kiwanuka witnessed from his own bike just feet away. (Ben is doing well, Kiwanuka said.) Some may even want to talk fatherhood – after all, Kiwanuka and his fiancée are expecting a daughter in March.
We all have a story to tell. We would love to publish yours here. Send it to us at info@4comculture.com
Need help getting started telling your story? The Cummunity Colleges Institute for Extended Learning has a class you can take starting tomorrow:
Writing Your Life Story
We all have a story to tell. Let’s remember, write it, and possibly pass it along. Exercises each day with prompts, reading and free writes help you write your story. class includes a bibliography of memoirs and hits on how to write a memoir.
Item: M370 Dian Zahner
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm 5 Thursdays 2/2/2012 – 3/1/2012 $36
Location: CenterPlace, Rm: 205 2426 N Discovery Place, Spokane Valley
Contact (509) 279-6030 or 1 – (800) 845-3324
Black Heritage Day February 1
Black Heritage Day February 1