Still trying to figure out this blog thing. what does this mean? what am I doing? do I wanna keep a public diary (sotospeak)? i mean, who cares? and if someone does, why? (Just had a thought that I would read of any one of my heroes, Olu Dara, Albert Murray…haven’t I read?, don’t I read?, Anais Nin’s diaries avidly? Currently re-reading “Henry and June” for, like, the umpteenth time, so wouldn’t I ‘follow’ her if she blogged?)
Living in Washington Heights, right below Fort Tryon Park, reminds me of living in Montmartre. The outskirts of the city, higher elevation—cool and urbane. Been starting my days with walks to the Cloisters. I need the exercise, and the charm, too — not a word that I generally associate with the U.S., and certainly not New York these days. Though I do wonder if it’s me? I don’t approach my life here as if it is a ‘charmed existence’, too many reminders of life’s horrors here, the more insidious white racism for one, which permeates all facets of society. So much so, that I am just as likely subject to the white racism of someone as dark as I am, darker sometimes. I hate a dumb ass!
Those sometimes funny Nation of Islam dudes have great terminology regarding the “white man.” They call him a devil because his behavior is devilish, cruel and rascally. The white man’s a rascal. They incant, “The white man sure is the devil, he sure is a devil, he sure is…” Oh, but my favorite is when they insist that the white man uses “tricknology” on the Blacks. I love it! For me, it all conjures up images of Shakespeare’s Iago and Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray. I like the term’s suggestion of science, too. The Nation calls the original white man, “Yacub” (I’m pretty sure), “the big head scientist.” Now that’s some funny shit!