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The Lynching of Mary Turner in My Hometown in 1918
"Her body was cut open and her infant fell to the ground with a little cry, to be crushed to death by the heel of one of the white men present." - On the lynching of Mary Turner
For the last year or so, I have been researching my family's history in Virginia and southern Georgia. For the most part, this journey has been very rewarding, finding a newspaper article on my great, great, great grandfather who was born into slavery in the 1850s, discovering an extended relative who was one of the first Black principals in Central Virginia, and uncovering Native American ancestors. Unfortunately, I have also confronted the brutality and racism that defined the world in which they lived. Such was the case in Valdosta, GA in 1918.
Lynching has a long and a very depressing history, the history of which I can't even begin to describe in this entry. What I can say, however, is that experts have approximated that the number of African Americans who were lynched between the 1890s and 1930s averaged 103 per year and were often perpetuated by lynch mobs. As early as 1880, Brooks County, a county formed in 1858 from a portion of Valdosta, had developed a reputation for racial violence.
Brooks County, named after South Carolina congressman Preston Brooks, established a reputation second to none in Georgia for race violence. During the era of lynching, 1880-1930, the county established a ...reputation for mob violence on an unprecedented scale; there were at least twenty-four confirmed victims of lynchings. In December 1894, a mob lynched five men in a single incident. Lynchings were carried out on a regular basis, with mobs taking lives in August 1898, January 1901, July 1909, June 1911, March 1913, November 1917, and May 1918. There were more lynchings in Brooks than any county in Georgia; Fitzhugh Brundage has suggested that the county was the most mob-prone county in the entire South.( n10) It should come as no surprise, then, that the single lynching incident that claimed the most number of lives in Georgia, in May 1918, occurred in that county. ("Killing Them by the Wholesale" by Christopher Meyers)
It was in this historical context that Mary Turner, eight-months pregnant, became one of the most gruesome cases of lynching, racism and lawlessness in the United States. Responding to her husband's lynching, which supposedly involved his complicity with the murder of a white man, papers reported that Turner's statement about her husband's lynching being "unjust" "only inflamed" the white mob which had already claimed eight Black lives. Descriptions of Mary Turner's lynching are some of the hardest writings to stomach.
"The mob tied her ankles together and hung her to a tree head down and gasoline from automobiles was poured over her. Turner's clothing was burned off of her body. A member of the mob produced a sharp knife and her stomach was laid open; her unborn child fell to the ground. Hundreds of bullets were then fired into Turner until she was barely recognizable as a human being. Both Turner and her child were buried about ten feet from the tree, the grave marked by a whiskey bottle with a cigar placed in the neck." (Meyers)
Gladly, Valdosta has come a long way from Mary Turner, but unfortunately, two recent story coming out of Valdosta show me how far Valdosta still has to go.
Valdosta Court Refuses to Admit Muslim Woman for "Security Reasons"
The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today criticized officials in the Valdosta, Georgia, municipal court for denying a Muslim woman entrance to the courtroom because she refused to remove her head scarf. 20-year-old Aniisa Karim had come to court to challenge a speeding ticket, but was denied entry on the basis of security concerns, security guards told her....Read More
White Students Hang Black Doll From Tree
Three white students painted a doll black and hanged it from a schoolyard tree, prompting calls from parents and the local NAACP that the FBI should investigate the act as a hate crime....Read More
We Can No Longer Ignore the Issue of Race
I talk a lot about racism on my website, but never did I think that someone could be tortured, held in captivity, sexually abused, humiliated, and be forced to eat dog and rat feces all because they were black. In commenting on Megan Williams' ordeal in West Virginia authorities are saying this...
"At one point, an assailant cut the woman's ankle with a knife and used
the N-word in telling her she was victimized because she is black,
authorities said. They said the young was also forced to eat dog feces..."
"Her captors, all of them white, choked her with a cable cord and
stabbed her in the leg while calling her a racial slur, poured hot
water over her and made her drink from a toilet, according to criminal
complaints."
I have said time and time again that the white population in this country does not want to talk about race because they are afraid of what they might see in the mirror. Whites like to think and would like for everyone else to think that the United States is the freest nation in the world, but it is the freest nation in the world if you are Caucasian. If you are Black, even educated, you face a lifetime struggle in fighting for your rights to be heard, represented, and respected. I can't say that I am altogether surprised by what happened to Megan Williams, though the manner in which she was treated was comparable to being a slave in the deepest part of the Deep South.
As long as whites treat the issue of race as being a 'Black problem', they will never truly understand democracy, humanity, and freedom because in order for their freedom, humanity, and justice to be realized they must release themselves of their own white supremacy and hatred against everyone who is not white.
I am not just talking about the more overt forms as with Megan Williams, but I am talking about the subtle forms, like using affirmative action as a scapegoat for their own desire to preserve the greatest gifts of this country for whites. Affirmative action is not an automatic ticket to higher education or employment, nor should it be, but the mere use of race as one factor is being manipulated to mean that minorities can't even get into a college without allegations of not working hard enough, being smart enough, or deserving enough. Whites also have a way of ignoring minorities in how they contribute to the character of this nation.
They don't care much about Black history or culture, neither does their ignorance excite them to put up a book, or watch a movie, or start a conversation with a person of color. I once discussed this issue with a white student who was entering into the teaching field with a focus on American history. In encouraging him to read various books on minority history, he dismissed my gesture by saying that he does not have have time being that he's a new teacher, but as soon as he's comfortable in his subject matter, he'll "look into it". This is the nature of being white in America.
Whites are so secured in their notion that this nation belongs to them that any other groups' attempt to claim ownership is disposable, sneered at, and ridiculed.
To them, the notion that Blacks have made an indelible mark on this country seems fabricated, if not down right stupid. If my remarks seem hyperbolic, then just a white person, "What does it feel like to be white." More than likely they will look confounded, but deep inside they will know that whiteness in this country is power: power to dominate, power to inflict, and power to conquer.
It is with this power that those white West Virginians virtually enslaved Megan Williams.
Here are the facts as reported in various news stories
1. 20-year-old Charleston, W.Va., resident Megan Williams, a black woman, was allegedly abducted, held captive for at least a week and tortured by six white individuals from Logan County, W.Va. Black Missing
2. A prosecutor said police are investigating the possibility that the victim was lured to the house where she was attacked by a man she met on the internet, but Carmen Williams insisted that wasn’t the case. “This wasn’t from the Internet,” she said. ABC NEWS
3.
On September 12, 2007 six white residents of Logan County were arrested
and charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, malicious wounding, and
battery against Megan Williams, who is Black and Mentally Challenged.
It is also reported that the defendants allegedly repeatedly used
racial slurs while forcing Megan to eat human feces, rat feces, and
drink urine while trapped at the Logan County, West Virginia residence. Send 2 Press
4. Frankie Brewster, 49, and her son Bobby Brewster, 24, are accused of kidnapping, sexual assault and malicious wounding. Karen
Burton, 46, George Messer, 27, Alisha Burton, 23 and Danny Combs, 20,
are charged with sexual assault and malicious wounding. SKY.COM
5. Authorities say they held a 20-year-old black woman for about a week at their mobile home, where she was tortured, sexually assaulted and forced to eat rat droppings. Court TV
Black Folks Really Get on My Nerves
Black folks really got some nerves. We'll march until the cows come home in protest against a white person who has done some immoral or unlawful crime against a Black person as in Jena, but when our community is at fault for being the criminal and victim, mum's the word. Whatever happened to marching against thugs, which of course the Jena 6 were not, who ruin our communities, kill our children, and somehow make it fashionable and cool to become part of this prison culture? Whatever happen to making our Black parents accountable for not teaching their children what it means to dress honorably, to talk intelligently, and to be respected? I am not saying that Black folks should not be in Jena right now (because they absolutely should), but they need to get their head out of the clouds. When it comes to more pervasive questions...
Can parents feed and shelter their children?
Will a Black child fall victim to the streets?
Why are Black people half of all homicide victims and criminals?
Do Black folks live in safe and uplifting communities?
Will Black children learn of their people's history?
Do Black people care enough about their history?
Why Do Black people vote in such low numbers especial given our minority status?
What do they have to say to that? I don't see any Black people marching over these issues and it's a shame!
Here's something to march about!
- From 1976-2005, 94% of black victims were killed by blacks [3]
- Thirteen percent of all adult Black men- 1.4 million - are disenfranchised (which is related to the first point), representing one-third of the total disenfranchised population and reflecting a rate of disenfranchisement that is seven times the national average. [4]
- The prevalence of diabetes among African Americans is about 70% higher than among white Americans. [1]
- Infant morality rates for African Americans are twice as that of the white population [2]
The Black Church, Oh How I Love Thee!
The Bishop's Council of 1892, Philadelphia, Pa.
During church service in Heard County, Georgia, April 1941.
Church service, Woodville, Greene County, Georgia, October 1941.
A meeting of African American ministers of Macon County, Alabama.
Officers of Baptist Woman's Missionary Convention, 1915Credit: New York Public Library
What Made Pastor Thomas Weeks Lose It?
There are rumors circulating that Bishop Thomas W Weeks III, husband of televangelist and best-selling author Juanita Bynum, may have violently assaulted his wife due to threats issued by Bynum that she would go public with claims that he was sexually involved with men from his church. What is certain is that Weeks and his wife were engaged in an argument when he suddenly attacked her, even choking and kicking her. Apparently, when he walked out of a meeting in which they were trying to reconcile after a separation, Bynum confronted Weeks in the parking lot of the hotel. One has to wonder what could have driven Weeks to be so violent when he had demonstrated such restraint by walking out earlier.
Is this the case of a down low bishop? Or a bishop who had enough with trying to piece his marriage back together? At this point, the facts do not lean one way or the other, but if it turns out to be the former, then the whole down low phenomenon has reached all new lows (or highs, depending on how you look at it.) I don't mean to imply that this is a phenomenon in the sense that this is unique in American social development, only that we have just recently been able to put a label on a practice that predates the church itself. Interestingly, men having sex with men is as natural to human history as is heterosexual sex. Though for reasons related to social norms, religious doctrines, and legal and political structures, this history has been marginalized. After McGreevey, Haggard, Bob Allen, and others, you'd think that we would stop being so shocked that this happens. But I guess it'll take a whole lot for that.
Related Links
Juanita Bynum's MySpace Page
Weeks Out on Bond
Weeks' Official Website
Juanita Bynum Savagely Beaten
Televangelist Attacked in Atlanta
Ten Reasons Why I'm Not Feeling Patriotic
#10- 66.3% of Americans are overweight or obese and no one thinks that we should have public gyms. [11]
#9- The US Supreme Court turns back the clock on integrated schools [10]
#8- We will let the estimated 12 million undocumented workers sweep our floors, work in our fields, care for our young, and pay sales and food taxes, but we don't give them an option of becoming a citizen. [9]
#7- Although only 5% of the world's population, the US shares an astonishing 25% of the world's total prisoner population. While around 6% of the total US population, Black men make up 37% of the US prison population. [7] [8]
#6- An estimated 37 million Americans live in poverty, among which the Black population has the highest percentage at 25% and we still don't have universal health care. [6]
#5- Fifteen states, including my state of Virginia, have hate crime laws that do not include crimes based on sexual orientation[5]
#4- Military victory in Iraq is not winnable. [4]
#3- Nearly 47 million Americans, or 16 percent of the population, were without health insurance in 2005, the latest government data available [3]
#2- The African American population accounts for 50% of all new AIDS diagnoses. [2]
#1- These are the issues, but they are by and large ignored or half-heartedly dealt with.
Other Important Issues 
Source: http://www.publicagenda.org/issues/factfiles_detail.cfm?issue_type=gay_rights&list=14
Imus is not the Problem. We are.
Why Our Support Gives Them License
What is unfortunate about the Imus controversy is that everyone is so busy pointing the finger at Imus that no one is asking the question, “Under what conditions is he saying these remarks?” Certainly, had he known that there was an expectation that he was to conduct himself in a way that does not degrade people based on their race or sex, there is no doubt in my mind that he would not have risked his job just to be able to call a group of girls a bunch of nappy headed hos. The point is that there was a certain comfort level in which he was permitted to say such derogatory remarks. Now, we speculate that his immediate environment reinforced his attitudes and behavior, but I want to suggest that the context is much bigger than his studio. The long list of sponsors which include GM, American Express, Staples, and others signal to me that Imus has too many eager fans and not enough referees. I wonder if anyone ever counseled Imus on what it means to be respectful and honorable or what is the standard by which he is to conduct himself and his show. What no one wants to admit is that Imus is not the only one who contributed to the culture in which he thought that his remarks were acceptable. I believe that top executives are responsible. I think that his listeners are responsible. It’s like they want to give the crazy man the gun but do want him to shoot. When he shoots, then they run for cover. “He went too far,” they cry. But where were their cries when Imus degraded Jews, Blacks, and gays in other ways?
American society is very much the same way. We tolerate bigotry, racism, and homophobia on many levels, but when radio deejays, talk show hosts, and celebrities go too far we try to act like we had nothing to do with it. When George Allen called a student macaca he wasn’t doing so because he thought this would ruin his gubernatorial chances, but because he knew that the conservative base to which he was appealing in Southwest Virginia was used to such racist innuendos. The same goes for Bob Corker in Tennessee. In his case, he rightly assumed that the likely Republican voters wouldn’t mind slight racist talk. When it comes to homophobia, there is hardly any difference. In private and sometimes in public spaces like churches and bars, we tolerate language that degrades gay men and women.
This Imus controversy is less about what he said and more about why he said it. I wish that we would begin to seriously question our responsibility in how these big name celebrities behave. By and large, they wouldn’t say such offensive language if they lack our support in the first place.
They Didn't Just Sit There and Take it!
They were my ancestors who experienced
slavery. I refuse to treat them as “slaves” who did as they were told
and not much else. My people created a rich and dynamic history from which I
benefit and to which the United States is inextricably linked and undeniably
indebted. In fact, at the most difficult moments in our nation’s history, it
was my ancestors who provided a lifeline to the nation; men and women who stood
up for justice, morality, and freedom. I hope that one day we can look back on
slavery without feeling guilty or ashamed. If we just try to give those
enslaved African Americans some credit for their contribution to our history,
then we could begin to move in the right direction. I’ll do my part. How about
you? 
Smalls was born in Charleston, S.C. and for many years was a ship's
pilot in Charleston harbor. In 1862, while Union forces had blockaded
the harbor, the 23 year old Smalls (a slave at the time), and eight
other "colored men" who comprised the engineers and crew of the
Confederate gun-boat "Planter," ran the blockade and delivered the
"Planter" to the Union side --it was, in the words of the Harper's
Weekly account, "one of the most daring and heroic adventures since the
war was commenced" (p. 372). Smalls later became a major general in the
South Carolina militia, a state legislator, and a five-term U.S.
congressman. He also participated in drafting the state's constitution.
In February 2004, The Army's chief of transportation at Fort Eustis (on
the James River by Newport News, Virginia, the home of the US Army
Transportation Corps) announced that the Army's newest ship will be
named for Robert Smalls. "The Major General Robert Smalls" will be the
first Army vessel to be named after an African-American and the first
to be named for a Civil War hero;
Credits: http://hitchcock.itc.virginia.edu/Slavery/index.php
Sing Girl!
Just in case you missed the best performance of the night by Lakisha Jones, here it is!
The Week On Rewind: Jan 28-Feb 4
Topics For This Week 
*J.P. on Cover of Instinct
*Joe Biden Being Bad Boy
*Jesse Jackson Selling Out
*K-fed Bounces Back?
*Zulema Showing at Fashion Week
*An American Idol Tries to Sell Sex
*Oprah's Book Club's New Selection
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Catch me on iTunes
The Week On Rewind: Jan 21-27
Topics Covered in This Episode
*State of the Union Address
*Oprah Responds to Critics
*I Resurrect Tocqueville
*Americans Fail Our Democracy
*Hillary Clinton Bores Her Fans
*I Love New York
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Justine: Hope From Tragedy
Justine Simmons, the wife of Rev Run, has
recently written a children’s book entitled, “God, Can You Hear Me?” She hopes
to encourage children to mature their spiritual well-being by establishing a
relationship with God. This is remarkable for a woman who was dealt a serious
blow when her infant, Victoria, died within hours of being born in September of
2006. MTV will follow the tragedy when Run’s House begins its third season.
There is speculation that its season premiere will be in April, but nothing has
been confirmed.
Dreamgirls Movie Review
I would like to disagree with the claim that “Dreamgirls”
was snubbed by the Academy in not being nominated for Best Picture. We can all
agree that the movie has great music. Additionally, we can all agree that
Jennifer Hudson and Eddie Murphy gave outstanding performances. When it comes
down to it, however, there were many more loose ends, than tight ones. The film
did not come together as a cohesive piece. In fact, the director seems to
experiment throughout the entire movie in a way that makes the film seem like a
disjointed skeleton. The hands are where the feet are supposed to be. The spine
is absent altogether. Nothing seems to be in the right place. Let’s talk about
Jamie Foxx’s character, Curtis. The importance of Curtis is that he is the
narrative thread that connects the whole movie. Curtis is the one who oversees
the group’s early development, maturity, and disbandment. If not for Curtis,
there would be no center along which the various scenes could align. For
example, the reason why we don’t think that Effie is unimportant even after she
leaves the group is due, in part, to her relational and biological connections
with Curtis. Moreover, Curtis is the only one who sustains the plot at the
height of its complexity. When Deena has ventured on her own and Effie is left
to fend for herself, Curtis becomes the glue that makes sense of why we ought
to follow either character in their post-group lives. Now, the portrayal of
this character will make or break the film. To be frank, Jamie Foxx did not bring anything to the table.
He didn’t develop the character in any meaningful. Curtis was as flat and
boring as a sterile glass of water. Jamie Foxx seemed to think that by saying
lines, he would develop character, but obviously he underrated the centrality of
his character and overrated the adaptability of his acting.
On the
contrary, Jennifer Hudson exceeded our expectations and ended up stealing the
whole film. When she wasn’t present, we craved her desperately. Scenes that
didn’t involve her appeared unnecessarily long and tangential. We recognize
that Jennifer was not entirely developed in her acting, but she upstaged every
single character so that we quickly forgave her. I believe that is part of her
appeal. We are drawn to her natural talent and her commonness. We feel like she
is one of us. When she cries out as Effie in “And I Am Telling You I’m Not
Going” we are moved. We are fixed on her every word, hoping, praying that she
will get some relief. In that five minutes, we are forever changed. The world stops.
And we don’t mind Jennifer assuming the position of the sun. Jennifer not only
takes up the slack that Jamie leaves, but she runs with it. She gives us
acting. She gives us drama. She was almost able to deliver an entire movie by
herself, but there were far too many errors made by the other actors. I talked
about Jamie Foxx. There’s Beyoncé. Do I really need to talk about how Beyoncé
should stick to singing and dancing? Her best scenes are the ones when she’s
either doing one or both of these things. She does not bring anything
interesting nor moving to the character. As far as we know, Deena cannot
possibly be a representation of Diana Ross. Beyoncé’s portrayal of her comes
across as a farce, kind of like trying to pass off bologna as steak. The film
never really comes together. It’s a collection of various scenes with actors
and actresses of varying degrees of talent. The only hope to coalesce these
scenes fails when Foxx does not deliver. The film drags when it does not
feature its most important star, Jennifer Hudson, and excels when there is
singing and dancing. Dreamgirls is a nice attempt, but ultimately it doesn’t
measure up
Week on Rewind
NEW FEATURE Starting today, I will have a podcast/blog every Saturday to wrap up the previous week's news. You can catch me here at Black Gay Journeys or cover all the big stuff like who said what about who or what big thing happened in some city that I can only dream about going to, but also the stuff that has luckily stayed out of the papers, like my personal drama. It's going to be a fun experience. I hope you'll join me! It's a show where nothing is off limits! I mean nothing! _________________
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Search for "Black Gay Journeys"
Ella Fitzgerald on Commemorative Stamp
WASHINGTON — The ”First Lady of Song,” Ella Fitzgerald, becomes the
30th honoree in the popular Black Heritage commemorative stamp series
issued by the U.S. Postal Service® on Jan. 10.
The Postal Service™ will commemorate the new 39-cent stamp during a first-day-of-issue ceremony tomorrow at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, N.Y., when the stamp goes on sale nationwide. The stamp image is a portrait based on a photograph taken circa 1956 that captures the joy and excitement that Fitzgerald brought to music.
“The Postal Service is proud to celebrate the life and legacy of Ella Fitzgerald,” said Vice President and Consumer Advocate Delores Killette, who will dedicate the stamp. “Her magnificent voice combined with her gift of pitch made her a remarkable 20th century legend. This stamp is a powerful reminder of her extraordinary contribution to the world of music.”
Joining Killette in dedicating the stamp will be Fitzgerald’s son, Ray Brown, Jr., and Katherine Brown, executive director of Jazz at Lincoln Center.
“My mother would be extremely overwhelmed, honored and surprised to be portrayed on a stamp,” said Ray Brown, Jr. “For me it’s interesting because a stamp is something that’s used every day, yet it gives people an opportunity to reflect on individuals they commemorate and to learn why they are so special.”
“We’re very proud of the commitment the U.S. Postal Service has made to honor the legends of jazz, our true American art form,” added Katherine Brown. “Raising awareness about incredible artists such as Ella Fitzgerald enriches all of our communities. It is indeed a privilege that the Postal Service chose Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center, to launch this special stamp.”
Also scheduled to participate is the internationally renowned song stylist, Nancy Wilson, who will emcee the ceremony; Phoebe Jacobs, executive vice president of the Louis Armstrong Educational Foundation, Inc., and long-time friend of Fitzgerald; Jennifer Sanon, vocalist; and, Rev. Dr. Calvin O. Butts, III, pastor, Abyssinian Baptist Church, New York, N.Y.
Honored guests will include stamp artist Paul Davis and stamp designer Ethel Kessler; Vinnie Malloy, New York district manager and postmaster, U.S. Postal Service; Manuel Gilyard, president, Ebony Society Philatelic Events and Reflections (ESPERS); Barbara A. McKinzie, international president, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., of which Fitzgerald was an honorary member; and other members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Over the years, Fitzgerald won 13 Grammy Awards and many other honors, including the National Medal of Arts, presented to her in 1987 by President Ronald Reagan. She was one of five artists awarded Kennedy Center Honors in 1979. In 1989, the Society of Singers created an award for lifetime achievement, called it the “Ella,” and made her its first recipient. In 2005, Jazz at Lincoln Center inducted Fitzgerald into its Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame.
Fitzgerald continued to perform up until a few years before her death, when failing health compelled her reluctant retirement. She died at her home in Beverly Hills, Calif., on June 15, 1996. Fans and colleagues alike mourned the passing of this beloved singer. Ira Gershwin once remarked, “I never knew how good our songs were until I heard Ella Fitzgerald sing them.”
ELLA FITZGERALD BACKGROUNDER
The First Lady of Song
Fitzgerald (1917–1996) was widely known as “The First Lady of Song.” Her extraordinary vocal range and flexibility, combined with her gift for pitch, rhythmic sense, and flawless diction, made her a favorite of fans, songwriters and other singers.
Ella Jane Fitzgerald was born April 25, 1917, in Newport News, Va. She was still very young when she moved with her mother to Yonkers, N.Y. From an early age, she loved to sing and dance. Although charmed by her performances, people laughed when she told them she was going to be famous. In 1932, after her mother died, she went to live with her aunt in Harlem. By the time she was 16, she was on her own, dancing on the street for tips. In November 1934, Fitzgerald entered an amateur competition at the historic Apollo Theater to show off her dancing skills. At the last minute, she decided to sing instead, and was named the winner. Not long after that, at the Harlem Opera House, she won another talent competition.
Her success as an amateur brought Fitzgerald to the attention of bandleader and drummer Chick Webb, who hired her to sing with his orchestra. In 1938, she and Webb scored a number-one hit record with “A-Tisket, A-Tasket,” a novelty song Fitzgerald co-wrote with Van Alexander based on a child’s rope-skipping rhyme. In this early phase of her career, Fitzgerald showed her mastery of swing music. After Webb’s death in 1939, the band was billed as Ella Fitzgerald and Her Famous Orchestra until its members went their separate ways in 1942.
Performing with Dizzy
The song “Flying Home,” recorded in the fall of 1945, is widely considered a masterpiece of scat singing — the vocalizing of nonsense syllables, often as if the singer were an instrumental soloist. Fitzgerald’s scat reflected her growing interest in bebop, a jazz style that improvised around chords and harmony, as well as melody. Trumpeter Dizzy Gillespie, one of the architects of bebop, encouraged Fitzgerald to “sit in” for jam sessions with his band.
“Listening to Dizzy made me want to try something with my voice that would be like a horn,” Fitzgerald said. “He’d shout, ‘go ahead and blow’ and I would improvise.” Her recordings of songs like “Lady Be Good” and “How High the Moon” consolidated Fitzgerald’s reputation as a jazz singer. “How High the Moon” became one of her signature tunes.
The next phase of Fitzgerald’s career found her joining forces with concert promoter Norman Granz, who produced many of her albums over the years. In 1956, Fitzgerald began recording the “Cole Porter Songbook,” a best-selling album that launched a timeless series of “Songbook” recordings of the works of great American songwriters. She recorded more than 200 standards for the “Songbook” albums, among them works by Harold Arlen, Irving Berlin, Duke Ellington, George and Ira Gershwin, Rodgers and Hart, Jerome Kern, and Johnny Mercer.
An early highlight among Fitzgerald’s several dozen albums was “Ella Sings Gershwin,” which was recorded in 1950 and was a precursor to her “Songbook” project. The later “George and Ira Gershwin Songbook” is cited by many as one of Fitzgerald’s most special collections. Her “Duke Ellington Songbook” also has many admirers. Her collaborations with Louis Armstrong, including “Ella and Louis,” were among her most popular efforts. Armstrong was only one of the celebrated musicians with whom Fitzgerald recorded and performed. Others included Count Basie, Joe Pass and Oscar Peterson.
Ella in Europe
Many of Fitzgerald’s fans treasure her live albums. Three of her most admired live recordings were made before audiences in Europe — “Ella in Rome,” “Ella in Berlin” and “Ella Returns to Berlin.”
For decades, she kept up a numbing schedule of recording and touring internationally, often working 40 weeks a year. Fitzgerald broke many racial barriers — she was the first black artist to appear in various exclusive clubs around the United States, including the famed Copacabana in New York, in June 1957. She sang at the inaugural gala for President John F. Kennedy on Jan. 20, 1961.
Fitzgerald appeared in a small number of Hollywood films, including “Ride ’Em Cowboy,” a 1942 comedy with Abbott and Costello. In 1955, she had a role as a singer in “Pete Kelly’s Blues,” preserving a glimpse of what it would have been like to see her perform in a nightclub. She also appeared in “St. Louis Blues,” released in 1958, and “Let No Man Write My Epitaph” in 1960.
Fitzgerald is also remembered for her famous “Is it live or is it Memorex?” commercials of the early 1970s in which she performed a high note to break a wine glass.
Credit: Republished here from usps.com
What White People Think In Private (Part One)
Black people have a nasty and self-destructing habit of always letting other people know about our problems. Bill Cosby recently came down hard on Black mothers and young kids. John McWhorter has published two best-selling books on how Black America has it all wrong. He believes that we are self-promoting, self-loathing, pretend victims of a white power structure bent on keeping us down. Do I really have to say that Black people generally are not that way? McWhorter probably suffers from what the majority of white people suffers from, which is miseducation and lack of exposure. The strange thing is that White people and almost every other minority group are pretty much tight-lipped on these kinds of public quarrels. When have you ever heard a White person say that some White people are not living up to the standards that white people should in how they live, eat, and breath? While I am sure that one could catch some subliminal messages to this effect, for the most part,