My Latest Film: Back/Story

The importance of Recent, Relevant and Tangible History

One of the highlights of my time at Lubbock High school was Mrs. Gloria Carter's Black History class.  She introduced me to many important authors including Carter G. Woodson, John Hope Franklin and many others.

I especially loved Malcolm X.  “Negro Rifle Clubs" were and still are more my style, even though “We Shall Overcome” was more successful in the long run.

When I got to Wiley College (thanks again to Mrs. Carter), I began building my own library, which I've continued to this day. I read “Stolen Legacy” by George G.M. James, Ivan van Sertima's “They Came Before Columbus” and others of the more esoteric books on Black History.

(Side note - please get physical copies of the really important books-Kindle is fine but like all electronic documents eBooks can be covertly altered or straight up removed from your device during the next "update") 

When I was young and idealistic, all those stories about Ancient African Kings and Glorious civilizations filled me with awe and inspiration.

As an older man, I've become more practical. I draw more inspiration from recent, relevant and tangible history than I do gazing back through the mist of memory at the kingdoms of Mali, and Songhay.

I found that my own recent family history gives me a type of motivational and inspirational fuel that I can actually use in my day to day life.  For example, my grandfathers were master mechanics. 

Pop-Pop John Laurie pumping that real “fuel”

One of them built his own shop that's still in business today. As I understand it, he was also the first black man in northern Maryland to have his own gas pumps, and this was probably back in the late 50s. Inspirational “fuel”, indeed!

Great, Great Grandma Dorcas Mayes

On the other side of my family, my Great Great Grandma Dorcas Mayes may be linked in some way to Kiowa Comanche Chief Quanah Parker.  I just recently learned that one of her real life harrowing stories of pioneer life was passed down intact over 150 years all the way to me and my generation. A few years ago, I made an “old-tyme” radio presentation based on this tale:

For me, it is the words and deeds of real people, my people, that really keep me hungry and hopeful about what is possible in these days and times.

That's why at the FocusLBK Show, part of our mission is to preserve those words, deeds and experiences.  We have a whole section called Words from the Elders and I'd like put the invitation out right now for any and all elders to make an oral history video with us.  It's free, it's fun and it's fascinating.  

Contact us at 806-642-0949, or at www.moonmind.com

We see ourselves as a people's version of The Southwest Collection. Our Words from the Elders fills a similar niche, but we want it to be a little more readily available and accessible.

Back/Story

I recently wrote a short spoken-word piece on the value of studying our own recent, relevant and tangible history, and I performed it live at the Kwanzaa Celebration.

I then made it into a short film to visually illustrate some of my evolving thoughts on history.  It's basically a music video: brief, rhythmic and hopefully educational and entertaining.