"It's like they are sending a signal to black folks in Paris that you stay in your place in this community, in the shadows, intimidated."

paulinsanjuan — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 16:10:19 -0800

In Texas, a white teenager burns down her family's home and receives probation. A black one shoves a hall monitor and gets 7 years in prison. The state NAACP calls it `a signal to black folks.' The youth had no prior arrest record, and the hall monitor--a 58-year-old teacher's aide--was not seriously injured. But Shaquanda was tried in March 2006 in the town's juvenile court, convicted of assault. Passwords here.

Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground by Blind Willie Johnson

y2karl — Thu, 15 Sep 2005 04:12:36 -0800

Ry Cooder once said Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground was the most soulful, transcendent piece of American music recorded in the 20th Century. Unearthly and music of the spheres were common descriptions long before both became fact when it was included on a golden record was affixed to the star bound Voyager space probe. My first encounter with Dark Was The Night was while watching, and then listening to the soundtrack album of, Piero Paulo Pasolini’s The Gospel According To St. Matthew--or as it is known in Sicily kickin' Bootsville, Il Vangelo de Matteo--which is, in my humble opinion, the Greatest. Jesus. Movie. Evar. Ironically, coincidentally and serendipitously, it was an apt choice by Pasolini, as the hymn from which Blind Willie Johnson's wordless moan derives is a song about Christ’s passion—his suffering and crucifixion. (Continued with much more within)

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"It's like they are sending a signal to black folks in Paris that you stay in your place in this community, in the shadows, intimidated."

Dark Was The Night--Cold Was The Ground by Blind Willie Johnson