A liitle bit about who we are...

I know that we are a diverse people with many gifts and a vast intellectual capacity, but I love, love, love our cultural legacy of music, dance and the like. Many people shun the idea of singing and dancing our way through adversity as well as good times, the "minstrel" if you will. I disagree I think it takes a certain genius to be able to find the melody and rhythm in almost any situation, no matter how joyous or bleak. I also love how that aspect of our culture bridges many of our differences: age, class, American, Caribbean, southern, west coast they all meet in the middle and sway to the same beat. The other morning I passed a car full of young girls groovin' to "Before I Let Go" by Frankie Beverly and Maze, they couldn't have been older then 14, 15, 16 yrs. old and it made me smile and I thought "I bet almost all black people know that song". What else do almost all black people (a.a.b.p) know:

• a.a.b.p. know at least one song from "The Wiz" (Broadway production or movie). Trivia: Who played Dorothy in the Broadway version?
• a.a.b.p. sing the Stevie Wonder version of the birthday song as well as the traditional version.
• a.a.b.p. can recall in its entirety at least one episode of Good Times, The Cosby Show or A Different World.
• a.a.b.p. have at least one older relative that half hums and half sings "Amazing Grace or "How Great Thou Art".
• a.a.b.p. via 6 degrees of separation knows someone who attended or attends Howard University.
  
• a.a.b.p. have danced on a "Soul Train" line whether or not they ever actually seen the show.
• a.a.b.p. have love for Micheal Jackson from Motown to Thriller. After Thriller a.a.b.p. are sad for him. One more thing about Micheal, a.a.b.p. remember his performance on the Motown 25th anniversary special. (That's for you C.B.)

Just a few harmless things and I know that maybe they don't hold true for all, just a.a.b.p.

Maybe I will have another opinion to share soon...Be well.