I LIVE AND WORK IN LONDON NOW, BUT I SPEND MOST OF MY LIFE IN EUROPE (FRANCE LUXEMBURG). I AM BORN IN CAMEROON , I CAME TO FRANCE WITH MY PARENTS WHEN I WAS 2 YEARS OLD. EVEN THEN I ALWAYS FELT THAT I AM AFRICAN BECAUSE MY PARENTS RAISED ME THAT WAY AND I AM GRATEFUL FOR THAT. TO GROW UP IN EUROPE ESPECIALLY IN FRANCE IS DIFFICULT BECAUSE WHEN I WAS YOUNG THE ONLY POSITIVE BLACK FACES I SAW ON TV WAS AFRICAN AMERICAN. IT WAS ALSO THE MUSIC THAT MY PARENTS WAS LISTENING WITH AFRICAN MUSIC. STANGELY I LOVED WATCH OLD AMERICAN MOVIES EXCEPT WHEN IT FUTURED BLACK PEOPLE. I WAS YOUNG BUT I WAS TEACHED, BY ONE OF MY AUNTIE, AN AFRICAN AMERICAN HOW IT WAS DIFFICULT BACK THEN FOR BLACK PEOPLE. AND SOME OF THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT THE CIVIL RIGHTS STRUGGLE ETC..... WERE TO PAINFUL FOR ME TO WATCH SOMETIMES I JUST AVOIDED THEM.
OK YOU WILL SAY WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN MICHAEL JACKSON AND CHARLES" TEENIE" HARRIS ?
FIRST BOTH OF THEM ARE TWO BLACK AMERICAN ARTISTS THAT I LOVED AND IF I LINK THEM IS BECAUSE TEENIE HARRIS PICTURES OF BLACK PEOPLE DURING THE 40S, 50S AND 60S ARE SO AMAZING. INCREDIBLE TO SEE THIS PEOPLE SMILING ,BE HAPPY DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEIR LIVING CONDITIONS WERE OUTRAGOUS (SEVERE DISCRIMINATION, SEGREGATION AND RACISM). BECAUSE I DON'T LIVE IN AMERICA SO I CAN'T SEE THE EXHIBIT I HOPE THEY WILL PUBLISH A BOOK AND COME TO LONDON.
WHEN I SEE THIS PICTURES, I THINK OUR PEOPLE ALWAYS SMILE, OUR PEOPLE ALWAYS STAND UP AND OUR PEOPLE ALWAYS SHINE NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES. THEN I CAN HEAR MICHAEL JACKSON SINGS " SMILE" AND THAT'S IT. GOD BLESS.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONS GO TO:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/28/charles-teenie-harris-honored_n_1116731.html?ref=black-voices
http://teenie.cmoa.org/
I love the picture with all the black dolls. I remember my mother use to search stores for black dolls for me when I was young. Before the internet she use to drive from store to store to get me the perfect black doll.
RépondreSupprimerWhat a beautiful post!
RépondreSupprimerTo jazzwife,
RépondreSupprimerThank you very much.
To jenjen,
RépondreSupprimerIt is also one of my favourite, it proves that even at this times black people were aware of the importance of toys which represent their own race. It is still the debate today with black dolls. Good for you mum to do what it takes for you to have a black doll.
Love the correlation you made between these 2 very different types of 'artists'
RépondreSupprimerAnd I wish I grew up in France!!!!! awesomeness!
Mally
xox
TO Sincerely Mally, thank you and why you want to live in france?
RépondreSupprimer