Daily Archives: June 20, 2012

Five Jazz Songs That Speak Of The Freedom Struggle

Posted: June 20, 2012 at 10:23 am

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Gary Bartz performs at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. The saxophonist is often cited as a messenger of black empowerment in music.

Gary Bartz performs at the 1973 Montreux Jazz Festival. The saxophonist is often cited as a messenger of black empowerment in music.

Today, June 19, is a holiday known as Juneteenth the oldest commemoration of slavery's end. Though the Emancipation Proclamation declared the freedom of slaves in Confederate states on Jan. 1, 1863, it was only on June 19, 1865 (months after Confederate forces had surrendered) that Union soldiers landed at Galveston, Texas, to spread news of the war's end, and to enforce the proclamation in Texas. The date has since been noted in Texas and across the country as a celebration of African-American freedom and history, especially since the Civil Rights movement.

Jazz has always been one of the most important musical narratives of the African-American journey toward freedom in America. Emancipation did not mean equality for ex-slaves, and jazz, whose call to improvisation models the principles of freedom, has often documented the ongoing pursuit. Indeed, this year jazz musicians and educators Dr. Ronald Myers and Dr. Larry Ridley are illuminating African-American history within jazz by organizing a national Juneteenth jazz concert series.

Earlier this year, I spoke with pianist Jason Moran and bassist Christian McBride about how the "message in the music" charged social movements across the country. Artists such as Nina Simone, Sonny Rollins and Charles Mingus anchored our discussions of what it meant to use one's craft as a means to evoke change, and what it means to be part of a continuum toward total emancipation. See what they and their fellow jazz luminaries have to impart: Here are five recordings, picked by five musicians, which represent the triumphs and tribulations within the freedom struggle.

Jason Moran, pianist: "I showed 45 minutes of [an episode of the PBS series] Eyes on the Prize [to my students]. It was the episode when they discuss the Little Rock Nine in Arkansas and Governor Faubus and ... how crazy he was. After watching it and listening to Mingus' song, a student said, 'Well, now it makes a lot more sense.' This is an entire segment of the population whose life was dealing with stuff like this. And we're just watching an edited excerpt of people's everyday lives. Everything is not just about a chord or a melody ... it wasn't about that. It was therapy. People were using the music as therapy."

Click here for more from this interview.

Christian McBride, bassist: "Duke [Ellington] was always somehow able to express and convey the feelings of black folk without being angry. You could feel the sadness, pain, angst, but it was always done through this filter, this lens of triumph in the end ... or hope. I think that's what separated Duke from the rest of the pack. [On] this album specifically, you've got Mahalia Jackson, and these are two titans, arguably at the peak of their powers, collaborating together. When you talk about fusion, I can think of no greater example of one of the earliest collaborations of jazz and gospel."

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Five Jazz Songs That Speak Of The Freedom Struggle

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Pondexter leads Liberty past Dream

Posted: at 10:23 am

ATLANTA The Libertys awful performance in their last game embarrassed Cappie Pondexter.

She was determined not to let it happen again.

I brought a great deal of energy tonight, which has been inconsistent with us, Pondexter said. I feel like when we play with a lot of energy it allows us to play both ends of the floor the way we really want to.

Pondexter had 14 points and a season-high 13 assists and Essence Carson added 14 points in the Libertys 73-60 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night.

The Dream dropped their second straight game with Angel McCoughtry, the WNBAs leading scorer and shot blocker, injured and unable to play.

Sancho Lyttle and Lindsey Harding each finished with 13 points for Atlanta (4-7). Lyttle pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

The Liberty (4-7) had plenty of incentive after last Fridays debacle at Connecticut, a 42-point loss that was the worst in team history and included 34-point halftime deficit that was the largest in league history.

The Liberty, who snapped a two-game skid, never trailed after Leilani Mitchell pulled up for a 15-foot fast-break jumper to make it 13-12 late in the first.

We were so hungry for a win, Mitchell said. We were just playing harder. We were taking it easy in the last couple of practices trying to save our legs for this game.

The Liberty went up 36-30 on Pondexters 19-foot fadeaway in transition in the final minute of the second period.

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Pondexter leads Liberty past Dream

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Liberty 73, Dream 60

Posted: at 10:23 am

UpdatedJun 19, 2012 10:24 PM ET

The New York Liberty's awful performance in their last game embarrassed Cappie Pondexter.

She was determined not to let it happen again.

''I brought a great deal of energy tonight, which has been inconsistent with us,'' Pondexter said. ''I feel like when we play with a lot of energy it allows us to play both ends of the floor the way we really want to.''

Pondexter had 14 points and a season-high 13 assists and Essence Carson added 14 points in the New York Liberty's 73-60 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night.

The Dream dropped their second straight game with Angel McCoughtry, the WNBA's leading scorer and shot blocker, injured and unable to play.

Sancho Lyttle and Lindsey Harding each finished with 13 points for Atlanta (4-7). Lyttle pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

New York (4-7) had plenty of incentive after last Friday's debacle at Connecticut, a 42-point loss that was the worst in team history and included 34-point halftime deficit that was the largest in league history.

The Liberty, who snapped a two-game skid, never trailed after Leilani Mitchell pulled up for a 15-foot fast-break jumper to make it 13-12 late in the first.

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Liberty 73, Dream 60

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Pondexter, Carson lead Liberty past Atlanta 73-60

Posted: at 10:23 am

ATLANTA (AP) The New York Liberty's awful performance in their last game embarrassed Cappie Pondexter.

She was determined not to let it happen again.

''I brought a great deal of energy tonight, which has been inconsistent with us,'' Pondexter said. ''I feel like when we play with a lot of energy it allows us to play both ends of the floor the way we really want to.''

Pondexter had 14 points and a season-high 13 assists and Essence Carson added 14 points in the New York Liberty's 73-60 victory over the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday night.

The Dream dropped their second straight game with Angel McCoughtry, the WNBA's leading scorer and shot blocker, injured and unable to play.

Sancho Lyttle and Lindsey Harding each finished with 13 points for Atlanta (4-7). Lyttle pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds.

New York (4-7) had plenty of incentive after last Friday's debacle at Connecticut, a 42-point loss that was the worst in team history and included 34-point halftime deficit that was the largest in league history.

The Liberty, who snapped a two-game skid, never trailed after Leilani Mitchell pulled up for a 15-foot fast-break jumper to make it 13-12 late in the first.

''We were so hungry for a win,'' Mitchell said. ''We were just playing harder. We were taking it easy in the last couple of practices trying to save our legs for this game.''

New York went up 36-30 on Pondexter's 19-foot fadeaway in transition in the final minute of the second period.

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Pondexter, Carson lead Liberty past Atlanta 73-60

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The Cult of Clever Clothes

Posted: at 10:22 am

Clothes? How can clothes be clever? They arent sentient, they do little but unfurl messily over your floor and(lamentably) they dont write your essays for you. Cynicism may make you wonder: wheres the connection between buying material objects and flexing brain matter?

Somewhere in Australia a cult fashion label called Black Milk creatively labour to make the traditionally lofty realms of art, astronomy, history, geography and culture accessible through their combination of maverick, breathtaking design and cutting edge use of social media.

My favourite example is their recent addition of the art of Vincent Van Gogh to their leggings collection. Arguably, the only thing more fulfilling than gazing upon Starry night is having the work on your body. Imagination cant do them justice, so Ive served up a picture from their Facebook fanbase:

Black Milks Starry Night leggings: $75.00 AUD (Approximately 50 GBP.)

Crafting fashion from one of the most evocative impressionist paintings isnt enough for this missionary label, who have pressed ardently on with their mission to make masterpieces of ladies legs, with twists on Le Cafe, The Great Wave, Der Kuss and the art of Mucha.

Black Milk have also taken inspiration from the Hubble project. I took the bold decision to bravely go where no financially sensible person has ever gone and invest in a pair of galaxy leggings. Still, 50 is a worthwhile price to have the satisfaction of the universe on your legs although it leaves you vulnerable to the inventively lecherous creep who tells you that your ass is out of this world.

Black Milks Galaxy leggings, $75.00 AUD (Approximately 50 GBP)

Securing proud ownership of a pair takes effort and expense. At approximately 50 each theyre extravagant, particularly when the more easily copied designs can be found in The Marlands for a tenth of the original cost. So why on earth would anybody, let alone students, want to invest in these items?

One reason is the sheer quality. Theyre thick enough to stop my legs from getting cold and the designs are so detailed and precise that I stare in to my thighs a little too often (is there ever a good time?) But much of Black Milks success owes to the way they integrate social media into their business. Facebook fans face a daily barrage of girls wearing their clothes in a variety of quirky ways (free advertising in other words.) A combination of high demand and the length of time it takes to craft them means that many items sell out quickly, leading to a frenzy, a frenzy that you increasingly want to be a part of. Its all rather like a cult. Fittingly theyve even made leggings that tap in to the theme of conspiracy, with Illuminati symbols.

Girl in Skeleton Swimsuit, $99 AUD (Approximately 65 GBP) and Suspender Black Leggings, $125 AUD (Approximately 80 GBP)

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The Cult of Clever Clothes

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Judge strikes down part of Chicago gun law as unconstitutional

Posted: at 10:21 am

By NATASHA KORECKI Federal Courts Reporter nkorecki@suntimes.com June 19, 2012 2:19PM

U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan | Al Podgorski~Sun-Times

storyidforme: 32356304 tmspicid: 11802822 fileheaderid: 5394098

Updated: June 20, 2012 2:17AM

A federal judge in Chicago on Tuesday struck down a portion of the citys firearm ordinance, calling it unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan ruled in favor of a Chicago man who challenged a section of the citys gun law after he was denied a permit because of a misdemeanor conviction.

Der-Yeghiayan, in a 30-page ruling, called that part of the Chicago Firearm Ordinance unconstitutionally void for vagueness, and said it violated Shawn Gowders right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

Gowder had filed a federal lawsuit challenging a portion of the ordinance that bars a person from obtaining a Chicago firearm permit if that person has been convicted in any jurisdiction of an unlawful use of a weapon that is a firearm. Under Chicago municipal code, it is unlawful for someone to possess a firearm without a Chicago firearm permit.

In Gowders case, he had been convicted in Illinois in 1995 with the unlawful use of a weapon. He was not accused of discharging a weapon illegally, however, but only with the possession of a firearm. At the time, the charge was a felony. But that law was challenged, according to the federal court opinion, and Gowders conviction was downgraded to a misdemeanor.

The only thing that Mr. Gowder did was to own a firearm as he was entitled to do under the Second Amendment. As a result of that he was treated as a criminal by the City of Chicago when all he did was exercise his fundamental Second Amendment rights, said his attorney, Stephen A. Kolodziej. We think the City of Chicagos actions in denying Mr. Gowder a firearm permit were punitive and draconian as well as violative of his Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

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India: the dangers of an assault on free speech

Posted: at 10:21 am

A day after Google announced a 49 percent increase in censorship requests from India, an Indian member of parliament spoke out against the country's moves to police the web in an interview with the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog.

As mentioned in GlobalPost's report on the so-called "Internet Hindus" earlier this week, in April last year India framednew rules for implementing the 2000 Information Technology Act, which required companies like Google and Facebook toremove any content which could be deemed offensive or objectionable within 36 hours of receiving a complaint.

Dangerous?

"The Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines) rules that are being proposed, represent a serious risk to our democracy and they could be seen as legal intimidation of citizens and entrepreneurs by the government, established political and business interests and religious and cultural bigots," Rajeev Chandrasekhar, an independent member of parliament, told the Journal. "They also violate the constitutional rights of freedom of speech and expression of the Internet users in the country, by providing for a system of censorship or self-censorship by private parties."

According to Chandrasekhar, the risk is that either the government or internet companies will be too zealous in censoring political speech, just because a particular group doesn't like it, rather than because it meets any legal definition of defamation or hate speech. When, for instance, should the government step in to censor so-called "blasphem?"

"India has a due process of law," Chandrasekhar says. "With a legislation like the Information Technology Act that explicitly provides for actions for defamation and obscenity, the courts or tribunals should decide who is right or wrong and not a bureaucrat or politician. Most of the categories specified under the rules are ambiguous and undefined. For example, grossly harmful is not defined."

Unfortunately, despite a robust legal system, India's political structure has never really separated church and state. Instead, the idea of secularism developed by Jawarlal Nehru, India's first prime minister, endeavors to protect and propogate India's various religions, going as far as to enshrine different laws for people born into different faiths.

And that will make dealing with a sticky subject like blasphemy very politically incorrect -- whether the gods in question are Hindu, Muslim, Christian or Sikh.

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/india/india-assault-free-speech

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