Imitation may be the best compliment, so Angelo Taylor’s channeling Edwin Moses. The comparisons have already been made. Angelo Taylor has matched Moses for Olympic appearances (4) and seeks to surpass him with a third Olympic – Gold medal in London. According to Taylor, “When a person picks an activity, at some point you aspire to be like or even one day exceed what the greats have done.”
As far as hair, we have seen a few variations from Angelo Taylor over the years. This is to be expected, given Taylor’s long tenure as an elite athlete. The beard is substantially more facial hair than usual for Taylor; mind you, he does this with a purpose. Taylor has said that the full beard is a quiet tribute to Edwin Moses, a legend in track and field.
Hall of Fame Profile – Edwin Moses (USA)
The prestigious American periodical Track and Field News named Edwin Moses an outstanding 400m hurdler of the 20th century and there are few who would disagree with that choice.
Moses won gold medals at the 1976 and 1984 Olympic Games and would have been the prohibitive favorite to triumph in Moscow had the United States not boycotted the 1980 Olympics.
Between 1977 and 1987 – for nine years, nine months and nine days – Moses was undefeated, won 107 consecutive finals in his event (122 consecutive races in total) and caused the 400m hurdles world record to be revised four times.
I saw tears fall like the leaves of the seasons changing. I saw faces express joy and relief. I saw the answer to the simultaneous equation as to who is of the improbable, the impossible and the impeccable person to defy the odds? I saw a family man be acknowledge as the person who will become the most powerful man in the world. I saw pictures of people from around the world rejoicing in the confirmation that “Yes You Can” as Barack Obama won an election. A Black man in America will be the next President.
Obama waiting to enter
Richard:
Now is the winter of our discontent
Made glorious summer by this son of York;
And all the clouds that low’r'd upon our house
In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.
Richard The Third Act 1, scene 1, 1–4
All the stereo types of the limitation of skin color over substances have to be reexamined. The rise of Barack is no accident, more of a coronation of a long journey of hope, ambition and hard work. There are many who did not live to see this day, and were not sure if it would ever come, but against the backdrop of not knowing when they still gave their lives in the struggle so that the day could be possible.
Eloquence was never a prerequisite, a disruption of consciousness almost assured, for that was the purpose to the writings, music and message. Not out of anger, but out of a need to be heard Gil Scott Heron wanted to motivate people. He came to prominence in the early 70s when protest was as assured as morning dew. Heron inspired people to move there feet for change, to the beat of and the rhythm of poetic discord. This was a time when your really may not have want your government to take notice; especially the suits coming out of the Hoover Building (FBI Headquarters). Hoover watched and listened like others to tracks like: The Revolution Won’t Be Televised, Winter In America, In The Bottle, Did You Hear What They Said, and other tracks. Gil Scott Heron’s audiences grew his artful perceptive resonated in the hearts, souls and minds; and today he is still remembered.
Often new millennium of artists refer to Heron as the GodFather of Rap. Rap is not a new thing Hip-Hop is the current cultural fad. Heron like the griots’ invocations reminds the new protagonists of the entertainment trade that what they construct can stand, influence and truly be an art form for expression. When it’s your time to say something, have something to say. Gil Scott Heron expressed prophetically his views of the struggles of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness in his music.
Built to lead or ambition misdirected? The race to the White House provides the canvas to psychoanalysis of America. The 2008 election process and proceedings have followed the prescribed routines; predictable with lots of unscripted episodes. The ambitious to lesser known, the dark horses all come to the spotlight seeking to galvanize a movement. Banners carry names and slogans, many miles traveled, many handshakes, scripted by teams molding the protagonists to spew propaganda to the mass, all seeking the keys to the Oval Office.
Barack Obama in Colorado
Has America matured to accept the fulfillment of its own stated model shaded in darker hues? We want our leader to be “tall, dark and handsome, intellectually gifted, dedicated to wife, family, church, and the nation.” If these are the guidelines for leadership, if all are equal under the Constitution, should the rejection of Barack Obama on the grounds of race be anticipated?
The virtues of a nation will be questioned. Win or loose, let it be on the grounds of his presentation of the issues and platform for future governerance.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish.. Preamble of United States of America Constitution
The eyes of the world are watching to see if this is personal or engineered. For America, our best defense against those that seek to harm our nation may lie in the perception of how we elect a President.
The model maybe not be flawed, just in need of a few engineering tweaks, but I may really be delusional!
Gil Scott Heron - The Revolution Will Not Be Televised
I must admit that it was a pleasure stirring up emotions and ideas with my article “Why Barack Will Win“. I was not surprised that readers who disagreed would turn my words into a racial rhetoric and fail to consider my stride towards Black empowerment and the evolution of politics. I am reminded of the lyrics by Gil-Scott Heron
You will not be able to plug in, turn on and cop out.
You will not be able to lose yourself on skag and skip,
Skip out for beer during commercials,
Because the revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be televised.
The revolution will not be brought to you by Xerox
In 4 parts without commercial interruptions.
The revolution will not show you pictures of Nixon
blowing a bugle and leading a charge by John
Mitchell, General Abrams and Spiro Agnew to eat
hog maws confiscated from a Harlem sanctuary.
The revolution will not be televised.
Skip to last 2 verses
The revolution will not be right back after a message
bout a white tornado, white lightning, or white people.
You will not have to worry about a dove in your
bedroom, a tiger in your tank, or the giant in your toilet bowl.
The revolution will not go better with Coke.
The revolution will not fight the germs that may cause bad breath.
The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat.
The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.
I encourage all to embrace the dawn of change and look forward to these monumental events taking place in our nation next year. The front runner will be different than what the American voting public is accustom to, you will have either a Black man or a White woman representing the Democratic party, more than likely. Are you ready for Revolution? This will be no rerun; the revolution will be live.
The two Democratic front runners Obama and Clinton have more money to spend than any of the other candidates. As we get closer to the primary elections, a great deal of the amassed war chest will be spent on advertising. Is this informational or propaganda? I will again reiterate my call for unity amongst the Black community. Our time to change the face and tradition of our nation is upon us. We will have the opportunity to open the doors for ourselves, our youth, and the offspring to come. We can say that we have made our way to the top spot in government, and march toward greatness in all else that we do. Imagine how much more confidence and motivation our young Black children will have knowing that they are not hindered by race or gender. Vote Obama in ’08.
What tactics will be used to convince voters? How will the marketing campaigns differentiate their candidacy? Let the polarization begin. I caused a stir in my previous blog, because I said Obama will win and the notion that all Blacks should vote for Obama. Like Shirley Chisholm, Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Allen Keyes; Barack Obama has the courage to step out and lead change. It has been beaten into the minds of Americans that Barack Obama is inexperienced, naïve, and untested in the world of politics; all may even be true. Barack Obama is challenging the position of many Americans who have long, unconsciously, believed that the presidency is intended for a White male. I would not attempt to write what Whites are thinking about Obama or this upcoming election. I have ideas and opinions, but they are just that. Though, I will say that not all are ready. The thought of a black face in the White House will bring many of the hidden and shunned issues to the table to be confronted. So my encouragement for voting for Obama employs the same kind of marketing strategy and technique that will be used by the other candidates, polarization as a means of distinguishing difference; where you agree with the propaganda disguised as platform, vote likewise. Are you ready for revolution?
One article on the net mentioned that Blacks felt Obama would not relate to the Black experience because he has a White mother from Kansas and a Black father from Kenya and was raised in Hawaii. That’s why more Blacks are leaning toward voting for Hillary Clinton, for the Clinton name has deep roots in the Black community. The latter statement is true. Bill Clinton made certain that Blacks felt counted and considered during his administration. Because of that, Hilary has much support from the Black community. But to say that we will not go for Obama because of his mixture and where he came from is pure ignorance, and undermines the intelligence of Black voters. Are they saying Hilary Clinton does relate to the Black experience because she is a White woman from Arkansas?
My goal is to get Black people to recognize our opportunity. There is sufficient trust that the accumulated votes for Obama will give him greater influence in defining the Democratic Party platform. Which is in turn means that a voice that more closely represents my voice will be heard. I is less of a vote for a Black man and more of a vote that of my choices, Obama will more likely put forward programs that will improve my life. For Blacks in particular; please don’t base your decision during this election on your perceived trust for Hilary Clinton and your lack of knowledge of Barack Obama. This is where we as a race fail every time. We were taught from the beginning to not trust each other and to love the master who feeds us. This is 2007:
The revolution will put you in the driver’s seat.
The revolution will not be televised, will not be televised,
will not be televised, will not be televised.
The revolution will be no re-run brothers;
The revolution will be live.
Thanks to “NottHeads – Writings On The Wall” for letting me use its blog for this dialogue.
The name is an expression; the words and messages are an extension of me.
NottHeads Inc. is my company (http://www.nottheads.com), I want to use this space and time to create connections that endure. The connections do not have to be personal, but the responses should be. I hope that my blog enlightens, inspires and encourage people to communicate.
Imitation may be the best compliment, so Angelo Taylor’s channeling Edwin Moses. The comparisons have already been made. Angelo Taylor has matched Moses for Olympic appearances (4) and seeks to surpass him with a third Olympic – Gold medal in London. According to Taylor, “When a person picks an activity, at some point you aspire to be like or even one day exceed what the greats have done.”
