Whitney Houston Was Part Of Us

"We've Come to Praise His Name".  That's one of the first songs the choir sang during Whitney's Houston beautiful, comforting and very dignified homegoing service at New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, NJ.  My sister was a member of  New Hope and sang in the choir.  I can still see her standing in the choir loft wearing her choir robe singing her heart out, praising her heavenly father. My sister passed away many years ago and her service was held at New Hope. New Hope means something very special to me.

Growing up in Newark during the aftermath of the 1967 riots I learned how pride, dignity and strength can empower neighborhoods and help families work through hard times and build hope for better days to come. I began to understand how community is as much a process as it is a place. If you came from Newark you were part of that community. And when you had dreams and worked hard for their fulfillment, well, we all succeeded. And we were so grateful! That was another song they sang at Whitney's homegoing service, "Grateful". We are so grateful for Whitney. Her soul. Her spirit. Her music and her life. We all shared in her success and prayed for her during her struggles. She really was a beacon of light for Newark, NJ. She was part of us and we were a part of her. We were community.

I never met Whitney Houston. But in a strange way I've known her all my life. Like family, I know where she came from.  She was a brown girl from the inner city and by virtue of her zip code she was surrounded by all the trappings of  temptation. She was rooted in the Black church. And simply adored by her family.  Those are two important tools that she would rely on to help her move through her life and negotiate struggles. A belief in God and the love of family. Priceless!

The City of Newark really experienced something remarkable this week. Whitney's fans held vigil outside Whigham's funeral home. I watched from  across the street on the steps of a dental office along with other Whitney fans and Newark natives. It was surreal to witness both national media and home grown folk converge on Martin Luther King Jr.  Boulevard, now decorated with balloons, cards and candles, all in the name of Whitney. She was our Whitney.


Unexpectedly, Whitney Houston's death has managed to agitate the still very tender spot of grief I endure since my Mom's  passing. I really missed my Mom this week. She would have been so hurt by Whitney's sudden passing. Mom knew what it was like to loose a daughter. She would feel deeply for the gut wrenching pain and sorrow that now grips Whitney's Mother Cissy Houston, today and to some degree, for the rest of her life.  Mom and I, we loved Whitney. We wanted her to be well. I missed not being able to talk with her about all the media attention occurring in the neighborhood, right down the hill from our home. I would confide in her that I've been crying. Mom would understand my tears. We would share our sadness.  But instead I will listen to Whitney's music and hear her sing the songs that have become part of the soundtrack of my life's journey.  Whitney Houston is resting now. And I am certain that my Mom greeted her with a big smile and said , "Hey Girl how you doing? It's so nice to meet you! My daughter Linda, she just loves you! We all love you Whitney. Welcome Home!"

See Whitney Houston Performing 'I didn't Know My Own Strength' on the Oprah Show in 2009

http://www.oprah.com/oprahshow/Whitney-Houstons-I-Didnt-Know-My-Own-Strength-Video

ROLAND MARTIN, TWITTER & A TEACHABLE MOMENT

About twitter....If you are compelled to communicate according to the 140 character limit prescribed by the Tweeterverse then do us all a favor and tweet responsibly. Is that too much ask? Probably.  That's the thing about this social media space, there are no parameters. No guidelines on best practices. No manners. But lots of room for disrespect, insensitivity and missteps.

Just ask CNN Political Analyst Roland Martin. He tweeted while watching the recent Superbowl and a commercial featuring David Beckham modeling his line of men's underwear for H&M. Here's what he said: "Ain't no real bruhs going to H&M to buy some damn David Beckham underwear!"
"If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about Beckham's
 H &M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him."
In another Tweet he wrote, "Who the hell was that New England Patriot they just showed in a head to toe pink suit? Oh, he needs a visit from #teamwhipdatass."

Really? Did he think he was tweeting to his friends around the table? When he hit send he tweeted to folks he has never even met. In Twitter lingo those people are referred to as his "followers".  So if you have followers it is presumed that you lead.  What a missed opportunity. Or maybe not.

There was immediate outrage from the Gay and Lesbian community calling his remarks homophobic and calling for his firing.  There have been countless acts of violence and intolerance against the Gay and Lesbian community. When people live in a climate of hate and ridicule it's not hard to understand how his comments sent up red flags and were perceived as insensitive. When young men and women are being bullied and committing suicide because their sexual preference is deemed unacceptable, there's a great deal at stake.
Roland Martin apologized and said he meant no harm.
http://www.rolandsmartin.com/blog/?p=31665
Too quote Carly Simon, " But it's too late baby, now it's too late."

 Mr. Martin is a journalist on a major cable news network. He also hosts a weekly show, Washington Watch on  TV One.
 His profile is very visible. He delivers political commentary on a daily basis. He has a platform.  But I guess he got caught up in the moment and forget how much power he holds.  He forgot that in the land of Twitter he is a leader with 'followers'.  He forgot that any type of social media is essentially a platform, especially when you are a recognized, high profile person. When public figures from any walk of life engage in forms of social media like twitter, that's exactly what they are doing 'engaging' masses of people.  And all eyes are watching from 'Big Brother' to his little sister, groups, organizations and others who are known only by their hashtag. Some things really are better left unsaid on Twitter or anywhere else.  High profile or low profile we should all slow down and think twice before we hit send.

CNN eventually suspended Roland Martin acknowledging in a statement that his tweets were, "regrettable and offensive" and said that he would "not be appearing on our air for the time being." http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/08/politics/cnn-roland-martin/index.html?iref=allsearch

On the Internet people are debating if CNN's actions were too weak or too hard. Either way his comments will forever be attached to him. Whenever you google Roland Martin this episode of inappropriate tweeting will surface along with other more professional and distinguished associations. Is Martin homophobic? Maybe he is. Maybe he isn't. But his actions are a clear example of how strong and far reaching social media can be. What started as a tweet intended to amuse ended as, "oops, my bad!"

The National Association of Black Journalists, NABJ, released a statement saying, "We are reminded that what we communicate in print and broadcast--and now through social media--has considerable power. NABJ does not support any commentary in any medium that is insensitive or offensive." They added, "this a teachable moment for all journalists."
http://www.nabj.org/news/83265/Statement-from-NABJ-on-Roland-Martins-Suspension-from-CNN.htm

Martin in damage control mode has agreed to meet with GLAAD, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. In a tweet he wrote, "I look forward to meeting with GLAAD in the near future and having a productive dialogue." GLAAD in a tweet response wrote, "We look forward to a productive dialogue and to working together as well."

 As a well known journalist he is being held to a high standard. But listen, to whom much is given, much is expected. He should have known better. I bet he knows now. His tweets were childish. So now Roland Martin has to take a time out.  No missed opportunity here. This is most definitely a teachable moment.

DON CORNELIUS, A TELEVISION PIONEER

On February 1, 2012, early in the morning, Don Cornelius age 75, the creator and the genius behind Soul Train was found dead in his California home.  All day long I've been thinking about Don Cornelius, Soul Train and the Soul Train line.

Just the two words; Soul Train brings me back to Saturday mornings in the kitchen, my mom and I doing chores and watching Soul Train on channel 5. Anybody who was anybody in the soul r & b family was greeted by Don Cornelius and invited to take center stage to perform.  Cornelius was the executive producer and host of Soul Train from 1971 to 1993. It was his vision to produce a program that would highlight and embrace Black artists and their music in a way that Dick Clark's American Bandstand didn't do. Don Cornelius presented to the world an authentic slice of the Black experience that had been invisible until Soul Train. And at the end of every show he offered his legendary close wishing us , "Love, Peace and Soul." Soul Train was part of my young adulthood. The dancers with the flashy clothes and cool dance moves was something special to me.

Soul Train was actually a locomotive. For real. Think about it. It was a train, at least in the sense that you were invited to get on board. The open for the show included animation of a train with a smokestack and a caboose. To this day, at a wedding or party the Soul Train continues to come to life every time folks line up on the left and on the right, creating a space down the middle where two by two or solo, you can bring your best move and groove on down the Soul Train line. Now don't get me wrong, I mean no disrespect to the Electric Slide or any other line dance variation but the Soul Train line came first and I like it better.  Why?  Because when you come down the soul train line you don't have to know the step or even keep in step.  All you have to do is bring your own boogie!

Don Cornelius is gone now.  Reports say the cause of his death is a self inflicted gun shot wound to the head. I'm not going to begin to address issues related to suicide. I'll write about that in future blogs. But what I will say here and now is that Don Cornelius' life and legacy far exceeds the manner of his death. I don't know the details of his personal life or the depth of his misery and anguish. But for me,  Don Cornelius was a cool soul brother. A visionary who created a groundbreaking platform that presented Black music, dance, pride and celebration to the world. He was a pioneer who used television as his platform to present positive images of the black experience through music and dance. He created an institution born in the 70's during the height of Afro's and platform shoes. Soul Train ended decades later in 2006. It is one of the longest running shows in television history. It provided a venue for a long list of Black musical artists, Black style, Black dance and Black culture to be seen and heard on television. Don Cornelius gave us Soul Train and the Soul Train Line. Those creations are a testament to his life and legacy. And I am very grateful!!!!!!

Dear Don, I wish you lasting Love, eternal Peace and the rest your Soul desires.

Watch video of the Soul Train gang on the Soul Train line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qglBm-N-Lnw