Labor day weekend is here, and along with it comes a plethora of different happenings in and around NYC, culminating with the big (huge) West Indian Day Parade on Eastern Parkway this Monday.
If you’re in the area, here’s a short synopsis of some of the good thing’s going on. I tried to fit as most as I could in here, but of course, I can’t get it all. Check it all out…you might run into us at some of these….
That line hit me in the head and made me wonder, who was Nas talking about?
So I did some research and as it turns out Ivan van Sertima is a Guyanese historian, linguist and anthropologist at Rutgers University. He also has some interesting studies on the achievements of Africans in science and wrote They Came Before Columbus: The African Presence in Ancient America. I like what he
I got schooled by Nas so now I’m schoolin you to it… Check out some of his discussions to learn more.
Afrikans in Science: Ancient and Modern
They came before Columbus
My man Larry posted this video on the Maroons in Colombia yesterday on his blog. I felt like I’d give it some more shine.
For those who don’t know who the Maroons are, definitely check out the video below, or click here. This is the first five minutes of the 1992 Documentary Palenque: Un Canto. Check out a description below…
1992 documentary on the Caribbean Colombian Maroon Community of San Basilio Palenque located near Cartagena in the department of Bolivar.The focus is on present day descendants of African maroons who resisted against the Spaniards and claimed their liberty early during the colonial era with the escape of slavery and establishment of free communities termed palenques also known as maroon communities in English. This particular community was founded by the maroon leader Benkos Bioho, which is a hero to many Colombians of African heritage…
To view the film in full, click here.
More video on the Colombian Maroons, via CNN, is after the jump…
I had actually mean to post this before the day of, but you can check out info on BIG BAMBOO‘s last party of the summer on the flyer above. Check out the info below as well. I’ll be there, hope to see you there too…
LinYee + Queen Majesty invite you to celebrate the summer with
Queen Majesty + VERY Special Guests
BIG BAMBOO! TUESDAYS
a weekly rotation of special guests selecting
Jamaican Ska, Rock Steady, and Rub a Dub and more!
Every Tuesday, 8PM-Midnite!
No Malice Palace and Garden
197 East 3rd Street between Avenue A and B
No Cover.Backyard.DancingMood.
I saw this over on the Caribbean Free Radio Blog and felt it worthy of a post.
Georgia Popplewell, editor of the blog, tells the story of Trinidadian photographer Jeffrey Chock…
…I learned a few days ago that Trinidadian photographer Jeffrey Chock has fallen seriously ill on a trip to Canada, and is in urgent need of surgery….Jeffrey Chock and I are not close friends, but I’ve known him for years and have the deepest admiration for his work (which I once photographed him doing). As dancer Dave Williams said to me recently, “The man understands dance. I doh let anybody else photograph my shows!” And I know you’d hear local maspeople, thespians and pannists express similar sentiments…
His surgery costs are estimated at around TT$300,000 or US$48,000. For more info, and to make a donation, click here.
Below are some photos from Chock’s book, which can be purchased here. More photos are after the jump…
I’m about all out of superlatives for the Jamaican sprinters. After having already taken most of the sprinting events, two in WR time thanks to Usain Bolt, the 4×100 Men’s continued the trend with another commanding, world-record-setting win.
When all was said and done, they had set a new world record of 37.10, .3 seconds better than the 16-year old mark set by the US, and won by a .96 second margin. Trinidad & Tobago, featuring NCAA Champ Richard Thompson, placed 2nd. Check the description below, per The New York Times:
Bolt turned an even race into a blowout about halfway through his leg, the third of four. He turned the corner, made a smooth handoff to Powell, the anchor man, and then started yelling at him — knowing the world record was in sight.
It was only a matter of time.
Just as Bolt had done when he ran 19.30 in the 200 to break Michael Johnson’s mark, Powell drove hard to the finish, leaning at the line, then looking at the clock.
37.10.
”All I can say is, yo, Jamaican sprinters taking over the world,” Bolt said.
Sounds about right. Congrats to the team and to Asafa Powell in particular, who won his first Olympic medal. It’s also noteworthy that, had they not dropped the baton in their race, the women’s squad was set to take the gold as well.
Taking over, indeed.
Look for yourself and see…
Different event, same result. Usain Bolt just made quick work of the 200M field in Beijing, winning the race and setting another world record in the process. His star has officially risen, for sure. Check out the full story here.
On a related note, I actually beat Usain Bolt in a race.
Online, that is. Maybe you can too. Check out the video game over at PumaRunning.com to try your luck against the world’s fastest.
Check out a video of the historic race after the jump…
This film has been on my radar for a while now and finally its coming to DVD this September. The Price of Sugar is a documentary on the enslavement of Haitian sugar cane workers in the Dominican Republic. Check out the trailer below for a preview of the documentary.