The Emerging Artist is More Than a Singer, Dancer, Painter, They Create Alternative Perspectives

In my last post I spoke about how our behavior is based on what we believe. If it is true and it is, then the artist must emerge. My definition of artist is not only the actor, dancer or sculptor. In my mind an artist today is someone who can creatively manage old systems and ideas and change them to enhance the culture. To often we work within the framework of these limited definitions and constructs.

The artist and entrepreneur are interchangeable to me, but please do not place a limit on what this person can do. We need the artist to emerge. They need to create new images, new stories new insights, new paths and alternatives. I believe what we fail to realize is that as African-American efforts go forth to gain respect and a wider audience in media, other groups continue to reinforce their older distorted stories. Many of these stories are steeply set in a racist unfair construct.

Just ask yourself were any minorities represented in any of the best picture nominees? The movies were great, I myself watched American Hustle, Gravity, Philomena, Her, and Nebraska and oh, we were represented  in Twelve Years a Slave. How is it whenever we get a picture about blacks, its a feel good picture? But how do you make slavery feel good? The history books we studied in school are cleverly written to show our countries successes, as the major players have been down played or deleted (Blacks). On that note, check out this interview from Democracy Now with Clarence Lusane. The discussion is about the untold history of more than a quarter of U.S. Presidents involved in slavery and human trafficking.