Blog 4 (part 2)

Nikki Rosa

"Nikki-Rosa" by Nikki Giovanni is about her life story. Its mostly focused on her childhood. She is expressing all the harm that has been done to her while growing up. According to the white person this was harm but she didn't see it that way. While the white folk would have pity on her she is expressing that she wouldn't have it any other way. She believes that wealth isn't happiness. Family is happiness, the bond within the family is worth more than money. But its just not any family its a "black family" or as she stated "black love". I believe it could've been political art because she is comparing the white aesthetic to the black aesthetic. The white would need the wealth, while she enjoyed her childhood even though she wasn't rich. But I don't think its literally about money I think its about that sense of content. She is happy that she was able to live her culture and didn't have to give in to the white way of life. She believes that "black love" is wealth. She is happy to be black because she has a different lifestyle and a different way of thinking. This relates to Neal's manifesto because he is stressing the fact that you need to destroy the white way of thinking and way of life. He wants a black artist to embrace their heritage. He believed that black artists should start researching their background and demonstrate it so the black community could be proud of their culture, rather than trying to be the white man.Giovanni embraces her culture and wouldn't change it. It seems like she pities the white folk because they cant never experience the real wealth which is "black love"

Blog post 3

"The Black Arts Movement"

Larry Neal's Manifesto was very interesting. He believed that they needed a "Black aesthetic" in order to progress. He felt that a black artist could not be successful if they don't look into their roots. They have to let go of the white America way of thinking. They need to absorb their culture, understand it, and start expressing it no matter the consequence. He sees that politics has a lot to do with this because if they keep feeding the white audience what they want they could still be superior to the black community. Also theaters were shut down by organizations because too much "black aesthetic" was being demonstrated. He believed that if people didn't expose their culture and embrace it then their culture will diminish. This was published in the summer of 1968. This was a very important year especially to the black community. In the Olympics two black athletes won. They saluted with the signature "power to the people" wearing black gloves when they were at the podium receiving their medals. Also JFK was murdered. Most believed it was because he was for the black community. After all that was accomplished their still was animosity towards the black community. This could've been a huge influence on Neal because he felt that enough was enough. Black artists should practice black art and stop trying to please the white man. 

Blog 4 (part 1)

Yesterday I had the opportunity to attend the read-a-thon. Its the first time that I went to any student activity on campus. I have to say it was the most perfect weather to be outside and listen to poetry. Many people read stories and poems. I realized that people had many different styles. Some were serious and dramatic, while others had a sense of humor and even sexual. If Im not mistaken their was a poem someone read called "The Sexual Kitchen" he compared sex to a salad, well actually he disguised sex as a salad. It was somewhat graphic but when you sit back and imagine a salad it mad complete sense. Also I realized that people, even myself automatically assumed that poems have to rhyme. Now I know that poems are expressed differently. Someone can write a poem about anything. I heard a poem about grapes. Poems don't even have to make sense directly I noticed that just like painters, words could be abstract as well. I never sat at the courtyard in school. It was nice to just sit, relax, and listen to people read their own pieces of work or pieces of work that means something to them. I enjoyed the experience it was very refreshing. I enjoyed the read-a-thon and I would recommend it to anyone.