I Am America

I met her during a BTAC a few years ago, and was delighted to hear her song 'American Pie' a few years ago, 

Here's Shea Diamond again with her latest video 'I Am America'.  I'm playing it on the 4th of July because frankly, some of y'all need the effing reminder that trans and gender non conforming peeps exist, and we too, by dint of being born in the US, are American citizens who deserve all the human rights afforded to us under the US Constitution. 

Enjoy her latest song, and  Happy Independence Day!

45th Anniversary of School House Rock

Back in 1973 as my brother and I, and later my sisters watched Saturday morning cartoons on ABC, some of the advertising breaks were taken up by the Emmy Award winning educational cartoons that later became known as Schoolhouse Rock.

It ran on ABC from 1973-1985, and then was revived for a second run from 1993-1999. 

Those musical education cartoons that dropped knowledge on math, science, grammar and history have become so beloved that I and a lot of peeps own them on DVD.

I bought the 30th Anniversary DVD in 2009 when I lived in Louisville, and when I purchased it, Dawn Wilson and I spent several hours watching them and singing along to our fave ones like 'Conjunction Junction', 'Interplanet Janet',' Suffering Until Suffrage', 'Three Is A Magic Number' , 'Interjections! ' , A Noun Is A Person Place or Thing  and 'Hey Little Twelvetoes'  as the rest of our roommates and friends watched us with bemused looks on their faces .

Of course, as you probably guessed, the political junkie in me loves 'I'm Just A Bill'  which explains the legislative process an has been parodied by Saturday Night Live to lampoon 45.. 

But I was also in love with the 'Verb; That's What's Happening' one as well because it was one of the few in the original series of School House Rock videos in which the main protagonist looked like me.



So happy 45th Anniversary School House Rock!.   Those videos helped a lot of kids get to math, science, grammar and history tests. 

Shea Diamond's 'I Am Her' Drops On ITunes

She talked about it when I met her during the 2016 BTAC conference in Dallas, and we even got a sample of her amazing vocal talents during our Family Fun Day.  

Now Shea Diamond has finally released that first single on ITunes entitled I Am Her.

Here's the YouTube video for the song, and if you like it, please consider purchasing the song and helping a trans sister out.



The song dropped on ITunes back on October 7, and it's available for purchase here by clicking this link. 

Congrats Shea!   Hope we are blessed to hear more of your musical talents in the near future!

Tona Plays Amazing Grace

Just a reminder of how awesome Tona Brown is and how such awesomeness needs to be on the stage of Carnegie Hall.  This video is from the Baltimore TDOR.   Tona is playing 'Amazing Grace' accompanied by cellist Kevin Jones of the Aida Strings

Tona is an advocate for transgender issues and the arts.  She founded the Aida Strings in 2005 with the goal of showcasing the talent of classical artists in African American and LGBT communities who have a harder time getting the same exposure or opportunities as others.

So enjoy this duet and pull out a dollar or two (or $5, $10, $20...) to help get Tona to New York.

Mr T: Treat Your Mother Right Video

Well, since it's Mother's Day and I'm going to be spending it with my mother and grandmother, definitely thought this is the day this video needed to be posted.

It's Mr. T doing his 'Treat Your Mother Right' video from the 80's.  (God I miss that decade and the 70's).

 

Black Butterfly

I talked about the significance and the symbolism of the butterfly to the transgender community in a previous post.

As I compiled it I immediately thought about one of my favorite songs by Deniece Williams called 'Black Butterfly'..

When I reread the lyrics to it and listened to Deniece sing it again, I realized that the song perfectly encapsulates the melding of pride for our heritage as Black trans people and pride in being trans people.

It's something we need to think about as we 21st century transpeople of African descent are trying to build lasting community along with TPOCC, the Trans People of Color Coalition and countless others.

Frankly, I could see this becoming an unofficial inspirational theme song for our African descended trans community (with Deniece Williams' permission of course). 

***

Morning light, silken dreams take flight
As the darkness gives way to the dawn
You’ve survived, now your moment has arrived
Now your dream has finally been born

Black butterfly, sail across the waters
Tell your sons and daughters what the struggle brings
Black butterfly, set the skies on fire
Rise up even higher so the ageless winds of time can catch your wings

While you slept the promise was unkept
But your faith was as sure as the stars
Now you’re free and the world has come to see
Just how proud and beautiful you are

Black butterfly, sail across the waters
Tell your sons and daughters what the struggle brings
Black butterfly, set the skies on fire
Rise up even higher so the wind can catch your wings

Let the current lift your heart and send it soaring
Write your timeless message clear across the skies
So that all of us can read it and remember when we heed it
That a dream conceived in truth can never die, butterfly

'Cause now you’re free and the world has come to see
Just how proud and beautiful you are

Black butterfly, sail across the waters
Tell your sons and your daughters what the struggle brings
Black butterfly, set the skies, set them on fire
Rise up even higher so the ageless winds of time can catch your wings
Fly butterfly, yeah, yeah



Fly Black butterflies.  Spread your wings with pride, dream big dreams, show the world how beautiful you are and then take flight.  Never let the world forget how beautiful and talented you are either.  

Something else we should never forget is our transsisters who only had a short time to spread their wings and fly as the people they were born to be before those lives were tragically cut short.