I reread the Elisabeth Withers post I wrote last year. While I was doing so it reminded me of a project I was working on before I moved to Louisville in 2001.
During the 1999 Texas Lobby Day, as a token of appreciation to all the participants one of the organizing team members put together a compilation cassette tape of transgender themed music called T-Tunes. When I received mine I looked at the songs listed and noted that it was devoid of African-American music.
I pointed out to the person that compiled it that there were songs that you could definitely interpret in the R&B end of the music spectrum as having a transgender theme, even if it wasn't specifically written that way like Elisabeth Withers' 'The World Ain't Ready'.
Well, without further ado I decided to start compiling my own list of what is going to become an ongoing project of TransGriot, the T-Tunes with Soul
With this post I'm going to start a regular feature on TransGriot about my favorite men, transgender and biomen. I'm going to kick it off by starting with Dr. Cole.
Meet the man besides my father that is responsible for the TransGriot being here.
Dr. Collier Cole Ph.D is the director of the Rosenberg Clinic in Galveston. Along with Dr. Lee Emory they have helped approximately 450 transgender people a year from all over Texas and the Gulf Coast region transition in both directions since 1980.
It's a testament to the quality of his work that four IFGE Trinity winners started their transitions with him. He also has another well known Rosenberg Clinic alumnus in transman Michael Kantaras, of Kantaras v. Kantaras legal fame in Florida.
Rosenberg Clinic has alumni meetings during the first Saturdays twice a year in June and December. Thanks to those meetings I met one of my close transwoman girlfriends. We were also blessed that he was involved with WPATH as well. Unfortunately because of my move I missed the 2003 WPATH conference that was held in Galveston.
I got to meet Dr. Cole him when I had my first appointment with him in January 1994. Over time I began to blossom as I shed my fears, insecurities and realized I wasn't alone. Dr. Cole got me over my height hangups, anxiety about whether I'd convincingly pass or not and helped me work out a few other issues as well.
He smoothed out some of the potholes on the road to transition for me and many other transpeople in the Houston-Galveston metro area and all over the Gulf Coast region. He teaches on these issues, and I had the pleasure of being part of a panel discussion for one of his classes at Texas A&M-Galveston.
Dr. Cole is a blessing to those of us who transitioned at the Rosenberg Clinic. One of the things I miss about home is taking that trip down I-45 to hang out with all the clinic alumni and gather at Gaido's for fresh seafood and talk about how all of us are living our lives. There was one memorable trip where the June reunion coincided with a Caribbean festival they were having in Galveston, and the parade route passed right by the clinic. The December meeting always coincided with the annual Dickens on the Strand Festival, so after we'd have our reunion meeting we hit it for awhile before heading back up I-45 to Houston.
Thanks Dr. Cole for the major role you played in getting me over my issues and helping me to kick start my evolution towards becoming the Phenomenal Transwoman.
Before the dust even had a chance to settle on the Khadijah Farmer case comes word from the Left Coast and Jasmyne Cannick's blog that the same crap happened to songwriter Tanya White at the posh Beverly Hills Hotel. The incident occurred in September 2007 while she was there with a friend attending a birthday party for actress LisaRaye McCoy.
White found herself being tossed out of the women's restroom and disrespectfully called 'it' by hotel staff, then even after her gender identity was validated by her friend LaTrece Barney, was escorted off hotel property.
"I felt dehumanized, especially because no one ever asked me any questions and never asked for my I.D. To be called "it" and then forced to leave the restroom made me furious," White says. "I never want to be treated with such disrespect again because of how I choose to dress."
Tanya White is a songwriter, producer and recording artist who has written songs for Janet Jackson, Babyface, and Seal. She's hired uberattorney Gloria Allred to represent her in her fight against the Beverly Hills Hotel. She's asking for an apology and changes in hotel dress code policies, but will file the lawsuit and seek financial damages if she doesn't receive that apology.
Stay tuned, 'cause it's on like Donkey Kong now.
Once again, this points to what I and other transgender leaders have repeatedly said and warned about for over a decade. Unfortunately a certain gay congressman and a large organization that worships cash and the equal sign refuse to listen.
Any legislation such as ENDA, hate crimes or anything else that doesn't include the words 'gender or perceived gender' leaves a Mack-truck sized loophole in it that the bigots can use to do an end run and continue to discriminate against GLBT peeps.
It also leaves people like Ms. White, Khadijah Farmer and transgender peeps unprotected and exposed to the ignorance of others.
I get so sick of hearing the 'Black transwomen are hookers' shade. Every time one of my transsisters gets killed, in just about every story I read, the assumption is made that they are either hookers or if they had a prior arrest for it, it's played up in the story.
When the Duanna Johnson story broke last month, I cautioned some people commenting on it on the Bilerico Project not to jump to conclusions and assume that's just because the Memphis po-po's who beat her charged her with prostitution, that's not necessarily what she did for a living.
Hollywood isn't helping either. The images it puts out only adds to our frustration at being mischaracterized.
White transwomen get Felicity Huffman playing a transwoman named Bree in the movie Transamerica and see her get nominated for a gazillion awards for doing so. I get Kerry Washington playing a guess what in the soon to be released movie Life Is Hot In Cracktown.
If you see transwomen being interviewed on shows like Larry King, you'll rarely see a Black one on those panels. Even Oprah when she finally did some shows on transgender people failed to include one of us on the panel. The melanin-free Congressional hearing was also devoid of African-Americans.
You see white transwomen getting news coverage for working in various professional occupations, running for public office and getting massive media face time to counteract the fact that some of their t-girls also partake in the world's oldest profession. You just don't hear about it as much because it's spun by the MSM as a 'Black' problem.
So is it any wonder that a Black transkid looks at this situation and unfortunately thinks based on the tsunami of negative images projected at them even from the LGBT media, that the only thing they can be or do if they transition is become a hooker?
Is it any wonder that a big swath of the African-American community harbors the same misconceptions about us?
When are our African-American media outlets (EBONY, JET, ESSENCE, et cetera) going to step up to the plate and put together more positive stories on transgender African-Americans doing thangs, much less cover the crap that happens to us now?
If magazines like Colorlines, and some GLBT papers can do it, and you did it inthe past, what's stopping the iconic publications in our community from doing so now?
EBONY used to cover Chicago's Finnie's Ball and the New York drag balls up until 1952. You're missing out on some wonderful history that our people need to know. Everything from Black GLBT people conducting a 1965 sit in protest in Philadelphia to a Tennessee transgender college professor becoming the first African-American transgender delegate to the Democratic National Convention. It underscores the fact that just because we transitioned, we didn't stop being Black. It also makes the point that we have the same desire to uplift the race and see it survive and thrive just as many of you non-transgender African-American peeps do.
I have transwomen friends who work in IT, teach, are nurses, and are managers who work in various professional fields. Many of us are college educated with advanced degrees. We resent that the first thing coming out of people's mouths gay, straight or transgender when the conversation belatedly comes around to discussing transgender people of African-descent being the p-word.
It's even more hurtful and insulting to see African-American SGL people, folks who should know better than anyone else about stereotyping, also part their lips to say the same negative things about us.
Retreating deeper into stealth won't change this situation. It's what caused this news blackout to begin with.
The Transgender Talented Tenth is going to have to step up to the plate and do more to tell their stories to counteract all the negative spin that's out there.
I'm trying to do my part by not only telling my story on TransGriot, but by participating in panel discussion on and off college campuses, sitting on organizational boards in the GLBT community, doing speaking engagements, and consenting to do radio, podcast and print interviews.
But I'm only one person and TransGriot is just one blog. I'm competing with a sea of Internet websites and adult films that have no problem peddling the more negative images of pre-operative African-American transwomen for cash.
All I'm trying to do is tip the balance back toward the positive end. I don't want 100 years from now when historians read about the transgender rights movement, Black transpeople's yeoman contributions to gaining those rights being whitewashed out of the historical record or the general narrative being 'all we did was sex work'.
Standing on the top step of the Olympic medal platform with a gold medal around your neck while hearing your country's national anthem being played is a universal dream for all people who participate in sports.
Transgender athletes share that dream as well, and as we rapidly approach the August 8 start of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, we're aware that since the 2004 Athens Games transpeople have been eligible to compete thanks to rules changes enacted by the International Olympic Committee.
The new IOC rules were enacted too late for many transgender athletes to compete in Athens. The hopes of transgender people all over the world shifted to the 2006 Torino Winter Games or the upcoming Summer Games in Beijing. We were anxious to find out if some transperson somewhere had the athletic talent to make an Olympic team. There's no doubt about the intestinal fortitude part, we have that down cold. To transition takes guts period, so making an Olympic team is a doable challenge.
Many US transpeople were looking north of the border and keeping a close eye on Canadian cyclist Kristen Worley and Canadian BMX biker Michelle Dumaresq. They had the best shots on this side of the world of making their national teams and being the first openly transgender athletes to compete in the Games.
Note I said openly compete. Olympian Stella Walsh won gold in the 100m at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles and the silver in the same event at the 1936 Games in Berlin. She is considered one of the greatest track and field athletes of all time. But it took her untimely death in 1980 from a stray bullet hitting her during a robbery attempt for the world to discover from her autopsy results she was probably intersex. Not only did she have male genitalia, but XY chromosomes as well. It was Stella's case that motivated some IOC members to look into the transgender athletes issue and proactively deal with it.
I checked out the Canadian Olympic website and it seems that neither Kristen or Michelle made the Canadian teams in their respective bike disciplines. In fact, there was a dispute between Kristen and the Canadian Cycling Association about whether she'd qualified or not.
I'm a little disappointed because as I mentioned in a post a while back, whether we live in the States, Canada, Thailand, South Africa, Australia, Great Britain, Brazil or wherever we are on the planet, transgender issues are international ones. Any breakthrough we make anywhere positively affects our brothers and sisters on the rest of the planet. So yeah, I was rooting for Kristin and Michelle to make the Canadian team and would have been cheering for them to win even if they were opposed by US cyclists.
So unless there's a transgender athlete qualified for their national team somewhere else in the world, it's unlikely we'll see it happen in 2008.
But it will happen. Transgender kids growing up now will ensure that one day, a transgender athlete will be standing at the top step of an Olympic podium having a medal placed around their neck. Some of the high school athletic governing bodies in the United Ststes are beginning to take a look at these issues and the NCAA is considering proactively drafting policies that cover transgender athletes as well.
We have transgender athletes competing in various sports at high levels such as golfer Mianne Bagger, and it's not too farfetched to think that one day, they will make a national team or qualify for an Olympic Games.
As for the detractors who claim transwomen have an advantage competitively over biowomen, the only sport so far that the charge may possibly be true is swimming. We transwomen carry extra body fat from our time in male bodies. However, whatever buoyancy advantage that gives you is negated by the fact that we're still lugging around a masculine weight skeleton and have less strength to do it because of our feminine muscle tone. So in short, transwomen swimmers would be competing under a handicap.
I noted that when I got on the tennis court a few years after I started transition. It took me a while to get adjusted to the fact that I'm a little slower because I have to run around for two plus hours on a tennis court lugging a 6'2" frame with femme muscle tone. The fact I wasn't in tennis playing shape at the time made it more difficult.
What I noted anecdotally will get a major scientific test. Sport Canada along with various partners has begun a first of its kind in the world major research project on transitioned athletes. The goal is to provide sports governing bodies with the data they need to ensure fair competition and balance our desires as transgender people to participate fully in all that life has to offer.
As an African-American, I am fully aware of the power that sports, especially at the Olympic level has to break stereotypes, educate and bring people together. It's one of the reasons I love the Olympic Games so much. I was hoping to see Kristen or Michelle either carrying the Canadian flag or proudly marching into the Olympic Stadium in Beijing next month.
But if it doesn't happen in this Olympiad, I'm comforted in the knowledge of knowing that someday and somewhere it will.
The AKA's aren't the only historic African-American organization holding a convention this week. The 99th NAACP Convention is being held up I-71 from me in Cincinnati. It started on the 12th and is running until Thursday.
The NAACP will celebrate its centennial on February 12 next year and this convention will kick off a series of events leading up to that date.
The theme for this year's convention is "Power, Justice, Freedom, Vote,” and this year’s annual gathering of more than 8,000 NAACP members, delegates and visitors will be held at the Duke Energy Center. Presumptive Democratic nominee for president Sen. Barack Obama delivered remarks last night, and since it's an election year, the GOP preumptive nominee won't be ignoring or dissing the NAACP by not showing up. Sen. John McCain will also be here in Cincy to speak on Wednesday night.
The National Black Justice Coalition will be on the scene as well for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to having a booth at the convention, America's only nationwide LGBT civil rights organization will have a visible presence at the annual NAACP conference.
-NBJC will host a reception honoring 4 people whose work in civil rights has greatly benefited black LGBT communities. The event is free and open to the public.
-NBJC's CEO, H. Alexander Robinson will address the NAACP Board of Directors and Trustees at their annual Luncheon. The event is closed to the public.
-NBJC will distribute its Black LGBT focused publications at its tradeshow booth during the convention being at the Duke Energy Center. The event is free and open to the public.
-NBJC will co-sponsor the Eyes Open Festival, a Black LGBT Film and Arts event leading up to the convention There is an admission fee.
If you live in the Cincinnati area, you may want to check it out.
The oldest African-American sorority is about to gain a new member.
In an announcement made Monday during this week's Boule running through this Friday that's sure to thrill Alpha Kappa Alpha's over 200,000 members, Michelle Obama will reportedly accept an invitation to join the sorority. At the time she was matriculating on the Princeton campus, an AKA chapter didn't exist and wasn't founded there until 1985.
Ever since it became known that Mrs. Obama wasn't a member of a Divine Nine organization, the jockeying for the honor of inducting her into their ranks has been fierce. But some people felt Alpha Kappa Alpha had the advantage because of the sorority's corporate headquarters being located in Chicago and large AKA alumni groups located there and in Washington DC, where the sorority was founded 100 years ago.
If Senator Obama becomes our next president, she wouldn't be the first AKA First Lady. The late Eleanor Roosevelt holds that distinction, but she joins a long list of prominent members of the sorority that includes astronaut Mae Jemison, Alicia Keys, Coretta Scott King, Rosa Parks, Jada Pinkett Smith and Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Also being honored with induction into AKA is Rutgers women's basketball coach C. Vivian Stringer and Kenyan environmental and political activist Wangari Muta Maathai, the first continental African woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
So don't be surprised if you see Michelle Obama sporting salmon pink and apple green at an event near you.
TransGriot Note: it's been a while since I composed a song rewrite for your pleasure. There was also a neat picture I found of an elderly McCain and his wife that I wanted to go with this post, but for some strange reason every time I tried to upload either that picture, one of McCain, or of Cindy, it returned a mysterious 'internal server error' response. Even changing the name of the photo file didn't allow it to be uploaded. Interestingly enough, I don't get that same 'internal server error' response when it comes to pictures of Barack and Michelle Obama. What's up with that?
Sung to the tune of Kanye West's 'Gold Digger'
He takes my money when I'm in need Yea he's a trifflin' husband indeed Oh he's a gold digga way over town That digs on me
Chorus (He did me wrong) McCain's a GOP gold digger (When I'm Need) Cindy made his bank account bigger(He did me wrong) McCain's a GOP gold digger (When I'm need) Cindy made his bank account bigger get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down
After Vietnam Cheerleader had it going on With truckloads of cash Under her underarm Cindy said "John, you rock!" As she fell for his charm His wife Carol prayed for his safety From the Viet Cong Dumped his first wife for Cindy Yo homes, have you seen her? Because Cindy's cash can help in the political arena Cindy adopts a Bangladeshi kid Bush used to ruin the 2K presidential bid Ok you got ya kid I have to bring around my friends I sold out to the Bushies for my career to extend But I won the nomination, that's the bed I made If I'm messing with this girl then I gotta get paid You know why It take too much to touch her Cindy's makeup comes off in huge clusters But without her my career would be lackluster Don't care what y'all say yeah, I still love her
(He did me wrong) McCain's a GOP gold digger (When I'm Need) Cindy made his bank account bigger(He did me wrong) McCain's a GOP gold digger (When I'm need) Cindy made his bank account bigger get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down
14 years, 14 years Carol had your kids Cindy's also got you for 18 years John's payin' alimony for dissing her, dig? His baby momma's car and crib ain't bigger than his You see McCain on Meet the Press almost every Sunday But he won't be driving off in a Hyundai He was supposed to buy the presidency with her money He went to the doctor and got a facelift with his honey He walkin' around with a grin so sunny Barack gonna wipe it off your face in November, sonny If you're so in love why'd she get a prenup? Say it SHE GOT A PRENUP, Yeaah It's something that she felt she needed to have Cause if you leave her dude she ain't gonna give you half 14 years, 14 years Cindy didn't tell him she was adopting a kid.
He did me wrong) McCain's a GOP gold digger (When I'm Need) Cindy made his bank account bigger(He did me wrong) McCain's a GOP gold digger (When I'm need) Cindy made his bank account bigger get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down (I gotta leave) get down boy go head get down
You're a GOP gold digger and you got needs McCain said she wears too much makeup and insulted her weave Bailed out your broke campaign in your time of need You publicly called her the C-word, damn homes she's peeved But you peeps outside the beltway need to watch him While half your check ends up putting gas in your Datsun McCain got that presidential ambition look in his eyes In November it'll be Obama taking the prize With Michelle his only wife standing by his side McCain's trying to win but his heart ain't right How you dissed Carol, keep spinning, awight? McCain you really make me hurl Dumping your wife for a younger white girl
Get down boy go head get down Get down boy go head get down get down boy go head get down get down boy go head (can you play that back)
As if Faux News putrid crap, the Tennessee GOP and various right-wing sites hatin' on the Obamas wasn't bad enough, now comes word of this New Yorker magazine cover hitting the newsstands today that's supposed to be satirical, but ain't.
"The New Yorker may think, as one of their staff explained to us, that their cover is a satirical lampoon of the caricature Senator Obama's right-wing critics have tried to create," said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton. "But most readers will see it as tasteless and offensive. And we agree."
The magazine tried to CTA and said in a statement the cover "combines a number of fantastical images about the Obamas and shows them for the obvious distortions they are."
"The burning flag, the nationalist-radical and Islamic outfits, the fist-bump, the portrait on the wall? All of them echo one attack or another. Satire is part of what we do, and it is meant to bring things out into the open, to hold up a mirror to prejudice, the hateful, and the absurd. And that's the spirit of this cover."
Whether it was or not, the GOP is thanking you for giving them the image they'll ride from now until November 4. Satire is one thing. I get satire. I love it and read Mad Magazine as a kid for years. But good satire has an element of truth to it and frankly, the New Yorker Obama cover doesn't pass that test.
That New Yorker cover is every spin line, smear and regurgitated lie that the GOP and their Faux News propaganda arm have come up with to denigrate the Obamas. The fact that they took the unprecedented step and added his wife to the image just adds to the pissivity that I and many African-Americans feel about this cover.
It's also a fact that some of the GOP sheeple out there actually believe in their hive minds the bull that was depicted in this cartoon and will take it as 'evidence' that it's the 'truth'. Shouldn't the CNN debunking of the 'madrassa' lies back in January told you people that your favorite so-called 'news' outlet peddles in propaganda?
But I live in a reality based world with reason, knowledge and double checked facts as one cornerstone of it, not rumor or innuendo that allegedly passes as news. And unlike fundies, I don't turn off my brain when I go to church, either.
In the context of a racially polarized electorate contemplating putting an African-American in the highest political office in the land for the first time in our country's history, and the historical course-changing stakes of this election, the cover was irresponsible as well. One of my fears is that this cover has the potential to possibly do damage to the Obama campaign because it comes from a so-called liberal magazine.
It doesn't matter if the New Yorker wrote a serious article about Senator Obama on the inside of the magazine. The problem is the cover you produced to sell that magazine.
Four Latinas made the five finalists at Miss Universe 2008 along with Miss Russia. Miss Venezuela, Dayana Mendoza was crowned Miss Universe 2008.
So what happened to my Houston homegirl? Unbelievably, for the second year in a row, the Miss USA rep trips during the evening gown competition.
Probably the thought going through Miss USA's Crystle Stewart's mind and all the contestants in this year's Miss Universe pageant in Nha Trang, Vietnam was 'don't fall'.
I'm referring to the image of Miss USA 2007 Rachel Smith falling during the evening gown portion of last year's event in Mexico City and still managing to score high enough to squeak into the five finalists to the disgust of the hometown Mexican crowd. She eventually finished fourth in last year's pageant and 'The Fall' is one of the more popular clips on YouTube.
Just before it happened, host Jerry Springer even alluded to last year's mishap in his banter with co-host Mel B.
Well, it happened again.
Miss USA 2008 Crystle Stewart was probably on track to at least make the five finalists, but had to get past the evening gown competition. This year the Latinas were bringing it. Miss Venezeula, Miss Colombia, Miss Dominican Republic, and Miss Mexico were serving it and scoring high with the international panel of judges. I felt if Crystle could get to the finals and get a decent question that showcased her intelligence and public speaking skills, she'd have a good chance to win.
But that slip cost her big time. Although like Rachel did last year, she got up as if nothing had happened, she only scored an 8.0. I knew that wasn't going to cut it with the Latinas scoring in the low to high 9's and after what happened last year, there was no way she'd be allowed near the five finalists.
The one thing that's already irritating me is the hateraid and snide racist comments that are already coming her way that I've peeped on the Net.
So we'll have to wait another year to see if a Miss USA can finally break the dry spell that we've had at this pageant. The last Miss USA rep to win it was in 1997
When my Houston homegirl became the sixth sistah to win Miss USA back in April, and she was a Cougar alum to boot, I already liked 26 year old Crystle Stewart.
On the eve of the 2008 Miss Universe pageant that's currently taking place in the Vietnamese resort town of Nha Trang, Miss USA endorsed Sen. Barack Obama for president.
She said while she admired both candidates, she was more drawn to the Democratic hopeful.
"I like Barack Obama -- just his poise and the way he motivates people -- and that's something that draws me," said the Texan beauty, who works as a motivational speaker and is writing a book called "Waiting to Win."
Asked if she would vote for Obama, she said: "That's a secret, but yes!"
She also threw McCain supporters a bone as well. "John McCain is an American hero," she said of the Republican Party hopeful. "I'm actually kind of torn because I think he's a great person, he's older and he might be a little bit wiser," she told AFP on the eve of the Miss Universe contest, to be broadcast Sunday evening US time.
"But Obama's on the higher end of the list," she added.
Because the event is being held in Nha Trang, which during the Vietnam War was a major US naval base, she was also asked a question by the AFP reporter about that period.
Stewart said she was proud to represent the United States in an event held in Vietnam, once America's battlefield enemy, because the show could act as a bridge between the countries and help post-war reconciliation.
"That was 30 years ago, and we had a terrible conflict, but now we're working together, and I think this will show everyone that USA and Vietnam can be very friendly and cordial to each other," she said.
"Hopefully we can be role models to other countries, to work in cooperation and peace together... It's bringing the countries closer together."
The finals are being televised at 9 PM EST tonight, and I hope that Crystle continues to make history.
Last Sunday I sat down with Ethan St. Pierre and talked about a few issues in the transgender community on his podcast. He shot me an e-mail Friday informing me that the podcast is now online and up at TransFM and podomatic.com
If you wish to hear the TransGriot pontificating on a few issues, click on this link to listen to the show.
It can also be accessed by going to the TransFM website, click on my name and hear the show that way as well.
But since I already did the heavy Net lifting for you, just check it out.
TransGriot note: Rev. Louis Coleman passed away on July 4. He was as Betty Baye's column mentioned, a first responder to injustice here in Da Ville and across the state.
He's also a polarizing figure here as well. One day I overheard a white co-worker of mine when I worked at Macy's griping about him and a recent LG&E price hike in the breakroom. I pointed out that if it hadn't been for Rev. Coleman protesting it and chewing on them in the media the price hike would have been even higher.
I and more than a few people in GLBT Louisville were pissed at him for two months (some are still pissed) because he sided with the bigots during the bruising JCPS policy fight a few months ago. He will be missed.
I took for granted that the Rev. Louis Coleman would always be around Kentucky, speaking truth to power as he saw it.
But the long July 4 holiday was rudely interrupted while I was out to dinner with friends. News arrived that Louis had died.
My immediate thought was that now Louis can lay down the cross that he carried for so many and let somebody take care of him.
Louis Coleman befriended me when I was a reporter back in the mid-'80s. He kicked open doors in this city and this state through which a lot a people waltzed, including some who, once seated at tables of power, denied Coleman just as Judas denied the Jesus that Louis served so faithfully for 64 years.
We've all probably heard Louis' critics; they said that his tactics were unorthodox and that he wasn't always careful about marshalling all the facts before lacing up his marching shoes and grabbing his bullhorn and picket signs.
Fact is that Louis Coleman was just too "grassroots" for some people.
He wasn't an oratorical wonder like Frederick Douglass, Mary McCloud Bethune, Malcolm X or Martin Luther King Jr. He wasn't erudite like W.E.B. DuBois. And when he mounted the pulpit of the First Congregational Church, where he was pastor for many years, he wasn't a poetic preacher like the Rev. Jesse Jackson. Louis wasn't a natty dresser like Minister Louis Farrakhan, and he couldn't turn a phrase on paper like James Baldwin or his old friend, the late Anne Braden.
No, Louis Coleman was just Louis.
He wasn't a duplicate of anyone. He had his own style, and if you know anything about the civil rights movement, and human rights struggles in general, you know that it takes all kinds.
King, for example, self-identified as a drum major for justice. When I think of Louis Coleman, I imagine a foot soldier, bringing up the rear, as someone more comfortable in a T-shirt and jeans and in the trenches rather than in board rooms -- though Louis slipped in and out of more board rooms than some might imagine.
I'll always remember Louis as a first responder to injustice; he was an accessible leader.
Louis was hard-headed, too. He didn't readily take to the advice of those who urged him to take better care of himself or to slow down. For example, he called himself retired once, but that that didn't last long. Louis ran himself ragged holding press conferences about one issue or another, leading daily vigils outside crack houses and picketing City Hall, police headquarters and job sites, where he didn't believe that minorities were getting their fair share of the work or the contracts.
Not everybody was always happy to see Louis Coleman coming.
But those unhappy folks weren't the poor kids who lined up for the school-supplies giveaway that Louis held every year. Those unhappy with him weren't the people who applauded Louis' efforts to cut down on the violence by buying back guns off the streets.
And contrary to many of his detractors, who obviously had no personal contact, Louis was no racist. He didn't discriminate among his friends or those who sought his aid.
Though Louis did generate a lot of press over the last 30 or so years, he did some of his best work behind the scenes, and he never seemed to mind, as some close to him clearly did, when he wasn't given credit for the work that he had done. And it also didn't seem to matter to Louis that when the money that came as result of something that Louis first agitated for, it didn't flow into the coffers of the Justice Resource Center, but instead went to more mainstream groups.
It's not that Louis Coleman never got angry or didn't have an ego; we all do. But what I and many others who knew this kind, wonderful human being will cherish as his legacy is that Louis was more about getting the job done than simply being famous or being loved.
Louis Coleman was one of God's originals, and I'm going to miss his face around this place. I'll miss, too, those phone calls when I'd pick up and hear his raspy voice on the end of the line saying ever so respectfully, "Sister Betty, I've written something. Do you think you can get it in The Courier?"
Beginning yesterday and continuing through next Friday, the predominant fashion color for more than 20,000 sisters around Washington DC will be salmon pink and apple green.
Those 20,000 women I'm talking about are the sorors of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Inc. the first and the oldest African-American sorority. They will be returning to the city where the organization was born for the Centennial Boule.
AKA was founded on the Howard University campus one hundred years ago on January 15, 1908.
I come from a long line of AKA's. My mom, sister and several cousins are members and may be walking around DC as I write this. When I lived at home, I used to read my mom's Ivy Leaf magazines when she and my sis were done with them. I drove Mom to more than a few of her grad chapter meetings after I acquired my license and even DJed a few of her chapter's Christmas parties before I transitioned. I lived next door to one of the founding members and basileus of my mom's grad chapter and grew up in a neighborhood full of AKA's. The sorority has touched my life and the lives of many people in many ways even if I was the wrong gender at the time for membership.
The Boule is AKA's biennial national convention that moves around so that the nine US AKA regions (the tenth is the international one) get the opportunity to host it. In milestone years such as this one, they return to Washington DC, which hosted the 25th, 50th, and 75th anniversary Boules as well.
In addition to staying true to its mission of service to all mankind, empowering women and uplifting our people, AKA has stood tall for justice as well. AKA members were not only involved in the civil rights movement, but are making trailblazing strides in all areas of our society uncluding the frontiers of space.
Centennial Supreme Basileus Barbara A. McKinzie has not only focused on a economic empowerment message during her tenure, she has spoken out against the disrespectful comments of Don Imus directed at the Rutgers University women's basketball team and the recent racist flavored ads the Tennessee GOP was running against Michelle Obama.
One hundred years later, Alpha Kappa Alpha has grown from its humble beginnings at Miner Hall to an international women's organization with over 200,000 members in various fields.
Mattel has even created an AKA Barbie in honor of the centennial, the first doll its ever done based on any sorority, much less an African-American organization.
Skee-wee and have a memorable week in Washington DC, ladies.
I have much love and respect for Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. I was an alternate Jackson delegate for my precinct during his 1984 run for president. I have defended him in countless Internet debates, arguments and dust ups over the last two decades with people inside and outside the African-American community. I even wrote a post slamming his and Rev. Al Sharpton's critics.
I've heard rumors coming from Chicagoland that there was a little animosity Rev. Jesse Sr. was harboring for Sen. Barack Obama not only because of his meteoric rise in Chicago politics and quick ascension on the national stage, but he's accomplishing what Jackson couldn't do in two attempts in 1984 and 1988.
Rev. Jackson denied that, and although he has endorsed Sen Obama, the rumors persist. On CNN's American Morning Wednesday he stated, referring to the modern civil rights struggle, "That's kind of ridiculous. He's running the last lap of a 54-year marathon. He is running that race. I am a part of that race."
Yeah, but your derogatory remarks on Faux News make any positive comments you make about Sen Obama seem hollow and poured gasoline on the fire that you have hateraid for Obama.
Speaking of those remarks, what in Hades prompted you to not only go on FOX, which has much hateraid for you personally, but whisper those remarks while in the confines of their studio?
You had to be cognizant of the fact that you were in enemy territory. This is a network which since its start up strives to show African-Americans in a negative light. These conservapeeps would be looking for anything to use to attack either you personally or Barack Obama. If you didn't consider that possibility, then you sadly underestimated the depth of their dislike for you and the lengths they will go to accomplish both missions.
You just gave your conservahaters a two-for-one deal on that, and put your own son in the embarrassing position as the co-chair of the Obama presidential campaign of having to publicly criticize his own father.
Rev. Jesse, stop drinking the jealously green flavor Hateraid. I know you wanted to have your name go down in the history books as our first African-American president or become a US senator. There are others who will accomplish that goal. Your son, Jesse Jackson, Jr. may be one of those people. He is a multi-term US representative ably representing his Chicago area district and has a bright future in Democratic party politics.
I thank you for all the work you've done for our community and being our sword and shield when we needed it, but it's time for you to step back and look at the big picture. Get with the reality that Barack Obama may be on the verge of accomplishing what our people have dreamed about for generations.
And stay away from the Faux News studios while you're at it.
If Sen. Barack Obama eventually becomes our president, if I were his campaign staff, one of the people I'd definitely be express mailing invites for the inauguration, the parades and the galas to would be actor Dennis Haysbert.
As you fans of the Fox show 24 already know, Haysbert played President David Palmer on the show before his character was assassinated. He currently stars as Major Jonas Blaine on the CBS show The Unit and was quoted in a recent interview as saying, "If anything, my portrayal of David Palmer, I think, may have helped open the eyes of the American people."
Before some of you start laughing about that assertion, let me school y'all for a minute about the power of television.
It was a TV show called Star Trek that inspired a Chicago schoolgirl named Mae Jemison to become the first African-American female astronaut launched into space. In addition to that, it was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. himself who urged actress Nichelle Nichols not to quit her role as Lt. Uhura when she met him at a NAACP event.
The 1963 televising of firehoses and dogs being loosed on nonviolent protesters in Birmingham and 'Bloody Sunday' at Selma in 1965 not only helped sway public support for civil rights, and end overt Jim Crow racism in the South, but probably paved the way for the 1964-65 Civil Rights Acts to pass as well.
The television show A Different Worldduring its broadcast run from 1987-1993, in conjunction with the Spike Lee movie School Daze helped cause an estimated 25% spike in admissions applications to HBCU's all over the country.
I credit Rebecca Romijn's role as transwoman Alexis Meade on Ugly Betty combined with Barbara Walters 20/20 show on transgender children among other factors with the increased success we're having in terms of getting transgender civil rights codified into law. Those shows helped create more awareness and more positive perceptions about transgender people. My own peeps have a little catching up to do, and Hollywood has yet to create positive transgender characters of color similar to an Alexis Meade, but that's another post.
Haysbert's comments are interesting in the context of this historic campaign. They are definitely food for thought and I'm not dismissing them outright. Haysbert also put his money where his mouth is by donating $2,300 to the Obama campaign.
What we know is that Barack Obama is the presumptive Democratic nominee for president. He beat Sen. Hillary Clinton for that nomination, who had a historic campaign in her own right possibly aided in the same manner by the 2005-2006 ABC show Commander In Chief, in which Geena Davis plays the first female president, Mackenzie Allen.
If Dennis Haysbert's role helped open some minds to the possibility that an African-American could not only win the presidency but competently do the job, and it results in a historic inauguration for Sen. Obama on January 20, 2009, then it's all good.
TransGriot Note: I mentioned that Dawn spent the last few days of her vacation in San Jose, CA fencing in the US Summer Nationals tourney there. She said she was ready, so did Maestro Stawicki. I'll let her tell you in her own words how things transpired.
Guest post by Dawn Wilson
When I was growing up I had the distinct pleasure of hearing how athletic and competitive my family was. For example my uncle "Sweet" Lou Johnson hit two home runs, including the game winner while clinching Game Seven of the 1965 World Series for the LA Dodgers. My first cousin Jack "Goose" Givens scored 41 points to win the 1978 NCAA championship for UK. That competiive drive also extends to other sporting arenas as well. My whole family are equestrians and my aunt Mary Evelyn in Lexington, KY coached her junior high school football team to 11 straight championships.
You get the point.
When I started fencing, I was slow and uncoordinated. Four years later I am coordinated, fast and now a national medallist. It has not been an easy road. I did a lot of this while dealing with difficult people, but I did it.
When I arrived Monday I was a little upset because my United flight was late. (I'm sticking with Southwest from now on.) I got checked into my hotel, grabbed something to eat with a team mate and squeezed in some work out time before heading to bed to be rested and prepared for Tuesday.
Despite feeling like I lacked proper preparation time in San Jose because of my late arrival the day before, I started the day off winning the first two bouts rather easily. I then had to face Liz Enochs who had been the NAC champ and point leader this year. I beat her 5-2 and went on to win the pool 6-0!
By the DE Mary Wilkerson was ranked 1st and I was ranked 2nd. Liz was ranked 4th. Thanks to my sweep of my pool I had a first round DE bye. Then I faced Cat Randall and Anne Galliano beating them by 10-6 and 10-5 scores. In the semis I faced Katherine Bowden-Scherer and Mary faced Liz. Both Mary and I were knocked out and had to fence for 3rd. Liz went on to become the 2008 Women's Veteran's 40 Champion and I beat Mary for the bronze medal. In the process, I earned a new rating: C08.
What that means is that I not only jumped up two spots ranking wise thanks to my performance in this tournament, I will fence in Division 1 in Decemeber and in January 2009 at home here in Louisville.
I wish to thank everyone in LFC for all the support I have received over the years. It was you guys who helped make this possible! I would especially like to thank the following people for going the extra mile: Maestro, Michael Gauss, Lou Felty, Will Garner and Kate(who was one of the few people who stayed late to practice with me from the saber class), Michelle Reese and Orion Bazzell.
I mentioned in a post back in May that the 2008 Olympic draw to set the pools for the upcoming Olympic basketball competition were held by FIBA on April 26.
The FIBA Men's World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens, Greece is fast approaching to fill the remaining spots. The FIBA Women's World Olympic Qualifying Tournament was held last month from June 9-15 in Madrid, Spain and we now know who the final five women's b-ball qualifying nations are.
The final five are Latvia, Belarus, Czech Republic, Spain, and the Brazilians, who knocked off Cuba 72-67 in an elimination game to punch their ticket to Beijing.
So now that we know who the final five squads are, we can now fill in the group blanks.
Group A is now comprised of 2004 silver medallist and current FIBA world women's champ Australia, Korea, the 2004 Olympic bronze medallist Russia, Brazil, Latvia and Belarus.
The three time defending Olympic champion Team USA will be playing in Group B with the host Chinese, Mali, New Zealand, Czech Republic and Spain. They'll open group play on August 9 against the Czech Republic.
The members of the 2008 version of Team USA aiming toward a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal are three-time Olympic gold medalist Lisa Leslie of the Los Angeles Sparks, two-time Olympic gold medalist Katie Smith of the Detroit Shock, 2004 Olympic gold medalists Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm, Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury and Tina Thompson of the Houston Comets.
Tina...Tina...Tina... Oops, had a Sea of Red flashback for a moment.
First time Olympians (and it probably won't be their last US women's team are Seimone Augustus of the Minnesota Lynx, Sylvia Fowles of the Chicago Sky, Candace Parker of the Los Angeles Sparks and Cappie Pondexter of the Phoenix Mercury.
The final three players selected for Team USA were announced today. They are 2000 Olympic gold medallist DeLisha Milton-Jones of the Los Angeles Sparks, 2004 Olympic gold medallist Tamika Catchings of the Indiana Fever and first time Olympian Kara Lawson of the Sacramento Monarchs
The US women ballers are being coached by Anne Donovan. Her assistant coaches are Mike Thibault, the head coach of the WNBA's Connecticut Sun and collegiate head coaches Gail Goestenkors of the University of Texas and the University of South Carolina’s Dawn Staley.
Since women's basketball was first staged as a medal event at the 1976 Montreal Games, Team USA has won five golds, one silver, one bronze and compiled in Olympic play a 42-3 (.933) overall record in seven Olympic appearances. (We didn't go to the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow due to the boycott over the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.)
Let the games begin, and hopefully we'll see a sixth gold medal being placed around the necks of our women b-ballers.
I did a post in honor of the Fourth of July called National Anthems with Soul. I put together a short list of great African-American performances of the national anthem.
Well, that list wouldn't be complete without this one. The late great Jimi Hendrix playing the national anthem on his guitar 40 years ago at Woodstock.
I reread the Elisabeth Withers post I wrote last year. While I was doing so it reminded me of a project I was working on before I moved to Louisville in 2001. 
