In The Annotated Uncle Tom’s Cabin edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr. and Hollis Robbins, they reconsider Harriet Beecher Stowe’s effective use of sentimentality in virtually sanctifying constructions of Uncle Tom and George Harris, for example, as “perfect husbands.” According to Gates and Robbins, connecting slavery and domesticity, specifically marriage, was a chief insight fromContinue reading “Models Monday: Today’s Uncle Tom”
Author Archives: milesaway44105
Officer Panteleo and the Afterlife of Wrestle-mania
When 29 year-old Police Officer Daniel Pantaleo used a banned chokehold maneuver that would kill Eric Garner, it was all good ’cause the Officer perceived himself as using a “wrestling move.” Officer Pantaleo didn’t “mean” to kill Garner, he was just trying to arrest the man for the horrendous crime of selling individual cigarettes. AsContinue reading “Officer Panteleo and the Afterlife of Wrestle-mania”
Models Monday: I Can Get Wit’ It
Since my son’s been in pre-school, Social Studies, I’ve learned, has nothing to do with time. I guess I sorta understand why given that young children, even when they can tell time, don’t appear to understand it. In my son’s case, I usually say that he speaks of time in biblical terms. Thus, he mightContinue reading “Models Monday: I Can Get Wit’ It”
A New Look at the Work of “Demons”
Well, if you thought brutality looked like the welts on the back of an enslaved man named Peter, William Brown’s charred body, or Emmett Till’s battered face, then here’s a new set of images to add to your collection: Officer Darren Wilson’s Evidence Photos. Wilson’s face shows the marks of what a young man thatContinue reading “A New Look at the Work of “Demons””
No Indictment, No Surprise
Dear Black Children, As cute and adorable as you are, cuddly in a way that Kadir Nelson expertly captures in nearly every image he draws, your beauty and our love for you will not save you. You may not understand this now, but you should know the truth. This truth comes from writer JamesContinue reading “No Indictment, No Surprise”
Models Monday: Concrete, Definite, and Specific Language
The “Eyes on Ferguson” discussion below exemplifies concrete, definite, and specific language: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough reveal what occurs when concrete, definite, and specific language is totally misunderstood: Michael E. Dyson elevated the conversation when he used the language of “white supremacy” and not “race.” He certainly didn’t “lower the level” of the discourseContinue reading “Models Monday: Concrete, Definite, and Specific Language”
Toni Morrison: Brilliant as Always
Walter Lee Younger’s Vision Realized
I’ve never seen Kenny Leon’s version of A Raisin in the Sun featuring Sean “Diddy” Combs as Walter Lee Younger. I was aware that many trained actors were disappointed in the casting given the rap mogul’s unproven talent for the stage. I don’t know if Diddy can act, but the casting was spot on! InContinue reading “Walter Lee Younger’s Vision Realized”
Models Monday: On Free Land
This past weekend, I visited South-View Cemetery with a few friends. South-View was granted its charter on April 21, 1886 and so became the first for-profit cemetery for African Americans in the United States. Beneath the names of the six men who established this charter reads its statement of purpose: “To provide a respectableContinue reading “Models Monday: On Free Land”
Models Monday: A Message for Republicans
Dear G.O.P., As you work towards your goal of “taking back our country,” I ask that you consider reading Robert Pogue Harrison’s book Gardens: An Essay on the Human Condition. Throughout the work, Harrison stresses the significance of care-taking as an essential aspect of being human and living a meaningful life. I’m sure you’re far tooContinue reading “Models Monday: A Message for Republicans”
In Reverie Blog 