Prof Haile Gerima and Storytelling

Prof. Haile Gerima, of the Howard Film Department, talks at length about the film making process and storytelling. He tells own story, in this two part Al Jazeera interview. We have talked quite a bit about storytelling. I have insisted that you get a handle on your personal story. He mirrors some of our discussion, but he makes an eloquent case for each of us to master our own "voice" and vision, while maintaining a critical eye for contemporary media. Please take the time to watch parts 1 and 2. CH

Roy DeCarava, Photographer

In the 1950s, photography was hardly considered art. If you wanted to be taken seriously as a photographer, you snapped mountains and models -- not your neighbors. It also helped to be white. But Roy DeCarava, who died Oct. 27 at the age of 89, turned all of that on its head. ( An NPR take on a great photographer. CH)

Paris liberation made 'whites only'

Papers unearthed by the BBC reveal that British and American commanders ensured that the liberation of Paris on 25 August 1944 was seen as a "whites only" victory. So, the "whites only" troops marched through Paris as the great liberators, though the Free French forces had been made up of a considerable portion of African troops ( West, Central and North African, who died in large numbers) the only "colored" troops allowed to march in the parade were North African and Middle Eastern who were light complected. They were allowed because the French could not make a full division of white troops.
All of this took place at the insistence of the Allied command, who also eliminated African- Americans, as well as a considerable number of British troops who were Indian, West Indian, African and Middle Eastern. It's particularly interesting to read the contemporary responses at Digg (click through for those.) Some people of European descent continue to excuse and rationalize the behavior, ostensibly for the mental health of those of European descent. The image of liberators of color, having saved Europe from itself, German decimation, was unacceptable to some.

read more | digg story

Journalism 2.0

Journalism 2,0 is a take on the current state of the news media. There is a PDF text download FREE! More to come on this book that I have mentioned before, and will refer too soon.

Journalism 2.0

View more presentations from mark.briggs. (tags: digital newmedia)

"UN-AMERICAN" Right? CJR- Massing

Columbia Journalism Review essay by Michael Massing casts a long term eye at the right-wing assaults on Obama's character. In light of recent and continuing developments, the NY "POST" cartoon for one (reference our discussion of the right-wing visual syllogism,) Massing paints a pretty clear picture of the propanda that has been spewing forth.

read more | digg story

Can A "Communicator" Claim Non-Racist Reference?

The New York Post published a cartoon showing two apparently "white" police shooting a monkey and saying in a balloon, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus Bill." The outcry has been vociferous and broad. The general understanding is that the reference is to President Obama. There are still elements in the "white" community who continue to repeat the old saw, "Blacks need to stop being so sensitive." They reference charges that Bush was pictured as an ignorant chimp. The Post issued a half-hearted apology.During the campaign there were multiple examples of cartoonists and ordinary citizens making monkey references to then candidate Obama. There is a history of this racist equation of Blacks and monkeys. Someone who is a journalist or communicator and their editors (who filter the product) should understand the symbolism that is part of American history and recent usage. A denial of the references belies an awareness of the culture in which they claim license to operate.
Julian Bond of the NAACP says this is a call to assassination. In the current climate where American school kids are coming to school talking about assassinating Pesident Obama, this can not be taken lightly. We can not accept that there is no awareness of this crap in the white community.

Monkey Imagery at Palin Rally During the Campaign

Here's video of the monkey-Obama stuff that's been around since the election campaign and significantly longer in relation to black people in general.

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavie

It's not Journalism, but it is interesting. Link under headline takes you to a site that discusses the technique. Have a good day. CH

Yochai Benkler: Open-source economics

Yochai Benkler explains how collaborative projects like Wikipedia and Linux represent the next stage of human organization.Yochai Benkler has been called "the leading intellectual of the information age." He proposes that volunteer-based projects such as Wikipedia and Linux are the next stage of human organization and economic production.
Another TED project I hope someone is reading or seeing this stuff.

Scurlock Studio Show Opens at the Smithsonian

The Smithsonian American History Museum is opening a show of photographs from the Scurlock Studios. Addison Scurlock started photographing Washington scenes in the early 1900's. The Scurlock Collection, which is now housed at the museum, includes photos of many notables and ordinary African American people from the Washington, D.C. area. The Family Business is on U Street, N.W. I encourage a visit to the show. Our own Jacqueline Colbert is a Grandchild of Addison Scurlock. CH

Smithsonian American History Museum. January 30 to November15, 2009.

The Obama Inauguration

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Howard University Journalism and School of Communications students cover the Obama Inauguration. Job well done. CH