John McCain Shows Some of His Real Self

When corporate interests were on the line, it seems, the senator hung up on that right to privacy.*

Dear friends,

Imagine that John McCain had been given the nod to be president, instead of Barack Obama. The article on the link below, written by the very progressive and insightful journalist Stephanie Kraft of western Massachuset's The Valley Advocate, reveals the true direction that McCain has taken.

G. Djata Bumpus

http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_action=doc&p_docid=129975A1A8D2F550&p_docnum=1&s_dlid=DL0109073117511825732&s_ecproduct=SUB-FREE&s_ecprodtype=INSTANT&s_trackval=&s_siteloc=&s_referrer=&s_subterm=Subscription%20until%3A%2012%2F14%2F2015%2011%3A59%20PM&s_subexpires=12%2F14%2F2015%2011%3A59%20PM&s_username=freeuser&s_accountid=AC0107071613144804057&s_upgradeable=no
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Gates' Arrest is Good for Obama PR

“This whole affair has given Barack Obama a chance to make a little public relations move after he has recently been criticized for a number of actions that were “anti-Black”, like going along with the US boycott of the International Conference on Racism that was held this past April (2009) in South Africa…”

Dear friends,

The current furor over Henry Gates being arrested is humorous to me. After all, the story is not even newsworthy, in my opinion.

What is more laughable is: For many years, long before this incident occurred, a number of my friends who are longtime progressive African American scholars/educators have considered Henry Louis Gates to be the antithesis of the “angry Black man” that the news media is revealing. In fact, the aforementioned African American professors have, as I mentioned above, for years, attached the same type of pejorative monikers to Henry, as they have/do to Clarence Thomas.

My own personal experience with Henry is old – i.e., not recent. Almost forty years ago, as a young Black Panther from the Boston, Mass. chapter who, along with a dozen or so fellow Panthers from all over the country, was temporarily stationed in the New Haven, CT chapter for about a year (1970-71), in order to rebuild the aforementioned chapter after the F.B.I. had concocted a murder case against our comrades there, including our national chairman and co-founder Bobby Seale, and had them all jailed. Henry was an undergrad at Yale then. As I mentioned in a piece last year about occasionally running into then future President George “Dubya” Bush (who had already graduated), Henry was an unassuming brother who was around Yale campus, during the same period. As best I can remember, he was always with a buddy (I cannot recall the other cat’s name). I do remember Henry being a good brother, nonetheless. But having to take on adult responsibilities can really change some people.

In any case, the point that, at least to me, so many people are missing is: This whole affair has given Barack Obama a chance to make a little public relations move after he has recently been criticized for a number of actions that were “anti-Black”, like going along with the US boycott of the International Conference on Racism that was held this past April (2009) in South Africa. In other words, Obama’s well-calculated remark about the “stupid” actions of police, for example, has certainly won him brownie points with many African Americans.

Meanwhile, genuine dialogue about racism is swept under the rug, as usual, because racism in the context that is being presented by Obama and the government- and corporate-controlled mass communications media is defined as either a “disease” or some kind of xenophobia, as opposed to being what it really is: a system of oppression and exploitation that is instituted by citizens who disregard their true ancestral pasts and make the mean-spirited claim of being “white”, in order to form an artificial “majority” group and maintain White Supremacy. Dig? Peace.

G. Djata Bumpus
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Five Questions for President Obama

In spite of the welcome nomination of Ms. Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, what "change" has occured as promised to the historically exploitative machine of big banks and multinational businesses that enjoy the protection of "our" government, Mr. Obama?


Five Questions for President Obama

1) If there are only a finite number of citizens and, therefore, consumers in America, will there come a time when some American companies will reach their “saturation points” as it is called in “Economics”; that is, will they be unable to do business here?

2) Should the government “bailout” such companies, including banks, when they reach their aforementioned “saturation points”, since their profits will decline?

3) Do companies have a responsibility to produce results in order to keep themselves in business?

4) Does it seem reasonable for UAW members to take over the Big Three, since they are already building and distributing the cars, while being supported by government funds as opposed to helping the incompetent managers that caused the failure from the outset?

5) Is the claim of "whiteness" that so divides America's body politic based upon biology or convenience for some citizens to means-spiritedly pit thenmselves against others and form an artificial "majority" group, regardless of either the length of history of these aforementioned people in this country or even their skin color?
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Is Hartford, CT becoming North America's new "Jazz" capital?

Saturday 5 September, 8pm The Many Colors of a Woman, Inc. Celebrates Women in Jazz @ The Many Colors of a W*O*M*A*N XXVI FREE Jazz Festival
Headlining: Nicki Mathis’Afrikan Amerikan Jazz New Millennium All Stars: Ricky Alfonso, Joe Fonda, Arti Dixson, Pat Harleston, Rozanne Levine, Dotti Anita Taylor, Deborah Weisz, Mark Whitecage; Special Guest Saskia Laroo Featuring Carla Dean, Dawn Dumas, & MORE TBA Hartford, CT.
CoSponsored by MCW, Inc., OPUS, Inc., SAND, Inc. Funded in part by The Evelyn W. Preston Memorial Fund, Bank of America Trustee; GHAC, MCW, Inc. Supported by Smith Whiley & Company, Cull Books, Jim Fentress. Open to the Public. Sponsors Invited. 860.231-0663, 860.429.6859

Monday 14 September 7P w/International Women In Jazz Choir, St Peter's Church, Lexington @ 54 St NYC 718.468-7376

Saturday 26 September, 8pm
The Many Colors of a W*O*M*A*N XXVII FREE Jazz Festival
Saint Joseph College, The Carol Autorino Center for Arts and
Humanities, Wheelchair Accessible
1678 Asylum Avenue, West Hartford CT, CT. 06117-2791
Map/directions: http://www.sjc.edu/content.cfm/pageid/264

Headlining: Nicki Mathis’ Afrikan Amerikan Jazz
Ricky Alfonso, Phil Bowler; Pat Harleston, Dotti Anita Taylor; Featuring: Carla Dean, Dawn Dumas, Latanya Ferrell; Amina Star & Rodney Decarlos Edwards’ string duo.
CoSponsored by MCW, Inc. Saint Joseph College, The Carol Autorino Center for Arts and Humanities, OPUS, Inc., SAND, Inc. Funded by MCW, Inc. Supported by Smith Whiley & Company, Cull Books. Open to the Public. Sponsors Invited. 860.231-0663, 860.231-5529, 860.429.6859 Dean photos

Thursday 12 November 5:30P An Evening with Gloria Reuben 3d annual WE CAN (Women End the Course of AIDS Now) event, The Pond House, Elizabeth Park, West Hartford hosted by CARC, featuring Nicki Mathis’ Afrikan Amerikan Jazz; 860.761-6699

As a New England States Touring (NEST) Roster artist, presenters applying to hire Nick Mathis may be eligible to receive grant funding that can cover up to 50% of artist fee. http://matchbook.org/ArtistProfile1.aspx?ProfileIdt1 BOOKING Information 860.231-0663 websites:
http://cdbaby.com/cd/nickmathis http://www.myspace.com/nickimathis

Producer, The Many Colors of a W*O*M*A*N Jazz Festival
http://themanycolorsofawomanincorporated.webs.com/apps/photos/album?albumid589469

New Boston Fund 2008 Individual Artist Fellowship/Greater Hartford Arts
Council Award Recipient.
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman/2008/08/27/Creative-Vocalists-Nicki-Mathis-and-Renee-Fiallos
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/musicwoman/2008/10/01/Metaphysics-of-Music
google Nicki Mathis Jazz

...If the looking glass were asked, Mirror, mirror on the wall who was the coolest of them all? The answer would be Nicki Mathis... Ken Flynn, El Paso Herald Post

Sing Everyday Eric Dolphy

A silver timbered Texan. Owen Mc Nally, Courant Music critic, Hartford, CT

…I just learned that you will be playing at the upcoming WE CAN event for the CARC! I am thrilled to have you be part of this wonderful program. Thank you so much for signing on....You made our PCSW gala last November a huge success and I'm bragging about you to anyone who will listen. Thanks! ... Teresa C. Younger Executive Director Permanent
Commission on the Status of Women

Lots of things contribute to the makings of a great female jazz singer, beside just a great singing voice: a stylishly graceful wardrobe, a laid back (but spunky) demeanor, and a connection with the audience. Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Nina Simone, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson all had (have)(sic) it and so, too, does Hartford's own Nicki Mathis. Robert Cooper, The Hartford Advocate

Dear Nikki, you are a Star of Bright Dimension Citizen Carrie S. Perry (Mayor) Hartford
CT
...and another new singer- and what a GEM! she counted off such a fast swing- I said to myself HUH? and she meant it! you knew where you wanted it Ms. Nick Mathis! Taught me somethin! Wow! your amazing! they LOVED you! I cant wait to hear more! Thank you for sharing that with us! ... LaRe, Jazz Fever Jam, Sugar Bar NYC

Thank you for performing at the Festival's Lunch and Evening Concert Series. We appreciated having Nicki Mathis' Afrikan Amerikan Jazz on our stage to engage and entertain audiences in downtown New Haven. We are glad to know that such diverse programming is possible in our region. Thank you again, Melissa Huber, Program Manager, 12th Annual International Arts & Ideas Festival

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Ojo Maduekwe meets Barack Obama‏

"If Maduekwe were schooled in the basics of diplomacy, he would have known that state visits were not negotiated at chance meetings in hotel hallways..."

Ojo Maduekwe meets Barack Obama

By Okey Ndibe

Ojo Maduekwe’s recent account of a supposed encounter with President Barack Obama pointed up the profound confusion of Nigeria’s misruling elite.

Maduekwe, who’s Umaru Yar’Adua’s foreign minister, described meeting Obama in Italy during the recent G-8 summit. According to him, “President Barack Obama told me that he will be visiting Nigeria very soon.”

In what was a textbook case of diplomatic gaffe, Maduekwe claimed that he “walked up to Obama and said, Mr. President, nice to meet you. I'm the Foreign Affairs Minister of Nigeria. President Obama was warm when I introduced myself. He held me by the shoulder and said to me ‘well, Mr. Minister, I will be visiting your country very soon.’ The second time he told me that ‘Mr. Minister, wherever goes Nigeria, goes Africa.’”

Forget that US embassy officials in Abuja have told Nigerian reporters that they were not aware of any plans by the American president to visit Nigeria. Such blunt repudiation is embarrassing enough. But it’s even sadder that Maduekwe should make a statement, in public, that is so jejune as to guarantee him – and the regime he serves – instant ridicule from Washington and within Nigeria.

Poor Ojo Maduekwe! Like many in Yar’Adua’s circle, he’s infected with what one may categorize as Ghana envy. Yes, Obama visited Ghana two weeks ago and spoke charmingly about Nkrumah’s renascent nation. Not only did the American leader laud Nigeria’s much smaller neighbor, he also spoke in barely veiled accents about Nigeria’s deepening pathologies. Nigeria, once self-proclaimed giant of Africa, has cast itself in the tragic position of now looking up to Ghana. Even if Nigeria were to get a thinking, visionary leadership, not the comatose usurpers now in place, it may well take a decade or more to attain Ghana’s level of infrastructural development and civic order.

But the usurpers sulk and chafe when a man like Obama, a figure whose emergence as US president is suffused with historical symbolism, snubs them. Obama is no fool. He knows that, to be seen consorting with the vote thieves in Abuja, is the quickest way to deplete his moral capital and political assets. So he went to Ghana, a country governed with a measure of vision by decent men and women.

Aware of his boss’s pain at being ostracized by America, Maduekwe bravely decided to save the day. Seizing his moment in Italy, he boldly walked up to Obama and (no doubt, self-importantly) introduced himself. He reported that Obama was “warm.” What a merciful thing that Maduekwe is a poor mind reader. How he would have frozen and recoiled in fright to discern the pity and contempt with which Obama regards his ilk – the pompous derelicts who frolic while their nation withers.

Isn’t it something that Nigeria is now reduced to fantasizing about an Obama visit? Isn’t it sad that Maduekwe, much older than Obama, should salivate at the idea that Obama “held me by the shoulder” – much like a primary school pupil getting giddy on account of the principal’s endearing attention and touch?

If Maduekwe were schooled in the basics of diplomacy, he would have known that state visits were not negotiated at chance meetings in hotel hallways. Even if Obama broached a visit, a minister of foreign affairs should have known better than to go to a public forum and blab about it.

But Maduekwe, like the regime he serves, is a desperate man. The likes of Maduekwe have put Nigeria in the position of a sophomoric nation, desperate to prove that what Ghana can do, Nigeria too can do.

What if Obama said, as Maduekwe claimed, that Africa’s fortunes are tied to developments in Nigeria? Did Maduekwe have to hear it from Obama to believe it? Had he not heard Wole Soyinka, Chinua Achebe and hundreds of other patriots enunciate that point before?

Desperate to snatch cheer out of a charred narrative, Maduekwe failed to recognize in Obama’s (ostensible) words a rebuke about Nigeria’s addiction to failure, its miscarriage of promise, and its habituation to mediocrity. Think of the kind of hope Ghana has given to many West Africans by getting the basic things – credible elections and infrastructures – right. Imagine, then, the kind of powerful, positive jolt Nigeria would have offered to the rest of Africa if, somehow, the worst among us did not always conspire to hijack the nation, and to reduce it to their banal level.

Obama accorded Ghana the respect its leaders and people have worked hard to deserve. Maduekwe sneaked up on Obama in Italy and, in the fashion of those who abort Nigeria’s highest aspirations, attempted to rig respectability for the Yar’Adua regime. It backfired!
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