Uptown Notes

I just watched Precious, Lee Daniel’s film based on the novel Push by Sapphire, and the only way I can find to describe it is extraordinary in the superlative and literal sense. Extraordinary, in the superlative sense, for its craftsmanship in visually and textually telling a narrative of the composite character Precious. It is extra-ordinary (beyond ordinary), in the literal sense, in that it concentrates on a particular set of lives ravished by sexual abuse, physical abuse, and poverty. This is not the tale of all in poverty, but it is a tale that exists.

You know how you say “what is there to do today/tonight?” Well I have an answer for you from today […]

I can enjoy songs about summer… check the video by Dead Prez for Summertime and make sure to cop “Pulse […]

One of my favorite portions of Assata are the verses interspersed. In honor of our great freedom fighter Assata Shakur […]

Cornel West and Carl Dix tangle at CCNY on Tuesday night.

This Monday July 13th I will be speaking at the NAACP Centennial Convention on Educational Advocacy.

This Sunday, in Harlem, find out and discuss the direction for the new Black Left.

Mos is back on the radar. Dropping a project and reuniting with Talib Kweli this week. I’m there.

This post will not be a lofty tribute to Brother Malcolm, if you would like to see one like that, check it out here. This will be a call to action, because that is one of the things El Hajj Malik El Shabazz was about. Today is a National Day of Action to Stop the Execution of Troy Davis and today I saw a heinous video of a young teenager brutalized by the Police of Toledo. I do not doubt that Malcolm would have been disturbed to action by both. Let’s honor him by doing the work!

Here are some interesting links on education research or education related things.