An Artivist on Location: Imani in Tanzania

Tha Artivist Known As Imani, Respect Her Fresh!!!

Darline Cheers, left, pauses with daughter Imani at the poster for "Hotel Rwanda" at Magic Johnson Theatres.

Photo Credit: Gerald Martineau -- The Washington Post

Imani Cheers is an Art Homie and fellow Artivist of mine who I befriended during "my residency" at Wash U in St. Louis…She has achieved a lot artistically and personally in such a short period of time and I am very proud to call her my sister comrade…She's a photographer/ film maker and humanitarian currently on a relief mission in Tanzania...Check out her message and photos…Get inspired and lifted!!! -R2C2H2 Tha Minista of Information

Homies:
Okay some of you are new to this list and others have been on since the beginning. Today marks 4 weeks that I've been in Tanzania and I have another 4 weeks to go. I'm loving the culture and the people I've met have been incredible. I especially love the Peace Corps volunteers I've met (shout out to Adam living it up in the DR!) and the Fulbrighters. They have such a different perspective on the country living in the villages versus living in the city like me. We bond over red wine and Indian food regularly! Plus I met this South African couple this past weekend (Sarah and Urlick) who I'm convinced we were separated at birth, Sarah and I...two kindred spirits! God has truly blessed me to be in this amazing opportunity and although its rough at times dealing with the craziness of working for the Foreign Service, I wouldn't change the experience for anything in the WORLD. This is a life changing summer and I'm embracing every second that I get the opportunity to met people and talk with them. As most of you know I can TALK so it's just lovely when people respond so positively and I get to share my experiences!

Enjoy...these are pictures from some of the wonderful kids I met on Sunday in Zanzibar. The beauty of these children just moved me...they are so innocent and not corrupted by the pressures of materialistic wealth. They don't need soccer balls to play with...they use ANYTHING, including cardboard boxes! So resourceful! These kids truly inspired me, especially Naimaa. She is 9 years old, doesn't speak a word of english but we had this amazing connection. She followed me around for a while and in my broken kiswahili we tried to communicate. She loved looking at the digital image on the back of my camera after I took a picture. She has the most incredible smile I had ever seen. Her eyes just lit up her entire face. Now I don't know GW Bush and his Malaria Initiative plan sounds good on paper...but I do know that Naimaa's village now will be sprayed with insecticide that will kill mosquitoes that carry malaria. If that means her mother, sisters, brothers, friends, other family members or she won't get malaria, then "Go GW! Thank you for finally using your power for good and not evil!" So my assessment of the weekend's activities...Naimaa's village will hopefully be healthier this year and for me, that's all that matters. I have 3 stories with captions on the USAID/Tanzania website. Check out http://tanzania.usaid.gov ...They don't believe in giving photo credits here for whatever reason so my stuff are the first three stories on the site...let me know what you think...more to come...

~Cheers

P.S.

The other pictures are of dancers from the PMI (President's Malaria Initiative) campaign launch!
*Important Note : All the following pictures are the copyrighted property of Ms. Imani Cheers...Please contact her at imani_cheers@hotmail.com if you are interested in her gorgeous pictures!!! Thanks!!!*

I remember way back when, but do yall remember what it means to be a kid???

World Cup Fever!!!

Lean With It...

Rock With It!!!

The Beautiful and Enigmatic Naimaa

Hey DJ...

That's the joint, that's the jam right there!!!

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Special: Weds. 10/6/2010 @ 9pm c/ 10pm e**Concerning Our Father, Brother & Friend, Mr. Ernest Withers:Reactions From The Press...Part 3

 Celebrating 3 Years Strong & Still Got It Going On

***Radio Free Dixie For The 21st Century***

October 2010 Theme: Reclaiming Our Heritage

Air Date: Weds. October 6, 2010

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Show:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2010/10/07/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio

topic: Concerning Our Father, Brother & Friend, Mr. Ernest Withers:Reactions From The Press...Part 3

 Featured & Honorable Guests:
1st Hour (Live! Feel Free To Call-In!)

***All-Star Roundtable Discussion***

1.) Bro. George Curry

(George E. Curry, former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the NNPA News Service, is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. He can be reached through his Web site, http://www.georgecurry.com/. You can also follow him at www.twitter.com/currygeorge.)

More George Curry On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=george+curry

2.) The Truth Minista Paul Scott

Paul Scott writes for No Warning Shots Fired.com. He can be reached at info@nowarningshotsfired.com or (919) 451-8283. For more information on the "Intelligence Over Ignorance" Campaign go to http://www.ioimovement.com/. Join the Right Wing Rap Attack http://www.facebook.com/rightwingrapattack

More Paul Scott On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
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3.) Chandra Williams

Sis. Chandra Williams, award winning visual artist, scholar, all-around Renaissance Woman and founder of The Brilliant Easel School Of Art in Oxford, MS.


More Chandra Williams On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
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***

2nd Hour (Pre-recorded)

***One On One Conversations With...***

a.) Dr. Karanja Ajanaku

Executive Editor Memphis Tri-State Defender
http://www.tri-statedefenderonline.com

b.) Dr. Imani Cheers

 PBS NewsHour Extra Director
 http://www.pbs.org/newshour

More Imani Cheers On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=imani+cheers


***

Was He Or Wasn't He?
Decide For Yourself... 



Sanitation workers' strike. Memphis, Tenn. March 28, 1968 / Ernest Withers, Panopticon Gallery, Boston, Mass

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses."

~Malcolm X

"The people must know before they can act, and there is no educator to compare with the press." ~Ida B. Wells-Barnett

"Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted."~Dr. Martin Luther King

Ernest Withers was once called The Dean Of Civil Rights Photographers for his amazing ability to be on the scene to turn extraordinary history-in-the-making-events with his camera into acclaimed iconic moments for posterity. Whether it was photographing the Emmett Till Trial, Dr. King's first ride on a Montgomery City Bus after a successful 381 day bus boycott, The Memphis Sanitation Workers' Strike complete with the very universal I AM A Man protest placards or the tragic death scene of a King for all of humanity (MLK), Mr. Withers' artistry spoke truth to power to both the good and the bad of the human condition and his work is forever seared (and defiantly so) into the consciousnesses of the National Memory.

However, with the revelation of him allegedly being involved with the FBI as an informant, his character, motives and intentions have now all been called into question. A person once so trusted and revered that he  was given intimate and unrestricted access to some of the most dynamic personalities and icons of  a people's movement  is now being labeled as a traitor and Judas. With the scheduled opening of the Ernest C. Withers Museum, his former studio, on legendary Beale Street this month, and the Withers Family waging a legal battle for control over their late father's intellectual property, will this accusation forever tar and feather an otherwise deserving and invaluable aesthetic legacy of providing emotionally riveting teaching moments in images from such a turbulent and yet hopeful time in U.S. history?  

One must also question the timing of this revelation: 
*Who is served by amplifying the shortcomings, both real and perceived, of Ernest Withers the man? 
*Who will control the narrative of a People's movement once control over Withers' invaluable contribution to a People's history is settled in the courts? 
*What is to be gained and what is to be lost?  
*What role has the U.S. Government played in undermining the civil liberties and human rights of its citizens? 
*What really was the nature and quality of the information given to the FBI by Bro. Withers? 
*Was Bro. Withers' participation consensual or forced through the FBI's abuse of power? 
*Did Bro. Withers' supposed information sharing truly undermine the nature and purpose of a People's Movement?  
*Did people needlessly get killed  or sent to prison because of his alleged collaboration?
*In terms of being an alleged informant with an impressive professional legacy, how does Withers fare in comparison with other proven informants and exceptional peers from the Civil Rights Era such as Thurgood Marshall and Alex Haley? 




In a 4-part series, W.E. A.L.L. B.E. News attempts to provide food for thought analysis on the subject by talking with the folks who knew Mr. Withers the best: his family, civil rights movement veterans and journalists who covered the American Civil Rights Movement. We will also garner responses from this current generation of news media journalists. We will attempt to put both Mr. Withers the man and his work in their appropriate contexts, something the corporate news media has failed miserably at doing up to this point. What will be revealed will be very eye opening and will prompt the listeners and participants alike to face uncomfortable truths and questions that need to be answered with more than just nuanced responses and cliches from a clueless pundit.  It will also force many in the general public to rethink their previous positions on the matter as well.

In the words of Flavor Flav: Don't Believe The Hype!

See Also... 

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio: "Concerning Our Father, Brother & Friend, Ernest Withers: The Civil Rights Generation Speaks Out!"Part 1

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2010/09/23/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio



W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:"Concerning Our Father, Brother & Friend, Ernest Withers: The Civil Rights Generation Speaks Out!"Part 2

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2010/09/30/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio

Tha Artivist Remembers Ernest Withers (1922-2007)...

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/tha-artivist-remembers-ernest-withers.html

The Commercial Appeal Story That Started The Controversy

http://www.commercialappeal.com/withers-exposed/

Contact An American Civil Rights Veteran Today:

http://www.crmvet.org/

More Civil Rights Movement On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. :

http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=civil+rights+movement

Tha Artivist

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An Artivist on Location In Tanzania:“Say it loud I’m black and I’m proud!”

Imani Cheers is an Art Homie and fellow Artivist of mine who I befriended during "my residency" at Wash U in St. Louis…She has achieved a lot artistically and personally in such a short period of time and I am very proud to call her my sister comrade…She's a photographer/ film maker and humanitarian currently on a relief mission in Tanzania...Check out her message and photos…Get inspired and lifted!!! Check out her last post about her journey as well to catch up...You can e-mail Ms. Cheers at imani_cheers@hotmail.com -R2C2H2 Tha Minista of Information

Ladies and Gents:

Take a journey with me...

The concept of Pan-Africanism is rather simple in the words of the legendary Bob Marley, “How good and pleasant it would be, before God and man, to see the unification of all Africans”. In reality, its another story. Apparently I do not look like the typical “Black American”. I don’t know if this is as a result of my curly locs, or my _mocha skin or my broad nose but on any average day, I am constantly asked “Wewe ni mtanzanian?” “Are you Tanzanian?” What makes it even more amusing was the weekend events in Zanzibar. (Yes, I went back for the THIRD time in 4 weeks…hey, its beautiful!)

I traveled with 4 of my friends, Cyndee (my roommate), Susan, Tom and Jesse (two Marines). We met up with several Fulbrighters and Peace Corps volunteers and altogether it was about 20 people. Now, I stand out in the group for various reasons but for the purpose of this story I’ll keep it simple. I’m the darkest out of the group, by far! The closest person in complexion was a Fulbright Tonya who’s dad is Mexican. As we walked through Stone Town (rather loud and slightly obnoxious, I’ll admit) it was hilarious to watch the faces of Zanzibaris. I was repeatedly mistaken for the groups “guide” or when I was just with the guys some eager prostitute (side note: interracial dating/marriage here is HUGE, among Tanzanian women and European men which further supports my theory that European men are obsessed with African women) trying to hook a “mzungu”. Locals constantly walked up to me out of 20 people and started rattling off in Kiswahili. What makes it even more hilarious is that half of the Peace Corps volunteers are fluent in Kiswahili and I am barely proficient. BUT, as a result of my appearance I was perceived to be the “native”.

Jesse and Matthew showing Imani loving at the club....

What made these situations even more interesting were the conversations I had with a guy at the club on Saturday night. Apparently he had seen me on the flight over (remember only 14 seats) but didn’t speak to me b/c I was with “wzungus” (white folks). At this point I’m getting a little upset, here I am all the way in Tanzania, one of the most peaceful African nations where interracial dating/marriage doesn’t appear to be a big deal and I’m getting the cold shoulder b/c I hang out with white folks! Not dating anyone just friends and it’s a problem! Now after the conversation I realized that they guy was just intimidated by Jesse and Tom and after I realized he was coming on to me, I quickly got away. Not b/c he was a “local” but b/c he was creepy!

I’m saying all of this for a few reasons. First, ignorance amazes me on a very regular basis. Similar to living in South Africa from 1995-1999, as a progressive “Black American” I’m caught in the middle. White folks don’t like me and black folks think that “I think I’m better than them”. So I’m caught in the middle of this tug of war. I’m too “American” to be “African” but too “African” to be “American”. Hmmmmmm, still trying to figure out what to do with this one and I’ve been in this situation for the last 11 years. Where do you fit in when you want to identify with your African ancestry but contemporary ideologies force you into archaic times???? Whoa, I know…let’s marinate on that for a minute…

Besides my culture shock, Z-bar was GREAT. We went out to Prison Island about 3 miles off the coast of Stone Town and played with the gigantic turtles, went snorkeling and lounged on the beach.

Then we walked around the town, spent way too much money, listened to great local music and had very good Swahili food! It was incredible! Hummus, falafel, spice tea, cardamom rice, so yummy!

We all watched the sunset from the roof top of Jesse and Tom’s hotel. It was beautiful as usual. Then the craziness began…lets just say, shots of tequila and Southern Comfort…I know, we somehow made it home around 4:30am.

Sunday was filled with culture! I went to the “House of Wonders” which is Zanzibar’s big museum. It was awesome! I loved it! There were 3 floors of just about Zanzibar culture. Everything from history of hair styles, food, clothing, structures of homes, to henna designs (which I now have 2 designs) were explained in detail. The top level had a photo exhibit about the abuse of animals. I felt like it was sponsored by PETA…very graphic and depressing. I love photo exhibits but this was a bit much. Sidenote: Please go and see the World Press Photo exhibit! I went on Friday and it was inspiring and monumental in my life as an artist. Incredible images, check it out as it travels world wide!

(TOP) Imani with her friend Susan... (BOTTOM) Imani with her roomate Cyndee...
Okay…I think that’s about it for now. Loving life, contemplating my existence as a “African-American woman” living in Africa, working hard and not getting nearly enough sleep! On the bright note, we (Susan, Cyndee and I) are traveling to the northern circuit this weekend. I’m super excited. I’ve always dreamed about going to the Serengeti and that dream will come true this Friday!! Plus we are going to see Mt. Kilamanjaro as well! Great pics to come! Yeah!! Hope all is well my friends, please feel free to give me a call, send an email or just say a prayer…all is appreciated!

~Cheers

Views of Stone Town and the Old Fort

Children playing in the street and posing for the camera.

The beautiful Imani and the beautiful Indian Ocean.

Imani all Hennaed Up!!!

*Important Note : All the following pictures are the copyrighted property of Ms. Imani Cheers...Please contact her at imani_cheers@hotmail.com if you are interested in her gorgeous pictures!!! Thanks!!!*