For The Holidays Shop With Tha Artivist For Your Unique Gift Needs!!!

This Holiday Season Give Your Loved Ones The Unique Gifts That Keep On Giving...Buy The Works Of R2C2H2 Tha Artivist!!!

Here Are The Following Ways You Can Do So...

A.) Buy R2C2H2 Art Prints Framed/Unframed

Popular Louisiana Radio Personality Tony Brown (Left) And Marcus Jones, The Father Of The Jena 6's Mychal Bell, (Right) Are Fans Of Tha Artivist



Hip Hop Pioneer And Urban Arts Visionary Michael Holman Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist

Powerful U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...


Soul Music Legend And The Man Behind 'The Al Green Sound' Willie Mitchell Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...


Living Civil Rights Legend And 2008 Recipient Of The U.S. Presidential Medal Of Freedom Dr. Benjamin Hooks Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...

The Queen Of The Blues KoKo Taylor Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...

Progressive U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen(Tennessee District 9-D) Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist ...

The Queen Of Beale Street Ruby Wilson Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...


Soul Music Icon Eddie Floyd a.k.a. Mr. Knock On Wood Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...

The Great Award Winning Actress, Activist, Writer, Entrepreneur And Fitness Guru Jane Fonda Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist...

Popular Memphis News Personality Dee Griffith Is A Fan Of Tha Artivist


So The Question Remains...

Are You A Fan Of Tha Artivist???

What the folks have been saying about R2C2H2 Art:

"Thanks so much for the incredible artwork and the efficient process!"

---Brian S. (New York,NY)

"She got the two pieces and loved them. Thank you so much for your dedication, work, and passion; it's quite inspiring. Keep in touch and keep on keepin on."

Cheers,

---Jon D. (Cincinnati, Ohio)

"R2C2H2's] work is very moving, it's detailed, it's
very inspirational...It speaks to the soul of viewers
who have passion about art, about life and about
people in general."
---Frieda Wheaton, Arts Advocate and
Board Member of the St. Louis Art Museum

[R2C2H2] has a love for life and a love for people
that bleeds over into his art…As a multi-faceted and
multi-talented artist, [R2C2H2] has risen to the ranks
of one of the nation's most promising voices. His art
speaks of legacy, maturity and hope. Through his art,
[R2C2H2] captures the depth of Jacob Lawrence, the
creative innovation of Charlie Parker, the sincerity
of Ralph Ellison, the spirituality of John Coltrane
and the social, political and economic commentary of
Tupac Shakur.
---Dr. Emmett Price III; Musician and Professor of
Music and African American Studies at Northeastern
University of Boston

Much like the jazz music that [R2C2H2] pays
tribute to, his artwork is spiritually informed and
speaks to people in a very humane and direct way.
[R2C2H2] is one of the most knowledgeable people that
I ever met, yet his artwork is not clouded in codes that prevent the layperson from understanding it.

Neither is it so simple as to be dismissed…The journey
through his consciousness took me to historical and
spiritual places carved out through abstractly formed
rhythmic and voluptuous bodies of jazz musicians,
African American heroes and martyrs.
---Chandra Williams; Visual Artist, Arts Educator And Founder Of THE BRILLIANT EASEL


What's The Price???
We are selling framed, matted, numbered, signed and ready to hang R2C2H2 Art (size, 16" x 20") for $120 plus $10 shipping + handling…

I am also selling 11" x 17" (actual image size 11" x 14") unframed signed prints for the special limited price of 2 for $100 or $50 each plus $10 for shipping and handling…

Check Out The Following Sites For Available R2C2H2 Art:
http://www.r2c2h2.com/

http://wustl.facebook.com/photos.php?id=3111521&l=ea9c8

How To Place An Order...

Use my paypal account to pay your order or you can mail a check or money order to the following mailing address:

Attn: Ronald Herd II a.k.a. R2C2H2
P.O. Box 752062
Memphis,Tn 38175

Also...

E-mail r2c2h2@gmail.com with your exact order details (ex. The title(s) of unframed print/framed print (s), mailing address etc.,...)

Turn around is very quick and you will receive your item(s) in two to three business days upon after funds are received and processed.

B.) Buy James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant

*Named To The Smithsonian Institute's Jazz Books For Kids And Young Adults List*
Official Website:
http://www.jazzlieutenant.blogspot.com/

Buy The Book @ Amazon.com

ALSO...

Buy An Autographed Copy Of R2C2H2 ‘s First Award Winning Book, James Reese Europe: Jazz Lieutenant.

How???

Use PayPal or send $20 plus $5 shipping and handling to the following address:

Attn: Ron Herd II a.k.a. R2C2H2
P.O. BOX 752062
Memphis, Tn 38175

Order Now And You Will Get Your Copy(s) Before Christmas!!!

C.) Buy Artivist Stuff By R2C2H2 @ Cafepress.com

http://www.cafepress.com/r2c2h2

What the folks have been saying about Artivist Stuff merchandise:

"Ron, your work is still jaw-dropping. Way to make art accessible to poor student folks. The fam loved the art on clothing I gave as Christmas gifts. keep doing what you're doing."

---Kristin S.(Austin,Tx)

More Artivist Stuff Available @:
http://www.cafepress.com/r2c2h2

D.) As Always A Brother Is Doing Artastic Commissions!!!

Le Jazze Hot

Jazzy Lady

Tha Artivist Does Commissions (Turn around is quick…Can have an original work of artivist art by R2C2H2 Tha Artivist in only a matter of days…)

Beautiful Art…Reasonable $Rates$!!!

E-mail us at r2c2h2@gmail.com or call us at 901-299-4355 for a price quote...

You can use Paypal or send money/check order to the following address:

Ron Herd II a.k.a. R2C2H2 Tha Artivist
P.O. BOX 752062
Memphis, Tn 38175

Click The Following For More Info:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2006/10/commission-tha-artivist-to-create-you.html

Real Talk From The Real American Gangsters...

Harlem's Twin Towers Of The Heroin Drug Trade: Nicky Barnes (left) And Frank Lucas (right)

Lords of Dopetown

Frank Lucas and Nicky Barnes once ruled the drug trade in Harlem. They came out of retirement to talk business.
http://nymag.com/guides/money/2007/39948/

The Return of Superfly

Frank Lucas, once the city's biggest, baddest heroin kingpin, the original O.G. in chinchilla, now seems like just a very likable guy. But don't be fooled.
http://nymag.com/nymag/features/3649/

More Images, Voices And Sounds From Justice March In D.C....

Photos From The March Courtesy Of CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/16/justice.rally/index.html?iref=newssearch#cnnSTCPhoto
Video Coverage Courtesy of CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/11/16/justice.rally/index.html?iref=newssearch#cnnSTCVideo

Rally Urges Hate Crimes Prosecutions, New AG Responds

* Story Highlights
* NEW: Mukasey says government shares vision of eradicating hate in society
* Demonstrators decry several racially charged incidents over past year
* March encircles department headquarters in Washington
* Justice Department says it's aggressively probing noose-hangings

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Thousands of demonstrators encircled Justice Department headquarters in the nation's capital Friday to demand the government crack down harder on hate crimes.

"We have so many people, we surrounded the Justice Department and two blocks more," the Rev. Al Sharpton told CNN as the orderly crowd marched around the building where newly sworn-in Attorney General Michael Mukasey was working.

"This is a real outcry, a real outrage from people around this country," Sharpton said.

Mukasey responded by assuring the marchers that the Justice Department shared their vision of wiping out hate.

"Although there are limitations and challenges in bringing successful hate crimes prosecutions, the department takes each case seriously," Mukasey said in a statement.

"As long as hatred and racism exist, the Justice Department will continue its hard and effective work on behalf of all victims of hate crimes," he said.

Marchers walked from Freedom Plaza to the Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building, which they circled seven times, in an apparent allusion to the biblical story of the fall of Jericho.See photos of the march »

The demonstration was led by Sharpton, Martin Luther King III and members of Sharpton's National Action Network. Watch the leaders marvel at the size of the crowd »

The protesters' frustration stems from several racially charged incidents over the past year and a half: the police shooting of an unarmed man in New York, hours before his wedding, in November 2006; the appearance of nooses in several workplaces and schools; the case of a black teen charged with child molestation after having sex with another willing teen; and the story of a black West Virginia woman whom six white people allegedly raped, tortured and forced to eat animal feces as they berated her with racial slurs.

Particularly resonant was the "Jena 6" case in Jena, Louisiana. Nooses were hung from an oak tree at a high school there last year. The federal government did not prosecute the three white teens responsible.

"It was impossible under federal law as written today for us to go after these particular juveniles," Donald Washington, U.S. attorney for western Louisiana, told a congressional panel.

The noose incident at Jena was the beginning of months of racial tension that included the beating of a white student in December, allegedly by six black classmates. Two months ago, 15,000 to 20,000 protesters, including Sharpton and King, descended on Jena -- a town of about 3,000 -- to protest how authorities handled the cases of the six charged in that beating.

"There's Jenas everywhere," Sharpton said Friday. "Which is why you saw thousands of us come to Jena and why you see thousands of us come now.

"No one has the ability to get people to come on a cold day like this if people weren't feeling that they have been disenfranchised and been treated unfairly. Clearly, Jena resonates because people are familiar with the Jenas in their areas."

Prosecutors say that in order to file federal hate-crime charges, they must find that the crime was motivated by race, religion, or ethnicity and that it interfered with a federally protected right.

"There have been many reports of nooses discovered in workplaces and near schools and outside the homes of African-Americans across the country," Lisa Krigsten, counsel to the assistant attorney general for civil rights, acknowledged Wednesday in a conference call.

"The Justice Department is committed to addressing these recent incidents, racially motivated threats and acts of violence," she said. "There is no question that hanging a noose is a powerful symbol of hate and racially motivated violence. It has no place in the great country we live in."

Rep. Artur Davis, D- Alabama, and others involved in Friday's rally say the Department of Justice charged 22 people last year with hate crimes, compared with 76 people 10 years ago.

"The numbers weren't great in the Reno years. They are outright abysmal now," Davis said, referring to the 1993-2001 tenure of Attorney General Janet Reno.

"We either need stronger laws or we need a more aggressive commitment from the Department of Justice," he said.

In a fact sheet released Thursday, the Justice Department said its Civil Rights Division "has set records and achieved notable successes in prosecuting defendants for civil rights violations."

It said 189 defendants had been convicted of civil rights violations in fiscal year 2007, "the largest number ever in the history of the department," breaking the previous year's record of 181 defendants convicted.

Meanwhile, the number of reported hate crimes has declined, according to the FBI.

In 2005, when the latest FBI figures were released, the bureau said that the number of hate crimes reported that year was the lowest in a decade.

Hate crimes are among several categories covered under the umbrella of civil rights violations. Others include human trafficking, official misconduct, interference with access to reproductive health care, interference with the exercise of religious beliefs and destruction of religious property.

CNN's Paul Courson, Terry Frieden and Kelli Arena contributed to this report.

More Jena 6 News On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:

11-18-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/11/18/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-all-be-radio-provides-platform-for.html

10-28-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2007/10/28/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/artivist-mcs-historic-jena-6-forum.html

10-07-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/10/07/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-30-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/30/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-23-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/23/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/free-jena-6-and-save-national-civil.html

08-05-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/08/05/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/giving-god-glory-and-keeping-our-eyes.html

07/29/07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/07/29/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/jena-6-special-planted-seeds-of-change.html

More Jena 6 On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=jena+6

UNTIL THE JENA 6 ARE FREE NEITHER ARE WE!!!

Justice From Justice Department Demanded By Marchers...

Power Concedes Nothing Without A Demand. It Never Did And It Never Will.
--Frederick Douglass

An image of abolitionist and orator Frederick Douglass was carried by this man participating in Friday’s march around the Department of Justice in Washington.

Protesters March Outside Justice Department, Decry Hate Crimes

By MICHAEL E. RUANE and DEBBI WILGOREN
The Washington Post

WASHINGTON | Marchers flooded Pennsylvania Avenue and surrounded the Justice Department headquarters Friday to protest what they see as a failure by the federal government to prosecute hate crimes.

The group, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, began marching east along Pennsylvania Avenue, where they circled the Justice Department’s massive building seven times in a gesture reminiscent of the biblical Joshua’s procession around the walled city of Jericho.

Marchers filled the streets around the building and between the Justice Department headquarters and Freedom Plaza, three blocks away.

Organizers said they were motivated by the controversy over the prosecution of six black high school students in the beating of a white student in Jena, La., as well as a spurt of recent incidents in which nooses or swastikas were placed on display.

“With the increased amount of hate crimes and hate signs — hanging nooses, swastikas — that have gone on around this country unaddressed … this Justice Department has been silent… on the cases of civil rights in our times,” Sharpton said last week.

In a news release, the Justice Department said that officials remained “deeply committed to the vigorous enforcement of our nation’s civil rights laws” and that more people had been convicted of civil rights violations last year than ever before in the agency’s history.

But on Freedom Plaza, participants faulted the government.

“I feel that they’re ignoring African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities, and treating us as if we’re insignificant and don’t need anything,” said Sheila Barnett, who traveled with a group from Cleveland.

Others said people of all ethnicities were hurting. “A lot of injustice is being done to the black race, white race, green race, whatever. We need to pull together,” said Ruth Blackwell-Rufus, from Temple Hills, Md. “I think that the Justice Department has fallen down. I think that they’re closing their eyes and they’re forgetting about the poor people.”

Jena 6 case
HOUSTON | The judge overseeing the trial of Mychal Bell, one of the defendants in the Jena 6 case, has reversed course and agreed to open Bell’s trial to the public.

But LaSalle Parish District Judge J.P. Mauffray, in a court filing, maintained that he was not required to open pretrial hearings to the news media or the public, and he argued that the media lawsuit seeking full access to Bell’s case should be dismissed.

The media lawsuit asserts that Mauffray’s earlier decision to close all the proceedings in Bell’s case runs counter to Louisiana juvenile laws and provisions of both the Louisiana and U.S. constitutions.

The suit cites a 2004 Louisiana Supreme Court ruling that all juvenile proceedings involving certain categories of violent crime must be conducted in open court.

The lawsuit is to be heard Wednesday. Bell, 17, is scheduled to go on trial Dec. 6 on charges of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy for his alleged part in an attack on a white student at Jena High School last December.

Bell was initially tried and convicted of the charges as an adult, but an appellate court threw out the conviction, ruling that Bell should have been prosecuted as a juvenile.

| Chicago Tribune
© 2007 Kansas City Star and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.kansascity.com

More Jena 6 News On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:

11-18-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/11/18/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-all-be-radio-provides-platform-for.html

10-28-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2007/10/28/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/artivist-mcs-historic-jena-6-forum.html

10-07-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/10/07/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-30-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/30/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-23-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/23/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/free-jena-6-and-save-national-civil.html

08-05-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/08/05/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/giving-god-glory-and-keeping-our-eyes.html

07/29/07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/07/29/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/jena-6-special-planted-seeds-of-change.html

More Jena 6 On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=jena+6

UNTIL THE JENA 6 ARE FREE NEITHER ARE WE!!!

Thousands Marched For Jena 6 And Other "Just Us" Cases...

Thousands Surround Justice Department In Hate Crimes March

11/16/2007 @ 1:52 pm
Filed by RAW STORY

Protesters marched through the streets around the Justice Department Friday to demand federal intervention in the "Jena Six" case and enforcement of hate crime laws against those who hang nooses in public.

On a chilly but clear day, busloads of people packed a downtown plaza seeking a big government response to small town injustices. They were angered by charges they consider overly harsh and unfair against six black teens accused of beating a white high school student in Jena, La. Tensions between black and white students had run high for weeks in Jena, including an incident where a noose was hung from a tree at the high school. No one was charged with a crime for hanging the noose.

"If they allow this to be done to these children, they can do it to all children," said Camela Vines, a local hairstylist who arrived at 8:30 a.m. for the noon march.

The march, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton, came only a few days into the tenure of new Attorney General Michael Mukasey, a former federal judge.

Organizers said more than 100 busloads came for the march, from as far away as Florida, Michigan, and Washington state.

The Jena case has angered many black leaders who say the federal government should forcefully prosecute noose-hanging incidents as hate crimes. Lax prosecution of such cases, they charge, has led to other noose-hanging incidents around the country since the Jena case came to light.

"There are so many nooses being hung around America," said Martin Luther King III, son of the famous civil rights leader. "Anytime there's a hate crime the Justice Department should prosecute, and a noose is certainly a hate crime."

Federal prosecutors have said they are actively investigating multiple noose incidents for possible prosecution, but said they did not pursue charges in the Jena case because such charges usually are not brought against minors.

In the last year, the department said it has won 189 convictions on civil rights charges, the largest number in their history.

Critics say they have yet to file any hate crimes charges in noose incidents at Jena or since.

"The Justice Department wouldn't come to the people, we brought the people to the Justice Department," Sharpton said. "Nooses are no prank... We were lynched!"

Some argued the government's priorities are way off-base.

"They spent more time on Barry Bonds," complained the Rev. Frederick Haynes of Dallas, referring to the recent perjury charges against the baseball star in a steroid case.

Five of the Jena teens initially were charged with attempted second-degree murder in a local court, though the charges were later reduced. Charges against the sixth teen, who was booked as a juvenile, have been sealed.

So far, Mychal Bell is the only one of the Jena Six to stand trial. He was convicted in June of aggravated second-degree battery and conspiracy. The convictions were later overturned and the case sent to juvenile court. A state judge on Friday agreed to open Bell's juvenile trial to the public.

Bell, now 17, was ordered to jail last month for a probation violation in an unrelated juvenile court case.

CNN's cameras catch Al Sharpton, Martin Luther King III, Judge Mathis, Steve Harvey and other activist speaking at a march at the Justice Department in Washington, DC. According to Al Sharpton's National Action Network, "With hate crimes and noose hangings on the rise across the country, we must have the federal government protect us from local hate and bigotry."

More Jena 6 News On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:

11-18-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/11/18/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/11/we-all-be-radio-provides-platform-for.html

10-28-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2007/10/28/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/artivist-mcs-historic-jena-6-forum.html

10-07-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/10/07/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-30-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/30/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-23-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/23/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/free-jena-6-and-save-national-civil.html

08-05-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/08/05/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/giving-god-glory-and-keeping-our-eyes.html

07/29/07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/07/29/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/jena-6-special-planted-seeds-of-change.html

More Jena 6 On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=jena+6

UNTIL THE JENA 6 ARE FREE NEITHER ARE WE!!!

Father John Kaiser Is Kenya's John Brown...

"I want all to know that if I disappear from the scene, because the bush is vast and hyenas many, that I am not planning any accident, nor, God forbid, any self destruction. Instead, I trust in a good guardian angel and in the action of grace."
--Father John Kaiser

The Death of Father Kaiser
http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2007-10-24/news/the-death-of-father-kaiser/1

http://www.johnkaiser.net/

http://johnkaiser.blogspot.com/

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

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

If

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;

If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;

If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster

And treat these two imposters just the same;

If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken

Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,

Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,

And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings

And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,

And lose, and start again at your beginnings

And never breathe a word about your loss;

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: `Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

-Rudyard Kipling

 

Ernest Withers As Himself, Panopticon Gallery, Boston, Mass.

Tha Artivist Remembers Ernest Withers (1922-2007)...
By R2C2H2 Tha Artivist
11/20/2007

Almost four years ago yours truly had the honor of meeting one of the preeminent master photographers of the 20^th Century, the late great Ernest Withers a.k.a. The Undisputed Dean Of The American Civil Rights Movement Photographers…

I called Mr. Withers on the phone to say that I wanted to meet with him soon in his studio...Like most great people, who are very accessible and generous with their time, he told me to feel free to come by anytime in the day…I was shocked because I know Mr.Withers has been busy with photography art for over 60 plus years since his days at Manassas High School, where he was encouraged in his pursuit of photography by none other than boxing great Joe Louis’s photogenic first wife…

Copyright © Ernest C. Withers. Courtesy Panopticon Gallery, Waltham, MA

He went on to pursue his ambitions while in the army during WW 2 and when he came home he became one of the first African American police officers in Memphis, Tn’s history…His was a life full of firsts and Kodak moments no pun intended…Mr. Withers’ first big break came when he braved the racism and hate of Southern whites in notorious Sumner, Mississippi to document through the gift of his photography the historic travesty known as the Emmett Till trial back in 1955…Facing danger and uncertainty at every turn and click of his camera, Mr. Withers nonetheless braved the elements like Daniel in the lions den to capture the most iconic photo of the entire trial, that of Emmett Till’s preacher uncle, Moses Wright, standing up and courageously pointing out the White men in the courtroom who came in the middle of the night to drag his nephew out of his home and into the darkness of history and the unknown…Testifying against a White man was definitely a no no in Mississippi and no White man up till that time ever went to jail for the murder of a Black person…So what Bro. Wright did was blasphemy in the Jim Crow South, but what Withers captured in that watershed moment was true human courage in its most sincere element…Soon after that Mr. Wright was put on a train heading to Chicago through the efforts of the late great Medgar Evers and other unsung heroes of the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement…

Mr. Withers soon created a pamphlet filled with his unique photographs concerning the trial…They sold very well in Black communities throughout the country…

Before he knew it Mr. Withers was a photographer very much in demand…He was a true GRIOT or a storyteller and historian with a camera...He documented some of the most iconic images in BLACK life And American Pop Culture of the last 60 years…Every famous person especially Black celebrity you can think of from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s Mr.Withers probably photographed and he probably even photographed them before they were stars and household names...

He was the first to photograph Dr. King riding a bus in Montgomery after the end of the successful Montgomery Bus Boycotts…He was the one that snapped the famous I AM A MAN photographs of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis, Tn back in 1968…He also was the one that developed the film that witnessed the death of the star of the movement, Dr. King, on the hotel balcony of the Lorraine Motel back on April 4, 1968…

It could arguably be said that Ernest Withers was the most important African American photographer in the last 60 years if not all times…

So it was truly an honor to meet the master up close and personal…4 years ago as if it happened yesterday I journeyed to his studio on world famous Beale Street…

When I met him and shook his hand I can tell he was a man of true quiet dignity, strength and conviction…This was a guy who focused on the positive more than the negative no pun intended...This was a guy who was every sense of the phrase a true family man who made sure his wife and eight kids had shelter, were clothed and fed…This was a man who valued education and made sure that every one of his kids in his large family went to college and graduated…Overall,. this was a man who believed that his family was just as important as his photography…

I talked to Mr. Withers for almost two hours…I asked him several questions, but there were several in particular that I asked and the answers he gave in response have stayed with me since that meeting…Those are the ones I wanted to share with you all…

I became overwhelmed by all of his famous iconic photographs of people like Ike And Tina Turner, Muhammad Ali, Isaac Hayes, Howling Wolf, Sam Cooke and Aretha Franklin…Although I didn't know the author of these wonderful pics when I was younger, I nonetheless were quite familiar with many of them because of my volunteer work at the National Civil Rights Museum and the fact that many of Withers' images are now part of the national memory and conscience...I became even more grateful for meeting the man who played an important part in how I perceive our people in the mainstream media and history...He also shot a very famous photo of the two kings of blues and rock and roll, B.B. King and Elvis Presley, in their youth and together on world famous Beale Street (the first time to be done!!!)…All his photos were displayed proudly in his studio…

Immediately realizing the importance of this man and his life’s work I asked Mr. Withers how does it feel to be so revered and loved around the world but yet be so taken for granted by your own community…

He stated to me very calmly and coolly that every prophet is without honor in his hometown and country…He also stated lines from the famous Rudyard Kipling quote from his oft quoted poem “If”:

If you can keep your head when all about you

Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,

If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,

But make allowance for their doubting too;

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,

Or being hated, don't give way to hating,

And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise…

I asked him about his experiences covering the Emmett Till trial and what did he think about how racism is still prevalent in today’s society...He once again coolly replied that you shouldn’t let hate consume you because it will rob you of your gifts to humanity as well as of your life…You should stay focused on love and give love and be opened to receive it in turn...And once again he quoted the previous Rudyard Kipling’s lines from “If”…

I knew this man practiced what he preached…

He told me about his experience being one of the first 8 Black police officers in the Memphis Police Department…He coolly told me how his commanding White officer would constantly call him and his other Black colleagues Niggers…In Other words Blacks were getting Don Imused and Michael Richards On in the work place at that time with no regard to human decency and professionalism…He once again coolly and calmly told me don’t let hate be your master and rob you of your destiny…

I also asked him about another iconic photographer, the late great Gordon Parks…Not only did Mr. Withers have nothing but praise for his contemporary, but he went into his wallet to pull out a picture of him, Gordon Parks and Russell Simmons together in New York City at Gordon Parks’ 90th birthday or I like to say Life Affirmation Day party…It blew me away only because I didn’t need a photo to know that Mr. Withers was a giant who was respected by other giants...But it did make me realize that if you follow your passions and stay true to yourself then to borrow some more lines from Rudyard Kipling’s powerful “If”:

 

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

If Rudyard Kipling Only Knew That He Was Writing An Eulogy For One Of The Greatest Humanitarians And Artists To Ever Grace This Earth…Mr. Withers Was A Truly A Man For All Ages!!!

 (Mr. Withers' And His Wife's Resting Place In Historic Elmwood Cemetery In Memphis)

Listen To The Informative Interview Of Mr. Withers Done By Mr. Robert Franklin:
http://www.clt.astate.edu/rfranklin/withersinterview.mp3
http://www.clt.astate.edu/rfranklin/ErnestWithers.htm

More Ernest Withers On The Internet:
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ernest+withers&btnG=Google+Search
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=ernest+withers&fr=yfp-t-203&toggle=1&cop=mss&ei=UTF-8

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Provides Platform For Intergenerational Race Talk ...

November's Theme Is "We Are Icons"

W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Proves Once Again That We Are The Icons When It Comes To Giving You News That You Can Use!!!

Please Check Out The 4/11 You Missed Or Can't Miss On One Of The Fastest Growing Internet News You Can Use Hubs Around...And As Always Please Spread The Good News!!!

To Listen To The Nov. 18, 2007 Installment Of Tha Artivist Presents...W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio Please Click On The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/11/18/Tha-Artivist-PresentsWE-ALL-BE-Radio

Tha Artivist Says:
This Was A Beautiful Show Because We Had Two Generations of Louisiana Natives Discussing The Issues Of Race,Identity And Class In Our Society...

Sis. Mary Ross Smith is the author of Soul Survivor which is an autobiographical look at her life growing up in a legendary funeral home in South Central ran by her domineering mother...In the book she details the dysfunctionality of her family upbringing (her mother's alcoholism) as well as growing up as a lonely child in a house that would play host to some of the biggest Black celebrities of the time including Redd Foxx, Johnny Cochran, Sam Cooke and Lou Rawls...She also touched on the issue of being so light complexioned that she could pass for White (just look at her picture)...However, she said it never crossed her mind to pass for White and she was and is proud to be an African American woman...Sis. Smith talked about the psychological scars she endured due to the fact that many Black folks in the community couldn't accept her as being Black and would make nasty remarks about her appearance...She also touched on the sexual abuse that she suffered at the hands of "Dirty Old Men" who would sneak into her bedroom at night after her mother was passed out from drinking...She talked about the poverty she faced when she was married to a man she didn't love and the financial struggles she had in trying to support him as well as her newborn child...However, in spite of it all she never gave up and hence she is a soul survivor...Please visit her official website http://www.asoulsurvivor.com to learn more about Sis. Mary Smith and to purchase her wonderful book, Soul Survivor...

New Fans Of The Art Of Tha Artivist: (Left to Right) Bro. Tony Brown, R2C2H2, And Bro. Marcus Jones

Bro. Marcus Jones, the father of Mychal Bell, also joined us yesterday on W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio...He gave us an update on the March on the Justice Department last Friday...He also told us of the harassment he has recently faced from the Louisiana Law Enforcement Establishment...He recently received two "speeding" tickets in a span less than 24 hours this past weekend...He also told our listeners how he initially met Bro. James Rucker, the founder of Color of Change...He gave us his own account of the controversy surrounding the donations to the Jena 6 Defense Fund...Bro. Marcus also addressed the portrayal of his character and intentions by media outlets and the internet...More importantly he stated that his number one priority is fighting for his son's freedom...Finally he told our listeners that it is important that organizations get permission from the actual representatives of the Jena 6 Defense Fund before taking up donations on the Jena 6's behalf...However, all donations can be made directly to the Jena 6 Defense to the following P.O. Box:

The Jena 6 Defense Committee
PO Box 2798,
Jena, LA 71342
e-mail: jena6defense@gmail.com

More Jena 6 News On W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:

10-28-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/blog/2007/10/28/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/artivist-mcs-historic-jena-6-forum.html

10-07-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/10/07/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-30-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/30/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/10/10-7-07we-all-be-radio-proves-that.html

09-23-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/09/23/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/09/free-jena-6-and-save-national-civil.html

08-05-07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/08/05/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/giving-god-glory-and-keeping-our-eyes.html

07/29/07~Actual Show:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/weallbe/2007/07/29/tha-artivist-presentswe-all-be-radio
*Summary of Show:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/08/jena-6-special-planted-seeds-of-change.html

More Jena 6 On W.E. A.L.L. B.E.:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/search?q=jena+6

UNTIL THE JENA 6 ARE FREE NEITHER ARE WE!!!

*Icon Throwback Interview*

Jazz Big Band Legend, Jazz Educator Extraordinaire And 2007 Jimmie Lunceford Jamboree Festival Legacy Award Honoree Bro. Gerald Wilson

GET INVOLVED!!!
Please Listen To The Show Live Every Sunday @ 4PM CST/ 5PM EST By Accessing The Following Link:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hostpage.aspx?host_id=1952

Please Be Our Invited Guest By Calling Us Live @ 646-652-4593 Or E-mailing Us Your Questions And Comments @ r2c2h2@gmail.com

*Please Read The Latest R2C2H2 Newsletters To See How You Can...

Become An Ad Sponsor Of W.E. A.L.L. B.E. Radio:
http://weallbe.blogspot.com/2007/07/r2c2h2-newsletter-late-springmid-summer.html

~~~~~~

Check Out "The Empowerment Hour" Hosted By Bro. Kermit Eady Every Saturday @ 6 PM EST/ 5PM CST

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/EadyAssociates