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SheNotes
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The Birth of BarackBy Dominga Martin
What an amazing time in this country! I step into my Brooklyn neighborhood and feel the buzz all around me. People wave and say “hi” that never have before. The tide is shifting and there’s a sense of power and spirituality resonating in the city…in your city…in the world.
On November 4th, Barack will do more than “Make History” he will give birth to a million more Baracks. As I reflect on the monumental leaps in this election, it made me think about a documentary I just produced called “fiche di identite” a term which means “request for ID” used in by police officers in France when people seem suspicious. The doc is a story of 7 friends from Paris and Africa. One of the main characters (Olivia Senghor) is the granddaughter of the First President of Senegal (Leopold Sedhar Senghor); another Mariama, the daughter of a former New Guinea Governor.
Although they are royalty in their own country, they come here to fight for the rights we all should have. Rights black men and women fought for, not so long ago. Mariama said something so profound when we were filming; “We are not criminals, we come here to build the economy, why make us go through so much for a piece of paper?” Isn’t that ironic? How everything boils down to a piece of green paper; whether money or a validation card?
I supported Olivia and her friend’s story because I also come from a long legacy of artists and activists. My family has a 120 year old family collection opening at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum in a few years; consisting of an uncle who was the founder of Boston’s First Victorian Orchestra, who traveled from Paris to France in the late 1800’s to encourage race relations in music. A cousin who trained to be a Tuskegee Airman and an Uncle who’s a WWI Hero–and no he wasn’t captured! He blocked a fellow soldier, taking 11 bullets and survived. He received a Purple Heart and later went to work for President Franklin Roosevelt.
I grew up with a mother who’s the recipient of the Martin Luther King Drum Major for Justice Award; yet, lost a lot of male friends due to the injustices of this country and gang violence.
I often wondered when black men would get their hour…well, their hour is now! We have to support Barack and the future Baracks and stand beside our men. Support their dreams. Root for Michelle who represents the essence of a woman. We have to support the First Family that represents all of our families. We have to support each other. All of us who stand in the reflection of our fathers.
I encourage all of you to do your part in this election process no matter what happens on November 4th. We must stay active and continue to make our voices heard, because from November 5th on…life will be different!
Please pick up the current issue of Black Enterprise YES WE MUST! The Presidential Election Special. On Stands now!!!
Special THANKS to George Alexander (Editor-At-Large) for including me in the feature “What this Election Means to America.”
On November 4th, Barack will do more than “Make History” he will give birth to a million more Baracks. As I reflect on the monumental leaps in this election, it made me think about a documentary I just produced called “fiche di identite” a term which means “request for ID” used in by police officers in France when people seem suspicious. The doc is a story of 7 friends from Paris and Africa. One of the main characters (Olivia Senghor) is the granddaughter of the First President of Senegal (Leopold Sedhar Senghor); another Mariama, the daughter of a former New Guinea Governor.
Although they are royalty in their own country, they come here to fight for the rights we all should have. Rights black men and women fought for, not so long ago. Mariama said something so profound when we were filming; “We are not criminals, we come here to build the economy, why make us go through so much for a piece of paper?” Isn’t that ironic? How everything boils down to a piece of green paper; whether money or a validation card?
I supported Olivia and her friend’s story because I also come from a long legacy of artists and activists. My family has a 120 year old family collection opening at the Smithsonian Anacostia Museum in a few years; consisting of an uncle who was the founder of Boston’s First Victorian Orchestra, who traveled from Paris to France in the late 1800’s to encourage race relations in music. A cousin who trained to be a Tuskegee Airman and an Uncle who’s a WWI Hero–and no he wasn’t captured! He blocked a fellow soldier, taking 11 bullets and survived. He received a Purple Heart and later went to work for President Franklin Roosevelt.
I grew up with a mother who’s the recipient of the Martin Luther King Drum Major for Justice Award; yet, lost a lot of male friends due to the injustices of this country and gang violence.
I often wondered when black men would get their hour…well, their hour is now! We have to support Barack and the future Baracks and stand beside our men. Support their dreams. Root for Michelle who represents the essence of a woman. We have to support the First Family that represents all of our families. We have to support each other. All of us who stand in the reflection of our fathers.
I encourage all of you to do your part in this election process no matter what happens on November 4th. We must stay active and continue to make our voices heard, because from November 5th on…life will be different!
Please pick up the current issue of Black Enterprise YES WE MUST! The Presidential Election Special. On Stands now!!!
Special THANKS to George Alexander (Editor-At-Large) for including me in the feature “What this Election Means to America.”
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