Pale Old Person With Eyes to See, Ears to Hear, Thinking About Black History... #superbowl #blackhistorymonth #savedemocracy #resist

                  I know. Nobody needs me chiming in here about Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl halftime show, so I will keep it short. I don’t play video games, listen to a whole lot of contemporary music—rap or otherwise, and haven’t watched Squid Games, but at the end of the performance, I had a sense that Mr. Lamar left no crumbs. Also, I have no words to describe what a kick in the pants it was to see Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam and deliver his lines the way he did. And Serena. Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.” The whole country (ok, at least half of it—the other half doesn’t know what’s coming) is going through some things—some people more than others—and we would do well to share our victory dances whenever we get the opportunity.

                  Moving through those moments of direct and personal oppression and/or being on the business end of some random, bigotry-driven violent, hateful intentions though--when there doesn’t seem to be another side to get through to? Whatever we are doing to hold each other up, we need to do more of it, and do it better. The video of Serena dancing made me think of Ruby Bridges and the image Norman Rockwell painted, inspired by the day she was escorted by Deputy US Marshals to attend school at William Franz Elementary School in New Orleans on November 14, 1960. Thinking of Ms. Bridges made caused me to remember Denise McNair (11), Addie Mae Collins (14), Carole Robertson (14), and Cynthia Wesley (14) who lost their lives at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing committed by the 13th Chapter of the KKK on September 15th, 1963. Made me think of how when one person is robbed of their opportunities to rejoice, we all lose opportunities to rejoice. Made me wonder why folks seem to want to backslide into making choices to cause others to weep. We’re all going to be weeping.

                  Lord, have mercy.

In the meantime, I wanted to draw a dancing Ruby. Did not turn out how I'd hoped. We keep on working to get better though, yeah?