Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 6 December 2002 — Page 19

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 6,2002 ■ PAGE Cl

INSIDE*C* SECTION*PEOPLE& TRENDS

BOOKMARK

Samad looks at issues from different perspective

By KAM WILLIAMS For The Recorder

(Souls for Sale, The Diary of an Ex-Colored Man by Anthony Asadullah Samad, Kabili Press, 664 pages, illustrated.) “Between Black television shows and white-owned and controlled urban formatted radio that have little regard for Black cultural dignity and ethnic sensitivity, Blacks are projected to the whole world as gangstas, hoochies, fools anid buffoons. The entertainment culture is only interested in making money, no matter what price Black dignity has to pay. This return to Amos n’ Andy type mimicry has Blacks looking‘real crazy’... and there is no shortage of Black faces willing to play the fool for, what they call, entertainment’s sake. “The manifestation of ‘commoditized filth’, as scholar Maulana Karenga calls it, is what the indusry calls music and eveiybody else calls madness. A filth glorified for the riches it brings our youth, while making them social outcasts. The renewed hostility towards Blacks, framing of Black youth as maniacal and dangerously hostile, can be attributed to this genre of rap music.” — Excerpt from Souls for Sale i ***** Before reading Souls for Sale: The Diary of an Ex-Colored Man, I was only familiar with Anthony Asadullah Samad as a syndicated columnist whose often incendiary op-ed pieces appear in many periodicals I choose to peruse. While I’ve always found his articles insightful and illuminating, I had no idea whether he’d be able to hold my interest for well over 600 pages. But he achieves just that and more with is one of themost absorbing autobiographies that I’ve read in a long while.

See SAMAD, Page C2

TELLEBRATION! Worldwide benefit evening of storytelling

By NICOLE C. COOPER Recorder Correspondent In 40 states and nine countries, across six continents, from Miami to Mumbai, Perth to Peoria, Texas to Thailand to Indianapolis, hundreds of audiences gathered for Tellebration. Tellebration is a worldwide benefit evening of storytelling. It creates a network of storytelling enthusiasts bonded,together in spirit at the same time and on the same weekend, traditionally during the Saturday night before Thanksgiving. Indianapolis hosted a weekend of Tellebration events featuring Indy's best and brightest storytellers in three community locales: Mo' Bev's Deli & Coffee Shop, 3940 Boulevard Place; X-Pression Bookstore, 970 Fort Wayne Ave.; and Smokin Good-Soul Food, 2810 E. 38th St. Friday night's stories were for matiire audiences. Saturday was family night and Sunday evening closed out the weekend with sacred and spiritual stories. Each night had a packed house as audiences were mesmerized to tales spun by Mijiza Ya Soyini, Deborah Asante, Marvel Micheale, Khabir the Storyteller, Stevi Butler, Portia Jackson, Celeste Bloomfield, Camille Steward,

Storyteller Deborah Asante (speaking at right) entertains Ron Brasher and Eunice Knight-Bowens, sister of the late poet Etheridge Knight at Repression Bookstore during Tellebration. Tellabratlon benefitted the Mozel Sanders Thanksgiving Dinner, Gleaners Food Bank and Kaleidoscope Youth Center. (Photo/C. Guynn)

Artist Carol White (left, with magazine), and Larry M. Calland’s band, Conga Jazz (above) also appeared at Tellebration.

Raphael Mendez, Dorothy Taylor and Lolita Smith. In 1988, Tellebration originator J.G. "Paw-paw” Pinkerton envisioned an international event as a

across all generations... reminding us of our common humanity. May what the

tellers share bring joy to many

people and may the listeners come to know that... through

means of building community storytelling, we can draw

Captivated: A crowd of listonors enjoy the Haughvllle Storytelling Festival at the Christamore House Multi-Service Center last weekend. (Photo/C. Guynn)

support for storytelling. The inaugural event was launched

by the Connecticut

Storytelling Center in six locations across the state. Tellebration has becoipe a success with hundreds of storytellers addressing thousands of people. The spirit of the event is best explained by its originator, "Storytelling reaches around the world and

closer together in peace... and in friendship... and in love." Tellebration was made possible by the corporate sponsorship of the host sites, Midtown Writers Association, Kinkos, The Indianapolis Recorder, National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Indianapolis Chapter Inc., NUVO and die North United Meth-

odist Church.

Boyd encourages ‘snowflakes’ of color to give it their best shot By JOSHUA COHEN Staff Writer Ted Boyd, author of The Black Snowflake, will be at Tabernacle Presbyterian Church on Dec. 7 for a book signing and to perform his classic parable.* Boyd, a former executive director for the YMCA, wrote the book 30 years ago and is celebrating the anniversary. • “In life, all you need is a chance to prove yourself,” said Boyd. This is the message he wanted to convey in his story of a snowflake that was counted out at first because of its differences, but when given a chance proved he was just as qualified as all the others. Boyd had never written anything before The Black Snowflake, but was inspired during a snowball fight with his sons one winter after seeing a black snowflake on his snowball. He thought to himself, “It’s all alone.” Boyd putthebooktogether after his wife, Barbara Boyd, encouraged him to put his idea into writing. He had po idea it would become as popular as it was. “I’ve traveled all over, and it surprises me when someone recognizes me,” admitted Boyd. He travels all over the country with his wife, doing performances of his stories at schools, churches and retirement homes. See BOYD, Page C2

TLC’s new album 3D’ OESBK'l enters the charts with a Top 10 debut

Electronic Urban Report TLC — the biggest-selling girl group of all time — has returned triumphantly with a new album “3D,” which entered the Billboard Pop and R&B/Hip-Hop charts at No. 6 and No. 4 respectively, said Antonio “L.A.” Reid, president and CEO of Arista Records. Released Nov. 12, the album sold over 143,000 copies in its first week while riding a wave of critical acclaim. RolUng Stone weighed in with a four-star review, the New York Daily News hailed it as “the group’s most enjoyable and clever album” and the New York Post called it “the album of their career.” The album’s first single “Girl Talk” exploded on radio last month, claiming the No. 1 most added spot on Top 40, Rhythm/Crossover, and Urban Mainstream formats. Their elaborately conceived, multi-setting video — directed by Dave Meyers in their Atlanta home- . town — is receiving wide exposure with top rotation on MTV, VHl and BET. Reporting on a visit to the set, the Atlanta J ou mal-Constitu - tion said. The whole scene speaks with command and color. Giant lettered biUboards point

commuters to various destinations ... It looks like the Japan of movies or dreams.” The album is a tribute to the group’s Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes, who recorded four songs for See TLC, Page C3

iiL

Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes

Marvel Comics adds twist to iconic 'Captain America’

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Marvel Comics is shaking up one of its iconic superheroes - and some fans - with a series that imagines the original “detain America” as a Black Army recruit. Since 1941, the series has followed the escapades of Steve Rogers, a scrawny, white Army reject who gained supernatural powers after drinking super-soldier serum. In the new prequel, called “Truth: Red, White & Blade” - which Marvel Comics feted at a launch event in Philadelphia recently - the Army first tests the

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