Indianapolis Recorder, Indianapolis, Marion County, 9 January 2004 — Page 17

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C SECTION FRIDAY, JANUARY 9, 2004

bookmark The Dells celebrate induction to hall of fame with new release

Book indicls America

as insensilive imperial power

RANDALL ROBINSON

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By BRANDON A. PERRY Staff Writer

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Quitting AMERICA

By KAM WILLIAMS For The Recorder (QaittingAineriai: The Departure of u Bhwk Man from His Native Land by Randall Robinson, Dutton Publishing, 246 pp. j “I tried to love v America, its people, the dominant majority, their depiction of me, their treatment of mine. 1 have tried to love America, but America would not love tbe ancient, full African whole of me. The truth, put squarely, is that I am spent, having fought too many American social battles that should never, in a more decent society, have presented themselves as such to begin with. "1 am no longer a normal person, as it were, preoccupied, as I have been constrained to be, with race and all the wearying baggage that rakes heavily in its train. But, of course, America had scarcely noticed me. Thus 1 could not love America. I stopped trying to love America. I have not despaired the moment. For with it has come a measure of unexpected contentment.” - Excerpted from Quitting America When Randall Robinson published The Debt: What America Owes to Blacks in January of 2000, the book was greeted with all the emotionally divisive fervor of the 0.1 verdict. Blacks generally agreed with the book's basic premise that African Americans deserved to be compensated for slavery, while the white counterargument claimed that, if anything, it was Blacks who were indebted to America. As a lawyer. 1 was quiteylisappointed by The Debt, because the incendiary tone made mostly an anecdotal rather than a well-rea-soned legal case for reparations. Robinson, a 1 lanard-trained lawyer, simultaneously headed a team of attorneys which tiled a futile class action suit, on behalf of deseendantsofslaves.seekingunspecilied damages for the centuries their ancestors spent in servitude. When the litigation stalled in federal court, he wrote another book entitled. The Beckoning: What Blacks Owe Bach Other. Robinson, whose late brother, Max was a national news anchor on ABC-TY New s, ultimately got fed up with America and emigrated to St. Kitts in the Virgin Islands. There, he has finally scribed a profound opus more worthy of the attention garnered by his previous two publications. Perhaps it took renouncing the land of bis birth, but Randall speaks his mind freely, here, and in a refreshingly frank, down-to-earth fashion. He sounds like a 1 man venting years of pent up anger as he indicts "brainless, insensate w hite Americans’ for most of the world's grievances. I le claims ► See QUITTING, Page C4

“The Five Heartbeats,’

leased in 1991. is one of my favorite films and perhaps tbe best piece of work ever released by director Robert Townsend. Featuring such songs as the memorable“AHeart Isa 1 louse of Love” and “N ights I .ike This," the soundtrack w as sung by the Dells, a fact that some people have forgotten. The Dells, however. have returned with a new release that should be appealing to anyone who enjoyed the music of “The Five I leart beats." “Hott." released late last year, is an album that reminds listeners of why the Dells are still a celebrated quintet in the industry. In terms of harmony they did, after all. raise the bar on vocal quality w ith such jams as “Stay in My Corner". "Oh What a Night" and “Give Your Baby a Standing Ovation." Popular male acts from the Temptations and Stylistics to Boy/ II Men and Jagged Edged have cited the Dells as influences for the lush, polished approach that makes a group

sound like one voice.

The Dells' current line-up. which has remained unchanged since 1961, includes lead baritone Marvin Junior, lead tenor Johnny Carter, second tenor Verne Allison, baritone M ichael McGill and bass singer Chuck Barksdale, who recently spoke

with The Recorder.

The eight tracks featured on “Hott," the Dells' 2f> 11 album in a career spanning 51 years, contain a curious mixture of nostalgia that celebrates a combination of ‘5()'s doo-wop. 70 s soul and ‘SO's synth funk. Just like the classics, all of'these new

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arrangements are graced by Juniors gritty delivery on lead, which is occasional!} joined by the “champagne smooth" vocal virtuoso Carter. "As w ith am album. I thinkit s hit or miss." the pragmatic BJYksdalc said during his interview. "The success of this album is totally up to the people. We have

put these tracks together with care and expect that everyone will enjoy them." With its crisp guitar and stuttering percussion, “Hott's" title track is proof that the Dells, despite their arrival at senior status, still have the spark needed to create an energetic set. They should use this song to invigorate crowds

during the live shows they have across the nation. The Dells'trademark harmony is heard prominently on the laidback "Can AVe Skip That Part," while “Sweetness" has a catchy chorus. "No Win Situation," on the other hand, is more rudimentary lyrically and musically, but not totally terrible. Throughout

"That's How Heartaches Are Made the Dells use the melancholy, semi-carnival style made famous by fellow 70 s R&B vocal group Blue Magic (“Sideshow," "Three Ring Circus"). But perhaps the most effective piece is “My Lady, So Perfect for Me," which happens to be Barksdale’s favorite. He said this particular song speaks of true romance and reminds couples to keep God's guidance in the equation of love. "It talks about things we need to discuss more often, such as actually getting married and raising a family," Barksdale stated. "Today we are in need of stronger marriages and relationships in our community." He added that all of “Hott’s” •cuts were made in 2003, but to me this album sounds totally retro. As I listened to this CD I could almost swear I was back in 1.987. wearing a Kangol cap and •cruising in an '86 slant-back Seville on Chicago’s Lakeshore Drive. Unlike the Isley Brothers, Earth Wind, and Fire and other classic R&B artists who have released new albums in recent months, the Dells don’t even bother with the cumbersome task of trying to fit in with what’s current!} popular on the Top Ten chart. And that’s OK for those who, like myself, ape partial to oldschool musical flavors. But people w ho are new to the group might be better served by starting off with the Dells’ popular material from 1968-1980, then working their way up to “Hott.” "Hott’s" release occurred about the same time the Dells learned that they are going to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of ► See DELLS, Page C4

Exciling and inlriguing aulobiography sheds lighf on undersfafed subjeef

'Bring If On Again’ a movie fhaf stresses imporfance o[ values and standards

By SHANNON WILLIAMS Recorder Editor Rcmomber'Bring It ()n,"the cheerleading movie released in 2()<)() that featured actress Gabriclle Union before sheenjoyed the success of hits like "Brothers" and "Bad Boys II"? Well, there's a sequel to that movie starring an entirely new list ofactors, “Bring It On Again will be released on DVDand vidco.lan. 13 and promises to be just as enjoyable as its predecessor. “Bring It On" was a comedy about two rival high school

cheerloading squads vying for the national title. "Bring It On Again" is pretty much thesalny.onl} now Vhc cheerleaders are in college. ; It all starts when freshmen Monica (Fuanc Chambers) and Whittier (Anne .ludson Yager) make the varsit} cheerleading squad at their school. Everything is fineexccpt the fact that the head cheerleader. Tina (Brec Turner) is extremely mean and makes the life of the cheerleaders miserable. When Monica and W hittier had all they could take, the two left the team and formed their ► See BRING IT, Page C4

By BRANDON A. PERRY Staff Writer Without a doubt, Escape From Slayer) by Francis Bok has to be one of the greatest Christmas presents’! have received in quite a long time. Upon reading this 284-page autobiography I knew it was absolutely imperative for me to share it with readers in ourcommunity w ho like to keep up with "what’s real!} going on" in the world. In full, Bok’s book is entitled Fseape FromSkiveir: ThcTruc Story of My Ten Years in Captivit) - And My Journey to Freedom in America. Bok. 24. is currently a Massachusettsbased college student and human rightsactivist w holms been a citizen in the United States for nearly live* years. A native of the African nation ol Sudan, he has endured a painful experience which many of today's African Americans have somew hat forgotten - slavery. His book is a poignant wake-up call for individuals of all races w ho mistakenly believe that slavery doesn't exist in the 21' century. "Most people in this country believe that slavery ended over 200years ago in 186.5," B< >k said during a recent interview with Christianit} Today magazine."! tell them if you think slavery ended, think again. My goal i> to raise the public awareness to remind everyone that slavery is still alive. There are 27 million people who are slaves worldwide today and I'm trying to remind everyone, including world leaders, that we must do something about this." Since 1983 a civil war in Sudan has pitted the Muslim dominated north against the nation's southern region, which consists mostly of Christians and animists (those who hold traditional African tribal beliefs). In 1986. 7-vear-old Bok

and fellow children from his Catholic Dinka tribe were sent on an errand to their local market place. But after a bloody, surprise attack on the market by Muslim invaders called murahaliin, each child was taken to the north and placed in slavery. From age 71" 17 Bok was forced to work on a farm with the tremendous responsibility of raising goats, sheep, cows and other animals (sources ofwealth in Sudan) in an Arab culture he was totally unfamiliar with. In rivetingdetail. Bok recounts how he was placed in the custody of a master In the name of

Giemma Abdullah, whose children would beat Bok and call him “abeed" (slave). The home-sick Bok was discouraged from fleeing or even complaining after being shown a boy whose leg was cut off and a young girl who was shot after crying out for her parents. “I hated my life,” Bok wrote. “I hated taking care of Giemma’s animals, I hated the way they treated me; I even hated the food they made me eat - boiled meat without spices or sauce, sometimes half rotten. I hated being in ► See ESCAPE, Page C4

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ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY trui st i\ ' ; n ten years m upnvit' and M'.v an:, freed n \tni 11. • FRANCIS BOK •. • . hkv.mi I i in

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