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Apr. 29, 2005 It has been written that, “Intelligence…is the basis of genius. Our definition of intelligence is that they are unique talents or capacities that an individual excels in. (“Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence,” www.sciencenet.emory.edu). In the black community genius has not been used or fully acknowledged, for it is often overlooked, misdiagnosed as “black anger,” viewed as an intellectual aberration or limited to music and athletics. More than 100 years ago W.EB. DuBois wrote about a “talented tenth,” saying “The Negro race, like all races, is going to be saved by its exceptional men. The problem of education, then, among Negroes must first of all deal with the Talented Tenth; it is the problem of developing the Best of this race that they may guide the Mass away from the contamination and death of the Worst…” (DuBois, The Talented tenth, September 1903). Even today while aspects of Ebonics are used in mainstream culture (having “graduated” from hip-hop and ghettoes to Madison Avenue). It is also derided as inferior and as an instrument that “holds black people back.” Doctor John R. Rickford of Stanford University says that such patterns and manners of speech are a unique form of black expression and “is a highly structured and systematic language." Black genius must be defined by blacks and within black, rather than Eurocentric, parameters. The gamut ranges from the intricate guitar riffs of Curtis Mayfield and the paintings of Ernie Barnes to the writings of Dr. Frances Cress-Welsing and the hip-hop lyricism of Kool Moe Dee. This article will focus on filmmaker Spike Lee; Haki Madhubuti—poet, essayist and leader of the Black Arts Movement; Black Women’s Rights advocate Angela Davis; Poet Gwendolyn Brooks and former U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Jocelyn Elders. These four individuals overcame obstacles to achieve their status. Of the five Lee is the most controversial. His criticism has not only been been aimed at Hollywood’s white power structure, but “buffoons” such as Deon Sanders whom Lee labeled “an embarrassment,” for his lack of articulation, excessive gold and pimp style of dressing, which Lee believed sent the wrong message to black youth. He has also criticized fellow thespian Eddie Murphy for “not doing enough” to get more blacks hired on the sets of his movies. The two later ended their rift during an appearance on The Arsenio Hall Show and promised to work together “sometime in the near future.” Lee is the writer-director of the films Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Get On The Bus and Bamboozled. All of which address the issue of racism and its acceptance in America. As with most black es, Lee has been compared to his e predecessor, Woody Allen. While both New York filmmakers create works classified as “arty” and “thinking man’s cinema,” that is where the comparison ends. Allen focuses on one aspect of New York life—his, which is Manhattan and upper New York state. Lee focuses on the cultural richness of his New York existence and examines the strained interactions between the races. Allen has made few movies, if any, that can be classified as politically relevant. Lee believes that consistency and longevity validate genius and uses the following analogy: ”If somebody comes into the NBA and has a good year, they say this guy is the next Michael Jordan. That is bullshit. If he can do what Michael Jordan has done for ten years—be at the top of his game every year—then he can be compared to Jordan. If, on the other hand, he’s been in the league only one year, how could we make that comparison?” (Spike Lee, “Dealing In Doable Films,” Black Genius, (New York: Random House, Inc. 1999, p. 25) Lee’s gifts were not enough for him to experience success as a filmmaker. Had he been white, getting his films bankrolled wouldn’t have been a problem; but because he is black he literally had to hustle money for his projects—which included selling aluminum cans! This illustrates another aspect of his genius; his being creative enough to overcome such obstacles. When he set out to make Get On The Bus, a film that chronicled the trials and triumph of a bus load of black men traveling to one of the most significant events in recent black history, Louis Farrakhan’s Million Man March. Their cross-country trek is a tale of self-discovery and camaraderie. Columbia Pictures assigned a $2.4 million budget to the project, which is less than half of what Lee usually earned to direct a film. Instead, Lee went to other black artists such as Prince, Oprah Winfrey, Bill Cosby, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Janet Jackson among others and funded the project himself, then sold it to Columbia for $3.6 million. During this fiasco several black celebrities were told by their white agents and managers not to invest, that the project wasn’t worth it. There were similar problems with Lee’s Malcolm X, when Warner Brothers pulled the money for the editing of the film. But if genius is truly what the abstract definition suggests, “The intelligent use of intelligence,” then Lee has certainly proven his cerebral mettle time and again. Part of the problem with WB was their wanting a two-hour film and according to Lee, there was no way such a film could do justice to Malcolm’s life. The movie had to have credibility, which meant making one closer to three hours. Not only did he raise the necessary funds, but he demonstrated what talent and powerful black people can do when unified. Coming Up: Haki Madhubuti ------------ About the author: Timothy N. Stelly, Sr. is a 46-year old poet, novelist and aspiring screenwriter who resides in northern California with his three youngest children--Lawrence, Kimberly and Dante. He is a member of various writer's groups and has three novels in print, his most recent, "Like A Straight-Up Sucka," is available at www.lulu.com. website: http://stellbreadO@tripod.com Email: stellbread@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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