The Obama Effect … on Culture

9 Feb

Did you see that the Obama family was at The Kennedy Center for the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater on Friday night?  Unbeknownst to me at the time, it was all over the news.  After the fact I also searched Twitter and it was all over it as well.  This got me to thinking.  There are many in the Black community that are looking to Barack Obama and his family to be the savior for all of Black America.  Some suggest that he will singlehandedly reverse “ghetto culture”.  I don’t know that I would go that far but what I do know is that the Obamas will show America a slice of Black America that many are certainly not familiar with.  On Twitter, I even saw folks now wanting to go see Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater because the Obamas did.

Video: Alvin Ailey Celebrates 50th

Alvin Ailey’s American Dance Theater celebrates its 50th anniversary this year with Washington, DC, as the first city in a 27-city tour.  The company run by Artistic Director, Judith Jamison, performs original choreography by Alvin Ailey as well as pieces inspired by Ailey.  Many of the ballets themselves are 50 years old.  While “Revelations” (1960) is Ailey’s signature work, I was really feeling “Suite Otis” (1971) this past Saturday.  The choreography really captures the emotions of the Otis Redding songs selected for that piece.  My friend and I stayed for the post-performance discussion as well where they mentioned that President Obama and his family were in attendance the previous night (to which my friend asked why we had tickets for Saturday instead of Friday).  I normally complain when people want to do something just because someone else is doing it but maybe it’s not always a bad thing.  Sometimes it’s what’s needed to build awareness.

Here’s another favorite: Fix Me Jesus

I’m also recently seeing lot of discussion about whether Black History Month should continue to exist. I would not have even known about Alvin Ailey had it not been for Black History Month.

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  • Veronica

    Good Comment. Sometimes our people, especially our young people tend to follow the negative things that go on in our community without a second thought just because it’s cool. I’d rather they follow Barack Obama to see the Alvin Alley dancers even if they just think it’s cool because Barack Obama was there. Then maybe the education and awareness of it’s importance will begin to happen. Certainly we are working in reverse but whatever get’s them there I am all for it and then maybe we can begin to turn it around.

    I don’t think that Barack Obama’s example is to reverse “ghetto culture” but merely show us how much better we can be in spite of our circumstances. The culture was mainly born out our living in poverty and we have to change that around first through good parenting, better education and building better communities. But we couldn’t ask for a better role model to help guide that change than the Obama family.

    Judith Jamison received the BET Honors Award for Education which aired last night. And three of the male dancers from the Alvin Ailey dance company performed for her, I think my “boyfriend” was one of them. ;) I cried from start to finish

    Francis asked me if were at the show the night Barack Obama was their she said she is trying to stalk him. I told her I asked Kenya the same thing. We got work out our timing for Barack Obama; maybe I can contact the White House and find out his schedule. LOL

  • Veronica

    Good Comment. Sometimes our people, especially our young people tend to follow the negative things that go on in our community without a second thought just because it’s cool. I’d rather they follow Barack Obama to see the Alvin Alley dancers even if they just think it’s cool because Barack Obama was there. Then maybe the education and awareness of it’s importance will begin to happen. Certainly we are working in reverse but whatever get’s them there I am all for it and then maybe we can begin to turn it around.

    I don’t think that Barack Obama’s example is to reverse “ghetto culture” but merely show us how much better we can be in spite of our circumstances. The culture was mainly born out our living in poverty and we have to change that around first through good parenting, better education and building better communities. But we couldn’t ask for a better role model to help guide that change than the Obama family.

    Judith Jamison received the BET Honors Award for Education which aired last night. And three of the male dancers from the Alvin Ailey dance company performed for her, I think my “boyfriend” was one of them. ;) I cried from start to finish

    Francis asked me if were at the show the night Barack Obama was their she said she is trying to stalk him. I told her I asked Kenya the same thing. We got work out our timing for Barack Obama; maybe I can contact the White House and find out his schedule. LOL