I remember going to a NOI event in the early 60s in Harlem.
Olatunji, and Miriam Makeba performed,
the honorable Elijah Mohammed made an appearance,
and I remember the applause like thunder.
And the African bazaar after, the colors and smells.
I remember dieing and painting Easter eggs
sledding in Prospect Park,
Swimming at Betsy Head Pool,
fishing on Canarsie pier,
seeing my aunts go to church with African head wraps,
Ballet L'African from Guinea, and being allowed to sit closer to the front to watch the bare breasted women dancers
going to Lincoln Terrace to se a free jazz concert;
The happiest old man I ever saw in my life,
he had long straight hair, a dashiki on,
and Italian shoes and he was dancing while he was conducing his band;
Duke Ellington
I remember Rev Galamason, who we called our up north Dr King, and the Ocean Hill Brownsville School boycott,
and going to "freedom school" during the boycott
I remember the integrated gang wars from building to building in the Flatbush PJs.
And belt fights and bottle throwing, but we quickly grew out of that by 6 years old
I remember the Black panthers selling newspapers, and everyone had the Huey P Newton in the rattan chair poster.
I remember Halloween and trick or treat, we would go from building to building, fill a shopping and then go back out.
One year came back with 3 bags of candy.
I remember mega concerts at the Garden,
Stevie Wonder, Ray Charles, Aretha Franklin.
I remember seeing Nina Simone and Rhassan Roland Kirk at a concert.
Nina Simone cussed the audience for not applauding loud enough, and Rhassan Roland Kirk, tore up every darn thing on the stage, like Jimi Hendricks.
I remember the Worlds Fair,
Palisades Amusement park,
I remember my sister and I getting up at 5 in the morning on Christmas to raid under the Christmas tree and the stockings
Kids had industrial toys back then;
girls; Suzy Homemaker ovens, to make cakes biscuits and mini pizzas, snow cone machines,
knitting machines
boys; Mold master, Vacu form;
actual machines to make your own plastic toys.
the stocking had, Japanese wood puzzles, compasses, silly putty, gyroscope, Duncan yoyo,
I remember NY doughy pretzels with mustard
I remember the smell of roasting cashews, and Spanish peanuts,
in Woolworth
I remember the little black satin wall hanging with the Nguzo Saba in gold letters at the end of the hallway