What the hell is wrong with black people, Kevin the mural and the Madness, the Mural isnt Christian ?

 

I was confronted by some of the African American teachers at the school were

I am doing the mural. I was told that you can’t teach or shouldn’t make a mural that has fairy tales, or myths. Because black people and their culture have nothing to do with the spirit.

They said we are Christians and the mural isn’t……………

What what…………?

http://cavinmorris.blogspot.com/

This is a place in Jamaica, built and designed by one of my favorite artist in the world.

Erroll McKenzie.

I am mentioning this place because this guy who I had the honor of meeting along with Randall morris,

Built this church or holy place on the side of his house. He founded his own religion for lack of a better word in building this wonderful place.

But that is not why I am mentioning this.

On Sundays woman from the Pentecostal church would come and pray in front of this place.

Not pray with the place but say prays against this man because he had built some thing, they couldn’t understand.Couldnt or wouldn’t because it was different and full of magic and more.

So this structure that should be on the national registry becomes in the eyes of the locals, some thing built by a mad man.

Yesterday I felt like this guy.

I went to school and walked into a group of five or so teachers of which one woman was the most vocal.

Here is what I got.

We don’t like your mural.

It shows images that don’t have any thing to do with black people.

You are using magic in this mural and ghost and spirits.

Images not good for children

Images that just aren’t Christian.

You mural is scary

And what does the wizard of oz or the pied piper have to do with black people

They don’t teach these stories in the school

Who told you to use stuff like this

Why didn’t you do a simply mural with Obama standing behind the lectern

This is what I went through

But I am not a silent man

One woman told me the most vocal one; she is a teacher’s aid, told me that she was from the south

And there are not spirits in the south.

That isn’t a part of our culture

Ok I had had enough

What is wrong with you people?

First off I don’t know what you are talking about

These images are taken from classics,

And classics aren’t black or white

They are classics

And if the kids don’t know these stories…than they need to

And the south

What the hell are you talking about?

The south is full of the spirit

Black people culture African culture is all about the spirits

And stories and fables

They said no they aren’t

Your mural isn’t cultural

It isn’t black enough

And there aren’t enough black people in the murals

What the hell are you talking about?

But if I put the spiritual in the mural

Then that is the highest compliment yet

It was not my intention

And if the mural pisses you off than good

I refuse to lower my standards or make these kids have a simple mural

Oh I know you want the little guy jumping rope

The old black guy with a beard

Then I used my secret weapon that some times says dormant until I need it

I turned into my father Stephen Sampson

I stood a bit taller

Took all of the anger out of my voice and went up one side of these ignorant Negroes

And down the other side

I called in Randall and the many things I have learned from his about the spirit in art

I remember all of the fights Randall has had through the years with people ignorance of self taught art

Yes Dad and Randall

And history and exp came out of my mouth

And I started one of my lectures

On black American history

On American history

And by the time I was done they were all silent

But let me tell you

Black folks are their one worst enemy

I am speaking broadly here

Maybe it’s partly class

But I told one woman I wouldn’t let you teach my gold fish

Besides this school isn’t black any more

It’s mostly Latino and if you blacks don’t get the imagery they do

Because the parents and their kids have been coming in the see the mural

And they smile and give me the thumbs up

In any case I handled it

With the help of Stephen Sampson

And Randall morris

Negroes

You went up against the son of a guy who could talk this stuff in his sleep

And you lost

And these kids will have a mural just like any other kids from any other schools

And black folks or the other teachers in the school

Have turned into right wingers in their censorship

The mural isn’t Christian

Can you believe it?

Reynolds you were right

I won’t even kid about the ignorance of people

Because I can see now

How hurtful ignorance can be

But you know what

You can’t touch me

Can’t touch me

Because art is art

And silly is silly

So like in the Movie beloved

You can come to my house

And sing your song

But there is nothing here but art and love

And like at Errol McKenzie house

And I thought of him right away

You can show up with your bibles

And silliness and chant all you like

My soul and my black ness

And my understanding that this mural should reflect

The others who go to school there

Latin’s should have a place in this mural and I won’t do a mural

That doesn’t include them

So sing your songs fool

Because I am the son of Stephen Sampson

And my history is my families

So let me be more clear

Bring it on

I am ready for ya