Thoughts of a Fried Chicken Watermelon Woman is available for purchase on BarnesandNoble.com. After reading, please drop me a line at info@KarenFordOnline and let me know what you think. Thanks!
We lost another giant this week with the transition of actress and activist Ruby Dee. We are saddened by her loss but overjoyed that she has gone on to continue the love story she shared with her lifetime partner, Ossie Davis. She was a great and gracious lady who will be missed.
Happy Father's Day or as we say in my house, Happy Pappy Day!
I know what you're thinking. I went on a tear a month ago about Mother's Day. How could I be so hypocritical as to exclaim Happy Father's Day? The simple answer is that I recognize this day because it makes my father happy.
Every year my father complains about the lack of respect for fathers. He notes that restaurants are packed to the roof on Mother's Day but not on Father's Day. He laments that fathers are so easily discarded in our modern world. In short, he's pissed that fathers seem to be disrespected, dishonored and forgotten. For a daddy's girl like me, I can do nothing less than celebrate a day devoted to the man who's been my rock.
Charles J. Seavers, my dad, was born in Clarksdale, MS. He lived there until the age of 10 when he came to Chicago with his parents during the great migration. Like so many others during that time, he lived on the south side of Chicago, graduated high school, worked all sorts of odd jobs, married and fathered a child. Unlike some, he was forced to raise his daughter alone when his wife died after only eight years of marriage. He was a Cook County Sheriff's police officer but resigned in order so he could guarantee his child would be taken care of.
During my childhood, my father was not only a father to me but to other children who were fatherless in our neighborhood. He taught kids how to ride a bike, he took us to Fred & Jack's for burgers and milkshakes. He was there when kids got into trouble and needed guidance. He gave away young ladies at their weddings. He was the neighborhood dad and I loved his for it.
As a girl, I did everything with my father that girls do with their mothers. He was with me when I got my first bra, my first pair of stockings and heels and my first visit to a gynecologist. He was the only man at my Girl Scout meetings and often the only man at mother-daughter events. He enjoyed the attention and once I got over the embarrassment, I enjoyed having him there.
When I began dating, he put the fear of God into a few young men. He was a commanding presence and made it quite clear he expected me to return home as untouched as when I left. He met every young man I dated at the door and grilled them mercilessly. He walked me to the door of every teenage party I attended to he could be sure the parents were there. Sometimes he stayed talking to the parents until the party was over and I left the parties with my head down and my dad in tow.
He helped me raise my son in every way possible. He's been a great role model for my child and for other young men after all these years. We still run into some of his probationers who often tell him how he helped them turn their lives around when he was their probation officer. He has made a real contribution to me, our family and the lives of others.
He's given me the most grief in my life but has also been my biggest fan. Even now, he tells people I can walk on water. He has always wanted the best for me and continues to support the dreams of my son, my husband and me.
At the age of 84, he shows no sign of slowing down. He had a stroke this year and he moves a little slower. He walks with a cane and is screaming mad that he can't drive. He has places to go and people to see. Sometimes I want to kill him and other times I want to hug the life out of him but always, always I love him.
I am blessed to still have him in my life. So if it means having him over for dinner like we did today, sending him a card as we did this week and making him feel special was the price I had to pay for all that he has given me, so be it. It was well worth it.
Happy Pappy Day, Charles Seavers! I love you.
SOCIAL ISSUES | POLITICS | RACISM | INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS
Sunday, June 15, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
The Passing of Two Titans
I’d like to take a moment to recognize the loss of two literary titans who made their transitions within days of each other. I’m speaking of world renowned poet laureate, writer and activist Maya Angelou. The other was Sam Greenlee, author of the critically acclaimed and highly controversial novel, The Spook Who Sat by The Door. The two of them contributed so much to the world and to the social justice and civil rights movements that words cannot begin to express the sorrow of their passing. As we mourn, let’s take some time to remember their contributions to literature and to the world.
Much has been written about Dr. Angelou’s passing and what her poetry and books have meant to the world. I, myself, am not a fan of poetry and Dr. Angelou’s was no exception although I do like the poem Phenomenal Woman. I was also deeply moved by the first volume of her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This book spoke to me in ways literal and lyrical.
Less has been written about Sam Greenlee yet his work is as significant as that of Dr. Angelou. The Spook Who Say by the Door was published in 1969 and promptly became a work of importance due to its subject matter and unapologetic skewering of the government and in particular, the CIA.
Spook tells the story of the first Black man recruited to become a CIA agent for political reasons. The CIA in unaware that Dan Freeman, the man declared to be a model Negro, is a Black nationalist who becomes first rate agent and after enough time has passed, recruits young Black men in inner city Chicago to become Freedom Fighters. He trains his recruit in all the guerilla tactics he learned in the CIA. Eventually he and the Freedom Fighters initiate attack teams in 12 cities across America. This revolutionary work became notorious as it marked an era that had seen the victories of the Civil Rights era coupled with the assassinations of both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.
The film based on the book was released in 1973 directed by former Hogan Heroes actor Ivan Dixon and co-produced by Dixon and Greenlee with a screenplay written by Greenlee and Mel Gray. Although the film was critically praised, it was abruptly pulled from movie theaters across America because of its political message. For years the film was available only on bootleg video. The negative was stored in a vault under another name. Actor/producer/director Tim Reid helped to release the film on DVD in 2004. In 2012 the film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Films named to the registry are considered to be movies that capture American culture, history and social fabric to be preserved for future generations. A documentary about the making of the film entitled Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door was made in 2011 and featured Greenlee and others involved in the making of the film. The novel and the film continues to inspire new generations of activists and the story it tells are as prescient today as it was 45 years ago.
Obviously Greenlee’s work made quite an impact on me. I’ve read the book and even saw the movie when it was originally released. However having a chance encounter spending the better part of a June afternoon with the author had an even greater impact on me.
Several years ago on a warm Saturday in June, a slight older man approached me as I sat working a table at the Printers Row Book Fair. He asked if he could have a seat at the table and rest a bit. Of course, I instantly said yes. He inquired politely about who I was representing at the table. I explained I was a member of the National Writers Union, the only trade union for freelance writers in America and that we had a table at the fair every year reaching out to freelance writers of all genres regarding issues related to the publishing industry. We briefly discussed the union and then he introduced himself. It took a moment for me to recognize his name but before he could tell he’d written Spook, I remembered who he was and what a great book Spook was. He was flattered that I’d read the book and seen the movie. I was able to tell him how much the book and film meant to me as a teenager living in the racially torn city of Chicago and what it continues to mean to me as an adult still living in the racially divided city of Chicago.
From that moment throughout most of the afternoon, I had the pleasure of discussing Chicago, racism, politics, the government and a myriad of subjects with the man whose work I held in high regard. Never would I have imagined this slightly bent older gentleman with a well worn leather case was the man who expressed thoughts I could barely articulate. I was in wide eyed awe.
Our afternoon came to an end when Mr. Greenlee thanked me for allowing him to rest at my table. I could barely find the words to thank him for giving me the gift of his insights, his wisdom and his time. It’s rare that one has the opportunity to meet an idol. It’s even rarer to meet a visionary. I had a glorious afternoon when I had the chance doing both. Before we said goodbye, I purchased a copy of the DVD from him and he graciously signed the cover.
Now when the first Saturday in June comes around, I think back on that afternoon spent with a quiet man who lived on the south side of Chicago. And I reflect on one of the best moments of my life.
Thank you, Dr. Angelou, for the gift of your words. And thank you, Mr. Greenlee, for the gift of your activism. Our lives are better for the way you touched us.
Much has been written about Dr. Angelou’s passing and what her poetry and books have meant to the world. I, myself, am not a fan of poetry and Dr. Angelou’s was no exception although I do like the poem Phenomenal Woman. I was also deeply moved by the first volume of her autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. This book spoke to me in ways literal and lyrical.
Less has been written about Sam Greenlee yet his work is as significant as that of Dr. Angelou. The Spook Who Say by the Door was published in 1969 and promptly became a work of importance due to its subject matter and unapologetic skewering of the government and in particular, the CIA.
Spook tells the story of the first Black man recruited to become a CIA agent for political reasons. The CIA in unaware that Dan Freeman, the man declared to be a model Negro, is a Black nationalist who becomes first rate agent and after enough time has passed, recruits young Black men in inner city Chicago to become Freedom Fighters. He trains his recruit in all the guerilla tactics he learned in the CIA. Eventually he and the Freedom Fighters initiate attack teams in 12 cities across America. This revolutionary work became notorious as it marked an era that had seen the victories of the Civil Rights era coupled with the assassinations of both Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Bobby Kennedy.
The film based on the book was released in 1973 directed by former Hogan Heroes actor Ivan Dixon and co-produced by Dixon and Greenlee with a screenplay written by Greenlee and Mel Gray. Although the film was critically praised, it was abruptly pulled from movie theaters across America because of its political message. For years the film was available only on bootleg video. The negative was stored in a vault under another name. Actor/producer/director Tim Reid helped to release the film on DVD in 2004. In 2012 the film was added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress. Films named to the registry are considered to be movies that capture American culture, history and social fabric to be preserved for future generations. A documentary about the making of the film entitled Infiltrating Hollywood: The Rise and Fall of the Spook Who Sat by the Door was made in 2011 and featured Greenlee and others involved in the making of the film. The novel and the film continues to inspire new generations of activists and the story it tells are as prescient today as it was 45 years ago.
Obviously Greenlee’s work made quite an impact on me. I’ve read the book and even saw the movie when it was originally released. However having a chance encounter spending the better part of a June afternoon with the author had an even greater impact on me.
Several years ago on a warm Saturday in June, a slight older man approached me as I sat working a table at the Printers Row Book Fair. He asked if he could have a seat at the table and rest a bit. Of course, I instantly said yes. He inquired politely about who I was representing at the table. I explained I was a member of the National Writers Union, the only trade union for freelance writers in America and that we had a table at the fair every year reaching out to freelance writers of all genres regarding issues related to the publishing industry. We briefly discussed the union and then he introduced himself. It took a moment for me to recognize his name but before he could tell he’d written Spook, I remembered who he was and what a great book Spook was. He was flattered that I’d read the book and seen the movie. I was able to tell him how much the book and film meant to me as a teenager living in the racially torn city of Chicago and what it continues to mean to me as an adult still living in the racially divided city of Chicago.
From that moment throughout most of the afternoon, I had the pleasure of discussing Chicago, racism, politics, the government and a myriad of subjects with the man whose work I held in high regard. Never would I have imagined this slightly bent older gentleman with a well worn leather case was the man who expressed thoughts I could barely articulate. I was in wide eyed awe.
Our afternoon came to an end when Mr. Greenlee thanked me for allowing him to rest at my table. I could barely find the words to thank him for giving me the gift of his insights, his wisdom and his time. It’s rare that one has the opportunity to meet an idol. It’s even rarer to meet a visionary. I had a glorious afternoon when I had the chance doing both. Before we said goodbye, I purchased a copy of the DVD from him and he graciously signed the cover.
Now when the first Saturday in June comes around, I think back on that afternoon spent with a quiet man who lived on the south side of Chicago. And I reflect on one of the best moments of my life.
Thank you, Dr. Angelou, for the gift of your words. And thank you, Mr. Greenlee, for the gift of your activism. Our lives are better for the way you touched us.
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