Edited by Azizi Powell

This post showcases a video song and dance performance of Sounds Of Blackness' songs "Chains" and "Be Optimistic.

Information about Sounds of Blackness is included in this post along with these songs' lyrics and selected comments from this video's discussion thread.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspirational, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of these songs and thanks to Sounds Of Blackness for their musical legacy. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this song file on YouTube.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/01/sounds-of-blackness-chains-hold-on.html for a 2013 pancocojams post that showcases Sounds Of Blackness' song "Chains" and "Hold On Change Is Coming".

****
INFORMATION ABOUT SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sounds_of_Blackness
Sounds of Blackness is a Grammy Award-winning vocal and instrumental ensemble from Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota who perform music from several genres music including gospel, R&B, soul, and jazz.[2] The group scored several hits on the Billboard R&B chart and Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart in the 1990s. Cynthia Johnson of Lipps Inc. fame and Grammy winner Ann Nesby are the group's most prominent alumni.

[...]

Origins
The group was founded in 1969 by Russell Knighton at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, and the group was called the Macalester College Black Voices. It was in 1971 when current director Gary Hines took leadership over the ensemble, and the group name was officially changed to Sounds of Blackness.

The chief lead singer of the group was Ann Nesby until 1995 when Nesby left the group to pursue a solo career. The group continues to perform internationally."...

**
INFORMATION ABOUT THE SOUNDS OF BLACKNESS SONG "OPTIMISTIC"
https://genius.com/Sounds-of-blackness-optimistic-lyrics
posted by Souldier77, 2016
"“Optimistic” was the debut single of inspirational choir Sounds Of Blackness and the first release from Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis' Perspective label imprint through A&M Records.

The uptempo song features lead vocals traded-off between five members of the choir, most notably Ann Nesby who would take the lead on most of the groups singles for the next 5 years before leaving to embark on a solo career.

“Optimistic” reached #3 on the R&B charts in 1991 and has kept a quiet and infrequent relevance since. In early 2017, favorite son Chance the Rapper brought the song back to the forefront with his social media-driven #Optimistic Challenge in the wake of widely-felt post-election blues. Chance spurred people to encourage themselves by doing choreographed dances to this 25+ year old Sounds of Blackness hit."

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Sounds Of Blackness - Chains*



SoundsBlacknessVEVO, Published on Oct 4, 2009

Music video by Sounds Of Blackness performing Chains. (C) 1991 A&M Records
-snip-
"Chains" is either a separate song or the introduction to "Optimistic". song.

****
LYRICS: OPTIMISTIC
(Sounds Of Blackness)

Chains, chains, chains
Why were my people brought in chains.
Chains, chains, chains
Why were my people sold as
slaves, slaves, slaves.
God won't you free from these
Chains, chains, chains.

Keep, keep On.... Never Say Die....

When in the midst of sorrow
You can't see up when looking down
A brighter day tomorrow will bring
You hear the voice of reason
Telling you this cannot weigh me down *
No matter how hard reality seems
Just hold on to your dreams

Don't give up and don't give in
Although it seems you never win
You will always pass the test
As long as you keep your head to the sky
You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky
You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky
Be optimistic

If things around you crumble
No, you don't have to stumble and fall
Keep pushing on and don't you look back

I know the storms and strife
Cloud up your outlook on life
Just think ahead and you'll be inspired
To reach higher and higher

You'll always do your best
If you learn to never say never
You maybe down, but you're not out

Don't give up and don't give in
Although it seems you never win
You will always pass the test
As long as you keep your head to the sky
You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky (you can win child!)
You can win as long as you keep your head to the sky
Be optimistic

Don't you let no body stop you.....
Be optimistic

You can win, Yes
Never say die....


Online Source: https://genius.com/Sounds-of-blackness-optimistic-lyrics
-snip-
The words to "Chains" aren't included on that page.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These comments are given in chronological order by year with the oldest dated videos given first, except for replies. Numbers are assigned for referencing purposes only.

2010
1. Yn 157
"This song isn't called "Chains" It's called Optimistic. XD"

**
REPLY
2. alfreida80, 2011
"Vevo, how can you label this groups most popular song incorrectly? This video should have over 1 million views, but because you labeled it wrong, people can't find it."

**
REPLY
3. India Holloway, 2011
"Actually, the beginning is called chains and then the rest of the song is Optimistic. On the CD, Chains is the intro and then it goes right into Optimistic like it does in the video...lol ^_^"

**
4. Lettie Bettie
"This song is helping me right now. The struggle only makes me stronger. There is higher power controlling the universe. NOT MAN!! Praise GOD!!!"

**
REPLY
5. skankman2006
"i luv dis straight from NW London"

**
6. oleold
"This Song is one of those songs that can get you through a tough day and very spiritual with God everything is possible."

****
2011
7. ladycat629
"This song is DEEP.....love the vocal arrangements"

****
2012
8. escribe96
"It is two songs in one. The first part is called, CHAINS. It's the prelude to Optimistic on the ALBUM. It only lasts less than 1 minute, so, they were combined in this video. Most uploaded videos only show Optimistic. If you want CHAINS you have to view this video. It IS called Chains, just Optimistic is right after it!"

**
9. blakgod
"bring back memories when the ol' folks would tell me black is beautiful.............
it still is we just don't hear enough nowadays"

**
10. visionprods1
"The group Mary Mary have been credited with coming up with the biggest " urban gospel " hit with " shackles " but this hit song came way before and to my knowledge was a favourites in many clubs playlist at the time. Good times!!"

****
2013
11. Lloyd Green
"BET used to play this every day, makes you wonder what ever happened to uplifting, encouraging music?"

**
REPLY
12. Feelin Nice
"EXACTLY!!! When I do turn to BET I either see some reality show, bad movies or videos that make me cringe with the language and image being promoted. I'm sure there are some good things on BET, but I don't have the time nor energy to search them out."

**
13. Corey Arnold
"It doesn't get any more uplifting than this. Well put together song, gotta love music with a message."

**
14. Marvin Lewis
"In spite of all the hell we as a Black people have been through in America -- we are still such a beautiful people. I wish so many more of us would realize it and stop acting out all the negativity that has been instilled in us through our experience."

**
15. Anne Hamilton
"The Optimistic.......The Amazing, Ms. Ann Nesby!!!!"

**
16. da-rail smith
"The lady with the pink blazer who lead second on the first verse is Ann Nesby daughter and she is Paris Bennett mother who starred on American Idol years ago...."

****
2014
17. Lovinia Williams
"For some reason their sound reminds me of The New Jersey Mass Choir. Maybe it's because they were from the same era. I got saved in the early 80's. Is this group hip hop or are they gospel? Not quite sure."

**
REPLY
18. VW DT
"Uptempo Gospel. Like Bebe and Cece on "Addictive Love"."

**
19. youtubeabuser
"My mom would play this song and "Keep On Moving" by Soul 2 Soul all the time when I was growing up. My childhood was rife with positive black images and cultural expression. She kept me grounded to be an upstanding black man so not to fall victim to the stereotypes that the prevailing society promotes of us. This song reminds me of her lessons. I salute her in this song. She's alive and well and I pray that God keeps her healthy and elevated in her consciousness and pride."

**
20. Natural Woman 73
"I love!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sounds of blackness. They are one of the best comtemprary gospel group ever. Very positive song."

**
21. Letrice Allia
"Yes! Such an inspiring song. And they all have amazing voices. Can we please just go back to the early 90s music 😩"

****
2015
22. MrBrightWave
"I needed to hear this today."

**
23. Joyce McCallum
"Celebrating Black History Month-Sounds Of Blackness. (Based out of St. Paul Minnesota, this choir sings practically every genres of music. From jazz and R&B to my favorite, gospel-spirituals. They are awesome you guys.) I know you know this song. Makes me want to dance."

****
2016
24. Fezile Phungwayo
"OH JEHOVA THIXO LE NGOMA , NGEKE NKOSI !!! beautiful melody."
-snip-
Google translation from Swahili to English: "God's best, Not God"
-snip-
"Not God" might mean that this commenter thinks that this isn't a Gospel song.

****
2017
25. Rhonda Ryder
"i say it over and over 90s was the best music in any genre gospel, r&b, pop, metal, alternative, darkwave. Certainly didnt appreciate it like i do now"

**
26. 303Miles
"This song is dope! I almost forgot about this group. #staybased"
-snip-
"Dope" = African American Vernacular English word meaning "very good".

**
27. Jay Nneki
"bring back old school songs this right here is music to the soul"

**
28. Keisha S.
"I still love this song and takes me back to Highschool! #Classof93"

**
29. ISAAC WILLIAMS
"Another stellar Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis production."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about Baltimore Club music and showcases a sound file and a video of the 1996 Baltimore (Maryland) Club song "Hey You Knuckleheads". The lyrics for that song (rap?/chant?) are also included in this post.

This post also provides a text example of and comments about the late 1990s Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania children's camp song "Hey You Knuckleheads" (also sung as "All You Knuckleheads".

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT BALTIMORE CLUB MUSIC
From http://www.truelaurels.com/blog/2015/11/4/this-film-is-the-love-letter-that-baltimore-club-music-deserves This Film Is The Love Letter That Baltimore Club Music Deserves (Extended)
NOVEMBER 04, 2015 BY LAWRENCE BURNEY

Originally edited and published by The Fader.
..."With a staggering shortage of venues and little air time, Baltimore club as a scene has been fading fast in recent years.

The music, however, lives on—in part because, like rap, Baltimore club has a therapeutic appeal. Some of its most iconic songs speak to the pain that often comes hand-in-hand with inner city life and, at times, how to mend those wounds: Rod Lee’s “Dance My Pain Away” (2005), Miss Tony’s “Living In The Alley” (2001), and Big Ria’s “Hey You Knuckleheads” (1996) for example. That universal language of healing is also what helped Baltimore club take root outside its borders. In the early ‘90s, New Jersey producer DJ Tamiel was inspired to create the slightly faster Jersey club, and then in the early ‘00s, Philadelphia producers DJ Dwizz and DJ Sega pinballed off it to develop the manic-paced Philly club.

[...]

Now a new documentary from an unexpected perspective is re-evaluating Bmore club’s importance. Baltimore Where You At?, above, is the work of French director Tim Moreau, who was inspired to dig into Bmore club’s vaults after getting hooked on Diplo’s take on it in the late 2000s. Moreau’s background is with an activist film collective called Regarde à Vue—his work often circles politics and socio-economic struggles—so his fascination wasn’t just with the music, but also in the social climate of the city that bred it. Which is why, in between 2011 and 2012, he took three solo trips to Baltimore to make that happen. Here, he discusses which artists he chose to profile, the obstacles of shooting in unfamiliar neighborhoods and Baltimore club’s lasting influence on he and his work.

[...]

Tim Moreau - "The rhythm is the message, and the rhythm is so crazy and raw that I tried to underline the link I’m talking about. Of course, those are unconscious links but my aim was to make them visible. And of course, I wanted people to love Baltimore club and to know the real story. I wanted to tell the people that Bmore club music is not (only) Diplo and Hollertronix. That Baltimore club was here before all of that and it has a long story just as important as hip hop, house and blues for me. That it is a major musical movement that is very influential to the mainstream music of today."...

****
SHOWCASE SOUND FILE: Baltimore Club Music- Knuckleheadz (Rep Ya Hood) [1996]



magillazmygorilla, Published on Aug 5, 2008

Big Ria. Another throwback joint. Is ya hood in this one?

****
VIDEO: Big Ria: Hey You Knuckleheads (Live) 2014



DJ Diamond K, Published on Aug 13, 2014

Big Ria performs "Hey You Knuckleheads" at Diamond K's birthday party in Baltimore.

****
LYRICS: HEY YOU KNUCKLE HEADS
(Big Ria)

Hey You Knuckle Heads
Hey You Knuckle Heads
Walking Down the Avenue
A few more streets and we'll be through
Sandtown, North and P
Park Heights, R and G
Whitelock, CherryHill
North and Long and Dofield
Murphy Homes, EA
Greenmount, Barclay
Walbrook JCT
Popular Grove, and EV
Flaghouse, LT
28th, Tivoly
Alameda, Mount Street
Edmonson and Pulaski
Saratoga, Garrison
NOrth and Dukeland
Westport, Cedonia
Parkside, Moravia
Sinclair, Wolfstreet
Middle, Chase and Biddle Street
York Rd, Preston Street
24th, Bernice street
21st, 20th
Bethel and LaFayette
North Bend, Catonsville
Warwick and Rosedale

Hey You Knuckle Heads
Hey You Knuckle Heads
Walking Down the Avenue
A few more streets and we'll be through

Yeah this BigRia
Representing from ParkHeights
Ya I mean
I wanna know where all my ladies at
Let me hear ya make some noise
And if ya representing
I want ya to say
Straight like that

Are my ladies representing
Straight like that
Are my fellas representing
Straight like that

Yeah I like to give big thanks
To big house productions
In the 96 and I'm out

Online source: https://genius.com/Dj-diamond-k-hey-u-knuckleheads-lyrics

****
PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA CHILDREN'S CAMP SONG "ALL YOU KNUCKLEHEADS"
Note: This is a call and response song. The group responds by repeating the same line that the caller sings.

Hey you knuckleheads
You dumb, dumb knuckleheads
Walking down the avenue.
Five more miles and we'll be through.
Go left, go left.
Go left, right, left.
Go left, go right go pick up the sticks.
Go left go right go left.

The words are repeated counting down to "no more miles"

Hey you knuckleheads
You dumb, dumb knuckleheads
Walking down the avenue.
No more miles and we are through.
Go left, go left.
Go left, right, left.
Go left, go right, go pick up the sticks.
Go left go right go left.
-Lillian Taylor camp (1996 or 1997), Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; collected by Tazi Powell (camp counselor).
-snip-
Lillian Taylor camp was a summer camp that was sponsored by Kingsley Association for boys and girls from various (mostly Black) Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania neighborhoods.

"Hey you knuckleheads" was also sung as "All you knuckleheads".

I adapted this song for the Alafia Children's Ensemble after-school game song groups that I founded and led along with my daughter Tazi Powell (now Tazi Hughes). I kept the tune and most of the words to that song, but changed the title to "Hey Alafia" (pronounced ah-LAH-fe-ah.). But instead of singing those first two lines we sang
"Hey Alafia .
Let's sing Alafia".

The song was performed in a single file, follow the leader, zig zag marching, with the leader and then the group moving to the left and then to the right on those words. We performed American sign language for the word "sing" and dipped down to imitate the line "pick up the sticks".

Unfortunately, I don't have any audio or video of any Alafia Children's Ensemble songs.

My guess is that the line "go left, go right, go pick up the sticks" came from a version of the military cadence "Jody Boy", as chanted with the same tune in this YouTube sound file https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IXXhd8VRSU :
"Your left, your left
Your left , righta left
Your military left
Your left, your right
now pick up the step
Your left your right your le--eh -eft"
-snip-
I don't know when that military cadence was first performed, but my guess is that it is older than the abpve mentioned Lillian Taylor camp song. And I wouldn't be surprised to learn that the "walking down the avenue" line from the Baltimore Club song "Hey You Knuckle Heads" also had its source in a military cadence where it was given as "marching down the avenue".

If you have any information about when this version of the military cadence "Jody Boy" was first chanted please share that information in the comment section below. Also, please share any other children's camp songs examples of adaptations of "Hey You Knuckle Heads". Thanks!

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents information about the Blues classic "Call It Stormy Monday" (most commonly known as "Stormy Monday").

This post also provides four YouTube examples of this song as performed by T Bone Walker, Albert King, Bobby Blue Bland, and B B King.

Lyrics for this song are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the Bluesmen who are showcased in this post for their musical legacies. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these examples on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT "STORMY MONDAY"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Call_It_Stormy_Monday_(But_Tuesday_Is_Just_as_Bad)
""Call It Stormy Monday (But Tuesday Is Just as Bad)" (commonly referred to as "Stormy Monday") is a song written and recorded by American blues electric guitar pioneer T-Bone Walker. It is a slow twelve-bar blues performed in the West Coast blues-style that features Walker's smooth, plaintive vocal and distinctive guitar work. As well as becoming a record chart hit in 1948, it inspired B.B. King and others to take up the electric guitar. "Stormy Monday" became Walker's best-known and most-recorded song.

In 1961, Bobby "Blue" Bland further popularized the song with an appearance in the pop record charts. Bland introduced a new arrangement with chord substitutions, which was later used in many subsequent renditions. His version also incorrectly used the title "Stormy Monday Blues", which was copied and resulted in royalties being paid to songwriters other than Walker. The Allman Brothers Band recorded an extended version for their first live album in 1971, with additional changes to the arrangement. Through the album's popularity and the group's concert performances, they brought "Stormy Monday" to the attention of rock audiences. Similarly, R&B singer Latimore's 1973 hit recording made it popular with a later R&B audience.

"Stormy Monday" is one of the most popular blues standards, with numerous renditions. As well as being necessary for blues musicians, it is also found in the repertoires of many jazz, soul, pop, and rock performers. The song is included in the Grammy, Rock and Roll, and Blues Foundation halls of fame as well as the U.S. Library of Congress' National Recording Registry."....

****
LYRICS: CALL IT STORMY MONDAY
(T-Bone Walker)

They call it stormy Monday
But Tuesday's just as bad
Yes, they call it stormy Monday
But Tuesday's just as bad
Wednesday's worse
And Thursday's also sad

Yes, the eagle flies on Friday
And Saturday I go out to play
Yes, the eagle flies on Friday
And Saturday I go out to play
Sunday I go to church
Then I kneel down and pray

[Instrumental bridge]

Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy on me
Lord have mercy
My heart's in misery
Crazy about my baby
Yeah, send her back to me


Online source: https://genius.com/T-bone-walker-call-it-stormy-monday-but-tuesday-is-just-as-bad-lyrics

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: T-Bone Walker - Call It Stormy Monday



Shady Ahmed, Published on Sep 1, 2012

A rare studio record of T-Bone Walker's timeless classic. Enjoy!
-snip-
Here's a comment from this YouTube sound file:
Bob Benham, 2013
"Smooth... thanks for uploading this classic blues recorded in 1947."

****
Example #2: Albert King-Stormy Monday



DrLearyUSA, Published on Feb 9, 2010

Albert King's Blues Record "Born under a bad sign" released in 1967
-snip-
Here are three comments from this sound file's discussion thread:

Blackbond11, 2015
"There's no way I can choose between T-Bone walker, Bobby Bland or Albert King's version. They are all incredible...smh"

**
REPLY
Edward McLaughlin, 2017
"Imagine if we had none of them. We have them all. How lucky are we?"

**
woodey028, 2016
"Time will have no affect on this.. in another 100 years and beyond, this will still move the soul"

****
Example #3: Bobby "Blue" Bland - Stormy Monday 1962



Gollincho, Published on Sep 6, 2008

Nashville,1962
Bobby "Blue" Bland,vocal
Wayne Bennett,gtr
-snip-
Here's a comment from this sound file's discussion thread:
Delois Roberson, 2014
"Words cannot express the impact that Bobby's singing and his talent that brought throughout the world!"

****
Example #4: B.B. King, "Stormy Monday Blues," ACL 1996.



AustinCityLimitsTV, Published on May 15, 2015

B.B. King takes on T-Bone Walker's immortal blues standard "Stormy Monday" on Austin City Limits, broadcast in 1996.

-snip-
Here's a comment from this sound file's discussion thread:

richard bowes, 2017
"What a full life this man had. Having such an affect on a number of people in a positive way."

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents five name quizzes from my no longer active "Alafia Names" website. These quizzes from 2004 are presented thanks to the Wayback Machine* archiving function.

The content of this post is presented for etymological and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Lucas Musewe for his technical help in developing and helping me maintain the "AlafiaNames" and my other no longer active website cocojams.com.

Thanks also to the Wayback Machine for archiving these Alafia Names pages and thanks to all of the online and off-line sources that I used to collect these name meanings.
-snip-
*From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayback_Machine"The Wayback Machine is a digital archive of the World Wide Web and other information on the Internet created by the Internet Archive, a nonprofit organization, based in San Francisco, California, United States.

History
The Internet Archive launched the Wayback Machine in October 2001.[4][5] It was set up by Brewster Kahle and Bruce Gilliat, and is maintained with content from Alexa Internet.[citation needed] The service enables users to see archived versions of web pages across time"...

****
ABOUT ALAFIA NAMES
This page was retrieved by the Wayback Machine.
From https://web.archive.org/web/20040605182150/http://www.alafianames.com:80/

[2004]
"Welcome to AlafiaNames™!

AlafiaNames ™ is the place to find information and examples on first names and last names used by African Americans.
We also have quizzes to test your knowledge of these subjects!

Use the list on the left to begin your exploration of African American naming practices.

At AlafiaNames™ it's all about the names!

JaVon, Amir, Bebe, Lasana, Tyree
Latoya, Mookie, Chaka, Bey, Ola Mae
Kofi, Rufus, Weezie, Johnson, Aminah
Marquis, Keisha, Ali, Peaches, Otieno
Shayla, Aaliyah, Jones, DonTae, Dre,
Ayodele, Omari, Neicy, Jackson, Debbie

-snip-
Pancocojams Editor's note:
The names that were shown in a box on that Home page were randomly chosen given names, surnames, and nicknames. Most of these names have been used or are still used by Black Americans.

The names were written in different fonts and were given in either in the color red or the color green:

****
NAME QUIZZES
Pancocojams Editor's Note: These quizzes were interactive on that AlafiaNames website. However, on this pancocojams blog, the answers to each quiz are given after the last quiz.

From https://web.archive.org/web/20050307051149/http://www.alafianames.com:80/wordquiz.htm

Quiz 001-Nicknames

Instructions: Check the best answer for each question or statement. Click "Submit" to find out your results.


1) "Dre" is usually an African American nickname for
a) David
b) Andre
c) Dread Locks
d) Dante

2) "Weezy" is usually an African American nickname for
a) William
b) Louis
c) Louise
d) Weasel

3) "Neicy" is usually an African American nickname for
a) Denise
b) Nancy
c) New York
d) Cecilia

4) "Sukey" is an American nickname for the female name
a) Samantha
b) Sarah
c) Samuel
d) Susan

5) "Shug" is an African American nickname that means
a) Sugar
b) Shucking and Jiving
c) A hard working man
d) Sharon

****
From https://web.archive.org/web/20040407185508/http://www.alafianames.com:80/wordquiz2.htm

Quiz 002-Meanings

Instructions: Check the best answer for each question or statement. Click "Submit" to find out your results.

1) "Imani" is a Kiswahili female name that means
a) Kwanzaa
b) Christmas
c) Faith
d) Unity

2) "Sean" is an Irish male name that means
a) God hears us
b) God is giving
c) Don't stop
d) The singer

3) "Aliyah" is an Arabic female name that means
a) loveable
b) queen
c) the highest; sublime
d) gentle

4) "Jamal" is an Arabic male name that means
a) king
b) handsome
c) treasure
d) John

5) "Kofi" is an Akan (West African) male name that means
a) male born during the cold weather
b) the wise one
c) the warrior
d) male born on Friday

****
From https://web.archive.org/web/20040407190031/http://www.alafianames.com:80/wordquiz3.htm

Quiz 003-Arabic & Kiswahili Names

Instructions: Check the best answer for each question or statement. Click Submit to find out your results.

1) "Amir" is an Arabic male name that means
a) a mirror
b) king
c) wise one
d) all may know

2) "Aisha" and "Maisha" are Arabic & Kiswahili female names that mean
a) sister
b) life
c) wealth
d) happiness

3) "Nia" is a Kiswahili word that is used as a female name in the United States. "Nia" means
a) never alone
b) beautiful one
c) purpose
d) prayer

4) "Rafiq" is an Arabic male name that means
a) minister
b) sailor
c) honor and wealth
d) friend

5) "Abdul" is an Arabic male name that means
a) God is in this house
b) don't be afraid
c) servant (of God)
d) male born on Tuesday

6) "Dalila" is a Kiswahili female name that means
a) strong
b) tempting
c) flower
d) gentle

7) "Jelani" is a Kiswahili male name that means
a) powerful
b) wisdom
c) kindness
d) sincere

8) "Zuri" is a Kiswahili name that means
a) happiness
b) zoo
c) beautiful/handsome
d) freedom

9) "Khalid" is an Arabic male name that means
a) eternal
b) the lid
c) heavenly
d) the warrior

10) "Taj" is an Arabic male name that means
a) the wanderer
b) the eyes
c) the heart
d) the crown

****
From https://web.archive.org/web/20040407191432/http://www.alafianames.com:80/wordquiz4.htm

Quiz 004-Origin

Instructions: Check the best answer for each question or statement. Click Submit to find out your results.

1) "Richard" is a male name that comes from which language?
a) German
b) French
c) Chinese
d) Arabic

2) "Elizabeth" is a female name that comes from which language?
a) Portuguese
b) Italian
c) Spanish
d) Hebrew

3) "Estelle" is a female name that comes from which language?
a) Creole
b) French
c) Latin
d) Russian

4) "Miguel" is a male name that comes from which language?
a) Spanish
b) French
c) Ibo
d) Luo

5) "Eric" is a male name that comes from which language?
a) Portuguese
b) Norse
c) English
d) Xhosa

6)"Helen" is a female name that comes from which language?
a) German
b) Spanish
c) Irish
d) Greek

7) "Jumoke" is a female name that comes from which language?
a) Ibo
b) Welsh
c) Japanese
d) Yoruba

8) "Imani" is a female name that comes from which language?
a) Celtic
b) Kiswahili
c) Egyptian
d) Zulu

9) "Kwame" is a male name that comes from which language?
a German
b) Spanish
c) Akan
d) Greek

10) "Chaka" is a male name that comes from which language?
a) Greek
b) Welsh
c) Zulu
d) Egyptian

****
Quiz 005: Forms of Names

From https://web.archive.org/web/20040407191648/http://www.alafianames.com:80/wordquiz5.htm

Instructions: Check the best answer for each question or statement. Click "Submit" to find out your results.

1) "DeAndre", "Ondray" and Aundray" are all African American forms of this Greek name
a) Andrew
b) Andre
c) Alexander
d) Anthony

2) "Miguel" is a Spanish form of this Hebrew name
a) Enrique
b) Joshua
c) David
d) Michael

3) "Amiri" is a Kiswahili form of this Arabic name
a) Amin
b) Anwar
c) Amir
d) Abdul

4) "Isha", "Ashia", and "Ayisha" are all forms of this Arabic & Kiswahili name
a) Imani
b) Hasina
c) Zuri
d) Aisha

5) "Myra" is a form of this Arabic name
a) Ellen
b) Marion
c) Elmira
d) Maltida

6 "Lisa", "Bettina" and "Isabel" are all forms of this Hebrew name
a) Betty
b) Eleanor
c) Linda
d) Elizabeth

7) "Sean" is an Irish form of the Hebrew name
a) Samuel
b) John
c) David
d) Michael

8) "Mamie", "Marlo", and "Marion" are forms of this Hebrew name
a) Marianne
b) Margaret
c) Mary
d) Martha

9) "Yusef" is an Arabic form of the Hebrew name
a) Jehovah
b) Joseph
c) Kwame
d) Juan

10) "Ahmad", "Ahmed" and "Hamid" are forms of the Arabic name
a) Abdul
b) Muhammed
c) Andrew
d) Hasan

****
ANSWERS:
Quiz 001
1) b
2. c
3. a
4. d
5. a

Quiz 002
1. c
2. b
3. c
4. b
5. d

Quiz 003
1. b
2. b
3. c
4. d
5. c
6. d
7. a
8. c
9. a
10. d

Quiz 004
1. a
(Note: The 2004 Quiz incorrectly had "English" for this option.)
2. d
3. either b or c
(Note in the 2004 Quiz I incorrectly indicated that c was the only right answer).
4. a
5. b
6. d
7. d
8. b
9. c
10. c

Quiz 005
1. b
2. d
3. c
4. d
5. c
6. d
7. b
8. c
9. b
10.b

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the first post in a three part pancocojams series that explores the history, purposes, and content of the viral #BlackMenSmiling hashtag and related hashtags.

This pancocojams's series on #Blackmensmiling and its related hashtags seeks to provide some context to the viral #Blackmensmiling hashtag as well as provide some corrections to repeatedly cited statements about that hashtag. For historical and socio-cultural purposes, this pancocojams series also documents selected [text only] tweets from those hashtags.

Part I presents three spoken word/musical interpretations of Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1896 poem "We Wear The Mask". The Addendum to this post presents an early 20th century quote about "smiling, acquiescent black people, & a 2006 quote about Black men using smiles as a survival strategy.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/information-about-examples-of-pre.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents information about #Blackmensmiling and #blackMenSmile prior to February 2, 2018 when the #Blackmensmiling hashtag went viral and trended to #1 on Twitter.

Part III presents selected text only February 2, 2018 -February 8, 2018 tweets from #Blackmensmiling, #Blackmensmilling, and #Blackwomensmiling. The Addendum to this post also presents a few post-February 2, 2018 #BlackMenSmiles tweets.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Paul Laurence Dunbar for his literary legacy and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to all those who published these videos on YouTube.

****
WORDS TO "WE WEAR THE MASK"
(Paul Laurence Dunbar)

We wear the mask that grins and lies,
It hides our cheeks and shades our eyes,—
This debt we pay to human guile;
With torn and bleeding hearts we smile,
And mouth with myriad subtleties.

Why should the world be over-wise,
In counting all our tears and sighs?
Nay, let them only see us, while
We wear the mask.

We smile, but, O great Christ, our cries
To thee from tortured souls arise.
We sing, but oh the clay is vile
Beneath our feet, and long the mile;
But let the world dream otherwise,
We wear the mask!

The above poem appeared in Dunbar's first professionally published volume, Lyrics of Lowly Life, in 1896 by Dodd, Mead, and Company. It also appeared in the volume Majors and Minors from the previous year.”...

Online source: http://www.potw.org/archive/potw8.html

****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: We Wear the Mask



Cliomuseofhistory, Published on Apr 10, 2008

Black History Month

****
Example #2: We Wear the Mask(Final).mov



Akanke56, Published on Nov 30, 2010
English 543 Factual and Fictional Adaptation
keith.mehlinger@morgan.edu

College Students
Morgan State University
"We Wear the Mask" The Norton Anthology African Literature Second Edition

****
Example #3: We Wear The Mask.

J MILHOUSE, Published on Jan 18, 2012
We Wear The Mask photography exhibit coming February 2012.

Shot by: Justin JMILLZ Milhouse.
Starring: David Mays.
Narration by: Dexter Mays.

http://www.devinmays.com :: http://www.fresh-cool-dope.com
-snip-
Here's a comment from this video's discussion thread:

marcdaddy33, 2013
"EXCELLENT JOB.

great film, great poem by dunbar and great music (sounds like Coltrane)."

****
ADDENDUM: QUOTES ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE SMILING
Quote #1
From Selected Articles on the Negro Problem
Books on Google Play
Selected Articles on the Negro Problem
H.W. Wilson Company, 1921 -
https://books.google.com/books?id=JZNZAAAAMAAJ

page 124
"I thought of those eight millions as of men, black as ink. ... A very large proportion of these colored people, indeed, is more than half white…. The black or mainly black people seem to be fairly content with their inferiority; one sees them all about the States as waiters, cab- drivers, railway porters, car attendants, laborers of various sorts, a pleasant-smiling, acquiescent folk.”...
-snip-
Italics added to highlight this portion of this sentence.

****
Quote #2
From http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/07/01/AR2006070100462_pf.html Black Men Quietly Combating Stereotypes
By ERIN TEXEIRA
The Associated Press
Saturday, July 1, 2006
"NEW YORK -- Keith Borders tries hard not to scare people.

He's 6-foot-7, a garrulous lawyer who talks with his hands.

And he's black.

Many people find him threatening. He works hard to prove otherwise.

"I have a very keen sense of my size and how I communicate," says Borders of Mason, Ohio. "I end up putting my hands in my pockets or behind me. I stand with my feet closer together. With my feet spread out, it looks like I'm taking a stance. And I use a softer voice."

Every day, African-American men consciously work to offset stereotypes about them _ that they are dangerous, aggressive, angry. Some smile a lot, dress conservatively and speak with deference: "Yes, sir," or "No, ma'am." They are mindful of their bodies, careful not to dart into closing elevators or stand too close in grocery stores.

It's all about surviving, and trying to thrive, in a nation where biased views of black men stubbornly hang on decades after segregation and where statistics show a yawning gap between the lives of white men and black men. Black men's median wages are barely three-fourths those of whites; nearly 1 in 3 black men will spend time behind bars during his life; and, on average, black men die six years earlier than whites.

Sure, everyone has ways of coping with other people's perceptions: Who acts the same at work as they do with their kids, or their high school friends?

But for black men, there's more at stake. If they don't carefully calculate how to handle everyday situations _ in ways that usually go unnoticed _ they can end up out of a job, in jail or dead.

"It's a stressful process," Borders says."

Melissa Harris Lacewell, a political scientist at the University of Chicago, says learning to adapt is at the heart of being an American black male.

"Black mothers and fathers socialize their sons to not make waves, to not come up against the authorities, to speak even more politely not only when there are whites present but particularly if there are whites who have power," she said.

"Most black men are able to shift from a sort of relaxed, authentically black pose into a respectable black man pose. Either they develop the dexterity to move back and forth or ultimately they flounder.

[...]

Black men, especially those who look physically imposing, often have a tough time.

"Someone who is tall and muscular will learn to come into a meeting and sit down quickly," she said. "They're trying to lower the big barrier of resistance, one that's fear-based and born of stereotypes."

Having darker brown skin can erect another barrier. Mark Ferguson has worked on Wall Street for 20 years. He has an easy smile and firm, confident handshake.

"I think I clean up pretty well _ I dress well, I speak well _ but all that goes out the window when I show up at a meeting full of white men," says Ferguson of New Jersey, who is 6-foot-4 and dark-skinned. "It's because they're afraid of me."

"Race always matters," said Ferguson, whose Day in the Life Foundation connects minority teenagers with professionals. "It's always in play."

Fletcher knows his light brown skin gives him an advantage _ except that he's "unsmiling."

"If you're a black man who doesn't smile a lot, they (whites) get really nervous," he said. "There are black people I run across all the time and they're always smiling particularly when they're around white people. A lot of white people find that very comforting."

All this takes a toll.

Many black men say the daily maneuvering leaves them enraged and exhausted. For decades, they continuously self-analyze and shift, subtly dampening their personalities. In the end, even the best strategies don't always work."...
-snip-
Italics were added to highlight the comments about Black men using smiles as a survival strategy.

****
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
A number of contributors to the #Blackmensmiling hashtag that went viral on February 2, 2018 indicated that they usually don't smile when their pictures are taken or when they take their own photographs ("selfies"). I'm not sure how much of the reasoning for this can be attributed to a reaction to White perceptions of Black people-and Black men in particular-being scary and dangerous unless we smile.

My guess is that the custom of not smiling when taking pictures have more to do with the cultural perception that smiling id interpreted as being "weak" and "unmanly", descriptions that would be highly problematic in certain neighborhoods more than others.

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the second post in a two part pancocojams series that explores the history, purposes, and content of the viral #BlackMenSmiling hashtag and related hashtags.

This pancocojams's series on #Blackmensmiling and its related hashtags seeks to provide some context to the viral #Blackmensmiling hashtag as well as provide some corrections to repeatedly cited statements about that hashtag. For historical and socio-cultural purposes, this pancocojams series also documents selected [text only] tweets from those hashtags.

Part II presents information about #Blackmensmiling and #BlackMenSmile prior to February 2, 2018 when the #Blackmensmiling hashtag went viral and trended to #1 on Twitter.

The Addendum to this post presents a few post-February 2, 2018 #BlackMenSmile.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/paul-laurence-dunbars-1896-poem-we-wear.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents three spoken word/musical interpretations of Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1896 poem "We Wear The Mask".

The Addendum to Part I presents an early 20th century quote about "smiling, acquiescent black people, & a 2006 quote about Black men using smiles as a survival strategy.

Part III presents selected text only February 2, 2018 -February 8, 2018 tweets from #Blackmensmiling, #Blackmensmilling, and #Blackwomensmiling.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to Carlton Mackey and Devan Dmarcus Dunson for creating and directing Black Men Smile™ and for co-creating #Blackmensmiles. Thanks also to the person/s who created the #Blackmensmiling hashtag,and thank to Dennis Banks (aka @Felonious_munk) for reactivating #Blackmensmiling on February 2, 2018. Thanks also to the person/s who created #Blackmensmilling and the person/s who created #Blackwomensmiling. And thanks to all those who have posted tweets, and embedded photographs, GIFs, and videos on those twitter threads.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT #BLACKMENSMILING AND RELATED HASHTAGS
I. #Blackmensmiling
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
Contrary to the articles that have been published about #Blackmensmiling since it trended to #1 on Twitter on February 2, 2018, #Blackmensmiling wasn't created on that date by African American comedian Dennis Banks (aka @Felonious_munk). Dennis Banks should rightfully be credited with re-activating the #Blackmensmiling hashtag on February 2, 2018. However, a number of tweets were posted to that hashtag years before 2018.

Here are six examples of far more pre-February 2, 2018 #Blackmensmiling. The oldest tweet that I've found in this twitter thread is given first.)
From https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackmensmiling?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag
1.
tomauro
@mauxroh

Oct 12, 2013
#BlackMenSmiling @mxh365
-snip-
WARNING: That twitter page includes a lot of cursing and sexually explicit references

**
2.
JaiDaCreme
@QueenOnTop1

Oct 2, 2014
#BlackMenSmiling via Instagram #Positivity

**
3.
X @XLNB

Dec 31, 2015
Replying to @XLNB
I admire the many black men I see on the TL who smile and are confident in themselves #blackmensmiling

**
4.
thebionicsix
@octobin

Apr 10, 2016
#BlackMenSmiling alls I'm sayin.
-snip-
Embedded photo of Ice Cube and 2 others

**
5.
Shawn Cureton
@mr_nozerodays

Jul 19, 2016
They say us black men need to smile more. #smile #blackmensmiling #travel #vacation #urban… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BICfFYZDxPs/) instagram.com/p/BICfFYZDxPs/

**
6.
Jonathan H. Gray! 😃
@jongraywb

Sep 20, 2016

[with embedded photo]
#blackmensmiling Because it's needed.
-snip-
Here's a Feb. 2, 2018 tweet from this same commenter:
7.
Jonathan H. Gray! 😃
@jongraywb

[with embedded photo]

Feb 2 [2018]

Replying to @jongraywb
"I was wondering why my original tweet was trending. Didn’t realize the hashtag was active again so, here’s a new #blackmensmiling picture... also, coincidentally, taken in a Costco"

**
Here's the tweet by Dennis Banks (aka Felonious_munk) which sparked #BlackMenSmiling viral trending on February 2, 2018:

Ra'sclat Al Ghul
✔
@Felonious_munk
Today let's share some pics of #BlackMenSmiling. Like big goofy smiles. Happy (even if just for a moment) with life smiles. Normalize happy. #BlackHistoryMonth where your teeth at?

11:09 AM - Feb 2, 2018

****
II. Black Men Smile™ [organization and twitter page]
From http://blackmensmile.com/about
"OUR STORY

Black Men Smile™ was created one month after Michael Brown was murdered in Ferguson, Missouri. After seeing 100s of images of Michael's body lying in the street and after a flurry of other painful and oppressive images of Black men in the weeks to follow, I did an experiment to explore what other images of Black men made up the landscape of social media. I entered the HASHTAG #blackmensmile on Instagram.

It yielded ZERO results.

I posted the first image with this hashtag September 30, 2014. I asked Black men to do the same. Today there are over 8000.

After some consideration of what I wanted to accomplish with this new platform, I set out to explore one seemingly basic question, WHAT MAKES YOU SMILE? After posing that question to a test group of 20 Black men, 17 of them had the same initial response:

"No one has ever asked me that."

-Carlton Mackey
(Creator, Black Men Smile™)
-snip
The other director of Black Men Smile™ is Devan Dmarcus Dunson

**
Examples of #BlackMenSmiles tweets prior to February 2, 2018
From https://twitter.com/blackmensmile?lang=en
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: A number of these early tweets were text only with links to an instagram page. That instagram page might include a photograph or a drawing. The oldest example of these relatively randomly selected tweets is given first.

1.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Jun 25, 2015
Much love to @wah_gwaan_ for submitting images for our Father's Day Challenge! REPOST: Happy… (link: https://instagram.com/p/4Wh__DRSR_/) instagram.com/p/4Wh__DRSR_/
-snip-
This June 25, 2015 example isn't the earliest tweet on that hashtag, but I chose it to document that #Blackmensmiles had (has?) "challenges" (i.e. called for/calls for photographs to be submitted for time limited occasions or events. That might explain why a number of contributors in the #Blackmensmiling and other related hashtags (Feb. 2, 2018 and after that date) publish a photograph or photographs with a question "Am I too late" or a statement "I know I'm late". The fact that #Blackmensmiles had (has?) photograph challenges might also help to explain why some contributors (Feb. 2, 2018 and after that date). waasks if they qualify when they embed their photograph or photographs.

This may also help explain why some of those contributors who published their photographs on the #Blacksmensmiling twitter page and related pages (from Feb 2, 2018 and subsequent early February 2018 dates) included/include captions that implied/implie that this was/is a contest/competition for the best smile/the most attractive person.

**
2.
blackmensmile
@blackmensmile
June 25, 2015

Much love to @jamaicapics for submitting images for our Father's Day Challenge! REPOST: Happy Father's Day to all the dads who are doing their part. 🌟 @dmac920@karljamaica@empressgorgeousnelly 🌴One Love 🌴 #blackmensmile #fathersday#jamaicapics #blackdadssmile
nicole.carringtonNice pic
jamaicapicsThank you 👍👋
berryberrynice28☺

**
3.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Jul 18, 2015
Smiling is something you can do when you realize "that we gone be alright!" #blackmensmile #blackmen… (link: https://instagram.com/p/5SUEs1RSQp/) instagram.com/p/5SUEs1RSQp/

**
4.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Dec 13, 2015
#Repost @only_kam7

That face you make when you know you can handle anything that life throws… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/_PSptDxSet/) instagram.com/p/_PSptDxSet/blackmensmile#Repost @kamwithoutgram
"That face you make when you know you can handle anything that life throws your way. When you look back on all of your "worst days ever " no matter what it was …you made it through.. so in the future you learn to embrace both the good and bad...relish those challenges as they come …it's all apart of the life experience.. it's what you were put on this earth for .. so just breathe easy and smile. 📷 by @dehate #blackmensmile #blackmen #smile #breathe #inmyskiniwin #morethanmore"
-snip-
This instagram includes a photo of young Black man who is smiling. The man has a skin condition that removes the melanin from parts of his skin.

**
5.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Aug 8, 2016
RECLAMATION: Reclaiming our narrative, reclaiming our bodies, reclaiming our spirits, reclaiming… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BI3h_JND1C9/) instagram.com/p/BI3h_JND1C9/ [tweet no longer available]

**
6.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Aug 10, 2016
Yesterday marked 2 years since Michael Brown was murdered in Ferguson, MO. Black Men Smile™ was… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BI7uWWIj-9w/) instagram.com/p/BI7uWWIj-9w/

blackmensmile
"Yesterday marked 2 years since Michael Brown was murdered in Ferguson, MO. Black Men Smile™ was created one month later. Today we reflect on the value of his life, the tragedy of his death, and the power of the resistance it sparked. Artwork by brother @afranks3 || #michaelbrown #blacklivesmatter #ferguson #wewillwin #saytheirnames"

**
7.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Aug 23, 2015
Pure | All around the world, black men smile. Photo in Tanzania by findingpaola | #blackmensmile… (link: https://instagram.com/p/6ucOesxSVA/) instagram.com/p/6ucOesxSVA/
blackmensmile
"All around the world, black men smile. Photo in Tanzania by @findingpaola | #blackmensmile #blackmen #smile #tanzania #findingpaola
findingpaolaThanks for reposting. They were so kind. But what made my heart smile was how shy they were around me. And when I asked them to smile, they kept laughing before I caught it. So much love."

**
8.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Aug 23, 2016
[Living while Black] This is what it looks like. We must celebrate the way we see ourselves.… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BJeW-REju_U/) instagram.com/p/BJeW-REju_U/
-snip-
This is the way that this tweet was written.

**
9.
Black Men Smile Retweeted
Black Balance
@blackbalancepod

Nov 29, 2016
@blackmensmile cool platform about representing black men in a positive way and inspiring others. We see you 👀! #blackmensmile #inspiration

**
10.
Shirleen Renea
@srrgrrl
@TheRoot #MahershalaAli smiling, brightens my day #BlackMenSmile
Reminds me of Zora Neale Hurston: "I love myself when I'm laughing..."

4:55 PM - Jul 12, 2017

**
11.
KAREEM•GENDERX•
@_TheRealKareem_
#BlackMenSmile is trending so it's time for me to show out 💁🏾‍♂️🌈

5:14 PM - Jul 12, 2017

**
12.
Geoffrey Preudhomme
@gpreudhommejr
2010, my freshman year of high school. Breaking stereotypes one photo at a time #BlackMenSmile

5:02 PM - Jul 12, 2017

**
Excerpt from a Roots [online magazine] article about #Blackmensmile hashtag (July 13, 2017)
From https://www.attn.com/stories/18263/viral-hashtag-shows-black-men-their-joy This Viral Hashtag Shows Black Men In Their Joy JULY 13TH 2017

By: Willie Burnley Jr.
"On Wednesday, The Root and its followers blessed us with a thread of black men smiling on Twitter that caused an accompanying hashtag, #blackMenSmiling, to blow up.*

The Root
✔
@TheRoot
Let's get it started, Twitter fam.

Share photos of your favorite Black men smiles using #BlackMenSmile for a chance to be featured!

#blackMenSmile ❤️ pic.twitter.com/k8tclvCFTZ

— sumrthymeshawtee🌻 (@ciairanicole) July 13, 2017

The pictures showed ordinary people as well as celebrities old and new rejoicing in their own personal happiness, in ways that aren’t often associated with black men.

The black Men Smile Facebook page explains the message the behind the photos.
"black Men Smile was created to celebrate the way we see ourselves as black men...not the way other people see us. We are more complex than just athletic, sexy, hyper-masculine, and entertaining. Our strength is real but can manifest in more ways than brute force or something to be feared. It may also manifest in our nurturing and caring. We are husbands, friends, fathers, sons. We are beautiful. We love...ourselves..each other...and you. We smile. Lets [sic] celebrate what makes us do so. Lets [sic] create environments where we can do it more often. Share your stories and photos and those of the men you love. When the stories are being told about us, we will need those we tell about ourselves to be our real truth."

These smiles come despite the fact that America hasn’t been great for black men recently—or ever—with its prevalence of racist hate crimes, the Trump administration’s continuation of federal private prison contracts, and ongoing acquittals of police officers who kill unarmed or otherwise law-abiding African-Americans with seeming impunity.

The reality of today’s discrimination is driven in part by racist myths and narratives about black people, their bodies, and their attitudes. The result is that, in ways large and small, black people's safety has been put at great risk of violence.

[...]

In a series of seven studies conducted the American Psychological Association in which participants were asked to compare a black man and a white man of roughly the same size, people more often found the black man was larger, more threatening, and that use of force in an altercation was more likely justified against the black man than the white one.

Research has shown that black people are more likely to be pulled over for traffic stops by police officers, more likely to be arrested in these stops, and that black people are disproportionately incarcerated in general. An analysis of police shootings by Vox showed that police officers also kill black people at disproportionate rates—rates that cannot be explained by socioeconomic conditions or crime rates.

While these studies show the impact of internalized racism, they also stand along some solid truths as well. One is that whether an individual is smiling, frowning, or even angry ultimately should not compromise their freedom or be the condition by which their right to live is judged. And another is that, as racism is fought in every corner of this country, black people will keep smiling - for themselves, first and foremost.”
-snip-
This Roots article ends with a poll asking Do you think associations of Black masculinity can change?" [You need to add email to see poll results. I chose not to add my email.]
--snip-
I'm not sure if the hashtag was #BlackMenSmiling or #Blackmensmiles.

****
ADDENDUM- EXAMPLES OF POST-FEBRUARY 2, 2018 TWEETS FROM #BLACKMENSMILES
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: February 2, 2018 was the date when #BlackMenSmiling went viral and trended #1 on Twitter]
1.
Black Men Smile Retweeted
BET
@BET

Feb 2 [2018]
#BlackMenSmiling is taking the net by storm, and we couldn't be happier about it. #MancaveBET


**
2.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Feb 3 [2018]
For nearly 4 years now we've been consistently advancing a conversation that has at the heart of… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeuTIOrFAH_/) instagram.com/p/BeuTIOrFAH_/

"blackmensmile
For nearly 4 years now we've been consistently advancing a conversation that has at the heart of our movement and central to our very lives. Today @okayafrica and the whole entire Black Innanet Federation covered the virality of #blackmensmiling // It is so great to see the ways we are embracing our narrative and celebrating "us". It is also so rewarding to know that after #blackhistorymonth is over and after these tags stop trending that we will still be here doing the work...and that you will still be loving yourselves enough to fight for your spirit and your mind. Black is forever and our liberation starts now. Thank yall. Keep helping us spread JOY. #blackmensmile #blackmen #smile #blackjoy”...

**
3.
Black Men Smile
@blackmensmile

Feb 3 [2018]
Yesterday was bananas. The internet went ham in the best way possible when #blackmensmiling… (link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BewY-fUlNSp/) instagram.com/p/BewY-fUlNSp/

**
4.
Black Men Smile Retweeted
nina mosley.
@BeautyIs__Her

Feb 3 [2018]
let’s connect the trend to the movement that is a lifestyle! @blackmensmile has been capturing and highlighting #BlackMenSmiling and the reason they smile since 2014 !
sneak peek from today’s shoot, love vibing with these two black men ✨🙏🏾

#BlackMenSmile #BlackMenSmiling


****
Thanks for isiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the third post in a four part pancocojams series that explores the history, purposes, and content of the viral #BlackMenSmiling hashtag and related hashtags.

This pancocojams's series on #BlackMenSmiling and its related hashtags seeks to provide some context to the viral #BlackMenSmiling hashtag which trended #1 on Twitter on February 2, 2018 and remained strong according to Twitter ratings several days after that.

This pancocojams series also provides some corrections to repeatedly cited statements about that hashtag. For historical and socio-cultural purposes, this pancocojams series also documents selected [text only] tweets from those hashtags.

Part III provides general information about #BlackMenSmiling, #blackmensmiles, #BlackMenSmilling, and #BlackWomenSmiling with a focus on the purposes of those hashtags.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/paul-laurence-dunbars-1896-poem-we-wear.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents three spoken word/musical interpretations of Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1896 poem "We Wear The Mask". The Addendum to Part I presents an early 20th century quote about "smiling, acquiescent black people, & a 2006 quote about Black men using smiles as a survival strategy.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/information-about-examples-of-pre.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents information about #BlackMenSmiling and #BlackMenSmile prior to February 2, 2018 when the #Blackmensmiling hashtag went viral and trended to #1 on Twitter. The Addendum to this post presents a few post-February 2, 2018 #BlackMenSmile.

Part IV presents selected (text only) examples of tweets from #BlackMenSmiling, #BlackMenSmilling, and #BlackWomenSmiling. This cut off date doesn't mean to imply that no other tweets have been posted to those hashtags. It simply means that I stopped reviewing those hashtags on February 8, 2018 (around 10:30 PM).

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the person/s who created the #BlackMenSmiling hashtag,and thank to Dennis Banks (aka @Felonious_munk) for reactivating #BlackMenSmiling on February 2, 2018. Thanks also to the person/s who created #BlackMenSmilling and the person/s who created #BlackWomenSmiling. Thanks to all those who have posted tweets, and embedded photographs, GIFs, and videos on those twitter threads, and thanks to Black Men Smile™'s co-creators Carlton Mackey and Devan Dmarcus Dunson and the men who are featured in the Black Men Smile™ video that is embedded in this post.

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INFORMATION ABOUT #BLACKMENSMILING
#Blackmensmiling
https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackmensmiling?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag
The hashtag #Blackmensmiling trended to #1 on Twitter on February 2, 2018 and remained strong (according to Twitter's ratings) for some days after that.

Contrary to the articles that have been published about #Blackmensmiling since it trended to #1 on Twitter on February 2, 2018, that hashtag wasn't created on that date by African American comedian Dennis Banks (aka @Felonious_munk). That said, New York comedian Dennis Banks should rightfully be credited with sparking the viral outpouring of tweets (with photographs, GIFs, and videos) that resulted in #Blackmensmiling hashtag going viral on February 2, 2018 and remaining strong (according to Twitter ratings) for some days afterwards.

I'm not sure who created the #Blackmensmiling hashtag, but the earliest tweet that I've found for that hashtag was posted on Oct 12, 2013:
tomauro
@mauxroh

Oct 12, 2013
#BlackMenSmiling @mxh365
-snip-
WARNING: Tomauro's twitter page includes a lot of cursing and sexually explicit references. #Blackmensmiling doesn't contain that type of content.
-snip-
Here's an excerpt from one of several articles about #Blackmensmiling hashtag going viral on February 2, 2018:
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/twitter-blackmensmiling-hashtag_us_5a786a54e4b06ee97af52d0a?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009
BLACK VOICES 02/05/2018 07:10 pm ET
Twitter Celebrates Black Boy Joy With #BlackMenSmiling Hashtag
Carefree blackness fit for Black History Month. By Princess-India Alexander
"Black boy joy is always a mood. And if you ever questioned that, the #BlackMenSmiling hashtag is here to show you the light.

The hashtag began to pop up on Friday and kept gaining momentum over the weekend. Twitter users celebrated carefree blackness as they shared pictures of themselves living their best and blackest lives.

In the process, black men and boys reclaimed their own narratives and challenged stereotypes. This hashtag underscores the humanity in black boys, who are often seen as aggressors or threats.

The trend spilled into Monday ― Trayvon Martin’s birthday ― and offered some relief as the black community recalled the teen’s senseless death in 2012, which helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement.

Amid Black History Month celebrations and the continuous fight to dismantle black hypermasculinity, this hashtag continues to focus on the glory of blackness."
-snip-
Here's Dennis Bank's tweet that kickstarted #Blackmensmiling's viral trending:

Ra'sclat Al Ghul
✔
@Felonious_munk
Today let's share some pics of #BlackMenSmiling. Like big goofy smiles. Happy (even if just for a moment) with life smiles. Normalize happy. #BlackHistoryMonth where your teeth at?

11:09 AM - Feb 2, 2018
-snip-
Quoting from another article about that hashtag, https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/blackmensmiling-is-the-most-beautiful-thing-on-twitte-1822683812"#BlackMenSmiling Is the Most Beautiful Thing on Twitter Right Now—and It’s Trending Worldwide" by Monique Judge, 2/02/18 8:15pm
"Banks later explained to another tweeter that he started the hashtag because he noticed that he rarely smiled in photos, even if he was happy. “Just sharing joy in bhm [sic],” he wrote. “Doesn’t invalidate black pain. Isn’t an attempt at being accepted or disproving anything.

“If nothing else #BlackMenSmiling is opening my eyes to how rare it is to catch a Black man smiling on camera. It’s like we can’t leave evidence of our happiness,” Banks added."..

****
OTHER SIMILAR TWITTER HASHTAGS

BLACK MEN SMILE™
Black Men Smile™ was created by Carlton Mackey and Devan Dmarcus Dunson in September 2014, one month after eighteen year old Michael Brown was murdered in Ferguson, Missouri. Black Men Smile™ can be considered a movement. It's co-directors travel throughout the United States, asking Black men "What makes you smile?" and photographing Black men smiling.

Black Men Smile™ has a website http://blackmensmile.com/, an instagram page, a Facebook page, and a twitter hashtag: https://twitter.com/blackmensmile?lang=en. Black Men Smile™ also has several YouTube video, including this one from 2016:

Black Men Smile



BLACK MEN SMILE Published on Aug 7, 2016

Black Men Smile because we love ourselves. This platform is about radical expressions of self love. It is about resistance. It is about learning from each other. It is about encouraging one another. It is about transcending. It is about defying gravity, as our ancestors have always done, and leaving a legacy so that generations after us may do the same. During these times when so many stories being told about us, we will need those we tell about ourselves to be our real truth.

Your support helps with the production of a feature length documentary film, a 10 city empowerment tour, capturing portraits of over 5000 Black men, and the creation of an accompanying educational curriculum and movie discussion guide.
-snip-
Unlike #blackmensmiling, #Blackmensmiling, and #Blackwomensmiling, #blackmensmile has fewer photographs of Black people, especially in pre-February 2, 2018 tweets. Most of the early (2014-2016) #blackmensmile tweets have links to that organization's instagram page and any photographs might be found on those pages.

#blackmensmile may help explain why a number of contributors to that hashtag and to #Blackmensmiling and #Blackwomensmiling refer to their posting tweets with photographs as "joining a movement" and "doing this for the culture".

****
#BLACKMENSMILLING
https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackMenSmilling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fentry%2Ftwitter-blackmensmiling-hashtag_us_5a786a54e4b06ee97af52d0a

#Blackmensmilling started later on Feb 2, 2018. That hashtag can be considered a “knockoff” version of #Blackmensmiling. I'm not sure who created #Blackmensmilling or why it was created.

Like #BlackMenSmiling, the #BlackMenSmilling tweets from men usually consist of a brief comment and one embedded photograph or a box of four or three embedded photographs. With the exception of tweets honoring famous Black men, almost all of the tweets on #BlackMenSmilling and #BlackMenSmiling include embedded photographs of smiling Black men in their twenties. Among the embedded photographs of smiling famous Black men are President Barack Obama, Malcolm x, Martin Luther King Jr., Nelson Mandela, Idris Elba, Trayvon Martin, Emmitt Till, Michael Jackson, Tupac, Michael B. Jordan, and Chadwick Boseman.

Both #BlackMensmilling and #BlackMensmiling have a significant number of tweets from Black women, including women tweeting photographs of their male friends or their husband.

The tweets from women on #BlackMensmilling and #BlackmenSmiling these tweets usually include a GIF or, less often, a video. Almost all of these tweets from women praise the concept of #Blackmensmilling/#Blackmensmiling and/or gush over specific tweets and their embedded photographs, often in a humorous manner. However, a few #Blackmensmilling tweets are critical of #Blackwomensmiling as the commenters consider that hashtag as taking the focus away from Black men.

Neither #BlackMenSmilling nor #BlackMenSmiling have political posts other than embedded photos honoring President Barack Obama. Those hashtags also don't have any posts criticizing their concept or any specific tweet. Given the negative, highly offensive racist comments that were posted to some articles about these hashtags going viral, the lack of negative stereotypical tweets from White people or others suggests that the creators or curators of these hashtags are deleted negative tweets.

Here's one response to the only negative tweet that I've found on #BlackmenSmilling:
Quaezec
@qaezec

Feb 3
It exists because Black Men are stereotyped as cold, brutish, aggressive, and all other forms of negativity. The #BlackMenSmilling exists to show that we can be seen as happy, warm, friendly, etc... like other races are seen. Try asking questions instead of making assumptions.
Fallon Fireblade 🔥
@FallonFireblade
So let's talk about the #BlackMenSmiling hashtag.
You don't want racism and everybody is supposed to be equal but you want to bring up someone's race all the time.
As a white person, I don't want to see #WhiteMenSmiling either. B/C get this - I don't care about someone's race!
-snip-
Perhaps because I'm not on Twitter, it's difficult for me to understand how tweets are organized on those pages. Even more than the #Blackmensmiling or #blackmensmile twitter pages, I'm confused about how tweets are presented on the #blackmensmilling twitter page. Are tweets given with the oldest date last and the most recent tweets first? Are tweets with the most "likes" and/or "retweets" presented before other tweets? I don't know. But, this tweet appears to be pinned to the top of #Blackmensmiling's twitter page:

YT: Chinny Okafor
@ChinnyOh
This #BlackMenSmilling movement is dangerous. You can’t look at too many tweets. It’s akekeke until you find yourself in his DMs talmabout some “hey boo”. nope. I rebuke it. Read your Bible sis. 😂😂
7:14 PM · Feb 3, 2018
614 Retweets
1,450 Likes
-snip-
Chinny Okafor is a female of Nigeria descent who lives in the United States. The tweet given above is tongue-in-cheek. "Akekeke" means "laughable". That word is used outside of the United States and is usually given as "kkk". "Talmabout" is an African American Vernacular English term that means "talkin about". "DM" = internet "direct message" (where no one but the person receiving the message can read what is sent) and "boo" is an affectionate term for a male or a female.

While most of the people tweeting on #BlackMenSmilling are Black Americans, a significant number of tweets on that hashtag come from outside of the United States. Although there are some non-United States tweets on #Blackmensmiling, it appears to me to that #BlackMenSmilling has more non-United States tweets and #blackmensmile has few if any tweets from outside of the United States.

I've read tweets from Black men and Black women on #BlackMenSmilling from Sudan, Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zambia. (My apologies if I've failed to mention tweets from people in other African nations). In addition, #BlackMenSmilling has at least one tweet from Black people from Jamaica, a few tweets from Black Canadians, Black people from England, and Black people from France.

I've noticed that a few tweets that appear on #BlackMenSmiling also appear on #BlackMenSmilling, but I don't know which hashtag those tweets were posted to first.

****
#BLACKWOMENSMILING
[Pancocojams Editor's note: I spent much less time reading the tweets in this hashtag than I did reading the tweets in #BlackMenSmiling, #BlackMenSmiling, and #blackmensmile. As a result I may have overlooked some categories of tweets on #BlackWomenSmiling. My apologies.]

#BlackWomensmiling was created in the evening of February 2, 2018. Here are two tweets (among others) on #BlackWomenSmiling's twitter page that suggest creating that hashtag:

Valentine's day 😍💜
@Duh_Vickie
Do they have a #BlackWomenSmiling .? If not we need to start that
4:40 PM · Feb 2, 2018

**
CharmaineCrutchfield
@justcharmizzle
Hmmm #BlackMenSmiling 👌🏾who finna to get #blackwomensmiling trending💁🏽‍♀️ ? somebody about to get chose this #valentinesday 💕
6:23 PM · Feb 2, 2018
-snip-
"finna" is an African American Vernacular English term that means "getting reading to", That would is also given as "fixing to".

**
Brianna D
@_OnlyBDrakeford

Feb 2 [2018]
We have now started #BlackWomenSmiling
Brianna D
@_OnlyBDrakeford
So far we’ve had #Tweetlikethe1600s #Tweetlikethe2000s #MillennialNegroSpirituals and now #BlackMenSmiling .... #BlackHistoryMonth is lit! (link: https://twitter.com/_OnlyBDrakeford/status/959564882092986368/photo/1) pic.twitter.com/rqBJqgzIvo
-snip-
6:11 PM · Feb 2, 2018
-snip-
with GIF of Will Smith’s television show’s father, mother, and one of his sisters doing Black power salute [Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air]
-snip-
A few tweets from Black women were critical of the idea of creating a BlackWomenSmiling hashtag. Here's an example of that position:
Emily Nixon
@enheduenna

Feb 2 [2018]
#BlackWomenSmiling Please don't. We always have tomorrow. Let's wash in the beauty of #BlackMenSmiling and give them something to look forward to....
-snip-
The majority of #BlackWomensmiling tweets are from Black people in the United States. However, that hashtag also includes some tweets from Black women outside of the United States as well as tweets from a number of Black women in the United States and elsewhere with head scarves whose twitter pages include writing in Arabic.

In contrast to the number of women posting tweets on #BlackMenSmiling and #BlackMenSmilling, it appeared to me that only a few men posted tweets on #BlackWomenSmiling. Also, I don't recall reading any tweets that honored famous Black women.

As was the case on #BlackMenSmiling, #BlackMenSmiling, almost all of the women posting tweets with embedded photographs on #BlackWomenSmiling are attractive women in their twenties.
-snip-
Visit Part IV of this pancocojams series for selected examples of text only tweets (without embedded photographs, GIFS, or videos) from all of these hashtags.

****
This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is the fourth post in a four part pancocojams series that explores the history, purposes, and content of the viral #BlackMenSmiling hashtag and related hashtags.

This pancocojams's series on #BlackMenSmiling and its related hashtags seeks to provide some context to the viral #BlackMenSmiling hashtag which trended #1 on Twitter on February 2, 2018 and remained strong according to Twitter ratings several days after that.

This pancocojams series also provides some corrections to repeatedly cited statements about that hashtag. For historical and socio-cultural purposes, this pancocojams series also documents selected [text only] tweets from those hashtags.

Part IV presents selected (text only) examples of tweets from #BlackMenSmiling, #BlackMenSmilling, and #BlackWomenSmiling. This cut off date doesn't mean to imply that no other tweets have been posted to those hashtags. It simply means that I stopped reviewing those hashtags on February 9, 2018 (around 8:45 PM).

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/paul-laurence-dunbars-1896-poem-we-wear.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents three spoken word/musical interpretations of Paul Laurence Dunbar's 1896 poem "We Wear The Mask". The Addendum to Part I presents an early 20th century quote about "smiling, acquiescent black people, & a 2006 quote about Black men using smiles as a survival strategy.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/information-about-examples-of-pre.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents information about #BlackMenSmiling and #BlackMenSmile prior to February 2, 2018 when the #Blackmensmiling hashtag went viral and trended to #1 on Twitter. The Addendum to this post presents a few post-February 2, 2018 #BlackMenSmile.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/general-information-about-descriptions.html for Part III of this series. Part III provides general information about #BlackMenSmiling, #blackmensmiles, #BlackMenSmilling, and #BlackWomenSmiling with a focus on the purposes of those hashtags.

The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the person/s who created the #BlackMenSmiling hashtag. Thanks also to the person/s who created #BlackMenSmilling and the person/s who created #BlackWomenSmiling. Thanks to all those who have posted tweets, and embedded photographs, GIFs, and videos on those twitter threads.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
These tweets are given in text only form without their accompanying photographs, GIFs, and/or videos. I've numbered these tweets in their categories for referencing purposes only. Each selected tweet in this compilation is only given in one category, although they may fit in more than one category.

The links for these hashtags are:
#BlackMenSmiling
https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackmensmiling?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag

**
#BlackMenSmilling
https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackMenSmilling?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huffingtonpost.com%2Fentry%2Ftwitter-blackmensmiling-hashtag_us_5a786a54e4b06ee97af52d0a

**
#blackwomensmiling
https://twitter.com/hashtag/blackwomensmiling?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Ehashtag

****
A. TWEETS THAT REFER TO THE REASON/S FOR THESE HASHTAGS
1.
#BlackMenSmiling:
Ra'sclat Al Ghul
✔
@Felonious_munk
Today let's share some pics of #BlackMenSmiling. Like big goofy smiles. Happy (even if just for a moment) with life smiles. Normalize happy. #BlackHistoryMonth where your teeth at?

11:09 AM - Feb 2, 2018
-snip-
These are screen names for New York comedian Dennis Banks.

**
2.
https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/blackmensmiling-is-the-most-beautiful-thing-on-twitte-1822683812"#BlackMenSmiling Is the Most Beautiful Thing on Twitter Right Now—and It’s Trending Worldwide" by Monique Judge, 2/02/18 8:15pm includes a later tweet from Dennis Banks:
"Banks later explained to another tweeter that he started the hashtag because he noticed that he rarely smiled in photos, even if he was happy. “Just sharing joy in bhm [sic],” he wrote. “Doesn’t invalidate black pain. Isn’t an attempt at being accepted or disproving anything.

“If nothing else #BlackMenSmiling is opening my eyes to how rare it is to catch a Black man smiling on camera. It’s like we can’t leave evidence of our happiness,” Banks added."..

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling
Quaezec
@qaezec

Feb 3 [2018]
It exists because Black Men are stereotyped as cold, brutish, aggressive, and all other forms of negativity. The #BlackMenSmilling exists to show that we can be seen as happy, warm, friendly, etc... like other races are seen. Try asking questions instead of making assumptions.
Fallon Fireblade 🔥
@FallonFireblade
So let's talk about the #BlackMenSmiling hashtag.
You don't want racism and everybody is supposed to be equal but you want to bring up someone's race all the time.
As a white person, I don't want to see #WhiteMenSmiling either. B/C get this - I don't care about someone's race!

**
4.
#BlackMenSmilling
Soldiers of the Arts
@SelinaNBrown

Feb 3
I really love 💗 seeing Black people happy and carefree!!

**
5.
#BlackMenSmilling
vusace 🍩
@vusace_

Feb 4
These black men smiling on #BlackMenSmilling are real life proof on how gorgeous black men are.

**
6.
#blackwomensmiling
Mila 🦋
@Milathedon

Feb 2 [2018]
Can we make the #blackwomensmiling and #BlackMenSmiling both trend on Twitter , since its Black History Month 😊

**
7.
#blackwomensmiling

100ProfG
@100ProfG

Feb 2 [2018]
Showing love, & showing how proud I can to be a #BlackMenSmiling now that we have #Blackmensmiling treading can we get our #blackwomensmiling to tread also

**
8.
#blackwomensmiling
Emily Nixon
@enheduenna

Feb 3
So excited to wake up and see #BlackMenSmiling still going. Ladies, it is our turn. Brothers, we need your help to trend #1 all day...let's show the world the love we have for eachother. #BlackWomenSmiling

**
9.
#BlackMenSmiling
That_Messy_Boi
@MjeleMsimang

Feb 8
Because Black Boi Joy is Important #BlackMenSmiling

📷@Shen_Scott

****
B. TWEETS THAT REFER TO THESE HASHTAGS AS A MOVEMENT/JOINING A MOVEMENT, RIDING (HOPPING ON) A WAVE, OR A TRAIN, OR JOINING THE TREND
1.
#BlackMenSmilling
Jeremiah 🍔
@JDHTheProducer
·
Feb 4
contributing to this wholesome movement #BlackMenSmilling #BlackBoyJoy

**
2.
#BlackMenSmilling
hamid
@7amiiiid

Feb 5
Catching the wave 😂#BlackMenSmilling

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling
$aun
@Realrahsaun

Feb 6
Had to hop on the wave 👀#BlackMenSmilling

**
4.
#BlackMenSmilling
#FreeBini
@Suave_Soap

Feb 4
A little late to the movement, but here’s a little something to brighten y’alls day🤗☀️ #BlackMenSmilling

**
5.
#BlackMenSmilling

DthePhilosopher
@DSophisticater

Feb 3
Let me join the movement... #BlackMenSmilling

**
6.
#BlackMenSmilling

Kevin McNeal🏀
@iamthatguy10

Feb 4
Since it’s the wave 🌊 😅 #BlackMenSmilling

**
7.
#BlackMenSmilling
Mikhail K.
@_kxroze

Feb 4
Seen it trending, might as well #BlackMenSmilling

**
8.
#BlackMenSmilling
K-Fazo ll 💸
@kevross_

Feb 4
I'm also joining the wave 🤷🏾‍♂️ #BlackMenSmilling

**
9.
#blackwomensmiling
Nasia
@tharanasia
·
Feb 3
Going to go on & join the #BlackWomenSmiling wave ☺️

**
10.
#blackwomensmiling
mk hughes
@miikaylagibson

Feb 4
joined the movement #BlackWomenSmiling

**
11.
#blackwomensmiling
J△I 🥀
@Neinahh_
·
Feb 7
I’m here for the movement #BlackWomenSmiling Let’s keep it going! ✨

**
12.
#BlackMenSmiling
Gloing up 😈
@Markertaaron

Feb 4
Joining the trend #BlackMenSmilling

**
13.
#BlackMenSmilling
Elizabeth ✨
@____lizzzz
·
Feb 3
#BlackMenSmilling is trending and I am here for it 😍

**

****
TWEETS THAT MENTION BEING LATE (FOR TWEETING A PHOTOGRAPH)
1.
#blackwomensmiling
Houston Barbie
@realHtinebarbie

Feb 4
OMG!! am I too late for the #BlackWomenSmiling

**
2.
#BlackMenSmiling
KOJO FAROUK
@KojoFarouk
·
Feb 4
Hope it’s not too late to join the #BlackMenSmiling HAPPY SUNDAY
-snip-
Ghana

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling

Christian J. Estes
@MrTwo_Point_O

Feb 6
I hope it ain’t too late to join #BlackMenSmilling

**
4.
#BlackMenSmilling
Flossy K 😬💰
@yt_kam

Feb 7, 2018

Hope I’m not too late 🤷🏾‍♂️ I feel I’m a qualified candidate 😌#BlackMenSmilling

**
5.
#BlackMenSmilling
Dortchyyy🤪
@D0rTch_C

February 7h
Better late than never😁
#BlackMenSmilling

**
6.
#blackwomensmiling
West African Queen ✨
@AmieLoveMB
·
Feb 6
I’m always late with these hashtags y’all 😅 #BlackWomenSmiling
-snip-
This woman identified herself as being "Afro-Swedish"

**
7.
#BlackMenSmilling
Inherited
@bin_amin99

Feb 4
#BlackMenSmilling I know I’m late but aye 🤷🏾‍♂️😁

**
8.
#BlackMenSmilling
•B•
@harti_24
·
Feb 4
Ok let’s jump on the train #BlackMenSmilling

**
9.
#BlackMenSmilling
Joshua Jenkins
@jj_showtime
·
Feb 4
I had to jump on the🌊#BlackMenSmilling


****
TWEETS THAT MENTION THAT THE BLACK MAN OR THE BLACK WOMAN RARELY SMILES
1.
#BlackMenSmilling
MichaelSean:)™🕊
@XMichaelSeanX

Feb 4
I don't smile much in pictures and if I do they usually say "smile for real Sean"... lmao 😂 #BlackMenSmilling

**
2.
#BlackMenSmilling
Mr. Davis ♠️
@_TheProtagonist

Feb 4
#BlackMenSmilling even though I usually got the mean mug

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling
META
@metamakesmusic

Feb 4
I normally have a very stern look on my face, I am always lost in my thoughts and I don’t like posing for pictures let alone smiling on command but I do enjoy being caught in a moment...
#BlackMenSmilling

**
4.
BlackMenSmilling
Crunchy Black
@kinglos__

Feb 4
ok fine 🙄 so y’all can stop asking me. 😂 #BlackMenSmilling shout out to all my brothers not to cool to smile!

**
5.
#BlackMenSmilling
T Dorbandz
@dorbins
·
Feb 4
Some rare pics of me smiling.. lol #BlackMenSmilling

**
6.
#BlackWomenSmiling

TrestinyRena.!
@TrestinyRena

Feb 2
Loving my melanin. Rarely smile but here it goes #BlackWomenSmiling

**
7.
#BlackWomenSmiling
Raneem 💁🏿‍♀️
@inooma_

Feb 3
Well, i rarely smile ☹️
#BlackWomenSmiling

**
8.
#BlackMenSmiling
brother beloved
@trrvy

Feb 4
i don’t smile a lot. but when i do, i’m cheesin #BlackMenSmiling
-snip-
"chessing" = smiling, particularly making a wide smile

**
9.
#blackwomensmiling

Nada Airlanda™
@nadasuliman_

Feb 4
Rare pictures of me smiling
RT for good luck
#BlackWomenSmiling

**
10.
#blackwomensmiling

SHANICÉ
@shanicechanel_
·
Feb 4
#BlackWomenSmiling I used to hate smiling too lmao but I’m w/ this movement ✨

****
TWEETS THAT MENTION LIKING TO SMILE
1.
#blackwomensmiling
sensei sabs
@sxbrena

Feb 4
I smile too much so I guess this tag was made for me ✨ #BlackWomenSmiling
-snip-
Arabic writing as heading on ths twitter page

**
2.
#blackwomensmiling
Joy.
@joyisabellla

Feb 7
I’m always smiling 😂🤗 #BlackWomenSmiling

**
3.
#blackwomensmiling
H🕊
@haleeade
·
Feb 4
Literally what I do best is smile #BlackWomenSmiling

**
5.
#BlackMenSmilling
Miki McNichols
@mcnichols_miki
·
Feb 4
I stay smiling through the good and bad #BlackMenSmilling 😁😝
-snip-
In the context of this tweet, "stay" means "always", i.e. "I stay" means I'm always..."

****
TWEETS THAT HONOR FAMOUS BLACK MEN
1.
#BlackMenSmilling
Juliana
@OneWokeWoman

Feb 4
#BlackMenSmilling is trending again ... so ... I absolutely have to tweet this again ❤😍❤ @BarackObama *Our President*

**
2.
#BlackMenSmilling

Diadelys🤤
@Diadelyss

Feb 5
#BlackMenSmilling in case you forgot. Happy Birthday Trayvon
-snip-
This tweet honors Trayvon Martin.

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling
♑️🐐 Why So Serious
@WWWhySoSerious

Feb 4
Tupac will never be forgotten.

“It's a struggle for every young black man. You know how it is, only God can judge us.” -Tupac

#BlackHistoryMonth #BlackMenSmilling

**
4.
#BlackMenSmiling
Leayah🌻
@Yahslight
·
Feb 4
We can't forget one of the most beautiful smiles of all time. #BlackMenSmiling
-snip-
four embedded photos of Michael Jackson [in the box format that is common to these "smiling" hashtags]

**
5.
#BlackMenSmiling
Antidote 👅
@Antonette_Liebe

Feb 4
Asap Rocky takes the cup...💦 #BlackMenSmiling
-snip-
"Takes the cup" means that this contributor believes that rapper, producer, actor Asap Rocky has the best smile of all those whose smiles have been added to this hashtag.


****
TWEETS THAT REFER TO BLACK MEN AS KINGS
1.
#BlackMenSmilling
sheabutta.
@thebahamiandub

Feb 3
I’m here for #BlackMenSmilling 😍keep blessing us kings.

**
2.
#BlackMenSmilling
Olivia
@CocoaBoho

Feb 3
#BlackMenSmilling got me looking for my king like

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling
Dara Michelle
@Dara_michelle_

Feb 3
Okay Kings 😍 #BlackMenSmilling

**
4.
#blackwomensmiling
Emily Nixon
@enheduenna

Feb 3
Today let's get #BlackWomenSmiling going strong. My Kings filled my heart yesterday, I need some Queen magic today!!!!!!!!!!

****
TWEETS THAT REFER TO BLACK WOMEN AS QUEENS
1.
#BlackWomenSmiling
Sir Azul🤴🏾🐉
@blujaxson
·
Feb 2
Thank you Queen👸🏾 I love us for real🖤 ✊🏾✊🏽✊🏿 when is #BlackWomenSmiling starting? I need to see my beautiful Queens 👸🏾

****
TWEETS FROM BLACK PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE UNITED STATES OR TWEETS WHICH MENTION THE PERSON'S CONNECTION TO OTHER NATIONS
1.
#BlackMenSmiling
Abel
@abelyeghin

Feb 2
East African Ting #BlackMenSmiling
-snip-
Eritrean; Los Angeles, CA

**
2.
#BlackMenSmiling
@JeffKwakuM

Feb 4
Just to show I do smile from time to time lol #blackmensmiling
-snip-
London, England

**
3.
#BlackMenSmiling
GoldBones&Stardust
@Seho_withLove

Feb 4
This #BlackMenSmiling hashtag tho 😍😍😍 got me liking every post...
-snip-
South Africa

**
4.
#BlackMenSmiling
Hokage
@6_lashes

Feb 4
Let me see what I can add to this #BlackMenSmiling movement
-snip-
Ghana

**
5.
#BlackMenSmiling
David Machungwa
@D_Mac182

Feb 4
I know this is late but.. #BlackMenSmilling
-snip-
Zambia

**
6.
#BlackMenSmiling
That 6'7 Ghana Boy

@Brian_YFG

Feb 4
Since Everybody Wants To Show Their Teeth Might As Well... 😃🤷🏾‍♂️#BlackMenSmilling

**
7.
#BlackMenSmilling

Tony Hanalla
@drthanalla

February 6, 2018

#WhiteMenSmiling #BlackMenSmilling always more always better I hope 🤞 people will understand the above quote CCK Comboni college khartoum [sUDAN]

**
8.
#Blackmensmilling
M A N ج O👅
@AhmedGornas212
·
Feb 6
#BlackMenSmilling or #whitemensmiling choose what you want😘it's about the smile not the colour❤
-snip-
Sudan

**
9.
#BlackMenSmilling

Kingston Capital JA
@Atreggaemusic

February 7, 2018
@fabigeez Tribute to @usainbolt ..The Fastest man (link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=7&v=T2eDCmnRGFY) youtube.com/watch?time_con… @YaadNoyz Production #WeTheNorth #Raptors #Celtics #KristapsPorzingis #Cavs #Dancehall #Reggae #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackMenSmilling #Jamaica

**
10/
#BlackMenSmilling
Damilola Otuyalo
@OSF_98

Feb 6
Get you a man who looks at you like this #BlackMenSmilling
-snip-
London, England

**
10.
#BlackMenSmiling
Asmeret♕
@AsmeShikor

Feb 3
#BlackMenSmilling all the heart eyes for you 😍
-snip-
This participant identified herself in her twitter page as being Eritrean.

**
11.
#BlackMenSmilling
Kwabena Agbotse
@kwabenaPosigee
·
Feb 4
Saw this trending and I thought it was pretty cool😁😁😁 #BlackMenSmilling
-snip-
Ghana

****
TWITTER SCREEN NAMES AND/OR TWEETS THAT MENTION SKIN COLOR
1.
#BlackMenSmilling

Lightskin Paulie Cicero
@_AlexHaley_

Feb 3
R I D E D A W A V E🏄🏾❄️ #BlackMenSmilling

**
2.
BlackMenSmilling
Delwuan Gaston📶
@Wuannnnn
·
Feb 4
#BlackMenSmilling great teeth,dimples & darkskin why not Wuan 🤷🏾‍♀️

**
3.
BlackMenSmilling
B.I.G Madam Bengu 💫
@amanda_bengu
·
Feb 4
Scrolling through this #BlackMenSmilling TL I realized how much I'm a sucker for dark men. Dark men are absolutely BEAUTIFUL! 😭😭😭

****
TWEETS FROM WOMEN
1.
#BlackMenSmilling
👑
@_sundayknight

Feb 3
All these fine men on the #BlackMenSmilling hashtag! Yes, Lord!

**
2.
#BlackMenSmilling

Isabel
@Izzyg_yyc

Feb 3
Might find my husband tweeting under this hashtag #blackmensmilling 👀

**
3.
#BlackMenSmilling
iAmHER 💕💎✨
@_deltaaRaisedd

Feb 3
I’m here for the #BlackMenSmilling 😍I see that chocolate🍫 .
#BlackMenSmilling

**
4.
ShynBrightBeauty
@ShynnaH

Feb 3
#BlackMenSmilling is the greatest thing I’ve seen. So much positivity

**
5.
#BlackMenSmilling
YT: Chinny Okafor
@ChinnyOh

Feb 3
This #BlackMenSmilling movement is dangerous. You can’t look at too many tweets. It’s akekeke until you find yourself in his DMs talmabout some “hey boo”. nope. I rebuke it. Read your Bible sis. 😂😂
-snip-
My guess is that this is a tongue in cheek tweet. Chinny Okafor has a Nigeria name, and a number of Nigerians on her twitter feed. However, her location indicates that she is tweeting from Maryland.
"Akekeke" = laughs; Another common way that some people outside of the United States right this is "kkk".
-snip-
This is the first tweet that usually appears on that twitter page.

**
6.
#BlackMenSmilling

Bri.✨
@_brigabrielle

Feb 3
if you posting your man in #blackmensmilling, you selfish, you inconsiderate, you unnecessary. if you ain’t single & you posting in #blackmensmiling , you selfish, you inconsiderate, you unnecessary.

**
7.
#BlackMenSmilling
Yanií Lí
@grandepapiyanii

Feb 3
All these beautiful people participating in #BlackMenSmilling & #BlackWomenSmiling make me wanna cry 😭❤️

**
8.
#BlackMenSmilling
BABY D 👑💍
@princessdayjuh_

Feb 3
#BlackMenSmilling is only for black men. Please don’t try to steal it 🙄😤 only black people will understand

**
9.
#BlackMenSmilling
Ro 💛
@SmileForNetTa
·
Feb 4
My future husband somewhere in these #BlackMenSmilling post 👀

****
MISCELLANEOUS TWEETS
1.
#BlackMenSmilling
Shoman Wright
@ShomanWright

Feb 3
It's Time Rebuild The Black Family And Reconnect With Our Ancestral Roots!!! #TheBlackFamily #AfricanAmericanHistoryMonth #AfricanRoots #AfricanDiaspora #BlackHistoryMonth #BlackWomenSmiling #BlackMenSmilling #TheDecade
Ryerson Soc. Justice
@RyeGindinChair
Did you know the United Nations' General Assembly proclaimed 2015-2024 the Int'l Decade for People of African Descent?

**
2.
#BlackMenSmilling
TwanDonn💮
@Ayo_Twan

Feb 3
A hashtag for the culture ✊🏾#BlackMenSmilling #BlackBoyJoy

**
3.
#BlackMenSMiling
Vincent Anthony
@iVincentAnthony

Feb 4
#BlackMenSmilling checkout #BlackWomenSmiling too! Love to see all the #Melanin

**
4.
#BlackMenSMiling
Chan 🥀
@lovechvn

Feb 5
Somebody get Colgate on the phone #BlackMenSmilling
-snip-
"Colgate" is a brand of toothpaste.

**
5.
#BlackMenSMiling
j.shaw
@saintshaww

Feb 5
Let your smile change the world but don’t let the world change your smile #BlackMenSmilling

**
6.
#BlackMenSMiling
tyler ♨️
@TBOOGlE

Feb 5
Black boy joy ✊🏾 #BlackMenSmilling

**
7.
#BlackMenSMiling
jones
@_JOMJ

Feb 4
Can’t let my friends get all the shine

**
8.
#blackwomensmiling
Chizi Duru
@ChiziDuru

Feb 4
It's my time to shine #BlackWomenSmiling

**
9.
Mike Omoniyi
@MikeOmoniyiCS
·
Feb 8
3 Queens.
3 Generations.

Love my family so much man 👪

#BlackWomenSmiling
-snip-
United Kingdom

This tweet has three embedded photos of the contributor's mother, wife, and daughter.

**
10.
#BlackMenSmilling
Kellyfit👑
@kellfit

Feb 4
Black men are so beautiful..😭😩 #BlackMenSmilling

**
11.
#BlackMenSmilling
Batman's Gym Bro 💪
@Benjamin_Fit

Feb 4
Women were supposed to wait for the #BlackMenSmilling tag to simmer down before they could bring up the #Blackwomensmiling tag.
But y'all just can't see us shine. Always wanting to steal the spotlight. Mwapangwa shani 😒😒😒
-snip-
Google translate gives this translation for "Mwapangwa shani" = How are you". However, that doesn't seem to fit the spirit of that tweet.

**
12.
#BlackMenSmilling
Furious Styles Jr
@Archie_Bold
·
Feb 4
As soon as black men started the #BlackMenSmilling trend. Here come black women doing the same thing like they don’t have a million hashtags. Sh&t* crazy. We can’t have NOTHING!!!
-snip-
*This word is fully spelled out in this tweet.

**
13.
#BlackMenSmilling
Akím Mitchell
@ermitch24
·
Feb 4
So I know we have #BlackMenSmilling and #BlackWomanSmiling but what about #BlackCouplesSmiling

**
14. #BlackMenSmilling
thefelisha
@byefeliesha
·
Feb 4
All of this chocolate hurshey handsomeness got me like. #BlackMenSmilling 😍🔥

**
15.
#BlackMenSmilling
PRISSY PISCEAN
@PrissThePisces

Feb 4
#BlackWomenSmiling & #BlackMenSmilling are trending in honor of #BlackHistoryMonth & WHITE people are getting upset & calling it racism😂 I didnt know posting pictures of Black ppl smiling was racist. They said all that but someone felt the need to start #WhiteMenSmiling?

**
16.
#BlackMenSmilling
shea.
@leteir_430

Feb 4
I just wanna take a moment to thank whoever decided to take the time to appreciate our black men 🙏🏽 #BlackMenSmilling

**
17.
#BlackMenSmilling

Robby 🤩
@prettypiimpp

Feb 4
#BlackMenSmilling I know god is working so I smile 🗣😁🤩

**
18.
#BlackMenSmiling
I can’t swem
@CuttleB0ne

Feb 8
The first time someone spoke a slur to me I was 6. I spent a lot of my childhood wishing I was different, but I’ve since settled into who I am and who I’ve become. I’m a lot happier now and proud to be me :)
#BlackMenSmiling #BlackHistoryMonth #FurryBlackHistoryMonth

**
19.
BlackMenSmiling

Tai Johnson
@TAI_J0HNS0N

Feb 5
Mama said to smile #BlackMenSmiling

**
20.
#blackwomensmiling
لزنجيه 🌚💜
@malozzti

9h Feb 9, 2018
#BlackWomenSmiling
I give my smile a chance😬

-snip-
This is an example of a number of tweets on #blackwomensmiling that have Arabic writing on their heading or in their twitter threads.

****
This concludes Part IV of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part I in a four part pancocojams series that provides information about African originated braided hairstyles.

This post includes my transcription Of a November 1979 Ebony Magazine article about the emerging popularity among African American adults of unadorned braids or braids with beads.

This post also showcase several videos of African American performing artists wearing their hair in braids with beads, cowrie shells, and/or other ornaments.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/more-examples-of-fulani-african-female.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents excerpts from several online articles about Fulani (West African) culture. Part II also showcase several videos about Fulani culture with special focus on Fulani females' beaded hairstyles.

Part III presents excerpts of several online articles about Black females' braided hairstyles that are inspired by Fulani and/or other African culture.

Part IV showcases three African American hair tutorial videos about "Fulani braids" with beads and/or other ornaments. Selected comments from these videos' discussion threads are also included in that post.

****
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copy rights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the author/s of this Ebony Magazine article and thanks to all those who are featured in that article. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these embedded YouTube videos.

****
TRANSCRIPTION OF NOVEMBER 1979 EBONY MAGAZINE ARTICLE
https://books.google.com/books?id=28sDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA112&lpg=PA112&dq=black+singers+wearing+beads+in+their+hair&source=bl&ots=RhBtTfwaqc&sig=i079tScekssQhjnCkOPCKwxRNN8&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwi674--vKDZAhUiTt8KHel6CgEQ6AEIXTAL#v=onepage&q=black%20singers%20wearing%20beads%20in%20their%20hair&f=false

CREATIVE AFRICAN COIFFURE CATCHES ON

[two photos of jazz pianist Patrice Rushen with photo caption]

"Beaded braids, such as these worn by jazz pianist Patrice Rnshen, are now a popular hairstyle as an increasing number of Black women adopt the African- originated coiffure. Patrice wears her tiny braids adorned with slender and round beads, and shells."

[article]

"BRAIDS and cornrows until recently were dismissed as hairstyles for children and “country folk”. But now thousands of black young women, and some young black men, are abandoning afros and curly hair to switch to artistically designed cornrowed and braided coiffures that date back to African antiquity.

African sculptures dating back to 900 B.C. feature women wearing braids and cornrows, and they are still the traditional hairstyles for many African women. But the style didn’t catch on in the United States until recent years. Actress Abbey Lincoln and singer Nina Simone wear among the first to wear braids in the early ‘70s, and widespread public attention was focused on the artistic hair design when Cicely Tyson sported her cornrows while promoting the movie Sounder in 1972.

Joni Sledge said that she and her sisters were “inspired” to braid their long hair when they visited Zaire and saw “the beautiful women there wearing long braids and cornrows. We wanted to make a cultural statement and this hairstyle definitely does” says Joni Gwen Fleming, a singer with the musical Your Arms Are Too Short To Box with God, had her hair braided by an African hairstylist when she visited Senegal in 1976. “All the women there wear braids, but they usually have their heads covered,” she says, adding that the Senegalese usually braid their hair around a stiff cord and often weave in extensions to make the braids appear longer than they actually are.

Hazel Payne and Janice Johnson, the head singers and musicians with A Taste Of Honey, have found their braided and beaded hairstyles very convenient for hectic traveling schedules and performances. Says Hazel, “I don’t have to roll it or get it cut. It is easy to keep clean, for I just shampoo it in the shower.”

The cornrowed and braided hairstyles are a natural and creative way for famous and not so famous women and men to express their individuality while freeing themselves from the daily hassles of keeping Afros picked out and curls curled. To get the hair styled in this fashion may take anywhere from one hour to 30 hours (and may cost from $10 to $20 dollars per hour), depending on the complexity of the design and whether beading is preferred. But once finished, the style usually lasts from three weeks to three months and can be shampooed and brushed as is. In this form the hair gets a real rest from daily pulling, teasing and twisting, and the style is fog-wind-rain-humidity proof. Some hair specialist also say that hair braiding promotes hair growth.

continued on page 114"

[photo of Sister Sledge singing group with photo caption]

"Sister Sledge were inspired to have their hair braided during a trip to Zaire where they saw “so many beautiful women with beautiful braided cornrowed hairstyles”...[sisters identified by name]

[photo of singer Rick James with photo caption]

"Entertainer Rick James (left) is among the growing number of men who prefer their hair in braids. Above, Quincella Swymington, a dance with the musical Your Arms Are Too Short To Box With God wears long tiny braids. Ms. Swymington says she used to wear a short Afro, but switched to braids for a “different” look.

Continued on page 116"

[photo of singer/guitarist Hazel Payne with photo caption]

"Hazel Payne, vocalist and guitarist with A Taste Of Honey says she designed her Egyptian influenced hairstyle “to complement my large deep-set eyes”. Her hairstylist, Salimu of Los Angeles, spends 20 hours creating the 300 braids. Below, Valerie Simpson of the Ashford and Simpson songwriting/singing husband/wife team, started her career sporting an Afro. But later switched to unadorned braids."

****
SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: Alicia Keys - Fallin' [2001]



aliciakeysVEVO, Published on Oct 25, 2009

Alicia Keys' official music video for 'Fallin''.

****
Example #2: A Taste of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie



SweetGeorgiaPeache, Published on Aug 14, 2010

Released in 1978 and peaked at #1 on all the charts.

****
Example #3: Stevie Wonder Rocket Love [sound file; 1980]



DJironmonkeyTV, Published on Feb 17, 2013
-snip-
Note the album cover's drawing of Stevie Wonder with colored beads in his braids.

****
Example #4: Patrice Rushen ‎– Where There Is Love (HD) [1982]



Dr. SuperFunk, Published on Jul 3, 2016

Genre:Funk,Soul,Electronic, Jazz,

Album: Patrice Rushen ‎– Straight From The Heart

****
Example #5: SOLANGE - DON'T TOUCH MY HAIR (OFFICIAL VIDEO) [2016]



SolangeKnowlesVEVO, Published on Oct 2, 2016

****
This concludes Part I of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part II in a four part pancocojams series that provides information about African originated braided hairstyles.

This post is a continuation of a 2014 pancocojams post entitled "Examples Of Fulani (African) Female Beaded Or Ornamental Hairstyles (videos & quotes)"http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2014/07/examples-of-fulani-african-female.html.

Since 2014 when I published that first pancocojams post on this subject, long beaded and/or otherwise ornamented micro (thin) braids have become more popular among Black American females (particularly pre-teen and teenage girls, and young adult women). These various hairstyles are collectively termed "Fulani braids" as they are said to be inspired by traditional Fulani hairstyles.

Like that previous pancocojams post, this post presents excerpts from several online articles about Fulani (African) culture and showcases videos about Fulani culture with special focus on Fulani females' beaded hairstyles.

The videos that are showcased in this post are different than the ones that are featured in that 2014 pancocojams post.

The Addendum to this post showcases a video of Nigerian Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade wearing her hair in one of the traditional Fulani hairstyles for women.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/five-youtube-examples-of-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I includes my transcription Of a November 1979 Ebony Magazine article about the emerging popularity among African American adults of unadorned braids or braids with beads. Part I also showcase several videos of African American performing artists wearing their hair in braids with beads, cowrie shells, and/or other ornaments.

Part III presents excerpts of several online articles about Black females' braided hairstyles that are inspired by Fulani and/or other African culture.

Part IV showcases three African American hair tutorial videos about "Fulani braids" with beads and/or other ornaments. Selected comments from these videos' discussion threads are also included in that post.

****
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copy rights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the authors of the excerpts that are included in this post. Thanks also to all those who are featured in these embedded YouTube videos and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.

****
EXCERPTS FROM FOUR ONLINE ARTICLES ABOUT FULANI CULTURE AND FULANI BRAIDS WITH ORNAMENTS HAIRSTYLES
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: Excerpt #3 is also given in the previously mentioned 2014 pancocojams post on this subject.]

Excerpt #1
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fula_people
"The Fula people or Fulani or Fulɓe (Fula: Fulɓe; French: Peul; Hausa: Fulani; Portuguese: Fula; Wolof: Pël; Bambara: Fulaw) are one of the largest ethnolinguistic groups in Africa, numbering approximately 40 million people in total. They form one of the most widely dispersed and culturally diverse of the peoples of Africa.[16] The Fulani are bound together by the common language of Fulfulde, as well as by some basic elements of Fulbe culture, such as The pulaaku , a code of conduct common to all Fulani groups.

A significant proportion of their number, (an estimated 13 million), are nomadic, making them the largest pastoral nomadic group in the world.[17] Spread over many countries, they are found mainly in West Africa and northern parts of Central Africa, but also in Sudan and Egypt. [18]"...

****
Excerpt #2
From http://africanbloodsiblings.wordpress.com/2011/12/09/hairstyles-in-african-culture
"Hairstyles in African Culture"
...A coiffure is perfected by various decorations: cowries, beads, mother-of-pearl buttons, medals, pieces of silver, amber balls, metal rings, and pins of wood, bone or ivory. In the West African Sahel, the Fulbe and Peul (Fulani) cultivate impressive hairstyles.

For purposes to do with magic, a man or woman may also attach amulets to certain hairdos. The more elaborate coiffure includes braids, crests, curls, cascades, chignons, and vertical cornrows."...
-snip-
That blogpost includes additional information and photographs of Fulani and other African hairstyles.from the book Hair in African Art and Culture, Edit by Roy Sieber and Frank Herreman, The Museum for African Art, New York, 2000.

****
Excerpt #3
From http://www.webpulaaku.net/defte/adepegba/body_ornaments.html
C.O. Adepegba "Decorative Arts of the Fulani Nomads"
Ibadan. Ibadan University Press. 1986. 48 p.
Body Ornaments of the Fulani Nomads [with photographs]
...."In northeastern Nigeria, and in fact from Borno down to the Cameroons, nomadic Fulani women prefer to pack a substantial amount of their hair into the centre of the head like a flat bed stretching from the forehead to the back with hanging braids to the sides and the back.

In other parts of Nigeria, the female Fulani nomads use simple thick, hanging braids, usually one on each side of the face and a big one or some smaller ones at the back. The focus on the sides and back of the head in their hair styling is to ensure that the ornamental purpose for which the hair is done, is not defeated, as elaborate designs on top of the head will be covered by their usual headloads.

Similarly hanging braids, two falling on the cheeks, and ornamented with a white bead under the chin are reported to be worn by Fulani women of Dori who have just had their first baby, in other words, recently married, as Fulani women are not considered properly married until they have their first babies. The hanging braids together with the braids on the nape of her neck, which look like multiple fringes ornamented with stones, are said to symbolize wisdom and calmness, expedient of a new mother of a family 5. But such symbolic association does not seem to hold for such braids of Nigerian Fulani women. This is not to say that special hair styles are not made for that stage of life, the time for their proper marriage.

But in Nigeria styles similar to the one described above are adopted irrespective of the woments [sic] ages and number of children. Women who have apparently passed childbearing age also wear such styles (plate 6), to which most of them also add according to their different tastes, beads, buttons, cowrie shells and various pieces of bright metals, whose colours contrast sharply with their black hair.

The braids of the hair, too, are in most cases not the natural hair of the wearers. According to Eve de Negri, nomadic Fulani make use of false hair, which is generally believed to have been passed down from generation to generation. The false hair is said to be intertwined with the wearer's own hair to give the long braids. However, in many cases, the braids are not attached to the natural hair, but made into wig forms attached to round strings with which they are worn or tied to the head.
-snip-
That excerpt includes photographs. That excerpt provides this related link: http://www.the-nigeria.com/2011/10/fulani-woman-cultural-stylish-hair-and.html#.U7MLiI1OVv4"Fulani woman: Cultural Stylish Hair and Costumes"

****
Excerpt #4:
From https://www.africa.com/history-african-womens-hairstyles/ A History Of African Women’s Hairstyles
By Lebogang Matshego
..."Braids and beads from the Fulani Tribe of the Sahel Region and West Africa
The Fula, or Fulani Tribe, is the largest nomadic pastoral community in the world that populate West Africa and the Sahel Region.

A very traditional hairstyle for women includes long hair being put into five long braids that either hang or are looped on the sides, with a coiffure in the middle of the head. Hair is decorated with beads and cowrie shells. A tradition that is passed through the generations to [sic] women and young girls includes attaching the family’s silver coins and amber onto braids as a heritage symbol as well as for aesthetic purposes.

The Wodaabe Tribe is a subgroup of the Fulani Tribe, also residing in the Sahel Region and West Africa. They are a pastoral nomadic tribe with an estimated population of 100,000. The young girls and women of the tribe wear a braided hairstyle similar to Fulani women, consisting of two braids on either side of the head or a few braids on their hair and a coiffure in the middle. The hair is usually decorated with beads and cowrie shells."...
-snip-
This article also include photographs and information about other African ethnic groups and their traditional hairstyles.

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
Example #1: FULANI CULTURAL DANCE



NIGHTINGALE ACADEMY, Published on Jun 27, 2016
-snip-
This video is added to this post in part to show that Fulani females don't always wear beads, cowrie shells, and/or other ornaments in their hair.

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Example #2: Batal Pulaaku - Batal Maasogo [Clip Officiel]



FasoMixTV, Published on Nov 20, 2015
-snip-
As indicated in the Wikipedia article about the Fula (Fulani) whose link is given above "The Fulani are bound together by the common language of Fulfulde, as well as by some basic elements of Fulbe culture, such as The pulaaku , a code of conduct common to all Fulani groups."

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Example #3: Defile Traditionnel_1ere_Edition_Festival_Natal_Pulaaku 2015 [Mali]



VISUALPROD STUDIOS Agence Multimédia, Published on Jul 2, 2016

1ère Edition du FESTIVAL NATAL PULAAKU, Organisé par l'Agence BATHIA PRODUCTION les 18, 19, et 20 Décembre 2015.
Le Samedi 19 Décembre a eu lieu ce grand défilé traditionnel peul au palais de la culture de Bamako.
Couverture Médiatique: VISUALPROD STUDIOS M.A
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
1st edition of the NATAL PULAAKU FESTIVAL, Organized by BATHIA PRODUCTION Agency on December 18th, 19th and 20th.

On Saturday, December 19th, this grand traditional Peul procession took place at the Bamako Palace of Culture.
Media Coverage: VISUALPROD STUDIOS M.A
-snip-
“Peul” is another referent for “Fula” (Fulani).

Among the clips in this almost 1 hour long video that show female hairstyles are 28:46 to 30:16.
-snip-
Here's a comment exchange from that video's discussion thread
Konièlé Kobatchegny, 2018
"This is modern dressing and is not particular to only to Fulani. The most intelligent thig is to present all ethnic group in the same showcase. Some ethnic groups intellectual would feel frustrated."

**
REPLY
VISUALPROD STUDIOS Agence Multimédia, 2018
"Konièlé Kobatchegny you're right. This is exactly what we wanted to show: traditional and modern can be mixed so that young people'll je interested. We also invited other ethnics to participate in order To show that Mali is a mixed ethnics country. We ll get closer to the traditional things in the next edition. Thanks.

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Example #4: Natal Pulaaku 1ère Edition-Résumé



VISUALPROD STUDIOS Agence Multimédia, Published on Aug 19, 2016

Vidéo de présentation de la prémiere édition du Festival Natal Pulaaku. Un résumé des trois jours du Festival avec comme activités principales: les conférences, le défilé traditionnel et le grand concert de clôture.
-snip-
Google translate from French to English:
Video presentation of the first edition of the Natal Pulaaku Festival. A summary of the three days of the Festival with as main activities: the conferences, the traditional parade and the big closing concert.

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Example #5: HAWA PULLO FULBE AFRIKI TIDON DIREN



TONTON LAUSSANE KOUROUMA, Published on Oct 17, 2016

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ADDENDUM: YEMI ALADE WEARING A FULANI HAIRSTYLE IN ONE OF HER MUSIC VIDEOS
Yemi Alade - Ferrari (Official Video)



YemiAladeVEVO, Published on Mar 25, 2016

Following the release of Yemi Alade's critically acclaimed sophomore album "Mama Africa (The Diary of an African Woman)"; the Effyzzie Music diva releases the music video for "Ferrari".

The high-life track which is produced by DJ Coublon and features strings from Fiokee serves as the album's official third single; following the dance anthem "Do As I Do" featuring DJ Arafat and the Selebobo assisted gratitude preaching hit "Na Gode".

The music video for "Ferrari" was shot by the award-winning Clarence Peters and features Nollywood heartthrob Kunle Remi. Watch, share, enjoy and buy "Mama Africa (The Diary Of An African Woman)"!

-snip-
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade is known for wearing African fashions in her videos. In portions of this video, Alade wears her hair in one of the Fulani's traditional braided hairstyles.

In Nigeria, Fulanis are mostly from the Northern regions of Nigeria, West Africa. Yemi Alade is Yoruba/Igbo (or Igbo/Yoruba) ancestry.

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This concludes Part II of this two part pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III in a four part pancocojams series that provides information about African originated braided hairstyles.

This post presents excerpts from several online articles about Black females' braided hairstyles that are inspired by Fulani and/or other African culture. Selected comments from one of these articles are also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/five-youtube-examples-of-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I includes my transcription Of a November 1979 Ebony Magazine article about the emerging popularity among African American adults of unadorned braids or braids with beads. Part I also showcase several videos of African American performing artists wearing their hair in braids with beads, cowrie shells, and/or other ornaments.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/more-examples-of-fulani-african-female.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents excerpts from several online articles about Fulani (African) culture and showcases videos about Fulani culture with special focus on Fulani females' beaded hairstyles. The Addendum to that post showcases a video of Nigerian Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade wearing her hair in one of the traditional Fulani hairstyles for women.

Part IV showcases three African American hair tutorial videos about "Fulani braids" with beads and/or other ornaments. Selected comments from these videos' discussion threads are also included in that post.

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The content of this post is presented for cultural purposes.

All copy rights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the authors of these featured articles.

****
EXCERPTS FROM ONLINE ARTICLES ABOUT HAIR BRAIDING
[Pancocojams Editor's Note]:
The term "protective hairstyle" is often used in videos and discussions about "Fulani Braids" and other braiding hairstyles for Black women. The definition for "protective hairstyle is given as Excerpt #1.

It's interesting that African American "Fulani braids" and other non-traditional braids with or without beads & other ornaments hairstyles that are inspired by Fulani cultures and other African cultures are much longer than traditional Fulani/other African culture braids. Compare the length of braids shown in videos featured in Part II of this pancocojams series with the length of braids that are shown in videos in Part IV of this series.]

Excerpt #1
From https://stayglam.com/beauty/protective-hairstyles-for-black-women/
"21 Best Protective Hairstyles for Black Women
By KimL | April 25, 2016
"When looking at the best protective hairstyles for black women, you want something that’ll actually do the trick – give you a way to wear your hair how you want to while causing minimal damage and moisturizing or rehydrating the hair at the same time."
-snip-
That article provides a brief description of 21 protective hairstyles and also includes photographs of those styles. "Fulani Braids" aren't included in that article, probably because that term wasn't as widely used in 2016 as it is in 2018.

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Excerpt #2:
From http://madamenoire.com/832860/fulani-braids/ [page 1 of 12 pages] 12 Beautiful Fulani Braid Styles To Inspire Your Next Hairdo
June 5, 2017 | By Brande Victorian
"Summer’s nearly here, which means for many of us it’s time to put our own hair away and bring out the braids. Every summer a different type of braid in in style. Box braids, Senegalese twists, Havana twists, Marley twists, crochet braids, and even faux locs have all had their moment, but this season it’s all about Fulani braids.

The traditional West African style has gained widespread popularity among Black women in the states for its intricate designs and use of beading to accentuate the braids. I gave Fulani braids a try on my recent excursion to South Africa and since then I’ve seen many women on the street and on the ‘gram rocking the beautiful style. It’s a given I’ll be trying this look again soon, and if you’re considering it too, here are a few styles to inspire you."...
-snip-
"on the 'gram" = on instagram
-snip-
Here are some comments from this article's discussion thread:

All of these comments are from June 2017. They are numbered for referencing purposes only.
1. cutitout
"Hopefully this will not become a trend. Can you imagine the annoying clickedy-clacking of all them damned beads? And all the broken pelvises and sprained ankles in the club from people slipping on the beads and shells....."

**
Reply
2. Wallander's theme
"I wore cornrows with beads - as a kid - in middle school/jr. high (1980s) and I really enjoyed the sound of the beads and fidgeting with them while reading or doing class work. However, they are not compatible with sports! You would swing your head around to get a make a pass on the basketball court and end up lashed across the face or forehead by the dadgum beads. oh well. I wouldn't wear the style as an adult, though."

**
Reply
3. hi-liter
"Sure didn't stop Venus or Serena."
-snip-
Venus and Serena [Williams] are African American tennis champions.

**
Reply
4. Wallander's theme
"And I always wondered about that. Sure, they were wearing their hair shorter back then, but even with your hair tied back, the beads are heavy and inconvenient for sports."

**
Reply
5. itswhatever321go
"To each their own. I can do without the beads. I hated them when I was a kid, and as an adult I'd probably hate them now."

**
6. OpinionHated
"this look is cute for twenty-somethings - I would feel like a young yam wearing my hair in any of those styles... ask a a bajan what a young yam is or look it up on bajan slang site...."

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Excerpt #3:
From https://therighthairstyles.com/30-best-black-braided-hairst/
"Braids are an easy and so pleasant way to forget about hair styling for months, give your hair some rest and protect it from harsh environmental factors. Besides, with the awesome hairstyles listed below you will attract attention, admiring glances and sincere smiles.

Braided hairstyles make space for creativity. There are many interesting braiding techniques to make every head unique. Besides, you can experiment with highlights, natural or curly texture, clips, patterns, shapes, etc.

Natural perm and hair thickness is your big plus and a unique bonus that you simply can’t leave unused. Your hair, that you might have been complaining of before, is created for braids. So why not to use this idea to your advantage?

African hair braiding is very versatile: microbraids, cornrows, fishtail braids, blocky braids, black braided buns, twist braids, tree braids, hair bands, French braids and more are at your disposal. Once you pick a desired braiding style, thickness and have your hair braided, you may shape your braids into gorgeous hairstyles both for every day and special events.

Researchers say that braids were “in fashion” even 2000 years b.c. If they have survived till our time, there definitely must be something special in them, don’t you think? No wonder, every year world-famous designers experiment with braids at fashion shows."...
-snip-
This article continues with descriptions about and photographs of "popular trends in Black Braided Hairstyles".

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Excerpt #4:
From https://www.essence.com/hair/kim-kardashian-bo-derek-fulani-braid-problematic Here's Why Kim Kardashian Crediting Her Fulani Braids To Bo Derek Is Problematic by SAMANTHA CALLENDER Feb, 05, 2018
"Braids have long been the de facto hairstyle of the African diaspora. Originally a tribal signifier amongst African tribes, the technique was brought across the Atlantic during slavery and is now a go-to protective style for Black women.

There's no arguing that braids have played a critical role in Black hair culture, which is why when celebrities, namely Kim Kardashian, chose to credit the style to Bo Derek, a white actress, we have a problem.

Named after the Fula people, the largest ethnic group across West Africa and Sahel, Fulani braids are characterized by forward-facing plaits with one or two large braids going back down the center. Often adorned with some type of gem, bead, or metal the braiding technique and style became widely known for its intricacy and stark difference from cornrows.

The style remained popular among the Fula people and children of the African diaspora. Many of us may recall seeing the hairstyle reemerge in the early 00’s after a talented new artist known as Alicia Keys, hit the scene wearing them. The look became iconic for Keys, who quickly rose to fame while sporting Fulani braids.

Considering the rich and extensive history of the hairstyle (that you can easily Google) it should come as no surprise that Black women are both confused and enraged at the fact that Kardashian recently posted a series of selfies to Instagram and credited Bo Derek for the look.

[...]

t's important to remember that it was only last year that Army Regulation 670-1 was repealed. This regulation described natural hair as matted and unkempt and restricted black women from natural hairstyles including twists, dreadlocks, Afros and braids while deployed. Black women have always been criticized when culturally expressing themselves. This is particularly true when that expression is manifested through their hairstyles.”...
-snip-
"Bo Derek" is a White American actress who starred in the 1979 movie "10". In that movie, Bo Derek was filmed running on the beach with microbraids (then referred to as "cornrows") with beads at their end. Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8TUWilKb6M for a clip of that scene.

Click for an article about Bo Derek and this hairstyle. Here's a longish excerpt from that article
..."Since she ran down that beach, hair braided, in the 1979 movie 10, Bo Derek probably gets more credit for popularizing cornrows than anyone. A 1980 People article cited Derek as the catalyst for making cornrows a “cross-cultural craze” and a “beauty store bonanza.” As a result, the hairstyle’s origins in African-American culture have sometimes been overlooked — as in this Los Angeles Times debacle from earlier this year. So when New York caught up with the actress at the premiere of FX’s Sex&Drugs&Rock&Roll, we asked what she thought of the hairstyle, cultural appropriation, and whether she’d ever considered her role in it all.

Her answers were … minimal.

She remarked that, like Andy Cohen, she found the Jenner controversy “stupid,” and noted that race never came up around discussions of her 10 cornrows. “It’s a hairdo! That’s all it is,” she exclaimed.

When asked about the hairdo’s origins (in the same People piece a black woman named Ann Collins gets credit as 10’s official braider), Derek responded that she “knew where it came from, but that had nothing to do with doing it.”

Her final comment: “No, seriously, of all the important racial and cultural issues we have right now, people are going to focus on a hairstyle? No, no. I’ll save my efforts toward important racial and cultural issues.”
-snip-
Click https://www.teenvogue.com/story/kim-kardashian-wears-cornrows-and-calls-them-bo-derek-braids"Kim Kardashian Wears Cornrows and Calls Them "Bo Derek Braids" This is not ok."
Teryn Payneat Teen Vogue, JAN 29, 2018 for an article that is specifically about Kim Kardashian crediting Bo Derek for braids with beads.

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This concludes Part III of this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part IV in a four part pancocojams series that provides information about African originated or African inspired braided hairstyles for females.

This post presents excerpts from several online articles about Black females' braided hairstyles that are inspired by Fulani and/or other African culture. Selected comments from one of these articles are also included in this post.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/five-youtube-examples-of-african.html for Part I of this series. Part I includes my transcription Of a November 1979 Ebony Magazine article about the emerging popularity among African American adults of unadorned braids or braids with beads. Part I also showcase several videos of African American performing artists wearing their hair in braids with beads, cowrie shells, and/or other ornaments.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/more-examples-of-fulani-african-female.html for Part II of this series. Part II presents excerpts from several online articles about Fulani (African) culture and showcases videos about Fulani culture with special focus on Fulani females' beaded hairstyles. The Addendum to that post showcases a video of Nigerian Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade wearing her hair in one of the traditional Fulani hairstyles for women.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/excerpts-from-several-online-articles.html for Part III of this series. Part III presents excerpts from several online articles about Black females' braided hairstyles that are inspired by Fulani and/or other African culture. Selected comments from one of these articles are also included in this post.

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The content of this post is presented for cultural and tutorial purposes.

All copy rights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all of those whose tutorials are featured in this post and thanks to all those who quoted in this post.

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
The term "Fulani braids" that has been used since around 2016 in the United States and probably elsewhere refers to a number of different braided hairstyles for Black females that have beads and/or other ornaments added to the braids. These hairstyles are said to be inspired by the Fulani ethnic group of West Africa and the Sahel.*

As used in the United States, "Fulani braids" hairstyles are said to be inspired by traditional Fulani hairstyles for females, but aren't necessarily the same as those traditional hairstyles. One significant difference is that traditional Fulani braids are much shorter than the length of braids in the United States.

These braided with beads hairstyles have sometimes also been referred to as "Alicia Keys braids", after the African American R&B/Soul singer and pianist who popularized that hairstyle in the video of her 2001 hit record "Fallin'". However, hairstyles that are braided with or without beads, cowrie shells, and/or other ornaments has long been a custom for Black girls in the United States and throughout much of the world. Furthermore, a few African American performing artists have worn long braids with beads since the mid 1970s.
-snip-
*"The Sahel part of Africa includes (from west to east) parts of northern Senegal, southern Mauritania, central Mali, northern Burkina Faso, the extreme south of Algeria, Niger, the extreme north of Nigeria, central Chad, central and southern Sudan, the extreme north of South Sudan, Eritrea, Cameroon, Central African Republic and extreme north of Ethiopia.

Historically, the western part of the Sahel was sometimes known as the Sudan region.[5] This belt was roughly located between the Sahara and the coastal areas of West Africa."https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sahel

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
These showcased tutorial videos were selected relatively at random from a number of other similar tutorials.

These videos and most of the other Black hair care/hair styling tutorial YouTube videos that I've viewed are from the United States.

Notice that "Fulani braids" is a collective term for different types of braided hairstyles with beads and/or other ornaments.

Example #1: Yemi Alade inspired detailed hair tutorial. #3/5 Fulani ***Must See ! ***



Hair By Habiba, Published on Sep 15, 2016

BLOG: http://www.habibatunaumd.com/

I am so excited to share this video with you inspired by Yemi Alade and her music video "Ferrari". This hairstyle is also inspired by the Fulani people of Africa found through out west and Central Africa. In fact most of them live in Northern Nigeria where my father is from. As a child most Hausa girls had Fulani outfits and I was no exception. I remember dancing on stage with other girls dressed up as Fulani milk maids. Often Fulani women wear beads, cowry shells or even silver coins in their hair.

I love Yemi Alade, her Afro pop music and her style. Clearly her music has crossed over to not only Nigerian's but to other African countries and to the world! If you don't know her music you are missing out! check her out.
Also I want to thank my beautiful daughter Mariam ( age 14) for being such a sport as my hair model. Thanks for indulging me (-:

This is #3 of 5 videos that I plan to make inspired by Yemi Alade. Make sure you check out the rest. Also find me on Face book, Twitter & Instagram. Links above. xoxo-Habiba
-snip-
Here's information about "Hair By Habiba" from the "about me" page of her blog:
"I am an American doctor and graduate of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York where I was an independent theater major with a premedicine concentration. I obtained my medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and completed my residency at New York-Presbyterian / Lower Manhattan Hospital (formerly NYU Downtown Hospital). After working at a traditional group practice in upstate New York, I established a private solo practice in North Carolina for the past ten years.

I was born in London, England, and lived my formative years in Nigeria, West Africa prior to immigrating to the United States at the age of 15. I am of West Indian and Nigerian descent. I currently live in North Carolina with my husband of twenty-two years and three children."... http://www.habibatunaumd.com/about-me/
-snip-
Nigerian Afrobeats singer Yemi Alade wore this traditional Fulani female hairstyle in the video for her song "Ferrari". That video is included in Part II of this pancocojams series.

Here are selected comments from this tutorial video's discussion thread (I've numbered these comments for referencing purposes only).

1. n M, 2016
"You represent my people well. Thank you beautiful"

**
2. Lolo tianamsh, 2016
"what is your ethnicity and nationality"

**
REPLY
3. Hair By Habiba
"I am an American whose father is Nigerian & mother is Jamaican. I consider myself multicultural and simply Black"

**
4. Abdoul Barry, 2017
"Hair By Habiba
God bless u sister
I am fulani from Guinea Fouta jallon"

**
5. KeeNa Makiba, 2017
"How would someone with 4C or 4B hair achieve be this look with not having long hair like ur daughter?"

**
REPLY
6. Hair By Habiba, 2017
"Just use some kinky textured extensions or even Marley hair ! Hope this helps 😀"

**
REPLY
7. KeeNa Makiba, 2017
"Hair By Habiba
Ok thank u very much ..I have very short hair and I love this video very much very helpful ..I'm going to try this style for a concert...I'm just starting out natural hair style..so this style will be my first!"
-snip-
These comments document the way that some Black people are reclaiming the word "kinky" which once was (and often still is) considered a very negative descriptor of [a lot of] Black people's hair type (texture). "Kinky" means "full of tight curls" (In my opinion, tightly curled is probably a more socially acceptable way for people-especially non-Black people - to refer to this hair type. 4b and 4c are the most tightly coiled (curled) hair. Note that people (like me) can have more than one type of hair in different parts of their head. For instance, some strands of my hair in the front and the sides are relatively straight and the rest of my hair is tightly curled. So maybe my hair types are 3b or 4a and 4b. By he way, I didn't know about my hair texture (We used to call it "grade of hair") until I began wearing my hair naturally (in an Afro) when I was 17 years old.

I think the hair type of the girl in this video has 3a or 3b or 3c hair.

Click https://www.curlcentric.com/hair-typing-system/ and http://www.curlynikki.com/2012/08/decoding-hair-texture-hair-typing.html for two articles about hair typing systems.

**
"Marley Hair" is a specific brand of fake hair that is sold for extensions (weaves).

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Example #2: FULANI BRAIDS & BEADS WITH BOX BRAIDS || DETAILED TUTORIAL



LavishlyBritt, Published on Jul 31, 2017
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this tutorial video's discussion thread (I've numbered these comments for referencing purposes only).
1. AnneEsther, 2017
"what is fulani braid"

**
REPLY
2. margine louis, 2017
"a braiding style originating from the fulani people who live in west africa"

**
3. silkyturtles, 2017
"An underhand braid is when you cross the strands underneath each other (ie. dutch braid, cornrows) whereas an overhand braid is where you cross the strands over each other (i.e. a french braid)! So in this video you just did underhand braids the whole time. hope that helps !"

**
4. hauwa bashir, 2017
"this trend is actually my cultural braid"

**
5. Shamicka White, 2017
"Shout out to you for being self sufficient, and saving yourself $250 ✊🏾👏🏾🙌🏾"
-snip-
"Shout out" here means "Congratualtions"

**
6. Michelle Asonye, 2018
"Is this hair heavy? Bc I will be running track and I don't want hair holding me back."

**
REPLY
7. LavishlyBritt, 2018
"No. It wasn’t heavy to me. I ran track so I definitely understand not wanting something heavy. If you can wear box braids and Senegalese twist with no problem then these should be no different"

**
8. Ali Umar, 2017
"Fulani"

**
9. Ali Umar, 2017
"Also you look like people in westafrica"

**
10. JasMarlena1, 2017
"You are BEAUTIFUL! You look like a queen! Your natural hair looks very healthy too❤"

**
11. Beautifully Eboni, 2017
"Is it weird that parting my hair is the ONLY issue I have with braiding my own hair. I can't part did my life. It'll start good but then I'll loose it"

**
REPLY
12. Thought So, 2017
"Eboni Pride that's my problem with any style lol, I can do Bantu knots, braids, twists, you name it! Ask me to part? It's over"

**
REPLY
13. Nicole Raheem, 2018
"Beautifully Eboni Use Two Tall Mirrors, one placed in front of you, one placed in the back and
one small mirror to check what you're doing effortlessly"

**
14. Aguibou jalloh, 2018
"Oh my black African queen your too much i love your so much your hairstyles is number one beby you are too beautiful i am fulani boy from guinea live in Germany i really love fulani girls"

-snip-
Click https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46A9wt5X2-w for an August 7, 2017video by LavishlyBritt .Here's an excerpt from the summary for that video: "Here is a video that shows 7 different ways to style fulani braids to make the style a little more fun. I know us girls, love to switch up our hair a lot somtimes. So here is my way to spice up thr newest trending hairstyle. demonstrates different styles."

Notice that this blogger refers to "Fulani braids" as "the newest trending hairstyle". Undoubtedly, that blogger meant that this hairstyle was the newest trend in the United States, and not among Fulani people in Africa. And even in the United States, all versions of "Fulani braid" hairstyles aren't that new in the United States, since long braids (made with hair "extensions") with beads or cowrie shells were worn by African American performers such as Patrice Rushen, Hazel Payne, and Stevie Wonder in the mid 1970s and 1980s.

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This concludes this pancocojams series.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams provides information about The Color Purple book and movie and showcases the Gospel song "God's Tryin To Tell You Something" as featured in the movie The Color Purple.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, inspirational, motivational, religious, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyright remains with their owners.

Thanks to Andrae Crouch, the composer of this song and thanks to all those who are featured in these videos. Thanks also to the author of The Color Purple and its movie and thanks to publishers of these two clips on YouTube.

This pancocojams post is dedicated to all those who have lost their lives in gun violence in the United States. Rest in peace.

Yesterday's (Feb. 14, 2018) shooting at a Florida high school was the 18th school shooting in the United States in 2018.

It is long past time to DO SOMETHING about the widespread availability of assault weapons and the relative inaccessibility of mental health treatment in the United States.

Since Republicans have long fought against gun control and support the decrease in funding for mental health support services, one important step is to remember to vote Democratic in November 2018's elections to replace those in office who just offer prayers and condolences to the victims and their families and offer up meaningless statements that it's "too soon to talk about gun violence" every time a tragedy happens.

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INFORMATION ABOUT "THE COLOR PURPLE"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Color_Purple
"The Color Purple is a 1982 epistolary novel by American author Alice Walker who won the 1983 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the National Book Award for Fiction.[1][a] It was later adapted into a film and musical of the same name.

Taking place mostly in rural Georgia, the story focuses on the life of African-American women in the Southern United States in the 1930s, addressing numerous issues including their exceedingly low position in American social culture.

[...]

The Color Purple won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1983, making Walker the first woman of color to win the prize.[5][6] Walker also won the National Book Award for Fiction in 1983.[7] Mel Watkins of the New York Times Book Review wrote that it is a "striking and consummately well-written novel," praising its powerful emotional impact and epistolary structure.[8]

While the novel has garnered critical acclaim, it has also been the subject of controversy. It is 17th on the American Library Association's list of most frequently challenged or banned books.[9] Commonly cited justications for banning the book include sexual explicitness, explicit language, violence, and homosexuality.[10] The book received greater scrutiny amidst controversy surrounding the release of the film adaptation in 1985.[11] The controversy centered around the depiction of black men, which some critics saw as feeding stereotypical narratives of black male violence, while others found the representation compelling and relatable.[12]

[...]

The novel was adapted into a film of the same name in 1985. It was directed by Steven Spielberg and stars Whoopi Goldberg as Celie, Danny Glover as Albert, and Oprah Winfrey as Sofia. Though nominated for eleven Academy Awards, it won none. This perceived snubbing ignited controversy because many critics considered it the best picture that year,[14] including Roger Ebert.[15]."...

****
SHOWCASE EXAMPLES
Example #1: God is trying to tell you somethin(The Color Purple)



qwertyuiop205, Published on Aug 3, 2008

this song is one of the greaset hits of all of america for the the best selling song.

****
Example #2: The Color Purple: God Is Trying To Tell You Something



ADB, Published on Oct 14, 2012

This is the song "God Is Trying To Tell You Something", as performed in the movie "The Color Purple". The vocals for the lead singer "Shug" are performed by singer Tata Vega.
-snip-
Here are selected comments from this video's discussion thread that explain this scene (These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only:
1. SpikedHoney, 2013
"What always got me was that the folks were straight CHILLIN' at the Juke Joint EARLY on Sunday morning. At least creep in during the afternoon."

**
REPLY
2. Karimah Abdul-Mani, 2017
SpikedHoney
were probably there all night. lol. smh."
-snip-
smh= [a saying not an actual action meaning] "shake my head" (in exasperation, annoyance, and/or some other emotion/s)

**
3. Jaime Knoble, 2016
"Always wondered, is the girl singing lead in the church choir Shug's child that her parents raised?"

**
REPLY
4. westnar1
"Yes that's Shug's oldest child"
-snip-
"Shug" is an African American affectionate nickname (for a female or male). The nickname is a clip of the word "sugar".

**
5. nyrockchicxx, 2017
"I always feel that at one time Shug was that young girl in the choir singing lead, but she had so much fire in her to live life she had to sing in clubs, yet never did she forget those gospel roots, which lead her back to her father. That choir is awesome too.
A great song. A great scene."

**
REPLY
6. Michelle Williams, 2016
"I definitely agree and I believe you caught the moral of the story."

**
REPLY
7. Michelle Williams, 2016
"I felt the father pushed her away because she left the church, had a child and wasn't married which is the girl singing lead in the choir"

**
REPLY
8. nyrockchicxx
"Well yes. Her father was the morally upright preacher, and his daughter was some sinner! In the book she has 2 children (by Mister no less), unmarried, that she leaves behind with the preacher & his wife, while she goes off & carouses around town, drinks, uses her God given talent to sing in juke joints, and then to the big city before she returns, and this scene."

****
LYRICS: GOD IS TRYING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING
(composer Andrae Crouch)

Yes, yes, yes, yes
Lord, yes
Oh, yes
My soul, my soul says yes

If I were you
I would say yes, speak
Lord
Speak to me
Oh, Speak, Lord
Won't you speak to me?
I was so blind, I was so lost until you spoke to me
Oh, speak, Lord
Speak, Lord
And hear my mind,
Oh, with your word, heal my soul
Oh, speak, Lord
Speak to me. Speak, my Lord
I love you, Lord
Save my soul

Can't sleep at night and you wonder why
Maybe God is trying to tell you something
Crying all night long, something's gone wrong
Maybe God is trying to tell you something

Oh, you can't sleep at night and you sure wonder why
Maybe god is trying to tell you something

Trying, trying, trying, trying, I'm trying, I'm trying, I'm trying
Maybe God is trying to tell you something (repeat 4x)

Lord, He's got to tell you something (repeat 2x)

I hear you, Lord
Maybe God is trying to tell you right now, right now
I'm gonna praise your name
I praise your name
Speak to me, Lord
Maybe God is trying to tell you something right now, right now,
Right now
Thank you, Lord
Maybe God is trying to tell you something right now
Right now, right now
Thank you, Lord...

online source: https://www.lyricsondemand.com/t/tatavegalyrics/godistryingtotellyousomethinglyrics.html

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This post provides information about Migos, showcases a sound file of the song "Stir Fry", provides the lyrics to that song, and provides explanations for some of the song's lyrics.

This post also showcases one YouTube example of clips from "Stir Fry" dance challenge videos.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, etymological, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the composers of this song, the members of Migos and Pharrell L. Williams. Thanks also to Migos for performing this song. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post, thanks to those featured in this video, and thanks to the publisher of this sound file and this video on YouTube.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT MIGOS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Migos
"Migos is an American hip hop trio from Lawrenceville, Georgia, formed in 2009.[1] The trio is composed of three rappers, known by their stage names Quavo, Offset, and Takeoff. The group's name is a reference to the Georgia drug trade, where a "migos" is an abandoned house used for production or consumption of drugs.[2]

Migos was formed in 2009, by Quavo (born Quavious Keyate Marshall),[9] Takeoff (born Kirshnik Khari Ball),[10] and Offset (born Kiari Kendrell Cephus),[11] originally known as Polo Club and from Lawrenceville, Georgia. The three members are directly related and were raised together; Quavo is Takeoff's uncle, and Offset is Quavo's cousin.[12] The three of them grew up together in Gwinnett County, a mostly suburban area half an hour northeast of Atlanta. "I ain't going to sit here like, 'My neighborhood was hard, and I had to get out there and grind.' We made it hard for ourselves. We chose to stay on the streets," Quavo said.[13] The group released their first full-length project, a mixtape titled Juug Season, on August 25, 2011. They followed with the mixtape No Label on June 1, 2012.

[...]

On October 27, Migos officially released "MotorSport", the lead single of their second studio album Culture II, along with Cardi B and Nicki Minaj.[56] The second single, "Stir Fry", was released on December 20, 2017 on the official Migos YouTube channel. The song is produced by Pharrell Williams.[57]. The song is will be used for the 2018 NBA All-Star Weekend. [58]”...
-snip-
This sentence is given in italics to highlight it.

****
SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
[WARNING: This sound includes the word "ni&&a" and the word "sh&t*".

I didn't showcase the video of this song on this blog because of its violent content.]

Example #1: Migos - Stir Fry (Audio)



MigosVEVO, Published on Dec 20, 2017

****
Example #2: Stir Fry Challenge Dance Compilation #stirfrychallenge #stirfrydance



One Challenge, Published on Feb 5, 2018

Stir Fry Challenge Dance Compilation #stirfrychallenge #stirfrydance

Best musical.ly, dubsmash, instagram and flipagram Stir Fry Challenge Compilation and lit dance.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE ABOUT THIS SONG'S LYRICS
Pancocojams is a family centered blog and therefore doesn't fully spell out words that I consider to be offensive and r that are profanity. Migos'"Stir Fry" has two words in those categories which are noted by asterisks.

Also, note that some lyrics in this song refer to illegal drugs, refer to drug activity, include an offensive reference to females, and includes references to sex.

****
LYRICS:
(composers: Migos (Kiari Kendrell Cephas, Kirsnick Khari Ball, & Wuavious Keyate Marshall), and Pharrell L. Williams)

[Intro: Quavo]
Woo, woo, woo, woo
Woo, woo, woo, woo

[Verse 1: Quavo]
Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (wroof)
Trap ni&&a* with the chickens like Popeye's (Popeye's)
Money changin' colors like tie-dye (tie-dye)
I'm just tryna get it, I ain't tryna die (no)
She got a big ol' onion booty, make the world cry (cry)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
Hold them bands down (hey), hold your mans down (hey)
Who told you come around? (Who?), this that trap sound (trap)
Designer, clothes (clothes), fashion, shows (shows)
Trap, house (house), made of, gold (gold)
Control the bag now (control it) no need to brag now (no need)
Ayy, put the mask down (mask), we livin' fast now (fast)
Finest, hoes (finest), wrist, froze (hoes)
We can, go (we can), coast to, coast (coast)

[Chorus: Quavo]
Keep watchin' me whip up
Still be real and famouuuuus, yeah
Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (woo, woo, woo, wroof)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)

[Verse 2: Offset]
Offset!
Gon' whip it, intermission, let the birds fly (brrr)
I get money, tunnel vision through my third eye (money)
In that skillet, watch me flip it like it's Five Guys (flip it)
Look at my pilgrim, check out the ceilin', look at the blue sky (skrrt)
Icy Patek, check, yeah, boogers, they sit on my neck (ice)
I don't regret sh&t, yeah, I'm paid and I don't got a debt (hah)
You crawl 'fore you walk, you can ball every week
For my dogs 'hind the wall, we gon' ball when you free (ball)
Stop watchin' me, democracy, you wanna copy me (you watchin')
Life's Monopoly, go cop me some land and some property (property)
AP, Rolls (Rolls), pink diamonds, whoa (whoa)
Whip up the soda, diamonds off the Royce (hey)

[Chorus: Quavo]
Keep watchin' me whip up
Still be real and famouuuuus, yeah
Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (wroof)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (wroof)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)

[Verse 3: Takeoff]
In the kitchen, curry chicken, call it stir fry
Takeoff, I'm the bird keeper, let the birds fly
Why you tryna take my prize? You a dead guy
Of course, I gotta keep a watch out through my bird eye
No casket, drop dead fresh and I got dead guys
Don't discriminate, ball players come in all sizes
Finger roll, post move or the pick and roll
They mad the way we win, they think we used a cheat code
Why you keep lookin' at me?
I feel like ni&&as* got static
It must be the Patek
Pockets blue cheese, I'm in the kitchen

[Chorus: Quavo]
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
Keep watchin' me whip up
Still be real and famouuuuus, yeah
Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (wroof)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (whip it)
In the kitchen, wrist twistin' like it's stir fry (wroof)

online source: https://genius.com/Migos-stir-fry-lyrics
-snip-
*These words are fully spelled out in these lyrics.

****
SOME EXPLANATIONS FOR THESE LYRICS
These explanations are gleaned from various online sources and/or from my own sense of what these lyrics mean.

Note that a word or phrase in this song can have more than one meaning at the same time. This is similar to, but not that same thing as "coded meanings" (for instance in some African American Spirituals) in which a socially correct meaning could be given to a word to hide what was really meant).

Additions and corrections are welcome for these lyrics explanations.

These explanations are given in order of their use in the song and are numbered of referencing purposes only.

General note about this song:
From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=44391
"The second track to be released from Culture II, this finds Migos dropping a number of fast food references as they flaunt their status as innovators and wealth-makers.

Dance with my dogs in the nighttime (wroof)
Trap ni&&a with the chickens like Popeye's (Popeye's)
Money changin' colors like tie-dye (tie-dye)

Quavo, Offset and Take Off also touch on the trio's usual topics of cash, girls, luxuries and drugs.
The song title comes from Quavo's catchy hook in which he compares the Chinese cooking technique to making crack; whipping the wrist to combine ingredients."

**
Some Specific Explanations

1. dogs
From https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-various-meanings-of-dog-when-used-in-slang
"...(c) [1990s+] (also dawg, dogg) a close friend.
(d) [1990s+] (also dogg) a general term of address, usu. between men"...

**
2. "trap ni&&a" - a man (usually specifically a Black man) who is known to be in "traps" and/or in neighborhoos where "traps" are located

read https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trap_music
Trap music is a subgenre that originated during the 1990s from Reggeaton in Puerto Rico.[1][2] It is typified by its ominous lyrics and sound that incorporate double or triple-time division hi-hats,[3] heavy kick drums from a Roland TR-808 synthesizer, layered synthesizers, and "cinematic" strings.[4][5] The term "trap" initially referred to places where drug deals take place. In recent years it has been incorporated with electronic dance music (EDM) by artists who have remixed and made trap songs with more EDM-like aspects.[6]
Stylistic origins:
Southern hip hop
crunk
hardcore hip hop
-snip-
Italics are added to highlight this sentence. Notice that this vernacular meaning of "trap" has the same meaning as the word "migos".

Also, read https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Trap%20Music for more information about Trap music".

**
3. chicken
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=chicken

chicken
3) - An attractive woman with thighs and breasts (like a real chicken)
by Chris December 27, 2003

**
chicken
A kilogram of cocain. Dealers started calling kilos "birds" which then evolved into "chicken."
Person 1) How much you got left?

Person 2) A quarter chicken.
by DEKE April 11, 2005

**
chickens
Kilograms of cocaine
birds,half a wing,everything that has to do with birds usually means kilo of coke when a rapper says it in a wierd way
Big Meech got in the box for 30 years for movin chickens.

I'm bout to ship a couple chickens for 17.5 each
#birds#somethin thats not birds#ljlj#mojjm#flajl
by ATLant4 December 07, 2007

**
5. Popeyes - a fast food chain that specializes in chicken

**
6. tie-dye - a method of creating different color designs on cotton or other fabrics
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tie-dyehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tie-dye
...The process of tie-dye typically consists of folding, twisting, pleating, or crumpling fabric or a garment and binding with string or rubber bands, followed by application of dye(s). The manipulations of the fabric prior to application of dye are called resists, as they partially or completely prevent the applied dye from coloring the fabric.

[...]

Tie-dye techniques have also been used for centuries in the Hausa region of West Africa, with renowned indigo dye pits located in and around Kano, Nigeria. The tie-dyed clothing is then richly embroidered in traditional patterns. It has been suggested that these African techniques were the inspiration for the tie-dyed garments identified with hippie fashion.[11]

Tie-dyeing was known in the US by 1909, when Professor Charles E. Pellow of Columbia University acquired some samples of tie-dyed muslin and subsequently gave a lecture and live demonstration of the technique.[12]"...

**
7. onion booty = a woman's butt that is shaped like an onion

**
8. stir fry
From http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=44391
"The song title comes from Quavo's catchy hook in which he compares the Chinese cooking technique to making crack; whipping the wrist to combine ingredients."

**
From http://www.dictionary.com/browse/stir-fry
"verb (used with object), stir-fried, stir-frying.

to cook (food) quickly by cutting into small pieces and stirring constantly in a lightly oiled wok or frying pan over high heat: a common method of Chinese cookery.
-snip-
"Stir fry" is also a noun which refers to food cooked this way

**
9. trap sound [read explanation #2]

**
10. Trap, house [read explanation #2]

**
11. finest - most attractive

**
12. hoes - whores, and/or fast women; women who willingly engage in sex

**
13. froze hoes- may refer to expensive "hoes"; note "Froze" may refer to "ice" which refers to diamonds

**
14. Gon' whip it,
a drug activity reference, but in the context of dance challenges, [also] refers to dancing, i.e. twisting one's wrist, waist, or hips as in multiple contemporary Hip Hop/R&B songs such as the song 2016 "Whip The Nae Nae" and such as the 2004 R&B song "Let Me See You Whip It"

**
15. let the birds fly - [read explanation #3]

**
16. third eye
From http://www.chakra-anatomy.com/third-eye-chakra.html
"The Third Eye Chakra transcends time. It is located in the brain, at the brow, above the base of the nose.

The gift of this chakra is seeing - both inner and outer worlds."...

**
17. Five Guys- a fast food chain

**
18.Look at my pilgrim = I think this is a vernacular referent for a sexually promiscuous man's penis

**
19. Icy Patek,
icy - from one of the vernacular meaning for "ice": expensive jewelry, usually in the form of diamonds

Patek
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patek_Philippe_%26_Co.
"Patek Philippe & Co. is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1851, located in Geneva and the Vallée de Joux. It designs and manufactures timepieces and movements, including some of the most complicated mechanical watches. It is considered by many experts and aficionados to be one of the most prestigious watch manufacturers.[7]"

**
20. check - [in the context of these lyrics] - a word that is said when you've checked off something from a list [because you have it or because you've done it]

**
21. boogers= an insulting term for a person, short form of "hoodboogers"
From https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hood%20booger
"hoodbooger
A term used to describe young, thug kids from areas where crime is stereotypically high.
While I was working, some hoodbooger was trying to steal a digital camera, but I caught him.
#thug #hudbooger #gangbanger #street #hood"
by indolentphil January 11, 2008

**
22. ball = enjoy yourself, have a great time, party [verb]

**
23. For my dogs 'hind the wall, we gon' ball when you free (ball)= for my friends who are locked up in prison/jail, we're going to have a great time enjoying ourselves when you are released

**
24. democracy = in the context of these lyrics I think this word means White folks; i.e. members of the majority culture in the United States "democracy"; I think this sentence is Migros warning against trying to copy or culturally appropriate their song/s

**
25. Monopoly
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monopoly_(game)
"Monopoly is a board game where players roll two six-sided dice to move around the game-board buying and trading properties, and develop them with houses and hotels. . Money can also be gained or lost through Chance and Community Chest cards, and tax squares; players can end up in jail, which they cannot move from until they have met one of several conditions."...

**
26. Takeoff, I'm the bird keeper, let the birds fly
"Takeoff" is the stage name of one of members of Migos; read the explanations for #3

**
27. ball players - in the context of these lyrics, means people involved in playing the game of life or more specifically the game of hustling in the 'hood

**
28. Finger roll, post move or the pick and roll- these lyrics may refer to throwing dice [?]

**
29. "got static" - "get in trouble" (aren't clearly heard; are discriminated against)

**
30. pocket blue cheese
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Blue%20Cheese
"blue cheese
the 2013 version of the hundred dollar bill with the blue stripe
I got a pocketful of new hundreds that blue cheese
#blue#cheese#100#detroit#bylug"
by Ong Bak February 12, 2015

**
31. in the kitchen - in the context of this song "in the kitchen" means that the person is heavily involved in making "dough" (money); albeit illegally ; also read the explanation for #8 [i.e. cooking is usually done in the kitchen]

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitors comments

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents two African language quizzes. The words that are featured in these quizzes are from the following traditional African languages (given in alphabetical order) Akan, Chichewa (Chewa, Nyanja), Igbo, Kinyarwanda, KiSwahili (Swahili), Lingala, Wolof, Yoruba, and Zulu.

This post also includes statements about the country/countries where these languages originate and links to online information about these languages.

The content of this post is presented for to increase information in the United States and in other non-African nations about traditional African languages.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/five-name-quizzes-from-my-no-longer.html"Five Name Quizzes From My No Longer Active "Alafia Names" Website" for another pancocojams post on Black culture quizzes.
****
PANCOCOJAMS AFRICAN LANGUAGES QUIZZES

Instructions: Select the best answer that completes these statements.

The answer code is given below.

Pancocojams African Quiz #001 Words from traditional African languages
`
1. "Ase (ashe)" is a Yoruba word that means
a) aches and pains
b) ashes
c) Africa
d) spiritual force that flows through everything/power

2. "Harambe" is a Swahili language word that means
a)harems
b) All pull together
c) hello
d) celebrate

3. “Waaw” is a Wolof word that means
a) wait
b) yes
c) where
d) when

4. "Kente" is an Akan language word that refers to
a) the name Kenneth
b) a man's religious hat or cap
c) type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips
d) ancient African writing

5. In the Igbo language, “chi” means
a) birth
b) teeth
c) long life
d) a guardian angel

****
Pancocojams African Quiz #002 Words from traditional African languages

1. "Indaba" is a Zulu word that means
a) beauty
b) Come in
c) a gathering (meeting), business/matter
d) home

2. "Sankofa" is an Akan word that means
a) Come and sing with me
b) it’s never to late to go back and claim it
c) Eat healthy food.
d) Love is the most important thing in life

3. “Ndimakukonda” is a Chichewa word that means
a) I love you
b) What is your name?
c) This is my country
d) Help me please.

4. “Imana” is a Kinyarwanda word that means
a) I’m not
b). God
c) a girl's name
d) food

5. "Tokomonana" is a Lingala word that means
a) You’re welcome
b) tomorrow
c) grandother
d) good bye

****
ANSWER CODE FOR #001
1. d
2. b.
3. b.
4. c
5. d

****
ANSWER CODE FOR #002
1. c
2. b
3. a
4. b
5. d

****
INFORMATION LINKS FOR #001
{Pancocojams Editor: Unless otherwise noted, the pronunciations that are given are how I believe these words are pronounced. Corrections are appreciated.

1.From https://www.omniglot.com/writing/yoruba.htm
"Yoruba (Èdè Yorùbá)
Yoruba is a member of the Volta-Niger branch of the Niger-Congo family of languages. It is spoken by about 28 million people in southwest Nigeria, Benin, Togo, the UK, Brazil and the USA. It is one of the four official languages of Nigeria, along with English, Hausa and Igbo."...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ase_(Yoruba) for information about the Yoruba word "ase". "Ase" is often written as "ashe" in the United States and is pronounced "ah-SHAY". Among afrocentric Black people in the United States, ashe is an exclamation that has a similar meaning as "Amen!" For example, the words "ashe ashe" are part of the lyrics for the African American originated "African" song "Funga Alafia". CLick http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/11/real-history-of-funga-alafia-fanga-song.html for a pancocojams post entitled "The Funga Alafia (Fanga) Song - Part 1"

****
2.From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swahili_language
"Swahili, also known as Kiswahili (translation: coast language[7]), is a Bantu language and the first language of the Swahili people. It is a lingua franca of the African Great Lakes region and other parts of eastern and south-eastern Africa, including Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Mozambique, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[8] Comorian, spoken in the Comoros Islands is sometimes considered to be a dialect of Swahili, though other authorities consider it a distinct language.[9]"..

Click https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Harambe for information about the Swahili word "harambe".

Also, click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harambee for more information. Note that the correct Swahili spelling for this word is "harambe".[pronunciation hah-RAHM-bay]

****
3. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolof_language
"Wolof is a language of Senegal, the Gambia and Mauritania, and the native language of the Wolof people. Like the neighbouring languages Serer and Fula, it belongs to the Senegambian branch of the Niger–Congo language family. Unlike most other languages of the Niger-Congo family, Wolof is not a tonal language."...

Also, click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_English_words_of_Niger-Congo_origin for a list of English words that originated in Niger-Congo languages or other African languages.

Here's information about the Wolof word "waaw" from https://jangawolof.wordpress.com/2012/06/18/basic-phrases/
"Yes. [English]
Waaw. / Oui. [Wolof/French]
[pronounciation] wow / wee"
-snip-
Note: I added the words in brackets to this quote.

**
4.
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akan_language
"Akan is a Central Tano language that is the principal native language of the Akan people of Ghana, spoken over much of the southern half of that country, by about 58% of the population, and among 30% of the population of Ivory Coast....

Three dialects have been developed as literary standards with distinct orthographies: Asante, Akuapem (together called Twi), and Fante, which, despite being mutually intelligible, were inaccessible in written form to speakers of the other standards....

The language came to the Caribbean and South America, notably in Suriname spoken by the Ndyuka and in Jamaica by the Jamaican Maroons known as Coromantee, with enslaved people from the region. The descendants of escaped slaves in the interior of Suriname and the Maroons in Jamaica still use a form of this language, including Akan names: children are named after the day of the week on which they are born, e.g. Akwasi/Kwasi (for a boy) or Akosua (girl) born on a Sunday. In Jamaica and Suriname the Anansi spider stories are well known."...

Also, click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kente_cloth for information about "Kente". Here's a brief excerpt from that website:
""Kente, known as nwentom in Akan, is a type of silk and cotton fabric made of interwoven cloth strips and is native to the Akan ethnic group of South Ghana. Kente is made in Akan lands such as Ashanti Kingdom, (Bonwire, Adanwomase, Sakora Wonoo, Ntonso in the Kwabre areas of the Ashanti Region) It is also worn by many other groups who have been influenced by Akans. Kente comes from the word kenten, which means basket in Akan dialect Asante. Akans refer to kente as nwentoma, meaning woven cloth. It is an Akan royal and sacred cloth worn only in times of extreme importance and was the cloth of kings. Over time, the use of kente became more widespread. However, its importance has remained and it is held in high esteem with Akans. The Ewe people especially those from Agortime-Kpetoe of Ghana also claim that, Kente which they also refer to as Agbamevor has always been their traditional cloth."...

****
5. From http://aboutworldlanguages.com/igbo
Igbo (Asụsụ Igbo), or Ibo , one of the largest languages of West Africa, is spoken by 18 million people in Nigeria. It belongs to the Benue-Congo group of the Niger-Congo language family. The language is thought to have originated around the 9th century AD in the area near the confluence of the Niger and Benue rivers, and then spread over a wide area of southeastern Nigeria.

Status
Igbo is one of the official languages of Nigeria. It is spoken in the Southern Delta states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, as well as in the northeast of the Delta state and in the southeast of the Rivers state. In the states of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, and Imo, Igbo is the main language of trade and commerce. It is used in mass media communication such as radio and television in the southern Delta region.

Although Igbo is taught at all levels in eastern Nigerian schools, English remains the principal literary language of the country while remains a spoken and colloquial language. Reading and writing in Igbo is not very widespread. In many urban areas, Igbo is often replaced by Nigerian Pidgin English. Igbo speakers are typically bilingual in English."...
-snip-
Click http://www.nairaland.com/1501884/what-does-igbo-notion-personal"What Does The Igbo Notion Of "Your Personal CHI" Represent? - Culture - Nairaland" for a Nigerian discussion thread about the Igbo philosophical concept "chi".
-snip-
Note: I believe that the Igbo word "chi" is pronounced the same as or very similar to the English word "she".

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INFORMATION LINKS FOR #002
{Pancocojams Editor: Unless otherwise noted, the pronunciations that are given are how I believe these words are pronounced. Corrections are appreciated.

1. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zulu_language
"Zulu (Zulu: isiZulu) is the language of the Zulu people, with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority (over 95%) of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa (24% of the population), and it is understood by over 50% of its population.[5] It became one of South Africa's 11 official languages in 1994.

According to Ethnologue,[6][not in citation given (See discussion.)] it is the second most widely spoken of the Bantu languages, after Shona. Like many other Bantu languages, it is written with the Latin alphabet.

In South African English, the language is often referred to by using its native form, isiZulu."...
-snip-
Click http://1000mostcommonwords.com/1000-most-common-zulu-words/ [#234] for the definition for the Zulu word "indaba".
-snip-
Here's information about the Zulu word "indaba":
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indaba
"An indaba (pronounced in-dah-bah[missing stress][1]) is an important conference held by the izinDuna (principal men) of the Zulu or Xhosa peoples of South Africa.[2] (Such meetings are also practiced by the Swazi, who refer to them using the close cognate indzaba.) Indabas may include only the izinDuna of a particular community, or they may be held with representatives of other communities.[2]

The term comes from a Zulu language word meaning "business" or "matter".[3]

Current usage
The term has found widespread use throughout Southern Africa and often simply means gathering or meeting. It is also used in the Scouting movement. The World Scout Indaba was a gathering of Scout leaders."...
-snip-
I think "indaba" is pronounced in-DAH-bah.

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2. "Sankofa" [san-KOH-fah] is an Akan word. Read #4 in the Information links section for #001 for information about the Akan language.

Here's information about Sankofa from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sankofa
"Sankofa is a word in the Twi language of Ghana that translates to "Go back and get it" (san - to return; ko - to go; fa - to fetch, to seek and take) and also refers to the Asante Adinkra symbol represented either with a stylized heart shape or by a bird with its head turned backwards carrying a precious egg in its mouth. Sankofa is often associated with the proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi," which translates as: "It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten."[1]

In addition to being used on adinkra cloth in Ghana, the Sankofa heart is a common design on gates in the United States, particularly New York City. In Brooklyn, the Sankofa heart is commonly upside down on gates to Brownstone residential buildings.

The sankofa bird appears frequently in traditional Akan art, and has also been adopted as an important symbol in an African-American and African Diaspora context to represent the need to reflect on the past to build a successful future. It is one of the most widely dispersed adinkra symbols, appearing in modern jewelry, tattoos, and clothing."...

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3. Here's information about the Chichewa language:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chewa_language
"Chewa, also known as Nyanja, is a language of the Bantu language family. The noun class prefix chi- is used for languages,[4] so the language is usually called Chichewa and Chinyanja (spelled Cinyanja in Zambia, and Cinianja in Mozambique). In Malawi, the name was officially changed from Chinyanja to Chichewa in 1968 at the insistence of President Hastings Kamuzu Banda (himself of the Chewa tribe), and this is still the name most commonly used in Malawi today.[5] In Zambia, Chewa is spoken by other people like the Ngoni and the Kunda, so a more neutral name, Chinyanja '(language) of the lake' (referring to Lake Malawi), is used instead of Chichewa."...
-snip-
Click https://www.tripsavvy.com/say-i-love-you-in-africa-1454071 for the meaning of the Chichewa word “Ndimakukonda”.
-snip-
I don't know how "Ndimakukonda" is pronounced.

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4. Here's information about the Kinyarwanda langauge:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinyarwanda
"Kinyarwanda is one of the four official languages of Rwanda (along with English, French and Kiswahili) and is spoken by almost all of the native population. That contrasts with most modern African states, whose borders were drawn by colonial powers and do not correspond to ethnic boundaries or precolonial kingdoms.[5]....
-snip-
Also, click http://gordanondera.wikispaces.com/Kinyarwanda+phrases for a list of Kinyarwanda words including the word "Imana".
-snip-
I believe that "Imana" is pronounced E-MAN-ah.

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5. Here's information about the Lingala:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lingala
"Lingala (Ngala) is a Bantu language spoken throughout the northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and a large part of the Republic of the Congo, as well as to some degree in Angola and the Central African Republic. It has over 10 million speakers."...
-snip-
Click http://www.17-minute-world-languages.com/en/lingala/ for a list of Lingala words including
-snip-
I'm not sure how "tokomonana" is pronounced, but if you use the most common way that words are pronounced in English (with the stress on the next to the last syllable), that Lingala word be pronounced "toh-koh-moh-NAH-nah".

Note that the Lingala word "tokomonana" is very similar to the Swahili word "tutaonana" which also means "goodbye".
http://swahili_english.enacademic.com/15049/tutaonana

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post showcases the official trailer for the 2018 Black PantherAmerican movie video and quotes excerpts from five online articles that highlight various African cultural elements that are found in that movie.

This is part of an ongoing series on the 2018 Black Panther American movie. Click for other post in this series including the pancocojams post entitled "Traditional African Languages, Arabic Languages, & Other Sources For Names In The 2018 Black Panther Movie"http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/01/possible-origins-meanings-of-names-from.html.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who have created, developed, written, and drawn the comic book series Black Panther character. Thanks also to all those who are associated with the 2018 Black Panther movie. Thanks also to all others who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO:
arvel Studios' Black Panther - Official Trailer



Marvel Entertainment, Published on Oct 16, 2017

Long live the king. Watch the new trailer for Marvel Studios #BlackPanther. In theaters February 16! ► Subscribe to Marvel: http://bit.ly/WeO3YJ

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EXCERPTS FROM AN QUARTZ AFRICA ARTICLE THAT HIGHLIGHT AFRICAN CULTURAL ELEMENTS IN THE 2018 "BLACK PANTHER" MOVIE
EXCERPT #1
From https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/how-black-panther-reimagined-african-style_us_5a7730e0e4b01ce33eb3e6d5 By Zeba Blay; 02/16/2018 04:38 pm ET Updated, 2/17/2018
From Zamunda To Wakanda: How ‘Black Panther’ Reimagined African Style
“Black Panther” is very much a mix of regional, ethnic and cultural customs. And that’s part of what makes it so brilliant.
..."aesthetically, “Black Panther” is very much a hodgepodge, a juxtaposition, a mix of regional, ethnic and cultural customs. And that’s part of what makes it so brilliant.

Costume designer Ruth E. Carter, in collaboration with production designer Hannah Beachler, created a “Wakandan Bible” early on in production, a tome that set the standard for “Black Panther” and the inhabitants of its world ― from the Dora Milaje, King T’Challa’s personal body guard, to the Jabari, a clan that lives in the mountains of Wakanda.

[Before the shoot], I had already been gathering information about the Maasai tribe, and I fell in love with the Dogon,” Carter told HuffPost. “The real Dogon tribe lived in the mountainous area in Africa and they were one of the first astronomers and they studied the stars and they performed a ritual every year where they created these amazing masks that shot up to the heavens. They were carved out of wood and they would adorn their bodies with these raffia skirts and brilliant colors. They were the inspiration for the Jabari tribe.”

Elsewhere in the film, Carter incorporated the traditional painted robes of the Ndebele people of South Africa in the blankets (which are actually shields) worn by Wakanda’s border tribe.

There’s one scene in the movie, in which King T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), finds himself on the ancestral plane speaking with his dead father. T’Challa wears a tunic with an elaborately embroidered collar, reminiscent of those worn by Yoruba men in Nigeria. When his father appears to him, he is wrapped in traditional cloth in the style that many Ghanaian men do ― indeed the fabric itself is covered in Ghanaian Adinkra symbols for “strength.”

There are many aesthetic moments like this in “Black Panther,” many instances of cultural anachronisms that, somehow, work on another level. There is a flurry of various forms of traditional African attire, from vastly differing parts of the continent. It is, in some ways, nonsensical. In other, more important ways, it makes all the sense in the world. Wakanda is not real in the physical sense, but it is a spiritual ideal, a world representing what the diaspora is and could be if given the chance.

For Carter, the blending of cultures in the film isn’t necessarily about disregarding the significance of the clothes on display.

“Looking at it with modern eyes, it’s OK to pay homage to culture and tradition, but we weren’t trying to make a documentary,” she says. “We wanted to honor it in this futuristic way and a lot of the details of the indigenous African tribes easily translate into a futuristic model.”...

****
EXCERPT #2
From https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/16/africa/black-panther-behind-the-scenes-marvel/index.html
(CNN) Wakanda is a lushly futuristic, equatorial enclave. A journey into Wakanda: How we made Black Panther
By Chris Giles, CNN; Updated 11:52 AM ET, Fri February 16, 2018
..."The production of Marvel's "Black Panther" (US release February 16) is a remarkable feat. It's a thrilling and refreshing spectacle on the big screen, capturing traditional African influences in a hypermodern context.

[...]

It is a huge technical and creative undertaking for those working behind the scenes. The production, costume, jewelry and other designers and stylists are creating a whole new world -- one where nature and technology are intertwined.

[...]

'Black Panther' fast facts 00:28
The film also bears with it an important responsibility on the designers and director that the images and representations of an African nation -- in a continent often lazily portrayed in the West -- are inspired by African groups.

A large part of the research process was traveling to Africa.
The team traveled up the coast of South Africa in KwaZulu-Natal, into the countryside and via urban districts.

Production designer Hannah Beachler. "When I came back we reworked everything. There was a lot achieved because of my experience of being able to able to touch and feel and be there and see. I had a better perspective," Beachler says.
"It's a lot about taking the ideas that people have about what it is to live in Africa and what it is to be African and retelling that story, reclaiming it I guess, and having this clarification," Beachler said.

[..]
This story is also seen in what Wakandans wear, a mesh of traditional and hi-tech Afropunk influences.

[...]

Roadmapping African influences
Ruth E. Carter [Black Panther movie’s costume designer]
"There were at least 10 different tribes that we gathered costume inspiration from, because Wakanda is a fictitious land in the Northern Central part of Africa, and it's imagined as a place that was never colonized.
"We could create something that honored African history, African-American history and also would be a new-found culture that would be unique to Wakanda," Carter said.

Carter instructed a team of over 100 buyers. This was no small undertaking, especially for Carter's first shot at a Marvel movie.

She visited Africa and drew influence from ancient tribes to establish the Wakandan people's unique characteristics.
"They wear things more avant-garde. Their hair is natural. They're sometimes barefoot. I would say the Afrofuturistic model is the one characteristic that goes throughout the Wakandan community," Carter says.
Carter was particularly inspired by the Dogon people of West Africa.
"They were a big inspiration for me because they were like astronomers and they lived in this mountainous area of Africa," Carter said.

Other tribes of sartorial inspiration were the Turkana people in East Africa, Hemba people in Congo, Suri tribe in Ethiopia and Tuareg people in western and northern Africa, among others.

However, Carter emboldened these costume designers with edgy, high-tech touches.

Carter said it was important to show this royal African family in a futuristic model."...

****
EXCERPT #3
From https://qz.com/1003692/marvels-black-panther-and-wakanda-raises-questions-about-african-cultural-appropriation/"Black Panther has some impressive superpowers—solving cultural appropriation isn’t one of them"
written by Lynsey Chutel; June 12, 2017
....“It’s a third world country: textiles, shepherds, cool outfits,” is how Martin Freeman’s character Everett K. Ross describes Wakanda. In the film, it’s the image Wakanda has put forth in order to protect itself and in real life, it’s what most audiences may think of when thinking about Africa in film and television—the “Coming to America” trope still firmly in place.

Behind a mighty waterfall that resembles Victoria Falls (Mosi-oa-Tunya as it is known locally), is an Eldorado of technology and innovation known as Wakanda.

[...]

The film was mostly shot in a studio in Atlanta, Georgia, the falls are actually shots of Iguazu Falls in Argentina and the skyscrapers are all CGI. And in Africa we generally refer to our panthers as leopards. Still, it’s an indulgent fantasy of what Africa could be, but also what may have been without colonial interference. It’s a reminder that the film is not a meditation on culture, but rather a comic book fantasy that is perhaps inspired by Afrofuturism.

[...]

The city T’Challa returns to has walls painted in the geometric patterns that resemble those of Ndebele culture in South Africa. Lupita Nyong’o is seen in what looks like a wax print dress as she stalks through one scene. In another, T’Challa’s mother, played by a white-haired Angela Basset, is wrapped in a Seanamarena blanket, a large part of Lesotho’s cultural heritage. The scene causing the most debate so far is that of a tribal elder in a tailored suit, with a large lip disc.

What’s significant about this aesthetic is not the question it raises about the roots of lip plates and body stretching in African culture, but rather the blending of the modern and traditional. It’s something that happens every day on the streets of Africa’s cities, with sneakers and suits in bold, bright wax prints, beaded jewelry adorning everyday wear, and even the Seanamarena blanket cut into this season’s bomber jacket trend. These trends are borrowed between different cultures as social media breaks down borders and encourages collaboration.

There are questions on whether African Americans should be borrowing from continental culture…
What’s more, this raises questions on appropriation among Africans, whether acknowledging the specific origins of the design should be enough, or whether, for example, Ghana should be acknowledged in every graphic that resembles Kente.

These are not questions the Black Panther film is going to answer, and it isn’t supposed to—that’s what the debate around appropriation misses. In a similar way to young, connected Africans, the film borrows here and there from a blended African culture. One can only hope that the film will acknowledge the origins of these elements and avoid appropriation."...
"...

****
EXCERPT #4
[Pancocojams Editor's Note: Notice that the title for the Black Panther movie was changed from the title that was used in this article.]

From https://www.cinemablend.com/new/What-Language-Black-Panther-Actually-Speaking-Captain-America-Civil-War-129187.html by Gregory Wakeman, 2016 [the date stamp says "1 year ago" but the comments in the discussion thread say "2 years"]
"Captain America: Civil War isn’t just reuniting us with most of the Avengers. It’s also introducing us to two new superheroes. While we’ve revelled in the web-slinging exploits of a certain Peter Parker for quite a few films now, Chadwick Boseman’s T’Challa/Black Panther is making his big-screen debut in the blockbuster. This means that movie audiences are now devouring every bit of information they can about Black Panther, which now includes the fact that his native language in Civil War and the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe is Xhosa.

While Chadwick Boseman’s superhero actually spends most of Captain America: Civil War speaking English to the other English-speakers, there are one or two scenes that sees T’Challa talking to his father T’Chaka, played by John Kani, in a native Wakanda language. Co-director Joe Russo has now confirmed to Entertainment Weekly that they chose Xhosa for his language, admitting that John Kani actually taught Chadwick Boseman how to speak it.
The language we used for Wakandan is called Xhosa. John Kani, the actor who plays T’Challa’s father in the movie, speaks the language and taught it to Chadwick. It’s spoken by 7.6 million people in South Africa

The decision for Black Panther to speak Xhosa was quite a big one not just for Captain America: Civil War, but for the rest of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, too. That’s because we’re almost certainly going to see T’Challa and his alter ego frequently uttering the language in his own solo film. It would just be weird if he didn't.

Xhosa is known as "the clicking language," as in order to properly pronounce its x’s, you have to put your tongue to the roof of your mouth and then make a clicking noise, which closely resembles the sound of a horse trotting. One of the official languages of South Africa, it is spoken by around 18% of the country’s population, while Nelson Mandela spoke it fluently."...
-snip-
Here are two examples of those comments from that discussion thread:
Stan Philip Samuel [2 years ago] 2016?
They picked the wrong language unfortunately. Xhosa is only spoken in South Africa. Wakanda has been geographically placed in Equatorial Africa near Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia (as seen in Iron Man 2). Maybe Swahili would have been a more appropriate selection. Leaving South African and African audiences confused at the lack of appreciation of our language spread. I guess they took the easy route and used it because John Kani knew the language, still does not make it right though. Oh well, it's a fictional world right?

**
"MH Eingoluq, [2 years ago] 2016?
"It really just felt odd to me as a choice. I mean, John Kani is South African and speaks Xhosa, but as far as I know Chadwick Boseman doesn't and he's going to be starring in an entire film set* in Wakanda. So it's not obvious to me why they couldn't just pick a language from that general area.

*I mean, I haven't seen it or anything and plenty of Black Panther stories, including some of the best ones, are set outside Wakanda. But if the casting is 90% black people, which is awesome, it seems awfully likely that that's where it's going to be set."
-snip-
However, here's a celebratory comment from a South African in a February 18, 2018 discussion thread from a YouTube video on this subject:
From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YVHwiH0eXjU Black Panther' puts spotlight on Xhosa, a real African language spoken by Nelson Mandela by news usa, Published on Feb 16, 2018
Alice Gauteng, February 18, 2018
"As a South African I was proud hearing Xhosa spoken in the movie. And tbey also wear Badotho blankets.
Coolest thing ever!
-snip-
Click http://abcnews.go.com/International/black-panther-puts-spotlight-xhosa-real-african-language/story?id=53142351"Black Panther' puts spotlight on Xhosa, a real African language spoken by Nelson Mandela"
By JAMES LONGMANANGUS HINES; Feb 16, 2018, 12:10 PM ET for an article about the inclusion of Xhosa in Black Panther.

****
Excerpt #5
From http://www.africanews.com/2018/02/17/black-panther-wins-the-hearts-of-africans Black Panther wins the hearts of African cinema fans; Daniel Mumbere 17/02 - 13:10
"Africans can’t get enough of the first Marvel superhero movie with a predominantly black cast.

Black Panther has received rave reviews from critics and cinema goers who have flocked to its’s premieres in Nigeria, Uganda and South Africa among others.

Some of the cast actually flew down to South Africa for the premiere, with Kenyan born actress Lupita Nyong’o, tweeting that ‘the excitement is spellbinding’.

'The people who made the film were very specific about the references they used in relationship to Africa. They are pulling from the best fashion and art.'

Wakanda
Black panther is set in the fictional African nation of Wakanda. It tells the story of the new king, T‘Challa/Black Panther (Chadwick Boseman), who is challenged by rival factions.

The fictional African country is depicted as a verdant land with stunning waterfalls where spacecraft designed like tribal masks soar over a modern metropolis.

Directed by black director Ryan Coogler and featuring actors including Michael B. Jordan, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong‘o and Forest Whittaker, the film has received widespread critical acclaim after years of criticism about the under-representation of black people in Hollywood.

[...]

Ugandans claim Wakanda
Ugandans who have two actors with roots in the East African country featured in Black Panther, Daniel Kaluuya and Florence Kasumba, have been showing why Wakanda is actually Uganda.

Chazzy Chaz
@SEEMUGASHA
When u watch Black Panther...look out for location on globe..Its not a coincidence Wakanda rhymes with Uganda and our guy is called O"Wakabi" and u see Murchison falls and rift valleys and impenetrable forests and mountains of the moon! Come vacation in Wakanda/Uganda. https://twitter.com/WOODY_THEGREAT/status/964407617077485569 …

3:12 AM - Feb 16, 2018

Asiimwe Jolly
@asiimwejolly1
The young one of a Uganda is a Wakanda....after all Wakanda is a fictional East African nation bordering Uganda, might as well be our baby. 😄😋 #BlackPanther #WakandaCameToSlay

5:06 AM - Feb 17, 2018


Janelle Villadiego
@jdcv_17
"As it turns out, the filmmakers, prod. designers, & costumers of Marvel’s #BlackPanther imagined Wakanda as an amalgamation of real African nations, economies, & cultures, including Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, South Africa, & the Congo."🇳🇬🇰🇪🇺🇬🇿🇦🇨🇩👏https://www.inverse.com/article/40961-black-panther-wakanda-real-life-inspirations-africa …

6:50 AM - Feb 14, 2018"...

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This is Part III of a three part pancocojams series on the 2018 Black Panther movie.

Part III of this series provides selected comments from a YouTube discussion thread about reactions to the 2018 Black Panther movie from Africans and from people from the African diaspora.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/01/possible-origins-meanings-of-names-from.html for Part I of this series. Part I presents information about the 2018 American movie Black Panther and suggest possible es origins and meanings for the names of various characters from that Marvel comic book series and that movie.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/various-african-cultural-elements-that.html for Part II of this series. Part II showcases the official trailer for the 2018 Black PantherAmerican movie video and quotes excerpts from five online articles that highlight various African cultural elements that are found in that movie.

****
The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are associated with the 2018 Black Panther movie. Thanks also to all others who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.

****
SHOWCASE VIDEO: Africans Reacting to Marvels Black Panther Movie - NO SPOILERS



2nacheki, Published on Feb 17, 2018

Welcome to 2nacheki's Africa Trending News where we bring to you the latest Africa News trending through social media

Africans from all around the continent react to watching Black Panther. Enjoy the sights and Sounds From Africa

-~-~~-~~~-~~-~-
Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the death of his father, the King of Wakanda, returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation to succeed to the throne and take his rightful place as king. But when a powerful old enemy reappears, T’Challa’s mettle as king—and Black Panther—is tested when he is drawn into a formidable conflict that puts the fate of Wakanda and the entire world at risk. Faced with treachery and danger, the young king must rally his allies and release the full power of Black Panther to defeat his foes and secure the safety of his people and their way of life.

****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VIDEO'S DISCUSSION THREAD
These selected comments are from the discussion thread for the video entitled "Africans Reacting to Marvels Black Panther Movie - NO SPOILERS". These quotes are given without any editorial comments from me, except to indicate where profanity was given with asterisks in this compilation but not in the original comment.

The comments in this compilation were compiled from that discussion thread as of February 20, 2019 (around 6:10 PM). There was a total number of 969 comments for that discussion thread as of Feb. 20, 2018 6:10 PM.

I recognize that other people might select another YouTube video (or several other YouTube videos) and their discussion thread/s. And I understand that other people might select different comments than the ones that I selected from the discussion thread for the video that is embedded in this post.

Some of these comments in this compilation are from people who identified themselves as Africans or who identified themselves as African Americans. Some other comments are from people who identified themselves as from the Caribbean, and some comments are from people who gave no national, continental identification, but can be assumed to be Black because of the content of their comments.

A considerable number of comments in this discussion thread were from White people operating as "trolls". These people posted comments that were stereotypical, racist, sarcastic, and/or belittling. Included among these comments were references to Black people as baboons, comments encouraging Black people to go back to Africa, and comments that referred to Black languages as "ooga booga". I've included a few of these trolling comments for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

These selected comments are given in relative chronological order with the earliest published comments given first, except for responses. Numbers have been assigned to these comments for referencing purposes only.

This is just one of many YouTube videos about reactions to the Black Panther movie. Another YouTube video about Africans reactions to the 2018 Black Panther movie is "Lyupito Nyong'o's Kenyan hometown hosts early premier of Black Panther" published by CGTN America, on Feb 14, 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g76yrI0z1us.


1. Elder Sun, February 17, 2018
"I AM SO PUMPED TO SEE THIS MOVIE. THE WORLD IS READY. IT IS TIME. " WAKANDA FOREVER "👍 ... 😬🇺🇸"

**
REPLY
2. Charles Baylor, February 17, 2018
"Africa Forever

Wakanda Forever"

**
3. Jahiem Roberts, February 17, 2018
"Just love how everyone is so well attired! Beautiful..."

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REPLY
4. Terry Power, February 17, 2018
"What a sight to behold! #BlackPantherDiaspora"

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5. AquadiLuisa, February 19, 2018
"Jahiem Roberts Actually, people IN Africa, dress their culture everyday. Those in the city mix traditional & modern all the time. It's only outside of Africa, people wear their tradition less often. To us it's not fashion, it's our culture. Peace & Blessings"

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6. sonic hedgehog, February 18, 2018
"yet wakanda doesn't exist."

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7. memyself4ever1, February 18, 2018
"Neither does Gotham City or Krypton you cowardly troll."

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8. Michael Omare, February 17, 2018
"watching this movie tomorrow"

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9. TheBrotherFromAnotherPlanet !, February 18, 2018
"Michael Omare Me too...👍😎✊"

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10. The King of Zamunda, February 18, 2018
"Michael Omare You are going to love it."

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11. Cashflow is Contagious!, February 18, 2018
"Well done, 2nacheki and thank you for sharing how the family is receiving the movie in the Motherland!!! Very inspiring to hear, see and feel the good vibes from everyone in your clip."

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12. Hebrew Sistah, February 19, 2018
"3:06 yes we are depicted in a positive light!"

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13. SuperiorWare, February 18, 2018
"Glad they loved the movie. Shouts Out To Africa. Us American Black People LOVE YOU!"

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14. Peace 1, February 18, 2018
"SuperiorWare
we love you too! ❤❤family reunion!"

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15. Kbaf4, February 18, 2018
"I will start celebrating when we start telling our own stories on the big screen. This isn't a critical or impactful moment as a lot of people are trying to make it out to be. Feels kinda pathetic that a white guy wrote this story and another white guy illustrated him and black people are celebrating it as if this is a monumental moment. It's as if we still have no power over our lives and destiny, you can only celebrate when white people decides to give you the spotlight. It's starting to seem to me too many of us just want to sit back, complain about racial and systematic injustices, and wait for white people to do something about it, hoping they change their ways. Because they don't believe in themselves. Because they've surrendered to white power/superiority. This movie means pretty much nothing for black people and Africa. And I bet a large percentage of this movies sales is going to be from black people. And all the money is also not going to the black community. Only impact this movie might have is focusing attention on why Africa, with all it's different, plentiful, and unique resources doesn't look like Wakanda. And maybe from those questions there will be more calls for a push for change. Lets tell our own stories on the big screens. We got a lot of them (epic and real ones). And lets make Africa great again."

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REPLY
16. Linzie Rogers, February 18, 2018
"Excellent point. I posted earlier about being too quick to admire symbolism. You have made some salient inclusions."

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17. Sooper 17, February 19, 2018
"Very well said my friend! It's our thinking that needs to change and then we as a people must follow. We must learn to see the good in all things whether they come from our hands or from the hands of the oppressors. The world is watching and its time for us to make an example of ourselves and showcase the true nature of our people, our cause and our mighty potential. Being Ghanaian I can proudly say that this movie has fueled the dialogue needed within our communities to invoke change. The sleeping giant is about to rise from her slumber!"

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18. cmapp Yasharala, February 19, 2018
"a white person created the character but i believe a black man created the story. correct me if i'm wrong."

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19. lwgoinghome, February 19, 2018
"Stan Lee created the character in 1966 but the writer of this movie and the director are black. This version is also based on the comic book version written by Ta-Nehisi Coates and the other black screenwriter."

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20. Kervin Puckett, February 19, 2018
"First off, the movie and character pull mainly from Christopher Priest’s run who is credited as truly defining and creating Black Panther as we know him. True, white men had their hands on him first and who cares? He was not popular until a black man wrote and drew him, and it has been written and drawn by black men ever since. Get your hate straight dumb dumb."

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21. GhanaianFoundingFather'sDaughter, February 18, 2018
"Some say it's just a fantasy movie so we must get over it. But we've seen them draw inspiration from movies that portrayed their peoples for decades, while we the POAD(People of African descent) support their box office turnout and growth without complaining while supporting them.
So my question is this...why would a people whose very identity and global relevance have for centuries been fueled and sustained on the negation and denigration of the African continent and anything connected or extracted from it, dictate to us #POAD, about how we should feel and behave where the movie Black Panther is concerned?
#WeNeverFreeeeeze #WakandaForever"

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REPLY
22. Shotta Zulu, February 19, 2018
"GhanaianFoundingFather'sDaughter truth"

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23. arkenfel, February 19, 2018
"Because they want it to stay a fantasy, they don't like afrofuturism. They want Africans to live in mud huts, and for them never to progress to a high technological level."

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24. Rick Wyatt Trading, February 19, 2018
"Thank you for the producers of this video. It was refreshing to see my African brothers and sisters have the same reaction we have here in America of this iconic movie. On a side note, its nice to see the economics in several parts of Africa as developed, unlike the stereotype many people see here as well. I have always been proud to be black but it increased 100 fold after this movie."

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REPLY
25. Peace 1, February 19, 2018
"Rick Wyatt Trading
you are always welcome in Africa ❤❤"

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REPLY
26. james Kenzo, February 19, 2018
"Rick Wyatt Trading
Thank You brother Love From Africa"

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27. Man O War, February 18, 2018
"Thank you Africa for helping to break the white hollywood stereotype that black cinema "does not travel". As far as I'm concerned, Black American and African reaction to this film is all that matters to me.

It now proves to me that now BLACK producers and filmhouses can use their own writing, people, and production to draw our people internationally without using white money."

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REPLY
28. Saro M, February 18, 2018
"Man O War ironically it was white Americans who gave life to this comic series"

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29. ANGELENE R, February 18, 2018
"Welcome's House Yes white man did BACK IN 1966"

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30. Vision L, February 18, 2018
"Stan Lee & Jack Kirby created the character."
But Director Ryan Coogler and Joe Robert Cole, both black America's wrote this story.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Panther_(film)

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REPLY
31. Burning Blue Saiyan Spirit Vegeta, Feb 18, 2018
"IT still is the WHITE mans movie let alone they created the character!"

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32. stylez p, February 18, 2018
"Saro M does correct,but at least we have a black crew working in this movie, but Disney owns Marvel now so in terms of distribution and copyrights they gonna make a huge money , we need more black independent produces"

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33. Away Etienne, February 18, 2018
"I believe we here, the Melinated folks here on the American continent and African continent need to have a Wakanda globally melinated people are everywhere, must not forget why the villain killmonger went against his people originally, he felt like the wakandans turned there back on the rest of the melenated folks that looked like him, truth is we are all Melanated Aboriginals wordwide and need to uplift each other to bring the planet back, the earth is suffering now we need to bring her back starting with building everywhere our own ways, methods and styles without interferences"

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34. Bernice Johnson-Johnson, February 18, 2018
"The world fears this kind of love , support and unity."

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35. Hisbeautiful Truth February 18, 2018
"Bernice Johnson-Johnson -- Yes it does. Its reflected in the comments ."

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36. Sam Manghane, February 18, 2018
"This is one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. It was one thing for African Americans to be stoked about this movie, but to see beautiful Africans embracing this movie for the very same reason we are here in America...amazing. We all realize how important representation is."

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37. KuttyJoe, February 18, 2018
"That was great to see. I was wondering how my brothers and sisters on mainland felt about the movie and I'm encouraged by their responses. My 2 cents is that this reminds us of our commection. We in the diaspora are still sons and daughters of Africa. By force the connection was broken, but I feel like this movie can inspire us to remember that we are one, and that we can begin to behave that way."

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38. Rocky Mountain Rob, February 18, 2018
"I really liked this video. It made me happy. Great job, it was wonderful to see African people beaming about this. Yes, to see people portrayed in such a light is refreshing. I just get tired of hollywood typical black stereotypical portrayals of Blacks as Gangsta's or Slaves (i know there's more, Tyler Perry comes to mind...he's putting out good movies...but), as if there's only two points of interest and little else. Black Panther really hits it out of the park. I LOVE the fashion, not just in the movie, but the people seeing the movie. Good stuff."

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39. Mojo Tech,February 18, 2018
"Seems like these Africans are still disconnected and don't understand the message. Damn shame! Killmonger delivered the most important message from blacks who were removed from the continent to Africans. It is what it is I guess."

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40. Peace 1, February 18, 2018
"Mojo Tech
Im african and i got the message. He really represented the african american point of view. I just wanted to say that African Americans are always a part of africa and ALWAYS loved and welcome. You are wakandan like Michael 😉😁we as africans have to learn as well.. but we are getting there fast. We love you. Always!"

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41. makimoments, February 20, 2018
"Nah im African and killmongers message resonated strongly! You couldn't hate him!"

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42. B J, February 19, 2018
"The opinion of African people and the African Diaspora in general is all I care about. The movie was fantastic! All of these white people who seem to be so upset that there is a film that is not over represented by Europeans/whites can go to hell. The complaints are unbelievable. Africa for the Africans!"

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43. Helmut Weikert February 19, 2018
"B J Africa for Africans huh? How about Europe for Europeans ( whites ). Go ahead, call me a racist you fucking hypocrite"

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44. RealismOfLife, February 19, 2018
"No you're not racist, just don't go around the world , taking and mistreating other people like you're ancestors have been doing for over 1000 years and you're good. When we start to prosper like we did with Tulsa Oaklahoma where yall bombed a black thriving economic city in america just keep away from that mindset and you're good , just stay your colonizing ass in Europe AND YOU'RE GOOD!!!!!But you guys can't do that , why because you have a supremacist mindset that hate black it's in your nature. The U.S have focus on the blacks for soo long that your silly asses forgot about the Chinese NOW THEY'RE ABOUT TO TAKE OVER because your dollar is falling sir, you time is almost up sir . It's funny"

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45. Christopher Neal, February 19, 2018
"Helmut Weikert but what's so funny is that some white people in the u.s. r quick tell blacks to go back to Africa but get upset when we say go back to Europe"

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46. mega jay, February 19, 2018
"B J if white people dont want to see it as well they'd never be a Panther II as the box office wouldn't be large enough. I'm white, my wife is African and we both loved it - White people invented the characters, financed & distributed the film globally. enough of the racial bulls&&t*. It's time to try to get past the mistakes of our ancestors and take a lesson from the movie. And one day see past skin colour as Martin Luther King said"
-snip-
This word is fully spelled out in this comment.

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47. SuperiorWare, February 19, 2018
"FACTS FACTS FACTS BRO. I could care less is anyone besides africans didn't like it. Africans loved it so thats all that matters. White people wanted us in shackles and with no clothes on again. We tired of slave movies. Its annoying."

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48. SuperiorWare, February 18, 2018
"Ya'll had all ya'll movies. We didn't say nothing. Once the black man has a movie where he winning. THE HATE BECOMES REAL! IT ONLY MATTERS IF AFRICANS LIKE IT!"

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49. Sr Ho, February 18, 2018
"A beautiful cast of Black actors set amidst a storyline of Black against Black violence.... celebrate the beauty and intelligence of Black people everywhere, but be cautious of the subliminal messages."

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50. Goddess Goddess, February 18, 2018
"This entire experience is like a long overdue family reunion!!! Our Ancestors are proud... In my Killmonger voice:
Hey 👋🏾 Auntie !!!!"

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51. darmedusa February 18, 2018
"Ok... A stamp of approval from the MOTHERLAND! Now I will go see it! Lol

WE are beautiful!"

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52. Josh D, February 18, 2018
"darmedusa I’ll chip in for a one way ticket for ya to go back to your mother land"

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53. Shelinda Harris, February 18, 2018
"Josh D As soon as you chip in to take your ass back to Europe then we will leave TOGETHER. This is not your country. The caves of Europe awaits😂"

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54. darmedusa, February 18, 2018
"Shelinda Harris (SMH) It's a shame that there's people out there who have nothing else better to do than being the pathetic, simps they are and troll people's comments just to have something racist and/or stupid to say! What miserable people.

I don't respond or go back and forth with stupidity. Doing so unnecessarily feeds their tiny brains and waste my time. But thanks for the back up Sis!

Smack 'em down, girl!! 💪👍😋"

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55. Peace 1, February 18 2018
"darmedusa you are always loved and welcomed in Africa ❤"

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56. MamaMysteriouspgh, February 18, 2018
"I just came back from watching BLACK PANTHER I Loved it!!!! I couldn't sleep last night in anticipation, I still have chills from the awesomeness of it all.... I told my son that I'm thinking about shaving my head and represent, for the sistaz of strength and power. #Wakanda4Life"

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57. MamaMysteriouspgh, February 18, 2018
"the theater I was in this afternoon was sold out and only a handful of the people were black.... wypipo were everywhere, waiting to watch the movie too."

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58. cmapp Yasharala, February 18, 2018
"wypipo, lol"

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59. Hisbeautiful Truth, February 18, 2018
"MamaMysteriouspgh -- I noticed that too, here in Virginia. Surrounded by them. And some were so stiff and uptight 😆😆"

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60. Peace 1, February 18, 2018
"MamaMysteriouspgh
loved it too, sooo beautiful 😍😍😍😍😍"

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61. Denise Harris, February 18, 2018
"Hisbeautiful Truth I'm sure all that melanin scared them to death! Lol"

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62. Peace 1, February 18, 2018
"Denise Harris 😂😂😂i hope so"

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63. Allen Kir Carter, February 19, 2018
"FINALLY❗️❗️❗️
A SuperHero Movie That Doesn’t originate In a european nation👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿❗️❗️❗️"

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64. Sheri Townsend, February 19, 2018
"I too am tired of the endless civil rights/ slave/ hood/ poverty stricken narratives that constantly depict us as victims. I only hope Black Panther inspires Black artists, directors and producers, around the world, to ALSO create future pictures of such quality. There's OBVIOUSLY a demand for it."

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65. Stefanie the co dependent no more, February 19, 2018
"African American bitterness is real and will never be killed until things Change in america. kilmonger was also trying to fight for his ppl too."

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66. Peace 1, February 19, 2018
"Stefanie the co dependent no more
I am african and i definitely see how he portayed the african american point of view.
African americans will always be welcomed and loved in Africa.❤❤
We will reunite. Coons have been ruling back then and are still today. But we as a people love our lost family. Always."

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67. Stefanie the co dependent no more, February 19, 2018
"Peace 1 Thank you. That means alot"

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68. BOA54, February 19, 2018
"Yazz!!!!!!!!! Black Panther!! All the way!!! Nigeria !!!!! 🙌🏼🙌🏼 the cinemas are packed!! A movie that we can totally relate to"

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69. nate smith, February 19, 2018
"This is great. im African American but looking at the reactions makes me feel that I'm not that far removed from African people.we really seem more alike than diffrent.even though after we came to america our history was stripped from us."

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70. Peace February 19, 2018
"nate smith
absolutely we are still family. And you are ALWAYS loved and welcomed in Africa ❤❤
(dont forget to show your lower lip😁👆)"

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71. nate smith, February 19, 2018
"Peace 1 thanks well meet up in wakanda."

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72. Lavette Miller, February 19, 2018
"Love it. I'm just so excited about the feeling of pride that this movie gave to black people everywhere. The clothing and all"

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73. sami sadler February 19, 2018
"Lavette Miller _ We see the movie. Now let's make it real!!!"

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74. RASHTG, February 19, 2018
"Lavette Miller But but but.... what do you want to make a racial thing out of it thou?
Also Africans relate more as the clothing’s aren’t just clothing. They have meaning and some values and some are passed down from 1 generation to the next. Most black Americans have zero clue. They only like it because it’s made by black people and in Africa.

How many of you guys ever heard of Benin? 😂"

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REPLY
75. moval moval
"Rashy stop speaking for everyone like you know exactly what is in their brain. Take a damn seat and stay seated"

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76. Tracelle Moore, February 19, 2018
"This is huge for the Diaspora I want us to put our gifts together and create these works of art and support each other financially so we can become a global superpower"

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77. Peace 1. February 19, 2018
"Tracelle Moore yesss"

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78. Lilli L'amour, February 19, 2018
"It goes to show Africans and Africans in the diaspora when working together, we make beautiful things happen. We have the same desire of respect and self worth. It’s nice to see how this film has brought us together."

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REPLY
79. james Kenzo, February 19, 2018
"Lilli L'amour
Well said Yeah we Africans must work together you see How We made it when we Work together? We should stop discriminate each other My Sister"

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80. Nick Leche, February 19, 2018
"ITS AMAZING TO SEE HOW THE MOVIE SPECTATORS DRESSED JUST TO SEE AN ALL BLACK MARVEL HERO ACT IN A HOLLYWOOD BLOCKBUSTER FILM,ITS AN HONOR TO SEE HOW THE DIRECTOR AND ALL THOSE WHO HELPED TO MAKE THIS MOVIE A HIT,HAS PUT IN THEOR ALL TO MAKE THIS MOVIE SO GREAT,FOR ONCE AFRICANS WERE SEEN FOR SOMETHING GREAT AND NOT ALWAYS SEEN IN THE WAY THE WORLD VIEW US,THANK YOU AND NUFF PROPS TO THE FULL CAST,COMING FROM TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO"

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81. WorldBeat7, February 19, 2018
"this film was epic, awesome in every way! right oN! Wakanda Forever!!

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82. Mike GS, February 19, 2018
"BP IS GREAT IM SO HYPED TO SEE IT. but i wanna see real african heros in the cinima shaka zulu, emperor menelik, queen nizinga, queen Candace,...."

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83. gsr4079, February 19, 2018
"Displaced African living in America here... thanks for sharing this. Too often we don't see videos of our brothers and sisters in the homeland. I like to see how we look and talk and carry ourselves at home. Also looking forward to seeing Black Panther. thanks for filming and sharing this."

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84. Josh D, February 19, 2018
"gsr4079 I’ll chip in for a one way ticket to send you back to the baboons that traded you to the white man"

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85. gsr4079, February 19, 2018
"@Josh - thanks. I'll chip in a few bucks to help you get back to your cave in the caucus mountains so you can live in peace with your neanderthal brethren. that way you can live in your own s&&t* and walk on all fours without anyone judging you for it."
-snip-
This word was fully spelled out in this comment

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86. Nepthu, February 19, 2018
"I hate it when black people say no heroes look like them. Have they never watched Blade, Spawn or Storm from X-Men? There's also been Zack, the black Power Ranger and numerous other black heroes."

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87. Chayah Yisrael, February 19, 2018
"Nepthu Why does it bother you? I as a black person belive blacks go too far in certain things but being excited for a movie is somehow a crime? Oh and ps, go ahead and name me a black super hero movie with a majority black cast. I'll wait."

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REPLY
88. Peace 1, February 19, 2018
"gsr4079
African Americans are ALWAYS loved and welcomed in Africa, because you are a part of us ❤❤❤"

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89. Kervin Puckett, February 19, 2018
"Nepthu those were mostly just black faces on white movies speaking what white writers think they should say and feel. This is the first true Black superhero movie of this scale, where we speak, sound, feel the way we do in reality."

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90. ItsOnly MeMsKim, February 19, 2018
"Nepthu ,Always a r@cist somewhere lurking to post on blk ppl success! IT'S A FICTIONAL MOVIE,DUMB@SS!"
-snip-
This is the way this comment was written in that discussion thread.

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91. Warren London, February 19, 2018
"The Unity we are witnessing from this movie is simply BEAUTIFUL! 😍❤🌍✨"

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92. Water Fountain, Fbruary 19, 2018
"Killmonger is one of my faves in this film. His actions were justified, coming from a blk person's perspective of the African diaspora. Love seeing the dark skin women, strong and feminine at the same time. Blk panther was cool too. Love the costume designs, and the fact that they put real life African nations into the looks."

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93. Lady de Narbonna. February 19, 2018
"I was waiting to hear what African people thought of it. I know some are not saying everything that they truly think here because they don't want to ruin the moment for others. But I'm glad overall they enjoyed it. I have certain reservations about it, but I'm now interested to see it."

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94. ttombow, February 19, 2018
"I like how one of the movie goers is talking about diversity ect.. while wakanda the fictional perfect utopia had none, no one is allowed in, it has borders, no refugees allowed , it's an ethnostate lol. It was an ok movie but I prefer balde"

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95. J Bezzie, February 19, 2018
"It's sad that the Africans in this video are so eager to be acknowledged by the mainstream that they are mostly ignoring what's wrong with this movie. The one guy was pretty accurate and concise. He said "it's like they are massaging the African ego"
If you, as a black person can totally ignore some of the brainwashing going on in this movie, It's actually pretty good, (as far as Disney movies go)..."

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REPLY
96. Peace 1, February 19, 2018
"J Bezzie
african ego needs to massaged MUCH more often.
Whites and asians get it daily 😂
This is just the beginning."

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96. J Bezzie, February 19, 2018
"Peace 1
Nobody's ego needs to be massaged if they are self aware.
It at least takes a little bit more than a child to figure this out.
Africans have Africans to build confidence in who they are. The whole movement for African independence is to be independent. Financially, mentally, and (spiritually)!
Feeding egos only leads to egoism. Just look at white society for reference."

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97. Peace 1, February 19, 2018
"J Bezzie yes african egos need to be deeply massaged. They lack basic confidence. Thats why this is celebrated. And this will inspire black youth to be amazing future artists. Every child deserves a relatable superheroe. 👍👌❤"

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98. dmcarden, February 19, 2018
"The sister at 3:04 from Nigeria, she stated it perfectly! The brothers following her were also on point. It really was nice to see the diversity WITHIN africa as well as the diaspora, and to see us in great roles vs. yet another slave movie (nothing against portraying our truth and obstacles we've faced but enough!). I'm almost 56 years old and to see Africa portrayed beautifully, in fact, what it could have been without colonization (and what it still can be) is ..something I never thought I would have seen in my lifetime (plus I've been reading Black Panther comic book for about 30 years)."

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99. Peace 1, February 19, 2018
"dmcarden wow its truly a blessing, and we will rise even more ❤❤"

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100. Robert Walker, February 19, 2018
"Black panther party Eldridge cleaver Bobby seal fbi infiltration real history I cant get excited about pure fantasy I’m just not hard wired for entertainment. The black youth need to be told the truth."

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101. Shai Reindolph, February 19, 2018
"Black Panther just corrected the mistakes of the movie "gods of Egypt". Cant wait to see Part 2 of this with a taste of the Ashanti kingdom sprinkled on it. Nice one."

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102. LICKMYNYNE, February 19, 2018
"Why did use a south African language if wakanda is where Uganda and Tanzania is in real life? Shouldn't they had used Swahili?"

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103. Dee Naijaboi, February 19, 2018
"I want to say a massive thank you to my blood who put this together. More grease to your elbow".

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This concludes this three part pancocojams series on the 2018 Black Panther movie.

Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about Black Violin and showcases seven YouTube videos of this music group.

Selected comments from two of these videos' discussion threads are also included in this post.

The content of this post is presented for cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the Kev Marcus (Kevin Sylvester) and Wil B (Wilner Baptiste), members of Black Violin, and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post. Thanks also to all others who are featured in these videos.

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INFORMATION ABOUT BLACK VIOLIN (DUO)
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Violin
"Black Violin is an American hip hop duo from Florida comprising two classically-trained string instrumentalists, Kevin Sylvester and Wilner Baptiste, who go by the stage names Kev Marcus and Wil B, respectively.

Kev Marcus plays the violin and Wil B. plays the viola. The two met in high school, went to different colleges, then later reconvened to create the musical group Black Violin. They play a variety of music (relying heavily upon classical music), but are often categorized as hip hop because of the changes to the rhythm and beats. This mingling of hip hop and classical sensibilities is what is generally thought to give them their distinctive style.[1]

The duo current performs with DJ SPS and drummer Nat Stokes.[2]

[...]

Origin Florida, United States
Genres Jazz, Hip hop, Funk, Classical, Modern classical, Fusion
Years active 2004 – present

[,,,]

Black Violin clinched the Showtime at the Apollo 2005 Legend title, of which Sylvester said:

"After we won the Apollo, which is the hardest audience on the planet, we knew there was something there...The hard thing was to package it so that people would give us a chance, because we were doing something that nobody had ever seen. Every time we step on stage, we had to prove it over and over."[6]

Black Violin's popularity has risen with their performance accompanying Alicia Keys at the 2004 Billboard Awards, and by performing on the same bill with some of the industry's biggest artists, such as Wu-Tang Clan, and Mike Shinoda of Linkin Park.[2] The two men are also avid producers and writers, having worked with Kanye West, Tom Petty, Lupe Fiasco, Aerosmith, among others.[7] Most recently, they made a star appearance on "Angelina Ballerina," on the Public Broadcasting (PBS) network."[8]

Furthering their notoriety, Black Violin were invited to play at the Kids Inaugural Concert, one of the inaugural balls for United States President Barack Obama, in 2013."...

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SHOWCASE VIDEOS
Example #1:Black Violin ( 2nd Performance Apollo Amatuer Night 2005)


Rmasai, Published on Jan 17, 2009

Black Violin wowing the audience with their funking unique hip-hop version of some popular hits. Great Performance.
-snip-
Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread (This comments are presented in chronological order with the oldest dated comments given first, except for replies. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only)

1. Angel Kitten, 2009
"these guys are CRAZY WICKED! keep up the GREAT work love the sound"

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2. Rmasai, 2010
"The group name "Black Violin" is derived from the influence of a famous jazz violinist, Stuff Smith; six months before Smith's death, he recorded a solo album entitled Black Violin. The duo decided to name their group after the music of the most inspiring violinist they had ever heard."

**
3. hkfan1980, 2010
"i know they appeared for a 3rd time but did they eventually win for good? :D"

**
REPLY
4. Rmasai, 2010
"Yes, they were crown the champion for that season."

**
5. Jason Winn, 2010
"The order of the songs is as follows:

1. They Reminisce Over You by Pete Rock and CL Smooth
2. Juicy by Biggie Smalls
3. [cant remember]
4. Yeah by Usher"
-snip-
The title of song #1 is also given as "T.R.O.Y."

**
REPLY
6. joewhales91, 2010
"the third song was michael jackson "rock with you""

****
Example #2:
Black Violin ( 3rd Performance - Apollo Amatuer Night 2005 )



Rmasai, Published on Jan 17, 2009
Black Violin electrifying the audience on Showtime on the Apollo Amatuer Night. Great Performance.
-snip-
Black Violin performed the same songs that are listed above. Presumably, they also performed these same songs in their first Showtime At The Apollo show. There's no YouTube video for that performance.
-snip-
Here are some comments from this video's discussion thread (This comments are presented in chronological order with the oldest dated comments given first, except for replies. Numbers are added for referencing purposes only)

1. claritycentral, 2009
"TALENT TALENT TALENT... oh and did I forget to say TALENT....my bad."
-snip-
"my bad" = African American Vernacular English term meaning "excuse me" ("I apologize")

**
2. John JohnnyArt Pavlou, 2009
"These guys totally rock! That's all. Having said that, and having been so programmed by my racist culture, I, a white man, still have to accept their talent and accomplisment through some kind of filter. You have to fight your own ingrained racism. Music, thankfully, is color-blind. Enjoy it!"

**
3. Rmasai, 2010
"No this is not a violin competition, this is Showtime at the Apollo Amateur Night. There are all kinds of acts performing, mostly singing, dancing, and musicians performing against each other."
-snip-
This is obviously a response to a question, but that question is no longer found on that discussion thread.

**
4. SniperkingSogeking04, 2010
"O__O Normally I dislike Hip-Hop but this is amazing! I'm impressed to see how they cleverly integrated Hip-hop with Classical like Nuttin But Stringz! 5/5 from me!!"
-snip-
Here's information about "Nuttin but stringz" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuttin%27_But_Stringz
"Nuttin' But Stringz, also known as N.B.S., consisted of the duo Tourie and Damien Escobar who both play violin.[2] The musicians from Jamaica, Queens played a blend of classical music, hip-hop, jazz, and R&B.[3][2]"
-snip-
Here's more inforamtion about "Nuttin But Strings" from https://www.namm.org/news/articles/nuttin-stringz
Then, in 2004, the Escobars competed in “Amateur Night” at the Apollo Theater. They made it to the final round and
became an overnight media sensation, appearing on the CBS Morning News, the Today Show and Jay Leno. In 2006, they released the GRAMMY-nominated album, Struggle from the Subway to the Charts, but Damien says it wasn’t until their ascent on NBC’s America’s Got Talent—where the duo came in third—that people really “got them.”....
-snip-
Damien Escobar from that duo now performs solo

**
5. a, 2010
"They aint better than "Nuttin but stringz""

**
6. Hipp's Daughter, 2018
"AWESOME PERFORMANCE ⭐⭐⭐⭐"

****
Example #3: Black Violin - "A Flat" (Music Video) (2012)



Black Violin, Published on Oct 17, 2012

Black Violin's new single "A Flat" off of their highly anticipated Sophomore album "Classically Trained" produced by Infamous. Video was directed by @WileyAbbas shot in Brooklyn NYC. @BlackViolin

****
Example #4: Black Violin performs "End of the World" w/ The Imperial Symphony Orchestra (2014)



Black Violin, Published on Feb 18, 2015

Black Violin performs End of the World LIVE with the Imperial Symphony Orchestra in Lakeland, FL (October, 2014). KevMarcus (@kevmarcus), violin; Wil Baptiste @wilbaptiste, viola; Nat Stokes @nathanimal_reallife, drums; DJTK, turntables. Filmed and Edited by: efrenzcinema.com

****
Example #5: Stay With Me - Black Violin (Sam Smith Cover) 2014



Black Violin, Published on Jul 15, 2014

Directed by: Imani Shakur
Filmed at: Peermusic Los Angeles
Performed by: Black Violin
Vocals: Wil Baptiste
Violin: Kev Marcus
Written by: Sam Smith and Jimmy Napes

****
Example #6: Black Violin - Stereotypes



BlackViolinVEVO, Published on Aug 31, 2015

****
Example #7: T&L 2016: Black Violin



NBPTS, Published on Apr 1, 2016

****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides excerpts from five online sites about the meanings of the terms "Black", "Black American" and "African American".

The content of this post is presented for historical and socio-cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
The following excerpts are given in relative chronological order with the oldest article, blog discussion thread, or YouTube discussion thread comments given first. These excerpts and the selected comments from them are numbered for referencing purposes only.

Note that I added several comments to the discussion in this post that is given as Excerpt #2 and to the discussion in this post that is given as Excerpt #4.

****
EXCERPT #1:
From http://newafricanmagazine.com/why-do-you-call-yourself-black-and-african/#disqus_thread"Why Do You Call Yourself Black And African?", written by Guest Contributor Carina Ray, April 2009
"...I am a quarter Italian, but I don’t look anything like my blond hair and blue-eyed Italian paternal grandmother who came from Turin in the far north of the country. Nor do I look anything like my paternal Irish grandfather. The reader wasn’t off the mark either when he guessed I might be Spanish. My mother is part-Spanish. She is also Taíno Indian and African, most likely of Yoruba ancestry, as were many of the enslaved Africans who worked the sugar plantations on the island of Puerto Rico where my mother was born. So there you have it: Taíno, Spanish, Northern Italian, Irish, and yes, African too. Why, you might ask, if I am so thoroughly mixed race do I identify as black and African?

Let me begin by providing the context necessary to understand the particularly unique way in which black is defined in the United States, where I was born and raised. Black, as a legal-cum-racial category, was historically constructed in the broadest possible way in order to expand the number of people who could be enslaved and to limit the legal right of racially mixed people to claim their freedom. Known as the “one drop rule”, the idea that a person with even the slightest trace of African ancestry is black has long outlived slavery in America.

What was once a legal construction became a socially constructed category that has, and continues, to encompass a broad range of very phenotypically diverse black people. While the racial landscape of the US is home to black people of all hues, hair textures, body shapes and sizes, and facial features, we do not all experience our blackness in the same way – far from it. Phenotype, class, gender, and geography all play major roles in shaping our individual experiences as black people in America. Hierarchies based on skin tone, alone, have been at the root of painful divisions within the black community, and are often the basis for preferential treatment within the dominant white society. It has not been lost on African-Americans that if Barack Obama was the complexion of his father, he would likely not be our president today.

If blackness in America has been defined broadly enough to claim me as one of its own, that still leaves the question of why I claim my blackness. I could call myself mixed race or even Latino/Hispanic. I certainly recognise that I am multi-racial, but I don’t feel a common bond with mixed people simply because we have parents of different racial backgrounds. Equally, I’ve always been unnerved by the categories Latino and Hispanic to describe people from the Spanish Caribbean and parts of Latin America that are heavily populated by people of African descent precisely because they erase/e-race our ties to Africa.

[...]

http://newafricanmagazine.com/why-do-you-call-yourself-black-and-african/2/

[...]

...to reduce my blackness to an act of anti-racism would efface the primary role that the black community has played in my understanding of myself. Home is where we see ourselves reflected in the faces, voices, and experiences of others. Home, for me, has always been in the black community. No embrace has been stronger. On 15 August 1993, my 20th birthday to be exact, I landed in Accra, Ghana, for the first time and quickly realised that I was “white” in the eyes of the vast majority of Ghanaians I met.

While I knew I wouldn’t be met with a chorus line of “welcome back our long lost daughter”, I hadn’t expected it to be nearly impossible to convince people of my blackness. And so I resigned myself to being “white”… I stopped explaining and started listening and I learned more about race in America during my first year in Ghana through those conversations than I had growing up in the belly of the beast. What I took away from that experience was the ability to let go of how others see me. For sure, it didn’t take going to Ghana to be mistaken for a white person – that happens here in America, but once you assert yourself as black, people more or less recognise you as such. In Ghana I could argue until I was blue in the face and fail completely to alter my putative “whiteness”.

Making the journey to Ghana, only to have the very reason I was there denied, might seem like a cruel irony; but it freed me to inhabit my racially ambiguous body in a way that lets others see me through their own eyes. So before I answer the question of why I call myself black and an African, let me say that I have no desire to prove my blackness or to legitimise the views that I express in my columns through recourse to blood quantum disclosures. Black is the name I call home. Black is the name that called me home. I call myself an African because I am a Pan-Africanist and like the generation that came before me, I recognise Africa as our collective home. I also realise, as did they, that the greatest obstacle in the way of black people worldwide is the divisions between us. Far from advocating a narrow black nationalism, Nkrumah and Nasser envisioned a Pan-Africanism that encompassed all of Africa’s children at home and abroad. We still have a lot of work to do.".

****
EXCERPT #2
From https://disqus.com/home/discussion/racialicious/fyi_8220black8221_doesn8217t_mean_8220african_american8221/
Here are some comments from this article which doesn't appear to still be online.
1. sharoncullars, 2012
"in my opinion "african american" is the ethnicity of the diaspora who landed on the shores of what would later be called the united states. "black" is the racial umbrella of not only african americans but anyone with a lineage going back to the continent. it shouldn't even be that difficult. the captured africans brought to these shores hailed from various countries and were forced to give up their individual cultures. in the end, the diaspora merged their cultural roots and created their own ethnicity. so african american is on the same line as a polish american or an italian american (who fall under the artificial racial umbrella of "white") with our own cultural history. but people tend to conflate our ethnicity with our race or be disingenous and say that the term applies to anyone hailing from africa. that is not the case as new immigrants coming from africa know the country from which they hail and are not obligated to refer to themselves by their continental lineage."

**
2. nicthommi, 2012
"I think Black people understand the difference. But you will hear many non-black people who have somehow gotten the idea that Black is a slur, and I personally cringe when I have to hear them say "African-American" since I don't think it accurately describes my history.

I think the term African American implies some that we are part of an immigrant group, like Irish Americans or Italian Americans. I think I also implies a more RECENT arrival, which in the case of many groups I mentioned, is true, b/c they arrived in the latter 19th and early 20th century. Sorry, but my African ancestors likely hit land here at least 400 years ago.

The other issue i have with the term is that it is far too limiting. I'm black, live in the US, and it is where my ancestors have been for hundreds of years, but IF your parents came from Brazil, Honduras, the Dominican Republic, Jamaica, etc. it is cutting out a HUGE part of their history. And since 80% of the Africans brought across the Atlantic actually wound up in those countries, they deserve better.

And I also dislike the term b/c it ignores the other huge part of the ancestry of Black American descendants of slaves, b/c I for one would like people to be aware that their arguments about the blackness of people like Halle Berry or Barack Obama don't hold much water when they represent the same mix that the rest of us have. People somehow still think that only "black" people with a non-black parent have mutl-racial ancestry. But at this point we are almost all the descendants of multi-racial blacks. And I don't like the realities of both slavery AND the Jim Crow south (as it relates to black women having no agency over their bodies and being raped for centuries) being swept under the rug by people who assume that my ancestry is 100% African.

But I have heard non-black people refer to Africans, Black Europeans, Black South Americans, Black people from the Caribbean, etc. as "African American", which is hilarious since I wouldn't even respond if someone wanted to put that label on me as a Black American descendant of slaves and "others."I love Black b/c it is inclusive, b/c it can be applied regardless of who your parents are, how dark/light your are, or what languages you speak. Clearly people can identify as they like, but I understand why Halle Berry and Barack Obama are black like me even if the masses chose to get upset by their self-identification.

It makes me part of a larger family that includes people from around the world, and I can proudly look at their skin and feel a sense of kinship even if our paths are otherwise quite different.

I personally will correct people and say "black"...it's who I am. And they'd better get as comfortable acknowledging and saying it and I am being it."

**
Reply
3. Guest to nichthommi, 2012
"nicthommi
I get where you're coming from,But I like the term "African-American" because it was invented by other African-Americans as a term we could claim for ourselves that wasn't slapped on us by white people and everybody else on the planet. For me, "African" signifies where my ancestry is from, "American" signifies where I am now and where I'm going from here. Either "black" or African-American is fine with/can represent me,as who I am."

**
Reply
4. nicthommi to Guest, 2012
"Yes, but I don't think black is an assigned term either. Or at the very least, it was in my opinion very well claimed in the late 60's and 70's.

I'd have to research to be sure, but in the 60's, the polite term was Negro, and in the Deep South, where my parents are from, people said colored. Even my late grandparents said colored.
So the leap from Negro to Black seems to have been self-directed, and I just find African American to be inaccurate for the reasons I already mentioned.

At any rate, both are better than slurs and because I never grew up hearing them, the others just sound very antiquated...not necessarliy slurs, but when I hear someone say "colored" I know a certain opinion is formed by me about them.

I could be wrong, and again would need to do some digging but feel as if Afro-American also developed around the same time as Black but perhaps since it relates to a style it fell out of use.
What I actually dislike is how non-black people seem to believe Black is a dated or insulting term and the slight pause and whisper that preceeds identifying anyone by their race...it's not an insult to call me black b/c black is what I am and it is what means my experience in this world will be different from someone who is not black (or not perceived as black).

**
Azizi Powell Reply to a now deleted Guest comment, 2012
"While Black people living in Europe use specific references such as Black Britons, Black Italians, or Black Germans etc, it seems that since at least the early 2000s accepted collective referent for Black people born in Europe or living in Europe is "Afro-European" and/or "Afropean". A second meaning for those same terms is a racially mixed person of Black/non-Black (usually White) ancestry who lives in or was born in Europe. Here's a link to a recent post that I edited about that subject which includes two videos & excerpts from other online resources on that subject:
http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/07/what-afro-european-afropean-mean.html

**
5. Azizi Powell, 2012
"Here's one way to understand the difference between "Black" ("black") and "African American":

Think about the relationship between males and people. All males are people but all people aren't males.

In the same way, according to the definition of that term that people in the United States use, all African Americans are Black, but all Black people aren't African Americans.

In other words, "African American" is a sub-set of "Black". There are far more Black people in the world than there are African Americans.

For the most part, "Black" refers to people with some Black African descent, although people can debate what "Black African descent" means. I wrote "for the most part" because there are Black people in the world-in Australia, in India, in Melanesia etc- who aren't of Black African descent...but, if you go back far enough, everybody is of Black African descent.

For various reasons, some African Americans (Black Americans) don't like the referent "Black". However, I consider "Black" (spelled with either a capital "B" or a lower case "b") to be an informal referent for the population of people who up to the mid 1960s were referred to as "Negroes" (always spelled with a capital "N"). And I consider "African American" (always spelled with capital "A"s) to be the formal referent for that population.

Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-we-call-ourselves-african-american.html to read a post that I wrote about "Why We Call Ourselves African Americans."

**
Reply
6. Yahmo Bethere, 2012
"I find that people who are being deliberately obtuse really are being intentionally nasty towards AfAms."

****
EXCERPT #3
From https://theracecardproject.com/im-black-but-not-african-american/"I’m Black but not African American"

{Pancocojams Editor's note: There are a total of 342 comments in this discussion as of February 22, 2018 (around 1:00 PM EST). A number of comments in this discussion thread were about race as the commenters believe it is referred to in the Bible.

The first comment in this discussion (which is referred to as "a conversation") isn't dated, but some of the oldest comments that I've read in this conversation have the date stamp "5 years ago", which I've given as "2012". I've numbered these comment with the oldest ones first.

1. Carl Yard, 2012
Hamden, CT [Connecticut]
"I think the term African American was self serving for Black Americans .They obviously did not consider people like me who are black and from the Caribbean or Black people from other countries.How about white people living in America but are from South Africa.They to would be considered African American.I prefer not to be referred to as African American because it omits my Caribbean heritage.I resent that and so do many others."

**
2. Anne, 2012
For us in the growing population of multi-ethnic's this conversation just keeps popping up. At first it seemed simple but now things are kind of confusing. I am black but I am not African American. My mother is Puerto Rican, My father is Panamanian- American. My skin is brown therefore I’m black and black means African American. This wasn’t really an issue until about middle school when I found more and more people asking, "What are you?” My skin is brown, but I have freckles and long curly hair. EVERYBODY thinks I’m black and white but my mother considers herself Hispanic and my father says he’s black. So I’m back/African American and Hispanic?!? But the only choices on those forms are White-not Hispanic, Black/ African American- not Hispanic, or Hispanic. I look like amblack girl (with something extra) but really, I am not African America. My parents aren’t African American and I don’t have any African relatives (not any in the last 6 generations by our count).

So I am black just not African American--right?"

**
3. Carl Yard, 2012
"...I am simply saying that I am Black but not African American.It's just a fact.Who got to decide that all black people are African Americans.That was ludacris .."

**
4. El Tigre in reply to Carl Yard, 2013
"Exactly. People here in the US tend to just classify all brown-skinned people African American. Look on any application, it always says African American to identify anyone who a common person would look at and say "he's African American". They classify brown-skinned Hispanics as African American if your hair isn't straight enough. I'm Dominican-American and I REJECT the term African American. Yes, there is some African DNA in me, but I am made up of three races. Like people being mixed race, tend to just say "I'm Afro American". What about your Native American/Hispanic/Asian and European parts? I hate when people say "you're Afro American, I don't care about you being Dominican, yall the same". There's never a check box for Ethiopian, Dominican, Nigerian, etc. They just like to classify us all as Afro Americans like we have no culture. Afro Amercian should be designated ONLY for the descendants of Africans, who have been in the U.S, and aren't able to identify to a culture."

**
5. mai7, 2013
"I hate it when people insult each other for giving their opinions on a subject. It isn't necessary to be rude. Everyone's opinion is given on what they have read, heard or seen...sometimes how they feel. I am a Black American with African Heritage. Whites are White Americans with European heritage. But no one goes around calling them White Europeans. I think life is too short to worry about anything. I know I am mixed with Indian, but, although both my grandfathers married Indian women we were Black because of our grandfathers. It is too complicated & nobody's business if I do not press that I am mixed. Each grandfather married Black mixed women after their first wives died. Blacks in America lost their cultures when they were brought here. Whites stereotyped Blacks into a food culture as watermelon, collard green, chicken eating people. (Don't white people eat the same?) Slaves had no choice but to eat what was availed to them by Whites. We all have our opinions. And that's fine. If you disagree, that's fine, too. But you can disagree amicably with reference to what you have read. Which could very well be just another opinion. We were not there to witness anything. Therefore our facts are based on someone else's account of things which could be filled with inaccuracies. We will never know for sure. Being rude is showing animosity. Animosity breeds animosity."

**
6. Angela O, 2013
"I am first and foremost an American! I am an American of color...but I am an American. My parents, grandparents, great grandparents and even my great-great grandparents were all born in America! The rest of the world sees us as Americans.
Like so many of us, my long ago African lineage also brings with it ancestors from England---am I English-American; from France---am I French-American; from my full Cherokee great-grandfather---am I Native Indian American? No! No! No!
I AM AMERICAN! I have the same rights as every white American. I may not have been born with the same financial privileges as some other Americans, but i will fight for injustice, for disparate treatment, for unequal pay. I will fight to make sure my children and grandchildren have every educational opportunity as other Americans. I will stand up for my rights....as an American!"

**
7. me, 2013
"The term African American is not a race, black is the race in America. The term "African American" is an ethinic group for people who's ancestors were brought here as slaves. Not every black person in America is a descendant of those slaves and not every black person is an African American. An African immigrant living in America is not an African American, Neither is A Jamaican immigrant etc, AlsoThere are alot of afro-latina, cubans, dominicans, puerto ricans who are not African American but are black. Brazil got more African Slaves than America did. Most Brazilians today have black blood. Just as how the term black doesn't only apply to people of African descendant. They are the blacks or Asia and Oceania. Black Africans were the only black people that Americans had history with so their minds black means someone of African background but in Europe and all over the world its not like that, That black race does not just include Africans."

**
8. Kayla Ann in reply to me, 2015
"I'm Cuban and yes our black ppl come from Africa u ppl need to really read a book!"

**
9. Jaye, 2013
" Doesn't one's race matter when it comes to health, diseases, DNA, etc.? There are diseases that are prone to affect certain races or people from certain countries. If one has a serious medical problem, wouldn't race matter when doctors are trying to discover what medical issue a person may have?

Also, if anyone thinks America will ever be a country where one's race or nationality doesn't matter, keep dreaming. If America ever becomes a place where people are simply "human", I'm sure I will be long dead. I would love to see equality, acceptance and love spread throughout America. But, as of today, December 2013, it is filled with hate.

Anyhow, I'm Black American. Period. Even so, my families roots have been traced back to Ghana and France. I am a mix of African, French and American Indian. I am a Black woman from America; my parents, grandparents, great-grandparents and great-great grandparents all born and raised in America."

**
10. Chris Morgan, 2013
"African American, please are you serious? There is nothing about me that's African. I was born in this country. I fought (NAVY) for this country ( Bosnia). If America goes to war with Africa/ (which country) / the continent, and calls me up the fill the ranks, I would be the first to go because I am AMERICAN. What makes me African? My skin, are you serious. Dam that's provincial. To me, African American refers to a generation of people looking for 40 acres and a biscuit..."

**
11. javontae eaddy in reply to Chris Morgan, 2013
"You mean "mule" not biscuit."

**
12. Esi, 2013
"I've read and also heard many comments including "not all Africans are black" or "not all blacks are from Africa". Many "blacks" from the Caribbean or elsewhere dislike being referred to as an African American but in that same disgust label Africans, as African Americans. Africa is a continent not a country of origin and in no shape or form the bases for why one should be called an African American. Making the comment that one from Africa, in America would be or is called an African American is incorrect.

As a Ghanaian, I like many others dislike being referred to as African Americans. Africans are who they are based on their origin, and more specifically their tribe. That speaks volume. It's a reason why many Africans do not join in the debate of race,which is only an issue in America. The argument on race or African American sounds foreign. It hits a nerve when I am called African American because it erases who I am, my identity and says nothing about me or where I am from, and not because it's a bad term to describe me. comments like I am Caribbean so don't call me African American due to facts that I know nothing of Africa, only parts of me have African ancestry, or I am mixed race but then calls someone like me an African American makes no sense to me. if you call me African American because I am from Africa then what would call one like me in France, Britain etc

Black does not mean African, neither does African mean black. The issue of race is so complex and only found in America. The rest of the world sits in aww while we watch this unending debate march on. If not to be referred to as an African American is on the bases of being mixed or from different ancestry, then many whom you call African Americans also have Native American, White and Indian ancestry etc. Never have I witness people make the same mistakes that they accuse others of.

Ask me who I am and I would say that I am a Ghanaian, an Akan and from the Fante tribe. That gives you an insight of who I am am, the type of food or cuisine, music, dance, language, art etc. Africa is a continent with a vast array of history, languages, art, culture, custom. It's not one huge place. If not the most, it is one of the most diverse continents on the planet.

Believe it or not, the issue of race is only in America. A Ghanaian, Moroccan, libyan, Egyptian, Nigerian, South African etc, in UK, France, Spain etc is never referred to as something different from who they are. Most think of Africa as "black" and couldn't never wrap their mind around counties like Egypt, Chad being in Africa. Has anyone every looked at those from Papua New Guinea? Guess what they also have features as "blacks" in Africa. It was said that they resemble those from Guinea hence the term Papua New Guinea.

African American is a term coined to describe Americans with full or partial ancestry from Africa, but they themselves are not African. During the trade, there were those who ended in the Caribbean, South America, North America and so fourth.

You're Jamaican, French, British, Canadian, Panamanian, Haitian, Dominican, Cuban etc because that's where you're born or originate. Though you may have some ancestry from Africa. Like wise there are those who wouldn't mind being called African American, black American or simply American. They know nothing of the continent, it's people, languages, culture etc but are American. And there's nothing wrong with that. It's perfectly fine. Let's not make it a bad term.

Maybe the term African before American furthers their identity. It tells of their story, the history of their forefathers and what they endured, their culture, struggle, achievements etc. African American is a term on its own, and with its own history. It certainly does not mean an African, in America. Those are two different and I may add separate things, and leaving everything else out, history. It's an identity of its own. I, an Akan from Ghana like many others have a totally different history from that of an African American. I cannot relate or understand the struggle that their folks endured because it's not mine. Maybe taking the African out May also be dismissing their heritage, history or most importantly their identity.

It only becomes an issue when all are grouped in one category. Call people what they want to be called. Just ask them first and never assume."

**
13. eusdart, 2013
"To each his/her own -however: Black is a term derived from the Portuguese word "Negra" meaning BLACK, which became Negro, N..., Colored, and now Black - all of which was key to stripping African people of their history,culture, language,and most importantly IDENTITY. To embrace "Black" as your identity leaves you without history or knowledge of self beyond a few generations. I take pride in being African (first) and no pride in being american - why should any of us? I am simply an African born in a foreign land with papers to move about more freely than others. Whether you now hail from Brazil, West Indies, or any of the other port-of-calls where Africans were re-settled by force-of-arms does not change the fact that you are of African descent, and in the eyes of Europeans and their descendants you will always be AFRICAN (or as they put it BLACK - meaning African), first/for-most/and finally, regardless of which country you now call home.

I cannot fault any of you for your confusion about self because it took over four centuries and tremendous effort (that continues even now) to reduce your beliefs to what they are today."

**
14. Jake in reply to eusdart, 2013
"Yes, we're of African decent, but can you point to a tribe or identify with a culture. The only ethnicity you're familiar with is the black one here. Leave it at that, because the Africans don't want you. Neither do the Caribbeans. The fact is, they sold our people down the river, and they're laughing at us to this day. The only people we have are each other, and we as a nation better deal with that. The fact is, US blacks have an awful lot of heritage in common, and this heritage is distinct to America. Therefore, we are truly American the same way people from Mexico are Mexican. And since Africans don't want us, we shouldn't use that in our name. "Black Americans" is what we are, and it is the identity we should hold. And everyone can tell what that means, even the children of Nigerian immigrants who want to steal our Affirmative Action>"

**
15. Dixie Burge, 2015
"Because black people born in America are Americans just like anybody else born in America. They aren't Africans because that's not where they were born. They aren't "from Africa", as you say. However, their original ANCESTORS were from Africa, because that's where they were born. The country of our birth determines our nationality, not our race."

**
16. ph in reply to Allen Shaw, 2017
"What about the millions of White people with 1% to 29% African DNA?"

**
17. Allen Shaw in reply to ph, 2017
"I do not even begin to understand your question.

Many people believe the terminology for a Black in the United States is anyone with a "drop" of Black blood is Black, therefore they would be an African American.

It does not make any difference what this wasted conversation attempts to accomplish, the truth is people are whatever they think they are and what others around them think."

**
18. ph in reply to Allen Shaw, 2017
"The truth is people are whatever DNA they received from their birth parents. It does not matter what others around them think because people were not conceived by others. People are conceived by their parents (Male & Female). It is apparent that the "one drop rule of African blood" does not apply in this modern day. If this was true; the percentage of Blacks in America is estimated at 46% instead of 13%."

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EXCERPT #3
The discussion thread for the YouTube video "Africans Reacting to Marvels Black Panther Movie - NO SPOILERS"*
contains a somewhat off topic exchange of comments in response to the question "What is the difference between African Americans and Black Americans?"

Some commenters (including me) attempted to answer the question as it was written. But the person who posed that question clarified that he (or she) meant "What is the difference between Africans and Black Americans?"

It appears that the question that the original commenter was asking was "Are Black Americans (and other people in the Africans Diaspora) Africans? The answer that most people gave to this question (even though it wasn't asked that way) was "Yes".

However, I didn't read that question that way and instead attempted (in a much too convoluted way) to answer the question "What is the difference between African Americans and Black Americans"? And other commenters also interpreted that question that way.

Here are all the comments in that discussion (as of Feb. 20, 2018 around 6:00 PM) These comments were numbered for referencing purposes only and includes one note about an edited version of one of the comments that I posted in this discussion.

*Some other comments from that discussion thread are found in this pancocojams post: http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/02/reactions-to-2018-black-panther-movie.html Reactions To The 2018 Black Panther Movie From Africans And From People From The African Diaspora

From https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo9Ho9T_0u4
Africans Reacting to Marvels Black Panther Movie - NO SPOILERS [selected comments from this video's YouTube discussion thread]

February 18, 2018
1. 2Confuzin 4U
"Quick question: What is the difference between African American and Black American?"

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REPLY
2. one love
"2Confuzin 4U lol and African then.."

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REPLY
3. Madwalka
"You mean africans and black Americans?"

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REPLY
4. Saro M
"Raimot Oni born in different continents"

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REPLY
5. Truth- B-Told
"Raimot Oni

America puts people into boxes it’s always been that way. Black Americans have had lots of titles through the centuries in America. For some reason back in the late 80’s or early 90’s the powers that be decided we should be referred to as African Americans.

It actually makes no sense. Africa is a continent with 54 countries. When I meet people from Africa I always like to know exactly where in Africa. Because slaves were stolen and sold from various counties, ethnic groups and tribes, its impossible for us to pin point an exact country. Most black Americans of the Diaspora know we are of African descent but we don’t identify with any of those countries. We only share skin color and some ancient history. Culturally we are different."

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REPLY
6. jarrod black
"I am "African" American because my ancestors were bought from various countries in Africa (only God knows for sure which ones) and brought to the United States for slavery. We cannot possibly claim any particular African country so...silly as it may seem...we satisfy that longing for "connecting to our roots" by simply claiming the entire continent of Africa. Black Americans are the other groups of blacks who reside here, but whose ancestors did not come here in chains. Basically a typical black American should be able to tell you exactly where their roots are...whether they are Jamaican...Nigerian....Etc. A black american can be from anywhere, but should know their roots; An African American can only use an educated guess. Truth be told African Americans should identify simply as "Americans" since we've been here so long...but our country makes American to mean by default that you are White. African-American is used stateside because obviously we are not white and obviously we do not know which countries our ancestors come from....so....African-American is what we called ourselves...and Black American is what is used by the white media to differentiate betwixt the two groups."

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REPLY
7. Welcome's House
"2Confuzin 4U do u mean african and african american ��"

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REPLY
8. Welcome's House
"Truth- B-Told lol some ancient, it doesn t matter if u don t know which country your ancestors came from, if u want to know more about us u can visit, make friends; go there do some charity work; learn a language, cook our food, wear our clothes marry our men or women.... these days everything is possible to build a bridge and break the barriers if u guys want to know about our culture. We share more than just a skin colour, trust me, i don t know if u r a believer in christ Yahweh is our father and creator. Lets unite not divide peace and love"

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REPLY
9. 2Confuzin 4U
"Welcome's House yes that is what I meant thanks��"

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REPLY
10. TrancEndingMedia
"Black americans are still afrikans buddy"

REPLY
11. Welcome's House
"jarrod black get u back home in my country we call african american black american loll it s when i moved to europe i found out that u r called african american. I think it s good that u r called african american it gives u some sense of belonging, knowing where your ancestors came from."

**
February 19, 2018

REPLY
12. S Ozb
"God does know and you can know too. African Ancestry will tell u exactly what tribe your ancestors are. You are African. No one can take your heritage from you."

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REPLY
13. The King of Zamunda
"Raimot Oni It is the same thing."

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REPLY
14. Raimot Oni
"Its gotten a bit more confusing and complicated. From some explanations above, blacks that do not know their ancestral lands are African American. Kinda tricky though cause there are whites who identify as African American. Blacks and Whites who are citizens of an African country and the US identify as African American. See Charlize Theron for example. She is white but is African American. She is from Africa but is now an American citizen."

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REPLY
15. adlerzwei
"TrancEndingMedia Most black Americans are African genetically, but not culturally."

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REPLY
16. Harambee Gardens
"Truth- B-Told
I couldn't disagree more. Before intruders & invaders corrupted our way of life, Africa had none of today's physiological borders. Yes, 'physiological', because we, the people, and the land had a unified geographical and spiritual relationship according to the milieu of the entire continent. We had overlapping ideals, expressed in beautiful variety in relationship to each other and the land, throughout.

The similarities in culture of divination, ancestral praise, the quintessential African drum (in all of Africa), headwraps & flowing robes, use of gold (on our bodies, in our art and in rituals), use of body edifying, etc.

The false narrative of division is what weakened us. We maintained nation-state identifying variances for maintaining spiritual balance in the land. For example, wearing white in one nation-state expressing 'reflecting', and wearing black in another, expressing 'absorption'.

There was always homogeny in the thread of 'Tradition' that made all Africans one, while still maintaining variance & regional identity."

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REPLY
17. Azizi Powell
"Americans" actually could mean people from Canada in North America, and people from South America etc., but usually "American" means a person from the United States.

The way I define "African American" is that it's a sub-set of "Black American". I'm African American and Black American. The definition of "African American" that I use is a person who is from the United States who has some Black (African) descent.

I believe that the term "Black American" as it is used in the United States is a person of some Black African descent who was born to parents who aren't Americans (i.e. from the USA). For example, a person from Jamaica or from other Caribbean nations, or a Black Canadian, or a Black Briton, or a Black person from Europe, or a Black person from Asia, or a Black person from South America who lives in the USA -- All of these people are "Black Americans", but not (necessarily) "African Americans" - unless they live in the United States and choose to consider themselves African American.

Given these definitions, the referent "Black American" is larger than the referent "African American". Also, contrary to what some people elsewhere have written, all African Americans don't have to be the descendants of a Black person who was enslaved in the USA or enslaved elsewhere.

Also, for the purpose of this discussion, I'm not considering the population of Africans who aren't Black but could also be considered "African Americans" if they live in the USA. While that is true, this isn't the general meaning of "African Americans" for Black people in the USA (remember, this includes African Americans) or for non-Black people in the USA.

In summary, as a point of reference, use the terms "African American", "Black American", "Black", and Person Of Color to refer to myself (Person of Color being a referent that includes all of the world's population except White people. I prefer that referent to "White" and "non-White").

I admit that these definitions are in flux and are confusing.

One love!"

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REPLY
18. Azizi Powell
"To clarify, all African Americans don't have to be the descendants of a Black person who was enslaved in the USA or enslaved elsewhere because not all African Africans were enslaved and all people of African descent from the Caribbean islands (who later came to the United States) weren't enslaved. Most were but not all."

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REPLY
19. JADA LUV
"Azizi Powell lala land is real you know good and we are AFRICAN AMERICAN"

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REPLY
20. Azizi Powell
"Jada Luv, perhaps I should note that as a 70 year old woman I recall when we were called "Negro" and "Colored people" and "Afro-American". I agree that what we call ourselves is important.

I'm NOT saying that by referring to myself or referring to some other people as "Black American" it means that I'm down playing my (or their) Black African ancestry..

I stand by my position that any person of Black (African) descent from the United States is a Black American. If [any] Black person [living in] the United States chooses, he or she can also refer to themselves as an African American. But I think that usually, the term "African American" is only used for people with one or both birth parents who were born in the United States."
-snip-
Editor's note: The words in brackets are what I meant to write and not how that comment is given in that discussion.

**
REPLY
21. Wave's World
"2Confuzin 4U smh am an African born I. the Caribbean. we are Africans globally"

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REPLY
22. Azizi Powell
"Wave's world. Yes. I absolutely agree that all people of African descent are African globally regardless of where we live. However, that doesn't mean that we share all of the same histories and cultures.

However, with regard to Black people living in the United States, if we "look Black" we are likely to experience institutional racism if not personal racism regardless of whether we call ourselves African Americans, or Black American, or Jamaican, or Bajan, or Black Brazilian, or Black Briton, or Nigerian, or South African etc.

That is my larger point. Again, I celebrate Black people's African cultural heritages and the unity that we should have but far too often don't have on that continent and elsewhere, like in the United States."

**
February 20, 2018

REPLY
23. hopelovelle
""African Americans" are not African at all they are Hebrew Israelites. The powers-that-be want them to become African so that the world will think that they are nothing, but they are really everything and they are under the curse of the almighty GOD for disobeying his laws and they were thrown out of Jerusalem in 70 AD but they were only going to be under captivity for 400 years and that 400 years is up in 2019 they are leaving and they will get there might back and all of their inheritance including the land of Israel. Africans and what you like to call Black Americans or blacks or Negros or colors ,they have absolutely no relation to Africans."

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REPLY
24. hopelovelle
"African culture is not negro culture they are mixing the two up to create confusion"

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REPLY
25. Valentina Worldwide
"2confuzin4u around here confusing people"

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REPLY
26. GMSkillah Qam
"Nigerian and South African are not the same, so why expect differently with African Americans?"

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REPLY
27. Fair-Is-Foul& Foul-is-Fair
"Raimot Oni Africans receive reparations from black Americans enslavement that continues to today. While others will continue to allow others to name them like animals I will not. I have no feelings or kinship to Africa nothing personal. The klan that control the world works through confusion."

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EXCERPT #4
From https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2018/02/21/black-history-african-american-definition/1002344001/?utm_source=feedblitz&utm_medium=FeedBlitzRss&utm_campaign=usatoday-newstopstories
"There was a time when being black in America meant you were most likely descended from one or more enslaved Africans who had survived the trans-Atlantic slave trade. However, as the number of African and Caribbean blacks immigrating to the USA has increased, so have the chances that someone who identifies as black or African-American is a first- or second-generation immigrant.

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of African immigrants in the USA has risen about 2,500% since 1970 — from 80,000 in 1970 to about 2.1 million in 2015. That number increases to 3.8 million black immigrants when those from Caribbean nations are counted, according to 2013 data.

The influx of foreign-born blacks has energized the debate about what “African American” means today. Does that category include people like the model Iman and the singer Rihanna — born in Somalia and Barbados, respectively — or can only those whose family trees were violently uprooted and replanted on U.S. soil hundreds of years ago claim that designation?

At the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, exhibits are inclusive, representing the wide range of “Americans of African descent affected by the historical American experience,” said Ariana Curtis, the museum’s curator for Latino history and studies. “We understand that the African-American experience in the United States is diverse.

While many black immigrants embrace the African-American label and culture, not all are quick to jump into a melting pot that might dilute their distinct cultures.

[...]

Joanne Hyppolite, a curator at the Smithsonian museum who was born in Haiti, says: “Black immigrants come here, and they’re introduced to American race relations. You begin to see a shift in perspective in their own understanding of how race works in America.”

Hyppolite says that despite minor misunderstandings, there has always been a kinship between black immigrants and descendants of the enslaved that has helped shape America.

“Whether that’s Stokely Carmichael (born in Trinidad), who coined the term ‘Black Power’ during the 1960’s civil rights movement, or Malcolm X, whose mother emigrated from Grenada,” Hyppolite says, “they’re all defined as African American.”...

****
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Visitor comments are welcome.

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides information about the history of Zydeco music and showcases seven YouTube examples of Zydeco.

Given in the order of the YouTube examples below, the featured artists in this post are Clifton Chenier, Queen Ida and The Bon Temps Zydeco Band, Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi Rollers, Buckwheat Zydeco, Boozoo Chavis, and CJ Chenier.

The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, entertainment, and aesthetic purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the originators of Zydeco music, and thanks to the performers who are featured in these embedded videos. Thanks also to all those who quoted in this post and thanks to the publishers of these videos on YouTube.
-snip-
A no longer available version of this post was published in 2012.

****
INFORMATION ABOUT ZYDECO MUSIC
EXCERPT #1
From http://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/cajunzydeco.html"Cajun and Zydeco Music Traditions" By Barry J. Ancelet
"Cajun music and zydeco are closely related parallel music forms. Cajun music is the music of the white Cajuns of south Louisiana, while zydeco is the music of the black Creoles of the same region. Both share common origins and influences, and there is much overlap in the repertoire and style of each. At the same time, each culture proudly and carefully preserves the identity of its own musical expression.

[...]

Zydeco, zarico, zodico, zologo, and even zukey jump represent a few of the spellings used by folklorists, ethnomusicologists, record producers, and filmmakers in their attempts to transcribe the word performers used to describe Louisiana's black French Creole music. The spelling zydeco was the first to appear in print, used by ethnomusicologist MacCormack in the early 1960s. Today it is the most widespread label and most record companies favor it.

Because its language is French or Creole, zydeco tradition has largely remained a mystery to outsiders. Folk spellings and folk etymologist often develop to explain or rationalize words and expressions whose origins or exact meanings have become unclear. Native Louisiana Creoles explain that the word zydeco comes from les haricots after the expression "Les haricots sont pas sale" ("The beans aren't salty"), heard in many of the tradition's songs. However recent studies based on early Louisiana recordings made by Alan and John Lomaz suggests that the term, as well as the tradition, may have African origins. The languages of West African tribes affected by the slave trade provide some clues as to the origins of zydeco. In at least a dozen languages from this culture-area of Africa, the phonemes "za,""re," and "go" are frequently associated with dancing and/or playing music.

In South Louisiana, the meaning of zydeco has expanded (or survived) to refer to dance as a social event and dance styles as well as the music associated with them: Creoles go to a zydeco to dance the zydeco to zydeco music played by zydeco musicians. Used in an expanded way, as a verb, zydeco seems to have other meanings: "Let's zydeco them," or "Let's go zydeco." Community musicians are described as zydeco kings, queens, and princes. Community dance events, which provide the primary opportunity for courtship, are announced as zydecos. The word zydeco also refers to hard times and, by association, to the music that helped to endure them. In black American tradition, this music is called the blues, whether it be a "low-down" blues lament which relieves by purging, or a jumping, juking blues which relieves by distracting. Zydeco's bluesy side is sometimes based on melodies and rhythms of a delta blues tradition. Other times, an interesting confluence of European and Afro-Caribbean rhythms and sources produces haunting songs which function equally well as blues laments and as waltzes."...

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EXCERPT #2
From http://web.lsue.edu/acadgate/music/history.htm "Archive Files of Cajun, Creole, and Zydeco Musicians Posted between 1999 and 2008" [This link is no longer operable.]
"Both Cajun music and the Creole music that evolved into Zydeco are the products of a combination of influences found only in Southwest Louisiana. According to Alan Lomax in his notes to a CD collection of field recordings in Louisiana that he and his father, John Lomax, completed in the 1930s, "the Cajun and Creole traditions of Southwest Louisiana are unique in the blending of European, African, and Amerindian qualities."

...The music of Creole culture drew on the same French traditions as Cajun music but added to that the influence of African music in the New World–the rhythms of the Caribbean or the soulful melodies of the blues or a combination of these sources and more. The Lomax recordings include examples of jurés, sung dances in a style typical of West Africa and the West Indies in which "melodies are built around a refrain that has a danceable rhythmic shape and that enables the group of singers to make music for collective dancing.""Blues de la prison," another song recorded by the Lomaxes, draws on the style of singing that evolved from West Africa to become American blues.
...Like the Cajuns, the Creoles had house dances, clearing out all the furniture and bringing in musicians who would play until early in the morning. Often, there might be only one musician, like the legendary Amédé Ardoin, who exerted a major influence on the development of both Creole and Cajun music. Ardoin and a number of other Creole musicians would also play at white dances. Eventually, Ardoin became acquainted with the Cajun fiddler Dennis McGee. Together, they began to play at dances throughout the region. According to Dennis McGee (as quoted in Ann Savoy's book), "We played in Kaplan, at Bayou Noir, Lake Charles, everywhere. Everybody went crazy when Amédé played. Oh, I loved that little guy's music…. He had a song he'd cry out in–it would make me shake when he'd take to singing it." Most Cajun vocalists also used a high-pitched singing style to match the musical key of the songs and to carry across the dance floor, but few singers could approach the emotional power of Amédé Ardoin.
...The Lafayette-based organization C.R.E.O.L.E, Inc. defines Creoles “as individuals of African descent whose cultural roots have been influenced by other cultures such as French, Spanish, and/or Indian. These individuals have traveled through the centuries carrying their oral history, art forms, culinary skills, religious beliefs and kaleidoscope culture.” The Louisiana Creole Heritage Center defines Creoles as “people of mixed French, African, Spanish, and Native American ancestry, most of who reside in or have familial ties to Louisiana." Using either definition, Zydeco is “Creole music,” created and performed by Creoles. However, in the way the term is widely used today specifically in reference to music, “Creole” usually describes music performed by Creoles in the Creole language, in the old style that includes the fiddle as part of the instrumentation, a music known in an earlier era as “la-la music.” In interviews, Canray Fontenot and Bois Sec Ardoin both referred to their music as “Creole music." Clifton Chenier, the King of Zydeco, sang many of his songs in Creole, including some classic Zydeco songs performed with his uncle Morris Chenier on fiddle, and many Zydeco bands include music from the older Creole tradition as part of their repertoire, so, in practice, the terminology used to describe Creole music in Southwest Louisiana can be applied in a variety of ways. In the case of the group the Creole Zydeco Farmers, "Creole" might refer to music, language, culture, and ethnic background all at the same time. The key point is that both the older style la-la music and today's Zydeco are products of the Creole people of Southwest Louisiana and their rich culture.

...Everyone agrees that the name Zydeco is derived from the phrase "les haricots sont pas salés": the snapbeans are not salty. Tisserand and Ben Sandmel both discuss the history of the word Zydeco and its variants like zordico. Barry Ancelet has an essay on the term in Creoles of Color of the Gulf South. For most listeners of Zydeco, however, the musical meaning is captured in Clifton Chenier's signature song, "Zydeco Sont Pas Salé," recorded in 1965 at the Gold Star studio in Houston."...

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SHOWCASE YOUTUBE EXAMPLES
With the exception of Example #1, these examples are given in chronological order based on their publishing date.

Example #1: Zydeco Sont Pas Sale [1965 sound file]



Clifton Chenier - Topic, Published on Nov 6, 2014

Provided to YouTube by Warner Music Group

Zydeco Sont Pas Sale · Clifton Chenier

The Best Of Clifton Chenier

℗ 2003 Arhoolie Productions Inc.

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Example #2: Queen Ida and The Bon Temps Zydeco Band - Rosa Majeur



sexmex5, Published on Apr 6, 2008

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Example #3: Beau Jocque



zydecodave1, Published on Sep 24, 2010

The great Beau Jocque and the Zydeco Hi Rollers doing the "Beau Jocque Boogie" from the Robert Mugge film "True Believers." Maybe someday we'll all be lucky enough to see the movie that this clip came from, "The Kingdom of Zydeco."

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Example #4: Buckwheat Zydeco - Hey Ma Petit Fille



John Hulme, Published on Oct 3, 2010

Buckwheat Zydeco - Hey Ma Petit Fille I'm Going Now - from the Montreux Jazz Festival 1989

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Example #5: Paper in my Shoe - Boozoo Chavis (Live)



Eric Cajundelyon, Published on Aug 23, 2011

1988 Live version of "Paper in my shoe" or "J'ai un papier dans mon soulier" in Louisiana French Cajun/Creole language with the long time Boozoo Bass player, Classie Ballou Jr... ...Wilson Anthony "Boozoo" Chavis from Lake Charles, LA .(1930-2001) was a zydeco musician - music created by French speaking Creoles of South-West Louisiana. He was active from 1954 until his death during which time he largely sang and played the accordion. Chavis was also a prolific writer of zydeco songs. Many of his songs have become standards of the zydeco repertoire, in spite of, or perhaps because of, their generally idiosyncratic and quirky construction and subject matter. "If it's wrong, do it wrong, with me," he would tell his band. "If I'm wrong, you wrong, too!" Boozoo was crowned "The King of Zydeco" in New Orleans in the 1990s. His son Charles was a member of his band at the time.

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Example #6: Clifton Chenier - Rare Video Clip



Michael Hébert Music, Published on Mar 31, 2016

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Example #7: CJ Chenier "Bon Ton Roulet" On Tour Preview - May 26, 2016 Episode



whyyphila, Published on May 24, 2016

Clayton Joseph Chenier, the son of the great "King of Zydeco", Clifton Chenier of Texas, first performed with his famous father and the legendary Red Hot Louisiana band in 1987. Chenier now extending his father's legacy as band leader, commands the accordion performing a variety of zydeco, Cajun and creole music. In this episode, we explore the unique Louisiana culture, and its rich musical history.

****
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