The Supremes "An Excerpt by Donna Scott

DO YOU KNOW WHO THE SUPREMES ARE?

This was a question asked to me by a white DU instructor in a class filled with white students. Me, who is over 40; Me, who lived in Detroit for 22 years, whose son went to the top black high school in Detroit, Cass Tech where Dianna Ross was a former student; me who routinely passed “Hitsville” after dropping my son off to high school; Me, who is buddy’s with the son of Dezie McCullers Senior, another original FUNK Brother, whose brother Jazz trumpeter and drummer Frank worked with Don Was; me, the girl with the big brother who was close, close friends with one of the greatest music industry arrangers, composers, the recently deceased Sir Dean Gant who has composed, arranged and played for GRAMMY winning or nominated, or chart topping artists (Anita Baker, Regina Belle, TLC, Bill Withers, Monica, even Madonna), you name it, he was in that thang). Me, who grew up in the south side of Chi-town. Yvette Griffin, Kimberley Williamson, Sheila McFarland, Tamika Wilson I was asked by a white music instructor “Do I Know who the Supremes are? My online resume shows I was the asst MD over the wildly popular hit stage musical “Where were you in ‘65?” (That featured the music of Mowtown) And pit orchestra (piano) on the hit play “Fo Women” at the Wortham. (Again more Motown music).

Me, whose elementary student Ariel Jones was the niece of Funk Brothers, drummer Uriel Jones. Me, who made sure ALL of my students in Mt. Clemens, black, white, Asian, Latina, non POC, view and discuss “Standing in the Shadows of Mowtown.”! Do I know who the Supremes are? Now I’m sure there’s some reasonable explanation, maybe since I dress so nice, maybe I’m too boogie for Mowtown. IDK? Again implicit bias on what you think I know, where I’m from, what I listen to or wear. Blacks code switch all the time. We’ve got to be bilingual. We speak the Queens English, and we can chop it up ebonically at the local barber shop. That question is like asking “can I touch your hair,” Or saying “you’re articulate for a black person, or you don’t act like the rest of “them.” It was stunning in its obtuseness. It was stunning how an instructor can think white people know more about my culture than I, cuz I don’t have what a grille on my teeth, sagging pants and whatever. Lina Ramos it might have had something to do with how our voice texture is viewed. I was stunned. This instructor really felt they understood black culture. Newsflash, you may study my culture, but I live it. All of it. Periodt (I meant to put that T at the end of the word. Yeah, I code switch all the time, speak the English, Ebonics, street, took Spanish for 6 years.) I know black don’t crack, I got carded forever, and perhaps some think they can out black the black folks, so if you learn our music you’re an expert, right. No you’re not.

Had that instructor taken one minute to try to know me, they would not ask me something so ridiculous. I bit my tongue and said...

Yes, I KNOW WHO THE SUPREMES ARE....

#culturalappropriation, #removesystemicracism. #lamontschoolofmusic #universityofdenver #sayhername #timesout, #kneeonmyneck
, #icantbreathe #foundationsinamericaneducation


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SoUniqueComment
Tulsa Massacre and Minneapolis Riots are not one in the same! Human rights in America.
Human rights are important. I also think American (black) lives are important. Remember Tulsa and remember the lost souls that are not returning after not putting a cop (former) in jail after murder of kneeling on a man's carotid artery for 5 to 8 minutes with the help of three other police officers holding his body down. IF THAT DOESNT CALL FOR JUSTICE, I DONT KNOW WHAT WILL BESIDES VIOLENCE AND RIOTS AND YEARS OF FAMINE EARTHQUAKES FLOODS FIRES MORE WRAITH AND MORE DEATH FROM COVID AND WHATEVER OTHER THING THAT WANTS TO FALL UPON THIS EARTH! Tulsa Oklahoma (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/05/us/tulsa-race-massacre-mass-grave.html) Opens in new page


Vote in local/primary elections; report abuse. The last resort should be violence but decades of built up anger shows. https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nike-disney-24-other-major-215059690.html Funding.
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Song Choice of the Month: So Unique Entertainment

 J.I.D. 

then u gotta new job tell me how that shit workin out, heard u doing pretty good yeah, people talk word of mouth, wasn’t round when u had the dirty house now they won’t leave when u kick em out, these type of people can’t stick around , only down when it’s liquor round or the spliff around, that’s why I don’t fuck with niggaz now, well I fuck with all my niggaz you know the difference, u been living with tunnel vision. You and all your friends are like wonder women, Wonder Woman. Working for it, if you ever wanted something. Searching for a purpose I see what you want. The difference in how you be using your gifts in the midst of the Shit that you dealing with really specific, u pay attention , panoramic u got the vision like a ferdelance u attack and u kill it, sinkin your teeth with the venom, kinda like me with instrumentals or the pen or the pencil or off the temple, pimpin since been pimpin keep it sensible, since u winning your an object of ridicule objects appearing closing than u ready for, obviously u don’t know what’s a head but that’s the reason you can work til u dead

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