I had some delayed reactions to the election of Joe Biden. When it became clear on November 7th that he won I, like many others, felt a major sigh of relief and some joy about the ousting of the guy in office now. I immediately called some friends and went to my back yard and shouted. But I also felt a bit numb and not as totally overjoyed with emotions as I was when Obama won. Cleary they were two different situations, but in 2008, I knew exactly how I felt, and thought, but this time I wasn't sure. Most of the day, I watched other parts of the country and world do their thing in celebration and enjoyed seeing it. I also felt jealous because nothing like that was happening where I live. Later in the day, and into the next day, I did get hit with a delayed reaction where something, I forgot what, in my mind suddenly made me realize the importance of Kamala Harris winning.
That fact that a Black woman with Indian and Jamaican heritage would be in the White House and be seen by many in that role is something else. I thought of Ella Baker, Shirley Chisholm, Barbara Jordan and Fannie Lou Hamer, who fought for this country. I thought of all the young people, particularly young girls, and more particularly, young girls of color who will be affected by this. And between President Elect Biden and Vice President Elect Harris, the White House will have Catholic, Irish, English, French, Indian and Jamaican energy floating around. Not to mention that our first Second Gentleman, will be Jewish! That all just kicks into my ongoing thing about culture and its power, whether you navigate to part of what you identify as your culture or get a major connection to something that is supposedly outside your "culture".
This idea of connecting to cultural things really becomes evident to me when watching a genre of YouTube videos that I've recently discovered. A few nights ago I wanted to hear a particular song because of how I was feeling about the election. I forgot which one, but probably something from the 60s, it might have been a Stevie Wonder tune. I usually go to YouTube for this, knowing that it is a dangerous move. I alway fool myself by saying, "I'm just gonna look at this one clip." Of course, that's like trying to eat just one potato chip, so I went down the YouTube rabbit hole. The journey led me to a bunch of videos where young folks, mainly Black, watch or listen to music that has been suggested to them to check out. In all instances they don't know the tune or the artist they are about to experience. I was introduced to this last year when a saw a clip of a set of twins reacting to a Phil Collins tune.
It seems that there is a genre of "First Time" or "Reaction" videos on YouTube. What they see is always something older, which leads to some amusing assumptions they make on the era they are watching, with some thinking a 1940s clip is from the 1960s. But the interesting thing is, just about all these viewers get into what they're watching and have insightful analysis of what they've experienced. The most consistent reaction is that these folks feel the videos show how good someone can be without all the extra technical stuff added to so much of the contemporary music they watch or hear. A few watched a clip from the film, The Last Waltz of the Band and the Staple Singers singing The Weight, and more than one person was knocked out that the drummer (the late Levon Helm) was singing! I watched a couple enjoy, and then try to duplicate, one of my favorite comedy routines, Abbott and Costello's Who's On First But this is a tap blog, right? So, I had to see what the reactions would be to the clip most of us tap dancers, and others, believe is the greatest music/dance number ever put on film.
For years when I taught my course on the history of African American Performance, I would end the semester by showing Stormy Weather. The only problem I had with showing it, was that I could barely wait get to the end so I could see the students' reactions to Cab Calloway and the Nicholas Brothers Jumpin' Jive number. During over more than 40 years of teaching, the reaction was consistent, they dug it. Turns out, the same is true for the folks on YouTube who watched and loved it. One young man, even tried to do one of the splits, and found out how hard it is to do. But what stood out for me was one woman's reaction. As the clip began, and she saw Cab Calloway, it looked as if she was totally taken aback, almost in shock, and when the Nicholas Brothers showed up it was too much and she had to stop the clip. She got herself together and watched the rest, going through emotions and tears, her body as completed affected by the clip. It was even emotional for me to watch. At the end it became clear why she was so taken. Before seeing this clip, she had seen and enjoyed wonderful clips of Hollywood stars like Fred Astaire and Gene Kelly, but seeing Black artists stylishly doing their thing in a Hollywood movie spoke to her in deep terms. It meant so much to her as a Black woman. Plus, she seemed to WANT Cab!
So, this brings me back to Kamala. When you see/experience something you haven't seen before, that you immediately relate to, there is strength to be gained. Whatever it is, and whoever you are, something can happen inside that can move you to action. Like she said in her speech, "...while I may be the first woman in this office, I won't be the last."
Check out the three links below (also click on highlighted areas above for some links) to see three responses to the Jumpin' Jive clip. Watch it in the numbered order 1- 3. No. 3 is of the woman I was describing...save that one for last.
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Peace,
Hank
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