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Inside Bowie TV studio with Akinwale Ojomo before my interview on 02/07/12

This week I was invited to be a guest on Global Culture TV which is a program where they interview interesting people who speak with the host (Akinwale Ojomo) about their particular culture, and their observation of various cultures in their personal lives.  The fact that we are also celebrating Black History Month was also another opportunity for us to talk about our individual and collective history.  Not sure if you have been in the position of being interviewed and not having a clue what the conversation will be about...I am not a huge fan of prearranged questions so I was very open-minded and intrigued by the idea of a limitless conversation.  Of course, in my head, I was playing around with many things that I would want to say, but many of those things did not come up in discussion.  In any event, I enjoyed the interview and think I can remember some of the things that we discussed: hair, Rastafarianism, Ghana, the Jamaican versus the American experience, clothes, culture, diversity and much more (we were talking nonstop off-camera and THAT was the good really good part).  Anyway, I hope that you will check out some of the many interviews with other guests on Global Culture TV when you can. Stay tuned to my Facebook Page to see MY interview this week or just check back next week when I will include it here.

In retrospect, it would have been nice to talk about those Historical Black figures who I personally admire but since that question was not asked, I will answer it anyway as I share my soliloquy with you:
"When I was growing up, the 7 national heroes of Jamaica were the figures I admired and respected the most.  Later on, I began to have a special liking for Marcus Garvey for a number of reasons, and much later and at present day, I appreciate him more than ever because his philosophies are to be admired.  Can you imagine how far along as a Black Race we would be if we actually acted on many of his ideologies?  Anyway, because I spent most of my adult life in Jamaica, the traditional African American Black figures were not that special to me, but I always had admiration for Martin Luther King, Jr. for obvious reasons and Rosa Parks particularly because every time I said my name, folks said "Really, are you related to Rosa Parks?"  After living in the States for nine years now, I know so much more about African American Black figures and I am constantly learning.  I am fortunate to have traveled extensively and have read a lot over the years and for those reasons, I now admire Blacks from all walks of life who have shaped the course of history in various countries all over the world.  The lady who I am spending more time to learn about is my namesake (new Ghanaian middle name, that is) Nana Yaa Asantewaa, a Queen Mother from Ghana who led the Ashanti Rebellion aka The War of the Golden Stool against British Colonialism in 1900.  I could go on and on, but in the interest of time, I shall stop HERE." 

To be continued...all of this month. Peace & Blessings,

Yaa Gyasi Peppy Parke
Creative Director
Peppy Entertainment & Promotions

 

Rosa Louise Parks was nationally recognized as the "mother of the modern day civil rights movement" in America. Her refusal to surrender her seat to a white male passenger on a Montgomery, Alabama bus, December 1, 1955, triggered a wave of protest December 5, 1955 that reverberated throughout the United States. Her quiet courageous act changed America, its view of black people and redirected the course of history.

 

Rosa Parks was born in this month, on February 4, 1913.  READ MORE HERE.

 

The Bob Marley influence upon various populations remains unparalleled, irrespective of race, color or creed. Bob Marley's revolutionary yet unifying music, challenging colonialism, racism, "fighting against ism and scism" as he sang in "One Drop", has had profound effects even in country's where English isn't widely spoken. In August 2008, two musicians from the war scarred countries of Serbia and Croatia (formerly provinces within Yugoslavia) unveiled a statue of Bob Marley during a rock music festival in Serbia; the monument's inscription read "Bob Marley Fighter For Freedom Armed With A Guitar". "Marley was chosen because he promoted peace and tolerance in his music," said Mirko Miljus, an organizer of the event.

 

Bob Marley was born in this month on February 6, 1945. READ MORE HERE