The word on the street is that Barack Obama is the coolest dude on the scene. However, the Gold Medal for cool goes to the one and only Isaac Hayes. The Black Moses represented a breed of cool that combined Black pride, strong manhood, pan-Africanism, and soulful rhythms. Brother Hayes signified and illustrated a major truth that being Black and bold was not a bad thing.
Black Moses made his transition a couple of days ago. He will be missed for his music, movies but more so for his stands on cultural pluralism. That is, it is okay to be both an American and a Black man. I remember several years ago when I met Brother Hayes in Accra, Ghana--West Africa he stated that as an African-American he offers a special light and hope to the African world. Regardless, how we arrived in the United States, said Hayes, God granted us a special place to lead Africa from the bowels of third world existence to the status of being a global power. In this light he encouraged African-Americans to make pilgrimages to Ghana in the same manner how American Jews travel and study in Israel.
Thanks Brother Hayes for your talent, joy and inspiration that you gave us.
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1 comment:
Hi, Vibert.
I'll miss him, too. What a voice and what a man! I wish I had the chance to meet him like you did. You'll have to tell me about when I see you again.
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