The National Museum of African American History is now open

We All must visit.

Here's a great piece from the New York Times http://nyti.ms/2cMOncG



I am honored to have a few photographs I've made on display here.

Why Not Tuesday? Check this DOPEBill Withers Live from 1973

thanks, InsidePlaya and Beats1 music

12 Miles North: The Nick Gabaldon Story

Our lives revolve around stories. When told correctly, stories have the power to inspire, challenge, and organize ideas in an otherwise puzzling world. They often provide a framework for understanding ourselves, so when a story realizes its potential, it’s an absolutely transcendent event. Nick Gabaldon’s is one such story. Laden with superlatives, it strikes a deeper place where passion, risk, and iconoclasm intersect.

According to Matt Warshaw, author of The Encyclopedia of Surfing, Nick Gabaldon was the first African American surfer. He learned to surf at an informally segregated beach called “The Inkwell” in Santa Monica in the 1940s and regularly paddled twelve miles north to surf Malibu, one of California’s best waves. In doing so, Gabaldon defied conventions in an America that had institutionally prevented many blacks from accessing the ocean (and swimming pools) through a variety of latently racist legislation encouraged by Jim Crow laws, which weren’t formally dismantled until 1965 when Lyndon B. Johnson passed the Voting Rights Act.

But that’s just context. Forget the racial boundaries he collapsed by simply standing on a surfboard. Instead, ponder the stroke-after-shoulder-burning-stroke that a 12-mile open ocean paddle demands. Gabaldon pursued his passion for surfing to an extent most would never consider, which stands alone as an impressive feat, magnified further by his tragic, yet poignant conclusion.

On June 5, 1951, Nick Gabaldon caught his last wave. During an eight-foot south swell, Gabaldon lost control of his board and struck a piling beneath the Malibu Pier. His board washed up on the beach shortly after. Three days later, lifeguards recovered his body and the small community of (white) surfers who had come to accept and respect Nick mourned.

Eerily, just six days before he passed away, Gabaldon, who was enrolled at Santa Monica City College, submitted a poem entitled “Lost Lives” to the school’s literary magazine. The poem praised the power of the sea and foreshadowed the events of June 5th. Nick wrote:

TThe sea vindictive, with waves so high,
For me to battle and still they die…

Scores and scores have fallen prey,
To the salt of animosity,
And many more will victims be,
Of the capricious, vindictive sea.

We can’t pretend to know what Nick was thinking as he glided towards the Malibu Pier on his final wave. And we’ll never know the exact relationship between Nick’s poem and his end. But we can salute the depth of his passion and its cultural import.

As Director Richard Yelland told me, Nick’s story isn’t about surfing. It’s about humanity. It’s about sourcing inspiration from extraordinary ambitions and obstacles like those that Nick confronted and applying them to your own life, whatever that may mean. For Nick, surfing was a vehicle to improve his world. The ocean was his medium, which is fitting because the sea knows no prejudice; it’s the ultimate equalizer. As is a basketball court. Or a soccer pitch. Or a football field. Or, especially, a great story. - Zach Weisberg, Founder, The Inertia

Black Heroism Illustrated

Comic books and race in America go hand in hand.

BY: THE SHADOW LEAGUE from: The Root

Comic books haven't always been a place where African Americans could find characters they related to. Black comic book characters ranged from being barely noticeable and blatantly disrespected to receiving lessened moments of racism from decade to decade.

DC Comics didn't have a black superhero who could stand on his own until 1977, when Black Lightning and his ability to create and manipulate electricity and electromagnetic fields was introduced. Marvel Comics beat them to the punch by 11 years with the Black Panther. He debuted in "Fantastic Four" No. 52 in 1966. Created by Jack Kirby, the Black Panther rules over the southern African kingdom of Wakanda. He dons a suit made of vibranium, a nearly impermeable metal found only in his country, and also is an elite-level martial artist and technological mastermind.

Captain America's trusted sidekick, the Falcon, would swoop in on the scene in 1969. In fact, his teaming with Cap was the first time a black comic character was a co-star to a major comic book character. There have been other heroes and villains of apparent African descent who appeared prior to 1970, such as August Durant of the Secret Six (DC Comics) and Jackie Johnson of Sergeant Rock's Easy Company (DC Comics 1960). However, there weren't many characters developed and layered enough to carry an entire comic book series on his or her own at DC or Marvel.

The Falcon would be joined by Power Man, aka Luke Cage, in Marvel's fast-growing pantheon of black superheroes in 1972. The vampire hunter Blade came along a year later—introduced in "Tomb of Dracula" No. 10 in 1973. Marvel also introduced an Asian character, Shang-Chi Master of Kung-Fu, around the same time. It was clear they were trying to be inclusive and to tap into a market of underserved comic book readers.

Other than the introduction of ex-Marine John Stewart as a part-time member of the Green Lantern Corp (DC) in 1971, as well as some smaller, less powerful characters dispersed here and there, Marvel's Power Man and Iron Fist were the second multiracial superhero team. They debuted in "Heroes for Hire" No. 1 back in 1972. DC Comics was very late to the party as far as fielding a respectable black superhero goes. Black Lightning came along in 1977. But Marvel was all about the one-up: They introduced, with great fanfare, Ororo Munroe, aka Storm of the X-Men, in 1979.

I never forgot that Marvel was the first to feature a black superhero of merit, inspiring me to become a lifelong fan because of it. Comic books were a welcome escape. I could leave the hood whenever I needed and go on missions to save the earth for 25 cents in the '70s, 50 cents in the '80s and up to a $1.50 in the early '90s.

But early on, some comic book publishers had the misguided idea to use "black" as a descriptive prefix to the name of any hero of African origin: Black Lightning, Black Vulcan, Black Goliath, Black Racer, the Black Spider, Black Manta and so on. DC Comics was guilty of this offense more than anyone else, but Marvel had its fair share of naming faux pas as well. I was as happy to see an increase in black superheroes as any other lover of comic books. But the fact that almost every character had to be given the "black" marker in his actual name as some sort of self-segregating practice of identification was just flat-out ridiculous.

Another stereotypical practice of comic publishers in the '70s and '80s was having every black superhero be from Harlem. Power Man was from Uptown, along with Falcon and a slew of others. Falcon was actually a street hustler who was rescued from the life by Captain America.

I mean, really?

These things let me know that while publishers were making an active effort to court and engage black readers, their ideas regarding our culture were still boxed and stereotypical. They felt like Harlem was the center of the black universe. And yes, at one time it was. Ironically, the home of New York City soul is skipping a beat with every encroaching step of gentrification. But that, true believers, is a story for another day.

Thanks, InsidePlaya

The State of Black Skate

With the opening of "How We Roll" a six-month exhibition on African-America’s contribution to surfing, skateboarding and rollerskating culture at the California African American Museum in Los Angeles, undoubtably there will be more and more attention being paid to the underground culture that has seen an incredible awakening in the inner cities. Here's a great clip on the subject from current TV.

"How We Roll"at The California African American Museum

This exhibit is opening next week in Los Angeles. I've contributed a few of my classic shots to help with the historical perspective. Including several shots of Marty Grimes from the banked school yard days and up to the remake of the original DogBowl at the Marina skatepark several years later. Also the first ever Black skater to grace the cover of a major skateboard magazine, my photo of Chuck Treece that was a cover of Thrasher in the early 80's.

Here's some info i found at Driftsurfing.eu -

News from the other side: The California African American Museum (CAAM) presents How We Roll, a unique exhibition featuring African Americans in skateboarding, surfing and roller skating.

How We Roll takes the viewer through an historical step-by-step fantastic voyage of how surfing evolved into skateboarding, the kinship with roller-skating, and how “The Roll” created a cultural revolution that has influenced every corner of popular culture over the past four decades. This exciting exhibition is free to the public, and begins its six-month run on Thursday, July 22nd, 2010 at CAAM (600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles, CA 90037).

The How We Roll exhibition opens one week before ESPN X-Games 2010; and, both events are located in Los Angeles’ Exposition Park. Viewers and participants will benefit from the close proximity of these two extraordinary affairs, and will experience a high-energy visual and physical extravaganza that is guaranteed to delight and engage.

How We Roll showcases a legendary list of skateboarding pioneers and their accomplishments, from the late ‘60s and ‘70s, including Marty Grimes and Alan Scott (first generation Dogtown), Steve Steadham (participating in X-Games), Chuck Treece (first black skater to appear on the cover of a major skate magazine, Thrasher), Ron Allen, and others who laid the foundation for core achievements in skateboarding with their extreme tricks and artistic expression. They paved the way for the newcomers of successive generations in the ‘80s and ‘90s, like Stephanie Person, Ray Barbee, Kareem Campbell, Karl Watson, Rodney Smith, Chris Pastras (owner of Stereosound and television host for FUEL TV – Fox 24-hour extreme network), and Stevie Williams, who took the sport to a new level of competition and entrepreneurial possibilities. This groundswell of popularity has transformed skateboarding into a respected sport where today’s athletes – Terry Kennedy, Paul Rodriquez, Nyjah Huston, Theotis Beasly, Malcolm Watson and others – have celebrity status and lucrative business ventures.

read more about the exhibition HERE.