Sketchbook Saturday

I'm not sure the story behind this sketch since it is in such a different style than I was doing back in 1987 when it was drawn.  I almost think I was attempting a self portrait with a time limit but I don't recall exactly.

Happy Martin Luther King Celebration!

 It's another Martin Luther King Jr Day in America! I have been alive as long as the first city held celebrations in places like St. Louis back in 1971 and am proud to say that I took part in the campaigning back in 1992 to get MLK day recognized by the state of Arizona. Surprisingly AZ was NOT the last state to adopt the holiday. They beat out New Hampshire (1999) and Utah (2000) who were the last two states to adopt the holiday.

We are in the midst of a lot of issues as a people. #BlackLivesMatter is the catch phrase of the day as over the past decade (and more) Black people have been wrongfully killed by the police and other (racist/bigot) citizens.  These are hard and emotional times, but let's not forget how much we have gained even as we acknowledge how much further we need to go.

I hope that wherever you may be, that you would take a moment to reflect on the movement that Dr. King was a part of. He was not the only person to take on this charge, but he is the most remembered for having had the greatest impact across color lines.  Like him or not, he was the face of the Negro movement that became what Black people today have as a legacy.

Sketchbook Saturday

As you may be able to tell from the hair style, this is another old sketch.  I have it labeled 1987 but it looks more like something I would have drawn in the early 90s.  Not sure why I chose to draw a crying girl.  I was probably trying to see if I could convey the tears which were/are very hard to draw convincingly.

"No More Scratches" - Open Mic Night 9/17/2012

I used to perform my poetry at open mics... It's been a minute... This is to remind me what it was like...

Sketchbook Saturday

I have always loved to draw.  In high school I drew a lot more than I do now. This is from 1987. I don't think I did this from a picture. Most of my sketches are just from my imagination.

#BH365 The First Black... Named to a College Football All-America Team

First African American named to a College Football All-America Team: William H. Lewis, Harvard University

FromWikipedia:

William Henry Lewis (November 28, 1868 – January 1, 1949) was an African-American pioneer in athletics, law and politics. Born in Virginia as the son of freedmen, he went North to college, where he became the first African-American college football player, and the first in the sport to be selected as an All-American. In 1903 Lewis was the first African American to be appointed as an Assistant United States Attorney; in 1910 he was the first to be appointed as one of the five United States Assistant Attorney Generals, despite opposition by the Southern Democratic block; and in 1911 he was the first African American to be admitted to the American Bar Association.

When Lewis was appointed as an Assistant Attorney General in 1910, it was reported to be "the highest office in an executive branch of the government ever held by a member of that race." Before being appointed as an AAG, Lewis served for 12 years as a football coach at Harvard University. During that period, he wrote one of the first books on football tactics and was considered a nationally known expert on the game.

Sketchbook Saturday

I have a LOT of sketches that I have scanned or taken digital photographs of. I will be posting them in chronological order.  This one is from 1987 and was inspired by the MC Escher self portrait pictured below.