Rewind: Hattie McDaniel

Black History Month ends today.  There have been arguments that there should no longer be a month long recognition for the accomplishments of African-Americans.  Since Black History is American History it should be recognized and celebrated everyday.  Regardless of where you stand on the issue, I am happy we are in a leap year so I can highlight the Black History Month moment from today’s date in 1940.

At the Ambassador Hotel in Hollywood, Hattie McDaniel won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her role as Mammy in “Gone With the Wind.”   That night she took a long walk from a segregated table in the back of the Coconut Grove ballroom to accept the award, all the while becoming the first African-American to be nominated and win an Oscar.  Such incredible irony.  Other than the wait staff, she was the first African-American allowed in the ballroom.  Oh, God Bless America!

This photo is deceiving because the Oscar McDaniel took home was not the Oscar statue.  Instead, she received a plaque – the type of Oscar awarded to all Best Supporting Actors and Actresses at that time.  (See below)

I wanted to find more concrete evidence to what appears to be an edited acceptance speech.  Speculation is the speech was recorded separately and then edited into the telecast.  It does look like it. The wide shots before and after her close up do not appear seamless.  Some even said the speech wasn’t even her own words; someone from the Academy wrote the words to ensure “quality.”   Whether that speech was from her heart or not, here are some additional Hattie McDaniel zingers.  It sounds like she was a character; an Oscar award winning character!

Why should I complain about making $700 a week playing a maid? If I didn’t, I’d be making $7 a week being one.

When I was little, my mother taught me how to use a fork and knife. The trouble is that Mother forget to teach me how to stop using them!

What do you want me to do? Play a glamour girl and sit on Clark Gable’s knee?

I’m letting no man handle my bank account.

I sure am tired of drinking this colored tea.

As for those grapefruit and buttermilk diets, I’ll take roast chicken and dumplings.

Faith is the black person’s federal reserve system.

I did my best, and God did the rest.

Rollin’ in the Leap

Four years have rolled around and here we are again: February 29.  What will you do with this extra day?   Happy Leap Year!

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For The Record

On this date in 1984, Michael Jackson won eight Grammy Awards for the groundbreaking album Thriller.  To this date he holds the record for being the most decorated male artist in one night.*  It was a special time in music.  Thriller raised the bar and set the benchmark for all artist that followed.  If you didn’t have his poster on your wall or an MJ inspired leather jacket in your closet, you more than likely tried to dance like him.  Who didn’t?  Almost 30 years later, people are still imitating him.  Maybe today, you’ll hike up your trousers, slide into some penny loafers and moonwalk your way through the nine tunes that still make up the greatest selling album of all time.

1. Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’
2. Baby Be Mine
3. The Girl Is Mine
4. Thriller
5. Beat It
6. Billie Jean
7. Human Nature
8. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
9. The Lady In My Life

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*In 2000, Santana tied MJ’s award count for Supernatural.  Santana holds the record for most Grammys won by a group in one night.

Not So Rinky-Dink

As a child growing up in the 1970s, spending time at the roller skating rink was hip and what was happening.  Practicing your turns, skating backwards and watching who would get asked to go on the floor for “couple’s skate” was a Saturday treat.  I thought Tootie on The Facts of Life was so cool because she got to roller skate inside The Eastland School.  It was definitely a sign of the times, but nothing my mother wanted me to emulate in our own house.

At the end of the decade I went to my first Ice Capades show and was captivated by the figure skaters.  Having four wheels on the bottom of a boot seemed like the perfect equation for balance.  Gliding on ice with just a blade seemed like magic to me; a balancing act I wanted to try. I asked if I could take ice skating lessons at a local rink in the county and my parents obliged.  I learned the basics, earned a few badges along the way but I knew I wasn’t in it for the long haul.  There would be no Ice Castles movie starring little ol’ me.  My fascination with the sport didn’t waiver though.  Pairs skaters Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner made a huge impression on me.  They were the heavily decorated U.S. and World Champion gold medalists at the time; so poised, talented and such a striking “couple.”  I was glued to the TV during the 1980 Winter Olympics, and was crushed when Tai and Randy couldn’t compete because Randy got injured.

From watching Katarina Witt and Kristi Yamaguchi to Oksana Baiul and the Nancy Kerrigan-Tanya Harding scandal I was a faithful fan every four years when the Winter Olympics entertained the world.  But for me, the biggest stand out of all was a young woman who competed in the 1988 Games while she was a full-time student at Stanford University – Miss Debi Thomas.  She was three years older than me, and I was in awe of her.On this date, she earned the bronze medal and a place in the history books as the first black woman to win a Winter Olympic medal.  She went on to replace that medal around her neck with a stethoscope, and became an orthopedic surgeon.  Not too shabby; not so rinky-dink.  Go ahead Dr. Debi!

Remote “Out of” Control

I think my feet are mad at me.  And they should be.  After working remotely for the past 5 years, last week I began a new job in an office building.  There is something to be said about working from home.  Substituting the rush hour commutes with a stroll from your bedroom to a home office is priceless.  The luxury of walking around in my sock feet and being braless (if I so desired) is now a thing of the past.  My uniform for the past several years was yoga gear and sneakers.  This comfortable attire trapped me – spoiled me.  I wasn’t “forced” to wear “real” clothes everyday.  My “gotta-go-out-into-the-real-world-office” wardrobe had to be dusted off and tested out.  It had been neglected and it retaliated against me.  Somethings didn’t fit, somethings were out dated and even some of my shoes spoke to me by saying:

Girlfriend, please, you know you’re gonna have to re-break me in!

Before life as a remote worker, I lived and worked in New York City for 7.5 years.  That’s 7.5 years of walking and schlepping bags day and night uptown, downtown and cross town.  I remember the first week or two in Manhattan my feet were mad at me.  Maneuvering the concrete jungle was a shock to my body, but at 29 years old I adapted quickly.  Now, once again, I am hitting the pavement and my 41-year-old body is responding a bit differently but in due time it will all be for the better.  During my work day I now have 130 steps from my desk to the bathroom, instead of 10.  It’s just another great way to achieve the suggested 10,000 steps a day.

I remember the days when it wasn’t commonplace to have a TV remote control.  Getting up from your seated position and walking to the TV set was the only way to switch channels.  The word ‘remote’ means far away; implying distance.  Ironically working remotely and using a TV remote control means there is no distance for your body to go – movement is suspended – you can be sedentary.  Although there may be some aches in pains in the days ahead, I am looking forward to regaining control of my stride.  Now I need to go pamper my feet and get ready for the new week ahead.

Really!?!

For 37 seasons Saturday Night Live has been an NBC staple.  With that kind of longevity, it is hard to keep the material fresh and funny.  So, it’s such a treat when there are episodes where sketch after sketch you find yourself crying from laughter.  This season the shows hosted by Melissa McCarthy and Maya Rudolph filled that bill for me and were complete grand slams.  Thinking about these funny gals made me remember last year’s SNL reunion show on Oprah where original cast member Jane Curtin said that during her tenure (1975-1980) it was a misogynistic environment.

[John Belushi] said, ‘Women are just fundamentally not funny.’ You’d go to a table read, and if a woman writer had written a piece for John, he would not read it in his full voice. He would whisper it. He felt as though it was his duty to sabotage pieces that were written by women.

Speaking of sabotaging women — with the great birth control debate in the news the past couple of weeks, I loved how SNL addressed the issue in their popular bit, Really!?! with Seth and Amy.  I also loved how Representative Carolyn B. Maloney, Democrat of New York, called out the panel by asking the obvious question:

Where are the women? It’s outrageous that the Republicans would not allow a single individual representing the tens of millions of women who want and need insurance coverage for basic preventive health care services, including family planning.

If the House committee wanted to only address a panel of religious leaders why not include women?  Last time I checked there are plenty of female religious leaders that could have taken part.  So much for the expression “You’ve Really Come A Long Way, Baby.”  Oddly enough, the Virgina Slims ad campaign that brought that expression into our daily dialogue highlighted a photo in the background of how men oppressed women, while showing a colorful splashy photo of a happy model appearing in control of her life in the foreground.

Background copy says: In 1962, Mr. Lee Evans made it clear that he wore the pants in the family. But once a week, he didn't mind giving them to his wife.

Background copy says: In 1913, equal opportunity employer Richard Pittman gave women every opportunity to shine.

Looks like the background image and messages from those ads continue to be more appealing to some men and places women exactly where they want them to be — in the background.

Ode to Rebecca

Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) founded in 1848 is the first medical school in the world to formally educate female physicians.  One of those females was Rebecca Lee Crumpler – a Black woman.  On this date in 1864 she became the first African-American woman to receive an M.D. degree from BUSM which was originally called the New England Female Medical College.

Being the first to accomplish a major feat is monumental, for a lack of better words.  To think of women getting educated in the field of medicine in the 1800s still astounds me.  Think about it – American women were denied the right to vote until 1920!  Fifty-six years before a woman could mark ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a ballot, a Black woman was practicing medicine in Boston.  Crumpler specialized in the care of women, children and the poor.  She accomplished another triumph in 1883 when she provided health care advice for women and their families by publishing a medical guide book called Book of Medical Discourses.  What an inspiration.  I would have definitely taken two aspirin and called her in the morning.

Reveille

In another lifetime I worked in account management at an advertising agency.  My clients were The Marines.  You know, The Few. The Proud.  I worked in urban marketing, so my focus was the African-American and Hispanic side of the business.   I was honored to interact with all ranks of the Corps and share their stories with the public. 

One story that has rarely been publicized is that of the Montford Point Marines, the first African-Americans who entered the United States Marine Corps from 1942 to 1949.  Approximately 20,000 African-American recruits received training at Montford Point Camp during World War II.  Now the camp is called Camp Johnson, after distinguished Sergeant Major Gilbert H. “Hashmark” Johnson.  It’s located within Camp Lejeune; where amphibious assault training takes place.

In 2006 my colleagues and I traveled to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina for a special ceremony to honor these trailblazing men.   Actor Lou Gossett, Jr. was on hand to premiere a 60-minute documentary he narrated.  With all the recent fan fare for the Tuskegee Airmen and the movie Red Tails, I still wish for the day that the Montford Point Marine story could reach a wider audience.  To my knowledge the documentary only made it to a PBS station in Wilmington, North Carolina.

In honor of Black History Month it’s only fitting to honor the Montford Pointers, and Frank E. Petersen, Jr. — the first African-American Marine Corps aviator, who on this day was named the first African-American general of the Corps in 1979.  Let the bugle call commence as we salute.

Black History Month Ad Created by The Uniworld Group, 2007

Rapper’s Delight

I said a hip hop the hippie the hippie to the hip hip hop, a you don’t stop the rock it to the bang bang boogie say up jumped the boogie to the rhythm of the boogie, the beat.

Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” may not have been the first song that had rap lyrics in it, but it brought hip hop music to the mainstream and popularized the genre.  It came out in 1979.  That year I was 9 years old and that little sister who would sneak into her brother’s room and play this record ad nauseum.  I loved the album cover — it reminded me of the game Candy Land.  Learning every word seemed as important to me as knowing the Pledge of Allegiance.

Ten years later in 1989 the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences realized they needed to evolve with the times and add two new categories to the Grammy Awards: rap and heavy metal.  On this day DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince aka Will Smith won the first Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for “Parent’s Just Don’t Understand.”  There was so much controversy surrounding this award.  There wasn’t time given in the Grammy telecast to include the category, so Will Smith and Jazzy Jeff boycotted the ceremony.  Also, other rap artists believed there were more qualified rappers deserving of the nomination, let alone the win.  I suppose it was more than parents who just didn’t understand.

“The Rachel”

It’s been said that your hair is your crowning glory.  Through the ages there have been some major dos and don’ts when it comes to popular coifs.  In a previous post I shared my love for braids.  I have now combed through the images of celebrities who have made certain styles iconic.  I grew up loving Charlie’s Angels, so it was only natural that I wanted feathered Farrah Fawcett hair.  Then, in 1991 I chopped off my mane after seeing Halle Berry in Strictly Business.  Which styles did you try?

Chemically straightening natural kinky hair with a relaxer was called "conking." It was popular in the 1920-1960s. Nat King Cole was a fan of the process.

Shirley Temple ringlets from the 1930s

In 1935 Carl ‘Alfalfa’ Switzer made his cowlick famous

Marilyn Monroe's beautiful golden locks

The pompadour style was named after Madame de Pompadour, mistress of King Louis XV of France, who first wore the style in the 18th century. Elvis, Marlon Brando, James Dean, James Brown and Little Richard all sported high pompadours in the 50s. Boys wearing the style were called "greasers" because of all the hair products they used.

Jackie Kennedy was known for wearing pillbox hats but her hairstyle was iconic as well in the 1960s.

The Beatles lead the “British Invasion” in 1964. Almost 4 decades later Justin Bieber is making the girls scream with the help of this iconic hairstyle.

Twiggy known as “The Face of 1966” popularized the pixie cut across the pond.

Marlo Thomas was "That Girl" with the hair flip in 1966.

In 1968, after Mia Farrow had her haircut for the film “Rosemary's Baby,” American gals wanted to look just like her.

Angela Davis's Afro Power from the 1960s.

The Brady Bunch showed off many hairstyles in the early 70s: Carol had one of the first mullets, Marcia brushed her long hair 100 times on each side, Cindy rocked the curls and eventually all the Brady men put in curly perms.

In the 70s no one could do feathered hair better than Farrah Fawcett.

I still have no idea how Crystal Gayle didn't trip on her hair.

Dorothy Hamill was a 1976 figure skating Olympian and introduced the world to the "wedge" haircut.

In the 70s Cher had stunning Bob Mackie costumes and luxurious Pocahantas hair.

1977's "Star Wars" took us to a galaxy far, far away and Princess Leia showed us that hair buns could replace earmuffs.

Twenty-year-old Diana Spencer became The Princess of Wales on 29 July 1981. Who needs a crown when you have this head of hair?

Mr. T. was the brotha in 1983 with a mowhawk who always "pitied a fool" on The A-Team.

In 1984 Tina Turner was a Private Dancer with some serious bed-head hair.

The Jheri Curl was introduced in the 80s. Michael Jackson and Prince were famous for theirs. This is actor Eriq La Salle (of ER fame) from 1988's "Coming to America" with his "Soul Glo" afro.

Anna Wintour became the editor of Vogue in the late 80s and she's been rockin' this bob ever since.

Christopher ‘Kid’ Reid 1990s high top fade

The look that made me cut off my hair in 1991: Miss Halle Berry in "Strictly Business"

Don't tell my heart, my achy breaky heart that Billy Ray Cyrus is making the mullet popular. Oh the 90s!

Michael Jordan had the fellas in the 90s shaving their heads.

Although Jennifer Aniston hated the cut, "The Rachel" was one of the most popular 90s hairstyles.

Kate Gosselin came on the scene in 2007 with a reverse mullet.