You would think in the year of 2008 that we would have come farther as a nation than we truly have. Although it is admirable the distance Barack Obama has come in the United States Presidency campaign, it is also disturbing to read articles such as “The South” written by Adam Nossiter of Mobile, Alabama. In this article, Nossiter interviews and handful of ignorant white southerners and questions them regarding Obama actually making it to the White House.
One man actually has the audacity to say that Obama will “cut down the rose bushes and plant a watermelon patch,” clearly a racist comment. Another man makes a comment regarding Obama’s background stating that he’s “half white and the Bible says not to mix breeds.” It makes me wonder what Bible he’s reading or referring to…
While the article is supposed to take a political stance, it does the opposite, it distracts your attention from the issues at hand – that gas prices across the nation are skyrocketing by the day, that people are losing their jobs and being forced to search for avenues of how they are going to support their families, that people that have worked hard and invested their monies in the stock market have recently had to say goodbye to the funds that were going to support them in the future, that we need a leader for this country that is going to put our country back together again. These issues are so much more important than the racial background of Barack Obama. The petty attacks on him aren’t going to aid this country, but will only keep up in the horrible shape we’re currently in.
Adam Nossiter needs to be careful who he interviews in the future…it’s a disgrace for his name to be associated with such trash!
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Friday, October 10, 2008
mY spEcial imaGe
Image: What does it really represent?
Recently, I attended a street festival located downtown Atlanta – the Sweet Auburn Festival. Auburn Avenue, best known as the home of the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violence, hosts the Sweet Auburn Festival twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. The street festival is a time for the city to come together and celebrate culture and heritage in that good old fashioned way of southern hospitality. You will find music, food, art, health and fitness, wellness seminars, and local vendors sharing their gifts and talents. “Annie Bell Auburn” is the mascot for the event – the image chosen to represent Atlanta’s southern hospitality at its finest. A few weeks ago when I attended the festival was my first encounter with Annie and I must say, the introduction has left a lasting impression.
The message of this image is quite simple, she is to represent what typical, southern mothers and grandmothers of the south are, or should I say, once were. Fifty to a hundred years ago, southern mothers and grandmothers were primarily homemakers that cooked and cleaned for their families. These women took care of their families in an amazing way. Their job or work WAS their families; nothing like the norm for families today. In today’s society, most mothers are working and unfortunately, quite a few grandmothers are still in the work force. A good, southern, home cooked meal is most times a luxury in our houses only on Sundays or special occasions. Yet, what I saw represented at the Sweet Auburn Festival was “Annie” at her best; dressed in a white skirt and blouse with a red and white checkerboard apron wrapped around her. Her hair tied up in a neat bun and a huge smile on her face as if she was ready to service with her whole heart.
Not only was the mascot posted on billboards and signs all around the Sweet Auburn Festival, but there was an actual woman dressed as “Annie” walking around the streets and taking pictures with the visitors. At first this whole thing seemed so corny to me and my friends and I laughed hysterically at the image. But in all actuality, this southern image made my experience that day all the better because it offered me a sense of hope and encouragement. Encouragement to remember when I have a family to put it first and not become so busy and caught up in making money and having success that I forget what my role as a wife and mother should really be.
Upon receiving this assignment, I immediately thought of “Annie” and her representation of the south because I am from the north. One of the reasons I chose Atlanta, Georgia as my new home for my collegiate studies is because of the reputation the south has for southern hospitality. There are certain foods I can obtain in Atlanta that I would never be introduced to in Washington; such as, banana pecan pancakes or chicken and waffles in the same setting. When I looked at the mascot of the festival, it made me smile because it reminded me of the newness of this part of the land that I now call home. A home filled with good food, good fun, and good people!
Recently, I attended a street festival located downtown Atlanta – the Sweet Auburn Festival. Auburn Avenue, best known as the home of the Martin Luther King Center for Non-Violence, hosts the Sweet Auburn Festival twice a year, in the spring and in the fall. The street festival is a time for the city to come together and celebrate culture and heritage in that good old fashioned way of southern hospitality. You will find music, food, art, health and fitness, wellness seminars, and local vendors sharing their gifts and talents. “Annie Bell Auburn” is the mascot for the event – the image chosen to represent Atlanta’s southern hospitality at its finest. A few weeks ago when I attended the festival was my first encounter with Annie and I must say, the introduction has left a lasting impression.
The message of this image is quite simple, she is to represent what typical, southern mothers and grandmothers of the south are, or should I say, once were. Fifty to a hundred years ago, southern mothers and grandmothers were primarily homemakers that cooked and cleaned for their families. These women took care of their families in an amazing way. Their job or work WAS their families; nothing like the norm for families today. In today’s society, most mothers are working and unfortunately, quite a few grandmothers are still in the work force. A good, southern, home cooked meal is most times a luxury in our houses only on Sundays or special occasions. Yet, what I saw represented at the Sweet Auburn Festival was “Annie” at her best; dressed in a white skirt and blouse with a red and white checkerboard apron wrapped around her. Her hair tied up in a neat bun and a huge smile on her face as if she was ready to service with her whole heart.
Not only was the mascot posted on billboards and signs all around the Sweet Auburn Festival, but there was an actual woman dressed as “Annie” walking around the streets and taking pictures with the visitors. At first this whole thing seemed so corny to me and my friends and I laughed hysterically at the image. But in all actuality, this southern image made my experience that day all the better because it offered me a sense of hope and encouragement. Encouragement to remember when I have a family to put it first and not become so busy and caught up in making money and having success that I forget what my role as a wife and mother should really be.
Upon receiving this assignment, I immediately thought of “Annie” and her representation of the south because I am from the north. One of the reasons I chose Atlanta, Georgia as my new home for my collegiate studies is because of the reputation the south has for southern hospitality. There are certain foods I can obtain in Atlanta that I would never be introduced to in Washington; such as, banana pecan pancakes or chicken and waffles in the same setting. When I looked at the mascot of the festival, it made me smile because it reminded me of the newness of this part of the land that I now call home. A home filled with good food, good fun, and good people!
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