Spoken Word. Uplifting Black Children. Eating. Sleeping. Reading. Writing. Shopping. Conspiring. Laughing. Music. Hate. Love. Other Worlds. Religion. etc.
Malcolm. Martin. Ghandi. Harriet (she was tuff). Grandma. Grandpa. the idiot who invented the cell phone...who is still alive (I swear I would love to be able to live without it again). My great, great grandmother's Massa' (I swear I would whip his...). This is just to state a few.
Sam Cooke, Stevie, Marvin, Bill Withers, 2pac, Badu, Mrs. Hill, Outkast, Common, Dead Prez, Donnie, Eric Roberson, Faro Z, Fertile Ground, Floetry, India, the Marleys, Martin Luther, Miles, Mos Def, Nas, Nina Simone, Prince, Talib, Tracy Chapman and more. OOOHHH MY GOD. Okay, I am willing to admit that no less than a year ago I had no real interest in white music...but now... So to name a few: Alanis Morissette, Aqualung, John Mayer, Jamie Cullum, Thicke, Jack Johnson, Lennon, Coldplay, Esthero, Joss, Matt Costa, Norah Jones,
Braveheart, 5 Heartbeats, CRASH, Malcolm X.
CSI (all of them). Girlfriends/Sex and the City. Animal Planet.
Psychic Trauma. Mis-Education of the Negro. There Eye Were Watching God. Without Sanctuary. Anything by Jason Reynolds and W.E.B. DuBois. and so many more.
Ah. This is funny. My students were asked the same question on their test today. Some of them picked me (suck ups) but for real...my heros are all the teachers that gave a damn. Now that I am one, I see how hard and real it is, as a profession and a life style. My heros are also all the ancestors that faught for their rights, land and people... ashe