So I’d been watching the NBA playoffs on the high def TV I picked up back in December. One of the first things that I noticed with all that resolution are the players tattoos. What used to be a smudge on a players arm is now easily readable in close up. I find the growth of tattooing to be interesting. Ten or fifteen years ago you hardly saw any players with tattoos. Now players don’t look right without them. This is a phenomenon that seems to be embraced more by the African American players than the white or foreign ones. I’m not sure why this is but I have a theory. (more…)

Marquise de Brinvilliers Marie-Madeleine-Marguerite d’Aubray, (1630 – July 17, 1676) was a French serial killer who poisoned her father, brother, and two sisters in order to inherit their property. She was assisted by her lover, Army Captain Godin de Sainte-Croix.

The following is an excerpt from a fictionalized account of her crimes, confession and punishment by the African Frankophone author, Alexandre Dumas, Pere. Here he tells of the “questioning” of the Marquise following her confession and sentencing. The use of the “water cure” is certainly used as a form of torture, as she has already confessed to her crimes before being tortured. By the way, this is the same author who wrote “The Three Musketeers” and “The Count of Monte Cristo.”

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I’m way overdue for another portfolio. So here’s a look at some of the book covers I’ve designed. Most were done on the job but there are a couple of freelance covers as well. I’m glad that my day job at the Kent State University Press focuses on academic titles. We print books that provide useful information to researchers and scholars as well as the occasional local interest titles. We also focus on the Civil War, one of the most important events in African American history.

This article is not so much a review as an FYI. We’re all very familiar with the African oral tradition. What you may not be so familiar with is the African tradition of writing. It turns out that the Egyptians had a writing system known as Hieratic script which was created by 1600 BC, perhaps even earlier than the Phoenicans alphabet that, in the west, is taught as the first alphabet. This script was considered a shorthand and would never be used on their monuments. They preferred instead to use Hieroglyphics (sacred writings) for important documents and monuments.

The book I’m writing about, Afrikan Alphabets by Saki Mafundikwa, doesn’t speak on Egyptian writing though. The author states that he doesn’t want to get into the argument of whether the ancient Egyptians were African or not (they were). Instead, and perhaps more importantly, he documents writing systems that exist in sub-saharan Africa. He puts them all into the category of alphabet though he understands that many are actually “syllabaries”. The characters represent syllables rather that having singular consonant or vowel sounds as we would understand an alphabet.
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As promised, here are more Adinkra symbols to use for whatever purpose you see fit. Don’t forget to check the previous collection posted earlier. If you’re slick you’ll click the “Clip Art” category under the “Sight” quadrant. That will put both posts right up front. Part 3 (coming soon) should finish it up with some of the more popular symbols.

What is a Pig?

“A low natured beast that has no regard for law, justice, or the rights of people; a creature that bites the hand that feeds it; a foul, depraved, traducer, usually found masquerading as the victim of an unprovoked attack”

So goes the copy to one of the many pieces reproduced in this impressive book. While those words may sound harsh, such were the times, and such was the attitude of the police as well. The casualties prove it. Black Panther, The Revolutionary Art of Emory Douglas is a must have publication for anyone interested Black artists and the intersection between black art and culture. It brings to light as well the ability of graphic design to serve a higher purpose than commerce, to actually affect people’s lives and move beyond the bounds of commercialism.

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It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally ready for prime time. “Blakfacts Volume 1” is a compendium of notable facts in the history of the African diaspora. You’ll encounter heroes and sheroes; warriors and peacemakers; presidents and popes. In fact there’s no telling what kind of folks you’ll encounter.

This book is for young and old! You’ll learn about things your teacher never told you in school. They say, “those who do not know their history are destined to repeat it!” This fully illustrated volume is the first in a series of books which will broaden the horizons of its readers. If you thought you knew something about African American history, think again. (more…)

You’re probably familiar with the West African symbology known as Adinkra. I won’t go into the details of where they come from and why they’re used. What I am going to do is make available these symbols to artists who may want to use them in their designs.  I’ll be putting up collections of 15 or 20 along with their names and meanings as I have time. This is the first installment in .jpg format. To get them onto your machine just drag the image to your hard drive if you’re on a Mac. If you are on a PC I believe a right click will allow you to save.

Part 2 of the Adinkra symbols can be found here

An email has recently been circulating decrying a Stanford University poll showing how many Americans have negative feelings toward blacks. The poll was most disheartening in that it showed some pretty low scores for Democratic voters and suggested that many will not vote for Obama simply because of his race. To that I have to ask: People actually get paid for this?

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So my wife and I traveled down to the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati the other day. When I got the directions I noticed it was on the corner of Rosa Parks and Freedom Way streets after turning off of Race Ave. Oh snap! Usually any street named after a black person in America is the last place you want to be. If you’re lost in a major city and end up on Martin Luthor King Jr. Blvd. get out as fast as you can. You’re probably in the heart of the ghetto (my dad calls it “the bucket of blood”) where even the cops fear to tread.

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