I watched “American Masters-Sammy Davis Jr” last nite and I was absolutely moved. I found myself moving between very uncomfortable cringing and complete AWE. He was an amazing man in a very unforgiving time.
The documentary went through the life and times of Sammy Davis Jr. By the time I had become familiar with the magnanimous entertainer--he was a punchline who typically came thru, in my era, from a Tommy Davidson impersonation. Watching “American Masters”, I felt that we may share in common---brilliance in a time that is unable to contain it(HIM). His career began in the 1930’s; which means he was groomed by those like Ethel Waters, Paul Robeson and the ideals of “Old Hollywood” in its’ infancy. Sammy stated in the documentary that he had worn “blackface”. I gather it was all par for the course at the time; and quite possibly even in contemporary times. I also gathered that he truly wanted to transcend the color of his skin; a noble concept; but a difficult transition, to say the least.
While watching “How to Identify Psychopaths and Psychopathic Behavior;Evelyn Gilbert”; it was said “...we were domesticated by psychopaths…”. This is a vital point, especially when you look at the treatment of America’s “Golden Boy”, as an entertainer juxtaposition to him as a black man. I have not read his autobiography but I remember my mother reading it; I recall my mother saying, “he was humiliated his whole life”. Connect this to the statement made by his publicist David Steinberg, a paraphrase, he was saying he wishes that people would not see him as a token or a ploy. However--Mr. Steinberg also alluded to Sammy, a grown man, being totally fine; living on what was basically a perpetual allowance(that is another blog). His life was threatened for dating Kim Novak; a white woman. Ohh and Frank and Dean stole from him years after they stopped performing together.
During all of that, all he wanted to do was perform and do what he knew he was purposed to do. His race, his religion, his actions; all scrutinized through the eyes, actions and opportunities of a white media and business conglomerate; interpreted through the previous lens by the culture which he immediately identifies. Talk about a jumblephukk. And I repeat, all he wanted to do was perform.
This is so important because in a world of polarizing politics and lacking critical thinking, in 2019; everything surrounding Sammy’s core created various funnels of phukkery with him at the center; just because he wanted to share his talent and spread joy. I understand this. And I thank Sammy posthumously for living out loud---I am grateful for the power of his story and facing the day everyday knowing he was not his own man, anywhere. I won’t even imagine the strength that required.
So what does that have to do with MAKA TAYLOR? Maka is a DC transplant; St. Louis2SoufEaseDC in 2008. I moved here and in the 11 years of my residence I have created an international grid to do globally impacting work as an independent professional. I am non traditionally trained, just like Sammy, I excel at charm and functioning in circles outside of my immediate demographic. I, like Sammy, understand, sitting at the table is better than being on the menu. Sammy embraced the notion of integration despite all his hardships and he sought to just be a performer---notwithstanding his experiences and humiliations. Sammy wanted his essence of entertainment to allow audiences to feel and not see. Sammy Davis Jr. was a man ahead of his time.
As I am a woman ahead of mine. I want to transcend color-but my cultural identification is that of a black woman. I want to transcend that experience-the experience of being told I was a nigger, the experience of all negative media depictions of me-i want to transcend the thoughts deposited in my mind as a result of the experience of being while black. I want the pathology of the word nigga to die. So I wrote “7 Steps to Kill My Nigga”. Nigga redefined to transcend the immediate color associated with the word. Transcendence is the order of the day; ancestors and energy did the gridwerk to bring Sammy, me--and all who join are or already here----to manifest TRANSCENDANCE in this time as the patients have been running the asylum too long.
Media inceptions’ (Old Hollywood/Hollywood Codes)narratives of blacks, images of blacks and outcomes have been determined by the powers that be. Notice no matter how we showed up, when the chips fell we got/get the super short end of the stick(think generationally). I stand with the essence of my ancestor and commit to speak, act and engage as my skills and spirit see fit. I ask Sammy to take a special look over me as I execute and put a little tap in my feet so they delight upon my coming in and my going out. Nothing is in concrete and with independent studios like DameDashStudios and concepts filtering out to the general public like in the movie “Bird Flying High”---we have an amazing opportunity to honor those who came before us and begin to control and concrete who we are and what we are and return unto the earth the majic of miracles and manifested purposed living. Because all know---blackmajic is real. purposepotion#
I DEDICATE THIS TO ALL MY ENTERTAINMENT ANCESTORS and in the essence of them call forth the TRUE STORIES OF HOLLYWOOD as told by Black Entertainers. IT IS TIME. damijustrealizedtranscendenceiscoOpted--still Spirit over Order.
