Black Horizons; 2423; Harambee II

You Hello, this is Black Horizons and I'm Chris Moore. Today we'll look at the fun side of Black Life in Pittsburgh by taking a look at festivals, picnics, and movies all designed with you in mind. Let's begin with a look at Harambe too. It's the annual International Arts Festival that is held in Homewood every year. Here are Gail Austin and Sabir Rabushra, who have to be two of the hardest working women in show business as they are both perpetual volunteers with Harambe too. Welcome to Black Horizons. We're glad to have you here. Tell us about this year's festival.

I always love it. I always tell everybody I enjoy it so much each and every time that I've been to Harambe. And I must have been going at at least 27 years. I haven't missed a year. You and everything in Pittsburgh. I haven't missed a Black Horizons Festival since 1968. When in fact Harambe too, with whom Sabir and I work, has been in existence nine years and it's the ninth annual festival. And like we say every year, this is the biggest ever, but it's true. It's true. You never lie to me, right? No. Okay, you wouldn't lie to me either, would you? What makes this one so big? This year we're fortunate to have a number of national entertainers. We have more sponsors. We have a two -day youth conference that's going to go on simultaneously with the festival. And in addition to the art exhibit coming back this year, we also have an African art collection. So we're using more venues around the Hunwood brushing community. So logistically, it's going to be bigger and we expect more people to be here. Okay, now we have to dispel it right away. On WCXJ, we get

so many calls about Harambe's moving, isn't it? It's not going to be there this year. Perhaps you add some fuel to that fire yourself, you think? No, I just know that we've made it clear to people that each year we have to make an assessment of the site. And this year we're really going to make a serious assessment of the site. You've grown it, you think? We'll see. That's all we can say. In a way that's good. It says development, but you could be sure. If Harambe continues, it will always be in the black community. But the dispel any missed the festival is this year at Hunwood and Kelly. And it's billboards all around the city of Pittsburgh this year. And you saw me at the post office last night, delivering tickets and bailing about entertainers. So you know they're all going to be here too. Yes. Well, last year the black horizons camera was released from the studio. We went out and we taped some of what Harambe was doing. We only had one day. So we missed a lot. But what we

taped, I think, gives a good flavor of what happened. And as you said, each and every year gets bigger and bigger. So it must get bigger, right? It does. Last year there was an estimated 30 ,000 people there. 15 ,000 people a day. So that's pretty good. That's what we tried to attain. And I think we've arrived at the point where we don't have to put a lot of work into publicity. It's all word of mouth now. Okay. Well, I always enjoy the Harambe too festival. And if you go, I know that you'll enjoy it too. Here's an example of the kind of fun you and your entire family can have when you go to see Harambe. It's 630. It's showtime. We are ready to go. I think it's positive. I think it's electrifying. It's vitalizing. Well, I think this is a joyous growth and development of African people here in Pittsburgh.

There's something that people get from the festival that they carry with them, and they take them home with them. Lots of people share this feeling during the two days of the Black Arts festival called Harambe. Gail Austin has helped organize Harambe since it's revival in 1983. Harambe too came about when some community folks who had enjoyed and appreciated so much the original Harambe got together and said, hey, let's get the festival going again. People generally have this real romantic view about this festival they really do. They think that it lasts much longer. People talk about that original festival like it was 17 years. People still see more on this street and they go, you're with Harambe, right? And I'll say yes. They say, yeah, I've never missed a year in 22 years. There was no festival between 1971 and 1983. Harambe is a Swahili word that means working together. Surprisingly, to some people, it's only eight rural staff

board people. We do all the organizing over a year period to pull off the festival. But we bring in maybe two, three hundred volunteers. So it truly is Harambe kind of an event. Somewhere in a dictionary, if you look up the word festival, there should be something to see as a problem because they're all most anonymous. I think all festival people feel that way. Because when you have outdoor festival, what you're in actuality doing is building a whole physical plant outside. Things that you take for granted when you're holding something indoors. Things like the weather. Festival people don't worry about the rains. It's the one thing that you don't have any control over. So we don't take that into consideration when planning. The community of Homewood is the current venue for Harambe too. It's a street festival that doesn't charge admission. You get to learn things about their culture. And you get to see black people back out here. You

feel like they're majority instead of minority. I like it that you can see so many black faces. And you feel more in touch with your culture. I think it's very positive. Really, because if you have different types of music for different types of people, you can bring in people from all different cultures. White, black, Hispanic, Jewish, everything. Because you have different music. If you have different music, I mean you're going to attract different people. And when you attract different people, you have unity. One of the things Harambe wants to do is mix the political and social with the aesthetic. Educate is what is entertained. They also go for alternative entertainment. People who are distinguished in various fields, but receive limited exposure. I think we were dependent upon name recognition from the outset. Because we had to have names like Max Roach to bring people to the festival. But now we have established track record. And now we can start to bring in some world -be -through world artists, whom people aren't familiar with. People coming to Harambe

now, not knowing who's going to be here. Because they know it's going to be a success. They know it's going to be great. People also come to Harambe knowing there's going to be great food. Homewood comes alive each summer doing Harambe. Most festivals is doing a lot for homewood. And most of all, for African Americans, it gives us a chance to see what we're all about, as well as it gives us a chance to kind of reunite with each other at least once a year. Well, it's going to take events such as this to keep people coming back. However, it needs to start somewhere else with remembering pride. Pride will always bring you home. Well, pride will bring you home. And I think everybody, be very proud with the lineup that you have this year. Gail, tell us a little bit about who's coming in. Well, Sabirah mentioned this year running concurrently with the Festival as a youth festival. This year's theme is Black

Youth Community and Culture. So attending at the first part of the Youth Conference is Sister Soldier. She's going to be on a panel discussion with some local teams as well as the essay contest winners. Will Bill Clinton be here too? I hope not. OK. And who else, Sabirah? The second day of the Youth Conference, which, by the way, is co -sponsored by the Black United Fund of Pennsylvania and Pittsburgh Coalition against substance abuse, is going to feature father Augustus Taylor. He's a former Pittsburgher who has been an activist and Los Angeles for a number of years and was actively involved in his community around the riots in LA. We're going to have him on WCXJ also to promote it additionally. I think that's going to be key, because we need to really, in your accent on the youth, we need to have people like him in here as a former Pittsburgher who talk about what's really going on in LA

with the real crips in the blood. Yeah, and it's going to be a celebration of Black Youth. There's just so much talk about Black Youth that is not in celebration of them. When all of us know that the majority of young Black people, we know are good young people and a credit to the community. But this festival is also for everybody. So close now to festival is Coco Taylor. Oh, we know what a picture of Wayne Banks. And her blues machine, I have to say that. And then on Saturday night, headlining will be straight ahead. It's a new, all -female jazz group, which is a trend in its male -dominated film music. And proceeding straight ahead on the bill that night will be a West African group, Foday Musa Sousa, who is a Grio in the traditional sense of the African storyteller and his oral historian. And he'll be accompanied by percussionists and you're going to do traditional African music from West Africa. You know, the one barometer I can judge the festival by in the nine years of its re -emergence is that in the early years of

those nine, I used to ride my bicycle over there all the time. And it was easy to walk it through the crowd and everything. And about three years ago, I tried that again. I said, gee, you can't get through it. So I don't even bring it anymore. No, and please, everybody, please, leave your vehicles at home. And I come early. There should be a lot of parking space around the periphery. But again, the emphasis is on youth. And we're going to have Jesse White -Tumblin team as part of the Gisborne Round that she talked about, right? She was sitting at the Chicago Bulls Games, some times in that time. The Jesse White -Tumblin team was started by, I think Illinois State Representative Jesse White. And it was started basically in response to giving young people an alternative, as opposed to getting into the drug and game scene in Chicago. So they're going to be performing two days, two times, both days. And in addition to that, we have a lot of the best local entertainment in the city, an art exhibit, an African art

exhibit that belongs to Dr. Ralph Proctor. And it's going to be called... I know it's going to be fabulous. I know the entire Harambe 2 is going to be fabulous. And I really urge each and every one of you to get out there so that you can enjoy it. Final comment, any one of your questions? Yes, if anybody's interested, they should call 322 -1255. If you're interested in vending, that is a social service, a dry goods, or food booths, or if you want to volunteer. And rates are cheap for those booths, and you need volunteers to run. We're on the charge. We're on the charge. Harambe runs on volunteers. You really need volunteers. We couldn't do without it. A couple of hundred just to run the children's work. Yes, for the children. You've seen the tape. We need a lot of people to help with the mask making, with the face painting. And again, the number is 322 -1255. August 15th and 16th and 12th noon to 11 o 'clock come one hour. And I'd like a party to me. All right, thanks for being here. Thank you. We really appreciate it. Harambe 2 is going to be great. I hope

that you'll get out there. Well, Manette Seed is here to review this week's top box office movie draw. It's called Mo Money. And that's exactly what it's doing. Making Mo Money, Mo Money, Mo Money. Excuse me. How much is this book? You, free, take it. Nothing in the back is free. Of it. Oh, really? Besides, I think a kid will like it. I don't have a kid. Yes, Lord. Give me my $2. What happened to free? It's America, remember? This is a great book. You should read it sometime. Yeah? Yeah, can I read it to you now? You're sick. Ice cream dream. Wonder what that's about. I wish I had a night's cream. It'll look just like you. Sweet, tasty chocolate. Good all the way through.

I'd lick a slow from head to toe. You're fresh. I'll take my bookie foot, now it's thank you. Come again. And again. Well, you know, every time, Manette, I look at the clips to these movies. I make judgments based on the clips. If I had to judge this movie based on the clips, I would not go see it. You were absolutely right. Again, Chris, more in that. That's what a great movie is. This movie is L -A -M -E spells a lane. It's so bad. How bad is it? It's so bad. We had to fight with each other to keep from leaving. That's bad. It's just amazing to me. The Damon Wayans, who is one of my favorite characters on the entire living color thing. He's like a really talented comedian. He can do 17 different steaks at one time. He limits himself to the gay character, the drunk and junky character, and the nice guy, Johnny, who is the main character in the film itself, Mo Money. It's just every joke

is just you have to work for it. But it's box office baffle. I don't know if people are going to see it because it's him. It's like they want to see him. They want to see him do well. And when you show up and you sit there and you're wanting so badly to laugh for the first 15 minutes. And then after about half an hour, you're thinking, who's got my money? I'm leaving. This is not a good thing. That bad. It is not. The young lady who plays the female lead in the picture. She's got to be somebody's cousin or girlfriend. Well, it's a clip. I think she sets women in the movies back along ways. She comes over in the clip and it's like, the head is in motion, you know. She can't stop moving. She can't focus her eyes. I don't know if there's her real eyeballs. She got those at a store. The gum bomb, she knows contact lenses. She just drove me insane. Tell me you as many as not from drugs. Okay, I'll tell you. She's just like so terrible. She's a compliment to the badness of the film. Twice, I dare you to laugh more than two times. I dare you. That bad. Go ahead. I dare you. Uh -huh. Uh -huh. That's the best that I can do. There are many weak points in this movie. One of the things that pop up to you most is that

obviously Damon Wayman spent a lot of time with Bruce Willis because he starts blowing things up in this movie and turning cars over where there shouldn't be anything going up. There wasn't that much violence in the clip. Oh, there's lots of violence in this movie. There's car chases. There's a maniacal credit card thief with a hatchet, he trying to kill everybody. There's a little bit of sex, not too much. It's like one of those totally movies where like what is considered an unattractive black woman is completely dis from the beginning and into the end of the movie and this little face. Yeah, that was in the clips and I didn't think that that was funny. It was not funny at all. It was like his brother, young Damon's brother wakes up in the bed and he rolls over and you know, they go face -to -face and she does that and throws it out in the hallway and there's like one not one positive black male role model in this entire movie. So we are gangsters again. Uh -huh, not even good gangsters. I mean, at least if they stole something and got away with it, you could at least maybe give them that much, but not even that much. They're just, it's lame. Okay, what is this going to do for his career? I mean, if it's making good box office and it's leading this week, then that's a positive

sign for his career. But if people start to react the way that you did and others around you in the movie did, they're not going to go back and his next movie is going, he's going to be like the John Travolta of Blackness. Yeah. Greece is the word. I'm standing on the line. Yeah, that couldn't very well happen, but he got, he's got Hollywood Shuffle, which was really, really funny. No, we're not Hollywood Shuffle. What am I talking about? Not that, that's really bad. I'm going to get you something. It was still a relative. And then he was in the movie with Bruce Willis, which also did very badly, but he was at least, you know. But I thought it did well at the box office. Again, but it was like bad movie. It was just, you know, I mean, you can only see so many cars tumble. You've got to have something else. I think after a while you have to have the thing, the thing that made the Eddie Murphy and the Nick Nolte movies work so well was that they were actors underneath it all. And he had some chemistry between the cars. Right, and you could sit there and you could enjoy the dialogue between the two of them without anything catching on fire. But if something's not burning in this movie, you just don't know what you're doing there. It's New Zola, huh? Yeah, in a big way. No, boy. Well, when that, we happen to know that your movie system is what, your

rating system is what? Is the top price, $650, if it's a wonderful, wonderful movie, right? And so this one is? Don't even wait for it to come on cable. I'm telling you what. That bad. I mean, you've got to have nothing to do at home to watch this movie. No, boy. OK, well, for those of you who haven't seen it yet, save your money. OK, we also happen to know it's your birthday. And I have a Buffy the Vampire series gift for you. Little coffin just for you. For the next hot movie coming out, you'll hear about it soon. Can I use this on Juby Siege? Sure you can. It's got fake blood and everything in it. It's got teeth, then pride teeth, you can bite it. Pompom, you do great. Is your jacket in here? No. I'm going to sing my singing debut. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, my name. Happy birthday to you. Thank you. And many more. Well, now that I've finished that, it's time now for our dinner, Caledon. It's our weekly listing of arts happenings that you will want to be part of. Well, Chris

Moore will be singing it now. If you want to dance, well, here's your chance. The Hill House Association will be holding a modern and jazz dance workshop at the Kauffman Program Center. It is already in session, but you can still enroll and it will run through August 13th. The workshop is taught by choreographer and dancer Norma Jean Barnes. Teens and adults alike are invited to join so called 392 -4475 for more information. The preservation hall jazz band will be playing at the Hartwood Festival tomorrow. That's tomorrow night. In fact, you really shouldn't miss their performance at 7 p .m., more info called 767 -9700. If you missed out on the first free performance by Walt Harper and all that jazz, and you're still in luck. He'll be performing again as part of the Soft Park Summer Series on all the 7th at 8 p .m. One information simply called 835 -4810.

Well, that's the Tana Calendar for this week. Remember, if you have an arts event that you would like to have announced, write to us at the Tana Calendar, 4802 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh PA15213. The African American Unity Day Committee is the sponsor of an annual event at Kenny Wood, which has the theme black on black love. Here to tell us more are Lois McDonnell and Bob Pitts. Welcome to our program. We're glad to have you here. Lois, I talk about who are the hardest working people that I know in show business all the time. You've got to be one of them too, because we are constantly on the phone for the good works that people are doing around the community. And this time you are calling me to get all on to talk about this picnic, and it must be a great event because you're behind it, I think. Correct. Correct. What a clean assessment that was, huh? Okay, tell us about it. This will be our fourth annual year for the

African American Family Unity Day picnic, and it is a theme of black on black love. And our purpose behind the picnic is to bring our people together and our family. All we need is a little love. And that's right. Is it that simple, Bob? It could be Chris if we wanted to make it that way. But we always try to make things difficult in our community, and it's not real. But if we were to just take it upon ourselves to learn to love each other, to trust each other and to believe in each other, it'd be so much easier. Okay, you brought up the subject of making things difficult. I'd be remiss if I didn't ask this. You know that there are some quarters in the community that would ask, why are we as black people going to Kenny would and drop all that money on the folks out there, the white folks out there. When we could just have a regular old fashioned picnic, contribute $10 a piece, save that kind of money, and raise money for scholarships to build your own park to create economic development. And you know the kind of criticism that civil rights agencies have come under recently for changing their agenda from civil rights to economic development to

education. How would you answer that kind of criticism that I've heard? I would accept it because it's true. Economic development is going to be the key to any of our successes in the future. And I think we just have to de -lineate as to who ought to be dealing with that, whether it ought to be the civil rights organizations or other organizations brought about to deal with it. We as civil rights organizations are still committed to dealing with civil rights. If civil rights were already a reality, and they didn't need us, I'd say fine. We could just close up shop and start an economic development office at Wiley Avenue at the end of the ACP office tomorrow, or any of the other branch offices. But that's not our role right at this point in time. I think we have to support those organizations that are dealing with economic development. We still have to address racism in society in the financial areas and all those areas where it still is a handicap. And I'd be the last person in the world to concur and say that if we could do it the way that is being suggested by the number of persons who are, I would say they ought to be the ones that ought to start it. They ought to be the four runners. And we would certainly join forces with them and begin to start dealing in some of these areas that

they're talking about. Lawist, do you think that many people who criticize civil rights organizations are not actively involved themselves in the number of things Bob, you're shaking here. I asked Lawist, so that's okay. They're not involved because if they are involved, they would not be criticized. And one, you wouldn't have time to criticize. You'd be seeing what you could do. Okay, tell us a little bit. It was something you wanted to say. I just really wanted to give some background in terms of some of the confusion that has been going on in terms of Kennywood because I think I've been involved in terms of some of the decisions that have been made. I've been in touch with the persons out of Kennywood in terms of what some of the things that have started this year and in the past for the safety of all the persons that go to Kennywood. One of the calls I've received in the early part of the year before Kennywood was open was what were my feelings in terms of dealing with making certain that certain persons male, female, black or white would have access to entering Kennywood if there was a way of means of addressing that issue.

We brought up several ideas, one being that if we knew who the trouble makers are in our communities as mayors, as chiefs of police, that would be a way of at least dealing with the issue. So of course when the thought came up with dealing with it during the summer months or the early spring months for the picnics between the high schools, that was certainly one of the thoughts that came up while Chris was to address that issue to make certain that we didn't have any of the known trouble makers coming into the park and being able to start problems. But how do you make the distinction between a trouble maker? I mean, some police officers see a young guy with a high top fade in their old trouble maker. No, we weren't using that as a means. We were talking about those that we've actually had problems with. So you have police officers from those communities who know them, understand the guardians, which is a black police organization, fraternal organizations, supposed to be doing security also. Well, in the first instance that you mentioned Chris, the police officers from the individual communities were there at the gates to see that those young

folks and our older persons who may have been the problem child or children in those communities were not at medit. In the case with the guardians, the guardians are coming not to stop anyone from coming in. We've made it quite clear. We don't want any one at the gate to try to stop persons from coming in at our people because it's a family day people. Okay, we'll use up all the time, talk about this and we'll talk about any of the great things that are supposed to happen if I don't get to this in the next couple of minutes. What can people expect when they get there? What kind of fun, what kind of black on black love? And I understand lowest people come from I .O. from West Virginia that come in from everywhere to be there. We have people coming far and wide. And again, this year we're comparing some of the towns and states that people are coming from. One of the fathers traveled with my own family from Denver, Colorado, a children coming in. So every family reunion is a family reunion every year. And this is what we hope people will be getting to look up on this event as we would like to bring the families together. And there'll be raffles and prizes and bingo and all sorts of stuff. Life

entertainment. Fireworks is the end of the year. As a finale for the evening. All kinds of entertainment. Eddie Edwards is your honorary chairperson. I'm gonna get this chair. We'll be having, oh, some of the fantastic raffles of television sets. Micro waves. Just so many beautiful things that'll be, anyone that doesn't come, they're gonna be the ones gonna mess out. They're gonna be the ones that mess out. Okay, so a little black on black love and we could use a little more of that certainly in our community. And a little more cooperation, perhaps, too. Thank you. Thank you. Well, we thank you for being here with us and we appreciate it and we wish you much success. It's August 14th, right? That's right. And this is a consortium of organizations. Can you name some of them? There are several organizations together. We have Hill, House, Bedwell, Kingsley Association, the consortium of the NAACP. And on and on and on. Okay, well that's just a few of them. Well, the African American Unity Day picnic will occur August 14th at Kennywood Park. If you want more information call any of the aforementioned sponsoring

agencies. Hey, that's it for another edition of Black Horizons. I'm Chris Moore and thanks for joining me. Don't forget to tune in to Blacktalk on WCAXJ Radio every weekday from 7am to 10am. I'll see you here or here you there next week. Bye. [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES [♪ OUTRO MUSIC CON OUTRO MUSIC CONTINUES

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