Friday, December 8, 2023

A00057 - The Songbird of Asia

 

It is often amazing to me that there is talent in every corner of the globe.  In that corner of the globe, there is often a rare talent that becomes a national treasure ... but all too frequently that national treasure is relatively unknown outside the nation that treasures her.

Such is the case with Regine, the woman recognized as the Songbird of Asia


Probably, like me, you have never heard of her.  However, once you have heard her sing, it is impossible to forget who she is.

Here are a few of the English language treasures she has produced.  You only imagine what her impact is in Tagalog.





Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Manila, Philippines
November 14, 2023
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A00056 - In Praise of Omar

 


On Saturday, November 11, I took my sister to see the relatively new, Pulitzer Prize winning opera entitled "Omar".


Before the singing even began, the show in the hallways was the most unique in my brief five-year history of attending the San Francisco Opera.  What was so unique was the large presence of African Americans in the halls and even more impressively the large number of Muslims.  I can tell you that those who believe the hijab to be a rather drab piece of clothing would have been startled by vibrant colors being worn by the Muslim women on this night.  I do not know if the display of high fashion was intended to do so, but many of the women were simply stunning.

As for the opera, "Omar" itself is a stunning opera. Focusing on the spirituality and Muslim faithfulness of Omar ibn Said


this opera sends a powerful message about Allah, and the enduring faith that sustained one man over a lifetime of trauma, turmoil and slavery. 

In the end, as I, and, almost everyone else, stood in rapt awe at the power of the performances and enthusiastically yelled "Bravo" to the bowing cast members. I began to revise my list of my favorite operas.  Move over, Madame Butterfly.  Move over for Omar.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Manila, Philippines
November 14, 2023  
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Thursday, December 7, 2023

A00055 - Music from the Barrio

 

One of my fellow black alumni mentioned that he could not open the Bing videos listed in the email below.  Since it is my purpose to serve, here are the YouTube videos for 

Rock 'N' Roll Gangster by Aalon


On A Sunday Afternoon by Lighter Shade of Brown


and, of course, Together by Tierra


Hope you enjoy them.  However, as a bonus, please check out these two tunes from Pepe Marquez:

Be Thankful For What You've Got



and an all too relevant What's Going On


Paz,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 31, 2023



----- Forwarded Message -----
From: skipjen2865@aol.com <skipjen2865@aol.com>
To: 
Sent: Monday, October 30, 2023 at 06:06:02 AM PDT
Subject: The Immortal Life of Art Laboe


As I reported last October (see below), the great Art Laboe died.  But I may have been wrong, As I drove through the Central Valley late Sunday night, the Art Laboe radio show came on the radio.  Using a vintage program from an October from some time ago with some updated written requests, the Art Laboe radio show was still going strong over a year after he had transitioned to another plane.  I always loved his show which seemed geared towards a somewhat black but largely Latino crowd.  Focused on the Central Valley many of the requests came from women whose boyfriends and husbands were incarcerated in one of the State prisons located in the Central Valley, particularly the one at Corcoran.  Last night, I had to chuckle over a request for a young woman who love was in Corcoran.  She requested the following song in sentimental remembrance of the glorious times with her man


but there were others that reminded me so much of my Victorville brothers who were a lighter shade of brown
 

and, of course, it reminded me of time when we were young and together


Ah, those were the days.

Thank you, Art Laboe. In my world, you are still very much here.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins



888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Southern California lost another great radio personality.  On the heels of losing the great Vin Scully in August

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/sports/baseball/vin-scully-dead.html

we are now mourning the loss of the great Art Laboe


For those who grew up in Southern California, or those who have traveled up and down Interstate 5 at night, it was hard not to have listened to Art Laboe and to be hooked by this Oldie but Goodie playing the oldies but goodies of a musical lifetime.  The following California Report broadcast on Art Laboe at 93 highlights the allure of the man and his show. 

https://www.kqed.org/news/11723524/at-93-this-california-dj-is-still-connecting-loved-ones-on-the-air

What is a bit harder to highlight are the memories of listening to Art Laboe while driving through the desert on a moonlit Summer night.  

He will be missed ... but he will continue to live in our memories.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 22, 2022

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A00054 - The Immortal Life of Art Laboe

 


As I reported last October (see below), the great Art Laboe died.  But I may have been wrong, As I drove through the Central Valley late Sunday night, the Art Laboe radio show came on the radio.  Using a vintage program from an October from some time ago with some updated written requests, the Art Laboe radio show was still going strong over a year after he had transitioned to another plane.  I always loved his show which seemed geared towards a somewhat black but largely Latino crowd.  Focused on the Central Valley many of the requests came from women whose boyfriends and husbands were incarcerated in one of the State prisons located in the Central Valley, particularly the one at Corcoran.  Last night, I had to chuckle over a request for a young woman who love was in Corcoran.  She requested the following song in sentimental remembrance of the glorious times with her man


but there were others that reminded me so much of my Victorville brothers who were a lighter shade of brown
 

and, of course, it reminded me of time when we were young and together


Ah, those were the days.

Thank you, Art Laboe. In my world, you are still very much here.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 30, 2023



88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Southern California lost another great radio personality.  On the heels of losing the great Vin Scully in August

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/02/sports/baseball/vin-scully-dead.html

we are now mourning the loss of the great Art Laboe


For those who grew up in Southern California, or those who have traveled up and down Interstate 5 at night, it was hard not to have listened to Art Laboe and to be hooked by this Oldie but Goodie playing the oldies but goodies of a musical lifetime.  The following California Report broadcast on Art Laboe at 93 highlights the allure of the man and his show. 

https://www.kqed.org/news/11723524/at-93-this-california-dj-is-still-connecting-loved-ones-on-the-air

What is a bit harder to highlight are the memories of listening to Art Laboe while driving through the desert on a moonlit Summer night.  

He will be missed ... but he will continue to live in our memories.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 22, 2022

 

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A00053 - The Weekend Theme Song

 Went to Victorville on Friday on October 27.  After a nice lunch with my four of my high school classmates and two of their spouses where we were able to catch on a great deal of classmate updates, I went to the Desert View Cemetery to pay my parents a visit and to give my mother two dozen pink roses for her birthday.  My brother who lives in Victorville had beat me to the cemetery and had already placed some flowers in each of my parents vases.  A nice touch of class.  However, the flowers were not pink.  So while saying sorry to my father, I placed all of my brother's flowers in his vase and placed my two dozen pink roses in my mother's vase because pink roses were her favorite flowers.


I suppose some might find my gesture to be overly sentimental, but I am old school.  

On the drive back to Fairfield, while driving on Highway 99 just north of Bakersfield, I was listening to the Art Laboe radio show when coincidentally a song came on which expresses my feelings perfectly.  Maybe you might enjoy listening to it as well.


Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 30, 2023
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A00052 - The Integration of Country Music

  It is almost 3:00 am and I am in a timeshare unit in Palm Springs. I just finished trolling the television stations and was stopped when I came across this classic Tracy Chapman song being sung by the good ol' boy, Luke Combs on CMT -- Country Music Television



"Fast Car" was written and made famous thirty-five years ago as a pop/folk song by the Grammy Award winner Tracy Chapman, an African American. 


Soon after the Luke Combs version -- a version that retains Chapman's female gender references -- aired, another song came on featuring two current stars of country music, Mickey Guyton and Kane Brown, both of whom are African American.


Some of us remember the good old days when the only black face at the CMA (Country Music Association) events was dear ol' Charley Pride.  Well, that was fifty years ago, and while the country may be more segregated than it was fifty years ago, it is encouraging that at least the country music is not.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Palm Springs, California 
October 27, 2023
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Wednesday, November 8, 2023

A00051 - A Tale of Two Memorial Services

 A little over a month ago, Amherst College held a remembrance service for Gerald Penny, the member of the Class of 1977 who died while taking a swimming test during his first year ... his first month ... at Amherst College on September 12, 1973.



This memorial service was a formal affair and was held in, I believe, Chapin Chapel, in Chapel Hall, the location where the black students typically gather twice a semester for a Christian church service.  Notable about the service held in September was that it appears that only two people who actually knew Gerald were in attendance.  One was Bob Bellinger, a fellow member of the Class of 1977, and the other was the poet Sonia Sanchez who was a professor at Amherst at the time of Gerald's death in 1973.

I noted with appreciation the location, the formality and structure of the remembrance service on September 12, 2023 and found myself, self-consciously, comparing it to the one I conducted in 2017.   

For the 2017 Black Alumni Weekend, the Alumni Liaison requested that I focus the memorial service that I conduct for all the deceased Black Alumni on Gerald Penny.  The College wanted this focus during this time because it was thought that members of Gerald's family would be in attendance at the Black Alumni Weekend.  Indeed, as I recall the liaison asked that I rename the memorial service at the 2017 Black Alumni Weekend, the "Gerald Penny Memorial Service" in honor of Gerald.

I resisted this suggestion because, for me, the Black Alumni Weekend memorial service is a tribute to all the Amherst College Black Alumni and not just a tribute to one.   Nevertheless, in the spirit of cooperation with a sincere and hard-working alumni liaison, I acquiesced with the request and offered that I would even try to get one of Gerald's classmates to come and speak.

 My program for the memorial service held on March 26, 2017 reads as follows:

Order of Service:

Shaman's Call by Charles Nakai

Introductions

Prayer by Gregory Domingue, Class of 1972

Scripture Reading, Matthew 5:1-16

A Remembrance of Gerald Penny, Class of 1977

A Tribute to the Class of 1892

A Reading of the Names of Those Who Have Joined the Ancestors

A Time to Name Those Not Listed

Concluding Remarks

A Moment of Silence in Remembrance

A Parting Blessing: Numbers 6:24-26

Amazing Grace by Charles Nakai

This Memorial Service was held in the Octagon in the place -- the cultural center -- that now bears Gerald Penny's name.  As I recall, this service was attended by only about twelve people but no one from Gerald's family was there.  However, the people that were there were significant.  The noted historian Bob Bellinger, a fellow member of the Class of 1977, graciously consented to attend this memorial service and to provide the remembrance of Gerald Penny, I seem to recall that Tony Jackson, Class of 1976, was present to read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-16), and perhaps most importantly of all Wayne Wormley, Class of 1972, was present to read the Prayer by Gregory Domingue, Class of 1972, who had passed away in 2014. 

I say that Wayne Wormley was probably the most important attendee because Wayne Wormley was the Green Dean for the 1972-1973 school year.  A "Green Dean" was a position then held be a recent graduate to assist in the recruitment of students to Amherst College. During his tenure as the Green Dean, Wayne was intimately involved in the recruitment of Gerald Penny and knew the most about his background.  I believe it is fair to say that of all the people from Amherst College alive today, it was probably Wayne who knew Gerald best.

The March 26, 2017, Memorial Service began well, but once the Remembrance of Gerald Penny segment began, it evolved and would not end.  The words of Wayne and Bob and Tony brought back so many memories of those emotion filled days in September of 1973.  So many memories.  So many.  I only had an hour for the service, but the remembrance of Gerald went beyond an hour. I was not able to give my tribute to the Class of 1892, the class that produced probably the most influential group of black graduates in the history of the College.  Nor was I able to read the Names of Those Who Have Joined the Ancestors.  Indeed, I did not do any more of my program except that about 15 minutes beyond our allotted time, I stated my apology that we had not recorded these remembrances for posterity and then I turned to a special guest to lead us out by playing Amazing Grace


And then we were done.

*****

There will be another memorial service for Gerald Penny during the Homecoming Weekend, November 10-12, 2023.  It is slated to be a formal affair held in Chapin Hall.  I am sure that it will be fine.  However, for those who do attend the Homecoming Weekend, I hope some of you will venture over to the Gerald Penny Cultural Center, gather in a circle, and say a little prayer.  If you do, you just might find that the spirit of Gerald will be there with you.

Peace,

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Class of 1975
Fairfield, California
October 17, 2023

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***********************************************************************************************************************************************

NEWS

College Remembers Gerald Penny ’77

Cal Gelernt '24

Sep 20, 20234 min

In a ceremony on the 50th anniversary of his death in Pratt Pool, the college community remembered Gerald Penny ’77, who drowned during a college-mandated swimming test.

College Remembers Gerald Penny ’77Professor of Black Studies and History Stefan Bradley spoke at the ceremony honoring Gerald Penny ’77. Photo courtesy of Amherst College.

The college held a ceremony of remembrance on Sept. 12 in honor of the 50th anniversary of the death of Gerald Penny ’77, who drowned in Pratt Pool in 1973 while taking a swimming test, then a requirement for new students. In addition to the ceremony, an exhibition dedicated to Penny’s memory is up at Frost Library throughout the fall semester, featuring his academic record, the original Amherst Student article on his death, and the program from his 1974 memorial. Additional events are planned for Black Alumni Weekend, on November 10-12, 2023.

The event began with remarks from Professor of Black Studies and History Stefan Bradley, filling in for Special Assistant to the President Allen Hart, who could not be in attendance on Tuesday.

Bradley discussed Penny’s life and the structural inequities that led to his untimely death.

An African American student from New Orleans, Penny had been a standout basketball player, served on student council and graduated as salutatorian at his prestigious all-Black Catholic high school, St. Augustine High School. But upon arriving at a nearly all-white campus in the fall of 1973, Penny was required to either swim four lengths of Pratt Pool or take a remedial class. Since segregation had limited access to public pools and beaches for many African Americans in the south, Penny had never learned how to swim.

“The path to inclusion should not demand assimilation,” Bradley said and repeated.

Sheree Ohen, ​chief equity and inclusion officer, also spoke about the factors that led to Penny’s death. She quoted from the 2006 Convocation Address of former President Anthony Marx, who said, “Looking back today, had we tried to be more aware then, Gerald Penny might now be alive. This community must yet confront how Gerald Penny, tragically, was swallowed in the waters of our ignorance.”

The college removed the swimming test as a graduation requirement in 1973 after Penny’s death. The following year, a room in the Octagon was named the Gerald Penny 1977 Memorial Black Cultural Center.

Robert Bellinger ’77, a classmate of Penny’s and his friend during the short time they knew each other, reflected on the kind of person Penny was. He discussed Penny’s openness and affability. “I may be a Penny but I’m worth a lot more,” Bellinger recalled him often saying.

“Penny was known for saying ‘hi’ to everyone he knew,” The Student reported in 1973 after his death. “Within just one week on campus, Penny was known on all four floors of James. His friends would call him Penny.”

Bellinger felt it was important to speak at the ceremony. “I came not to speak for my class but to represent my class,” he told The Student. “To pay honor to Gerald and to be part of this memorial.”

The entire men’s and women’s swim and dive team was in attendance for the ceremony.

Will Taylor ’24, captain of the men’s team, was particularly struck by one moment: “I’m a swimmer and I swim everyday,” he said. “The pool is a place where I find a lot of peace, … a lot of happiness. So to hear [Bellinger] say, ‘I can’t go back,’ remembering the pool as a place of institutionalized violence, that was really shocking.” Bellinger had told the crowd that he had only ever returned to Pratt Pool once since Penny’s death.

“The idea of Amherst having a swim test, it’s obvious the sort of socioeconomic discrimination that instills,” Taylor added.

Bellinger said that he believed that the college did not properly reckon with Penny’s death at the time. “I think that they were not sure how to deal with it and really not willing to take full responsibility,” he said.

He added, however, that he really appreciated the event and that the college was honoring Penny’s memory.

“It was wonderful to see people coming out who want to know about him, to want to pay tribute to him,” he said. “And he is now part of the college’s story. Not something that’s swept to the side and forgotten about but something that is going to be central and centered and will inform future generations of students.”

Ohen expressed a similar sentiment. “The 50th anniversary of the Gerald Penny Commemoration was a beautiful moment of community building and togetherness,” she wrote in a statement to The Student. “We did not shy away from the painful truths of our past or its connection to the racial realities then and now.”

While Ohen stressed the progress Amherst has made in the half century since Penny’s death, she also emphasized how much work still needs to be done. “We have made significant strides in diversifying the student body on many dimensions. The racial and ethnic demography and socio-economic diversity of the students has increased in meaningful ways,” she wrote.

She also mentioned in her statement to The Student the creation of the office she heads and the college’s transition to thinking about “an equity and inclusion framework that asks us to assess how our programs and practices serve all of our students,” as steps in the right direction.

But her speech concluded with more hesitation. “A dear colleague said to me recently, ‘Remember that if you think you have arrived, what it tends to mean is that you have that much further to go.”’

Bellinger’s speech was followed by a reading of a poem Sonia Sanchez had composed for Penny’s 1974 memorial. Sanchez was the first black woman on the faculty at Amherst College and the chair of the Black studies department at the time of Penny’s death.

“There is nothing which does not come to an end, / And to live seventeen years is good in the sight of God,” its final lines read.

The event also featured two moving musical performances with vocals by Vanessa Ford, who sang “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” often referred to as the Black National Anthem, and “You Raise Me Up,” composed by Rolf Løvland.

The event concluded as it began, with remarks from Bradley. “I don’t want any people to think life is so different now than it was in 1973,” he said.

“I feel that changes for the positive should come about, and I want to be in that number when this trend begins,” Penny had written in his application to the college.

“You know what’s not different now as well? The spirit for young people to want to be in that number,” Bradley added.

Bradley closed by asking the audience to say Penny’s name. “Gerald Penny,” the audience replied in unison.


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Sunday, November 5, 2023

Alphabetical and Numerical Listings (1-50)

  Alphabetical Listings


A Meditation on John Coltrane A00048

A Musical Meditation on Rumi A00038

Ahmad Jamal, R.I.P. A00029

Amazing Grace A00044

Art Laboe, R. I. P. A00017

Barrett Strong, R.I.P. A00023

Blue-Eyed Soul Singer Bobby Caldwell, R. I. P. A00028

Book of the Month for February 2023: Autobiography of a Yogi: The Yogi and the Dream Weaver A00045

Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow A00020

Burt Bacharach: The Victorville Years A00025

Dakota Staton: A Hidden Gem of History A00032

Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August A00014

Elza Soares, The Brazilian Voice of the Millennium A00030

Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song A00024

Hallelujah Revisited A00026

In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962 A00016

Irene Cara, R. I. P. A00019

James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song A00013

Jim Seals and Summer Breeze A00010

Jim Seals' Diamond Girl A00011

La Vida Es Sueno A00006

Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P. A00015

Meditations on Rumi: The Music of Shujaat Khan A00002

Meklit Hadero A00004

Must See TV for August 2023: PBS: Independent Lens: Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary A00035

Must See TV for January 2023: PBS: American Masters: Roberta Flack A00022

My Tribute A00033

Native American Indian Heritage Month A00018

Owamni and Yoasobi  A00050

Robbie Robertson, Native Son and the Leader of The Band, R.I.P. A00042

Roger Whittaker, Anglo-Kenyan Singer of "The Last Farewell", R.I.P.  A00047

Samara Joy A00027

Shuhada' Sadaqat, R.I.P., and Welcome to the Realm of the Ancestors A00037

Sidney Poitier, R.I.P. A00005

Songs for Native American Heritage Month A00001

Summer of Soul: Oh Happy Day! and Precious Lord, Take My Hand A00008

The Golden Time of Day A00009

The Healing Power of Soul Music A00039

The Healing Power of Soul Music: A Divine Addendum A00040

The Lasting Legacy of Madame Butterfly A00031

The Magical Wonder of Route 66 A00036

The Memorial Service: Shaman's Call A00043

The Memorial Service: The Guiding Scripture A00046

The Nearness of You A00007

The 'Spiritual Wonder" of Van Gogh's Starry Night A00034

Thom Bell, R.I.P. A00021

Tio Feco y El Rey A00003

Unborn Child A00012

Vincent van Gogh Masterworks by Rosalind Ormiston A00041

Wild World A00049

88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Numerical Listings 


A00001 Songs for Native American Heritage

A00002 Meditations on Rumi: The Music of Shujaat

A00003 Tio Feco y El Rey

A00004 Meklit Hadero

A00005 Sidney Poitier, R.I.P.

A00006 La Vida Es Sueno

A00007 The Nearness of You

A00008 Summer of Soul: Oh Happy Day! and Precious Lord, Take My Hand

A00009 The Golden Time of Day

A00010 Jim Seals and Summer Breeze

A00011 Jim Seals' Diamond Girl

A00012 Unborn Child

A00013 James Caan, Amherst College Memories and the Theme from Brian's Song

A00014 Dreaming of a Jewish Christmas in August

A00015 Mary Ellin Barrett, R.I.P.

A00016 In Celebration of Coltrane: The Real Ambassadors and the Monterey Jazz Festival of 1962

A00017 Art Laboe, R. I. P.

A00018 Native American Indian Heritage Month

A00019 Irene Cara, R. I. P.

A00020 Book of the Month for December 2022: Cloud Empires: John Perry Barlow

A00021 Thom Bell, R.I.P.

A00022 Must See TV for January 2023: PBS: American Masters: Roberta Flack

A00023 Barrett Strong, R.I.P.

A00024 Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, A Journey, A Song

A00025 Burt Bacharach: The Victorville Years

A00026 Hallelujah Revisited

A00027 Samara Joy

A00028 Blue-Eyed Soul Singer Bobby Caldwell, R. I. P.

A00029 Ahmad Jamal, R.I.P.

A00030 Elza Soares, The Brazilian Voice of the Millennium

A00031 The Lasting Legacy of Madame Butterfly

A00032 Dakota Staton: A Hidden Gem of History

A00033 My Tribute

A00034 The 'Spiritual Wonder" of Van Gogh's Starry Night

A00035 Must See TV for August 2023: PBS: Independent Lens: Chasing Trane: The John Coltrane Documentary

A00036 The Magical Wonder of Route 66

A00037 Shuhada' Sadaqat, R.I.P., and Welcome to the Realm of the Ancestors

A00038 A Musical Meditation on Rumi

A00039 The Healing Power of Soul Music

A00040 The Healing Power of Soul Music: A Divine Addendum

A00041 Vincent van Gogh Masterworks by Rosalind Ormiston

A00042 Robbie Robertson, Native Son and the Leader of The Band, R.I.P.

A00043 The Memorial Service: Shaman's Call

A00044 Amazing Grace

A00045 Book of the Month for February 2023: Autobiography of a Yogi: The Yogi and the Dream Weaver

A00046 The Memorial Service: The Guiding Scripture

A00047 Roger Whittaker, Anglo-Kenyan Singer of "The Last Farewell", R.I.P.

A00048 A Meditation on John Coltrane

A00049 Wild World

A00050 Owamni and Yoasobi

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Friday, November 3, 2023

A00050 - Owamni and Yoasobi

 Over the weekend, I traveled to Minneapolis to attend the wedding of a close friend and classmate.  It was a glorious event which was a much-needed affirmation of life on weekend that was so shrouded in tragic global events of death.  After the last reception was held on Sunday, I ventured over to downtown Minneapolis itself to become better acquainted with the history of Minneapolis.  Before beginning my walk on a self-guided tour of Minneapolis Riverfront history, I treated myself to lunch at Owamni.  As stated in its "Our Philosophy": 


"At Owamni, we look at the world through a decolonized lens -- which to us, is simple.  The Indigenous perspective on the history of America is to acknowledge the centuries of intense violence, dislocation, forced assimilation, segregation and cultural erasure that has happened to our cultures and communities.

"We reject the values that have been upheld by settler colonialism, such as the wanton destruction of environment, including mining, logging, and monoculture agriculture, all of which contribute to the enrichment of a select few while our beautiful Indigenous landscapes and the people who have traditionally live on them are continually abused.

"The goal of this restaurant is to showcase modern Indigenous foods.  This means that we prioritize purchasing from Indigenous producers first, and build our seasonal menus to reflect region, culture, and specific Indigenous identities.

"We have cut out colonial ingredients such as beef, pork, chicken, dairy, wheat flour, and cane sugar, instead highlighting the true agricultural products of North America, such as corns, beans, squashes, wild game, birds, fish and Native plants.

"This approach offers a different story of American cooking than the Eurocentric one that is traditionally touted -- instead celebrating the amazing Indigenous diversity of Turtle Island

"We hope you enjoy it!"

*****

I had the Superior White Fish Cakes along with some Blue Corn Tortillas and a Housemade Birch Beer soda.

And I enjoyed it immensely.

*****

The next day, I did visit the George Floyd Square -- the city street site where George Floyd was murdered in 2020.  It was a disturbing experience on many levels.  I suspect I will write about that later. 

After that I drove to the historic Hiawatha Golf Course      


and played nine holes of golf in tribute to all the black golf pioneers who came before.

After my excursions on the south side of Minneapolis, I ended my Minneapolis excursions by revisiting the Mall of America.  On Saturday, I had visited the first two floors before attending the wedding.  On Monday, I ventured up to the third and fourth floors of the massive mall.  On the third floor, I ventured into a Minneapolis novelty -- Ebisu, a Japanese grocery store.  As soon as I did enter, I found myself enraptured by a song that was playing in the store.  I was so enchanted, I actually asked one of the clerks to tell me who was singing the song.  The clerk did not know but he graciously went to the back room of the store and returned with the name Yoasobi.  He printed it out for me in both English and Japanese. 

When I got home, I looked up Yoasobi on Wikipedia and learned that the song that I was enchanted by has enchanted millions of others as well. In a world that seems bent upon hatred and warfare, maybe a little Yoasobi is what we all need.
So here is the Yoasobi song


Peace, 

Everett "Skip" Jenkins
Fairfield, California
October 12, 2023

 

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