tag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:/blogs/fire-sunshine?p=1Fire & Sunshine2018-11-12T20:44:45-06:00Streetlevel Uprisingfalsetag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48269892017-08-26T12:25:27-05:002017-08-26T12:25:27-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #12: Michael Franti and Spearhead<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="440" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2041794862504759%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48269872017-08-26T12:24:07-05:002017-08-26T12:24:22-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #11: The Roots<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="421" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2040511132633132%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48269862017-08-26T12:23:04-05:002017-08-26T12:23:04-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #10: Peter Tosh<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="421" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2039110886106490%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48242072017-08-24T10:29:39-05:002022-05-09T13:50:24-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #9: George Clinton / P-Funk<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="421" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2037654382918807%2F&show_text=1&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48217062017-08-22T11:29:23-05:002022-05-10T03:41:23-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #8: Rage Against the Machine<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2036175863066659%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48208762017-08-21T15:07:39-05:002017-08-21T15:07:39-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #7: Billy Bragg<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2034832509867661%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48198712017-08-20T17:05:00-05:002017-08-20T17:05:17-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #6: The Clash<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2033451583339087%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48198702017-08-20T11:57:50-05:002017-08-20T11:57:50-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #5: Public Enemy<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2032081983476047%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48190282017-08-18T19:12:21-05:002017-08-18T19:12:21-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #4: Steel Pulse<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2031103533573892%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48170682017-08-17T10:14:57-05:002017-08-17T10:14:57-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #3: Fishbone<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2029237977093781%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48159192017-08-16T11:27:19-05:002017-08-16T11:27:19-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #2: Bob Marley<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2027871170563795%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48148452017-08-15T12:51:48-05:002017-08-15T12:51:48-05:00Favorite Conscious Artists - #1: Living Colour<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2026561997361379%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48135832017-08-14T12:06:31-05:002017-08-14T12:06:47-05:00Starting Tomorrow! Series - My Favorite Conscious Artists in 60 Seconds or Less!<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2025166787500900%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48055012017-08-07T13:52:14-05:002017-08-07T13:52:14-05:00Darren Daulton, R.I.P.<p>My favorite athletes have rarely been the supremely talented ones. I cheered against Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky, the best ever in their respective sports. Though I bleed orange-and-black, Eric Lindros was not even close to my favorite Flyer during his time in Philadelphia. I guess true to my Philly roots, I prefer the guys who might have less talent but really make the most of it. The working class sports figures who overcome their shortcomings, rough upbringings, or devastating injuries to live up to the overused sports clichés of being “lunch pail” guys who “leave it all on the field.” The ones whose toughness and tenacity are easy to see. Not that they don’t have tremendous talent, but because of the way they played, I’ll take Allen Iverson and Brian Dawkins any day over Jordan or Deion Sanders. </p>
<p>Darren Daulton was another one of those guys. Marginally athletic and cursed with bad knees, Dutch is still my favorite Phillie ever. People talk about leadership in sports but very few players are completely respected in the locker room as the unquestioned leader of the team. Dutch was for the 1993 Phillies team that had no business taking the Blue Jays to six games in the World Series but did so, due in no small part to his guidance. And he was that again for the 1997 champion Marlins, even though he didn’t even join them until July of that year. Multiple Marlins players and coaches of that era have said that they wouldn’t have won the World Series without Dutch’s leadership. </p>
<p>After baseball, Darren Daulton struggled with addiction and other issues and ran afoul of the law once or twice. But unlike so many others, he was able to pull himself back from the abyss. Beloved by former friends and former teammates – even the ones he criticized – Dutch was a baseball original. I’ve heard a lot of stories from fans who met him and they all paint a picture of a down-to-earth dude of humor and kindness. I heard hockey commentator Al Morganti say that Daulton was one of the few baseball players who could fit in with the guys in a hockey locker room, which is a huge compliment. Dutch had the toughness and tenacity that would be respected by any athlete. The cat really left it all out there.</p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/48000472017-08-02T10:30:24-05:002017-08-02T10:30:24-05:00When Your Heroes Turn Out to be Assholes<p>I’m wondering what Pete Rose fans are thinking after hearing the allegation that he had sex with at least one underage girl in the 1970s. I’ve always had mixed feelings on whether Major League Baseball should allow him in the Hall of Fame, and dispassionate feelings at that. Pete did compromise the integrity of the game, affecting players and fans in the process, and never did come completely clean about it. So if illegal gambling, tax evasion, and lies weren’t enough to get a supporter off of the Pete Rose bandwagon, how about statutory rape? He didn’t exactly deny it, either, he was just like, “I thought she was 16.” My guess is that there are Pete Rose supporters who are fathers of young girls who suddenly aren’t Pete Rose supporters anymore. And I’d bet (see what I did there?) that he has supporters that will remain supporters. </p>
<p>I never really had “heroes” growing up because for one thing, heroes are people who rescue babies and puppies from burning buildings or dodge bullets to save comrades, not dudes who make millions of dollars to play a kid’s game. But I had influences, and athletes and entertainers are influential. One person who had a big impact on me was Joe Paterno. The cat was an excellent coach and he graduated more players than other Division I football programs. He was humble. He gave back to the community. And late in his tenure, it appears he was also turning a blind eye to a child molester. It was tough to reconcile the public image of JoePa with this news, but in the face of overwhelming proof, all my respect for him disappeared. There’s just no excuse. </p>
<p>Bill Cosby was cool too, right? He was like America’s dad! I didn’t appreciate the judgments he passed on the youth and his fellow comedians, but I respected Bill’s career accomplishments and it was like the ultimate family man. Meanwhile, that ultimate family man was – allegedly – drugging and raping dozens of women. Like, for real. </p>
<p>Pete, JoePa, and Bill all have something in common. They still have a lot of supporters. Now, people get accused of things that they’re not guilty of all the time, and at some point in the future I’ll post something about the number of innocent people in the criminal justice system and someone will see fit to call me a hypocrite. The thing is though, where there’s smoke, there’s fire. There was a lot of evidence against Pete, plus he admitted it after years of lying about it. There is proof that after JoePa mentioned Jerry Sandusky’s behavior to his superiors, who took no action, Joe opted to just forget about it. And as for The Cos, well, if more than 50 women accuse a man of drug-rape, that shit probably happened. That’s a lot of smoke on these guys, so why the support? Is it that some folks just don’t believe these things or that they are able to separate the man from the act? Can they overlook some negative qualities to focus only on the positive? </p>
<p>Or maybe… some people just don’t care. “So what, he punched that woman. Have you heard his new album?” “He ran a guy down with his car, whatever. Did you see that touchdown run last night?” So I can wonder what people think when their heroes turn out to be assholes, but some people like their heroes to be assholes. They can hear racist, xenophobic, and unabashedly sexist things straight from a presidential candidate’s mouth and then line right up to vote for him because they see something in him that they can relate to, even if that means overlooking those things that would otherwise make them uncomfortable. They can witness lie after verifiable lie and still think the guy will make their lives better, or maybe they just trust the opponent even less. </p>
<p>Are we desensitized to immoral behavior from our stars? Have we become accepting of actions from our “heroes” that we wouldn’t accept from ourselves or our loved ones? It would be nice to put our faith in those who seem to be upstanding, but who thought Paterno and Cosby would go out like that? Still, there are good ones out there. Great ones. We don’t have to settle. We can start by looking within ourselves and at those around us. We will find them in all types of people and all professions. Well… maybe not in politics.</p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/47964482017-07-29T11:37:45-05:002017-07-29T11:37:45-05:00Was The Bongo Bastard able to defend his hay bale throwing title?<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F2002628366421409%2F&show_text=0&width=560" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="560"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/47926912017-07-26T10:22:36-05:002017-07-26T10:22:36-05:00What's Your Favorite Song?<p>Mine is...</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F1998143926869853%2F&show_text=0&width=225" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="225"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/47902032017-07-24T11:09:54-05:002017-07-24T11:09:54-05:00Football Season is Back (sort of)!<p>So what I want to know is...</p>
<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F1995338573817055%2F&show_text=0&width=225" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="225"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/47896172017-07-23T15:36:38-05:002017-07-23T15:41:12-05:00Go BIG or Go Home!<p><iframe allowfullscreen="true" allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="400" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fstreetleveluprising%2Fvideos%2F1993982720619307%2F&show_text=0&width=225" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" width="225"></iframe></p>Streetlevel Uprisingtag:streetleveluprising.com,2005:Post/55105572016-06-04T13:45:00-05:002018-11-12T20:44:45-06:00Ali: Revolutionary<p><em>Ali, he never stayed on the mat</em><br><em>Even when they made him give them his title back</em><br><em>Took away his means but not his will to fight<br><em>Sent a shock down the system when he spoke up for rights<br><em>It only takes one to stand against iniquity<br><em>Even a small axe can topple the heaviest tree </em></em></em></em></p>
<p> -Streetlevel Uprising, “The Pendulum Swing” </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A lot of people are talking about Muhammad Ali right now. They’re recounting stories about the athlete who destroyed opponents in the ring and the entertainer who enthralled a national audience outside of it. They’re discussing his impact on society, particularly the civil rights movement. And some are talking about his refusal to fight in the Vietnam War. </p>
<p>Ali had already pissed off mainstream America – white America – in 1964 when he embraced Islam and radicalism, associating himself with the Nation of Islam. Frustrated with the inequalities of life that people of color face in these United States, Ali spoke out against the oppression present throughout society. Refusing to play the role of silent and pliant sports hero, he really upped the ante in 1967 by refusing to be inducted into the Army. </p>
<p>Via the draft, a country that treated a section of its people as second-class citizens demanded that those citizens, among others, go halfway around the world to kill and perhaps die, the surviving to return home and continue being treated poorly and be faced with the same lack of opportunities as before their service. No, Ali said. His sense of morality prohibited him from killing anyone and he felt that the real war was here, in his own country. A country where segregation had just been legally ended, lynching and church bombings were feared across the south, and people of color were subjected to widespread discrimination, insult, and violence. How, Ali reasoned, could he fight the Viet Cong, people who had never threatened him with brutality or uttered the dehumanizing racial epithets that he heard every day from people in his own homeland? How could he kill under the direction of a government working to keep people like him down? So Ali declared his stance as a conscientious objector, and his rewards for condemning war and shining a light on America’s biggest social problem were the loss of his livelihood, a prison sentence, and vilification by those who didn’t share his values of equality and peace. </p>
<p>A few years later, Ali’s conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court. By that time, the wheels had begun falling off the war effort. High casualties, reports of civilian massacres, violent images that the first televised war brought into American living rooms, the public doubts of generals and respected media members, and the growing peace movement had all stripped the luster from the American war machine. In 1973, the draft ceased and Ali stood as one of the factors that led to its demise. Yes, the horrors of the Vietnam War would likely have been enough to end the draft, but the public anti-war position of a hugely famous athlete must be acknowledged, as Ali inspired many, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. to begin speaking out against the war. </p>
<p>In my studio, I have part of a wall covered with black-and-white clippings of people who fought to change the status quo. I call it the “Wall of Revolutionaries”. Muhammad Ali has a spot on that wall, the famous shot taken immediately after he knocked Sonny Liston to the canvas. He’s alongside other men of peace like Dr. King, Gandhi, Bob Marley, and John Lennon. </p>
<p>We still have not reached the place of full equality and peace that Ali tried to lead us to, but I believe we’re a whole hell of a lot closer than we would’ve been without him. Ali didn’t serve his country in the way his government wanted, but he served his country and the world through his humanity, pushing for justice, pleading for peace. As a boxing fan, I’ll remember Muhammad Ali, the boxer. But as an activist and human being, what I’ll really remember is Muhammad Ali, the fighter.</p>Streetlevel Uprising