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New York Times article on "NBT"


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This story in the New York Times today is really

close to my heart.

Apparently, THE NATIONAL BLACK THEATER OF HARLEM where I performed

last May, is facing foreclosure.

NEW YORK TIMES ARTICLE

I wish to God there was something I could do!!

The Curator, Nobi, has become a dear friend to me and he's one of the best

Black Men I have ever met on earth! I was given the largest theater (without

paying a cent) and my show failed to make back the entire $4,000 rental cost of the theater. All productions have to pay this PER NIGHT!

Nobi waved the charges. He was so moved by my presentation that he said I now had a

"permanent home" at the NBT and they officially set up a residency for me!!

Having a residency means that anytime you are in town, they provide free apartment

(on the premises) and car service for you. You also can perform & do your shows at

the NBT as a resident. I believe that Louis Farrakhan and Cynthia Mckinney were the

last people made residents before me, not sure, so it's not a light honor.

To be clear...the REASON that Nobi gave me this residency was because of people who

contacted him to convince him not to present Kola Boof and to Smear/slander me. He

found their attacks so ugly and non-sensical that it had the opposite effect. He

became a Kola supporter.

Nobi is an honorable man and both his sons (who caretake the theater) are intelligent,

loving and art-respecting young men who quite impressed me.

These are GOOD, GOOD people at the National Black Theater of Harlem.

I pray that people will support them.

Attached is a Photo of myself, Nobi and my boyfriend, Posar A. Posar.

Sorry I can't find a better photo of just Nobi & me.

(oops, tried attaching but couldn't)

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Interestingly I was at an event in harlem where people cited the closing of the national Black theater as another example of Harlem loosing it's grip as the "Black Mecca". I thought that observation was perhaps a decade or two too late.

The Black Mecca should be perhaps an African Nation with a Black population; perhaps Nigeria...

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Ugh!!!

Troy bite your tongue.

PLEASE NOT Nigeria.

They are the richest African nation right now. But my God.

The self-hatred in that country; then the growing Arab Muslim states;

the corruption; the

And don't get me wrong...a GANG of my friends are Nigerian. I LOVE Nigerian

people madly. It's not them so much as that they're too Western-oriented.

They would eventually go the same route as Black America and Black Britain.

Africa has a million (literally) Black Mecca locations that are better

than Nigeria.

Senegal is my favorite African nation, btw. And Gambia (which is basically part of

Senegal) is the birthplace of your first ancestor, Queen TinkaTeker II (mother of

the Black Americans).

Bottom line--South Africa, Ethiopia, Nigeria ((The obvious choices, would be the

WORST)).

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OK I'm fine with Senegal -- I'm sure it would be a much better representation of a Black Mecca than Harlem.

The western influence is indeed strong in Nigeria, but they are an actual Black nation.

Harlem as a Black Mecca is largely in folks minds. Sure there are pleny of Black folks in Harlem doing great things today and the legacy of Harlem can not be denied, but the Black Mecca, in 2011, is a stretch.

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I really love Harlem. But I agree. There is no Black Mecca in America.

It's not even "cool" for Black people to love each other. It's considered

"gratuitous" when two Authentically Black people love each other.

Eugene Robinson (whom I love) has a new book out "Disintegration of Black America"

and I think it's sadly very true. He says that Black America is dead and history.

And I think that is true. But you almost have to be an outsider to "SEE" that

clearly. He is right.

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