Marian's Blog

Hastings holds State of Black Europe hearing in Congress

In London in September or October 2004 this writer spoke on the panel, "Alliances We Need to Fight Racism" at the European Social Forum (Malmo, Sweden Sept. 2008). I participated as a member of the network Alliance of People of African Descent in Europe. Now, veteran Florida Member of Congress Alcee Hastings, who is Black American (and certainly likely, as most Black Americans are, a Euro descendant himself), has announced a hearing by the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, or CSCE, a commission of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Hastings is CSCE chair. "The State of (In)visible Black Europe: Race, Rights, and Politics" will be held Tuesday, 29 April, at 10AM in Rayburn House Office Building. "The hearing will focus on the challenges and opportunities faced by the more than 5 million members of Europe's Black population amidst reported increases in hate crimes and discrimination, anti-immigration and national identity debates, and growing security concerns. The impact of recently introduced anti-discrimination laws and diversity initiatives aimed at ensuring and protecting equal rights for a population many do not know exists will also be discussed. ..." Invited participants are Dr. Philomena Essed of Antioch University, author of the book, Everyday Racism: Reports from Women of Two Cultures (1990), and member of Netherlands' Equal Treatment Commission; (UK) Guardian newspaper columnist Gary Younge; Joe Frans, vice chair of the UN Working Group on People of African Descent and former member of Swedish Parliament; Dr. Allison Blakely, Afro-European author and historian at Boston University; Dr. Clarence Lusane, international race politics author and faculty member at American University; and Afro-German actor Boris Kodjoe. Logically, Marian's Blog is very interested in this hearing and its outcomes. One hard look at the disenfranchised, excluded political condition of the people of the city of majority-Black Washington, DC, with NO VOTE in the very same U.S. Senate and House of Representatives where this hearing's being held, reveals a painful irony. Europe isn't the only place where Black people are ignored, disempowered, and treated as invisible.

Aime Cesaire, 1913-2008 - Negritude, gender, diaspora

Aime Cesaire est mort aujourd'hui. Aime Cesaire has died today. We awoke to this news, 17 April 2008. He made it to age 94. The Martiniquan poet, novelist, playwright and former mayor of Fort de France and member of French parliament was the last living member of the Cesaire-Damas-Senghor trio credited for inspiring the international Negritude movement. I certainly respect it though up to now in key ways, Negritude, rather than being truly universal, seems to me shaped by clearly masculinist claims. This reminds me of 2003 in Paris and a very curious and ultimately aborted attempt at an intellectual public encounter with a very self-absorbed young chap named Harlem Desir. Where, in the francophone (and other) Caribbean-African-European picture, is Black North America (women and men) permitted to fit? Negritude may have spread long before Hurricane Katrina but it came long after la Louisiane and New Orleans and Congo Square. Then last week my friend Marilyn Sephocle, la martiniquaise, and I saw each other for the first time in years. Me, francophone American; a francophone Black American and Black American woman. She, Caribbean and antillaise, citoyenne of France - a citizen of Europe through Europe's hold on its final outposts in the Americas. More than three decades ago, living in France, they called me guadeloupienne though my first time in Guadeloupe did not come till 1994. Our working group, "exiled" from Haiti, arrived by night at Pointe-a-Pitre airport where "outsiders" like me stood, waiting, in the "Non-EU" immigration line. I regret that I never met Monsieur Cesaire. Now for me along with others the task becomes to re-examine what came before and what we have inherited, while finding our way home from here.

Martin Luther King's birthday today, and 'the silence of our friends'

Today is the actual anniversary of Martin Luther King's birth. He would have been 79. It's interesting that for some reason he chose to change his name from Michael to Martin.

Over the course of 2008 I'm paying attention to this observation of his. "In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."

Don't bother USA with facts? Dalits: India's own "Black" population

In Minneapolis in the late 80s or early 90s, along with two other persons of colour (Vincent who is Dalit and a U.S. Latina lady from St. Paul whose name I don't immediately recall), I initiated an "emergency" panel made up of the three of us to engage and question the Brazilian pedagogist, Paulo Freire. Interestingly, Mr. Freire's wife also sat in on the panel, next to her spouse, but I think she listened. Freire is the author of the classic, Pedagogy of the Oppressed. The occasion was the afternoon session of an all-day adult literacy conference and the venue may have been Augsburg College. Vincent, the Mexican American lady and myself appeared to be the only persons of colour in attendance. Or at least that's the way the whole thing came off, which is why I proposed to the organisers the change in the scheduled afternoon session which eventually was accepted. Fast forward. 21 June of this year Washington Post (finally) ran a front-page article on the ongoing suffering still inflicted by society upon the Dalit people of India. For years I've wanted to discuss this with people like Deepak Chopra, Ravi Shankar, Sonia Gandhi (who is italiana, by the way), and all the "shris", yogis and yoginis running around Europe and the U.S. A couple of years ago I learned from a young Asian Indian woman living in the US that "desi" is a term by which some Indians and other south Asians prefer to call themselves these days. In certain circles - Silicon Valley par exemple - people from India have become quite "popular", along with yoga, the domestically infamous H1B U.S. immigration visas and 'outsourcing' of all kinds of formerly domestic consumer services, to places most of us never will see.

Hollywood Apartheid, Or appreciating the Films of Oscar Micheaux (1883-1951)

lncreasingly more frequently I think of the late, great American -and Black American - filmmaker, Oscar Micheaux. For me, Mr. Micheaux's prodigiousness and genius remain as freshly astounding as his obscurity still largely enforced by U.S. society.

Actress Hazel Diaz and three fawning male co-stars, in Micheaux's 1938 film, Swing! Britannica.com

Post-Katrina, Cont'd: Let the People Rebuild - 2006 Harvard Jnl of African American Public Policy

For some strange reason we just don't seem to be hearing as much regular, in-depth news and information as we should about post-Katrina issues facing New Orleans, the Gulf Coast and the USA. So, we suggest you check the Summer 2006 online table of contents of, and subscribe to, the Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy. From Gulf Coast women's voices and the right of return of New Orleanians internally displaced (these are the two human rights' terms) across the U.S., and restoring regional health care infrastructure. This is all about salvaging and creating grassroots democracy (what other kind is there?) in New Orleans and the Gulf Coast. And, really, in the USA. Thank you for showing that you care.

Re-connecting Africa with herself: 1619 Angola and Congo to Virginia

Re-connecting Africa with her history and her people means re-connecting Europe (and the Middle East) with its own history, too. "About 350 slaves were bound for Veracruz [Mexico], when the ship was robbed of its human cargo off the coast of Mexico in 1619 by two unidentified pirate ships..." Sandra sent me the link to Lisa Rein's Sunday, 3 September Washington Post article, Mystery of Va.'s First Slaves is Unlocked 400 Years Later. This was no "mystery". The countries who held these records for the past four centuries did not care. In fact, they've been evasive, hostile and secretive about this chapter of their own history. The Africa-Europe-Virginia story of 30 Africans cast ashore at Jamestown in 1619 from a Dutch-flagged ship is part of the larger story of 350 Angolans and Congolese among the tens of millions of Africans deported on ship after ship to the Americas over 300 years. Since then we have been kept apart from Africa. Apartheid. Forced to live apart forever. These Africans lived apart in the Americas, separated to the present day from Africa and each other. They were kept apart even inside every society into which they were shipped like goods. "They passed through a slave fortress at the port city of Luanda, still Angola's capital." ... continued

June: Caribbean American Heritage Month 2006

Props to our Caribbean cousins/sisters/brothers for Caribbean American Heritage Month 2006. Jasmyn Cannick has a good link on her site where she writes about Oakland, California Congresswoman Barbara Lee's 2005 proclamation, with a list of a few US folks of (recent) Caribbean descent/origin, like California's Mervyn Dymally, "the first foreign born member of the United States Congress, Marcus Garvey, Sidney Poitier, Colin Powell, Cicely Tyson, Sheryl Lee Ralph, and Shirley Chisolm." The folks are even going to show us how to play cricket on the National Mall in DC. Do they plan to let women join in? More events and details at CaribbeanAmericanMonth.org site.

Kenya Bloggers Day, aka Madaraka Day

Today is June 1st - both Madaraka Day and Kenya Bloggers Day. Uaridi (Swahili for 'rose') has done a lively Madaraka Day post at her blog so I've linked it here. Unlike Uaridi I'd probably trade a Tuskers and nyama choma (barbecued or roast meat) for a glass of water (probably Keringet or something) or chilled vino bianco, with a nice green salad fresh from my Muthaiga garden (which I dearly miss). Madaraka Day took place June 1st, 1963, 18 months before Kenya's full independence from Britain on 12 December 1964. In the early 60s I was a little Black American girl who had never yet been outside her home country, but I vividly remember collecting the set of luncheon placemats each with a nice map and description of an African nation that recently had re-gained its independence. Even as a kid thousands of miles away - to the west across Africa and the Atlantic - I understood vicariously what African independence meant. It made me feel hopeful and proud. I also still hope that soon Africa will remember and be proud of us.

Somali Women's Appeal, December 2004

Statement and Appeal of Somali Women December 2004: Appeal of the Somali Women contrary to being denied their rights on the decisions of the future of their nation

The Somali Women, who before and after the years of Independence have taken an active participation in the construction of their nation; who have demonstrated a concrete capability in the last 14 years of war and inter-clan conflict; have alone carried a great burden previously shared with men.

Even though they have taken responsibility and participated in saving the Somali people throughout such a difficult period, they have been denied those rights of political participation, because these have been based on Clan structure.

As is well known, the Charter forming the institutional building process prescribed a minimum 12% of Parliamentary Members to be allotted to women. This position did not satisfy the initial demands of women which were for the 25% but was accepted because of the desire of the Somali Women who wanted a government after so many years of crisis and bloodshed. ... (continued)

Why does Bush talk about 'the Americas' but not the OAS?

There's a major disconnect in the Americas. I can't figure when or where or how it began. Bush is in Chicago talking to the National Restaurant Assoc. and answering citizen questions about "the Americas" and relations with "our neighbors" in "the Western Hemisphere". Actually, seems more like throwing tomatoes at Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. Chavez 'just happens to be' a pardo - which means he's a racially mixed person of African and Native descent; like a lot of us from the Americas. And Bush never mentions anything about the OAS. (As a matter of fact, neither does the MSM.) Heck. It's almost right out back of the White House.

Speaking of "neighbors" and "neighborhoods", this may ring a bell: "... In present day Venezuelan society, notes respected commentator Gregory Wilpert, "The correspondence between skin color and class membership is quite stunning at times. To confirm this observation, all one has to do is compare middle to upper class neighborhoods, where predominantly lighter colored folks live, with the barrios, which are clearly predominantly inhabited by darker skinned Venezuelans."..." (A Real Racial Democracy? "Hugo Chávez and the Politics of Race" [Venezuela], N. Kozloff, Counterpunch, 14 Oct 2005)

             OAS - Organization of American States
              17th Street & Constitution Ave., NW
                      Washington, DC 20006

For Zamzam: Arab slave trade and my Unpublished Letter to the Gulf News

Thanks to Zamzam and everyone reading Marian's Blog and sharing such thought-provoking feedback. Often I'm frustrated at finding relatively little first-person news and ideas, or even "first-person composite" news and ideas from African and African descendant women and women's groups - whether we are from Somalia, Colombia, Haiti, Sudan, or the diaspora of the displaced from New Orleans. We need more exchange between and from women's voices in our communities.

A comment from Zamzam asks me about addressing the Arab enslavement of Africans. So here's the text of an email I sent back in February to Ms. Sheeba Hasan (a woman) editor of Gulf News in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). As far as I know my letter has not been published. Thanks for asking.

February 2006

Dear Ms. Hasan:

I made my first trip through Dubai in 2004. I am writing to thank Gulf News for publishing news of France's recent decision to establish a national day recognising its role in the global trade in African people. I know firsthand that this decision results from French Parliament member Mme Christiane Taubira's work which resulted in the 10 May 2001 French law (the Taubira Law) declaring the slave trade a crime against humanity. In sincerity, I write to say that Africa, especially we Africa's scattered descendants, awaits the first actions of our Arab brothers and sisters to do the same.

State of Black Union look at Katrina & Bush- Poppy won't be pleased; 2007 in Old Virginny

Barely a month ago George Bush pere (the daddy) told all of us how badly he felt for his boy George as Rev. Joseph Lowery and former president Jimmy Carter took W to task at Mrs. Coretta Scott King's funeral. Well, Daddy definitely will not be pleased with, and he and Barbara may not want to see, CSPAN's video of the 2006 Sobu conference. Al Sharpton, Harry Belafonte and Louis Farrakhan each takes a turn putting Bush act II's name in his mouth, and repeatedly including his role in the devastating federal response to Hurricane Katrina. All this was in Saturday's SOBU State of the Black Union conference. Um-um-um. I almost felt sorry for Bush. Again. But this time thank heaven he wasn't there applauding and wondering how to act. And all this was on his "home territory." No, not Connecticut. Houston. In Texas. No matter who or where you are, if you consider yourself a thinking human being please read and consider supporting SOBU's Covenant with Black America. In remembrance of the early British North American presence - the root of the UK-US 'special relationship', and of course not excluding Britain's role in the slave trade - SOBU organiser Tavis Smiley announced in Houston that next year's conference will convene in good olde Jamestown, Va. Throughout 2007 Virginia will remember the last four hundred years since American Indians saved the bacon of English settlers at a place that came to be known as Jamestown. So many Black Americans have ancestors and family from Virginia. Incidentally, we wonder how the quadricentennial planners intend to accurately incorporate the fact that until 1792 Kentucky was part of Virginia.

State of the Black Union on CSPAN!

My brother just shared with me that the annual, public, free SOBU conference - the State of the Black Union - sponsored by broadcaster Tavis Smiley, is now being televised on CSPAN. Tavis says there are 5,000 persons attending the conference in Houston, Texas, plus scores more watching nationally and internationally via CSPAN. Thanks bro. Check it.

A Black History Month 2006 Plan of Action

"If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development" - Aristotle. I have three priorities for BHM 2006 - BHM being Black (or African American) history month. One is preparing for next year's 2007 quadricentennial (400th) anniversary of the founding of Virginia - or more precisely, founding of the Jamestown colony by subjects of the King of England, and eventual founding of the English Virginia colony, predecessor of what became the US state (including what today is Kentucky). Priority #2 is May 10th - le 10 mai 2006 - France's new national day to publicly, officially remember France's involvement in African slavery. Internationally it's fairly obvious that when it comes to modern world history's long era of slavery many or most of our societies long ago chose amnesia rather than historical accuracy and responsibility. (Read Alan Rice - "British Selective Amnesia and the Political Imperative to Conserve Black Atlantic Memory" in Revisiting slave narratives , ed. Judith Misrahi-Barak.) Yet even as Americans go on dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, 10 May is central to France's other former territory, la Louisiane, and to the history and evolution of its people and descendants. As children in Baton Rouge, Louisiana we studied Longfellow's 1847 epic poem, Evangeline, about the Acadians' migration to Louisiana from what is now Canada. But no one ever mentioned a massive migration to New Orleans around 1803 to about 1812 from the French part of the island Saint Domingue in the Caribbean - the part of the island that now is Haiti. Somewhere someone must have written a story or poem about this. New Orleans' native Anne Rice's book, The Feast of All Saints, for example. Decades after reading Evangeline in Louisiana I want to know how Louisiane and Nouvelle France (New France) relate to each other. This leads me to my third priority, an affirmation of events 2 and 1 which are related to each other in the context of European expansion: the need for other European nations besides France to 'come out of the closet' about their own roles in the interconnected international slave trade. These nations will do well to follow France's example: Britain, Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and Norway - the old amalgamated Denmark-Norway. The annual May 10th commemoration would not be happening were it not for member of French Parliament Christiane Taubira (Guyane francaise), as well as the French parliament which in 2001 passed her Taubira Law, and president Chirac and others who now have formally acknowledged France's slavery and slave trade role. We also thank France for its eventual role in the abolition of same, as well as for its contribution as the first country to declare slavery a crime against humanity. "... On one of these sale days, I saw a mother lead seven children to the auction-block. She knew that some of them would be taken from her; but they took all. The children were sold to a slave-trader, and their mother was bought by a man in her own town..." - continued below, Chapter 3, The Slaves' New Year's Day, Harriet Jacobs' 1860 autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

"Captured Africans," Kevin Dalton Johnson's quayside work, Lancaster UK

'SWIM WITH SHARKS', originally uploaded by MarianDouglas.

Alasdair Pettinger's image of Johnson's sculpture somewhere near Lancaster's Millenium Bridge. The saying "to swim with sharks" began in the slave trade when sharks changed course to follow ships loaded with captured Africans, waiting for humans to jump or be thrown overboard. The permanent installation "Captured Africans" was conceived by Jamaican British artist Kevin Dalton Johnson who himself is a descendant of these kidnapped Africans. The section of his sculpture in this photo illustrates how in 17 years from 1745 to 1762 alone thirteen "slavers" (ships) sailing from Lancaster delivered almost 2,200 Africans into slavery and oblivion. We must add these numbers of people to all those trafficked through other UK ports and add those to the parallel Dutch, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Danish-Norwegian slave trades. Also the Arab slavers in the Indian Ocean trade in Africans.

France's New National Remembrance Day for Slavery - African/Black History in the Americas, Europe, Middle East, Asia

Two years ago, in November 2003, with the Alliance of People of African Descent in Europe, I participated in the European Social Forum held in France - in Saint Denis and next-door Paris. We had a lot of discussion of France's history of Black enslavement, especially in and with Haiti. This was on the eve of Haiti's 2004 bi-centennial (which was greatly under-observed internationally). Early 2004 witnessed the "mysterious" 'removal' of elected Haitian president Jean Bertrand Aristide. What role if any did France have in that?? The 2003 ESF experience in Paris could be the subject of at least one other blog entry. In any case, I would be very grateful if someone reading this might share this with Jacques Chirac and with anyone else thinking, or who needs to think, about public policy and public responsibility, and paucity of both, toward the historic global trafficking of African people. Today (actually yesterday) from Paris Associated Press reports: "France will introduce a national day of remembrance for slavery, an issue that still wounds "a large number of our fellow citizens," President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday." [4 Jan 2006.] Note to M. Chirac - this extends far beyond France. Not only is such a decision unbelievably overdue, these "wounds" of which Jacques Chirac speaks are found among and well beyond his "fellow" and sister French citizens. (This entry continues below!)

2005: Thank you from me to you

Habari gani? Nia. Purpose. Today is the fifth of the seven days of Kwanzaa 2005. In this sense, Ron Karenga's official Kwanzaa website explains that purpose means "to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community..." The older many of us get (and perhaps among people across the world), the more we marvel at some mysterious "space" somewhere 'out there'; the place to which months and years and decades and even centuries fly away. Miraculously, 2005 has now done the same thing. And twelve months from now we will already have lived the first five years or 5% - of this still-new 21st century (by "western" time). For me 2005 has been a most amazing year. We began 2005 celebrating Capo d'Anno (while in shock over the tsunami) near Alberobello, in Puglia, in Italia (Italy). Two years ago we ate, danced and celebrated with my Mother, at Muthaiga Club in Nairobi. I sense that for me this New Year's will be one that is more contemplative, and I would like to take this moment to thank God and family, friends, readers and other colleagues for helping to make 2005 as amazing as it's been. We look forward to wonderful and beautiful experiences to come in 2006, and even to some of those not so easy things along with the friendship, love and support we share with each other to get through them. Thank you, also, for reading this blog, Marian's Blog!

It's Kwanzaa 2005 - Habari gani

Here are the seven principles of Kwanzaa, or the "Nguzo Saba", in the (arabised) East African Swahili language. The standard Kwanzaa definitions I found at swagga.com, however, the original parts of the accompanying definitions for each of the Nguzo Saba are mine - so if you reprint, please share credit (i.e., fair use). Kwanzaa begins annually on what the UK and Commonwealth call "Boxing Day" - that is the day after 25 December, Christmas. December 26 - Umoja (unity); Dec 27 - Kujichagulia (self-determination) - Never give up. Resolve to not be a bump on a log. To openly and repeatedly be and describe ourselves and our role in this world; to define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves; Dec 28 - Ujima (collective work and responsibility) - to build and maintain our community together. To pledge to contribute to re-building the lives and communities of our loved ones all over the US Gulf Coast. To not deliberately instigate (i.e., to refrain from instigating) problems for our sisters and brothers; desist from making our sisters' and brothers' problems worse than they may be. To not put our folks' problems 'in our mouths' (i.e., not talk about people's business) if we have no intention of helping to positively solve the problems. To take a positive and active interest in our sisters' and brothers' problems and to work together to help solve them; 29 Dec - Ujamaa (cooperative economics) - faithful networking; to patiently and persistently do everything we can to build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together; 30 Dec - Nia (purpose) - to make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness; 31 Dec - Kuumba (creativity) - to do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than it was when we were born into it and inherited it; 1 January 2006 - Imani (faith) - to believe with all our heart in ourselves and our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. Peace.

News that Richard Pryor has died

It may be true that Black American comedian, Richard Pryor, has died, but his energy - his genius - are with us forever. I remember one of his comedy albums of the 1970s. I will never forget his monologue about people from another country whom the US government (and certain private interests) was 'transplanting' to the USA. In this case it was Vietnamese people. "They [the American interests responsible] are teaching them to say [the "n"-word]," Pryor declared. It was frighteningly believable and yet somehow hilarious, after a manner. And I'm sure it was not far from the truth, either then or now. Travel well, Richard Pryor. Thank you for the laughs - and the thoughts. [From Reuters news service via Australia's National Nine News: "Richard Pryor took a brutal look at racial attitudes in the United States and fashioned it into a comedy career. His chaotic personal life also provided material for a stand-up act that was as profound as it was profane. Born Dec. 1, 1940, and raised in his grandmother's brothel in Peoria, Illinois, Pryor served in the U.S. Army before heading to New York to pursue comedy in the early 1960s. The former class clown played it safe at first but later moved on to controversial subjects with a routine that was more like Lenny Bruce than Bill Cosby. His comedy albums, which included "Bicentennial [the "n" word]," "Is It Something I Said," and "That [the "n" word]'s Crazy," won five Grammys. He reportedly decided to quit using the word [the "n" word] after a 1980 trip to Zimbabwe, writing in his autobiography: "There are no [the "n" word]s here. The people here, they still have their self-respect, their pride." ..."]

Einstein's Black Friends: "Einstein on Race and Racism" by Fred Jerome & Rodger Taylor

Einstein on Race and Racism is written by Fred Jerome and Rodger Taylor. This is their Preface to the book. "More than one hundred biographies and monographs of Einstein have been published, yet not one of them mentions the name Paul Robeson, let alone Einstein’s friendship with him, or the name W. E. B. Du Bois, let alone Einstein’s support for him. Nor does one find in any of these works any reference to the Civil Rights Congress whose campaigns Einstein actively supported. Finally, nowhere in all the ocean of published Einsteinia – anthologies, bibliographies, biographies, summaries, articles, videotapes, calendars, posters and postcards – will one find even an islet of information about Einstein’s visits and ties to the people in Princeton’s African American community around the street called Witherspoon. [emphasis added.]

"One explanation for this historical amnesia is that Einstein’s biographers and others who shape our official memories, felt that some of his “controversial” friends, such as Robeson, and activities, such as co-chairing the antilynching campaign, might somehow tarnish Einstein as an American icon. That icon, sanctified by Time magazine when it dubbed Einstein the “Person of the Century,” is a myth, albeit a marvelous myth. In fact, as myths go, Einstein’s is hard to beat. The world’s most brilliant scientist is also a kindly, lovably bumbling, grandfather figure: Professor Genius combined with Dr. Feelgood! Opinion-molders, looking down from their ivory towers, may have concluded that such an appealing icon will help the great unwashed public feel good about science, about history, about America. Why spoil such a beautiful image with stories about racism, or for that matter with any of Einstein’s political activism? Politics, they argue, is ugly, making teeth grind and fists clench, so why splash politics over Einstein’s icon? Why drag a somber rain-cloud across a bright blue sky? Einstein might reply, with a wink, that without rain-clouds life would be very, very short. Or he might simply say that a bright blue sky is a fairy tale in today’s war-weary world.

"Yet, despite Einstein’s clear intention to make his politics public – especially his anti-lynching and other antiracist activities – the history-molders have seemed embarrassed to do so. Or nervous. “I had to think about my Board,” a museum curator (who doesn’t want his name used even today) said, explaining why he had omitted some of the scientist’s political statements from the major exhibition celebrating Einstein’s one hundredth birthday in 1979.