Oakland's Musical Tribute to Drs. Nathan and Julia Hare
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We give all praise to Musical Director/Singer Bryant Bolling and the singers he gathered for a musical tribute to Drs. Julia and Nathan Hare. Dr. Nathan Hare sent Bolling a list of their favorite songs and Bolling selected from the list a few numbelrs for the singers and pianist Ben Jones. It was a small audience turn out but Marvin X convinced Bolling has hit show that must be performed again with proper promotion. Marvin suggested two venues: the Black Repertory Group Theatre, Berkeley and San Francisco's African American Culture Center, Fulton Street.
Those who missed today's concert missed a beautiful musical tribute to the Black revolutionary couple who spread radical black cultural consciousness coast to coast. Dr. Julia Hare's last hurrah is her speech at Tavis Smiley's Black Forum, see YouTube. Dr. Nathan Hare, with PhDs in Sociology and Clinical Psychology, is considered the Father of Black Studies since he was the first chair of a Black Studies Department on a major university at San Francisco State College/now University. He was the center of the longest student strike in American academic history. Ultimately he was removed as Chair but the strike of Black and Third World students established Black and Ethnic Studies at SFSU. Marvin X has agreed to write the Untold Story of the Black Student Revolution at SFSU.
Today's concert began with The Negro National Anthem performed by Marilyn Reynold. As I stood in honor of our national anthem, I have finally accepted that it is the consensus of the people this song represents our national identity, therefore, in my old age, I accept it. As a 60s revolutionary, I favored Farrakhan's White Man's Heaven is the Black Man's Hell along with Claude McKay's poem If We Must Die, also used by Sir Winston Churchill to rally the British in WWII.
In his deep baritone, Director/singer Bolling continued with My Way and Didn't We. Even though he's never met the Hares, Bolling knew enough to organize this tribute concert with his own money. He took a loss but I was so impressed the high quality of his singers that I will do all I can to help produce it as I said above.
Singer Will Herring performed The Great Pretender, For Your Precious Love and the In Crowd. I was shocked at Will's vocals since I've known him as a trumpet player. I had no idea he was a singer and a good one! When pianist Ben Jones couldn't get the right key, Will continued acapella to the joy of the audience.
During the testimonial time, Will said he became aware of Dr. Nathan Hare as a student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, alma mater of Paul Robeson. When Will went into a black history rant, Director Bolling reminded him to stay focused on the Hares. Will said he received copies of Dr. Hare's Black Scholar Magazine while in residence at the Black House student center. Although Will's rant on Black history that included recalling the USA's persecution of the great Paul Robeson, the similarity between Paul Robeson and Dr. Nathan Hare is striking. Both were white listed for their unapologetic Black radicalism. It is suspected Paul Robeson was poisoned by the CIA, especially for his Communist beliefs. As I departed the concert hall at the elegant Alteneim Senior Housing Center, one of the two ladies departing with me asked, "Marvin, do you think 'they' put something is Julia's coffee?" I replied, "One of my students believed after her speech at Tavis Smiley's Black Forum, when she stole the show, they had to put something in her tea." Dr. Nathan Hare, in his letter read to the concert organizers and attendees, noted that a Black Newspaper in England gave her a centerfold spread with the headline Dr. Julia Hare--the Female Malcolm X. She had an acid tongue of truth.
When I addressed the audience, I told them the concert reminded me of the many times I visited the Hares. Julia would find her way to the grand piano to give me a private concert. It is heartbreaking to see her suffering Alzheimer but today's concert took me back to all those tunes she played for me, after all she was a trained classical pianist.
When she and Nathan first met, he notes she was the skinny girl who'd won a music contest at Oklahoma's Langston University. They have enjoyed a marriage of 60 years, while most of our marriages don't last 60 days! In the Nation of Islam, many of the marriages were called 30 day wonders! No more on this subject at this time.
We heard from the elegant Lady Sunrise singing What A Difference A Day Makes and Softly As in the Morning Sunrise, her signature tune.
Accompanied by pianist Ben Jones' version of Afro Blue, poet Zakiyyah read three poems dedicated to the Hares: Father of Black Studies, Lady Malcolm X and Earth Rebirth, soft poems touching our hearts, especially Lady Malcolm X that she undoubtedly was, with a mouth that wouldn't shut up. Dr. Nathan Hare said she never stopped talking, even in her sleep! Why do you think I got a second PhD in Clinical Psychology?"
But in his letter to the Tribute Concert, he told how he was tricked into confining her that is the immediate desire of the mental health workers, but he caught himself and had her released when he realized he could not confine the woman he loved! And after all, confinement is for criminals, not the sick! He told how when he departed from visiting her in confinement and had to slip away, he would hear her calling his name and beating on the door.
Years ago, she was in hospice but came out to live another day, in fact, he wrote, several years, although she is going down slow, doesn't talk any more, or walk, and maybe she knows him and maybe not, but she loves music and the purpose of the concert was to video music for her listening pleasure, so it didn't matter if a large audience showed up today. For sure, I would say the performing artists would easily cost $10,000.00 for today's concert.
Pianist Ben Jones rendered a medley of tunes loved by Julia, including In A Sentimental Mood. I was overwhelmed by Lady Sunrise and the Ensemble version of To Be Young Gifted and Black.
--Marvin X
5/6/18
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![Image may contain: 4 people, including Marvin X Jackmon and Nathan Hare, people smiling, people standing and indoor]()
We give all praise to Musical Director/Singer Bryant Bolling and the singers he gathered for a musical tribute to Drs. Julia and Nathan Hare. Dr. Nathan Hare sent Bolling a list of their favorite songs and Bolling selected from the list a few numbelrs for the singers and pianist Ben Jones. It was a small audience turn out but Marvin X convinced Bolling has hit show that must be performed again with proper promotion. Marvin suggested two venues: the Black Repertory Group Theatre, Berkeley and San Francisco's African American Culture Center, Fulton Street.
Those who missed today's concert missed a beautiful musical tribute to the Black revolutionary couple who spread radical black cultural consciousness coast to coast. Dr. Julia Hare's last hurrah is her speech at Tavis Smiley's Black Forum, see YouTube. Dr. Nathan Hare, with PhDs in Sociology and Clinical Psychology, is considered the Father of Black Studies since he was the first chair of a Black Studies Department on a major university at San Francisco State College/now University. He was the center of the longest student strike in American academic history. Ultimately he was removed as Chair but the strike of Black and Third World students established Black and Ethnic Studies at SFSU. Marvin X has agreed to write the Untold Story of the Black Student Revolution at SFSU.
Today's concert began with The Negro National Anthem performed by Marilyn Reynold. As I stood in honor of our national anthem, I have finally accepted that it is the consensus of the people this song represents our national identity, therefore, in my old age, I accept it. As a 60s revolutionary, I favored Farrakhan's White Man's Heaven is the Black Man's Hell along with Claude McKay's poem If We Must Die, also used by Sir Winston Churchill to rally the British in WWII.
In his deep baritone, Director/singer Bolling continued with My Way and Didn't We. Even though he's never met the Hares, Bolling knew enough to organize this tribute concert with his own money. He took a loss but I was so impressed the high quality of his singers that I will do all I can to help produce it as I said above.
Singer Will Herring performed The Great Pretender, For Your Precious Love and the In Crowd. I was shocked at Will's vocals since I've known him as a trumpet player. I had no idea he was a singer and a good one! When pianist Ben Jones couldn't get the right key, Will continued acapella to the joy of the audience.
During the testimonial time, Will said he became aware of Dr. Nathan Hare as a student at Rutgers University, New Brunswick, New Jersey, alma mater of Paul Robeson. When Will went into a black history rant, Director Bolling reminded him to stay focused on the Hares. Will said he received copies of Dr. Hare's Black Scholar Magazine while in residence at the Black House student center. Although Will's rant on Black history that included recalling the USA's persecution of the great Paul Robeson, the similarity between Paul Robeson and Dr. Nathan Hare is striking. Both were white listed for their unapologetic Black radicalism. It is suspected Paul Robeson was poisoned by the CIA, especially for his Communist beliefs. As I departed the concert hall at the elegant Alteneim Senior Housing Center, one of the two ladies departing with me asked, "Marvin, do you think 'they' put something is Julia's coffee?" I replied, "One of my students believed after her speech at Tavis Smiley's Black Forum, when she stole the show, they had to put something in her tea." Dr. Nathan Hare, in his letter read to the concert organizers and attendees, noted that a Black Newspaper in England gave her a centerfold spread with the headline Dr. Julia Hare--the Female Malcolm X. She had an acid tongue of truth.
When I addressed the audience, I told them the concert reminded me of the many times I visited the Hares. Julia would find her way to the grand piano to give me a private concert. It is heartbreaking to see her suffering Alzheimer but today's concert took me back to all those tunes she played for me, after all she was a trained classical pianist.
When she and Nathan first met, he notes she was the skinny girl who'd won a music contest at Oklahoma's Langston University. They have enjoyed a marriage of 60 years, while most of our marriages don't last 60 days! In the Nation of Islam, many of the marriages were called 30 day wonders! No more on this subject at this time.
We heard from the elegant Lady Sunrise singing What A Difference A Day Makes and Softly As in the Morning Sunrise, her signature tune.
Accompanied by pianist Ben Jones' version of Afro Blue, poet Zakiyyah read three poems dedicated to the Hares: Father of Black Studies, Lady Malcolm X and Earth Rebirth, soft poems touching our hearts, especially Lady Malcolm X that she undoubtedly was, with a mouth that wouldn't shut up. Dr. Nathan Hare said she never stopped talking, even in her sleep! Why do you think I got a second PhD in Clinical Psychology?"
But in his letter to the Tribute Concert, he told how he was tricked into confining her that is the immediate desire of the mental health workers, but he caught himself and had her released when he realized he could not confine the woman he loved! And after all, confinement is for criminals, not the sick! He told how when he departed from visiting her in confinement and had to slip away, he would hear her calling his name and beating on the door.
Years ago, she was in hospice but came out to live another day, in fact, he wrote, several years, although she is going down slow, doesn't talk any more, or walk, and maybe she knows him and maybe not, but she loves music and the purpose of the concert was to video music for her listening pleasure, so it didn't matter if a large audience showed up today. For sure, I would say the performing artists would easily cost $10,000.00 for today's concert.
Pianist Ben Jones rendered a medley of tunes loved by Julia, including In A Sentimental Mood. I was overwhelmed by Lady Sunrise and the Ensemble version of To Be Young Gifted and Black.
--Marvin X
5/6/18
Marvin X, Dr. Julia Hare, Dr. Nathan Hare, Attorney Amira Jackmon