I have written a lot about trying to teach myself an African American studies course as I raise four boys whose ethnicity requires that I get myself up to date. I was finally asked an ethnic related question by my oldest adopted son that was a snap to answer. In fact, I was able to convince him that I am an expert on the subject.
We were driving into Houston for an appointment with one of his doctors. We go back and forth over who has control of the radio; he had won out this day. We were listening to my XM satellite radio to a program called XM Kids. The program played an old James Brown song; I believe it was “I’ve Got That Feelin”.
As we were driving along, James Brown was really letting go. Matthew Walter and I were singing and dancing, the kind of dancing that you do in the car. I am a better than average dancer when I am sitting behind the steering wheel and Matthew Walter is a really, really good dancer. I may be able to teach him how to hit a golf ball, but I will never improve his dancing.
Towards the end of the song, James Brown does something like “aaaahhaahhhhhaaaahhhh, I got that feelin”. Then, Matthew Walter asked me if I knew anything about the man who was singing that song. I responded that I knew quite a bit about him and that I had seen him perform many times in person.
Matthew asked me if James Brown was black. I confirmed that he was. I asked Matthew how he knew. His response was not what I expected. He said, “We just know.”
He asked me questions about the man and I must have impressed him with my wealth of knowledge. I had seen “James Brown and the Famous Flames” in live performances at least a dozen times. Some of those times, the audience was quite raucous and my friends and I stuck out like a sore thumb. He had earned his self proclaimed title as “the hardest working man in show business” and my group of friends and I could not get enough of him.
My ethnic awareness on this particular subject was outstanding. I can’t wait until he asks me if I ever heard of Little Richard.
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