#BlackLivesMatter & Vail, CO in 2015…

JoFoKe 0

Sunday, July 10, 2016, 2:10AM
This article (link below) just triggered a memory… #StLog

Last summer, following a performance, I sat in a restaurant in Vail, CO with three of my vocal colleagues. As we awaited our checks, an elderly white woman made her way to over to congratulate us on “a wonderful show”. We all offered our genuine thanks and expected her to head back over to her table when she invited herself to SIT DOWN… next to ME. Of all of those gathered, she plopped her tail down next to “fresh off of a #MikeBrown one-year memorial” ME…

Lemme pause to give a little annotation.
Vail, to many-myself included, is synonymous with white, wealthy residents & pricy vacation spots. There were MAYBE 20 POCs at the show. About 14 of us were performers, 1 the MC, 1 Denver politician, 1 a “plus one”… you get it.

Okay so, lady sits next to me and proceeds to tell us that her son wants a “black funeral” because she owns several nursing homes that said son manages and “when the black employees or residents die, he goes to the services and they’re just so much fun with the black Gospel singing and all…”

Can y’all see my face? There’s no such emoji… But, wait… she had more offensive offense to pass off as niceties. She went on to tell us she was 83, from St. Louis and had heard MLK speak in person. “He was so articulate and NON-VIOLENT…” *insert my “whet, lady?” face*
“I mean he had a real grasp of the English language… It was unbelievable how well he could speak. And, I just wanted to tell you that that’s your leader. Not that Al Sharpton or those Black Lives people… I mean they are getting more and more police killed every day…”
Me (I’d held on as long as I could…): “No ma’am. Not at all…” I started by letting her know that crime against police was actually DOWN in 2015 and that the #BlackLivesMatter movement is about basic human rights & dignity and resisting & defending against violence, not instigating it. Additionally, love him or hate him, there is a good LOT of incidents of racial injustice that Rev. Sharpton brought to the light of mainstream that we needed to know about…
Old Lady: “Well, I guess that’s true but Martin Luther King Jr is your TRUE leader; follow him.”
Me: “Right into the grave, huh?” 😒
Her: 😯

Article:
Police are safer under Obama than they have been in decades – The Washington Post
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/07/09/police-are-safer-under-obama-than-they-have-been-in-decades/?tid=sm_fb

~Jo
www.JoFoKe.com

JoFoKe (Joslyn Ford-Keel) is fabled to have been born with microphone in-hand. She was raised engrossed in performing and worship artistry by her classically trained jazz pianist father, choir director mother and all around musical family. This eclectic artist grew up active in music, theater and dance but perhaps the greatest impressions were left when she was given a chance to “sit-in” with her family and friends’ bands, vocal groups and orchestras. JoFoKe (pronounced: Joh-Foh-Kee) emerged on the profession Colorado music scene as a teen and, because of her sophisticated musical ear, attention to detail, and ability to effectively adapt her sound to most sounds and styles of music, was quickly dubbed a chameleon. Not your average pop girl, JoFoKe earned her Bachelors of Arts degree in Music, studying musical techniques ranging from jazz and classical to soul, gospel and Negro spirituals. A former member of the Fisk University Jubilee Singers™, JoFoKe renders a unique, youthful artistry infused with spoken word and many music genres including soul, classical, rock and Christian music. As a writer, she draws from her faith, experiences, observations and education. As a result, compositions and arrangements are an eclectic art form of their own. She calls her musical blend of storytelling “Life Music”. Currently, JoFoKe is materializing as an artist to watch. She also remains a highly sought after session and stage vocalist, songwriter and arranger. JoFoKe’s passionate delivery, personal testimonies, poetic styling and magnetic energy produce a distinct and refreshing experience for all “within reach”.