Injustice: White America or Are We to Blame?

Black on Black Crime
I don't want to downplay the Trayvon Martin case in any way. Zimmerman's discrimination ending in the murder of an innocent young black man shows a lot about the state of America; but the fact that we're a minority killing more of our own than any other race slightly outshines that situation.

January 20, 2009 A Day To Remember: President Barack Obama's Inauguration

So here are some pics from that eventful day. I regret not taking more but when a photo op did come about, I most likely didn’t take advantage of it because I was either too cold, excited, exhausted, or just plain couldn’t see lol.  We departed around midnight from HU and arrived in DC around 3 or 4 am where we then boarded shuttles and ventured on to the Capitol. Standing in 20degree weather til 12 noon to witness President Barack Obama was all too worth it-looking back on it of course(lol). But either way, I partook in history so I can’t complain!

Passion Becomes Lifestyle

Morgan Gusby perfecting his craft.

History on Display

Mannequins date back to the ancient Egyptian times where they were used as imitations of kings and other forms of gods. Contrary to modern day purposes served by mannequins of today, these held deep religious and historical significance. Having evolved from shapes and sizes of all kinds, mannequins have come a long way. 

Charles Worth created the first recorded mannequins for the use of display in Paris, France, during the 1840s. His goal was to make mannequin forms that resembled his customers so that they could truly observe the clothing from an exterior vantage.  These forms developed into forms made from wax, wood and heavy fabric that were kept standing by heavy iron feet. Sometimes they were shaped with papier-mâché or filled with sawdust. With the fashion industry booming, the demand for mannequins climbed bringing the use of mannequins to center stage. 

By the 1920s, mannequins had wooden expressions, which is why they were called "dummies." Mannequins began to emulate realistic portrayals of humans. In the silent film age, there was more focus on the face than the body. With the popularity of Hollywood movies, mannequins acquired more realistic features and animated facial expressions that mirrored those of famous stars like Mary Pickford and Rudolph Valentino. To complement their movie star looks, they were displayed with aspiration in make-believe situations such as having cocktails at the country club.  Mannequins followed right along with the shift in women’s roles in the 60s. On one end, there were the housewife mannequins with hopeful gazes. At the other extreme was the active, assertive woman, posing casually and confidently. This decade also gave us the Mod look which consisted of skinny, leggy figures epitomized by the Twiggy mannequin. With the 70s came the introduction of Black, Asian, and Latino mannequins, reflecting the growing ethnic mix of the country. To capture the times of the decade, mannequins started having facial expressions of pain, worry, and stress. In the 80s, a fad for exercise broke out in the country so mannequins began taking on running and leaping poses. Mannequins of the 1990s were athletic, with great body tone, firm abs and calves.

Today, the mannequin is an essential to any retail store display. They have shifted from mere dummies to iconic displays of today’s fashion trends. Walking through any department store, you’re bound to pass a myriad of different mannequins modeling the latest fashions. Looking at how mannequins have evolved through the years, we can see that they have reflected not only the ideal of how we should look, but how we should live. When it comes to mannequins today, the old rules are out, and anything goes. Mannequins have come to be different colors, crystal clear, headless, backless, and any form of concept. There is no ideal form, probably because there is no longer a consensus on an ideal vision of beauty. While we know that fashion design and mannequins are intertwined, it's fascinating to see how much these "dummies" can show us about our culture and history.

Advertising vs. Volunteering

    The last purchase I can recall in which I was particularly pleased about would have to be my oil change at Midas. I had been in need of an oil change for a while by then, but I was on a tight budget, so a deal was in order. I am not from Hampton Roads, so I was not sure of any of the suitable service shops around. I was pleased to receive a coupon in the mail that seemed to top all of the competition. I decided I was going to wait on my next paycheck to utilize the coupon and get my oil change.  

In the meantime, I received an ad in the mail as well, and saw a commercial.   These two forms of advertisement added reinforcement and convinced me that Midas would be the place I would go to for my car service needs from then on.  Once I actually received the oil change at Midas, I realized how friendly its service was and that it was trying to offer me more deal packages on various services that I did not really feel I needed. Alongside that, the coupon called for four different free services combined with the oil change deal. After I waited for the completion of the service, the mechanic came out and told me that they could not perform certain services the coupon had offered without the purchase of another. At that point, I felt as though Midas was in it for the money, and that its generous customer service was not all that genuine. However, that very same mechanic did make a courtesy call the day after my service was complete, but it was not only to check up on me, but to encourage me to refer my friends and associates to them.

            When compared to my most recent volunteer experience, the idea of Midas being “in it for themselves” really sticks out. I last volunteered in December for the Salvation Army and was a bell ringer standing outside Farm Fresh. I do recall the website’s advertisement tugging at a heart string or two beginning with its simple slogan of “Doing the Most Good” written above a picture of volunteers at work in a soup kitchen. The picture in the ad was very simple, yet the description included in the ad of the activity was able to instill a sense of warmth and positivity. I remember the actual act was an ad in itself. Once the people saw me out there in the cold dedicating my time to raising money for whatever the cause may have been, they were extremely pleased and expressed such. Most of them wanted to let me know it was a good thing I was doing or that they felt like they should be doing the same, given the season.     

The difference between the two experiences is apparent in that the purchase with personal gain as the result was more of a physical reward. The volunteer activity resulted in a more mental and emotional gain, which some may consider a far more rewarding experience in the end. With the Salvation Army’s advertisement, you can sense that all the organization is really after is an act of goodwill. However, there is a similarity in that just as advertising can be seen as pushy, some may see the Salvation Army’s advertisement as a technique of pushing guilt and obligation. Lastly, the oil change purchase advertised falsely by reeling me in believing I was receiving several things, yet I only ended up with two. The Salvation Army informs you of all expectations. It is easier to trust a volunteer service whose aim is to do good for others than it is to trust an advertisement of a business out for money.

Passion becomes lifestyle

All the greats began singing at a young age.  Michael Jackson started at the age of five. Mariah Carey started at three. A name that is destined to be mentioned in that same light years from now is Morgan Gusby. Born and raised in Savannah, Georgia, Gusby was casted into the world of music at the tender age of four. His mother, Kim Gusby, says when she was younger she too was involved in a church singing group with her brothers and sister and this inspired her to do the same with her three children. 

Kim says his first audience may have been about 500 people. “My mom made me realize it a while back. She had us form a little group for our church by the name of G3.  I feel like she made my voice the way it is today-deep. Because I was the only boy, she made me bass. We sang as a group until I was about 13 or 14. That was around the time my voice started to change and I didn’t like my voice anymore so I stopped singing until recently.”  Along with his change in voice came his shyness. His mother doesn’t remember him as a shy little boy; however, she does agree that after his voice changed he shied away from singing in the spotlight for a bit. “Morgan can be very competitive; if you have an A he needs an A+,” Kim said. This may have been what kept him on the back-burner only for so long. He picked back up with his talent when he stepped up to sing for his great grandmother in front of his family. Kim remembers a time after he stepped back out. “He surprised the family again around Christmas time at our church program for jazz music day. By the end of it, the pastor came up and said, ‘“Man I didn’t know Morgan could sing; he was great!”  That was a memorable day.”

Fellow Hampton University classmate, Karyn Gibson, says she’s known Morgan for two years and didn’t find out about his hidden talent until later on. “He’s the type of person to keep his talent hidden until the right time. I didn’t find out about his voice until he said he was doing a tribute for his grandmother and he sang for me before his first choir audition here at HU.”

Being accepted into the Hampton University’s choir is what got Morgan back into his passion for singing. Since then, he has been hard at work practicing and striving to perfect his craft in any way. This includes long hours of singing to the tune of his playing the piano in the practice rooms; but he doesn’t mind.  It reintroduced the meaning back into his talent. He feels all the hard work and practice is worth it in the end. To Morgan, singing is more than just something to do, it’s a way of life. It adds so much more to his daily life and has opened up a doorway to a possible career option.  He expressed that he may even want to go into music production. “The way you can express yourself I guess [musically]. It helps you convey your feelings and emotions. If you’re in a sad or depressing mood you can sing a happy song to express what you’re feeling.” That’s what makes it so enjoyable for him.