sharing perspectives of Millie-Christine (on the road & early stages)



How do you accommodate some one whose reality is blocked out by your perception?

At this moment in the exploration I presented the problem of seating.
The viewer would be able to imagine that I couldn't figure out how to arrange the seats..
First back-to-back, then at various angles that make it clear that there is a dilemma..

Shifting perspectives between persons empathetic, apathetic, then eventually
to the first person perspective of Millie-Christine (and the metaphoric plural perspective of Black persons)

Millie-Christine
is asking, 'how could you assume, just because you saw ________ (THAT = the way we walk, stand, dance) ...
Why would you assume _________ (THIS = the way we sit)

This confrontation of presumptuous accommodation is a caution sign for willful and accidental guarders of normality.



with students of MyCincinnati / Ambassador Ensemble poetic and musical works were created... the piece below explores further assumption of identity, relationship, class and presentation of self with Millie-Christine's story as a comment on the African-American experience ...

The video ends with a song written by Sorg & Napoleon Maddox entitled "All You Got" ... Making note of the clarity with which Millie-Christine adorned herself(her-selves) ...
Made their own dresses, always beautiful, but not assuming the clothes they wore made them any more a Divine creation than they already were. This is a seldom expressed concept in today's world of entertainment and celebrity.

when you are thought to be known ...
statements are made like
you speak so well ...
where they assume you are what you are
without knowing who you are
or what you are because
how they think you are
because how they think you look
not knowing how you look
when you they look
so if I tighten up my bowtie
don't think I've told myself a lie
about the meaning of the silk it's composed of:

Can we assume nothing is happening?
Denial.
Can we presume understanding?
Fatal. Potential.
Intense can’t explain it:
The first step to admitting you are THE HELP is the problem
The first step to solving the problem, is owning it.
But “IT’S YOURS” to own
Not my experience to clone
How would you say to me,
‘you know the realness of walking alone’?
We speak among our self with cues.
Tap twice on the knee as Morse code
But double scapula unique to shoulder the load
Of religion assigned, not considered in mind
Too ridged, unforgiving,
multiple and minute aggressions combine
the populace, the edifice façade
give rise, please face-off
to deface the …
scratch the mask off
graf in earnest
stop acting polite
to make up for the fact that we’re really not nice
And as you don’t know my pain
Leave my language for me.
For you,
I’ll do the same.
Until otherwise advised,
These are rules of the game,
Play along or be gone,
Out of our world.
WE keep our gates
Protect souls
in a secret space
treasuring persons with grace
valued greater than gold
higher than platinum
status unflattered diamond encrusted
psyche still reminiscing the cotton our 4 eyes watched but didn’t pick
Adorned and beautiful
YET vain we are not
Perceiving the deficit if that’s all we got.



All You Got (lyrics)

(CHORUS)
all you got in your closet don't matter man
if you got no soul
that car that you drive any nothing man
if you got no mind to roll
put your hat back on the rack
if you don't mind baby
you might not know
but it's played and old

(verse 1)
bentley maybach
drop top cadillac
ferrari bugati
aint got none a dat
but never stuck in a cul-de-sac
never struggle
to find my way back
cut across the grass black
running thru the woods track
muddy thru the puddles
my route exact
in fact if i track
dirt in your hallway
it’s not without cause, so pardon me
yo, it might be odd to see
but i give the dirt credence
I’ll never see it as far from me
jus cause it sets all pretext
for what we was and will be next
perhaps your clean suit
would make a better parachute
cause if you think it somehow makes you
you’re anything but cute

(verse 2)
I’m not dumb
could someone explain this
some how we had more
back we were gave less
now a days
we fail the same test
cause some of us just
selfish and shameless
for moment they shall remain nameless
not really cause that silliness got them famous
so which of us can rest blameless
ignorance is bliss but sure aint painless
you might find me in a 3 piece
and shoes with hard bottoms
or threads so strange you’ll ask where I gott’em
but peep the scene thorough
yesterday or tomorrow
I sweat, I earn, with no points to borrow
It’s my pleasure, it’s my duty
Understand effort builds ability truly
So I won’t be robbed of a chance to be great
The most the valuable thing I hold is my weight

Comments

Eileen Owens said…
Well done!!! You introducedid the audience to Millie-Christine mentally and visually. I like how you start off with something so simple as a chair. Those that have read and heard their story, don't think about their seating (clever introduction!). Then you smoothly transition to assumptions we make today. The instrumentals -on point; the student's participation, and the song that you and Sorg wrote hits the mark and a catchy chorus.

Keep on walking your tal🖒🖒👏

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