2023 Leah Tunkara writes Books on the Island of Maui.
By Leah Tunkara: Talking Story video : CHAPTER 4 : Read below, Dick Gregory in 1970
DRESSED IN COLLEGE ROBES OF EXCELLENCE #San Francisco #Africa Ghana (contact : leahtunkara.com , 2021 filmed on location : Hawaii)
Dianna writes Diary; March 2, 1970 : Well the shit has hit the fan. I sensed an uneasiness of atmosphere at school last semester. It was the first try-out for Black Studies. A lot of mess has gone down since then, most of which I'm not cognizant of. But lately I have been getting more information. The Department has been broke from the beginning, few monies allotted.The problem as I now see it is this; this American system is built around "success," the key to which today is supposedly education but maybe I should say proper training. Public education has been lousy in black neighborhoods for years, my mother thought it so bad that she had me attend a private school. Well anyway, what starts off bad ends up worst. Failure, drop-outs, unemployment, welfare, "survival," subsistence and the cycle repeats with the off-spring.
March 23. 1970
My mother called yesterday; she was drunk and miserable; quite selfishly I hoped my years wouldn’t progress to her present state. In a way I wish I could help her but I really can’t; I can listen and suggest but I believe she’s past that point, "she’s still avoiding life.
April 16. 1970
Have had quite a week. Today Dick Gregory spoke at school and then gave the black students a private talk. He’s quite a speaker, gets important points across between his humor, which is also usually about something significant. He looked right at me and nodded; the reason I mention this is because he wasn’t ”awesome," he's for real. Some things he mentioned were: to learn to appreciate nature, and enjoy with your friends, not to get caught up in the materialistic shit, not to waste money on unnecessities, to be for real with yourself and your friends, study your body and see how it works and to take care of it (he’s a health nut), he suggested fasting for cleaning the cobwebbs in your mind, to drink a lot of water, and not to cook your food, eat one meal a day, to drink olive oil for dry skin and hair, explained the nutritional and medical value of urine, he also mentioned getting a silver goblet to drink from because of the mineral content, and to the revolution; to get your minds together and those of your friends, to plan have
strategies, unfortunately he said nothing specific in that area, but he said not to alienate the older people by putting down their god, but to use that belief, and he put down drugs of all kinds pot, narcotics, liquor, L.S.D. etc. Said you can’t plan, lead, a revolution stoned. He analyzes and reflects and expresses in a clear way. He used a term I’m sure will catch on ”ghetto-reflecting." Most of what I’ve mentioned was in the private talk he had with us, as to the public one he reaI !
blew on a lot of things; said racist attitudes aren’t the problems but institutionalized racism (built-in - he hit on a lot of things, the census, Nixon, the P.O. strike, educational testing, the way ecology. The gym was jammed, I got there around 1:00 p.m. He spoke to us for an hour or more, a few white students came but no shit went on and they soon left. Black students are bad enough but these white ones are a bitch. Nothing seems to upset them, can't seem to relate to that shit being put down. It’s easy for me to criticize but I haven’t done a damn thing myself either, but I am reading, listening, observing, and coming to conclusions. I don’t thin}‹ most whites or blacks even think; they soak-up information but don’t seem to relate it. I need a plan of action.
ApriI 30. 1970
I am the biggest chicken alive
Last night I attended a meeting. Was quite interesting; all factions were represented. Somehow we did come to a decision; tomorrow there’s to be a rally at the 'ederal building." It's a court hearing, a brother has brought suit.
2021 Notes: Dianna Prince is the mother of American actor Karim Prince & Leah Tunkara.
Dianna grandfather was a Muslim (a Iman) from Kolkata (Calcutta) India who had four wives. He came to live in New York around 1920. Dianna was born 1943 an she passed in 1982. She only lived to be 38 years old an died at dawn on mother's Day in Oakland Ca..
Leah Tunkara, mini biography.
Leah began traveling the world at a young age and was personal assistant to the legendary Nina Simone on a European Tour in 1988
Fast forward to 2020, live on BBC Radio in the U.K, Leah is asked to expand on what it was like being on the road with Miss Simone who was inducted into the ROCK & ROLL HALL of Fame in 2018.
Leah is a speaker and a consultant. Her travels and places she has lived include Canada, West Africa, France, Jamaica, Thailand and her home base in Hawaii for over 39 years.
[email protected]: See channel LeahTVdotcom for more TAKES on this story.
