In my family, there was always a party, celebration or gathering of some sort. My mother, father and great-grandmother had friends and family from all over the US and just because we lived in Las Vegas, this was not an excuse to dis-invite or have a celebration without them. Rightfully so, my parents were married on New Year’s Eve and every year, they planned a huge party to celebrate the New Year and their anniversary. As children, my sister and I knew what to expect – dancing, large amounts of food to include an open-pit barbeque feast, adults drinking, and a lot of laughter. In African-American families, it is typical for us to celebrate with song and dance – adults also involve the children so that they can “show them the new dance moves”. These celebrations have been depicted in television shows dating back to the 1970’s and the most notable were Soul Train and Good Times. I can remember waking up on a Saturday morning excited about watching these shows and even today, I take the time to watch re-runs to remember “the old days”. I chose the picture above because it is a famous portrait by artist Ernie Barnes. This portrait could be seen throughout the seventies and in a majority of television shows depicting African-American song and dance.
I appreciate the art you chose to represent your family traditions. I can relate and my family has similar traditions. I love music and dancing; looking at these piece, I can imagine what kind music is being played and groove. Thank you for sharing.
I can relate to this tradition. Being black, food and music are common things to have at our get togethers and the best part of our get togethers. I love the picture you used, this is one of my favorite paintings. This always reminds me of the beginning and ending of Good Times.
Your blog post immediately caught my attention since I recognize that famous painting from the show good times. It brought back fond memories of me watching reruns of the show with my parents and older sister. I have a huge family, and we used to get together for large celebrations as you have described, now they seem to be fewer, but reading your blog makes me smile as I reminisce about those special moments.
I love this painting. I first saw it when I was living in New York in an Afro-Centric store that sold incense and natural oils. I didn’t know it was a famous painting until I saw it at the end of the theme song for the show “Good Times”. I like this painting because it reminds me of the barbecues my family would have where the whole Haitian community was invited. Celebration is an important aspect of Haitian culture so anything was an excuse to have a party of a barbecue. I especially like how the painting looks so lively, almost like it isn’t still. Dancing is a very important aspect of Haitian culture as well, especially because it comes so naturally to us.
This made me think about the culture surrounding being black. I see the shared experience it brings in many aspects. Saturday mornings were always the best time to watch old shows that depicted black Americans experience in the 70s era. I think the artwork is a great representation of a shared experience amongst people that although may not be replayed directly through blood, have many similarities that is evident when we all come together.
This image interests me because in this culture, it seems that dance is a main factor in how to share time. In most cultures, we just come together to share food and talk. I like the aspect of dancing because it adds a fun element and an activity to do during the occasion. This also lends to more bonding between the people participating in the dance. I think that we should all incorporate some activity along with our time when we meet just so we can increase the amount of bonding that happens at these events.
I love that you picked this picture by Ernie Barnes! This picture takes me back to my childhood and seeing reprints of this image in many family members homes and on the TV show Good Times growing up. Ernie Barnes is also from my home state on North Carolina is a big deal. His art is very influential in African American culture.
Great choice in choosing this picture. Likewise my family is big on celebrations that involve dance and music. Every graduation party, cookout, birthday, etc. would always involve music and dancing. This just brings excitement to any event because everyone can relate, especially when many of the songs and dances involve celebration.
This image caught my attention not only because I have seen it before, but because everyone pictured is full of life and expression. I like how both African American cultures and Indian cultures are full of dance and I enjoy watching people dance and seeing how they express themselves. Although I have a fairly small family that does not have big celebrations and parties, I enjoy participating in them and try to join my friends’ celebrations with their friends and family whenever they occur.
I most definitely relate to this! It is very uncommon to have a gathering of some sort in the black community without some form of dance. Dances like the electric slide, The Cha-Cha Slide, and the cupid shuffle is almost expected at any cookout or party. Also, that portrait extremely famous and can be found in so many African-American households even to this day.