An Honest Black History Month (2)

Chuck Berry (1926-2017) is without question the most influential figure in contemporary music, especially any form of rock. Although a competent rather than an exemplary musician, it is no exaggeration to say that every successful rock musician since the 1960s or earlier has been influenced by Chuck Berry, by someone who has been influenced by Chuck Berry, or by someone who has been influenced by someone who has been influenced by Chuck Berry. Although he came from a middle class family, Berry’s story is basically that of bad boy made good. His personal shortcomings and various clashes with the law are best ignored. Chuck was still performing at the age of 87, and perhaps somewhat surprisingly was married to the same woman for 68 years.

Ray Charles (1930-2004) was born into poverty in the Deep South and began losing his sight at the age of four. Three years later he was totally blind, and was sent to a special school in Florida where the racist American system taught him to read music in braille. Charles was neither the first nor the last blind black American to find fame and fortune, but his accomplishments were extraordinary, not the least was his siring twelve children with ten different women!

In 1986, he set up the Ray Charles Foundation which focuses on hearing disorders. Although he wrote some fine songs, his life story and overcoming of that greatest of handicaps is far more inspirational than mere music.

Walter Williams (1936-2020) was a contemporary of Thomas Sowell and cut from the same cloth. Like the now 91 year old Sowell, Williams had a hard upbringing in comparison with most of today’s race hustlers. After serving in the military, he became a probation officer while studying for a degree in economics, eventually becoming a lecturer. Like Sowell, he became a committed Libertarian and saw through the myriad scams of leftists such as the minimum wage and affirmative action.

Walter Williams published ten books, and many of his lectures can be found on-line. Sadly, the cabal now running America appear not to have read any of his books or heard any of his lectures.

Muhammad Ali (1942-2016) rose to fame as a boxer, one of the greatest heavyweights of all time, but became much more than that with his outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War and war in general. Ali’s critics, most of them “right wing” have portrayed him as gullible or even of low intelligence. Any honest person who has heard him speak on especially the subject of war and of course on the race issue will surely beg to differ. Most notable was his demolition of British talk show host Michael Parkinson and his famous bluebirds fly with bluebirds observation.

Back to Part 1.