It started simply like many opportunities we've been blessed with - a phone call asking to meet at the Bridgehead down the street. Although I had seen his name before, I couldn't quite figure out how his road lead to me until he told me he was married to a former student. Got it. He mapped out his vision for how he could provide community organizations with an opportunity to make some much needed money. I was immediately game. He's the superhero in this story along with his wife and all of the wonderful people over the years that I've met as a result of this power couple. They know how to organize a community.
The Broad Communities Program of the, at the time, Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest provided community organizations with tickets, on consignment, and sponsorship of the World Gospel Jam, the 1st or 2nd Saturday of the two-week long festival. The ticket sold was a 'day-pass' and we would sell the ticket at a discount and keep $10-$15 (depending on the year) of each ticket sold. Additionally, we had vending space the day of the show. From the stage, our group names were mentioned before every act, to give us some interest and attention from the audience. It was beautiful. As an organization that supports youth endeavours, it didn't hurt that in the early years, the artist on the main stage was a major R&B or Hip Hop artist. There would have been no way to support the youth we supported in 2007 to go to the Summit in New Orleans if the main stage that year didn't have Kanye West. For young people selling tickets, they were rock stars with their friends because they had the hot ticket at a great price. The more we sold. The more we made. It was awesome.....
Hmm..Not quite as awesome as you would think. Downside of working with youth - sometimes, they would lose tickets. Sometimes I would lose track of tickets. I remember the year that Aliai first went to South Sudan and I was away too and we couldn't account for like 40 tickets. Heart attack city! I think I might have had the count right once since 2006. When I'm wrong, cuts into the profits...You only hurt yourself. But we'd established a routine about it. We'd come to expect it. The community came to expect us to have the hot ticket. We were even able to start an informal competition with GPM. In the past 3yrs, things have changed dramatically giving the feeling pus must have as it is forced out of a zit.
The best year for the program was, no lie, 2011 when Kirk Franklin came. I'd never seen him perform live and even though I can't tell what he actually does (he don't rap, he don't sing, he don't direct a choir) this brother is a performer. Erykah Badu was on the main stage but it didn't seem to impact his crowd or show. When she was finished, the crowd from there came over to the gospel stage. All stages were finished and Kirk Franklin still had a packed audience. I stood there as if in a trance. I've never been a fan of gospel but each of those Saturdays over the years, I've stood out there with those communities and I got it. Praise through music is powerful. That night with Kirk Franklin I too caught the musical spirit and couldn't resist dancing with reckless abandon. A full surrender to the power of the praise. It was actually wonderful. I left the park that day anxious to see what they would do to top that for the next year!
Well, this is the part of the story where things start to get a little murky and downright ugly to straight up rassery!
For some reason that I'm still looking for, last year, we were given an impossible task when in the wisdom of the Bluesfest committee, someone decided to put an all white Christian Contemporary artist lineup (not hating) - the new direction - which was a challenge to sell to the communities we have influence in. Also, the main stage had Metallica. Go ahead, knock me for pointing out the stereotype. Not my issue. Music is music. Someone else created genres. But please show me directly to that extra special niche of black people who are Metallica fans and I would have been happy to sell them a ticket. Shoot, forget that, I couldn't sell gospel to people who like gospel. It was tragic as I sat here in my backyard, a week away from the event and I'd only sold 4 tickets.
The other kick in the crotch was our partnership with One Match, the Bone Marrow Registry. We are committed then and now to promoting the message of need for people of African descent to get on the registry. You can imagine the meeting we had months before where we told them about the droves of black people who come out to the park that day which is why they should partner with us to do a huge Swab Event - to identify people for the registry.
Well oh my sugars! Day of the show, not a black person. I said: "oh, it's still early!". Even had student volunteers. And there we stood. And we waited. And waited. And waited. As no one came! Although we were able to peak the interests of many people, the target audience that we had watched fill the park since 2006, didn't come!
Whatever created the madness, I was convinced after THAT HOT MESS, they would come to some economic sense about WT* bees goin' on!
Alas, my cynical nature got the better of me in the moment and always. A flashback of every night club in this city that made their reputation on the backs of black patrons to only dash dem wah when the club got hype. Or a radio station claiming an urban format but has to stop using 'urban' because it can't get any major sponsors. Or a Republican party who, in the words of my friend Peri would cut off ears and noses if Obama proposed legislation about glasses. You know, that kinda stuff! The stuff that makes go Hmmm?!??! Why would this be what you do after a successful year, guaranteeing failure? Unless, you intend to use the failure of last year as the reasoning for why your not doing it this year!
Nah, that can't be the answer....After all, that would be kind of predictable. Too easy to do without anyone noticing. It's not like we ever received a thank you for what we did right and well or even some guidance for what we did wrong. But each year since 2006, we hyped up communities about what was going down for the World Gospel Jam. I got to support in my capacity as Executive Opportunities Broker for 3Dreads and a Baldhead while also being able to interview some of the world's best gospel artists as a cost-host of Black on Black. I guess in the end, I'm sad that not even the effort I give to live the double consciousness of being invisible in this city, not even that will be enough to be seen. "The wall is not going to move" - Coach Cee, Ottawa Phoenix Basketball. The wall may not be willing or able to move but I am. Progress IS a MUST and not even some foolishness like will stop any of us. We are working hard to #BeMoreCommUnity. Is ya comin' or is ya aint?
Sent with Love from the Crackberry of a Solutionary!
#BeMoreCommUnity
