Salute US
WHO IS ON THE SALUTE FLAG? AND WHY? | Part 2
26
Jan
Jan
The Salute series was created to celebrate African American artists who either created, innovated or contributed in a major way to our culture.
For a more detailed explanation on the selection process, why we got it wrong, and why a certain controversial figure is on the flag, check out Part 1.
For Part 2, there are several artists that today’s mainstream audience may not be aware of, so I encourage you to click on the deeper dive links. Their stories will definitely inspire you.
See the second row of artists below and BUY the Salute Tee
BILLIE HOLIDAY
(April 7, 1915 – July 17, 1959)
SNAPSHOT
Billie Holiday was a legendary jazz singer who was heralded for her ability to improvise her voice, and for her collaborations with other legendary artists like Count Basie and Artie Shaw. She is widely recognized for having one of the greatest voices of all time.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
The story of Billie Holiday is the epitome of the tortured artist whose pain serves to create some of the most beautiful work in human history. She’s the voice of her generation and her shoulders have held up every soul singer since. Unfortunately, nearly all of her accolades were given posthumously. Even so, nothing and no one can take away what she’s given to us.
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Bobby Brown is an award-winning, multi-platinum singer/songwriter who helped popularize the New Jack Swing movement; a movement that bridged the gap between Hip-Hop and R&B while bringing back the “bad boy” image for singers.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Don’t Be Cruel sold 7 million records. It still goes hard at the cookout. Oh and by blowing up New Jack Swing (With Teddy Riley, of course) artists like Chris Brown, Tory Lanez and Drake can exist and flourish.
BOBBY BROWN
(February 5, 1969)
CARRIE MAE WEEMS
(April 20, 1953)
SNAPSHOT
Carrie Mae Weems is an award-winning contemporary artist who is best known for her photography that focuses on issues faced by African Americans such as racism, sexism, politics and personal identity.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Along with the many, many, MANY awards she’s won, Carrie Mae Weems’ influence on contemporary art cannot be overstated. She has been able to be financially successful while offering truth in her work. She unapologetically stands for the progression of her people and fair representation.
SNAPSHOT
Chaka Khan is a legendary, platinum-selling, award-winning, singer songwriter who became known as The Queen of Funk.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
See “legendary” in the above snapshot. In addition to the 70 million+ albums sold, Chaka Khan serves as the bridge between the Aretha Franklin generation and the Mary J. Blige generation. And Ms. Khan sits comfortably amongst both.
CHAKA KHAN
(March 23, 1953)
CHARLIE PARKER
(August 29, 1920 – March 12, 1955)
SNAPSHOT
Charlie Parker was a highly influential jazz musician and saxophonist who pioneered the Bebop Jazz sound, while helping jazz transition into its second golden age in the 1950s.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Charlie Parker once said in an interview that he practiced the saxophone 14-15 hours a day for 4 years. This alone is worth consideration. But the fact that Parker used his practice to help transform an ageing genre into something that would continue to thrive for decades more, is worthy of celebration. And then there’s this: “They teach you there’s a boundary line to music. But man, there’s no boundary line to art.” – Charlie Parker
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Chuck Berry was a singer/songwriter/musician who helped splinter Rhythm and Blues into Rock & Roll.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Chuck Berry is the Godfather of Rock and Roll so every Rock musician since owes him a debt of gratitude. And although he never topped the charts in his prime, his influence is immeasurable.
CHUCK BERRY
(October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017)
CICELY TYSON
(December 19, 1924)
SNAPSHOT
Cicely Tyson is an award winning film, TV and stage actress and former fashion model. In a career spanning more than six decades, she became known for her portrayal of strong African-American women in films such as, ‘The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman,’ ‘The Help’ and Broadway’s ‘The Trip to Bountiful,’ among others.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Six decades of flawless acting in roles that bring nothing but respect to the craft and to her people. Cicely Tyson is a modern day treasure.
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Clarence Muse was an actor, screenwriter, director, composer, and lawyer. He decided not to pursue Law as a profession because he knew the opportunities were limited for African Americans. Instead Muse became the first African American to “star” in a film. He acted for fifty years, and appeared in more than 150 movies. He was inducted into the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame in 1973.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Clarence Muse forced the world to pay attention to Blacks in the film/theater industry. He successfully transitioned from minstrel shows to critically acclaimed films in which he not only starred in, but directed.
CLARENCE MUSE
(October 14, 1889 – October 13, 1979)
CLAUDE MCKAY
(September 15, 1889 – May 22, 1948)
SNAPSHOT
Claude McKay was a Jamaican-American writer and poet, who was a seminal figure in the Harlem Renaissance. He wrote award-winning novels, poetry and short stories,
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Claude McKay was a critical component in the Harlem Renaissance and helped open the door to alternative perspectives through his exploration of Communism and Bi-sexuality.
SNAPSHOT
Coreen Simpson is a critically-acclaimed award-winning photographer and jewelry designer whose work centers around African American themes. Her images have appeared in Vogue, Essence, Ms. Magazine, Paris Match, The New York Times, The Village Voice and numerous books and periodicals.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Coreen Simpson is one of the most innovative fashion/portrait photographers of all time. Her work defined the aesthetic of the 1980s and early 1990s. And although her jewelry was overshadowed by her photography, her Black Cameo series was way ahead of its time. The jewelry series blended chic, golden regality with raw African imagery. Incorporating African themes in jewelry is more common now thanks to artists like Coreen Simpson.
COREEN SIMPSON
(February 18, 1942)
DAVE CHAPPELLE
(August 24, 1973)
SNAPSHOT
Dave Chappelle is a legendary comedian whose work challenged traditional racial thought. He’s won numerous awards including two Emmy Awards, two Grammy Awards and the Mark Twain Award.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Forget the awards. Dave Chappelle is simply one of the funniest people who ever lived. And he has the rare ability to not only make you laugh but make you think…while laughing…hysterically. Dave Chappelle has integrity. And he left us with the Chappelle Show. In just 3 seasons (really 2), he created something that will forever be sketched in our cultural history.
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Dawoud Bey is a photographer and educator known for his large-scale, innovative art photography and street photography portraits. Whatever his technique, he uses his artwork as a platform to challenge stereotypical images of African Americans and other historically marginalized groups.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Dawoud Bey is a pioneer who made it cool to show the large beauty in the seemingly small and ordinary. His portraits of everyday Black life had an affirming effect that the art world couldn’t ignore. So whenever someone questions the beauty and importance of Black life, they can look to the work of Dawoud Bey and know otherwise.
DAWOUD BEY
(November 25, 1953)
DEBBIE ALLEN
(January 16, 1950)
SNAPSHOT
Debbie Allen is a dancer, choreographer, and director, who has worked on such projects as Fame, West Side Story and The Cosby Show spinoff, A Different World.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
Debbie Allen touched or influenced almost every Black sitcom of the 90s and 2000s. She helped turn A Different World from a Cosby Show stepchild (season 1) to one of the best TV Sitcoms of all time (seasons 2 – 6). And Ms. Allen is just as (if not moreso) talented and accomplished as a choreographer as she is a TV producer.
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Denzel Washington is one of the best actors of all time. Some of Washington’s most notable works include, Glory, Malcolm X, Training Day, and Fences.
WHY HE'S ON THE FLAG
Do we really need to say anything here? We don’t. But we will. Denzel is dignity, integrity, and mastery personified. His career started at a crossroads for Black actors. In the 1980s, Black actors were fresh off out of the Blaxploitation era and could have easily slipped into some other form of stereotypical standard. But then came Denzel and his cohort of super actors like Forest Whitaker, Sam Jackson and Laurence Fishburne who took on roles that began to popularize the humanization of Black lives.
DENZEL WASHINGTON
(December 28, 1954)
DIAHANN CARROLL
(July 17, 1935 – October 4, 2019)
SNAPSHOT
Diahann Carroll is a legendary TV and Film actress. Carroll was a part of the first wave of major studio films starring a Black cast in films like Carmen Jones and Porgy and Bess. She was also the first Black woman to win a TONY award for best actress for her role in the Broadway musical, No Strings. She later became the first Black woman to star in a TV series for the show Julia.
WHY SHE'S ON THE FLAG
I’m not good enough of a writer to express how important Diahann Carroll is to Black people, Black women in particular, and our culture in general. The glass ceiling that separated Blacks from respectability on screen was seemingly impenetrable. Several Black actors and actresses put dents in the ceiling before Ms. Carroll came along, but she put a massive whole in it.
Out of stock
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Out of stock
$40.00
