NAT KING COLE AFRAID OF THE DARK

“As long as we are not ourselves, we will try to be what other people are.” -Malidoma Patrice Somé (Of Water and the Spirit)


Hello Lovelies!

I watched a documentary about the Incomparable Nat King Cole. It was so enlightening as well as disturbing.  Nat King Cole was a prominent jazz pianist, gifted crooner and the first black to host a TV variety show.  Although I knew he had several struggles with white america's acceptance of his blackness, I never knew to what extent of their fear.  He dealt with the usual racism and discrimination of the times such as a petition circulating to have him evicted from his home in a predominately white area of LA because they didn't want any undesirables (meaning blacks) living in their community.   But in true Nat King Cole fashion, he attended the town hall meeting and in a soft spoken voice he said "I don't want any undesirables either and will be the first to petition to have them removed".

The ultimate disrespect was when they insisted that this, beautiful very shiny black as patent leather shoes, American Man dismiss his blackness.  The studio executives saw his darkness as too offensive for white audiences, that they put white pancake makeup on him for several of his TV appearances.   Mr. Cole called it "Afraid of the Dark".  He tolerated the indignities of being in white face to fulfill his goal of sharing his music with the world. This mild mannered gentleman endured racist taunts and attacks from white crowds while on tour in the south.  He experienced injustices over and over again so he can perform in front of segregated crowds that later attacked him.  He never complained when these venues told him to enter and exit through the back door.  He bowed gracefully at the end of each performance even though he was not allowed to patronize the hotel lounges, restaurants or their pools.  They treated his blackness as a contagious disease, a disease that would spread through the air.  They were afraid to breath in his blackness, afraid the dark would slaughter them if they sat next to him, ate next to him or swam in the same pool.   Being afraid of the darkness of Nat King Cole, while disturbing,  encouraged the renowned jazz pianist crooner to pave the path for our young gifted black musicians to embrace their blackness.  

I encourage you to research Nat King Cole, rediscover his music and check out the NAT KING COLE: AFRAID OF THE DARK documentary.

Many Blessings!