From one extreme to the other

I partipated in a facilitated discussion today about women, love and life. It was sponsored by Zeta Phi Beta sorority at Lincoln University.

The conversation ranged over a wide variety of topics. At one point though, one of the women remarked on the lyrics of current music. Many of us felt the music was inappropriate and not respectful of women.

Later I plugged in my iPod and dialed up my Jackson 5 greatest hits. In the song "Maybe Tomorrow," MJ poignantly sings "You are the book that I read. You are the song that I sing. You are the four season of my life." While he was only around 12, he really touches you as he sings.

What happened to that kind of music? And what does it say about us that we now shake our behinds to "back that thing up?"

I left that gathering and attended the football game between Lincoln U and Morehouse. Known as "The House," Morehouse is one of the more prestigious HBCUs in the nation, counting men such as Martin Luther King, Jr., among its alumni. Lincoln, once known as the "Black Harvard of the Midwest," has turned out its share of successful alumni as well.

Today, LU did not perform well on the football field, though the Marching Musical Storm put on yet another fabulous performance at halftime. As is often the case at HBCUs, no one gets up at halftime, but stays to enjoy the show.

A marching band battle

I recently took my favorite nine-year-old to see the Battle of the Bands between Lincoln University of Missouri and Langston University. Both bands put on a quite a show, and for two hours were treated to music, dance moves and cheering. The only drawback was that we were inside the gym. That made the two powerful units even louder than necessary.

The nine-year-old wanted to know if the competition was going to be like the movie Drumline? She had a ball and was very impressed. She can't wait for more.

I am so proud of Lincoln's band. My soror is the band director, and they are the bomb! They're currently competing to go to the Honda Battle of the Bands in Atlanta. I am spreading the word through Facebook, Twitter and every other social network I know telling people to vote for LU.

So do it today and every day through the end of October. www.HondaBattleoftheBands.com