WEEKEND WITH THE ARTS: THE GENIUS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS

There's more to life than war, taxes and politics - and a lot of it's more fun, too! That's why every WEEKEND, here at THE ASTUTE BLOGGERS, we post some of the cultural things we're into, things we think you might also find entertaining, enriching, and stimulating. After all, the arts - ALL ARTS, not just fine arts - are a big part of what our liberty is for, and what we're fighting to defend!

THIS WEEK: A SMALL SAMPLING OF THE GENIUS OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN ARTISTS

• NOTE: THE LATE GREAT AMERICAN JURIST - AND INSTAPUNDIT HERO - CHARLES BLACK, WAS A TEXAN WHO, AS A YOUNG MAN, HAD HIS CONDESCENDING ATTITUDE ABOUT BLACKS ERASED ON THE DAY HE WITNESSED THE INCREDIBLE GENIUS OF LOUIS ARMSTRONG.
  

• WHATEVER IQ MEASURES - AND WHATEVER ITS DEMOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION MEANS - IT CANNOT DIMINISH THE GENIUS OF ARTISTS SUCH AS THESE. WITHOUT THEM AMERICAN CULTURE WOULD BE COMPARATIVELY POOR AND, WELL ER UM... MORE STUPID.

THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF MY FAVORITES. A COMPLETE LIST IS NEARLY ENDLESS.

• I'M PRETTY SURE THAT IQ TESTS DON'T MEASURE THE GENIUS AND TALENT OF THESE ARTISTS.

• IF I HAD 1/10TH THE TALENT - THE GENIUS - OF ANY ONE OF THESE ARTISTS, THEN I'D CONSIDER MYSELF BLESSED.

WE ARE ALL BLESSED BECAUSE THESE FINE INDIVIDUALS SHARED THEIR INCREDIBLE TALENT AND GENIUS WITH US.