This has to be THE saddest picture of all time: Queen Ella Fitzgerald being arrested for performing to a mixed audience. Royalty sitting in a jailhouse, like a common thief! The disgrace that drenches America's flag from the mistreatment of their own people is heavy. But I digress.
Like many other Black artists, she wasn't allowed to use the bathroom facilities where she performed. She wasn't allowed to come in the front door, or even eat in the venues she performed. There is so much she and many of our legends endured. And I am so thankful for their determination, passion, and dedication to keep their art alive. They humiliated and shamed her, so artists like me can shine.
In the video, I was hired to perform "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald. She stayed on my mind from rehearsal to performance date. I thought of the atmosphere, and how she was being mistreated as she waited to perform this very same song. She couldn't even use the bathrooms, but I was given a huge dressing room, MUA, a dress, and a lunch buffet.
After a glass of wine, they took me to the BMW, and placed me inside. A few moments later, the car rises up to the stage. He opens my door, I walk to my microphone. Before I started singing, I deliberately took a moment to inhale the accomplishments of my ancestors. LOL...if you look at the video, you see me taking one-good-long-hard-look over the audience from left to right. It's because I felt my ancestors were inside my soul, and I wanted them to get a gooood look at their achievement. Who's to say they were or weren't, but I know what I felt.
Thank You for the video, Ella.
Your Student, Teacher, and Friend
MOXIE.
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