If you had the chance to go back in time would you? I wonder if I had a chance to go back in time what year would I choose, 1920? The Harlem Renaissance? Hang out with Zora Neal Hurston?Or would I could I be so brave and go back further. How about 1864? The year before Slavery ended. Meet and talk to our ancestors who were enslaved. Find out for myself what it was like?
I'm not sure if I'm that brave.
What about 1960? Meet Malcolm and Martin? Or maybe 1970 and join the Panthers, hang out with Elaine Brown? A time of free love and before killer STD's.
Dare we consider going even further back in time, to Egypt or ancient Timbuktu?
Another thought; how about going back and meeting your parents before you were born, when they were kids even?
Choices, Choices...
What about you, if you could go back in time, and then return; what year would you choose and why?
20 comments:
Mes Deux Cents good question. 1850-1900 and I would like to talk with Harriet Tubman. I want to know why she would go back into the South after other people when she herself was a free woman.
What made her tick like that? Once she went back after her husband but he had gotten with someone else. I think she made about 20 trips back into the South. To me it showed more than lip service.
Okay, so Octavia Butler, in her book, Kindred, went back!! It was the coolest story ever! I think I'd just go back to when I was 20 years old (won't say the year) :) But, I'd have to have the knowledge I have now. . . does that count??
I would probably go back to the days of the Harlem Renaissance and talk to Langston Hughes, Ralf Ellison, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, and Countee Cullen. I was always fascinated with this time period, when black art, music and literature were booming.
Time travel completely fascinates me! I'm so mad that my show "Journeyman" was cancelled. I've thought about this idea quite often. Of before I forget, if you love time travel, you will love this book. See this link. The movie is coming out this summer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Time_Traveler's_Wife
Anyway, after many years of careful consideration, I've decided that I would love to go back to all different times and places no matter how far back, with the condition that I have the power of invisibility when necesarry and that I can come back whenever I want. Otherwise I'd be too chicken. : D
I don't think I could ever go back in time, because if I ever did, I'd just find that we're facing the same problems in a cyclical fashion. Then again, what do I know?
Though I am very pleased that God chose to place me within this era...and this is only if i can come back to this era....
the first one is, i would like to be at the birth of Jesus-to witness that.
i want to go back to when Jesus was walking the earth and i would like to be witness to and healed at one of the MANY times that He performed a miracle...
yes, i would like to go back to specfic times during the Harlem R., and also the impressionistic period, the surrealistic period, the painting of the sistine chapel, (of course i would need to know the language they spoke also), and i would like to be with rembrandt, and a few other artists both female and male.
the other is when my gma (on my fathers side) and when she was sick right before she died-i would like to visit with her b4 she died--as i did not even know she was that sick or the fact that she was dead, until after she had been buried and a co-worker came in on a monday to ask me why i was not at the funeral....
i feel i did not get to say goodbye and to tell her that i love her very much-though i fussed and prayed and talked to God about it--and i was relieved of my spiritual burden...(thank You Jesus)....i still think about her and how it went down...
those are the time periods that i can think of right now...
good question mdc...
If I could travel back to a certain time, my first choice would be to visit the Harlem Renaissance. To be around my people and have intellectually stimulating conversations, hear music at its best, cross paths with the literary geniuses and hopefully get a word of wisdom or two to bring back with me would be phenomenal.
If I could travel back to a certain time period involving my family, I would travel back to when my grandfather was a young man and to see what he went through that turned him into the wonderful man, parent and provider he became. He always stressed education and was my biggest supporter in learning to read at 4. He always told me the importance of Black History and how its not limited to just February. I miss him dearly and to be able to see him in his youth would uncover another facet of his mysterious personality.
Great question!
i would LOVE to go a few hundred years back and meet my distant relatives. it would answer a lot of questions. man, i really wish that could happen!
dear mdc,
as i'm german i would like to travel back to 1933. the worst year in our history. believing that changing history is not a good idea because you don't know what the outcome might be, i wonder if i still would be brave enough to put up some resistance... but i really want to understand what made all those people believe and agree to the monstrosities done in the name of one man...
That's a good question. I've thought about this a lot and I have a few places/times I would like to visit:
The Harlem Renaissance, 1920s
The Great Depression (to do my job as a reporter and interview people), 1930s.
The Civil Rights movement, 1950s to 1960s.
JFK inauguration, Jan. 20, 1961
JFK assassination, Nov. 22-25, 1963
I have a few others, but I can't remember them right now.
tasha212 said...
I would probably go back to the days of the Harlem Renaissance and talk to Langston Hughes, Ralf Ellison, Richard Wright, Zora Neale Hurston, and Countee Cullen. I was always fascinated with this time period, when black art, music and literature were booming.
Ima cosign with Tasha word for word.
But I also woulda wanted to party, smoke cigarettes, play numbers and dance and hang out in the clubs.
Definitely Harlem.
Also, Mes Deux; great post! :)
Mes, Obama won South Carolina!!
Oh, I'd have to meet King & X. No doubt about it.
Also, what did you think about zeitgeist?
JJ B,
Speaking with Harriet Tubman would be a great experience.
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Lisa,
Yep that counts and I'm sure it would be fun. :)
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Tasha,
Imagine strolling along Strivers Row. That would be amazing!
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Anali,
Wow that is a great one, being invisible. I would want that too.
Thanks for the link.
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Jose,
Well generally speaking I'm sure we are but it would still be a great adventure.
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WTM,
Going back and talking with your Grandmother would be a wonderful gift.
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Ieisha,
I agree that going back and speaking with a relative would be great. We could get a lot of insight.
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PQ,
Hey who knows, maybe one day we can!
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Kayoz,
That would be really brave of you. I'm sure if nothing else you would gain a lot of insight.
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NBW,
Going back to JFK's assassination would be a real eye opener.
Are you a fan of JFK?
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TBA,
Lmao@play numbers. You are so funny!
Thanks. :)
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Don,
Yep I heard I'm going to post about it in the morning.
I'm going to watch it tomorrow. I’ll let you know.
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Personally, I would want to go back to the following times as an observer not as a participant.
1) Mount Sinai when the Torah was given.
2) When King Solomon completed the Temple in Jerusalem.
3) When the Maccabees defeated the Hellonized Syrians.
4) See the peaks of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhay Empires in West Africa.
5) See the Jewish community of Tirdirma, Mali in the year 1402 when they had an army of 1500 men.
6) See the Buffalo Soldiers at their apex.
The following times I would like to actually like to influence or participate in history.
1) Meet my great-grandparents Shoham "Beryl" Lyons and Huldah Lang-Lyons.
2) Try to convince my father not to commit suicide.
3) Protect the Jews of Mali from the assimilation that took place under duress in the 1700's and 1800's.
4) Go back to my childhood (age 3-10)and give myself 10 books from my library. Teach myself the martial arts I am learning. Inform my child self that I will about 3 or 4 chances to be in love. Let myself know their names, where I would meet them, and when I would meet them.
I like this question...
I would go back to when my parents were courting and tell them to slow down. Tell my dad not to wear those awful bell bottoms and corduroy blazer with cowboy boots on the night he proposed to my mom. That pic is awful. I would also go back and prevent my oldest brother from getting a mullet. He was 15 when I was born. I would go back in time to 1920 and beg my great great grandmother not too leave my great great grandfather. (they were the first interracial relationship in my small town back then.
I got lots of things I would love to do, but I would have to go way back and meet EVE and find out what in the hell was she thinking? I need to know for sure that she ate that apple! LOL!
Ehav,
I am so sorry to hear about your dad. I have lost both my parents so I have gone through a loss too.
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Deep In Thought,
Lol@bell bottoms and cowboy boots!
Wow I bet it was unbelievably tough for your great, great grand parents.
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Professor Tracey,
Lol
Hey MDC,
Thanks for your words. I also feel for you on loosing your parents while you were younger.
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