https://dailypost.wordpress.com/prompts/seat-guru/
Seat Guru
You get to plan a dinner party for 4-8 of your favorite writers/artists/musicians/other notable figures, whether dead or alive. Who do you seat next to whom in order to inspire the most fun evening?
I’d seat these Black Literary, Harlem Renaissance, Educators, Social, Political and Cultural Leaders in a semi-circle horseshoe fashion. That way they would be able to see, hear, discuss and listen to each other’s outlook on the state of the African diaspora in general and the state of Black America specifically.
I’d make liberal use of today’s innovative technology enabling this discussion to be broadcast worldwide.
Given their diverse lifestyles, experiences, and viewpoints we would be like sponges absorbing wisdom, knowledge and understanding I know the resulting dialogue and debate would be scintillating!
Zora Neale Hurston
Frantz Fanon
Langston Hughes
W. E. B. Du Bois
Booker T. Washington
Marcus Garvey
Mary McLeod Bethune
Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit 
Scintillating dialogue is exactly what I would expect–oh, to be a fly on the wall!
Yes! Oh to be privy to some of the greatest intellectuals who ever lived. I too would love to be a fly on the wall gleaning from their pearls of wisdom.
They all have very beautiful, kind and wise eyes. I bet the conversation would be very interesting indeed.
Well they did not all get along with each other and it is a known fact that Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois had opposing viewpoints and strategies concerning the upliftment of Blacks in America.
Then it would certainly be an interesting, lively dinner conversation!
This a powerful guest list…I intend to plan such a dinner party in the future and will definitely be calling on you to lead in this important seating arrangement and event coordination :). Along with all these dignitaries, it is also wonderful to see Marcus Garvey in the list from my home Jamaica :). For although we are a little country, he did have a global impact. Though I have read about some of the others, I will definitely be reading up on all the other great mean and women in your list, especially the ladies.
I would also want Nanny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanny_of_the_Maroons at my table. Although it is a guest list of dignitaries from our African culture, most of whom are not singers, I would also make an exception for Nina Simone, as I would be thrilled is she was there in all her glory and enigma to add to the conversation. As well as, Marilyn Monroe, Edith Piaf and Ayn Rand some of my favorite, enigmatic, powerful and controversial gals. Plus Nicholas D. Kristof that wrote Half the Sky, and also write regularly for the New York Times. As well as, Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand’s book, the Fountain Head, and Mahatma Gandhi.
With the list you already started and these add-on that in my opinion are all activists in their own right with minds worth examining or sampling or sharing, that would do it for me and would make for an intensely colorful and “scintillating dialog and debate” and a dinner party that would be a gathering of a lifetime. Will you agree to be my most honored guest? 🙂
Thanks again for sharing 🙂 ~ I look forward to learning more.
Since the amount of guests is limited I would just add Nanny and Nina Simone. We do need more Black Women at the table. As for me I’d just be sitting there absorbing. I’d have nothing to add to the conversation. All those folks are way above me.
Feel Free to go to The Daily Post writing prompt and create your own dinner party/round-table. I enjoy their writing prompts because they activate the “grey cells’ of the mind.
This a powerful guest list…I intend to plan such a dinner party in the future and will definitely be calling on you to lead in this important seating arrangement and event coordination :). Along with all these dignitaries, it is also wonderful to see Marcus Garvey in the list from my home Jamaica :). For although we are a little country, he did have a global impact. Though I have read about some of the others, I will surely be reading up on all the other great mean and women in your list, especially the ladies.
I would also want Nanny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanny_of_the_Maroons at my table. Although it is a guest list of dignitaries from our African culture, most of whom are not singers, I would also make an exception for Nina Simone, as I would be thrilled is she was there in all her glory and enigma to add to the conversation. As well as, Marilyn Monroe, Edith Piaf and Ayn Rand some of my favorite, enigmatic, powerful and controversial gals. Plus Nicholas D. Kristof that wrote Half the Sky, and also write regularly for the New York Times. As well as, Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand’s book, the Fountain Head, and Mahatma Gandhi.
With the list you already started and these add-on (that in my opinion are all activists in their own right with minds worth examining or sampling or sharing, that would do it for me) and would make for an intensely colorful and “scintillating dialog and debate” and a dinner party that would be a gathering of a lifetime. Will you agree to be my most honored guest? 🙂
Thanks again for sharing ~ I look forward to learning more. Peace and Love to you****
This a powerful guest list…I intend to plan such a dinner party in the future and will definitely be calling on you to lead in this important seating arrangement and event coordination :). Along with all these dignitaries, it is also wonderful to see Marcus Garvey in the list from my home Jamaica :). For although we are a little country, he did have a global impact. Though I have read about some of the others, I will surely be reading up on all the other great men and women in your list, especially the ladies.
I would also want Nanny https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanny_of_the_Maroons at my table. Although it is a guest list of dignitaries from our African culture, most of whom are not singers, I would also make an exception for Nina Simone, as I would be thrilled is she was there in all her glory and enigma to add to the conversation. As well as, Marilyn Monroe, Edith Piaf and Ayn Rand some of my favorite, enigmatic, powerful and controversial gals. Plus Nicholas D. Kristof that wrote Half the Sky, and also write regularly for the New York Times. As well as, Howard Roark, the protagonist in Ayn Rand’s book, the Fountain Head, and Mahatma Gandhi.
With the list you already started and these add-on (that in my opinion are all activists in their own right with minds worth examining or sampling or sharing, that would do it for me) and would make for an intensely colorful and “scintillating dialog and debate” and a dinner party that would be a gathering of a lifetime. Will you agree to be my most honored guest? 🙂
Thanks again for sharing ~ I look forward to learning more. Peace and Love to you****
Reblogged this on Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit and commented:
This blog post fits very well for Black History Month. For some it will be a repeat but well worth reposting. Honoring African-American Heroes because Black History is American History!!
Great choices. I’d love to hear the conversation that ensues, gleaning pearls of wisdom from the wise. Great post!
Thank you! 🙂