Those who are still inclined to reflect upon the Trump administration, including the damage that it left in its wake, may also want to consider the criteria that makes a good leader. In order to understand this important role it’s important to distinguish leaders from managers.
Each have distinct roles and responsibilities. In short, the leader develops a unique and realistic strategy for the organization, and the managers implement it. This presupposes that the leader (or the team that assists him or her) selects appropriate managers. And when things fail the leader cannot simply ignore the criticism, blame the manager or fire them, but takes responsibility. Sure we can excuse a handful of the leader’s picks for managers, but if the leader is continuously hiring and firing managers, one has to look much deeper including the ability and skills of the leader (and their subordinates) to make appropriate decisions that will affect the health of the organization.
I don’t have to tell you that Trump’s modus operandi both before the presidency and during it was to take pot shots at people whom he perceived to be his enemies, blame others for his setbacks. But this either seemed to go unnoticed or minimized by his followers and sycophants. Both saw Trump as someone imbued with superhuman powers.
Although there are lots of reasons why Trump came to power, but two of the most important included his ability to spin a believable bubbameister as a self-made billionaire, that many of his supporters lapped up, and his persistent criticism of Obama and his administration which resonated with many Americans.
Trump is not alone in this respect. Many leaders of organizations, and of political units no matter how small, whether we’re talking about the United States or elsewhere are neither good leaders nor managers. They often occupy these positions by default. And for good reason. Few of the competent people want the position. But it’s clear that Trump was a poor leader. A leader cannot base his or her agenda on principally tearing down the competition. He had no vision of a better future and no strategy. And when it came time to deal with one of the major crises of this century, (the ultimate test of a leader) (COVID-19), Trump stumbled and fell.
This brings us to month number four of the Biden administration. With 37 percent of the American population having been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and mask mandates fading away (we’ll see how this works out), an infrastructure bill that in the waiting, we can probably say that both Biden and his administration demonstrated thoughtful and competent leadership and management.
But if we look across the aisle to the current Republican leadership we see Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy floundering.
And no amount of rhetoric coming from either of them is righting a sinking ship. Neither McConnell nor McCarthy have a clear vision of where they want to take the Republican Party, and this country. Their only mission appears to be criticizing Biden, his administration and the Democratic Party, and putting legislative roadblocks in front of Democrats. McConnell did that for the eight years that Obama was in power. And as the Republican party slips into the ideological wasteland, for the time being at least, it appears that it is up to Biden and the Democrats to chart the future for this country.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
“Kevin McCarthy” and “Mitch McConnell”
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-05-18-at-5.15.15-PM.png599638Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2021-05-18 21:30:042021-06-25 17:46:10If almost all you do is criticize the opposition, then it doesn’t make you a good leader
Although graffiti, has existed for centuries, modern graffiti did not really start until the 1960s. Despite a nascent graffiti scene in Philadelphia, many argue that the NYC writers (1966-1985) were the originators of modern day graffiti (characterized by bubble lettering, wildstyle, bombing, and subway trains with full cars bearing graffiti lettering, images and motifs).
In the late 1960s, the Old School Graffiti Writers started tagging, piecing, and bombing above ground in the Bronx. Later they turned their efforts underground, throughout the NYC subway system. And when the Metropolitan Transit Authority cracked down on their activities, they innovated, chose new targets above ground throughout the five boroughs of NYC.
Their work and subculture was emulated and built upon by others in many big cities, not just in the United States, but elsewhere (e.g., Paris, London, Athens, etc.). Almost every large urban center throughout the world now has a group of young writers (and street artists), who engage in this mostly clandestine activity.
A few years ago, when my wife and I were living in New York City, I attended a couple of gallery openings in the Lower East Side that featured the work of “old school” New York City graffiti writers.
In general, these gallery openings were upbeat events. I witnessed writers, most of them in their sixties and seventies, reuniting, conversing, and generally having a good time. But for me, it was also a little sad.
Many of the artists I saw were struggling with the effects of aging. By speaking to a handful of them and eavesdropping on the conversations of others, I overheard not only stories about the good old days, but also how many of their friends and acquaintances were deceased, behind bars, or unable to attend; some because of work or family obligations, but others due to mobility issues and the wear and tear of getting old. This is an influential generation that is slowly disappearing.
The individuals and work of the Old School Writers has been documented in articles and books and through interviews and photographs. This information has appeared in both popular and academic venues. Some of this content has even been featured in documentaries, podcasts, and television news shows. In some cases, old school writers are very well-known –respected celebrities in the art world, or considered to be infamous subterranean urban outlaws.
Whereas some of the Old School Writers successfully made the transition to gallery artists, or into other careers where they used their creative talents, others melded away into public obscurity. In other words, not all of them had the same life trajectory. In general we know who they were and what they did. But we don’t know what they’ve done and where they are.
If we look at these individuals as a distinct urban subculture, we can recognize that selective information has been made publicly available about them. What we lack is an in-depth picture of the group as a whole.
Many of the writers have passed away. Others are now senior citizens. The next few years might be the last time to perform a rigorous and comprehensive oral or life history analysis of these individuals before it’s too late.
As the scholarly field that examines graffiti and street art evolves, it’s important to comprehensively understand its history. We see this in the field of archeology, where a subgroup of researchers are studying what has been dubbed ‘ancient graffiti.’ It is incumbent on researchers of contemporary graffiti (and street art) to do the same. Why? Because the origin of the Old School Writers is often shrouded in mythology and misconceptions, especially surrounding their growth and activities.
Unpacking and pulling back the veil is important, not only for the scholarly field of graffiti, but also to challenge and lay these misconceptions to rest, and have a better picture how their life circumstances affected their ability to do their creative work.
The available information about these individuals is scattered across different venues. Most celebrates or romanticizes their work (or demonizes them). Less of it digs deeper into the Old School Writer’s lives, and practically none seeks to understand their childhood, late teenage years, and how these writers adapted to the responsibilities of adulthood. And for these reasons alone it’s time to do a larger more comprehensive study.
Photo Credit Heavily tagged New York City Subway car in 1973
Erik Calonius
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/Screen-Shot-2021-05-11-at-11.53.24-AM.png558865Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2021-05-11 16:17:022021-09-16 20:07:11Running out of time: Documenting the life histories of Old School Graffiti Writers
It’s Spring again. After a long hard year with COVID-19 bearing down on us, the roll out and adoption of vaccines to address this global health crisis, and the shadow of the wreckage left behind by former President Trump, an increasing number of city dwellers are emerging from their residences and on to the streets of our big cities.
Meanwhile, the whir of traffic is picking up, as more people are returning to their jobs, businesses once shuttered are opening or increasing their activity, and more individuals are working and playing outdoors. Very soon, all types of sounds and noise in urban public spaces and resident’s desire and need for peace and quiet will come into conflict.
Not all sounds in urban environments are noise and not all noise is equal in their effect on the surrounding neighborhood. Issues of volume, duration, and disturbance are considerations in the relationship between people and organizations who create noise and those who respond to it. More immediate, however, is whether noise and sound is relatively fixed or transitory and our reactions to this disturbance.
On the one end of the spectrum there are situations where the noise is fixed. If, for example, you move to or live in a residence or area, near or beside the L, train tracks, or an airport then you should expect to hear noise. Subways, trains and airplanes, more specifically the paths they take are pretty much fixed. Yes, the entities that build and run these means of transportation can install noise dampening mechanisms, but sooner or later you are going to hear the noise that these mobility solutions produce. Similar arguments are present if you move to or live close to a music venue, record store, or garage.
On the other end of the spectrum, is what might be described as temporary or transitory sound. Here the noise comes and goes dependent on the time of day, season, and activity. This includes the amateur musician who busks on the street corner, the group of friends who meet in the park for a picnic and bring their boom box along, the work crew using jackhammers to break through the pavement, the landscapers who use leaf blowers at the end of the job, and the young man who drives his muscle car through the neighborhood, widows open, with his car stereo with subwoofers blaring music.
In the case of fixed noise, there is little that residents can do to improve the situation (i.e., minimize the noise). Yes they can convince local authorities to change flight paths, have the subways run less often at night, if they don’t do that already, etc. But in general what you see is what you get. With respect to the transitory noise, the saving grace is that very soon the individual/s who produce the sounds, will move to a different location, and hopefully you can go about your business with a minimum of disturbance.
That being said, there are anomalies in the fixed and transitory spectrum and they are difficult to specify an appropriate reaction to. For years now, in parts of Williamsburg (Brooklyn), groups mostly composed of young men of Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican origin, bring large speakers to the sidewalk and play music loudly. Beyond the neighborhood barber shops, crowded bodegas, and street fairs, these sidewalk scenes are important activities because they allow these individuals an opportunity to interact with similar people, share stories, and stave off the alienation of city life, dead end jobs, a society that often seems much too cruel, and build community.
Similarly in Washington, DC, dating back a handful of years, on the corner of 7th and Florida Ave. NW, in the Shaw district, Central Communications, a cell phone store has set up powerful speakers outside, that blasts Go-go music, starting early in the morning and lasting until late at night. The music can be heard for blocks away.
It was not until 2019, that some residents, mostly those who recently moved to the gentrifying neighborhood, complained to the parent company and local politicians, and this information made its way to the local news media. Soon thereafter activists, and others holding on to romantic notions of what Shaw used to be like, complained how the gentrifiers were destroying their neighborhood, how they were racist, and insensitive to local history, culture, and social class, because they were complaining not only about a black owned business, but an African-American cultural art form (Go-go) that had its origins in the streets of DC. Muriel Bowser, the mayor, and a handful of DC politicians sided with the activists. There is no question that gentrification is displacing local culture, and there are people who are hurt by these developments.
Both the Williamsburg and Shaw examples are cases where the noise is both fixed and transitory and they require more complex understandings of these kinds of situations and responses to them.
On the one hand, people considering moving to these neighborhoods should not be surprised, by the proximate noise. Thus, we can say too bad, you should have done your due diligence, and if you don’t like it, maybe you should find a different neighborhood to live in?
On the other hand, we also know that neighborhoods change, people get older, and just because newcomers may have difficulties with the noise, trash, street crime, graffiti, or all manner of urban incivilities, does not mean the residents who lived there before the influx of the gentrifiers, didn’t also have problems with the noise, etc., Their complaints may not have been taken seriously, or they may have felt powerless to complain. Therefore their relative silence cannot be interpreted as acceptance of the noise or music. We just don’t know.
It is in these situations, that we find the essence of street culture butting heads with norms, values, and orientations. They are also times when arguments, some evidenced-based and others spurious get made. Likewise some of statements and interpretations are quickly believed, while others are summarily dismissed. Regardless of those arguments that have the most salience, we must recognize that culture and space and the things like noise and music change. We need to be constantly on guard for simplistic arguments when this happens.
Photo Credit: Susan Sermoneta
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
https://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/8954140123_4133762b8b_c.jpg538800Jeffrey Ian Rosshttps://jeffreyianross.com/wp-content/uploads/jeffrey-ian-ross-logo-04.pngJeffrey Ian Ross2021-05-04 20:35:342021-06-08 15:40:19Sound Check? Music, Noise, and Street Culture
If almost all you do is criticize the opposition, then it doesn’t make you a good leader
/by Jeffrey Ian RossThose who are still inclined to reflect upon the Trump administration, including the damage that it left in its wake, may also want to consider the criteria that makes a good leader. In order to understand this important role it’s important to distinguish leaders from managers.
Each have distinct roles and responsibilities. In short, the leader develops a unique and realistic strategy for the organization, and the managers implement it. This presupposes that the leader (or the team that assists him or her) selects appropriate managers. And when things fail the leader cannot simply ignore the criticism, blame the manager or fire them, but takes responsibility. Sure we can excuse a handful of the leader’s picks for managers, but if the leader is continuously hiring and firing managers, one has to look much deeper including the ability and skills of the leader (and their subordinates) to make appropriate decisions that will affect the health of the organization.
I don’t have to tell you that Trump’s modus operandi both before the presidency and during it was to take pot shots at people whom he perceived to be his enemies, blame others for his setbacks. But this either seemed to go unnoticed or minimized by his followers and sycophants. Both saw Trump as someone imbued with superhuman powers.
Although there are lots of reasons why Trump came to power, but two of the most important included his ability to spin a believable bubbameister as a self-made billionaire, that many of his supporters lapped up, and his persistent criticism of Obama and his administration which resonated with many Americans.
Trump is not alone in this respect. Many leaders of organizations, and of political units no matter how small, whether we’re talking about the United States or elsewhere are neither good leaders nor managers. They often occupy these positions by default. And for good reason. Few of the competent people want the position. But it’s clear that Trump was a poor leader. A leader cannot base his or her agenda on principally tearing down the competition. He had no vision of a better future and no strategy. And when it came time to deal with one of the major crises of this century, (the ultimate test of a leader) (COVID-19), Trump stumbled and fell.
This brings us to month number four of the Biden administration. With 37 percent of the American population having been fully vaccinated against COVID-19, and mask mandates fading away (we’ll see how this works out), an infrastructure bill that in the waiting, we can probably say that both Biden and his administration demonstrated thoughtful and competent leadership and management.
But if we look across the aisle to the current Republican leadership we see Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy floundering.
And no amount of rhetoric coming from either of them is righting a sinking ship. Neither McConnell nor McCarthy have a clear vision of where they want to take the Republican Party, and this country. Their only mission appears to be criticizing Biden, his administration and the Democratic Party, and putting legislative roadblocks in front of Democrats. McConnell did that for the eight years that Obama was in power. And as the Republican party slips into the ideological wasteland, for the time being at least, it appears that it is up to Biden and the Democrats to chart the future for this country.
Photo Credit: Gage Skidmore
“Kevin McCarthy” and “Mitch McConnell”
Running out of time: Documenting the life histories of Old School Graffiti Writers
/by Jeffrey Ian RossAlthough graffiti, has existed for centuries, modern graffiti did not really start until the 1960s. Despite a nascent graffiti scene in Philadelphia, many argue that the NYC writers (1966-1985) were the originators of modern day graffiti (characterized by bubble lettering, wildstyle, bombing, and subway trains with full cars bearing graffiti lettering, images and motifs).
In the late 1960s, the Old School Graffiti Writers started tagging, piecing, and bombing above ground in the Bronx. Later they turned their efforts underground, throughout the NYC subway system. And when the Metropolitan Transit Authority cracked down on their activities, they innovated, chose new targets above ground throughout the five boroughs of NYC.
Their work and subculture was emulated and built upon by others in many big cities, not just in the United States, but elsewhere (e.g., Paris, London, Athens, etc.). Almost every large urban center throughout the world now has a group of young writers (and street artists), who engage in this mostly clandestine activity.
A few years ago, when my wife and I were living in New York City, I attended a couple of gallery openings in the Lower East Side that featured the work of “old school” New York City graffiti writers.
At the time I was completing my Routledge Handbook of Graffiti and Street Art, and was hoping to meet some of the writers at these events.
In general, these gallery openings were upbeat events. I witnessed writers, most of them in their sixties and seventies, reuniting, conversing, and generally having a good time. But for me, it was also a little sad.
Many of the artists I saw were struggling with the effects of aging. By speaking to a handful of them and eavesdropping on the conversations of others, I overheard not only stories about the good old days, but also how many of their friends and acquaintances were deceased, behind bars, or unable to attend; some because of work or family obligations, but others due to mobility issues and the wear and tear of getting old. This is an influential generation that is slowly disappearing.
The individuals and work of the Old School Writers has been documented in articles and books and through interviews and photographs. This information has appeared in both popular and academic venues. Some of this content has even been featured in documentaries, podcasts, and television news shows. In some cases, old school writers are very well-known –respected celebrities in the art world, or considered to be infamous subterranean urban outlaws.
Whereas some of the Old School Writers successfully made the transition to gallery artists, or into other careers where they used their creative talents, others melded away into public obscurity. In other words, not all of them had the same life trajectory. In general we know who they were and what they did. But we don’t know what they’ve done and where they are.
If we look at these individuals as a distinct urban subculture, we can recognize that selective information has been made publicly available about them. What we lack is an in-depth picture of the group as a whole.
Many of the writers have passed away. Others are now senior citizens. The next few years might be the last time to perform a rigorous and comprehensive oral or life history analysis of these individuals before it’s too late.
As the scholarly field that examines graffiti and street art evolves, it’s important to comprehensively understand its history. We see this in the field of archeology, where a subgroup of researchers are studying what has been dubbed ‘ancient graffiti.’ It is incumbent on researchers of contemporary graffiti (and street art) to do the same. Why? Because the origin of the Old School Writers is often shrouded in mythology and misconceptions, especially surrounding their growth and activities.
Unpacking and pulling back the veil is important, not only for the scholarly field of graffiti, but also to challenge and lay these misconceptions to rest, and have a better picture how their life circumstances affected their ability to do their creative work.
The available information about these individuals is scattered across different venues. Most celebrates or romanticizes their work (or demonizes them). Less of it digs deeper into the Old School Writer’s lives, and practically none seeks to understand their childhood, late teenage years, and how these writers adapted to the responsibilities of adulthood. And for these reasons alone it’s time to do a larger more comprehensive study.
Photo Credit Heavily tagged New York City Subway car in 1973
Erik Calonius
Sound Check? Music, Noise, and Street Culture
/by Jeffrey Ian RossIt’s Spring again. After a long hard year with COVID-19 bearing down on us, the roll out and adoption of vaccines to address this global health crisis, and the shadow of the wreckage left behind by former President Trump, an increasing number of city dwellers are emerging from their residences and on to the streets of our big cities.
Meanwhile, the whir of traffic is picking up, as more people are returning to their jobs, businesses once shuttered are opening or increasing their activity, and more individuals are working and playing outdoors. Very soon, all types of sounds and noise in urban public spaces and resident’s desire and need for peace and quiet will come into conflict.
Not all sounds in urban environments are noise and not all noise is equal in their effect on the surrounding neighborhood. Issues of volume, duration, and disturbance are considerations in the relationship between people and organizations who create noise and those who respond to it. More immediate, however, is whether noise and sound is relatively fixed or transitory and our reactions to this disturbance.
On the one end of the spectrum there are situations where the noise is fixed. If, for example, you move to or live in a residence or area, near or beside the L, train tracks, or an airport then you should expect to hear noise. Subways, trains and airplanes, more specifically the paths they take are pretty much fixed. Yes, the entities that build and run these means of transportation can install noise dampening mechanisms, but sooner or later you are going to hear the noise that these mobility solutions produce. Similar arguments are present if you move to or live close to a music venue, record store, or garage.
On the other end of the spectrum, is what might be described as temporary or transitory sound. Here the noise comes and goes dependent on the time of day, season, and activity. This includes the amateur musician who busks on the street corner, the group of friends who meet in the park for a picnic and bring their boom box along, the work crew using jackhammers to break through the pavement, the landscapers who use leaf blowers at the end of the job, and the young man who drives his muscle car through the neighborhood, widows open, with his car stereo with subwoofers blaring music.
In the case of fixed noise, there is little that residents can do to improve the situation (i.e., minimize the noise). Yes they can convince local authorities to change flight paths, have the subways run less often at night, if they don’t do that already, etc. But in general what you see is what you get. With respect to the transitory noise, the saving grace is that very soon the individual/s who produce the sounds, will move to a different location, and hopefully you can go about your business with a minimum of disturbance.
That being said, there are anomalies in the fixed and transitory spectrum and they are difficult to specify an appropriate reaction to. For years now, in parts of Williamsburg (Brooklyn), groups mostly composed of young men of Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican origin, bring large speakers to the sidewalk and play music loudly. Beyond the neighborhood barber shops, crowded bodegas, and street fairs, these sidewalk scenes are important activities because they allow these individuals an opportunity to interact with similar people, share stories, and stave off the alienation of city life, dead end jobs, a society that often seems much too cruel, and build community.
Similarly in Washington, DC, dating back a handful of years, on the corner of 7th and Florida Ave. NW, in the Shaw district, Central Communications, a cell phone store has set up powerful speakers outside, that blasts Go-go music, starting early in the morning and lasting until late at night. The music can be heard for blocks away.
It was not until 2019, that some residents, mostly those who recently moved to the gentrifying neighborhood, complained to the parent company and local politicians, and this information made its way to the local news media. Soon thereafter activists, and others holding on to romantic notions of what Shaw used to be like, complained how the gentrifiers were destroying their neighborhood, how they were racist, and insensitive to local history, culture, and social class, because they were complaining not only about a black owned business, but an African-American cultural art form (Go-go) that had its origins in the streets of DC. Muriel Bowser, the mayor, and a handful of DC politicians sided with the activists. There is no question that gentrification is displacing local culture, and there are people who are hurt by these developments.
Both the Williamsburg and Shaw examples are cases where the noise is both fixed and transitory and they require more complex understandings of these kinds of situations and responses to them.
On the one hand, people considering moving to these neighborhoods should not be surprised, by the proximate noise. Thus, we can say too bad, you should have done your due diligence, and if you don’t like it, maybe you should find a different neighborhood to live in?
On the other hand, we also know that neighborhoods change, people get older, and just because newcomers may have difficulties with the noise, trash, street crime, graffiti, or all manner of urban incivilities, does not mean the residents who lived there before the influx of the gentrifiers, didn’t also have problems with the noise, etc., Their complaints may not have been taken seriously, or they may have felt powerless to complain. Therefore their relative silence cannot be interpreted as acceptance of the noise or music. We just don’t know.
It is in these situations, that we find the essence of street culture butting heads with norms, values, and orientations. They are also times when arguments, some evidenced-based and others spurious get made. Likewise some of statements and interpretations are quickly believed, while others are summarily dismissed. Regardless of those arguments that have the most salience, we must recognize that culture and space and the things like noise and music change. We need to be constantly on guard for simplistic arguments when this happens.
Photo Credit: Susan Sermoneta
Williamsburg, Brooklyn