LOU GOSSETT, JR. DROPPING KNOWLEDGE!

LOU GOSSETT, JR. appears in the final two episodes of BET's "The Book of Negroes."  We had an amazing chat a couple of weeks ago, some of which appears in the current TASTY CLIPS in the Los Angeles Wave.  Here I present more of the knowledge he dropped on our world today, his close call with Charles Manson's cult, hanging with Jimi Hendrix, his favorite films, and more.
 
50 years later, do you think we're living in Dr. King's Promised Land?  "We are, but a lot of us in the DNA are still used to fighting for freedom.  White folks in their DNA are fighting to keep control. We’re in the land of the free and the home of the brave, but a lot of us don’t know what that means.  Black people have not practiced their responsibility.  I call them American Africans these days, not African Americans.  We’re Americans first.  We’re having that problem of getting used to this new situation that’s going to happen.  It’s eminent that we’re going to have a global society but it has to start in America.  It’s eminent that we need each other desperately, but it’s hard to change old habits."
 

"Look at that storm on the east coast.  We’re getting signals from the spirits that we need to do something. I think the number one thing we need to do is straighten the planet out, the weather, its animals and its insects.  We’re supposed to be the caretakers of this planet and then pass that on to our children.  In the meantime we’re fighting over racism, territory, oil, money, military might.  We may as well be in a 747 at 30,000 feet pointing towards the ground, but everybody’s in the plane fighting for First Class."  

"Everybody knows something’s wrong.  Open up the book and open up your minds to the growth that mankind has in store.  We need to get rid of some of those things that are getting in the way of our compassion.  I went to S. Africa and spent 20 minutes with Nelson Mandela.  If anybody would be upset about injustice it would be him, but he came out of Robbin Island with a smile on his face and messed everyone up.  So with what happened to him, if he can do that then I have a signal that I can do the same." 

What are your feelings about the impact of the civil rights movement?  "My best friends now are Andrew Young and his wife and Xernona Clayton all who were in the middle of that.  The best news about the civil rights movement today are the multi racial young people who are joining in the fight against injustice.  That’s a great message.  Our children, the gang bangers, they haven’t been taught anything so they’re taking matters into their own hands.  They want us to pay attention to them.  They know what’s wrong but they don’t know what’s right.  So they’re desperate for some kind of lesson, some elder leadership.  I’m getting a personal response from them all across the country and I love it."

I read where you were almost killed by Charles Manson's cult.  "Oh yes, absolutely.  We were welcoming the Beatles or the Rolling Stones.  I can’t remember who it was, but it was at the Chateau Marmont.  The reception was in this beautiful suite and I was there with Mick Jagger, John and Michelle Phillips, Paul McCartney and Jimi Hendrix.  Someone said, 'Hey, we’re going to go to Roman [Polanski]’s house with Sharon [Tate] and we’re going to continue this party.  You coming Lou?'  I said, 'Yeah, but I’m going to go and take a shower.'  I came out the shower and the police were at Sharon’s house on the TV.  I had to take another shower. (laughs) I broke out into a salty sweat!"  

What was Jimi Hendrix like?  "Jimi was very quiet except when he was on the stage.  We used to hang out in London during the Abbey Road period with The Beatles.  George Harrison was who I hung out with mostly.  He and the Maharishi lived there. We used to close a restaurant called The Baghdad Gardens. We’d pass the guitar around and share some other things after the place was closed.  We talked about philosophy, politics, free love, anti-war stuff and transcendental mediation until the sun came up.  Jimi would be in the corner quiet but he would live what he was talking about.  He was one of those special geniuses.  Great man." 

Which of your movies are your favorites?  "There’s one that I did that I have special appreciation for called 'Benny’s Place.'  The other one was 'Lawman Without a Gun.'"  

Have you seen anything lately that you were impressed with?  "My favorite movie this year was "Black or White." It told some truth.  It wasn’t uncomfortable.  It’s about love and us needing each other.  And we need each other desperately.  The Americans as a universal soup doesn’t taste half as good without the black input." 

Along with your work with the Eracism Foundation, what's up next for you outside of "Extant?" There’s The Harlem Renaissance which I’m trying to present.  That's a 60 to 70 year tapestry of politics, art, gangsters and freedom fighters.  WEB DuBois was in the middle of that.  Maybe a one man show.  I’m very grateful to be able to remember my lines and be healthy, and have friends of all kinds.  I dropped 60 pounds.  The girls say more than hello to me now."