Farrakhan interview, serenade highlight Day Two of 2005 'Fantastic Voyage'

By Charles W. Cherry II / Florida Courier

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Tom Joyner Foundation's 'Fantastic Voyage 2006' sails from Miami on May 27. Florida Courier Publisher Charles W. Cherry II sailed on the 2005 week-long Caribbean ocean cruise with wife Lisa, brother Dr. Glenn Cherry, and sister-in- law Dr. Valerie Rawls-Cherry. This is the fourth of an updated series of stories and reviews of the cruise; the stories originally appeared in the Daytona Times last year.

Day Two. I'm up at 9 a.m. after shutting down a party at 5 a.m., watching the sun rise on the ocean view balcony, and getting just three hours of sleep. Royal Caribbean's 'Adventure of the Seas' had just arrived in our first island stop, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. As I read the 'Cruise Compass', the list of daily activities, I immediately zeroed in on the most important activity of the day for me: Tavis Smiley's one-on-one interview, scheduled for two hours, with Minister Louis Farrakhan of the Nation of Islam.

We had heard that one of Lisa's favorites celebrities, Cedric the Entertainer, cancelled his appearance on the cruise at the last minute. I was pleased to see the Farrakhan interview on the activity list, but I wouldn't believe he was here until I saw him for myself. Why is this a highlight? I believe Louis Farrakhan is the most independent, focused, committed black leader in the world today, whether you agree with his religion or not. His personality, and his consistent, unwavering stance in support of Black America reminded me of my late father, Charles, Sr., who died in November 2004 of colon cancer. Daddy was a Florida civil rights activist who, for more than 50 years, put his life on the line agitating to improve the lives of black Floridians.

I also knew that Minister Farrakhan suffers from prostate cancer and was undergoing radiation treatments and chemotherapy. As such, this cruise may provide me the only opportunity to personally meet a man I respect highly. The parallels between Farrakhan's life and the life of my father, even their illnesses, were eerily similar. But first things first. Lisa and I headed for the buffet-style breakfast, which surprisingly included grits. It was delicious, as usual.

Tavis Smiley sits transfixed as Minister Louis Farrakhan, an expert violinist, serenades Joyner cruisers.

While eating, we had an interesting conversation with a 45-year-old mother and her 20-year-old daughter from South Florida. While the daughter listened silently, her mother told us about all of the plastic surgery she had, including stomachreducing surgery that caused her to lose almost 100 pounds. She had excess skin cut off her arms, as well as liposuction, a breast lift, and a tummy tuck, and she was going back for more. (Now if anyone tells me black women don't do plastic surgery, I know better.)

Glenn, Valerie, Lisa, and I got to the Farrakhan interview early, expecting standing room only. I was surprised and disappointed that the 1500-seat facility was not overflowing. Then I remembered that we had docked in St. Thomas. Black folks won't stop shopping for anything in the world, not even to say 'thanks' to one of the last of the old-school 'race men' who is unashamed of being black; a leader who is seriously ill, but still fights for African-Americans because of his passion and love for black people. Farrakhan received a respectable, but not overwhelming, ovation from the audience as he walked onstage with the assistance of a walking cane. He was sharply dressed, as always. It's hard to believe that he is 72 years old; he looks 20 years younger, despite the cancer, and looked as strong as ever.

Tavis Smiley asked predictable questions: Are you an anti-Semite? Were you involved in Malcolm X's killing? What's next for black people? Farrakhan answered patiently but passionately. He spoke about the Million Man March, which I attended, and its 10-year anniversary recognition called the Millions More Movement. But it was when he described a harrowing, near-death experience in which he almost bled to death from the prostate cancer that the mood in the room changed from respect to concern and empathy. The Minster then played a violin solo, and in the process revealed a side of his personality seldom seen publicly. The audience was mesmerized as Minister Farrakhan, an expert violinist, immersed himself in the music. I saw women in the audience weeping as he played.

After the solo, he explained that playing and recording beautiful violin music that could soothe the pain of Black America was one of the legacies he would like to leave behind. At the end, he answered a few questions from the audience, then admonished the crowd to become the 'talented tenth', meaning the top 10 percent of Black America that will become its new leaders for the future. Joyner cruisers gave him a thunderous standing ovation.

I was so charged up, I was ready to go out and save Black America right then, until Lisa reminded me we were still on a vacation. Afterwards, Lisa, Glenn and Valerie visited St. Thomas; I stayed on board to take a nap and recharge my batteries for another late night. Day Two was Formal Night. As we dressed and went to dinner, it was clear everyone on the ship looked fabulous. Lisa and I went African, me in a one-of-a-kind Nigerian agbada made of almost five yards of hand-woven ashoke cloth; it weighs about 15 pounds. We ate dinner with two couples from Detroit and Columbus, OH, and talked mostly about Christianity, Islam and the Farrakhan interview.

Last night, Lisa wanted to slap Tom Joyner himself because she missed her favorite male singer, Gerald Levert, due to long lines and poor organization. Tonight, we were having such a good time at dinner, we missed Gerald and father Eddie opening a second show with Chaka Kahn. But so what? We were still having a great time, and there were other concerts going on: jazz singer Kem, 90's group After 7, and Morris Day and the Time with comedian A.J. Jamal. Lisa hung out until 3 am; I went back to my favorite spot, Jester's disco, and sipped on a very strong Long Island iced tea until 4 am. Hard work, but...

Next week: Maze, featuring Frankie Beverly; black folks hit the nude beach; a naked woman hits on Glenn while wife Valerie watches