An honest dialogue about love, life, and everything in-between...

Thursday, July 12, 2007

A Message To Your Black Leaders

10:07 PM |




Time and time again we are presented with proposed boycotts, requests for apologies, and calls for retractions over statements by supposed pillars of communities, politicians, and artists. However the focus of these demonstrations are often not in reference to a racial injustice but an "inferred" generalization or stereotyping of the African-American person. Many times these call to action are done so by people who have no direct knowledge of the situation at hand. How can one be so offended and not know or be present with the supposed injustice happened?

I was called to write this due to a recent u
proar by the Charlotte NAACP over our mayors statements about some Black youths. This statement came on the heels of the Red, White and Boom Fourth of July celebration uptown. Out of the 144 people arrested that night 122 were Black. Now keep in mind that the celebration is attended primarily by African-American residents of the city and surrounding areas. And although it seems as if it were a high number of people arrested, it actually only makes up fewer that 1% of the population that was in attendance according to what was written in the Charlotte N&O. In the mayor's report about the responsiveness of the police department he stated that "too many of our youth, primarily African American, are imitating and/or participating in a gangster type of dress, attitude, behavior and action." This statement was a direct result of what he saw in uptown Charlotte that night. The head of the Charlotte NAACP was out of town when the statement was released but was up in arms about it when he returned. They have asked for an apology to which the mayor refused "because [his] comments were accurate. Period." The best statement of this whole thing has to be: "My role as mayor is to communicate what I consider to be concerns and in doing so you have to step on some toes," he said. "What you say can't always make people feel good.... We can't run away from the situation and shoot the messenger."

In my opinion, I don't feel that this statement was unjust or inaccurate. Nor do I think that it is imposing that stereotype on all Black people. It is a fact that some people, especially Black youths are attempting to imitate the lifestyle promoted by the music, movies, and the "gangsters". Fast money, lavish things, hot women/men are appealing to everyone. But because a majority of our children don't have anyone to tell them right from wrong, they don't know that sometimes fast and easy isn't always the best. Thus getting them into trouble. I am aware that there are all types of problems with the police, and overall inequalities here, and my opinion on this does not dismiss my overall disgust for the treatment of Black people in this city. However we have to draw our battle lines intelligently.

It seems as if your Black leaders are so quick to try and defend us against the stereotypes, however nothing is being done to change them. We have to keep in mind that stereotypes are all directly from actions that have been done by a group of people in some form or fashion. Instead of screaming about what has been said let's scream about the fact that our jails are full of our people, that
our children are failing in schools, that our children are content with being stupid, that our music is steadily becoming more ignorant and disrespectful. Black leaders it's time for you to stand up and create change. Make people accountable for their actions. Challenge our law makers to compensate the teachers who have the MOST influence on the direction these children's lives take. Challenge parents to be ACCOUNTABLE for what they allow their children do! Hold the youth ACCOUNTABLE for their actions! How much more can we as a people take? What will it take for us to do like Lawrence Fishburne did at the end of school days? It's time for everyone to shout it from the hills...WWWWAAAAAKKKKKEEEEE UUUUUPPPPP!!!! Wake up people. It's time for us all to get up, get out and do something. Stop fighting over words and start fighting over life.



Sunday, July 8, 2007

Virginia's new $3,550 speeding ticket

12:31 PM |




You guys better slow it down in VA.

Read The Story...



Friday, July 6, 2007

THE N WORD

1:36 AM |

This is an old debate and me even saying anything about this is like beating a dead horse. However it is a real issue and everyone, including myself at times, has got to stop using this word. Anyway, I developed this rant after reading a headline on Playahata.com that read "Mo’Nique said Blacks will be Ni$$as even in Heaven". Now I'm not the most religious person, but that really struck me wrong. Her justification is as follows:

“I love that word because that is who our ancestors are. When we get to heaven and we meet those group of people they won’t know to call us African-Americans, they won’t know to call us the Blacks, they going to know to call us N—–. And when they say, ‘Hey N—–,’ I’m going to respond, ‘Hey N—–. Look at all the great things the n—–s did.’ "

Everyone makes up justifications, reasons why and how to use the word. Who can or can't say it. And we are fooling ourselves to think that we can put rules, and restrictions on the use of the word. However you can't escape the reality of the fact that it's just a really nasty word. The idea that you are empowering people by supposedly taking away the meaning of that word to me is demeaning to all those who died and were mutilated because of that word. No justification can erase the historical damage caused by that word. It is spitting in the face of all those who marched, protested and died to prove that we are a people above the connotations of that word. And no matter what reasons, rules, explanations you give, those who truly believe that all Black people represent the definition of that word are laughing at you. It's like teaching a child a curse word and laughing at them when they say it in front of others. The child knows nothing of the meaning of that word, which in turn makes it funny when they say it to some. However we do know the meaning behind that word and we need to stop behaving as if we don't. It's time to evolve as a people and begin holding ourselves up to higher standards. We all need to stand up and shout "I am not now nor was a EVER somebody's Nigger!" Let's grow the hell up and get it together.

If you have the nerve and the stomach to take the truth check out Abolish the "N" word.com. Support the cause.





I thought she looked a little off on what little I saw of her performance on the BET Awards years ago. But I was hoping that it was just a fluke. I hate to see one of the greatest voices get lost in the way of Whitney Houston.

"But it wasn't just her voice that was shaky. Hill stumbled about the stage and, at one point, actually fell flat on her back - which brought into question exactly what the singer had been doing backstage during the long delay."

Read the story...



A BLACK GIRL LIKE ME

12:26 AM |

This is one I posted to my myspace blog a while back. I thought of it again when I saw the creator or should I say re-creator of this experiment on I think it was Sharp Talk on TVone. It's important that we all take a look at what is happening in this experiment. While we bask in the glow of our supposed "integration" and "equality", we have to be conscious of the messages that are being put out there. As adults we can ignore it, make excuses for it, dismiss it and cover it up. However when you see it in this manner it makes it hard to ignore. Our children are a direct reflection of the actions or lack there of, of society and the adults around them. Wake up and pay attention. There is still much more work to be done. Remember, just because you don't see it doesn't mean it isn't there.



Some of you people live as if your existence is imposed on you. As if what you do from day to day is not a result of your own decisions. Some of you go through life letting your situations dictate your happiness and well being. However what needs to be understood is that a majority of the situations, events, hindrances that have happened in your lives are the product of your own actions. And since you have created this environment for yourselves, you have to generate actions to get out of it. It is up to you as an individual to wake up in the morning and decide how you want to live your life today. What do you want to do? What do you have to do? What can you chose to do later? What cannot be done later? Will you be happy today? Will you let someone ruin your day? Who do you want to be today? Stand-up, man-up and take charge of your life. Nothing will happen unless you will it to, and put the time and effort to make things work. If you don't like something about yourself, change it. If you hate where you work, do the things you need to do to get another job, or a promotion. If you don't like your weight, change your eating habits, and work out. If you don't like your hair, get a weave, or cut it off. If you hate where you live, save up and move. If you hate your car, start working on building or rebuilding a better credit history and get something else. And if you choose not to improve the things in your life that make you miserable, the shut the hell up about it. What is the point of complaining? You're not doing anything to make your situations any better. A majority of the time you already know what type of advice you are going to get from the people you are choosing to share with. And since you already know what people are going to tell you, you have already made the choice not to listen to that advice. What good comes out of dragging people into your own self imposed misery? Now I do understand that some things in life are beyond your control. However you have to find a way to deal with the things that you cannot change. Why cause yourself worry and stress over things that you, personally cannot change? Instead, why not try and come up with a solution to make dealing with those things a little easier. Life in general is not easy. If it were then we all would be millionaires, living lavish lives. However life is not an endless stream of impossible and hopelessly hard situations. Life is only as hard as you make it. It is your choice how you will live. Live it day to day. Plan for the things you can plan for. Change your situations. And for all of the things you have no control over, just say fuck it.



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