Kool_Aid_Free

What did you learn?

2006-11-25T11:19:00.000-05:00

You're aware of Michael Richards, his out burst, and half-assed apology. Now as the title reads, "What did you learn?"

It appears that people are mad because, this is 2006/7 _____________. Fill in the blank with some random PC/pseudo intellectual answer. For the really angry, fill in the blank with, "THIS OFAY HAD THE AUDACITY...." type of answer. Either way you have good reason to be upset, now what are you going to do about? March? Protest? Cry the Blues? As of right now Richards seeks the counsel of Jesse Jackson. Jackson said he should seek race sensitivty training. Are you Serious?? This is what anger has been reduced to? (From this point on, Jesse Jackson shall be known as Honest Abe Honeycutt). My first question when dude went on his rant, How come no one threw a chair? Because he was not out to have a discussion, he was mad and wanted to vent. So I want to vent too (chair flies in the air). Makes sense, No? Oh because, then it will be acting like an angry NGH. I got it. But isn't that what he wanted, isn't that who he was talking to; why not let the NGHs answer? Richards voiced what a lot of white folk think and what a lot of Black Folk already know. Don't Drink the Kool-Aid! This is not the first time and it won't be the last, have you forgotten when Ted Danson appeared at the Firar's Club in black face? How about when NYPD and FDNY dressed up in black face and parodied the murder of James Byrd Jr some years back. Interesting how stuff like this just fades into the background.

Personally, I have more respect for someone that let's me know where he stands, even if he is wrong or totally aloof; that way I don't have to hold any punches.

So...

Michael Richards, Jerry Seineld, his whole crew, and those type of people are a bunch of no good, dirty, Racist Pigs totally unaware how they benefit in this society solely on the color of their skin. Additionally, those same type that are Jewish, unabashedly benefit from your own holocaust, all the while, condeming those that would dare point out that very fact.

PS
Ya'll crying the blues about this, while residents of New Orleans remain in conditions worse than what they started in, are threatened with forced buyouts, and will soon have to deal with the media accusing people of relief freud.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8HfgFJnSCM

Don't Drink The KoolAid!

It's been awhile...

2006-06-11T19:21:00.001-04:00

Prop1:

so let's get it started with something close to my heart...

Basketball

This is the first time I can watch a Finals, NFL or NBA, and can honestly say I do not care who wins.
I really like Dallas. And, of course I like the Lakers-east.

Shaq. Dirk. DWade. What's not to love?

The NBA has my attention again.
The Mikey J era was boring, because outside of the Bulls there was nobody. It would have been interesting if Houston caught fire while Mike was there but it didn't so from '92-2000, the league sucked. At the end of the day, Mike had no comp. Was he that good? Maybe. But first the intelligent person has to ask, who were the other 2-guards in the league? John Starks was several inches too short to be a serious threat. So was Joe Dumars, John Battle, Jeff Hornacek and Hersey Hawkins. Reggie Miller was not athletic enough. Ron Harper got hurt early in his career and was never the same. Kendall Gill, Gerald Wilkins, and Eddie Jones could match the athleticism but lacked the all-around game and the heart. So that leaves Clyde Drexler . A hall of famer no doubt, but he dribbled looking at the basketball which was a joke.

So essentially Mike could sleepwalk through the season, which perhaps explains his incredible incredible stamina at the end of games.

And the so-called next generation of stars was full of
overhyped players, bloated contracts and unrealized potential.

Shawn Kemp, Chris (Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf) Jackson, Penny Hardaway, Larry Johnson, Alonzo Morning, Grant Hill, Juwan Howard, Derrick Coleman, Chris Webber, Christian Laettner, Sean Elliot, Danny Ferry, Kenny Anderson, Allan Houston- if only they were as good as advertised, as good as the sneaker companiers said they'd be.

This time it's different. Really. Because I'm a hater so if I say so...

This reminds me of the early 80's when Barkley, Ewing, MJ, Clyde, Dominique, and Hakeem stepped on the scene. There were multiple levels of stars. The old NBA and ABA legends- Kareem, Tiny, Doc, Gervin, and Moses. Players in their primes-Adrian Dantley, Marques Johnson, John Drew, Bill Walton (though he was often injured), Alex English, Bernard King, Robert Parrish, Walter Davis, and World B Free, and the New stars- Bird, Magic, Isiah, Mark Aguirre, Drexler, Terry Cummings, Kiki Vandewaghe, Sidney Moncrief, and Kevin McHale.

Then the perfect storm of the late 80's early 90's hit- Drugs, urban violence, sneaker money, greed, and league over-expansion.

Now its all freakin' good!
Old legends- Shaq, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton
Primetime-Dirk, Ben Wallace, AI, Ray Allen, Vince Carter, Stephon Marbury, Ron Artest, Kobe, Nash, Tim Duncan, Richard Hamilton and Paul Pierce
New Stars-Lebron, Carmello, EBrand, DWade and Amare "Stud"-amire

Thank God!

However.
I wouldn't be me. If I didn't hate on Steve Nash.
MVP? Two-time MVP? Straight politics. Yes, it's because he's white. You have to show white kids that they can compete too. Nowitzki? The name is too foreign sounding. Nash? American as apple pie, although he was born in apartheid South Africa (?!!). He can't play a lick of dee! Where was he in the playoffs? Doug Collins on the mic was so desparate to justify the choice, that he attributed the success of Boris Diaw, Shawn Marion and Barbossa to his mere presence, although it was clear to all those with basic ball-knowledge that it was the tempo, and offense implemented by Mike D'Antoni -Euroball- that got the Suns going. High pick and roll. High pick and roll. High pick and roll. Three and four guys on the perimeter. No you see why the NBA has problems against the World. Put Steve Nash in any other system and he's done. That's the magic of the NBA playoffs. No matter how much you run up and down the court, eventually you'll have to run a half court set and get an offensive rebound. Consider... The MVP of the league, in the playoffs mind you, being outplayed by the likes of Smush Parker, Sam Cassell (who's nice), and Jason Terry.

Are you freaking kidding me?!!

Doug Collins on the mic, and the mass media call this the "point guard era led by Steve Nash". I thought it was JKidd who caused fans to reconsider the shoot first point guard. And he led his team to the Finals twice! Now. I can't stand JKidd but I'll be the first in line to say, that a player who legitimized the Nets and turned up the tempo in a defense first league where teams could barely score 90 points, should have been MVP at least once.

Yo Bro!
We're back baby!

Port Insecurity

2006-03-04T16:29:00.000-05:00

Prop1:

In their book the "Wise Men"- Walter Issacson and Evan Thomas characterized Sen. Joseph McCarthy's rise to power in post WWII America as follows-
"McCarthy tapped into an old and deep know nothing vein of American nativism, a virulent blend of FDR haters, Havard haters, Wall Street haters, Washington haters, and just plain haters. Many who did know better kept quiet out of fear" (p493)

Such is the state of modern America as of 9/12/01.

For years now the Bushies, Rummy, the neocons, DHS, Dick Dastardly, conservative talking heads, Fox News and the like have been playing Chicken Little crying "Terror! Terror!" Now the public sees the boogey-man even when the lights are on.

Yes it's anti-Arab sentiment that has the white masses sounding the terror alert over this port thing.

The Coast Guard is going to do their job. And DHS is going to do their job whatever that is. No Dubai will not be "running" the ports. No Arab boots on the ground the precursor to a foreing invasion. God says in the Quran that those who claim righteousness on this earth and claim that heaven is exclusively theirs are actually fearful of judgement day because then all their sins will be made clear. Therefore those [mostly white] people who irrationally fear the new desert Blacks ( i.e. Arabs) do so out of an expected payback for fucking up! For America not being the Pollyanna they know in their hearts was always lie. So ya'll are scared now huh? Ha-ha-haaaaa!

And what's deep is that these politicians know better. They know there is no threat from Dubai owning and operating these ports. At least no more than exists now or that has existed in the past. Nontheless all this fear mongering has left politicians in an election year without political cover if there is an attack, so they'll cry "foul" and demand 45 days to review the deal.

As an aside, if there ever was a move to inspect more than 5% of the cargo coming through the ports there would be an deafening uproar from the big business community. Why? Companies like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Home Depot, Boeing, GE, and the car makers all order goods to reduce storage and minimize shelf life ( e.g. Just-In-Time Shipping). ISo if shipments were delayed so that containers could be searched these computer systems would be thrown off in a real way. Hence, 5% is enough, and will be enough until the bomb drops.

George W. rocking the ill doo-doo numbers!
Break it- you bought it!!!

You go George!

Ah... Jason Williams, Jason Seehorn... um...

2006-02-18T19:57:00.000-05:00

Several years ago the sports world asked the following question: what happened to the white American athlete?
The question came up in response to the emergence of Jason Seehorn as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He was also the only white cornerback in the NFL. The fastest players in the league, as a group, play corner. There also no white runningbacks (not fullback) and olny a hand full of wide receivers. So without conceding the inherent superiority of Black athletes (Ha-ha), is there something else that can account for the fact that there has only been one white NFL cornerback in, at least, the last 10-15 years?
Looking around, those who asked the question, also noticed that the white American athlete was disappearing from major league baseball and almost extinct in the NBA. Again why? Outside the, you know, inherent superiority of the Black or Black-Latin (in the case of baseball) athlete, the following assertion emerged: the young white athlete had given up, or if the glass is half full, "rebelled"
Amy, Chad, Kore, Holly, Josh, and Kirk had grown tired of the big "3". The over-zealous coach, the boot camp regiment, the senseless competition against the more physically gifted "Black kids"... why not just have fun? You know... Dude chill out?!! Hence, the rise in the so-called extreme sports- biking, skateboarding, snowboarding and the like. Rebel or soft? A friend of mine explained it this way, he said, "Yo Cal... you know why America will never dominate in soccer? Because, in the non-American world poor people play soccer, but in America it's the rich suburban kids". So perhaps this softness, or rebellion is the natural by-product of success. But what does this say about the future of this country? If drive, invention and innovation, come from a lack or need, what happens to a group of people who have so much?

Let's look at the three biggest events of the first week of the Olympics-

Michelle Kwan drops out of the Olympics;
The favored US Men's Downhill team doesn't medal;
Lindsey Jacobellis blows the gold in snowboardcross by trying to do an unnecessary trick on her second to last jump.

Compare these feats against the recent and not so recent past-

We looked on in awe when Jordan fought through a flu and led the Bulls to victory in the NBA finals. We cheer when teams like the Yankees and USC live up to their expectations and jeer teams like the Bills and players like Peyton Manning when they don't. Deion Sanders, Dennis Rodman, Joe Namath, Magic and Jordan put on a show, but they also won, and won big!

On the other hand,

Michelle Kwan begs and pleads to get on the team, then after a fall or two in practice gives up and quits.

The US Men's downhill star and gold medial favorite, Bode Miller, came in fifth in the downhill and didn't qualify for his next race. Assessing his performance so far he said that he didn't care about medals and could walk away from the sport of ski racing at any time without a single regret.

Then you have Jacobellis who instead of winning, tries to get freak on the second to last hill and winds up not only falling but also losing the race (coming in second). She said it was "about having fun" and "playing to the crowd". No! It's about giving your best effort and trying to win.

No rebels here. These cats are soft and the decline of America has begun.

P.S. Go J.J Reddick and Adam Morrison!

Love and Hate...

2006-02-15T12:23:00.000-05:00

Prop 1

"Luv N' Haight" a great song by Sly and the Family Stone.
First of all Happy New Year and Bush is a character from Orwell's 1984. Did you hear the State of the Union "double speak"? Terrorism Surveillance? "Another round of Kool-Aid for everybody!" But we're talkin' 'bout "Love and Hate"...

People are stupid. Word is Bond. The willingness on the part of humanity to ignore their lying eyes, knows no bounds. And then cry "mislead" as in "Bush mislead us on Iraq". Democrats are pussies too.

A recent study linked "bias" (codeword for racism) and political affiliation. People who voted Republican tended to have a bias against Black people (cue Kanye West). Check yesterday's Washington Post (1-30-06). For example, images of poor Black people evoked responses of government waste. Not so if the same images were shown without Black people. See that's hate. So where's the love? Love is saying "support the troops" even if it means killing innocent women and children. Love is to ignore the nuanced and to mentally shut down when the conversation gets difficult. So the next time you hear "Support the troops" ask that person what it means. Is it support to send them into a quagmire? Or does support mean to provide soldiers with all the killing machinery necessary to destroy more effectively and completely?

Love is blind. When I was growing up parents would talk about their daughter's new diet. In the street we understood it as crack. Love short circuits the mind. Logic out the door. And if one points out the Lover's "illogicalness" then you're a Hater. But Lovers are the best haters. Germans loved Hitler so much they hated Jews. Born-again Christians hate Jews so much they love them. See because they love Jesus, they need Israel to exist in order for Jesus to return and turn the Jews into Christians. Love or Hate? Preachers at Mega-churches selling sermons for $10.99. Al Sharpton calling for a boycott of the CartoonNetwork for the BoonDocks MLK special. Stop hate-ing Al! Or maybe he just loves the civil rights movement that much. A movement he missed but from hearing the brother talk you'd swear he was right up in the mix. Now I'm hate-ing, but in the best way. Ha-ha.

let's talk about Love and Hate in sports.

NFL stakeholders, fans, media and the like, love Jerome Bettis so much he's become the story of Super Bowl XL. Might as well call it the Bus Bowl. Granted, the symmetry is too big to be ignored. Player plays his biggest and final game before the hometown crowd. Bettis is "larger than average" so it's fitting that he's playing in SB "X-L". He nearly blows it against Manning and the boys by fumbling the ball on the goal line. All this from a part time player, his team's second best running back, and a far cry in terms of importance to Ben Rothilsberger, the reason why the Stillers (not a spelling error) are in Detroit in the first place. See love is deep. Love has the Steelers teammates playing for Bettis instead of themselves. Each other maybe... but for another player... crying and shit about it... Is it love or lack of self-love. Love has seemingly all interested parties talking about Bettis and Pittsburgh and ignoring the... uh... you know the other team. And maybe the other team, whatever they're called, will find the love and want Bettis to win too. Get so psyched out and overwhlemed by love that the Steelers win in a rout and the Bus rolls off into the sunset with the MVP... and everyone will be happy... except for the me. I'd be hate-ing. Sitting at my man's house surrounded by Stillers (Pittsburgh-ese) fans pissed off at the Fates willingness to sell out and go all Republican Pollyana optimistic on a nigga. But don't give in to the love yet... I can feel the green eyed monster slowly rearing its head. Is that Hassleback I see? Or is it Rothilsberger?

Kobe drops 81 and he shoots too much.
However, if LeBron were to drop 80, he'd get a new commercial, a new sneaker (the 80's), and a plaque commemorating the achievement.

Peyton Manning sells out year after year after year after year... and yet he's still considered the best qb in the game. Even after hate-ing, cold dry-snitching on his o-line, a huuuuuge no-no in sports, the media still talks about what the defense and o-line didn't do. Now that's love.

Vince Young single-handedly beats the supposed "if they win" best team of all-time USC Trojans and yet there are still doubts about his impact on the next level. If VYoung played any other position no-brainer, but as a Black Qb? "We have Matt Leinhart rated higher." Knock it off.

Love God, family and friends.
Hate those who don't love Love.
Because, God is Love.

Marvin Gaye, "What's Going On" side A.

Salam

You're play-in Yourself 2005

2006-01-05T13:04:00.000-05:00

Prop 1 & Prop2

If you’re rocking pink or purple anything, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you still read the source, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you listen to that ole sloppy station (97.1fm), you’re play-in’ yourself
If you’re name is Jim Jones, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you go by any name other than Puff Daddy, you’re play-in’ yourself
Bought a Dip Set album then, you’re play-in’ yourself
Still flagging in New York City, you’re play-in’ yourself
Still getting high, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you believe Pac is alive, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you still buying Pac albums, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you got Big Pun, Biggie or Pac on your shirt, you’re play-in’ yourself
Watching the Negro channel (BET) then, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you’re in the rap game getting extorted, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you think they are going to rebuild New Orleans, you’re play-in’ yourself
Working at the Strip club, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you give two shits about what Bill Cosby said, you’re play-in’ yourself
Think rap is the CNN of the streets, you’re play-in’ yourself
Didn’t already know “Why,” you’re play-in’ yourself
Still don’t know “Why.” you’re play-in’ yourself
If you’re under 40 and you read Jet or Ebony, you’re play-in’ yourself
Following “Trapped in the closet,” you’re play-in’ yourself
If you don’t know your history, you’re play-in’ yourself
Rocking a hair piece or contacts, you’re play-in’ yourself
Still showing off your ass, you’re play-in yourself
If you’re a ball player and still don’t have a jump shot, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you think Suge Knight is still relevant, you’re play-in’ yourself
If you think Oprah cares about Black people, you’re play-in’ yourself
Black conservative, Black Liberal, you’re play-in’ yourself
“I’m not Black, I’m multi-racial,” You’re Play-in’ yourself
All that "Kevin Garnett best player in the NBA blah-blah-blah" you're play-in' yourself
If you don't think Rap fell off, you're play-in' yourself
Wasting money at the strip club, then you're play-in' yourself
If you don't think God is watching, you're play-in' yourself
If you think Katrina can't happen to you, you're play-in' yourself
Drinking cough syrup like it's soda, you're play-in' yourself
Committing crimes, not going to class, you're play-in' yourself
Don't think Common's “Be,” was Rap album of the year? You're play-in' yourself
Consider Southern Rap Hip-Hop, then you're play-in' yourself
Think Houston MCs don't have flow, you're play-in' yourself
Not tired of Diddy and Jermiane Dupri, you're play-in' yourself
Why is Collin Powell talking? You had your chance bro, you're playing yourself
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Louis Farrahkhan, you're play-in' yourself
Michael Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Bill Cosby you're play-in' yourself
Kobe Bryant, Maurice Clarett, Terrell Owens, you're play-in' yourself
Not watching the BoonDocks on Adult Swim, you're play-in' yourself

And if you don’t know what song this is from,
You’re Play-in’ Yourself!

Black Girl Pain

2006-01-03T11:43:00.000-05:00

Prop2
“My mama said life would be so hard
Growin up days as a black girl scarred
In so many ways though we've come so far
They just know the name they don't know the pain
So please hold your heads up high
Don't be ashamed of yourself know I
Will carry it forth til the day I die
They just know the name they don't know the pain Black Girl.”
“Black Girl Pain”- Talib Kweli feat. Jean Grae

The wonderful women of Spelman College along with their brothers from Morehouse College, in Atlanta attempted to reclaim and redefine the image of Black women a little over a year ago. Some students opposed Nelly performing at their homecoming because of a boarder line X-rated Tip drill video. Well, that fell apart. Word circulated the majority of Nelly’s proceeds go to bone marrow research and treatment; all for his older sister, who unfortunately lost her battle with leukemia early 2005. Just to kick some dirt in their faces, Ludacris performed regardless of his X-rated video, P**** Poppin. Oops.

Despite his intentions, these students wanted Nelly to take responsibility for his video, I say, how about we go after the women in the video. Black Women, what the hell are you doing?? Ask any rapper today about his videos and the portrayal of Black Women and they brush it off, these women are hired to do this job, they’re in “this” kind of business ramble, ramble, mumble, mumble. The average to extraordinary Black women instead of defending these women, attack and berate them worse than guys. To justify their beliefs, these same women say, “That isn’t me.” Really, since when did you annex yourself from the rest of the Black community? No matter how many of you believe this does not concern you, the texture of your hair, the color of your skin doesn’t come off when you walk out the door or go to bed. To be very honest, the only people you (Black women) can turn to today is each other. Black men, some of us love you and will ride with you, however, have decided to explore our options; and we’re doing just fine. You should do the same. Ah, but what happens when a Black women walks hand and hand with whitey or anyone else? You know the whole Jezebel/Sapphire thing. So you are on one side of the track, or you are on the other; that is what a lot of women believe. News flash, the world sees you, sees all of us, as one. Start checking yourselves. Start with what you’re putting into your mind.

First Viacom, you know it as BET and MTV. Viacom never had the interests of Black Women, Black People, at heart. The Negro channel, already going down hill, hit rock bottom when Robert Johnson sold it. BET late and BET Uncut, we know them very well. That is where we discovered the definition of Tip Drill; it’s not the first video and won’t be the last. However, during the era of 2 Live Crew and NWA; Queen Latifah, Salt & Pepa, MC Lyte, Monie Love, and others female MCs countered those other images. There was no divide between the image opposition and the image, one in the same, a rare time to see, although not in abundance, sisterly love and support. Does any one remember U.N.I.T.Y? Nowadays, a Black woman can’t buy a compliment from another Black woman without some disdain. If you’re not upset by the how you see yourself displayed in television, you’re upset because you don’t look like what you see on television. You are witness to a very limited representation of Black women. But how do you know unless you discover on your own, which brings me to reading selections.

Second Zane and all those other books people waste valuable time and brainpower reading, i.e. anything by Teri Woods, E Lynn Harris, and all those other hood authors. I feel like I’m wasting precious text just writing this much. I can hear the rants now, “They are writing about things we know about,” “It’s just entertainment, no one wants to learn all the time.” Well, if you took everything as learning experience, that would negate some of the nonsense that life throws at you, but I digress. My question is, how many times can you read about the same story: 1)woman falls in love, man cheats on her, woman goes through hell, she gets even, she lives happily ever after. Or, 2) woman falls in love, discovers man is gay, woman goes through hell, woman recuperates. 3) Or, woman is addicted to sex, woman experiments with sex, man calls woman slut, woman goes through hell, woman prevails, etc, see any pattern? The third scenario brings me to another point:

Little Kim, Beyonce, Melyssa Ford, Halley Barry, Esther Baxter, and other center pieces of the male fantasy believe they have taken control of their image/sexuality; some women follow the same ideology. Question, are you looking at yourself through your lens or through the lens of some else. Thus is the enigma Black women face today. Is this my image or am I living something arranged before I got here? That may be a little farfetched, however, consider women’s clothing, especially Black women’s clothing. The clothes are not really intended for you and not designed by you; they’re designed for the fantasy that some random male (and sometimes female) will have about you as they watch you walk down the street. I ask, exactly how are these women taking control of their sexuality? Some respond, they doing what guys do, being overtly sexual, accepting the role as sexual object and using it to their advantage; or, they have taken words like bitch and added a positive spin to them. Well, to the first response, you can’t do what a guy does and still be a lady. The second, I won’t touch, it is just as ridiculous as the word nigger having some redeeming quality. It’s so funny. In spite of all that is against you, regardless of you career path you always hold your head High. Possibly, you are aware of what came before you; however, it is time all of you were reminded.

You know the names(and if you don’t look them up!), Hattie McDaniel, Josephine Baker, Sarah Bartmann, Betty Shabazz, Pam Grier, Angela Davis, Assata Shakur etc; do you know their struggle? It is 2006, is the video chick or the wife of (insert name of sports/music celebrity) all your worth? Individually, some of you will scream no, but when did you separate yourself from the rest of the Black community?

Black Girl Lost

2005-12-22T14:53:00.000-05:00

Prop 1:

I heard about it. Saw it on 20/20 or some-show similar. Something about the effects of Evangelical Christendom on West Africa. Perhaps, perhaps not. But at the end of the day, the result was the same: Sisters lightening their skin. I was like "Damn. This is like 199x." And here the devil was up to his old tricks, still catching Black people out there. Serving self-hate in a bottle.

But for real-for real... watching it... there was this sense of... that's over there. You know the whole dual consciousness thing. Seeing Black people. Acknowledging that they're Black. But at the same time holding something back because who besides Michael Jackson wants to be white! So sitting back in 199x, watching that shit, I rationalized, and those Africans became "dem niggas over there" because they were nothing like these niggas right here.

Then again...

In the inbetween time from that day in 199x to December 16, 2005 I have borne witness to Lil' Kim, Destiny's Child, Wendy Williams, varying video "vixens", bleached skinned West Africans and I have to ask the question, "What's up with Black women?"

"Good and bad hair... Good and bad hair" was the chorus sung in Spike Lee's School Daze. And what made it funny and easier to enjoy was that I, hopefully we, could sit back and say "Yeah. it used to be like that."

Growing up, my Mother had an Afro. A big one. It extended from her face like the rays of the sun. You know light travels in waves, right? Saturday mornings or afterschool, Black girls on steps braiding each others hair- now that's really hood! True, perms and other forms of straightnin' have been around and will stay around. But natural was preferred and respected, because even if it was permed it was still yours and that made it ok. We had come a long you and I. Black is beautiful, Black Pride, I'm Black and I'm proud (say it loud!)... I'm talking about the Black women's lack of confidence in her looks.

I think it started when the Black Man became a sex symbol. Denzel was the world's sexiest man. Remember that? White women drooling over Michael Jordan. When D'Angelo's last album came out. The writer called him "sex on a stick". Sex on a stick? 50 years ago he would have been lynched for that! And the hits keep coming... Fresh Prince, Tupac, Kobe, Nelly, Andre3K, 50Cent, Pharell... Niggaz have gone international! Back in the day, Black men were the exclusive property of Black women. However, globalization has brought the original man into the sight lines of white, Asian, and Latino women. In a real way. Its weird. When I was in high school there was this unspoken divide. The racial lines were drawn and highly respected. That girl over there was cute and that's about how far it went. Yeah, you had the occasional Black-Latino cross-pollination, but now? All you can eat baby, believe it. And where has that left Black women? Hanging. Figuring out how to stay in the game. So metaphoricaly speaking we have Little Kim, buying a nose, boobies, lips and God knows what else. Destiny's Black Child Lost Beyonce is so Barbi-fied that in some photos I can barely tell if she's Black. Maybe that's the most nefarious point. To make Black women as "white" as possible in order to reflect white women as well as Black. So Beyonce can sell to Shameeka in Southeast DC as well as Britany in Provo. To TJ in Detroit and Luke in Spokane, because white men don't really like Black women. What they want is Barbie. Brittany Spears, Jessica Simpson, you know... Barbie. How can a Sister be Barbie? So, Oprah rocks hair pieces. Eve and Mary J. rock the Rupunzelle (spellcheck). And the Williams sisters are the Williams sisters. Then when I'm on the self check out line at the store, colored lens of green, light brown, and blue stare at me from the cover of so-called "Black hair" mags. Skin powdered white, bright red lips, too much blush... it's a sick sad joke. "Good and bad hair..." Even Lauren Hill rocks a John, Paul, Ringo, George mop-top. Miseducated indeed. There was an optimism with Vanessa Williams and Halle Berry. But there's a caveat. In reality they're no different than Mariah and if they were a little lighter then maybe they'd be Mariah. And how is this manifested in the every day? Look around you tell me. And time will tell us all.

... Maybe that's the most nefarious point. To make Black women as "white" as possible in order to reflect white women as well as Black. So Beyonce can sell to Shameeka in Southeast DC as well as Britany in Provo. To TJ in Detroit and Luke in Spokane...

Salam

Philadelphia's own... Bad Guy

2005-12-22T14:27:00.000-05:00

Prop2 (originally posted December 6)

He’s too cocky. He talks too much. He should learn to keep his mouth shut. If you’re really that good, your talent will speak for itself. He is a distraction. He’s all about himself and not the team. He’s a head case. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah!

Of course this entry refers to the 50 Cent of football, the guy everyone loves too hate, Terrell Owens. If you have not heard, due to his shenanigans on the field, off the field, and making his discontent with the Philadelphia Eagles organization very public, Terrell Owens is suspended from all team activities, including games and practice. Too harsh of a punishment, possibly; is it justified, definitely. Terrell Owens and the Philadelphia Eagles was a match made in hell, from the start. On one end there is a brash player with the talent to assist in his swagger with no remorse and an organization known for not giving in to the players. They both knew what they were getting themselves into, so oh well, oh well. Still, break out the magnifying glass and let’s see what we can find here.

Here’s a brief list of Owens’s antic:

2000: After scoring a touch down, Owens then with the San Francisco 49ers, runs to midfield of Texas Stadium and poses on the Star logo of the Dallas Cowboys.

2002: On Monday Night Football, pulls out a marker from his sock and signs the ball, then tosses it into the stands.
-After scoring a touch down, Owens borrows pom-poms from a cheerleader and dancing in the end zone. Also, that year, he criticized then Coach Steve Mariucci (San Francisco 49ers) for opting to let the clock run out, instead of continuing the assault.

2004: Traded to the Eagles and wasted no time, berating Donovan McNabb much to the delight of the cameras; always waiting for another Owens moment.

2005: Calls out team and quarterback yet again, has a fistfight with his coach, asks for more money, and now serves a season long suspension

So what is the big deal, he is one of the top three receivers in the NFL and he comes to play every day, regardless of injury or fatigue. He just tends to brag a little bit. Well, the first problem, this IS football, not basketball or baseball. These players are “warriors” and the game plays like a battlefield. There is no room for boisterous behavior or ego, everyone person on the field has a part to play for the TEAM to win. Football is the working men sport, the blue collar, put your nose to the grindstone, and get the job done type of sport; which fits right at home in Philadelphia and their football franchise; a sport, a franchise and a city that does not take kindly to a prima-donnas. Think about it, Randy Moss, Chad Johnson, and Joe Horn. The Eagles hung TO out to dry, yet, none of his fellow players so much as raised an eyebrow. If this were any other sport, the player association would jump up and defend TO from a fate worse than down time. Take note, the age of the tactless player is coming to a close. Personal and/or public antics deemed detrimental, will no longer be tolerated in sports. Perhaps, it did start with the NBA dress code.

T.O

2005-12-22T14:22:00.000-05:00

Prop 1 (originally posted December 6)

The story is finally over and it can said with some certainty...
TO is a helluva ballplayer but he's not very bright.

His first agent falls asleep at the switch and he misses the free agency filing deadline. A dummy move unprecedented in the annals of pro sports especially when he was dying to get out of SF. I mean calling his qb gay in the press, cursing out coaches on national TV dying to get out. Remember this back in 2004? Not his fault? Ok. Bad agent? Alright. So he fires his agent, hires a new one and a judge sets him free. Happy he signs with Baltimore. Cool. But then he thinks about it and backs out, dissing the [Baltimore] Ravens in the process. Not cool. So he pulls out another legal maneuver and signs again, but this time with Philly. In interviews he's gushing all over McNabb (kiss-kiss-kiss-kiss). All good right? Not so fast. Union Prez Gene Upshaw told the man, told him, Philly was giving him a bum deal, he said he understood and took it anyway. One legendary
Super Bowl performance later and all was forgiven. The hating, the nut-behavior, the "sharpie"... as if it never happened. Terrell Owens is a Hall-of-famer, now!

You know. I could re-hash the last couple of months. That would be easy. Right up to Arlen Specter's talking about bringing TO's case to the senate floor. But at the end of the day, more can be learned from his mistakes, and they are at least the following:

1. Philly sports fans like their [Black] athletes quiet. None of this rabble rouser new negros showin out stuff. Get in line ni&&@! Dick Allen (Phillies), Charles Barkley, AI, each Black, talented and very, very loud all had problems in the city of Brotherly Love. Bad fit TO.

2. Football is not basketball. Pro Football got it's start in the coal mines, factories and steel mills of Pennsylvania and Ohio. A tough, no nonsense, shut-up and do as your told world. TO's primadonna is out of step.

3. TO signed a contract. Philly had no reason to re-negotiate. They held all the cards and had his name written in blood. The League let him out of his first deal with the Ravens and perhaps he was naive enough to think they'd let him out of this one too. Psyche.

4. The Eagles are cheap. History has shown that Philly does not pay their players and TO was under contract. What did he expect?

5. TO signed a 50 million dollar contract. 50 million?!! He gets no sympathy from the average fan. None.

6. Bombs, end-arounds, the blitz... football has strong military roots. The military is about a group thinking and acting as one. Football works much the same way. It's about the team. TO has earned the reputation of someone who doesn't care about "team". Lookin' bad for the Black man.

At the end of the day, it's like I said in the beginning, he should have signed with B-More. True he wouldn't have had a QB, but it was a better environment for him, which is why I suspect he signed with Philly. He looked at the Eagles and saw a SF clone, a team he could mentally and physically dominate. In Baltimore, on the other hand, there's Ray "Murder", Ed Reed, Jonathan Ogden, Orlando Brown, Jamal Lewis (served time), Deion Sanders, a GM who was a hall-of-fame player and a head coach who coached Randy Moss. Plus since the Ravens won the 2002 super bowl they weren't desperate for his services like Philly was who couldn't seem to get over the proverbial hump. Perhaps he saw Philly as an enabler, as easy and this was perhaps his biggest mistake. In the Qu'ran God says that God will never change a people until they themselves change.

Time for TO to change

The League Dress Code: Racist or just Good Business

2005-12-22T14:20:00.000-05:00

Prop2 (originally posted November 11)

The finest clothing made is a person's skin, but, of course, society demands something more than this. ~Mark Twain

The first time I heard about the possible dress code of the NBA during the summer, the first thing I said was, “About time.” Great for business, enough of these knuckle heads running around, missing practice and jumping into the stands attacking the fans. I don’t see any harm in a league that has a majority of Black men ditching the off-court jerseys, baggy jeans/sweat pants, and the all and all ‘hood outfit and following the lead of Mr. Shawn Carter, a crisp pair of slacks and button ups. Some people believe D Stern attempts to “clean-up,” is really an attempt to bleach a league becoming too “ethnic”. Others say the majority of these players barely finish high school and neglect further socialization that usually occurs in college; thus the dress code will assist in that process of learning how to conduct oneself as a professional. Let’s look a little deeper.

With players having kids to feed (like Mr. Sprewell), having issues with going to practice (after all, it’s just practice), attacking fans, coaches, and each other, I’m surprised Stern took so long. According to him, fans long for the good ole days of Jordan, Bird, Magic, and Isaiah. While games did turn physical, players always conducted themselves in a professional manner, attire and all. In addition, the league all ways had their bad guys, Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn, Charles Barkley, and Greg Anthony to name a few. Even they found themselves in professional dress during and after their careers; it was time to grow up. Today, players behave as though they are going to play in the park. The National Basketball Association is a business, an institution. People and businesses are paying the salary of these players and, Surprise, the customers happen to resemble the power structure. So not only are the Allen Iversons affected but that goes for the Steve Nashs as well. If D Stern says the job description has changed, then you (the players) must follow suit (ha ha). If you refuse, then feel free to find another job that will pay a salary of over a million dollars and will not require a dress code.

Now for the power structure and their rules and regulations:

I seriously doubt people have a problem with players changing their attire from the hip-hop thug and dirty white boy look to official business attire. However, when you sit down and examine some of the proposed changes toward dress, it forces people to stop and think. Is it by coincidence some of the proposed changes effect the majority of the Black-American players? A couple of years ago, during All-Star weekend, D Stern welcomed the evening’s entertainment and told TNT how the NBA embraces the hip-hop culture. Mr. Stern soon discovered he embraced the good, the bad, and the ugly of hip-hop culture. In addition, there is an assumption, all Black players identify with hip-hop culture. Exactly what is being regulated and why? After last year’s brawl between the Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers, the world got a good glimpse of what the League wants to regulate, a big angry Black man from attacking a helpless white fan. In addition, to sex scandals and other questionable activity, D Stern hopes to, at least on the surface, polish the image of the NBA and its’ players. Does this change how the fans, the media views these players? Not At All!

When the clock hits triple zero, wearing a suit or anything else will not change anything. The presumption, “The clothes make the man,” and the rooted presumptions about Black people are at odds here, and who do you think is going to give?

The NBA Dress Code

2005-12-22T14:18:00.000-05:00

Prop 1 (originally posted November 2)

Yes. The NBA dress code is racist. I said THE NBA DRESS CODE IS RACIST. But wait. Who's the racist? The league? The owners? The commissioner? No it's the white fans. Not all fans of course or even any. It's just the league playing to their perceived, almost inherent racist potential. Let's think out loud for a second.

What about a dress code for baseball, NASCAR, or golf? No. Not needed you say. But the NBA needs it. I guess it's the same way that a white guy, country or not, rocking a confederate flag is a racist. Hmmmm. "No. He's just repping his southern pride and you're a PC (politically correct) Nazi." Diamonds are forever except when they adorn the neck of a BlackMan. Then it becomes thug-wear. And when did gaudy jewelry, corn-rows, and expensive cars become "thug"? The thugs were a group in India who terrorized the Indian country-side many, many years ago. Thugs are criminals. Now it's a Rap thing. How did that happen? Oh that's right. Tupac made it so. Thanks Pac. Back to the "flag", but notice how the rednecking of America is cool. NASCAR, Larry the cable guy, Wal-Mart, Fox News, country music, the Bible-belt and that whole "fly over state's revenge" mentality. And yet the Klan hasn't made it on the terror watch list. How come I'm not surprised.

So to address societies ills and inequities DeeStern implements a dress code. Ain't that some sugarhoneyicedtea! Maybe it's because he's jewish. And being jewish he's senistive to perception. Dress the part, act the part and if that doesn't work be the part. But that will never work for us, though some have and continue to try, nor will it work for them, if they only knew. It's a strange relationship Blacks and jews. They see us, and our racial struggles, in them. So they become our advocates and in some sense help themselves. And similarly we see us in them. However, the two have never been further apart. Afterall, they have bigger fish to fry in the middle east and we have come to resent their abandonment and see them as fair weather friends, who have eaten and gotten fat on our shine. Either way. There's DeeStern left to the unenviable task of playing middle man between Black and white. DeeStern with that patrician air, reigning supreme over an almost all-Black league, and hasn't he earned it. Remember the Niggerbockers? Now, the NBA has gone international and two years in the league gets a player the league minimum for life. What's that, a mill? And for those of us who work that's crazy! Don't you just seeeee the hate coming? Can't you feel it? And who funds this league prosperity by paying ridiculously high ticket prices? Fans. And they're mostly white. Over 80 percent. The inverse of the league population break down. Funny, I never noticed that before. And the consumer has rights. Especially this consumer, who can have NetFlix delivered to his home, watch porn on the internet, play PS-3 and XBox360, and wait to Hi-Def is a reality, then it's a wrap! And this consumer is empowered like none before. So this consumer demands the right to perception. And haven't they earned that right? The right to white-flight, the right to FoxNews, to Bush and the boys, and the right to white return (see Harlem, Brooklyn, DC). Afterall, haven't we as Black people, with a little help from media, given them those rights, along with monthly bills to LoJack and Brinks. They listen while their kids sing the lyrics to Lil Kim and 50Cent, and they think twice just like we do. And they see urban schools and crime just like we do. And while they saw Katrina, and perhaps were sickened by what they saw. They're also like. "Look. I'm just a fan."

NFL players wear helmets and only the blind, deaf and dumb deny the Blackness of the NBA. And with this Blackness comes the good and the bad, but all of it is beautiful. So in the end, DeeStern threw them a bone and everyone can make believe it's not 2005. Just like those elections in Iraq. Fantasy is Reality. But beware this conservative path and consider deeply the words of Thomas Jefferson when he said "If there is a God... one day we're going to pay for this." And on that day, there are no more fans, because everybody plays.

But of course there's a silver lining.
I was checking Mr. Tony (Kornheiser) the other day on 980, and he made an excellent point. He was like this dress code could be a boon for the league. NBA-players are fashion plates and define cool, so Armani, Ralph and the boys would pay top-dollar to have players rock their wares. I could see it now.

Reporter: Shaq, great game. By the way what are you wearing?
The Big Fashionista: Suit by Armani. Watch by Gucci.
Reporter: And those shoes?
TBF: Freshly copped at Harrods.

Gettin' Money!

And it don't stop...

2005-12-22T11:08:00.000-05:00

Prop2

This is not about popularity or the people we believe meant something to the art. This does not have the most talented nor does it have anything to do with the age-old debate hip-hop versus commercialized rap. The names on this list are the people that have affected hip-hop culture as it stands today. The credit/blame hangs on the heads of these people:

Grandmaster Flash
Flash turned the turntables into an instrument. He understood the party and his records ready made for the “Park Jam,” His sole purpose, to get you to move your feet. Thus the sometimes overwhelming need and desire to party in hip-hop. Doesn't matter who did it better, doesn't matter who did it worse; He did it First!

Rakim: “I can take a phrase that’s rarely heard; flip it, now it’s a daily word.” The R is the type of MC everyone before him wanted to be, and what everyone after him trys to live up to. Too bad he set the standard to high and you know how niggas feel about high standards.

BDP: “The Bridge is Over, The Bridge is Over. Biddy Bye Bye!”
They are the only crew that can make song calling out a whole borough and have that same borough bouncing to it. On their first album they recorded two songs going at the hottest group in the game at the time, the Juice Crew. All the "gangsters" in the game got their moniker from KRS-One and Scott La Rock New York City's first Bad Guys.

Salt-n-Pepa “Sexy, Smart, Independent and your moms would love’em”
I really had to think about this one. If you ask around some may put MC Lyte as being the first female lyricist or Queen L-A-T-I-F-A-H because of her, I am woman hear me roar style. However, Cheryl James and Sandy Denton did not need to justify themselves as MCs by adopting a tomboyish look; they did not need to scream to the crowed they are women so respect them, nor did they need to validate their womanhood, it was already understood. Lauryn Hill tried to revive that image; however, her efforts were over come by the Queen Bitches, Ill Na Na, Baddest Bitches and Pit bulls in skirts.

Brand Nubian
1 of the distinguishing parts hip-hop, New York hip-hop in particular, was the dress code. Flash and Bambataa adopted the rock attire, leather and metal. After that Run DMC, LL Cool J, and BDP introduced everyday clothes scene only in the Five Boroughs. The early nineties ushered a group of young men from New Rochelle who understood New York style, original. In addition, their sound laced with Five-Percent ideology was easy on the ears. The nature cats/backpack crew had to re-think their strategy, style of music and their style of dress. Hey, just because you scream fight the power doesn’t mean you have to look like a refugee.

OutKast "We movin up like elevators.."
To any person or group that has dreams of making it in the rap game, follow Andre 3000 and Big Boi. They originally spoke exclusively to a southern audience, then to the nature cats/backpackers, and finally to the world. They did this all by sticking to there own style of music; no one else can do what they do. They adopted their own style in a hip-hop world of fitted baseball caps, oversized jerseys,and scarface worship. (Say Thank you Mr. West)

Redman
The class clown of hip-hop. Any track he has rhymed on, more than once, he forced the listener to rewind the track and ask, “What the hell did he just say?” One of the few MCs whose sound resembles the lost art of true freestyle, hard lyrics with humor, spawned MCs like Ludacris and Eminem.

LL Cool J: The first male sex symbol in hip-hop. For all of you rappers out there that has ever made a love song, or a ghetto love song, taken of a shirt for the ladies while performing, while holding on to his “street credibility" i.e. Ja Rule, 50, Nelly, say “Thank you Mr. Smith.” Indirectly, he made it okay to were pink. How? Cool J took off his shirt and made love songs the same reason most of you dudes wear pink, because the chicks like it. Still don’t think LL has credibility? Over 20 years in the game has yet to lose a battle and and still gets respect.

The Mixtape
Before the days of the Freestyle Friday, Smack DVDs, and The Morning show “Roll-call”, there were mixtape shows that aired late, late, late night on 98.7 (I think). In a world where hip-hop was nothing more than a fad, the mixtape (show) was the platform for MCs to stay sharp. If you didn’t, there was always someone ready to take the top spot. The mixtape show forced MCs to revamp, remix, re-think their rhymes before anyone heard them. So you had to WRITE your rhymes and READ them. However, very few of you do that now thanks to…

Jay-Z
Yep! Young Hova, Shawn Cater. Had the potential to be one of the best to touch a mic. However, his abuse of his skill to memorize his rhymes and public declaration of dumbing down his lyrics so the people could understand him inspired a generation of MCs not to write; this marked the death of the MC

The GodFather's of HipHop

2005-12-22T11:06:00.000-05:00

Prop 1:

When the final page is turned on this thing we call Hip-Hop the credit or blame (Ha-ha) will be ultimately clear. However, lacking future 20-20 all we have is the now. Therefore, henceforth (a nod to my late calculus prof Mrs. Exum) the rhetorical question is put forth: Who is responsible for this mess?
Herc? Rush? Dre? Flash? Non-cipher! That's too easy. But for real party people what aspect of today's Rap reflects the original Hip-Hop essence of a "Park Jam"? And what is Dre's contribution, not to the history of Rap because that's obvious, but from a scholarly approach, to the culture as a whole? Or more specifically on how we, it's fans and creators, process and produce Rap as of October 7 2005. So to answer the question... I put on my thinking cap, affixed my digital cable to MTV2 and MTVJams because BET sucks and came up with the following. Enjoy.

-ONYX -Queens foursome and infamous pseudo gangsters. Did the DefJam thing and mixed rock NYHC punk with HipHop. The result? Club rowdy-ness, angry faces and stage diving- the precursor to Crunk. For reference, check the video for the 1993 hit Slam!

-Afrika Bambata/Jazzy J -Synth big beats, see Mannie Fresh, Bass Music, and Crunk.

-BDP- Just-Ice was the first HipHop gangsta, but it didn't stick. Schoolly D did PSK. But BDP's first album Criminal Minded changed the game! Take notes class. They had grenades and guns on the album cover and talked about the "Girlies are free cause the crack cost money" and blasting cats with a 9mm. The "gangsta" rap persona starts here. And this is from the same vegan, Nellie-hating, Mister positive hip-hop himself-KRSOne.

The Source-There was the RapSheet, RapPages but the Source stuck. Nothing like a white/Ivy League pedigree. Influence: Gave "Hip-Hop" a shape and defined it for many, on a global scale. Too bad it sucks now. Good Lookin' Benzino.

-EazyE-When he heard the song "South Bronx" by BDP, Easy was inspired to rep his hood, "Compton". And he kept reppin' it "Compton", "C-P-T", "South Central" ad infinitum, ad nauseum. Contribution: Inspired other cities to take pride in where they "...come from" and all of a sudden NYC took a back seat to LA as Rap's cultural leader. And although the displacement was temporary NYC has never quite regained it's once preeminent role.

-BigDaddyKane- Dark skinned men were not, I repeat not sexy until Kane! The brother single-handedly changed the way we as Black people look at ourselves.

-Lil' Shake- Who? Little Shake! During the height of the NYCBreakdancing era (circa '82-84) the top poppers or boogiers were Shake Master, Active and Lil Shake. Lil Shake battled Shake Master for the name and after beating "Big" Shake took the name Shake. Shake was HipHop's first name "dancer" and chereographer and can be seen doing his thing in Taylor Dayne (Tell it to my heart), BFats, Guy (Groove Me), Johnny Kemp (Just got paid) and RunDMC (Pause). His contribution? He was the first to incorporate or re-incorporate poppin' into hip hop. In the late 80's Shake, DeeRoc, and Shake's brother Lose (TC5 for the graff heads) would be in clubs and on world tours (Guy) mixing poppin' and hip-hop and doing it extra large! Now it's everywhere from Little X videos to IPod commercials. Thanks Shake.

-Ultramagnetics-The song "EgoTrippin" inspired DeLaSol. Who begat TribeCalledQuest. Who begat OutKast. Dubbed the "Future Kids" by ChuckD they achieved a level of lyrical and musical sophistication approached by DeLaSol and unmatched since. CedG did the beats for BDP's Criminal Minded and one can hear their production influence on songs by Dre (California Luv) and PE (Rebel without a pause). They were also the games most disrespectful calling out Slick Rick, LL and RunDMC while they were in their primes. Shouts out to Kool Keith (aka Dr.Octogon), CedG, TR Luv, and DJ MoeLuv.

-GrandMasterVic-The creator of the "blend tape". Vic was the inspiration for the mixtape generation from Capri to Clue to Green Lantern. Back in like 84 a Vic tape was a status symbol. At $40 a pop, the "Rising to the top" beat was the soundtrack to the infamous FatCat, SupremeTeam and Corely crack crews of South Jamaica Queens. Vic defined, orignated, and perfected the R&B vocals over hip-hop beats- hence the name "blend"- which came to light on Mary J's first album courtesy of then Queens resident Prince Markie Dee and was then jacked by Puffy and his clones.

-ATribeCalledQuest "We got the jazz video"- First "two videos in one" video (e.g. Lloyd Banks "On Fire/Warrior video)

-Luke and the 2LiveCrew- Rappin about sex over chest crushing bass in a Strip Club while scantilly clad women shake that ass and tits! aka- Southern Hip-Hop

MCHammer- Made rap safe for Madison Ave.

Damn that's like 12! Three more...

Fab5Freddy-Rick Rubin gets the obvious credit but it was Fred who first brought together two musical genres and worlds separated at the time by a very real racial schism.
Puffy-Brought Hollywood hedonism to hip-hop
Suge-Inspired legions of NYC gangsters to seek hip-hop (extortion) gold from NY to LA and all points in between.

Down in the Bayou

2005-12-22T11:03:00.000-05:00

Prop2 (originally posted September 26)

When the water evaporates, when the fires are extinguished, and real estate is rebuilt; after American citizens return home to Louisiana and Mississippi, what does the future hold? Trust is very fragile. In the eye of the storm, citizens of New Orleans were confident their local, state, and federal government would help them. Why would they believe anything different? When the towers fell in New York City… wait maybe that’s not a good example. NYPD and FDNY as hard as they did try, were unprepared, ill-equipped, (malfunctioning equipment) and misinformed (some information that a huge plane is heading toward your city) in their attempts to save lives, (still no one knows what really happened). Well at least, the mayor of New York, no… all he did was walk around with a construction hat on and called it helping the people, (looked more like a contractor looking over what to do with newly cleared property). Well at least they can expect some type of substantial relief, although that has yet to be seen. 9/11 families have yet to see any significant compensation after losing loved ones. I’m using the towers falling in New York as an example, when this country had to defend itself, more so its citizens, we become expendable, with no explanation. What makes the events in La so deep; there was no bomb threat, a plane flying into a structure, nor did two 80-story buildings collapse. Mother Nature kicked the hell out of America. The only thing our government had to do was perform. When it our government can not, does not perform, simple questions like, who, what, when, where, why, and how, must be answered

Well the “what, when, and where” are simple, at the end of the month of August, a huge hurricane nearly wiped an entire US city, New Orleans, LA, off the map. In an effort to save lives, the local and state governments attempted to evacuate its citizens. However, some decided to stay behind. During the six days before “help” arrived, the city of New Orleans had to fend for itself, looting and all. When it all was said and very little done, Why didn’t they leave when they were told? Flat out, most people could not, Black and white alike. Most of these people had not left the neighborhood let alone the city. Generations occupied some of those houses; the house itself is an heirloom.

History lesson:
What is the significance of these actions, or lack there of happening in Louisiana? Well, Louisiana is the home of segregation. 1890, Louisiana passes a law that requires Black Americans to ride in train cars separate from white passengers. Six years later, Plessy v Ferguson (1896), the Supreme Court legalized segregation.

In the birth place of segregation, the world saw the lasting legacy of a problem that has NEVER been solved; only pacified. Integration laws, “Black faces” managing companies, holding positions in government in addition to amassing wealth through other means (mainly entertainment), affirmative action, and other forms of “hand outs,” dampen the desire and the need for change. Instead everyone(NAACP, The “new” Black Panther party, Urban League, the Nation of Islam, all Christian groups, all fraternities and sororities, Robert Johnson, Deborah Wright (Carver), Russell Simmons, and any Black business owners) sits back and expects our Government to save the day. How can the government help you when don’t care to help yourself? Individually, many gave generously and continue to help out, but why continue on your own? Has it ever dawned on anyone that these individuals can create for New Orleans collectively? Provide for these displaced families collectively? Wait, I forgot, those days are long gone. So to all companies and individuals donating to Katrina relief… Donate, by all and any means donate. But when all resources are collected, who is going to have the finally say over your money and what it is used for? How much juice do you really have?

New Orleans: Oprah, Kanye, and Black People

2005-12-22T11:01:00.000-05:00

Prop 1(orignially posted September 18)

To say it's all about race is to miss the point.

Perspective.
After the anger. After the fire. Data. Information. Knowledge.Wisdom. Perspective.
It has to be more than race. Race is too easy. "It's because they were Black!" However, the official American line screams denial "It's class!" With an arrogance that suggests to believe otherwise would be far to the left of the mainstream. The great compassionate conservative finger waving super power- America, afterall is better than that. "Race" is a program on PBS aired during Black, excuse me, African-American History Month. "That was in the past" they say. "Look how far we, as a country, have come", they say. In school, the lesson on MLKing ended in 1964 with the signing of the Civil Rights Act. But he died in 1968. As if he spent the last four years of his life... chillin'. To the contrary he sought power. Talking about 'Nam. Talking about economics. Poor People's March... then they killed him. X also sought power. And they killed him. So perhaps it's in our DNA that we want the money and the fame. Big car. Big house. Big jewels. The trappings of power without the real thing. Too scared to seek the real thing. Now how does this relate to what went down during Hurricane Katrina?

What I-you-we saw was what happens when a person or people lacks power. No juice. Israel has a problem? Line up the media and the money from Hollywood to Neo-con DC. Israel gets what it needs. Why is Hamas a global threat, part of the war on terror, but groups like the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka isn't? Is it fathomable that if a natural disaster hit VP Cheyney's home-state of Wyoming there would have been a Katrina-like response? Don't drink the Kool-Aid! When Bush finally touched down he went to the reddest of the red states Mississippi and Alabama, while he passed over New Orleans, Louisiana. Three states equally broke, but Haley Barbour, former RNC chair, is the governor of Miss.. Power. To have power is not a bad thing. Black people, urban Blacks especially, are feared, (e.g. "Don't rob me" "Don't shoot me" "Don't break into my home and rape me") (Question: Who do the people in trailer parks and in Appalachia fear?), but not respected. Beggars are not respected. They are pittied. You beg when you negotiate from a position of weakness, albeit a logically sound position. Race-based Affirmative Action. Welfare. Begging. Same shit. And that's what the, Democratic for the most part, political negroes, have yet to figure out. While it remains to be seen what happens in a post-Katrina world and after Bush's act of Reparations (Ha-ha!), the US, for the most part, had lost it's conscious. With the conservatives at the purse strings, no more free lunches for you, get a job! Similarly, no one out of the goodness of their heart is going to put a Black man or woman on the Board of a Fortune 500, just because it's the right thing to do. And, at a time when many (Black, white, other) are feeling a financial pinch it becomes every man for himself. It's a non-trivial task to articulate special aid to certain segments of a race when other segments of that same race have achieved so much. Oprah. Tiger Woods. Michael Jordan.Collin Powell. How can affirmative action policies be intelligently articulated to a white man who works for or pays money to Merrill-Lynch, Time-Warner or American Express. Compaines whose CEOs are Black. Power is just not given away.

What really pissed me off for real about Katrina is the like of voice and activism on the parts of the so-called Black elite. When shit really got hot down in NO and every night I would home from work to see babies starving and dead bodies wrapped in sheets, I would ask, "Where the f&*% is Oprah?!!!" This chick gives away cars to white women but while her people are dying she's silence. Where's Condi? And this chick supposedly had Bush's ear! Where's Cosby? Young Black men ain't this! Young Black men ain't that! Show me what's good nigga! Where was Collin Powell? Where was Chenault (AMEX), O'Neil(Merrill-Lynch) and Parsons (TimeWarner)? Where was JZ, 50, Luda and Puff? Will and Jada? Mike, Shaq, LeBron, AI, Tim and Kobe? Tiger? Spike and Denzel? Jim Brown? My guy Muhammad Ali? Now I'm sure each gave and gave generously but words were also necessary. A united front to say "This shit is fucked up!" and that we care. If right of intelligence FoxNews could have gotten down to the Convention center, then certainly Oprah could have done the same. Did Jesse go down there? These negroes reacted later than George. The Lesson? If we don't care about our own Black people then how can we expect anybody else to. And, don't trust the latest poll numbers or wave of Bush hand-outs. What collective-America asked was if a Tsunami hit California or week-long blizzard crushed the northeast, how would the Feds respond? How they vote in '06 is another matter completely.

God bless Kanye West! Inarticulate as can be, sweating under the pressure, he hit the high note. "George Bush doesn't care about Black people." Fox news asked, the world asked and the US was forced to respond. He did what Collin, Condi, Oprah and the Cos, lacked the heart to do, be controversial against the strong and in your people's best interest. That's what we don't do. When a new white CEO comes to power and brings in his or her team, if they're all white, no one bats an eyelash. Why do Black CEOs, owners and the like not do the same? Why do they not actively seek out young Blacks to mentor? And be open about it! Is it because we feel we owe loyalty to the system of fairness and justice that finally cracked the door? F-That! We as Black people in this United States of America will never achieve true equality until we are able to act, with confidence, in our own self interest. To connect with the African diaspora within and without. To set a collective agenda and move it forward but from a position of strength. Committ the money, from the Oprahs, the janitors, the Jamaicans in Brooklyn, the Hatians in Florida, Nigerians in Houston, Dominicans in Harlem, Eritereans in Maryland, suburban Atlanta, Compton hoods, Black churches, Muslims and the like to political, educational and social activism on all levels. Maybe then Georgia will have a Black governor or senator. Atlanta as "Black Meca", yeah right. Notice I didn't mention Farrakhan.