Obama Spoke the Truth in Chicago!

After the death of Hadiya Pendleton, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Min. Louis Farrakhan and many other activists urged President Obama to come to Chicago and address the problem of gang violence. Following such calls, First Lady Michelle Obama attended Hadiya Pendleton's funeral and invited Hadiya's mother to attend the State of the Union. President Obama wrote a letter to Hadiya's family, mentioned Hadiya during his State of the Union address and traveled home to Chicago to speak about violence and poverty. This is a prime example how the voices of the people can make a difference.

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As the Chicago Tribune reports:

President Barack Obama returned to Chicago for a few hours Friday to address the high-profile gun violence that continues to plague his hometown and suggested the solution is not only more gun laws, but community intervention and economic opportunity in impoverished neighborhoods.  

The president didn't delve into his specific call for an assault weapons ban and other gun control measures, instead choosing to illustrate Chicago's plight by comparing it to the December elementary school massacre in Newtown, Conn., where 20 children and six adults were shot.  

"There was something profound and uniquely heartbreaking and tragic, obviously, about a group of 6-year-olds being killed," Obama told an audience in the gymnasium of Hyde Park Academy High School, less than a mile from his home. "But last year, there were 443 murders with a firearm on the streets of this city, and 65 of those victims were 18 and under. So that's the equivalent of a Newtown every four months."  

The president's visit brought a national and international spotlight on Chicago's gun violence. Emanuel sought to make the case Chicago's struggles aren't particular to this city.  

"Like every major city in the country, Chicago faces two critical challenges: the strength of our schools and the safety of our streets. Our streets will only be as safe as our schools are strong and our families are sound," Emanuel said.  

But the president brought the violence issue back to the city's streets, talking about the impact the shooting death of 15-year-old Hadiya Pendleton has had on him and first lady Michelle Obama, who attended the band majorette's funeral last weekend. Hadiya was shot in Harsh Park in North Kenwood after returning from Chicago from inauguration weekend festivities.  

The teen's mother, Cleopatra Cowley-Pendleton, joined the 700 or so students, politicians and religious leaders in the audience, sitting with a group of other mothers of slain children.

During his speech, President Obama said that:

"No law or set of laws can prevent every senseless act of violence in this country. When a child opens fire on another child, there is a hole in that child's heart that government can't fill. Only community and parents and teachers and clergy can fill that hole...There are entire neighborhoods where young people, they don't see an example of somebody succeeding. For a lot of young boys and young men in particular, they don't see an example of fathers or grandfathers or uncles who are in a position to support families and be held up and respected. And so, that means this is not just a gun issue... Nothing that would be more important for us reducing violence than strong stable families. We should do more to promote marriage."

 

Some progressives take issue with the President talking about fatherhood and marriage. After some reflection, I don't. I strongly sympathized with the President when he said, "I wish I had a father who was around and involved." It may be uncomfortable to hear, but the President is speaking the truth about fatherhood and community. Although the presence of strong fathers in the home is not a solution to all of the problems plaguing the black community, strong fathers and strong mothers together forge strong communities. Please stop pretending that fathers don't matter.

Without love, support and guidance from family and community, all of the government programs in the world will not save our children. Even if the schools have equal funding and resources, students will not succeed if they do not value education. If even if there are jobs available for our young people, without the proper guidance and values, many of them will continue to chose dealing drugs over legitimate lower paying jobs. When the family is absent, many young people turn to gangs to fill that void. Gangs give them that missing sense of identity, brotherhood and manhood. Without strong and positive men in their lives, many young men turned to thugs, gangsters and dealers as role models to emulate.

Today's popular mainstream hip hop music reinforces and perpetuates this self-destructive behavior. Many hip hop songs feed and glorify gangs, violence, drug use and drug selling. Instead of instilling pride and celebrating true African American heroes, mainstream rap idolizes notorious drug dealers like Big Meech, Larry Hoover and Frank Lucas.  That ignorance is epitomized by the controversy regarding Lil Wayne's despicable lyrics referencing Emmett Till. Unfortunately, many young people have more respect for a minstrel like Lil Wayne than they do for the President of the United States.

The broken families and degenerate music are not the only problems in the black community. The churches and mosques have failed our communities as well. Sadly, too many religious leaders are more concerned about building beautiful cathedrals and large congregations than they are about building our communities. Instead of concentrating on enriching their bank accounts, our religious leaders must focus on saving souls and lives. So, yes. The President is correct for stressing the importance of family, community and clergy.

The President also realizes that government is vital to remedying the problems haunting urban areas. Although Obama did not use the words "black" or "African American", that speech focused on the Black Agenda. He described a multifaceted approach to addressing violence and poverty in the black community. He began by urging Congress to pass reasonable gun control laws. Further, the President talked about "building ladders of opportunities for everybody willing to climb it." Then, he talked about reforming child support laws to get more men working and engaged with their children. The President acknowledged that men without jobs will not be present and financially supportive.

Many of us have urged the President to develop targeted plans to specifically ameliorate the problems of high unemployment and poverty in the black community. Last night, Obama made steps in the right direction. He talked about creating tax incentives to encourage businesses to invest and hire in struggling urban communities like Chicago.  Such businesses would bring jobs and opportunities to economically depressed black communities. The President also talked about increasing the minimum wage. Such an increase will substantially benefit poor people who are disproportionately African American. The President talked about creating jobs through construction projects building affordable housing and repairing dilapidated buildings in blighted urban communities.

Finally, the President talked about ensuring that every child receives a quality preschool education. He went on to describe his plan to reform high school education.  His proposed reforms would give students the necessary skills to obtain good jobs upon graduation. In the words of Malcolm X, "education is the passport to the future." Providing quality education is the best way to fight crime.

Instead of wasting precious time debating about marriage and fatherhood, we should join the President and support his education, minimum wage, jobs and gun control initiatives.

This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Does Hip Hop Degrade or Enhance Society?

About one week ago, prominent hip hop artists, activists and scholars such as Michael Eric Dyson, Jesse Jackson, KRS ONE and others gathered in London to debate about hip hop. One of the questions raised was whether hip hop degrades or enhances society. Although I love hip hop, I have to admit that it degrades society.

Originally, hip hop was the genuine voice of the African American community.  Back in the day, hip hop was multi-dimensional. All of its different voices shared equal space on radio stations and music video shows. It was profound and profane at the same time. One song told the world that You Must Learn, and another song told voluptuous, scantily clad women to Move Something. It exposed the world to the harsh realities of drugs and inner violence. However, it was also politically conscious. It taught us about Malcolm X, the real Black Panthers, the Five Percenters, Islam and the motherland. I remember when the African medallions replaced the gold chains. In addition to be being dead serious, hip hop was also about dancing and partying.

Today, with the commercialization of hip hop, negative rap music has been catapulted to the forefront and positive, inspiring hip hop has been pushed into fringes. Finding positive rap on the radio is like sifting through a mountain of garbage looking for a diamond. Artists such as Dead Prez, Immortal Technique, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, The Roots and Common are rarely played on the radio.

Nowadays, radio stations play the same 20 songs by Lil Wayne, Drake, Young Jeezy, Rick Ross, 2 Chains, Waka, Nicki Minaj, 50 Cent and a other few others.

For the most part, mainstream rap does degrade African American society in several ways. It celebrates violence and criminality. The gun is a phallic symbol in mainstream rap. Many rap artists brag about having guns. For example, in one popular rap song, Rick Ross boasts about having "a chopper in the car". Many rap artists brag about shooting and killing their own black brothers. Instead of celebrating real achievements, mainstream rap celebrates getting shot and "catching cases".  Those disasters are badges of honor in the warped world of hip hop.

In addition to promoting violence, mainstream rap glorifies crack dealing and materialism. Rappers brag about buying Maybachs, Bentleys and expensive jewelry with dope money. Essentially, in order to be respected in the rap game, you must have street cred. You have to be a former drug dealer or have a criminal record. By flaunting their wealth and bragging about their criminal past, many rappers are basically encouraging the gullible youth to sell drugs. Although mass incarceration and inner city violence are not caused by rap, popular rap encourages and perpetuates those problems.

Moreover, you can't listen to a rap song without hearing artists using the word "nigga" to describe themselves and their own people. For example, one of the most popular rap songs out is titled Niggas In Paris. The "n" word is probably the most derogatory racial slur in the English. That word is rooted in slavery and Jim Crow. It is outrageous that we continue to use the oppressor's slur against ourselves. Usage of that word is a modern day example of what Naim Akbar called "the chains of psychological slavery."

Instead of honoring our sisters, mothers, wives and girlfriends, hip hop has reduced our women to bitches, hos and other derogatory terms. Dr. Dre's Bitches Ain't S*** summarizes mainstream hip hop's attitude toward women. Here are a few misogynistic lyrics from some very popular rap songs. On Steady Mobbing, Lil Wayne raps "F*** these bitches! I swear I care about everything but these bitches." On another song, Drake says, "I don't trust these hos at all."

Hip hop does not present women as intelligent and capable equals.  It presents them as rump shaking, half-naked prostitutes and strippers. One of the most popular songs tells women to "shake that ass." Another popular song brags about "beating the p**** up."

In sum, hip hop degrades society, but we have the power to make hip hop enhance our society. We must empower and promote positive and conscious rap by buying it and by encouraging radio stations to play it. At the same time, we must challenge and oppose the self-destructive and degrading messages in popular rap music, not through censorship, but through our purchasing power. This article is cross-posted on Jack and Jill Politics.

Are Black Politicians More Corrupt than White Politicians?

African Americans marched, fought, bled, and died for the right to vote.  The struggle for the right to vote was a integral part of the larger civil rights struggle for equality, human dignity and respect.  As a result of that beautiful struggle, Congress passed the Voting Rights Act of 1965. 

After the passage of the Act, Black Power was transformed from a slogan into a tangible reality.  Now, we have many African American mayors and members of Congress. We have black governors and one U.S. senator. Today, the most powerful man on earth is a black man, President Barack Hussein Obama.  It is undeniable.  In many ways, African Americans have made great progress.


However, that tremendous progress has been tarnished by recent political scandals involving African American politicians. This past Thursday, the House Ethics Committee convicted long time, legendary Congressman Charlie Rangel of 11 ethics violations and recommended censure. The Washington Post reported that:

"Rangel, 80, was found to have improperly used his congressional staff and official letterhead to solicit donations from corporate charities and chief executives for a college wing named in his honor, contributions that soared into six- and seven-figure range once he became chairman of the tax-writing committee. The committee also found that he violated New York City rules by housing his political committees in rent-controlled apartments in Harlem, did not pay taxes on a villa he owns in the Dominican Republic, and did not properly disclose hundreds of thousands of dollars in personal financial assets."

I was saddening to see this accomplished 80 year old politician break down and start weeping like a baby. 

Unfortunately, Rangel is not the only African American accused of ethics violations.  Rep. Maxine Waters also faces ethics charges for improperly seeking to help a bank in which her husband owns stocks.  As AP reports, her trial has been postponed due to the discovery of an email affecting the charges.  The charges include: "violating a rule requiring lawmakers' conduct to reflect creditably on the House; violating the spirit and letter of a rule prohibiting receipt of benefits by exerting improper influence; and violating a government code of conduct that prohibits dispensing or receiving special favors."  Fortunately, at least for now, Rep. Jesse Jackson no longer faces an ethics investigation. 

Last week, Prince George's County Executive Jack Johnson and his wife Leslie Johnson were arrested for taking bribes from an unidentified developer. To view the video of the arrest, click this link.  The Washington Post reports that the following events led to Johnson's arrest:

"Two FBI agents were at the front door of their two-story brick colonial in Mitchellville.

"Don't answer it," the county executive said, unaware that more agents were listening in.

Johnson ordered his wife to find and destroy a $100,000 check from a real estate developer that was hidden in a box of liquor.

"Do you want me to put it down the toilet?" Leslie Johnson asked.

"Yes, flush that," the county executive said.

But what about the cash? she asked - $79,600.

Put it in your underwear, the county executive told his wife.

She replied, "I have it in my bra" - which is where agents discovered the money after she answered the door.

That conversation, as documented in an FBI affidavit, led to the arrest Friday of Jack Johnson and his wife. Each was charged with evidence tampering and destroying evidence in a case the U.S. attorney called the "tip of the iceberg" in a broader corruption investigation in Prince George's."

This month, Leslie Johnson was elected to the Prince George's County Council. After her arrest, voters have launched online petition drive to prevent her from being sworn in.



The Jack Johnson situation reminds me of former Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon's conviction and former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's conviction.

Early this year, as reported in the Baltimore Sun, Dixon entered an Alfred plea to perjury charges related to her failure to "disclose on her city ethics form lavish gifts from her then-boyfriend, Ronald H. Lipscomb, a developer who benefited from city tax breaks and contracts."  In December 2009, "a city jury found her guilty of stealing roughly $500 worth of retail gift cards intended for the needy."


Finally, the people of Detroit were proud of the improvements that Kwame Kilpatrick was making to the city until the text message scandal emerged.  In September 2008, Kilpatrick pled guilty to perjury charges.  He was sentenced to 4 months in jail and 5 years probation.

After serving his jail sentence, he violated his probation, lied in his affidavit and was sentenced to a maximum sentence of 5 years imprisonment.  To make matters worst, in June 2010, the Detroit Free Press reported that the feds indicted the former mayor on 19 mail fraud and tax charges.  Here is a break down of the charges and penalties:

"Mail and wire fraud: Kilpatrick faces 13 counts for allegedly using the mail and telephone to raise money for his tax-exempt Kilpatrick Civic Fund under the false assertion that it would be used for charitable purposes. Authorities allege he actually used fund money for personal and political expenses.

Penalty: Up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Filing false tax returns: Kilpatrick faces five counts for allegedly failing to report taxable income of $470,951 in the form of cash and private jet flights from unspecified sources, and personal expenses paid by the civic fund from 2003 to 2007.

Penalty: Up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Income tax evasion: Kilpatrick faces one count for allegedly failing to report $171,751 in income in the form of cash and private jet flights from unspecified sources, and personal expenses paid by the civic fund in 2008.

Penalty: Up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine."

All of these recent scandals create the impression that African American politicians are more corrupt than their white counterparts. Such scandals perpetuate the stereotype that black people are not fit to govern.  I refuse to accept those racist assertions.

John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton said, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."  Many politicians, black and white, become intoxicated by power, develop an exaggerated sense of entitlement and compromise their integrity. They begin to believe that they are above the law.  These current investigations, prosecutions and convictions of black politicians may be another manifestation of institutional racism in the criminal justice system.

Bear with me for a second.  According to legal scholar Michelle Alexander, the so-called War on Drugs is waged almost exclusively in black communities even though studies consistently show that African Americans are no more likely to use or sell drugs than whites.

Similarly, it appears that the war against corruption is being waged almost exclusively against African American politicians. Legal scholars should conduct a comprehensive study of this issue. Apparently, prosecutors and ethics committees primarily focus on black officials.  Consequently, black officials are disproportionately investigated, indicted, arrested and convicted.

For example, as Joe Conason notes in his article Why Mitch McConnell is worst than Charles Rangel, U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell has engaged in similar conduct as Rep. Rangel.  Conason writes, "like Rangel, McConnell has rewarded corporate donors to an academic center named after him -- and used earmarks for that purpose."  However, as far as I know, no one is investigating McConnell. 

Please do not get me wrong.  I refuse to defend any corrupt politicians. Corrupt African American leaders like Dixon and Kilpatrick betrayed the people and dishonored the struggle.  They got what they deserved.    All politicians must be held accountable for their actions. Everyone must obey the law.  However, laws must be equally and fairly enforced regardless of race.  Selective prosecution is unacceptable.