What Did You Think About the State of the Union?

Good morning family. Last night, Obama gave his State of the Union address. Here are a few excerpts from his speech (New York Times):

But the debate is settled. Climate change is a fact. (Applause.) And when our children’s children look us in the eye and ask if we did all we could to leave them a safer, more stable world, with new sources of energy, I want us to be able to say yes, we did. (Cheers, applause.)

Finally, if we’re serious about economic growth, it is time to heed the call of business leaders, labor leaders, faith leaders, law enforcement — and fix our broken immigration system. (Cheers, applause.) Republicans and Democrats in the Senate have acted, and I know that members of both parties in the House want to do the same. Independent economists say immigration reform will grow our economy and shrink our deficits by almost $1 trillion in the next two decades. And for good reason: When people come here to fulfill their dreams — to study, invent, contribute to our culture — they make our country a more attractive place for businesses to locate and create jobs for everybody. So let’s get immigration reform done this year. (Cheers, applause.) Let’s get it done. It’s time....

The good news is, we know how to do it. Two years ago, as the auto industry came roaring back, Andra Rush opened up a manufacturing firm in Detroit. She knew that Ford needed parts for the best-selling truck in America, and she knew how to make those parts. She just needed the workforce. So she dialed up what we call an American Job Center; places where folks can walk in to get the help or training they need to find a new job, or a better job. She was flooded with new workers, and today, Detroit Manufacturing Systems has more than 700 employees. And what Andra and her employees experienced is how it should be for every employer and every job seeker.

So tonight, I’ve asked Vice President Biden to lead an across- the-board reform of America’s training programs to make sure they have one mission: train Americans with the skills employers need, and match them to good jobs that need to be filled right now. (Cheers, applause.) That means more on-the-job training, and more apprenticeships that set a young worker on an upward trajectory for life. It means connecting companies to community colleges that can help design training to fill their specific needs. And if Congress wants to help, you can concentrate funding on proven programs that connect more ready-to-work Americans with ready-to-be-filled jobs...

Of course, it’s not enough to train today’s workforce. We also have to prepare tomorrow’s workforce, by guaranteeing every child access to a world-class education. (Applause.)...

You know, today, women make up about half our workforce, but they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it’s an embarrassment.

Women deserve equal pay for equal work. (Cheers, applause.)...

 

In the year since I asked this Congress to raise the minimum wage, five states have passed laws to raise theirs.

 

Many businesses have done it on their own. Nick Chute is here today with his boss, John Soranno. John’s an owner of Punch Pizza in Minneapolis, and Nick helps make the dough. (Laughter.) Only now he makes more of it. (Laughter.) John just gave his employees a raise to 10 bucks an hour, and that’s a decision that has eased their financial stress and boosted their morale.

 

Tonight I ask more of America’s business leaders to follow John’s lead. Do what you can to raise your employees’ wages. (Applause.) It’s good for the economy; it’s good for America. (Sustained applause.)

 

To every mayor, governor, state legislator in America, I say, you don’t have to wait for Congress to act; Americans will support you if you take this on. And as a chief executive, I intend to lead by example. Profitable corporations like Costco see higher wages as the smart way to boost productivity and reduce turnover. We should too. In the coming weeks I will issue an executive order requiring federal contractors to pay their federally-funded employees a fair wage of at least $10.10 an hour because if you cook — (cheers, applause) — our troops’ meals or wash their dishes, you should not have to live in poverty. (Sustained applause.) ....

 

Now, I do not expect to convince my Republican friends on the merits of this law. (Laughter.) (Chuckles.) (Laughter.) But I know that the American people are not interested in refighting old battles. So again, if you have specific plans to cut costs, cover more people, increase choice, tell America what you’d do differently. Let’s see if the numbers add up. (Applause.) But let’s not have another 40- something votes to repeal a law that’s already helping millions of Americans like Amanda...

 

Today, all our troops are out of Iraq. More than 60,000 of our troops have already come home from Afghanistan. With Afghan forces now in the lead for their own security, our troops have moved to a support role. Together with our allies, we will complete our mission there by the end of this year, and America’s longest war will finally be over. (Applause.)

 

After 2014, we will support a unified Afghanistan as it takes responsibility for its own future.  If the Afghan government signs a security agreement that we have negotiated, a small force of Americans could remain in Afghanistan with NATO allies to carry out two narrow missions: training and assisting Afghan forces and counterterrorism operations to pursue any remnants of Al Qaeda.

 

Read the entire transcript here.

The President is a brilliant orator. I hope that his ambitious and noble goals become a reality.

On the other hand, I find it troubling that any US troops will remain in Afghanistan after 2014. I find it troubling that Guantanamo Bay remains open after all of the campaign rhetoric. In light of recent the killings of Trayvon Martin, Jonathan Ferrell, Jordan Davis and Renisha McBride, I find it troubling that the President did not mention race in his State of the Union address. Finally, the President should have said more about his plans to reform U.S. surveillance programs. He should have more thoroughly discussed the "prudent limits on the use of drones." America cannot fight terrorism with terrorism.

What did you think about the President's State of the Union address?

Jonathan Ferrell: The Road to Justice is Long

"The road is long with many a winding turn that lead us to who knows where...But, I am strong enough to carry him. He ain't heavy. He's my brother. So on we go. His welfare is my concern." Donny Hathaway

CNN reported that:

A grand jury has indicted Officer Randall Kerrick of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department on a charge of voluntary manslaughter in the September 14 shooting death of Jonathan Ferrell, according to a statement from state Attorney General Roy Cooper.

The grand jury heard evidence from the state Bureau of Investigation and the police department.

"With the strength of the evidence in this case, we're not surprised," Charles Monnett, an attorney for Ferrell's family, said about Monday's indictment.

"We're all pleased and happy that the process is beginning now and that there's an end in sight," he said. "It is the first step towards justice."

Ferrell's mother, Georgia, told CNN that she is prepared to wait as long as it takes for the case to wind its way through the justice system.

"I just feel like God's will will be done," she said.

The Charlotte, North Carolina, officer faced a second grand jury proceeding for the fatal shooting of Ferrell, an ex-college football player who was reportedly seeking assistance after a car accident.

Attorneys for Kerrick had denounced the prosecution's move to resubmit the case as unlawful and filed a motion to block it, but CNN affiliate News 14 Carolina reported the grand jury convened Monday morning.

A grand jury last week declined to indict Kerrick. Prosecutors said afterward the grand jury was composed of less than a full panel and vowed to send the case back.

I am glad that the second grand jury decided to indict Randall Kerrick for voluntary manslaughter. It looks the Ferrell family is beginning to walk on the long road toward justice. We will stand with the family on their journey. Justice for Jonathan Ferrell! Justice for Renisha McBride! Justice for Jordan Davis! Justice for Trayvon Martin!

Delusional White People Living On Fantasy Island

There are many delusional white people such as Eric Bolling and Sandy Rios who live on Fantasy Island.  They actually believe that white racism no longer exists in America.  Whenever a black person or organization speaks out against racism, many ignorant white people call the black messengers racist.  It is far easier to condemn the messenger than it is the address the problem of  racism.  Check out the video and sound clip below.





This nation was founded on racism.   It was founded on the genocide of the native people.  It was built on the backs of enslaved Africans.  Obviously, institutional racism and individual racism remain a part of the fabric of America. Racism did not die. It evolved and adapted to a new environment. Instead of using the N word, the new racism uses code words such as thug, gangster, ghetto, welfare queens, food stamp president and free stuff.

The old Jim Crow has been replaced with the New Jim Crow. Under what Michelle Alexander calls the New Jim Crow, drug laws are selectively enforced and low income African American urban communities are unfairly targeted by law enforcement. Consequently, the black community is subjected to mass incarceration. When our brothers and sisters are finally released from prison, they are subjected to legalized discrimination in employment, housing, public assistance and other areas.

Institutional racism is manifested in other ways as well. Racial disparities continue to exist in criminal justice, economics, education and health. For example, as noted in Tavis Smiley's The Covenant, he cites the following criminal justice stats:

Of the 2.1 million inmates today, 910,000 are African American. Blacks 43.9 percent of the state and federal prison population but only 12.6 percent of the U.S. population...

African Americans constitute 13 percent of all monthly drug users, but they represent 35 percent of arrests for drug possession, 55 percent of convictions, and 74 percent of prison sentences.

The economic disparities between blacks and whites are just as stark. The Covenant states that:

The unemployment rate for blacks people is twice that for whites.

African Americans have a median net worth of $5,998, compared to $88,651 for whites. Even more alarming, 32 percent of African Americans have a zero or negative net worth.

Although African Americans are more than 13 percent of the nation's population, their total net worth is only 1.2 percent of the total net worth of the nation. This number has not changed since the end of the Civil War in 1865.

In addition to economic disparities, education disparities exist. The Covenant states that:

Of black 16 to 24 year olds, 13 percent have not earned a high school diploma or GED; 7 percent of white young people are without a high school credential.

According to the most recent statistics, the nationwide college graduation rate for enrolled black students is only 40 percent, compared to 61 percent of enrolled white students.

Moreover, health care disparities continue to exist. The Covenant cites the following health care disparities:

Black infants are nearly two-and-one-half times more likely than white infants to die before their first birthday.

More than one out of every three black people are plagued by hypertension; this is the highest rate in the world.

Black women are close to 80 percent more likely to die of a stroke than white women, and 30 percent more likely to die of a heart attack.

African Americans are 13 percent of the nation's population and account for 56 percent annually of new HIV infections. A quarter of these new infections are among people under 25 years of age.

Not only is institutional racism still with us, individual racism clearly continues to exist. The killings of Trayvon Martin, Renisha McBride and Jonathan Ferrell are reminders of that harsh reality. Another reminder is the indictment of Conrad Alvin Barrett.  Mr. Barrett, who is white, brutally attacked an elderly black man. The Examiner reported that:

A grand jury in Houston has just returned a federal indictment against Conrad Alvin Barrett, 27, charging him with one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, announced United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson along with Special Agent in Charge Stephen L. Morris of the FBI.

According to the allegations, Barrett recorded himself on his cell phone attacking the man and showed the video to others. The indictment alleges Barrett made several recordings from his cell phone, one in which he identifies himself and another in which he makes a racial slur.

In one recording, Barrett claimed he would not hit “defenseless people” just moments before punching the elderly man in the face, according to court records. Barrett allegedly hit the man with such force that the man immediately fell to the ground. Barrett then laughed and said “knockout,” as he ran to his vehicle and fled, according to allegations. The victim suffered two jaw fractures and was hospitalized for several days as a result of the attack.

I could provide countless other examples of modern day racism, but I won't. Instead, I will end with this story about the new face of white supremacy. Wake up.

Shattered Dreams and Disposable Black People

Too often, black dreams are shattered. Too often, we are reminded that our lives are expendable and that we are disposable. The two stories below are prime examples of that harsh reality. The Huffington Post reports that:

A partial grand jury in North Carolina has decided not to indict Randall Kerrick, the officer who fatally shot Jonathan Ferrell in September 2013.

After meeting for eight hours on Tuesday, the jury reportedly submitted a document to the county clerk of the court, not only stating it would not indict the officer on the charge of voluntary manslaughter, but also attached a handwritten letter respectfully requesting the district attorney submit a bill of indictment for a lesser charge.

However, Attorney General Roy Cooper said in a statement that the decision was not made by a full grand jury, and that his office plans to resubmit the request as soon as possible.

"Today, our prosecutors learned that the grand jury that considered the indictment on charges of voluntary manslaughter was less than a full panel. It would be in the best interest of justice to resubmit this case to a full grand jury, which we plan to do as soon as possible," Cooper said.

Officer Kerrick was charged after shooting Ferrell 10 times when authorities responded to a breaking and entering call. Ferrell who had been involved in an accident, was seeking help in a nearby neighborhood when a woman called the police, thinking he was a robber. Ferrell ran toward the officers, who tried to stop him with a Taser. Police said he continued to run toward them when Kerrick shot him. Ferrell died at the scene. Both the local NAACP chapter and Ferrell's family have questioned whether race played a role in the shooting.

In a rare move, the partial grand jury decided that there was insufficient evidence to indict the officer for voluntary manslaughter. I do not understand how they could possibly reach such a decision. That officer shot Mr. Ferrell 10 times. Mr. Ferrell was unarmed.  Mr. Ferrell did not pose a threat to anyone. 

Because of Mr. Ferrell's skin color that caller wrongly assumed that he was a robber.  Because of Mr. Ferrell's skin color that police officer probably assumed that Mr. Ferrell was dangerous.  Mr. Ferrell was merely seeking assistance after a car accident.  Because of Mr. Ferrell's skin color that jury had no problem allowing that officer walk. 

Like the Trayvon Martin case, the Amadou Diallo case, the Sean Bell case and other countless cases, we are reminded that the white man's word is sacrosanct and black life is worthless.

Tragically, white police officers and vigilantes are not the only people who devalue black life. Some lost brothers and sisters do not value the lives of their own people.  In another article, the Huffington Post reports that:

The shootings of two brothers within three weeks of one other has left a California mother mourning the loss of her only children.

Dinyal New, 41, admitted that she didn't have the strength to positively identify both of her sons, instead asking relatives to do so for her, SFGate reports.

On Dec. 31, 2013, New's younger son, 13-year-old Lee Weathersby, was shot dead while he was walking home from the Oakland Boys & Girls Club. Nineteen days later, her older son, Lamar Broussard, 19, died when the car he and a friend were in was sprayed with bullets, KGO reports.   

Similar violence occurs in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit, New Orleans and many other major inner cities around this nation. Such violence has become so routine and regular that many have accepted it as the new normal. Those endless tragedies do not receive the same level of attention as the Newtowns and Columbines.

That is yet another reminder of how insignificant black life is in this country. Instead of addressing criminogenic factors such as unemployment, poverty, inferior schools and the influx of firearms, the politicians and pundits continue to devalue black life by parroting empty slogans about personal responsibility and black pathology. As long as the underling conditions are not addressed, our cities will continue to be killing fields.

The Objectification and Humiliation of the Black Woman

The Huffington Post reports that:

The online magazine Buro 247 has published a story about Dasha Zhukova, the Russian editor-in-chief of Garage magazine, which shows the editrix perched atop a chair designed to look like a half-naked black woman. Ugh.

Note: the image has since been cropped on the website to only show Zhukova and not the chair. We have reached out to Miroslava Duma the editor of Buro 247 for comment.

Claire Sulmers, the editor of FashionBombDaily.com, alerted us to the unfortunate feature and calls the image an example of "white dominance and superiority, articulated in a seemingly serene yet overtly degrading way."

We couldn't agree more. Although the chair also comes in "white woman," we can't help but be filled with anger and frustration over the onslaught of negative imagery, constant disregard and unabashed bigotry that continues to plague the fashion industry. From Bethann Hardison's crusade to end racism on the runway to our attempt to educate society over and over and over again about the nonsense that is Blackface -- the stories of racially insensitive absurdity are never ending.

In response to the backlash, Ms. Zhukova issued the following apology:

The chair pictured in the Buro 24/7 website interview is an artwork created by Norwegian artist Bjarne Melgaard, one of a series that reinterprets art historical works from artist Allen Jones as a commentary on gender and racial politics. Its use in this photo shoot is regrettable as it took the artwork totally out of its intended context, particularly given that Buro 24/7′s release of the article coincided with the important celebration of the life and legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I regret allowing an artwork with such charged meaning to be used in this context. I utterly abhor racism and would like to apologize to those offended by my participation in this shoot.

Garage Magazine has a strong track record of promoting diversity and racial and gender equality in the worlds of art and fashion, and will continue in our mission to stir positive debate on these and other issues.  Read more here.

Clearly, that photo is blatantly racist and sexist. Illustrating her racial superiority and domination, Dasha Zhukova is literally sitting on top of a partially nude black woman who is sexually positioned in the shape of a chair. The black woman has been reduced to an object, a chair. This is even worst than a modern day field jockey statue. At least, the field jockey is standing upright.  That photo is reminiscent of slavery times when our half-naked ancestors were placed on auction blocks and examined like cattle. It is absolutely impossible for me to understand how anyone in their right mind would actually believe that such a photo would be acceptable under any circumstances.

Every single time one of these incidents occurs,  the racists always pretend to be completely unaware that their actions are offensive. Apparently, many white people have been thoroughly brainwashed to be unconsciously racist.

Unfortunately, this story is not the first time that I read about Europeans objectifying black women. In 2012, as reported in The World Post, Sweden's minister of culture Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth was photographed cutting a cake designed to look like an African woman.  As if that was not bad enough, in recent times, some white women further humiliate black women by parading around in black face.  Clearly, some white women do not see black women as their true sisters in the struggle for women's liberation and feminism. In fact, many of them help their white husbands, brothers and sons oppress and humiliate black women and black men.

 

 

We must stand up speak out against the objectification and humiliation of black women. We must speak out against racist white people who degrade our women.

Equally as important, we must speak out against sexist, misogynistic black men who degrade our women. Sadly, it is not white woman who is usually sitting in that chair of domination and oppression. It is a black man, a rapper or a YouTube minstrel. It is a black man calling our sisters "bitches, hoes, chicken heads, etc."  Influenced by white owned media corporations, a few misguided black men depict our women as prostitutes and strippers. Unfortunately, there are too many sisters who are willing to play the role of the modern day Sarah Baartman. For a few dollars, they volunteer to be proverbial black woman chair.

We must fight to maintain and defend our dignity and self respect as a people. We must defend and protect the black women from the enemy within and the enemy without.

President Obama is the New Face of American Imperialism

During his first presidential campaign, Obama represented hope and change. However, once he was elected, he became just another president. He became the new face of the American Imperial Empire. On his watch, U.S. imperialism and militarism have expanded. America has extended its tentacles into more countries around the globe. On his watch, America has unleashed drones like a plague of death upon innocent men, women and children. On his watch, Big Brother has continued to collect massive amounts of private data on millions of innocent of Americans.

The Nation reports:

In the waning days of the Bush presidency, Special Operations forces were reportedly deployed in about sixty countries around the world. By 2010, that number had swelled to seventy-five, according to Karen DeYoung and Greg Jaffe of The Washington Post. In 2011, Special Operations Command (SOCOM) spokesman Colonel Tim Nye told TomDispatch that the total would reach 120. Today, that figure has risen higher still.

In 2013, elite US forces were deployed in 134 countries around the globe, according to Major Matthew Robert Bockholt of SOCOM Public Affairs. This 123 percent increase during the Obama years demonstrates how, in addition to conventional wars and a CIA drone campaign, public diplomacy and extensive electronic spying, the US has engaged in still another significant and growing form of overseas power projection. Conducted largely in the shadows by America’s most elite troops, the vast majority of these missions take place far from prying eyes, media scrutiny, or any type of outside oversight, increasing the chances of unforeseen blowback and catastrophic consequences.

Although elected in 2008 by many who saw him as an antiwar candidate, President Obama has proved to be a decidedly hawkish commander-in-chief whose policies have already produced notable instances of what in CIA trade-speak has long been called blowback. While the Obama administration oversaw a US withdrawal from Iraq (negotiated by his predecessor), as well as a drawdown of US forces in Afghanistan (after a major military surge in that country), the president has presided over a ramping up of the US military presence in Africa, a reinvigoration of efforts in Latin America, and tough talk about a rebalancing or “pivot to Asia” (even if it has amounted to little as of yet).

The White House has also overseen an exponential expansion of America’s drone war. While President Bush launched fifty-one such strikes, President Obama has presided over 330, according to research by the London-based Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Last year, alone, the US also engaged in combat operations in Afghanistan, Libya, Pakistan, Somalia, and Yemen. Recent revelations from National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden have demonstrated the tremendous breadth and global reach of US electronic surveillance during the Obama years. And deep in the shadows, Special Operations forces are now annually deployed to more than double the number of nations as at the end of Bush’s tenure. (Emphasis added)

In foreign affairs, it does not matter who is president. Whether the President is "progressive" or conservative, the war machine continues to march to the drum beat of corporate interests. Whether the President is a Democrat or Republican, the war machine continues to march to the drum beat of AIPAC. In fact, instead of being the actual driver of the machine, the President is merely a part of the machine.

Sadly, the people who should be speaking out are not speaking out. Instead, they are selling out. They have bartered their principles for access to power. As a matter of fact, they have become apologists and excuse makers for kill lists, war and NSA surveillance. They have become guardians and attack dogs for the power elite. Instead of continuing Dr. King's legacy of speaking out against militarism, they have become surrogates for the Obama Administration. They have been reduced to civil rights re-enactors and pseudo journalists. We can no longer wait for the so-called leaders to act. We must act. We must organize.

Dr. King Speaking Truth to Power

Good morning, family. Happy Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day! Listen to our dear beloved brother speak truth to power without fear. Much respect.