Two Sistas Make History

The Grio reported that:

Two female students at Fresno State University recently made history by being named the first African-American women to win the Henry Clay Invitational Debates.

The annual debate, which was held at the University of Kentucky this year, was first established in 1971 and is one of the nation’s oldest and largest U.S. policy, varsity debate tournaments in America, reports The Collegian at Fresno State.

On Oct. 7, Nadia Lewis and Jamila Ahmed took home the first and second place titles, respectively, after competing against 286 speakers from 30 schools.

Read more here.

While others highlight negative stereotypes of black people, I will highlight examples of black excellence and achievement. Join me in congratulating Nadia Lewis and Jamila Ahmed!

Three African Americans Receive ‘Genius’ MacArthur Fellowship Awards

(Photo of Carrie Mae Weems, one of the awardees)

Frost Illustrated reports that:

Three African Americans are among the recipients of the prestigious MacArthur Foundation fellowships for 2013—an award that recognizes those who have demonstrated extraordinary achievement and potential in their creative pursuits.
Kyle Abraham, Tarell McCraney and Carrie Mae Weems were among the 24 individuals who each will receive the $625,000 monetary award, which they can use to invest in their artistic visions in any manner they choose.

“This year’s class of MacArthur Fellows is an extraordinary group of individuals who collectively reflect the breadth and depth of American creativity,” said Cecilia Conrad, vice president, MacArthur Fellows Program, in a statement. “They are artists, social innovators, scientists, and humanists who are working to improve the human condition and to preserve and sustain our natural and cultural heritage. Their stories should inspire each of us to consider our own potential to contribute our talents for the betterment of humankind.”

Abraham, McCraney and Weems, in particular, were celebrated for their unique expressions of the African American experience.

Read more here.

Is Obama Black Enough?

The Root reports that:

Thanks to the book Game Change, which captured the behind-the-scenes drama of the 2008 presidential campaign, authors Mark Halperin and John Heilemann are now as feared among those keeping political secrets as Karinne “Superhead” Steffans is feared among the rappers and athletes worried about being name-checked in her next tell-all.

The most recent revelation to leak from their latest book, Double Down, is a good reminder of why Halperin and Heilemann cause such nervousness among the political elite. According to the Daily Beast’s overview, the book claims President Obama and his advisors were irritated by what his aides dubbed the “professional left” and “professional blacks.” Not black professionals, but those who professionally highlight or exploit racial politics. The book goes on to say that the president considers New York Rep. Charles Rangel “a hack” and that the Rev. Jesse Jackson essentially had been banned from the White House. The Washington Times also reported that according to the book, Rep. John Lewis and Jim Clyburn were the only two members of the CBC whom President Obama respects, writing, “Apart from Georgia congressman John Lewis and Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, Obama had nearly as much contempt for the CBC as he did for the Tea Party Caucus.”

But the most eye-opening revelation to come from this section of the book is the allegation that the president is still hung up on an allegation that has haunted him since early in his career, that he is not “black enough” and that he actually asked aides during the 2012 campaign, “Am I still not black enough?”

While these anecdotes are not exactly explosive, they are revealing. For one, the president’s tight relationship with rapper Jay Z (birth name Shawn Carter) has been puzzling for many, particularly in light of the fact that Jay Z is a former drug dealer who has proved politically embarrassing to the president.

President Obama was not raised in a predominantly African American environment. He is biracial.  His father was Kenyan and his mother was white. His African father was not involved in his life. While Obama is African American in the truest sense, he is not a descendant of enslaved African Americans. For the most part, he was raised by his white mother and his white grandparents in a predominantly white community. In the words of Senator Harry Reid, Obama did not grow up speaking the "Negro dialect". Eventually, he learned and adopted the Negro dialect as a second language to be used only when addressing large, predominantly African American crowds and groups.  Unlike Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Bobby Rush, Barack Obama is not from the Civil Rights Movement era. Obama was not an activist like Rev. Jesse Jackson or Rev. Al Sharpton.  Such factors made and make Obama more appealing to white voters.  At the same time, such factors cause some to question his blackness.

I do not question the President's blackness.  The brother has an African/Muslim name. In America, biracial equals black. When the police stop and frisk you or shoot you down in New York, they do not see a "biracial" person.  They see a black person.  Instead of working on Wall Street, Obama worked in low income, black communities in Chicago. He went to a black liberation theology church for 20 years.  Barack Obama married First Lady Michelle Obama, who is undeniably black, and had two beautiful black daughters.

It is worth noting that the Tea Party does not question his blackness.  In case Obama ever forgets, the Tea Party is there to remind him that he is black.  They remind him with their Confederate flags, Obama witch doctor signs, Obama monkey signs and Obama Muslim/Arab terrorist signs.

Although I do not question Obama's blackness, I do question his failure to adequately address issues of race.  I do question his failure to adequately address high black unemployment and other issues.  I do question his failure to develop a stronger relationship with the Congressional Black Caucus.

When Barack Obama first rose to national prominence, I viewed his sudden ascent with great skepticism.  That skepticism was based on his famous speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention.  In that speech, he said that:

Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America -- there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America -- there’s the United States of America.

Such post-racial, post-partisan rhetoric was designed to placate mainstream, white moderates. Everyone knows that there is a Black America and a White America. Those two Americas in many ways remain separate and unequal. They are unequal in every sense of the word.  Significant disparities continue to exist in education, employment, wealth, criminal justice, education and health.

Obama's speech made it abundantly clear that he is not a race man.  Unless pressed into a corner, Obama downplays the significance of race in America. He avoids discussing the issue. I completely understand why an ambitious and intelligent black politician would avoid such a volatile, divisive and explosive topic. Discussing such a topic is not smart politics when one is running for a statewide office or national office. Talking about race will only antagonize and alienate white voters.

However, the President is in his second term.  He should feel more comfortable speaking about race. He might as well be black now, real black. Although the President has made some significant public statements on race during his Presidency, he still avoids the topic. As reported in The Afro:

According to research compiled by Daniel Q. Gillion, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania, President Obama has paid less attention to race – as measured by executive orders issued and references to race in public speeches – than every Democratic president since 1961.

That means he has paid less attention to race than John F. Kennedy, a liberal former U.S. Senator from Massachusetts, and three White Southerners who grew up under segregation – Lyndon Johnson of Texas, Jimmy Carter of Georgia and Bill Clinton of Arkansas.

In that context, I do not doubt the claims in Double Down. Remember when the President told the Congressional Black Caucus to "Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying." In addition, the President waited over two years before having his most recent meeting with the Congressional Black Caucus. That is simply unacceptable. No politician should treat his most loyal constituency that way especially when African Americans continue to experience disproportionately  high unemployment and incarceration rates. As reported on Think Progress,

The nation’s unemployment rate is now 7.9 percent, and there is an unquestionable recovery taking place. Lost in the positive news, though, is that the unemployment rate for African-Americans rose nearly a full point to 14.3 percent, up from 13.4 percent in September.

Obviously, the President needs to spend more time meeting with the CBC than he does with Jay Z.

Although I recognize the President has implemented policies that benefit African Americans, far more work needs to be done to improve the state of Black America. We cannot allow ourselves to be silenced by the Administration's condescending rhetoric about "being the President of all of America, not just Black America."  That talking point is simply a feeble excuse and justification for indifference and inaction.  Every time the black left raises legitimate issues or questions regarding the President's policies or lack thereof, the mindless parrot that talking point. 

Obama does not tell AIPAC that he is not the President of Zionist America. He does not tell the immigrant community that he is not the President of Latino America. He does not tell that the LGBT community that he is not the President of Gay America. It is time for people to stop saying that Obama is not the President of Black America.  All of America includes Black America. 

Whether Obama likes it or not, the African American community and the CBC must keep up the pressure. Too much is at stake. Yes, Mr. President. You are black enough, but you have not done enough for black people.

Justice for Renisha McBride

Good morning. Justice for Renisha McBride! Justice for Trayvon Martin! Justice for Jonathan Ferrell! Justice for Jordan Davis! We must end all forms of racial profiling and racial violence. We must repeal Stand Your Ground laws.

Is It Open Season on Black People?

Fox 2 News Headlines

The Detroit News reports that:

Dearborn Heights— Four days after a young woman was found dead outside a Dearborn Heights home at which she is believed to have sought help after a car accident, the family is asking: Why did she have to die?

Little has been publicly released about the circumstances of Renisha McBride’s death Saturday. The 19-year-old from Detroit died of a shotgun blast to the head outside the home in the 16800 block of Outer Drive near Warren Avenue. Dearborn Heights police said they have “identified the person who fired the shot and killed the woman.”

Her cellphone dead, her family said, she made her way to the house for help after the early morning accident.

“She probably wanted to ask him to make a call for her or if she could use the phone,” said McBride’s maternal aunt, Bernita Spinks.

Police have refused to release details of their investigation. The police chief did not return calls.

The family is filled with questions, said Spinks, a family spokeswoman. At a vigil late Wednesday, she asked: “Why did he have to shoot her?”

Spinks said the family met with police and Prosecutor’s Office about the shooting. She said police told the family the shooter is a man in his 50s.A preliminary autopsy indicated McBride was shot in the head, according to the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office. No other information on the autopsy was released.

Police on Wednesday asked the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to issue a warrant for the resident in the fatal shooting, but late Wednesday, the office said it sent back the request.

“We have requested further investigation by the police that must be submitted to our office before a decision will be made,” said Maria Miller, a spokeswoman for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

As the family prepares for the funeral Friday of McBride, a recent graduate of Southfield High School and an employee of Ford Motor Co., family members said they are troubled by the circumstances of the shooting. Spinks said she believes her niece was racially profiled.

Unfortunately, this is not the first time that a white person killed a black person seeking help. Check out what happened to Jonathan Ferrell.

As reported in the Daily News,

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — An unarmed former Florida A&M University football player shot and killed by police — who were responding to calls of a man trying to break into a house — was apparently just seeking help after a car accident.

Jonathan Ferrell, 24, was shot multiple times when cops say he surprised a trio of Charlotte-Mecklenburg police officers by running toward them around 2 a.m. Saturday.

Police say Ferrell’s description matched one given by a woman who moments earlier called 911 to report a man knocking wildly on her front door and attempting to break in.

When we are not being killed by our own brothers and sisters, we are being killed by white racists who assume that all black people are dangerous criminals. They killed Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, Jonathan Ferrell and now Renisha McBride. Is it open season on black people? How many more brothers and sisters must die before we finally wake the hell up and stand up?

Drop the Appeal, End Stop and Frisk Now!

Metro reports that:

Energized by the landslide victory of their mayoral candidate in yesterday’s election, stop-and-frisk opponents crowded onto the steps of City Hall to call on the out-going mayor to drop his appeal.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s law department is appealing federal Judge Shira Scheindlin’s ruling in Floyd v. City of New York. Scheindlin said the way the NYPD practices stop, question and frisk is unconstitutional and discriminatory.

Last week, three Court of Appeals judges granted city lawyers their motion to stay Scheindlin’s ordered remedies while they appeal her ruling.

In an extremely unusual move, the judges also removed Scheindlin from the cases, seizing on allegations that she improperly coached attorneys to make sure the cases were brought to her.

But the timeline outlined in the Court of Appeals’ judges order extends well into 2014, when Mayor Elect Bill de Blasio will have taken over. De Blasio has vowed to drop the appeal.

Stop-and-frisk opponents today insisted Bloomberg should just drop the appeal himself.

Congressman Jerrold Nadler called pursuing the appeal a “total” waste of taxpayer money.

“The appeal… is going to be dropped in January,” Nadler said. “So why waste everybody’s time and money and energy in November and December?”

Sadly, some misguided and uninformed people actually support New York City's ineffective and wasteful stop and frisk policy.  The Huffington Post reports that:

CNN host Don Lemon got a big chunk of Twitter very mad at him on Tuesday after he endorsed New York's reviled stop and frisk policies.

Speaking during his regular slot on the Tom Joyner show, Lemon said that police were not always very respectful of the people they stopped, but that tampering with the "formula that has reduced crime in New York City" could be very dangerous.

"The question is, would you rather be politically correct or safe and alive?" he concluded.

Here are a few reasons why Uncle Don is wrong. As reported in The Huffington Post article entitled NYPD Stop And Frisks: 15 Shocking Facts About A Controversial Program,

The NYPD argues this shows the effectiveness of stop and frisk, saying the practice has prevented people from carrying guns on the street. While stops have increased by 524,873 since 2003, officers have found only 176 additional guns...

The NYPD and local politicians have repeatedly defended the racial disparity in stops by saying minorities are disproportionately involved in violent crime. In 2011, however, in only 10.5 percent of stops did cops record "violent criminal activity" as justification for the stop.

Nine out of 10 of those stopped in 2011 were neither arrested nor given summonses.

The NYPD and politicians have repeatedly justified the racial disparity in stop and frisks saying that they cops essentially go where the guns are, i.e. minority neighborhoods. Yet, only 1.9 percent of frisks in 2011 turned up weapons and interestingly, according to the NYCLU, "a weapon was found in only 1.8 percent of blacks and Latinos frisked, as compared to a weapon being found in 3.8 percent of whites frisked."

...In 2002, when Mr. Kelly last took office, officers stopped 97,296 New Yorkers and the city reported 587 homicides. Last year, those numbers were 685,724 and 532...

Last week, the NYPD said stop-and-frisk was used more than 200,000 times in the first quarter of this year – a 10 percent jump from the same period last year. The data covers the period from January to March. So far this year homicides are down by 19 percent over last year.

But of the 13 precincts where homicides were up, stop and frisks increased in six over the same reporting period last year. And in the remaining seven, stop and frisks were down.

“There is no evidence that stop and frisk is lowering or suppressing the murder rate in New York City,” said Chris Dunn, spokesman for the NYCLU, in a statement. “Murders have dropped steadily since 1990.”

Clearly, stop and frisk is not making New Yorkers safe and secure. Stop and frisk is only further eroding public confidence and trust in the NYPD. The NYPD's stop and frisk policy is degrading, humiliating, oppressive and repressive.  New York City police are criminalizing blackness and collectively punishing the entire black community. Police officers should protect and serve the community, not harass and terrorize the community. It is time to drop the appeal and end stop and frisk now.

Hip Hop is Dead

"Yo, you believe when they say we ain't shit? We can't grow? All we are is dope dealers, gangsters and hoes?...We begged, we prayed, petitioned and demonstrated just to make another generation black zombies." Nas - Black Zombies

"Old white men is running this rap shit. Corporate forces is running this rap shit. Some tall Israeli is running this rap shit. We poke out our asses for a chance to cash in." Mos Def - The Rape Over

A few years ago, Nas said hip hop is dead. He was right. Hip hop is dead in so many ways. Hip hop is no longer an art form. It is an artificial commodity, like McDonald's hamburgers, mass produced for mass consumption and destruction. Culture should be a tool for liberation but we have allowed hip hop to be used as a tool for own our oppression and destruction. Instead of promoting life, it celebrates death, mental death, spiritual death and physical death. Today's hip hop promotes the effeminacy, criminalization, incarceration and destruction of the black man. It degrades and objectifies the black woman.

Hip hop used to be an expression of black masculinity and machismo. In 1980s, brothers wore jogging suits and sneakers. In the 1990s, brothers wore army fatigues, Timberland boots and baggy clothes. Now, hip hop is gay. Today, it is the "normal" to see men wearing two earrings. Dudes actually think that it's cool to wear bright colors and skin tight, sagging jeans exposing their underwear and entire buttocks. As if that is not bad enough, very popular male rap artists actually wear skirts and leggings now.

Listen to Lord Jamar speak the truth on this issue. Warning: some of the language is harsh.





There was a time when hip hop was authentic.  It was the voice of the voiceless.  During the Reagan and Bush I eras, artists like Run DMC and Grandmaster Flash rapped about hard times and life close to the edge.  That was the genuine voice of poor, black urban communities.  It represented the hopes, dreams, frustrations, love, consciousness, struggle and life of the community, of the hood.

There was a time when hip hop ushered in an era of black consciousness.  Hip hop groups like Public Enemy inspired us to learn or read about Malcolm X, the Nation of Islam, Louis Farrakhan, the Black Panther Party, Joanne Chesimard aka Assata Shakur, Huey Newton and other important black leaders.  Groups like the X Clan, the Jungle Brothers, A Tribe Called Quest, Brand Nubian and others taught us to love the Motherland and her culture.  People like KRS One told us that we must learn.  The brother told us to stop the violence.  He warned us about how the love of material things can lead to our destruction.  Those groups and artists taught us to love ourselves.  They taught us to embrace our blackness and our history. Such music was mainstream.  It was played in the streets, in the clubs and on the radio.

Today, "conscious" hip hop artists have essentially been pushed underground.  They are not played on the radio or in the club.  I have never heard Dead Prez or Immortal Technique played on the radio. Most young people are not listening to artists like Mos Def, Common or the Roots.

In late 1980s and early 1990s, hip hop groups celebrated and honored the red, the black and the green, the black liberation flag. Today, Kanye West, one of this generation's most popular rap artists, honors and sells the Confederate flag, a symbol of oppression and slavery. Why would any black person in his right mind celebrate and sell clothing bearing the Confederate flag on it? Kanye's decision epitomizes the mental death of hip hop.

Back in the day, hip hop was also about dancing and fun. You had groups like Kid N Play, Salt-n-Pepa, Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince, the Fat Boys, LL Cool J and others who made you want to dance.  Back then, you could listen to hip hop with your family.  Today, hip hop is laced with profanity and obscenity.  You can't listen to it around the children and the elders.

Back then, we also had "gangsta rap" artists as well like NWA, Ice T and other. However, they represented one voice among a plethora of diverse black voices.  Most of their songs were not played on the radio.

Today, that genre is the main genre of hip hop.  It is played over and over on the radio.  Every other hip hop song glorifies guns, murder, crack dealing and using "Molly".  Killing people, getting shot, selling drugs and incarceration are badges of honor and prerequisites for success in hip hop now. Unfortunately, for a few dollars, too many of our people are willing to play the role of the minstrel, the coon, the buffoon, the exaggerated gangster, the crack cooking drug dealer and the pimp. Those disturbing and negative images are projected around America and the world. Such images create, perpetuate and reinforce stereotypes about black criminality and stupidity. In an interview with XXL, T.I. mentioned the pressure to project such images:

Was Atlantic Records happy about the new family-friendly T.I.?
Nah, they hated it. Labels love hardcore T.I. That keeps the cash register ringing. They don’t want me to go to prison and caught though. They want me to be the Teflon Don, and I can’t blame them. That shit’s sexy. But I’m older, man. I’m wiser, I’m calmer… I’m better, stronger. I’m ready for whatever tomorrow got coming.

As others have said, mainstream hip hop is like an extended advertisement for prison and death. This is no coincidence. As documented in Davey D's article titled Jailhouse Roc: The Facts About Hip Hop and Prisons for Profit, there are financial ties between the entertainment industry and the prison industry. More specifically, Davey D writes:

According to public analysis from Bloomberg, the largest holder in Corrections Corporation of America is Vanguard Group Incorporated. Interestingly enough, Vanguard also holds considerable stake in the media giants determining this country’s culture. In fact, Vanguard is the third largest holder in both Viacom and Time Warner. Vanguard is also the third largest holder in the GEO Group, whose correctional, detention and community reentry services boast 101 facilities, approximately 73,000 beds and 18,000 employees. Second nationally only to Corrections Corporation of America, GEO’s facilities are located not only in the United States but in the United Kingdom, Australia and South Africa.

The entertainment industry has a financial incentive to promote life styles that increase the incarceration rates. 

While are our young men are being steered toward prison and death. Hip hop is degrading, objectifying, stripping and prostituting black women.  Today, most rap songs constantly refer to black women as bitches, hoes and other degrading terms. The hip hop industry parades our sisters around the world as modern day, half-naked Venus Hottentots.

As we reflect on the current state of hip hop, we must remember that African Americans do not control hip hop. We are just the front people. As rapper Scarface said old white men are defining the culture. Listen to Scarface speak the truth about hip hop.



Those old white men decide what kind of hip hop will be signed, promoted and played.  White corporate forces and their black minstrel minions killed hip hop. Hip hop is dead.