<![CDATA[MARKETPLACE FOR SOCIAL AWARENESS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INC.

<![CDATA[MARKETPLACE FOR SOCIAL AWARENESS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY INC. - From the Editor]]>Mon, 24 Jun 2024 23:13:29 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[Are We Insane?]]>Thu, 04 Jun 2020 03:01:15 GMThttp://www.mfsasr.com/from-the-editor/are-we-insane

“I just don’t believe that when people are being unjustly oppressed that they should let someone else set rules for them by which they can come out from under that oppression”-- Malcolm X

I feel like I’m on a hamster wheel. I’ve seen this story before. I’ve read the book. I’ve reread the book. I’ve seen the rerun.

Different day, same stuff.

They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing the same way and expecting a different result. Do we really expect this model to change if we continue down the current path?

Are we insane?

It seems to me as if we’re still asking for a seat at the table. It seems to me as if we’re asking for recognition from someone with no vested interest in doing so. What do they have to gain? History has proven that the story will be relegated to the back pages until another black life is taken.

I don’t want table scraps.

I wish I had all the answers but I don’t even come close. What I do know is this model isn’t working. I believe we need to rethink our objectives and priorities. I don’t want a seat at the table. I want to OWN the table. It seems to me the only thing that garners attention is economic impact. Do we realize the buying power we have as a people? Can you imagine what would happen if we started spending less of our income in their backyard and more in our own? It worked in Montgomery in 1955/1956, why can’t it work now?

Years ago I wrote an article entitled “What are you willing to die for?”

“I find it striking that common, everyday people, with singleness of purpose, rose to the occasion to fight for what they believed in. These pioneers who we now call freedom fighters put their lives on the line to bring attention to social injustice. They were true trailblazers. Some of their lives ended too early, they were not able to see the fruits of their labor and conviction. Some of them continue to fight the good fight to this day.”

So my question now is “What are we willing to sacrifice?”

“Nobody can give you freedom. Nobody can give you equality or justice or anything. If you’re a man, you take it.” -- Malcolm X

]]><![CDATA[What Makes A Black Life (or Death) Newsworthy?]]>Sun, 28 Sep 2014 04:36:17 GMThttp://www.mfsasr.com/from-the-editor/what-makes-a-black-life-or-death-newsworthy

Eric Garner, Staten Island, New York / July 17th
John Crawford III, Beavercreek, Ohio / August 5th
Michael Brown, Ferguson, Missouri / August 9th
Ezell Ford, Los Angeles, California / August 11th
Dante Parker, Victorville, California / August 12th

What do these five men have in common? They were killed under suspicious circumstances involving local police. Each of these deaths are under investigation. Of the five, Michael Brown has received the most national media coverage.

The question is simple, who decides which one of these is newsworthy? Who's pulling the strings and telling us which ones to be outraged about? Why aren't all of these receiving national attention? The media frenzy around Michael Brown has not been this fervent since the death of Trayvon Martin. Is there something we can learn from this?

Maybe it has to do with age. Garner was a 43-year-old father of six, Crawford was a 22-year-old father of two, Ford was 25 years old, and Parker was 36 years old. Did they not meet the criteria for garnering a public outcry?

Maybe it has to do with location. It has been well documented that although Ferguson's population is predominantly African American, their police force is predominantly white. Is it possible that this statistic lends itself to great copy.

Maybe it has to do with the residents of Ferguson and their grass roots campaign to bring this issue to national attention. If that is indeed the case what makes Ferguson different from New York, Los Angeles, Victorville, or Beavercreek? In all of these cases rallies and vigils were held but for some reason they did not garner the national attention that the Brown incident has received.

Eric Garner

I am not a conspiracy theorist who believes this is part of some grand master plan (although it doesn't sound to far-fetched). I believe that we are strongly influenced by mass media and the media plays a major role in shaping public opinion. If in doubt just ask a politician.

So I ask again, what makes an African-American life (or death) newsworthy?

It starts now, let's get this thing done

]]><![CDATA[Are Young Black Men Broken?]]>Mon, 25 Aug 2014 22:59:21 GMThttp://www.mfsasr.com/from-the-editor/are-young-black-men-broken

Have we been brainwashed into believing there is a "black male problem" that needs to be fixed? What kind of message is this sending to young black men? Are they broken and in need of repair?

I’ve been asking myself these questions lately. For years we have been exposed to “plight of the black man” messaging. I question the psychological impact this has had on young black men. Let’s be clear, I’m not a psychiatrist and by no means inferring I’m qualified to offer any medical opinions. What I will say is I find it hard to believe that negative messaging has not had an effect on these young men.

If you do a Google search for “black male initiative programs” you will find a plethora of organizations committed to the development of black men. Even our federal government is involved with the launching of the My Brother’s Keeper initiative. Has it come this far that our president needs to step in and help "fix" young black men? In our zeal to help have we contributed to lowering their self esteem?

“President Obama is taking action to launch My Brother’s Keeper – a new initiative to help every boy and young man of color who is willing to do the hard work to get ahead. For decades, opportunity has lagged behind for boys and young men of color. But across the country, communities are adopting approaches to help put these boys and young men on the path to success.”

I applaud all of these organizations for the great work their doing. They have been instrumental and necessary for many young men. Their efforts are the socially responsible thing to do given the circumstances.

I do not believe the issue nor the solution resides with fixing young black men. Firstly, let's not be fooled into believing that all young black men are in need of repair. There are a lot of exceptional young men doing great things who are often overlooked by the mainstream media. Secondly, let's understand why these programs are even necessary. Let's not overlook our socio-economic landscape. Maybe instead of trying to "fix" these young men emphasis should be placed on fixing the conditions that created this situation to begin with.

My point is simple, I'm not opposed to any program that benefits and enhances the life of young black men. That being said I believe we need to change the messaging. I'm here to say that our young African American men are not broken. They are not objects in need of repair. They are children in need of an opportunity to strive and thrive.

During an interview with a NY Times reporter Steve Bandura, pitching phenom Mo'Ne Davis' coach, commented:

"What haunts me is that for every success we have, there are probably 100 other kids who could be successes but never had the opportunity," ...."I hope this opened people's eyes: Kids, given the chance, will excel, whatever their economic background, whatever their race."

We may not be able to boil an ocean but we can take the first step by changing the way we talk about our young men.

It starts now, let's get this thing done....

]]><![CDATA[My Wish for 2014]]>Sun, 29 Dec 2013 01:48:15 GMThttp://www.mfsasr.com/from-the-editor/my-wish-for-2014

As I look back at 2013, the posts I've written in the Marketplace, the articles we've shared on our Facebook page, and our Twitter messages, I've come to appreciate the power of social media. I am convinced now more than ever that our vision of leveraging social media to effect change is one worthy of continuing, one we must push forward.

We did not deviate from our goal of focusing on major issues such as voting rights, education, and criminal justice reform. We maintained our belief that as a society we need to be more socially aware but more importantly socially responsible. Rest assured, we will continue in this vein in 2014.

My wish for 2014 is for us to spend more time focusing on the little things, the things that often go unnoticed and unrecognized.

I wish we take a moment to read to a child. Reading opens a child's mind to the world. It can create a quest for knowledge. The old adage that reading is fundamental is still relevant. Does your local library have a reading club? Is there a book store nearby that has a children's corner. A child's mind is like a blank canvas, let's take some time to help them paint a beautiful picture.

Let's take it one step further and buy a book for a child.

I wish we take some time out of our busy schedules to be a mentor. In today's world we cannot expect parents to do it alone. Unfortunately in many cases parents are too busy working to provide for their children. Children need leadership, guidance, and direction. It does take a village.

I wish we help someone less fortunate financially or contribute to organizations trying to make a difference. Give up that vanilla latte for a week. Bring your lunch to work a couple of days out of the week. Purge your closets of clothes that you know you're never going to wear again. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own living that we forget how truly blessed we are. I cannot fathom the thought of being homeless, of not knowing where my next meal is going to come from. We can do better, we can contribute more.

I wish for us to be more socially responsible. It's up to us, no more waiting for the next person to do what we could be doing. Let's commit to spending less time talking about what needs to be done and spending more time doing it. What can you do? Take a look around, there's always something that can be done. If by chance you can't think of anything, pick one of the three above.

I wish everyone a wonderful and prosperous new year!

It starts now, let's get this thing done....

]]><![CDATA[The Elections Are Over, Now What?]]>Sun, 10 Nov 2013 21:33:40 GMThttp://www.mfsasr.com/from-the-editor/the-elections-are-over-now-what

We all know the cliche: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". If we know this and believe it to be true then when it comes to the election cycle we're definitely insane.

Every year we're bombarded with advertising that's mostly negative. We get our full share of speculation from the various media pundits and because we're special we get to hear the candidates debate issues that someone else decided were important for us to listen to. Then there's the telephone solicitations, bulk mailings, and if we're lucky the door to door visits. All of this leads up to the culminating event, Election Day.

And then what?

Candidates get elected, some of us are happy and some of us aren't. Then we sit back and wait another year for the cycle to begin again. In the meantime we complain that our elected officials aren't doing the job we elected them to do. Do we really think just voting for a candidate is enough? Are we being naive to expect them to do their job and get it done? We may not want to hear it but a career politician"s primary objective is to get reelected. It's the reason why they call themselves career politicians. Politics is their job and they don't want to be unemployed. This is why they stay in constant fundraising mode. They need to replenish the "war chest" for the next cycle.

We need to do a better job of holding our elected officials accountable. We must remind them that we're the ones who put them in office and the ones who can vote them out. We need to be actively involved in the political process.

Here are some things you can do:

Find out who your local representatives are: This is where the rubber meets the road. Starting with your community first will have the most impact on your daily lives. Find out who's on your local councils. Find out who's on your school board. Get their address, phone number, and email address.
Find out who your state representatives are: Stand Your Ground, Voter ID, Right to work, and many other laws impacting us today originate at the state level. The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) marries state legislators with corporations to create "model bills". Redistricting (or sometime gerrymandering) is also decided at the state level.
Find out who your federal representatives are: Although these are the people who get the most attention in the media, they're also the ones we have the least impact on. Members of the House of Representatives are elected based on congressional districts determined at the state level. Not only is it important to know who your Congressman or Congresswoman is, it is extremely important to know the demographics and boundaries of your district.
Stay informed: Keep up with what's going on in your community. Attend a council or school board meeting. Watch your local news channel. Find out what legislation is being proposed and when the vote will happen.
If you're not satisfied, write: Exercise your rights. Let your elected officials know how you feel. Organize letter writing and phone calling campaigns. Start a petition. Let your voice be heard.

We should not allow ourselves to become sheep who blindly follow our elected officials.

It starts now, let's get this thing done...

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