Normative Chaos

Inscribing Meaning and Memory: Red Tails & Dr. King

2012-01-20T15:15:00.011-05:00

Spending the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday at the King Center in Atlanta was a sobering reflection for me. I thought about how history and the legacy of a man and what he stood for was being reinscribed right before our very eyes and what, if anything, I could do about it. So imagine my disappointment when I felt like I was taking part in that very reinscription.

While substitute teaching an elementary class, my lesson plan included showing a film on singer Marian Anderson and reading books on Ruby Bridges and President Barack Obama in "preparation" for a program they were doing on Dr. King.

Surprised, I wasn't. Slightly devastated, I was.

What in the world do any of these things have to with Dr. King himself? It should be noted that I was teaching a music class, not a history class. But the amalgamation of these events and people, in the classroom and the newsroom, has proven to be the standard, not the exception.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday is not a Black History moment. And even if it were such, the study of Black history isn't (or shouldn't be) simply a salutation of extraordinary Negroes.

That's not Black history. That's Black tokenism.

And now a movie about extraordinary Negroes, played by Hollywood's token Black actors stands to carry the flag for all of Black film, if some folks have it their way. Isn't that something?

I won't criticize Red Tails. For one, I haven't seen it. Most initial reviews seem to portray a generally good Hollywood motion picture, despite whatever additional meaning some wish to attach to it.

That "meaning," however, is what delivers me here. After producer George Lucas stated his difficulty finding funding for the film because of its all Black cast, an outpouring of Black support for the movie ensued.

I don't doubt for one second the validity of his remarks. But it was as if Lucas hadn't said the same thing that Black directors and producers have been saying for years; and as if his timely remarks just two weeks before the opening of the film weren't a little "too timely." The response was overwhelmingly positive, with Blacks everywhere not only announcing their intentions to see the film, but emphasizing that we all must "support" it as well.

It was a response I hadn't quite seen from Black America since 2008, after snowy white Iowa cast it's ballot for Barack Obama in the Democratic primary. You may remember that day and why it may be relevant; or not.

These days, historical memories last about as long as the cycle of your latest smartphone. It's the same memory that allows for Dr. King's image to be so poorly distorted, even in the presence of those who knew and loved him. It also leads me to assume that most have forgotten that it wasn't that long ago that we were told to go "support" an up and coming Black playwright turned movie director. I'll let you be the judge of what became of Tyler Perry.

If the purpose of supporting Red Tails so that Hollywood produces more movies like it, then frankly, I'd rather not. That perpetuates the notion that no matter how unwilling, the mainstream is obligated to or even capable of telling our story. Neither of which is the case, nor is my existence dependent upon it being so. Nor do I wish to believe that Black films can only play two tunes; if not that old "Jump Jim Crow", then the song of struggle - the blues horn - that sometimes blows triumphantly and drowns old Jim out.

If it is important for me to go support Red Tails to honor the actual story it tells, well then I have to pass again. It's not that the Tuskegee Airmen don't deserve our honor, but rather how that story, and many others, are used to continue the narrative I began this essay with. It's the narrative that says that Black existence is defined by it's struggle with white oppression. Our importance is measured by our "contributions" to somebody else. And our worth is procured by that society's willingness to embrace us. This is our history. This is who we are.

The exceptional Negro. Think Anderson. Think Bridges. Think Obama.

Just ask my students on that day. They know their Black history. They know who Marian Anderson is and could tell me "she was a singer who white people didn't like at first because she was Black."

Who can fault them for having already mastered such a paltry narrative? It really never goes much further than that. And unfortunately, it's the same narrative that will lead many to the box office this weekend for little reason other that than to kneel at the throne of Hollywood with money in hand and say, "Thank you. I'm here now. Accept me."

What it all boils down to, is simple. If I see Red Tails, it will be because I want to and I think that I'll enjoy it. You know… the same reasons I normally go see a movie. The meaning making that others have sought to ascribe to it is not only misguided, but incredibly dangerous.

Am I out of turn for suggesting that we all go support a book? That wasn't meant to sound like a joke, either. But if it did, I'm only reaffirmed in my musings.

12 Jay-Z collaborations that are better than the Jay-Z & Kanye collaboration

2011-08-15T11:37:00.009-04:00

By now you've heard every bit of praise and criticism that has come in response to a particular collaborative album that will cease to be mentioned as to not amplify hype that is already hurting my eardrums. That sentence alone should give you my opinion. But just in case it didn't, let me make clear. Well... nevermind. I don't want to hear anymore opinions, not even my own.

So just in case last week made you forget about any number of outstanding collaborations Jay-Z has done in the past, here are 12 Jay-Z collaborations that are better than the Jay-Z and Kanye collaboration.

"Brooklyn's Finest" with The Notorious B.I.G. (Reasonable Doubt, 1996)

Duh. This is obvious. And just like dead rappers get better promotion, rappers that made records with dead rappers while they were alive get better promotion for as long as they're alive and can say that they made record with said dead rapper before he died. Humorous, yes. But to understand Jay's legacy you must know this and how he attempted (for the most part, successfully) to link his own lineage to Biggie. Biggie isn't Biggie without his own untimely death. And Jay-Z isn't Jay-Z without "Brooklyn's Finest." It's like an infinite co-sign.

"Renegade" with Eminem (The Blueprint, 2001)

Even more than I dislike an Eminem rap, I cannot stand an Eminem beat. This is both. I put this song on here out of formality for those who swear it is a classic. Somehow, I tolerate this song, which says a lot to me. Lyrically, I guess I'll concede, Em does his thing. Next.

"Big Pimpin" with UGK (Vol. 3... Life and Times of S. Carter, 1999)

One of the things I've always respected most about Jay-Z was his ability to foreshadow the direction of hip-hop. Name a prominent producer from 1998 to 2008, and they most likely had an early/milestone collaboration with Jay-Z. Timbaland, Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, Just Blaze and of course Kanye. Whether Jay-Z served as a weathervane for the game or other artists simply jocked his style is up for debate, but it's relevant either way.

The same can be said of rappers. UGK, though already well-established in the Gulf Coast, was relatively unknown to the East Coast dominated hip-hop scene. A year earlier, Jay featured on the remix for the debut hit single of an up and coming New Orleans rapper, Juvenile. This was all at a time when most were still questioning the viability of Southern rap outside of the South. A New York rapper collaborating with a Southern act was rare and radio spins for Southern rap in non-Southern markets was minimal. This one topped charts. Less than a decade later the South would dominate the rap scene. You could argue that the trend started here.

Jay-Z of course, was only good at putting on up and coming artists when he wasn't trying to. Which brings us too...

"Coming of Age" with Memphis Bleek (Reasonable Doubt, 1996)

Juxtaposing the success of Memphis Bleek versus Kanye West, you would swear Kanye is the one who's been getting the Jay-Z co-sign from the very beginning of his career. But it's actually quite the opposite. While Kanye was still trying to get Jay and Dame Dash to take him serious as a producer and a rapper, Jay was busy doing an album originally intended to be a collaboration album with Bleek and Beanie Sigel (see The Dynasty: Roc La Familia). In fact, Jay-Z has easily collaborated with Memphis Bleek more than any other artist. Listen to this song. Great back and forth verses and a storyline that never came true for Bleek, but eerily sounds a lot more like Kanye's.

"Show & Prove" with Big Daddy Kane, Scoob Lover, Sauce Money, Shyheim & Ol' Dirty Bastard (Daddy's Home, 1994)

Some will consider this song a classic, others may regard it as rather forgettable. I personally believe it to sit somewhere in the middle. For Jay (credited on the album as "J.Z.") this is kind of where it all began, his first prominent exposure. But there is nothing that stands out about the song, it came at the waning of Big Daddy Kane's career and it will probably mostly be remembered for a video that features a bald-headed Jay-Z.

"Guns & Roses" with Lenny Kravitz (Blueprint 2: The Gift and The Curse, 2002)

Yeah… it's magic. Jay-Z and Lenny Kravitz. And it's a Heavy D production, you bastards! What more can I say?

"Best of Me, Pt. 2" with Mya (Backstage: A Hard Knock Life, 2000)

Back when remixes were actually re-mixes. I don't even think most people remember the original version that was a hit single in it's own right and featured Jadakiss. Jay's smooth flow over a classic beat produced some memorable lines, no matter how meaningless they were. This includes my favorite line to hate of all time, "that's high school making me chase you round for months; have an affair, act like an adult for once."

"Empire State of Mind" with Alicia Keys (The Blueprint 3, 2009)

Truth be told, I may never want to hear this song again. But I'm a sucker for the good use of a sample (The Moments "Love On A Two-Way Street"). Though Keys isn't playing the piano in the studio-recorded version of this song, the live versions where she is have always delivered. These two had people all-around the country who had never even stepped foot in the five boroughs belting out the chorus to this song. It was an anthem for more than just New Yorkers, but all of those who feel a deep love and passion for the environments from whence they came.

"Heart of the City (Live)" with The Roots and Jaguar Wright (Unplugged, 2001)

Jay-Z and The Roots? C'mon man. Too easy. But even better than the live production of this soulful classic is the vocals by songstress Jaguar Wright. She completely takes over the song towards the end, to the point that Jay even stops to fan her down, all while she's completed seated in her chair.

"Guess Who's Back" with Scarface and Beanie Sigel (The Fix, 2002)

So I cheated here. This track was done over a Kanye beat, as was the original studio version of the last song. A great Kanye beat, by the way. A Kanye beat that was soulful, complex and made excellent and artful use of the sample. Basically, everything that "Otis" is not.

I still remember the first time I heard this song. I had just copped the $5 bootie of the The Fix from the barbershop on Highland Ave. in Washington, PA. I got back to the crib and popped it in my 51-disc CD changer (remember those?). Track #4 started with that immediate symphonic downbeat and Jay hollering "Talk to me, man!" I immediately recognized it as a Kanye beat without ever seeing the credits (it was a bootleg). I immediately turned it all the way up. The immediate "stank-face" commenced. This track is right up there with the original Jay/Face/Beans/'Ye collaboration, "This Can't Be Life", hence the "Guess Who's Back" title. This is classic Kanye... and of course, classic Jay.

"Hard Knock Life" with Annie (Vol. 2... Hard Knock Life, 1998) / "Anything" with Oliver (The Truth, 2000)

If they can list Otis Redding as a "featured" artist just for the use of a sample on "Otis", we should do the same for the poor little orphan children... No?

Bonus Tracks: The Almost Collaborative Collaboratives
"Moment of Clarity" with DJ Danger Mouse and The Beetles (The Grey Album, 2004)
"Never Changing" with nVME and Coldplay (Viva La Hova, 2008)
"Jigga What/Faint" with Linkin Park (Collision Course, 2004)

So, what did I miss? What are some of your favorite Jay-Z collaborations? Talk to me folks.

Obama's birth certificate and why you're to blame

2011-04-28T11:21:00.008-04:00

I'm angry. And I'm ashamed.

I have spent a great deal of time on this blog criticizing the presidency of Barack Obama. But I've also spent an equal amount of time in thought, debating how I could alter my criticism constructively in such a way that it would be received. All to often, these criticisms fall on deaf ears.

I realized some time ago that much of my anger wasn't even with the president, but rather with the millions of Americans, specifically Black Americans, who refuse to hold him accountable. I'm talking about the folks who seem to always have an excuse as to why Obama isn't living up to even their own expectations, no matter how low; the folks who seem to focus more on what Obama can't do "because he is Black" and "because he is the president" as opposed to what he can do because he has obtained an unprecedented level of leadership.

That realization became no more real than yesterday. What happened yesterday was your fault.

The first Black president of the United States also became the first president to have to prove his American citizenship. How did it feel?

Let's cut the bull for at least the duration of this post. It is a proven fact that people who say that so-called "birtherism" and other attacks on Obama aren't about race, also secretly attend Klan meetings at night, have a "best friend who is Black", and/or still think that the Easter Bunny is real.

This, my fellow citizens, is surely about race. Don't even entertain notions that suggest otherwise. And one thing that Obama has also proven time and time again is that when faced with the subject, he will cower.

But even worse than that, we've all proven that we will let him cower.

Racial attacks against Obama are bigger than him and the presidency. They are offensives launched at all of us from a group of people whose love for America is deeply rooted in the white privilege that it has afforded them, the very privilege that things like Obama's presidency and immigration threaten to obstruct.

Anytime Barack has exclaimed that veiled attacks against him aren't about race, he slaps the face of millions of Americans who frequently encounter racism and know in their hearts that it is in fact about race. Anytime he submits to those attacks, he reinforces the grain of white supremacy that his very presidency supposedly went against.

And you let him do it. You make excuses as to why he can't speak up. You rationalize the political capital to be gained by tip-toeing around the subject. You count the losses as being purely political and a part of the job, but it is so much more than that.

Yesterday's fiasco was the culmination of repeated failures to take a stand on race, amongst other subjects, for that matter. Add "birtherism" to that list of anything that you'll fall for if you don't stand for something.

Maybe we didn't take the birther issue serious enough to give it any attention. But thats exactly the point. We've backed down so much that something so obscure actually has relevance. It doesn't matter what you think. Barack himself found it relevant enough to personally fly two of his aides to Hawaii and retrieve his birth records.

Now what? Are we going to put it on display at the National Archives so any and every American can see it for themselves and authenticate it? I've got a better idea. Put it on display at Tavis Smiley's "America I Am" exhibit, right next to a set of manumission papers and a picture of Uncle Ben and Aunt Jemima.

Barack proved that he's American as boil-in-the-bag rice and microwaved waffles, but I don't know if it was his birth certificate or his submission to white supremacy that did it best.

Once again, Obama was wrestled to the ground and forced to say "uncle", while all of us stood around and watched because "he had to do it". Even worse, it was done at the hands of a toupee wearing property mogul who has us all fooled into thinking he's much wealthier and more important than he actually is. Apparently, the "leave him alone!" that some of you shout isn't loud enough.

Enough is enough.

I'm ashamed for Obama. I'm ashamed of every man and woman who fears criticizing him for whatever reasons, or simply fears taking a stand. Just because Obama won't (or "can't") take a stand doesn't mean that we can't. There is a thin line between constructive and destructive criticism. Demanding that President Obama stand for something you care about, the very issue(s) that led many of you to vote for him, doesn't mean you're standing against him; it means you're standing with him. Accountability, after all, is the best form of support. The consequences if we don't, are clear.

Remember yesterday. How did it feel to watch your shining prince, your president, bow down once again? What's your excuse now?

I know how it made me feel. It made me sick. And I'll do everything I can to never watch it happen again.

The Nucleus of Pan-Africanism: What We Can Learn From Ghana

2010-11-16T12:56:00.007-05:00

For the past week I have been in Ghana, doing everything from delivering school supplies to a local school here in Accra, to of course touring and taking it all in. Ghana has long been hailed as a center of Pan-African thought for a number of reasons.

Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, a founding father and first president of Ghana, was the first prominent head of state to promote Pan-Africanism. Nkrumah also has the distinction of being educated at one of the first HBCU in the U.S., Lincoln University (PA). It was during this education and interaction with the dynamic of the "color-line" in the states that he began to value the importance of a united African peoples. W.E.B. Du Bois, one of the intellectuals who Nkrumah would study and come to honor through his own work, would eventually move to Ghana and gain citizenship here right before he died in Accra during Nkrumah's presidency.

It is my belief that the "Black Star" will remain as the center and existential training ground of Pan-African thought. Ghana has much to teach the world and equally as much to teach Blacks in the United States should we wish to move towards a more autonomous community and a united African diaspora. African-Americans however, are in the best position of economic and academic influence to move that thought forward. It will require Africans across the diaspora to assess our strengths and weaknesses to bring us all up to par together.

Here are a few points.

Ghana is a multi-religion state

Ghana recognizes no official religion. Roughly 70% of Ghanaians are Christian, 15% Muslim, and 8% traditional African religions. And even though the majority of Ghanaians are Christian, they have consciously adopted and merged the values of traditional African religions in the way that they live and practice Christianity.

There is a religious harmony in Ghana like no other that I'm immediately aware of or have personally experienced in any other state. Much of this can be attributed to the friendly and accepting nature of Ghanaians, but what I've noticed during my visits to the continent of Africa (even in Egypt, which is an Islamic state), is that people don't care what your faith is so long that you have faith in something.

Faith is central to Africans across the world and was the vehicle that lead the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. Nonetheless, Blacks in America overall still live the mythological divide that was created in the movement with the emergence of Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam. The Nation in particular and the people that are affiliated, is sadly a taboo topic for some Christian African-Americans and the two groups have yet to collectively put their influence together in a tangible manner.

In a world of religious conflict, you may wonder how a people with such strong faith can accomplish such harmony. Ghanaians have, understand and respect the value of strong faith. They understand that accepting another's faith doesn't make your own faith any less. They also understand that though their faiths vary, at the end of the day they are all Ghanaians, with common culture, interests and goals.

Multi-linguistic and ethnic
There are approximately 47 different languages spoken in Ghana, by an even larger number of tribes and sub-ethnic groups. Ghana is not necessarily exceptional on the continent of Africa in this regard however. English is the official language of business, government and education, but everybody grows up speaking their native language in their homes and communities first.

Language is a major identifier of nationality. Many African-Americans see an immediate barrier with connecting with Africans of the continent on the front of language and dialect. However, Ghanaians haven't found this to be a problem amongst themselves and any one Ghanaian may know a handful of different languages and be able to speak them accordingly when communicating with one another. This once again speaks to the accepting nature of Ghanaians and ability to unite for one Ghana.

The power of the woman
Seeing women in positions of power, leadership and authority in Ghana is far from being rare or even second-looked. Both the Chief Justice and Speaker of Parliament in Ghana are women. In addition, small businesses are just as commonly run by women as by men. Black women in America are currently receiving degrees at a higher rate than Black men and there is no excuse that their present and historic role in the Black community not be reflected in their positions of economic and political power. For too long, Black women have been cast down as "help-meets" to Black men when we must help meet for one another. Like so many other things, African-Americans find themselves caught in between the Western view of gender roles and the traditional African view, leaving us stalemated.

The connection between the state of Ghana and Blacks in America is a strong and historic one. Let us take full advantage of this opportunity to learn from one another and apply that which we learn accordingly for a united and liberated African peoples.

Books can't hide Black men from bullets

2010-10-18T14:55:00.002-04:00

I was reminded of a few things this weekend when an off-campus shooting left a young man dead during the homecoming of California University of Pennsylvania, near my hometown.

As I measured the reaction from the community and some friends who are students there, I realized how desensitized to gun violence I had become since going to school in DC. That's not a good thing. During my freshman year of college I had plenty of friends who were robbed on their way to and from campus, sometimes held at gunpoint on their way back from their studies. Hearing gunshots from my dorm room window was something I became eerily accustomed to. For my roommate who was from the South Side of Chicago, this was his reality, nothing new. And for a small town boy such as myself, it was sadly and slowly becoming my reality as well. The image of looking out my window to see playful kids scurry inside as a barrage of bullets sounded off in broad daylight, is one I'll never forget.

My heart broke today when I found out that the victim was a freshman enrolled at Hampton University. The fact that he was a college student, at a fellow HBCU in particular, didn't make his life any more valuable than the next. But it made it hit home harder for me. Here, a young Black man who had left the city to do well for himself, becomes the innocent victim at a house party on an otherwise average night near an otherwise safe college campus.

It sounded all too familiar. To hear that a friend of mine was actually there, that could have been him. And as many times as I've visited friends and partied at "Cal U" during my breaks at home, that could have been me.

I was reminded of the day I was walking from campus to grab something to eat and I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in some time. We chatted and as we left each others friendly embrace; as if to say "peace", "later", or "goodbye", she said to me in a lighthearted sincerity, "Be safe Black man".

It stuck with me. For the rest of the day I thought about what that meant. The truth being, as Black men we find ourselves at a higher risk to become victims of senseless violence even when we put ourselves in positions that seemingly seperate us from those ills. Frankly, it's real out here. And for Black men, its just a little realer.

With no criminal past and in pursuit of a college degree, we're still more likely to be in a neigborhood where shots are fired, more likely to be the target of another man (who often times is Black), more likely to be at a party where a group of our peers who are denied entrance, retaliate with a spray of bullets. Yet in still, we are more likely to simply be at the wrong place at the wrong time.

I feel blessed to have made it this far. Too many of us don't make it at all. And those of us who have made it, need to ensure that we do everything we can to put other brothers in positions that give them a better chance. This of course, while we find a way to cease the violence.

I read the comments from angry citizens of California, fearful of what may become of their town. They may be on to something.

We need to re-sensitize ourselves. Feel for those who no longer can. It could have been you too.

Sneak Peek: CNN Black In America's Almighty Debt

2010-10-15T16:08:00.006-04:00

Last night, me and my boy over at Tell Me More checked out the screening for "Almighty Debt" with Soledad O'Brien, the latest installment of CNN's Black In America series.

In my last and only review of the Black In America series, I stated how after two specials, I still was unsure of what the goal of the series was. Nonetheless, I know the difficulty of pushing these things through corporate media and the behemoth challenge of delivering even a semi-comprehensive look that everyone can appreciate, through a few television hours.

I'm happy to say that Black In America may have found its stride, and is on the path to finally hitting it. "Almighty Debt" is much more focused, much more concentrated, and paints a sharper color over the first two installments that now look like nothing more than plain white backdrops being prepped for a potential television masterpiece. But "potential" of course, is the keyword. How much more vivid the "color" gets, I believe is up to how far Soledad wants to take it and how much support she continues to receive.

"Almighty Debt" is the first installment that every audience, no matter race or age, is poised to learn something from. This chapter examines debt and financial practices within the influential sphere of Black America, and realistically leaves no actor out of accountability. The practices of the period of enslavement, to the unequal housing practices of the mid-20th century to even today, predatory/payday loaning, and of course ourselves in the present-day - are all touched upon.

The "almighty" in the title is an ode to faith in the Black community, simultaneously scrutinizing prosperity ministry and also a "faith without works" fiscal pathology that accompanies many Blacks in traditional ministries.

Take for instance the profiled family who hasn't paid a mortgage payment in nearly 2 years, but whose teenage daughter still rings up a $400 a month credit card payment. The family is a member of Pastor Buster Soaries' church in New Jersey, where fiscal responsibility is the centerpiece of his ministry. Soaries describes debt as being a bigger problem than racism in the 21st century. Though incomes are increasing, the gap in wealth between Blacks and the rest of the country is expanding.

I can't agree with Soaries' assertion, as I don't believe that debt and racism are entirely mutually exclusive for Black America. But I can accept his point that fiscal responsibility is something that we have more control over in our community than most other issues, and debt is indeed a form a slavery, holding our community in shackles.

The panel discussion with O'Brien, Soaries, Michelle Singletary of the Washington Post, Marc Lamont Hill of Columbia University, and a Washington Informer reporter (sorry about that forgotten name) was insightful as well.

They only showed us 1/3 of the piece, but I'm hopeful. Bottomline, the film of pandering has been cleaned off a little bit and this is an installment of Black in America I don't think anybody should miss. The first part premieres Thursday, October 21st at 9PM EST on CNN.

Condemning Columbus: Who are you really mad at?

2010-10-11T15:35:00.005-04:00

Yeah, I was that one student in the classroom questioning teachers as to how Christopher Columbus discovered a place where people already lived. That never went over to well. Teachers don't like being questioned by 10-year-olds and white teachers in particular aren't too fond of entertaining a seemingly young and budding "Black radical" on topics like Columbus.

I realize today however that I'm not the black sheep in the room questioning Columbus' relevance. And in my young memory, it seems every year that the people in this country have gain heightened consciousness over the audacity of celebrating, or even acknowledging, Columbus Day.

But even more audacious than celebrating Columbus even one day out of every year, is the act of heatedly condemning Columbus on that one day out of every year.

In the last 24 hours, I've heard and seen every immorally reachable epithet hurled at Columbus - a thief, a murderer, a rapist, etc.; as if to introduce some conundrum as to how a figure so historically despicable could be recognized by a country so presently admirable. And just like a man "discovering" a place where people already exist, few of these epithets are backed by actual known historical accounts.

Calling America "admirable", is likely incredibly polarizing word usage, but yet it still is an accurate depiction of the prevailing American narrative in its present, future and for many, even its historical form; therefore, its the narrative that most will accept and even reiterate in public.

Slowly but surely, the prevailing narrative on Columbus is leaning more and more towards despicable, leaving little room for polarization other than what most of us believe now, what we were taught in grade school and those who simply could care less. But I can predict for you that those who sit on the despicable side of Columbus' narrative, probably don't too much agree with the whole America being admirable thing either - at least not in public.

So why so much hate towards good-ole Christoffa Corombo?

After all, he wasn't the only European to reach "the Americas" and claim to have "discovered" something. He wasn't even the first.

I guess condemning the remembrance of a man who is long gone and no longer here to defend his memory is much easier than condemning an idea that still exists today; even more than an idea that still exists, but rather, an idea that we live in.

Indeed my dear friends, what I am inferring is that Christopher Columbus and the United States of America (named after another notorious Italian explorer, Amerigo Vespucci), are merely one in the same. And your hatred towards one man is none other than an acceptable manifestation of your animosity towards the United States and "the West" in general.

Bashing Christopher Columbus fulfills a large percentage of Black America's double-life of being Barack Obama and Jeremiah Wright at the same time. You're spitting out thinly-veiled God Damn Americas while never fully removing your hope that one day you'll make a good return on your investment into America's written promises. And after 400-plus years of accruing interest, you settled for a little change.

But I continue.

The only thing left to defend Columbus is a fictitious narrative that hides under the guise of American history. But the real narrative of Columbus actually is American history, something that didn't stop long after he was gone. In fact, much of the negative things that people believe Columbus did, are actually things that we know America did do - kill off the indigenous, enslave, etc.

Condemning Columbus in the office today is unlikely to grant you even the slightest of side-eyes from your co-workers, but refusing to stand up for America's war ballad (i.e. the national anthem) when you all go out to the Braves game tonight, will.

Haha at the "Braves" game. They are playing tonight right? The irony just never ceases.

Anyway… therein lies the enigma for so many American Negroes, wishing to burn in effigy the very foundation of an apartment building that they also wish to live in permanently and comfortably, and maybe even someday, move to the penthouse.

Did I just say apartment building? I'm off the page today.

Anyway… me on the other hand, I know the difference between an apartment and a home. I know what's mine, what's their's and who they stole their's from. And I know that America isn't just something that I have to accept. Turn on the news, look around you. If you hate Columbus, you may very well hate America.

I don't hate America, but I do know that my allegiances are first to this world. As long as America perpetuates the very inhumanity that enabled it's growth, I won't resort to hating Columbus as a means of condemning America. I'll just condemn America.

Attack on HBCUs, the latest front to "Take Back America"

2010-10-04T11:30:00.003-04:00

I talk about HBCU's on this blog. A lot. The reason for this is rooted in a love and tradition that far eclipses my own time at Howard University, but an intrinsic experience inherited from generations of family and forebears to be educated, enlightened and reborn in the mbongi we know as the Black college.

Indeed, those of us who are a part of the HBCU family find ourselves constantly being called to speak for and defend our institutions within a society that once depended on their very existence to uphold apartheid, but now conveniently questions their purpose and value.

It's no secret to us at least, that our HBCUs are under attack. The most casual of conversations with non-HBCU'ers tend to shed light on that.

But a spotlight was thrust onto HBCUs back in April when President Obama signed an executive order proposing an additional $98 million to HBCUs. Unbeknownst to many however, the order barely set a new precedent of federal support towards HBCUs and essentially extended funding that President Bush had pledged during his term. The money is funneled through the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, which that was started in 1981 by President Reagan.

Nonetheless, I assume the image of a Black president, surrounded by Black leaders, pledging millions of taxpayers' dollars to institutions that primarily serve Black students was unsettling to many. And ever since, the attacks that once found themselves concentrated to casual conversation and opinion, have flooded into the media as highly concentrated criticisms.

Back in July, The Tennessean in Nashville dedicated a whole series attacking its public HBCU, Tennessee State University. Though enlightening to some of the challenges that specifically face HBCUs, the series entitled "TSU: A University Challenged" was a veiled question mark on the university's relevance and seemed to wishfully foretell the institution's failure.

The series came after a damning article was published by the paper in April stating that the school's accreditation was at risk. The headline, "TSU has hurdles to accredidation", drew a published response from TSU's president, Melvin Johnson, calling it "not only false, but misleading". Johnson has since been pushed out as president.

Most recently, Wall Street Journal writer Jason Riley, who is Black, was the latest to join in on the brigade, at one point quoting an essay from the 1970's that demonstrates the "inferiority" of HBCUs to predominately white institutions, and how "much hasn't changed since".

In the opinion, Riley notes that "90% of Black students spurn (HBCUs)", ignoring his own point that today, Black students may go to any school they so choose. Is it that 90% of Black students "spurn" such schools? Or does it simply make sense that 90% of Black students go to non-HBCUs when HBCU's only make up approximately 4% of all 4-year colleges in the United States? That number doesn't take into account 2-year institutions, which if I'm doing my math correctly, means that 10% of Black students choose to attend a body of institutions that make up less than 4% of their options.

In addition, take into account that HBCUs are mostly physically limited to the southeastern United States and that there are no HBCUs west of Texas or north of Pennsylvania, and I think its safe to say that Black students aren't "spurning" HBCUs. Or how about the 16 year old child prodigy who turned down a number of schools, including Harvard, to attend Florida A&M?

Non-Black students aren't exactly spurning HBCUs either. More and more non-Black students are attending these institutions, recognizing their value, and the Howard medical school in particular boasts a student body that is more racially diverse than most.

"Spurn" is more an accurate description of what the writer intends to do, and less of an accurate depiction of the facts he wishes to present. Unfortunately, this is all too common.

Attacks railed against HBCUs tend to rely on "factual data" such as enrollment, graduation, and drop-out rates; but this is less to make a point, and more to overcompensate for an opinion that was informed by misinformation and racial biases. It takes attention away from the writer, as if to say, "Hey, the numbers say it all", when in reality the numbers say nothing. No statistical data engineered to demonstrate what HBCUs aren't doing could ever accurately negate or encompass the scope of what HBCUs are doing and have the potential to do.

We know what this is about.

Historically Black colleges and universities are the latest front in a battle being waged by white supremacist America to "take back America" ever since Barack Hussein Obama was elected in November of 2008. Trained in the Dr. Laura school of thought that suggests "haven't Black people gotten enough" and "aren't you happy now that you got Obama", this battle paints whites as the latest and greatest victim in this country, defending to take back what was theirs.

Now, all of the sudden, Black colleges are a problem. Another example of what "Black people have".

Riley's article is entitled "Black Colleges Need a New Mission", but he's far from understanding that the mission of Black colleges is "new" and always has been "new" when positioned face-to-face to the traditional American college. Black colleges exist thoroughly within a qualitative educational idea, not quantitative. For that reason, HBCUs can never be assessed comparatively to predominately white institutions.

Yes indeed, there are many challenges that HBCUs are facing, some unique and some common, nonetheless in need of being addressed.

At one point Riley suggests combining HBCUs, an idea that Mississippi governor Haley Barbour came under much fire for in his state. Interestingly enough though, it was W.E.B. DuBois who first presented the idea of merging some of the nation's Black schools, and he did at a time when the existence of Black colleges wasn't being questioned.

What's the difference between Riley, Barbour and DuBois?

We know DuBois' motives. We know DuBois' plan wasn't to eradicate the Black college, but rather to fortify its place in the development of this country, the American Negro and the African diaspora.

For everybody else however, we cannot say the same.

The conversation continues. Be sure to click the HBCU tag to read other posts on this topic.

Hurricane Katrina: 5-Year Anniversary Coverage

2010-08-27T09:17:00.003-04:00

"I remember the first time I visited New Orleans as a child. Somewhere effervescent amongst the murky waters of the Mississippi and the overcast of bayou fog and Spanish moss, was a buoyant jubilee that rose above even the gloomiest of burial vaults that were eye-level to me. While it seems the festive purple and green, shiny brass instruments and beads, would capture a 9-year-old's mind; it was a unique history and spirit, yet unbeknownst that would enthrall me the most."

The five year anniversary coverage of Hurricane Katrina has been impressive and thorough. From cable news coverage, to Spike Lee's amazing follow-up documentary If God Is Willing and the Creek Don't Rise on HBO, to NPR's Tell Me More week of dedication to one of the greatest tragedies this country has seen. Make sure you tune-in somewhere to hear the stories of men and women whose lives were forever changed after the storm. Check out my own post on Tell Me More's blog, entitled "The Levees Failed, But The Spirit of New Orleans Prevails".

I've learned that it is our responsibility as citizens, brethren and neighbors, not just journalists, to remember and tell these stories for the people who no longer have the strength to tell their stories themselves.

Spike Lee's first documentary on Katrina from 2006, When The Levee's Broke (both documentaries are currently available on Comcast On Demand), begins with Louis Armstrong's rendition of the classic jazz standard, "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans". As I listen to the song now, it leaves an incredibly eerie aura in my ears.

Do you really know what it means?

Do you know the history or the culture of New Orleans? Do you know how much has been lost? Louis, it as though you and the rest of our ancestors know exactly what will happen and know the exact answers to those challenges. Probably because what has happened today, has already happened before.

I do know what it means to miss New Orleans, as it will never be the same. But rather than wallow in the past, we will remember, as we push towards the future. I will continue to be inspired by the resilient spirit that got the city through this most recent tragedy, like the many tragedies in the city before it, and have faith that as things all around us change, the spirit will stay the same.

Black Girls and Puberty: The Importance of Interdisciplinary Studies

2010-08-23T10:08:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, a study released by a children's health center found that U.S. girls are reaching puberty at an earlier age. Even more astounding than the significant jump since 1997 in the percentage of girls reaching puberty by age 7 and 8, was the large disparity between races. In the study at age 7, 10 percent of white girls showed the first signs of puberty, compared to 23 percent of Black girls. At age 8, 18 percent of white girls have showed signs, compared to 43 percent of Black girls.

Now, if you know anything about me or this blog, you would know that my approach to Black studies is not dependent on, nor does it utilize, the rampant and flawed pathology of comparing ourselves or our conditions to other races and cultures and thus making the "necessary adjustments". However, what a study like this stresses to me is the importance of interdisciplinary work in everything that we do in regards to the study of Africa and its diaspora.

In a post earlier this year, I outlined some of the risks of neglecting certain disciplines when attempting to find solutions to occurrences we may deem as problems, most notably of those disciplines - the sciences. The most visible forms of Black studies, and most relied upon, have been historical, sociological, cultural and political, but that will not suffice.

Should teen pregnancies be a concern in our community, how can we possibly ignore the fact that nearly half of our girls have hit puberty before their 9th birthday? Or maybe considering the data, we should construct our community to better support the rearing of children birthed to young mothers? Or maybe we get to the root by properly analyzing what is making our children reach puberty at younger and younger ages, in addition to the health and social risks, and move from there?

The bottomline is that it is our responsibility to rear our communities and optimize all aspects of our existence in the interest of achieving excellence amongst our people -- not making us more like others. Let us begin that by understanding ourselves fully -- historically, socially, culturally and even biologically.

Along with a reevaluation of Africana studies programs and working closely together across disciplines, what is needed most is the production of Black scholars in fields where they are currently scant or non-existent. And just like Charles R. Drew, we will not only do wonders for our own people or our specific fields, but we will make breakthroughs for the advancement of citizens across the world.

I Think I'm Malcolm X... Martin Luther

2010-07-30T15:46:00.004-04:00

A little more than half way through the year and it is already safe to say that hip-hop won in 2010.

From the highly critically acclaimed album from The Roots, to the commercially successful debut from Drake, to a slew of internet mixtapes and leaks like never before from prominent and upcoming artists alike; wherever you find yourself on the rapidly evolving spectrum of the genre, hip-hop had something to offer you this year.

Yes, 2010 even saw the re-emergence of Lauryn Hill. No word yet on whether or not she saw her shadow, but I'm hopeful she's come out of her burrow for good and hip-hop's winter has ended.

One of the latest "leaks" to cause a stir on the internet was Lupe Fiasco's remix of Rick Ross' "B.M.F."

Lupe changes the acronym from "Blowing Money Fast" to "Building Minds Faster".

On the track, Lupe graffiti's his ode to Black conscience over top of cocaine bricks and all of the other cliches that tend to accompany the Miami rapper who illicitly assumed the identity of a notorious LA drug dealer.

As if stealing one identity wasn't enough, on the original track, Rick Ross commences the chorus by saying he thinks he's Big Meech and Larry Hoover. (alter-alter-egoes maybe?)

Lupe? Well he think's he's Malcolm X and Martin Luther (add a King and add a Jr.).

I must say, it felt good to hear an artist uplift names of positive influence, as opposed to the names of drug lords who without the shootout and a little help from Wikipedia, would otherwise be unknown or forgotten to most.

But in the cloud of dust created out of the gate by an NAACP resolution, and the only tangible result of which being the unwarranted firing of a Black woman, it made me wonder what it means to think that you're Malcolm or MLK.

The Civil Rights-era is continually romanticized as a golden era of civic duty, awareness and initiative. Save for Lupe, who's simply making a clever but meaningful hook, there's a lot of people running around who really do think they are and/or want to be Malcolm X or MLK.

All and all that's not a bad thing of course, but its not a good thing either.

From the jump, I disagreed with the NAACP's decision to draft a resolution condemning Tea Party racism. In summary, I thought it was slightly less than relevant, misdirected and potentially ill-inciting. But furthermore what I saw was a manifestation of the NAACP's inability to adapt to the changing landscape of racism in America. Yes, even the NAACP is a victim to this. The NAACP of today thinks they must be the NAACP of yesterday.

Lost in their admiration of of a time of great triumph and bravery, individuals and organizations have clouded understanding of what exactly they are admiring. Indeed, people rightfully want to acquire and infuse the spirit of the Civil Rights-era into the present generation, but in doing so, unknowingly assume the battlefields where wars have already been fought, as opposed to making new advances.

I learned sometime ago that it made no sense trying to emulate my heroes. Rather it was my responsibility to proceed them.

By the time Dr. King was assassinated, he had lost the approval of the majority of Black Americans; as for Brother Malcolm, he was shunned by the very organization that he built and possibly even killed by them.

Each of their journeys had taken them so far ahead, that they moved to a place that was too far ahead of the majority of their followers. Physically, they passed on, but their spirits remain. Have the followers caught up? I'm unsure of the answer to that. But I do know that the leaders can no longer lead from the podiums of which we most remember King and Malcolm, but rather from the places in which they had no followers, the places where nobody listened, the places where they died.

In terms of racism and injustice, the war remains the same. Racist signs, slurs, remarks and letters are indeed offensive. But understand we will fight our greatest enemies on battlefields that are unfamiliar.

We must not stay in the familiar minds of our heroes longer, but we must build new minds faster.

BMF.

Obama on Negro education and the Infamous "Gap"

2010-05-10T18:18:00.007-04:00

"The fact that Obama was at Howard during the race, but at Hampton while in office, is a metaphor for his presidency…"

Congratulations to the graduating Class of 2010 at Howard University and across the country at other HBCU's and institutions. Yesterday, President Obama gave his first commencement speech at an HBCU when he visited Hampton University. Without a doubt, Obama made sure he got his crack in on Howard.

"Now, before we get started, I just want to say, I'm excited the Battle of the Real H.U. will be taking place in Washington this year. You know I am not going to pick sides. But my understanding is it's been 13 years since the Pirates lost. As one Hampton alum on my staff put it, the last time Howard beat Hampton, The Fugees were still together."

It's clear that the president couldn't properly commence a speech at Hampton without first talking about Howard. What he said is admittedly true, but speaks only to the surface of what the "Battle of the Real H.U." really is.

Look, I love football. And it pains me that for four years of my collegiate career, all that I have witnessed is losing teams, losing bad. But to let Hampton Institute check at least one row in the win column every year to make them feel like an "H.U." for a day, seems to me like an inconsequent concession.

For every year when these two teams meet, it is a gridiron manifestation of ideological polar opposites meeting at a heated equator; two teams coming deep from their goal lines to the fifty to flip a coin, per se. The game is the coin flip- its nice to win it, but nobody really cares. The goal lines are where the battles are going on and nobody can quite see when the ball breaks the plane.

Aside from the romanticizing of American history, which is typical of the American president, I was somewhat satisfied with Obama's speech. He belabored education as a path of enlightenment and the keystone of emancipation, though unfortunately he often fell victim to the uniquely American value of education as a form of capital, even once using the phrase "knowledge economy". The irony of this all, is that he gave this speech at a historically Black institution that only recently became a university, and for much of its formative years was known as a "normal school".

Post-Civil War, the education of formerly enslaved Africans was a battle that transformed the educational system of the entire United States. In fact, it is because of the fight to educate African-Americans in the South, that public education for all was implemented in the South in the first place. But there were intense arguments about the manner in which Blacks should be educated and what they should be taught.

Blacks, even prior to the Civil War and during enslavement, had found ways to educate themselves. Obama referenced a belief that these enslaved Africans held dearly, which was that their ability to read and write was the key to their freedom. This self-education continued after the war, with Blacks starting many of their own schools, often times outdoor classrooms with hundreds of formerly enslaved Africans as pupils, being taught by a few who just learned to read and write themselves. Blacks were never dependent on whites to educate them, and wanted little more than their money and resources so that they may build their own schools. However, there were white citizens who had their own ideas in mind on how the Negro should be educated.

Samuel Armstrong, a white Civil War officer, was the founder of the Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. That very institution would educate Booker T. Washington, who would go on to establish the Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. The two men and the two institutions together, would spearhead what was known as the "Hampton-Tuskegee idea". This "idea" was a form of curriculum that "adapted Black education to the particular needs and interests of the South's dominant-class whites".

In other words, the interest of educating these Blacks wasn't to enlighten or emancipate them, but rather, to maintain the racial-class structure that had already been established by slavery, in effect maintaing, molding and securing the next generation of slavery. The Hampton-Tuskegee idea, "represented the ideological antithesis of the educational and social movement begun by ex-slaves".

So while other Black institutions like Howard were teaching students things such as literature, philosophy and the sciences; aspiring teachers at Hampton were being instructed to plow the land and sew, as a means of internalizing the value of hard work that was to be transmitted to their students.

Though many Hampton faithful will be quick to point out that these truths are early history, and that the institute is now a university that long ago taught things like agriculture, what is neglected is that the "idea" is still there. Incoming students at Hampton are given a curfew during their first semester, they must cut off their braids or locs to graduate from the business school, and school president William R. Harvey, a friend of President Obama's, has been noted to say things along the lines of, "if you want to protest, go to Howard."

Indeed, while students at Howard are being taught to question everything and rebel whenever possible, students at Hampton generally are still being institutionalized to question nothing and fall in line. This, though unforeseen to most, is why the rivalry between the two schools is so heated. Hence, an Obama speech at Hampton that towed the line of the two educational ideologies may be ironic, but necessary.

But should Obama wish to achieve one of the other goals he stated in his speech, closing the "achievement gap", there is only one ideology that will do. Should you wish to close the achievement gap between Black students and their white counterparts, then maybe the Hampton-Tuskegee idea will do. But if you wish to close the achievement gap between Black students and their natural potential for excellence, then there are many more ideas we must implement that have even yet to be explored…

Sources/Suggested Readings

The Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935 by James D. Anderson

Young, Gifted and Black: Promoting High Achievement African-American Students by Theresa Perry, Claude Steele, and Asa Hilliard III

Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress: "American Indian and African American students at Hampton Institute, Hampton, Va. 1900(?) - men and women learning how to plow field"

Why this marker must be remembered

2010-04-19T15:24:00.005-04:00

Today marks the beginning of my last week of class at Howard University. That's a pretty important marker. But that's not the marker I speak of today. Of course if you want to, you can mark this day for that and I'll gladly take note.

Instead however, what I want to mark is the 15-year anniversary of the Oklahoma City bombings. We must always acknowledge the loss of innocent lives. But furthermore, let us also recognize how the face of terrorism has changed since then. It seems almost a distant memory in a world that uses "Islam" and "terrorism" as pseudonyms. Yet in still, it was only 15 years ago that this unprecedented attack was calculated by a former U.S. soldier, and 6 years prior to September 11th. Check out this post that I did much earlier, entitled What Is Terrorism? And get ready for Chaos Radio coming soon.

What is a white man's sport?

2010-04-12T11:03:00.000-04:00

I gotta say I'm disappointed the bul Eldrick couldn't pull it out man. But I'm just glad he's back. Maybe we can get back to pars, birdies, and eagles and quit talking about golden showers.

In judging the course of Tiger Woods' media induced scandal, many weighed the implications and responses specifically to golf as opposed to that which involved Black athletes encountering sexually related controversies in other sports.

Indeed the culture, tradition, and reputation of the sport of golf gave Woods' controversy a distinctive outlook and certain novelty. But I was a little thrown when a peer attempted to illustrate this disparity by evoking Kobe Bryant's past controversy and referring to basketball as a "black man's sport", although run by white men, and golf as a "white man's sport".

A black man's sport? A white man's sport?

I got the gist of what she was ultimately trying to say. But she left too much room for misinterpretation. And how I initially interpreted what she said, I fear may actually be an opinion of many - that certain sports are to be limited to specific races.

It just got my mind jogging a little bit. I chuckled at the thought of the semi-accurate twice-told quip amongst Black folk- that its only a matter of time before golf courses, hockey rinks, and speedways look like basketball courts and football fields.

But the saturation of Black athletes in sports like basketball and football today may have us easily forget about a time when the racial makeup of those rosters was flip-flopped. We don't even need to go back more than 50 years to see tattoos and locs replaced with short shorts and crew cuts.

In fact, I would argue that the history of other sports intriguingly reflects the present perception of golf; and that very perception, which consists of a synonymic good ole' boy image that golf has been granted near sole domain over, was reenforced by the revisionist history of other major sports and their eventual "Black takeover".

Let's stick with basketball for now as our point of reference. Basketball as we know it today may have the youngest history and the strongest association and interlacing with Black culture of the major sports; the "black man's sport", if you will. It wouldn't be enough to rebuke that notion by simply stating that basketball's inventor was a white Canadian man by the name of Dr. James Naismith, but its relevant. Naismith introduced the sport at the YMCA in Springfield, MA where he was a phys-ed teacher in 1891, and as a result, basketball grew and developed within YMCA's and similar clubs across the country.

Most are familiar with YMCA's (Young Men's Christian Association), but their roles in towns and cities across the U.S. have evolved in such a way that may make the YMCA of yesteryear seem unfamiliar. Today YMCAs are often prominent in underprivileged neighborhoods, offering service programs and social initiatives. But back then, many were exclusive clubs, only admitting white, well-to-do, Christian men. Sound familiar?

For all intensive purposes, YMCAs could be regarded as having been inner-city country clubs. But to say that Blacks weren't playing basketball would be inaccurate. Blacks were playing basketball, particularly at so-called "Black Y's" and furthermore with independent traveling teams and clubs.

The sport grew quickly, and though it was picked up by Blacks quickly as well, that wasn't necessarily the intention. In Naismith's own book about the development of basketball, he makes absolutely no mention of African-Americans playing the game, though he specifically singles out Native Americans and Jews. Nonetheless, the intentions and expectations of those who yield power over the development and expansion of a sport, can do little to divert the course of social, cultural, political, and economic influence. There is one event that I would attribute to having forever shifted the racial balance and nucleus of the sport of basketball.

White flight.

Simply put, whites traded their row houses and inner-city athletic clubs for ranch style homes with white picket fences and suburban "country clubs", hence making country clubs more prominent and plentiful by adding a larger population to be exclusive with, and increasing the popularity of golf. Once predominately white YMCAs would come to de facto serve Black communities. Basketball grew within the city amongst Blacks, and golf grew in prominence outside the city amongst whites, while further solidifying and isolating its exclusive nature.

Indeed, infused in the nature of golf is the stench of white supremacy. But the idea of white supremacy is dependent upon the presence and encounter with the negro. A prospective high or favorable end of the spectrum can only be established with a low or unfavorable end to counter it. There is no good, without bad; no tall, without short; no dry, without wet.

It is without a doubt in my mind, that golf's good ole' boy stature of exclusivity and "prestige", and even its pre-Tiger Woods rise in popularity amongst the American mainstream, was inflated by the influx and domination of Black athletes in other sports.

The white power structure understands that everything that Black people touch is forever changed, and this is most evident in American sports. What happened to baseball? America's pastime? Understand that that perception exited not long after Jackie, Roberto, and Hank entered.

Indeed, golf is the last frontier. It's not hockey or auto racing. Hockey is already, as it has always been, too "ethnic". And NASCAR is a pacifier of the white underclass.

Even Tiger Woods' dominance and the success of many non-Anglo golfers, can't break the white supremacists grip from golf that is held through such things as "custom", "tradition", and "prestige". But it goes without being said that Tiger has gone out of his way to distance himself from Blackness, subsequently ridding himself of a touch that would forever change the game. Up until Thanksgiving Day '09, Tiger had been "safe" for golf. And the PGA, Nike, and Tiger himself are doing everything they can to restore that security.

"The intentions and expectations of those who yield power over the development and expansion of a sport, can do little to divert the course of social, cultural, political, and economic influence."

This includes "Blackness" and its fundamental aesthetic of creative expression that cannot be suppressed. By design, golf is indeed a "white man's sport". But that too shall pass.

Have you ever met a Nielsen?

2010-04-07T14:13:00.004-04:00

Quick survey that requires your participation!!!

Have you ever met a Nielsen? That is... a family or household that possesses a Nielsen box? How bout an Arbitron? Somebody who owns a PPM? That being... a person who possesses a Portable People Meter, developed by Arbitron. Do you have any idea what I'm talking about?

Your responses are crucial and will be used in a future blog post. Please leave comments below. And help out by telling me a little bit about your background (age, race, hometown, etc.)

Looking forward to hearing your responses...

Happy Anniversary... eff McDonald's!

2010-04-03T08:59:00.007-04:00

First and foremost, happy one-year anniversary to Normative Chaos! Slowly but surely, this blog continues to gain more hits and subscribers, and I want to thank all of you dedicated readers. I hope that I have been able to share something with you, and in return I ask from you the same. There's a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months as we begin to podcast and invite guest bloggers. Happy anniversary. Stay tuned!

But back to the regularly scheduled programming...

The Desperate Media Pt. III

I have to just rant for a moment. This has been built up in me. Maybe I wanted to just pretend like it wasn't bothering me. Maybe I was tryna front like I wasn't actually feelin the beat, because after all who cares about lyrics if the beat is hot. But all that considered...

Eff McDonald's!

Oh you don't know what I'm talkin about? Clearly you haven't been "eggin' it" lately. It's the coolest, jivest, most happenin' thing since "gellin'".

Question. How long will we allow McDonald's to squirt their special sauce in our eye and tell us its raining. C'mon son!! This has gotten out of hand. Sorry "Mickey D's", the fact that you found a talented artist to rap about your dollar breakfast menu doesn't make me beg every morning to come faster so I can hold one of those hip egg mcmuffins. In fact, it disgusts me and reminds me why every time I take a bite out of one of your sandwiches, I lose a few years in life expectancy and numb a few more brain cells.

I've heard of Wordspit before, the rapper in the video (yes he's a real rapper), and he's a legitimate artist. But the most modern form of minstrelsy requires no acting, nor face paint. A jig is a jig. And every time I see that big smile with hands flying up and down in the air I ask myself where the white gloves are.

I mean, just yesterday I heard a most dignified woman publicly singing to one of her sorors, "Gone shake that ass bitch, I'ma throw this money." So getting negroes to repeat songs about a number one with an extra hash brown on the side, shouldn't be that hard either.

The facts. The organic/green/whole food market is booming, and trending, and people who are economically able are being more mindful of the foods they eat, especially white liberal hipsters in urban markets. That means there's only one group left for fast food to capitalize on. That's right, I'm looking at YOU - negro who is reading these words at this very moment.

So McDonald's, as long as you continue to specifically and blatantly target my community with ~~death~~ dollar menus, you will no longer receive my business.

YOU didn't go to an HBCU!? Part II

2010-03-31T18:12:00.003-04:00

This is continued from Monday's post, "YOU didn't go to an HBCU?"

What we do at HBCUs is different.

In the District of Columbia alone, there is a triadic perception of Howard University amongst residents and transients. On one hand, you have those who have a deep love and respect for the institution, mostly due to some sort of affiliation. Then you have those, mostly white but many of them Black, who look down on the institution for being "ghetto". And then you have those, mostly Black, who despise the institution for being "bougie". The truth is, there is probably some level of accuracy and validity in all of those perceptions.

But one perception remains untrue, and that is that you can ever successfully limit and define the HBCU through normative understanding. Black colleges are indeed ubiquitous in regards to the multitude of perceptions that precede them. That's why those who attend or attended one often simply say "you just had to be there to know", or "it just felt right", when describing what their experience was like or why they chose to go there. I'll often just simply put it as Howard alumnus Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael) said it best, "Howard is everything in the Black world, and its opposite."

But as we often recognize many HBCUs as microcosms of the African diaspora, it should be clear not to confuse the 'micro' with 'macro'. Meaning, they do not define Black culture and your exclusion or inclusion at one of these institutions does not situate your placement within or outside of the diaspora.

In other words…

If you're Black, and chose to go to a white school, you don't have to explain or justify to me why you didn't go to a Black school. It's okay… trust me. I don't care.

Oppositely, if you did attend a Black school, you are not hereby ordained an "ombudsmen of Blackness".

Unfortunately, those attempting to explain why they didn't go to a Black school often make themselves sound foolish and expose their limited worldview. And they do it to people who will willingly encourage and entertain their plea, as to stroke their own stature of Blackness.

And then there's me... who normally reacts like this, if not out loud then in my head. I didn't ask for your explanation, but since you insist…

A real world experience?

Sweetheart. If I'm not mistaken, 80 percent of the world looks like you and I. Whose world are you speaking of? You know what, now that I think of it, maybe you should have attended an HBCU. I wasn't judging you before, but I am judging you now.

But then again there is no right or wrong, just right and left.

---

I speak to high school students about college a lot. Most recently I visited Gwynn Park High School in Maryland for WKYS personality and Howard alumnus, Angie Ange, and her non-profit organization, College Is Cool Inc.

The thing I stress most to the students is that selecting a college is an opportunity to forge a life of your own. For the first, and maybe only time in your life you have a choice to do what you want to do, how you want to do it, where you want to do it, and who you want to it with. Now you can interpret the previous statement and apply it to any field whichever way you choose and chances are it will still remain true.

There are literally thousands of colleges across the U.S., and even more abroad. There is sure to be one out there that fits you, even perfectly. For some it may be a Black school, and for others it may not be. But with the vast variety of college experiences available out there, trust that there is no "standard" one. The one-size-fits-all outlook on post-secondary options is morbidly inaccurate and counterintuitive to the very reason that there are so many colleges in the first place.

Me personally, I was tired of being the token in everything that I did. That wasn't the only reason I chose Howard, but it was a big one. It turned out being one of the greatest decisions of my life to date. But I'll never knock the decision of another. Each institution has its place and each of one of us has a responsibility in attending them. I love meeting people from other schools, visiting other campuses, and submersing myself into the diversity of what college is. I remember the college hunt, the excitement and the fear, of not knowing what my life would be like a year from now. But most importantly I remember, the fact that I had a choice.

Let's ensure that we are creating a culture of higher education within our community. Not just so our children can get grades, leave, and get a job. But so they may discover themselves, their place, and their mission in the world around them. This is what will do more for our community than a degree or a "good career" can ever do.

On to the next one?

2010-03-30T14:50:00.011-04:00

"Am I the only black chick in the world who neither feels like talking about my natural hair or relationships today?" - via @thembithembi Mar 30th

I vowed to avoid these subjects. I'm sure you can Google it and find all the soapbox commentary your little heart desires on this. So with that being said, here's Jill Scott in Essence.

We won't talk about the topic. But I will speak on Jill. I know Jill has much more to say than what was in this column. Essence probably wasn't the place for that though. Overall, the column is unimpressive and does Jill's consciousness and intelligence little justice.

We have a responsibility to expand the conversation. I'm on a campus that absolutely loves talking about relationships, colorism, and the state of hip-hop; just to name a few. And each of these topics includes a certain connotation that already says half of everything that is going to be said in the panel/forum/discussion/etc. It's not that these subjects bear little importance, rather, my question is when will we take these conversations to the next level? We've established so much of what is being said already, and our static progress only leads to more static that disrupts the clearer picture and even distracts from the display of other, more pertinent channels.

We make few strides towards mapping a solution, or even deciding if we want a solution in the first place. Or maybe we'd rather just talk about it all of the time instead?

Anyway. Just throwing it out there. What are your thoughts? I hope that I've been living up to those expectations on this blog. I know I left some of y'all hangin on the HBCU post... so you'll get the rest tomorrow. On to the next one.

YOU didn't go to an HBCU!?

2010-03-29T14:47:00.003-04:00

I love HBCU's. That's no secret to those who know me.

My extended family includes students and grads from all over the HBCU-sphere. From the private Lincoln in Pennsylvania, St. Aug's in North Carolina, Benedict in South Carolina, and the AUC in Georgia, to the public TSU (Texas Southern and Tennessee State), VSU, ASU, and even now-predominantly white WVSU. Nonetheless, my HBCU love isn't so abundant that it leads me to believe that everybody else loves them just the same. I don't even have enough love to make up for others ambivalence on the subject, but I'm working on the ignorance.

You see... HBCUs, like seemingly everything else that is Black in white America, are always being charged to justify their worth and relevance, giving way too continual debate. But what makes this conundrum special in regards to HBCUs, is the party from which much of this debate originates.

My experiences suggest that most of America is unaware of Black colleges, or at least too uninformed about them to even make an uninformed opinion- which is damn near unaware. With that being said, I don't believe that anybody debates the relevance of Black schools more than Black people.

In fact, there are even Black people enrolled at Black schools who belittle the relevance of HBCUs. I've met enough of them to be able to say that without exaggeration and with the expectation that you'll receive that information the way I did when I first met them.

But at least those people are upfront with it. They'll mostly make objective statements in controlled environments that enable dialogue, seeking to gain at the most, a pseudo-intellectual conversation on the matter, or maybe even debate.

But then you have the others…

These negroes belittle HBCUs as well, but there is one key difference. They're normally enrolled at some notable PWI, but nonetheless, possess what they believe is an informed opinion on HBCUs. I meet them frequently. The conversations are interesting and normally go something like this…

Black HBCU student: "Hi, how are you? My name is Malik. Its good to meet you."
Black PWI student: "Jessica. Good to meet you as well. So you're a student here?"
HBCU: "Oh no, I go to Howard."
PWI: "Ohhhh… ~~you're one of those~~ Hoowwarrdd? That's cool. So how do you like ~~not going to a real school~~ it there?"
HBCU: "Oh I love Howard, but I'm a senior and I'm more than ready to graduate."
PWI: "Yeah me too. So ~~I'm still confused~~ Howard? That's ~~exotic~~ real cool. So ~~why would you go to a Black school~~ what made you choose Howard?
HBCU: Well ~~I don't really feel like entertaining you right now, but I chose Howard for the same reason I hope you chose Georgetown because~~ it fit me. It was a great decision.
PWI: Oh, I see. Well I visited Howard, but ~~niggas are cheap~~ they didn't offer me any money and I decided I wanted more of a ~~non-Black~~ real world experience.

Pause.

Depending on my mood, the conversation will normally go in one of four directions.

Continue...

A. Decisively ending the conversation, having established that introducing myself to this individual was regrettable.
B. Directing the conversation to a topic that will demonstrate to both of us, and anybody else in the vicinity, how intellectually inferior this individual is to myself, simultaneously showcasing the superiority of my respective institution and decision to enroll there.
C. Kindly invite them to dialogue that may give them an understanding of HBCU's beyond School Daze, Drumline, and Stomp The Yard
D. Just take the L, and hope that they will find enlightenment further down the road.

Now thats not a representation of every Black student/alum from a PWI. In fact, even more than I meet those individuals, I meet the ones who admire HBCUs and sometimes even regret not having attended one themselves.

But undoubtedly, the HBCU experience is irrefutably different. But as my boy Jeremiah put it best, "different does not mean diffecient". Howard specifically, finds itself in an immediately inapparent abyss of uniqueness. What looks like just another university, really isn't even a university at all, at least not in the normative sense. Because what we do here, and what is done at most HBCUs, is unlike anything that is recognized by the mainstream as "college"….

This is Part I of a two-part series. To Be Continued...

Removing the Ku Klux Hood from Racism

2010-03-22T07:30:00.024-04:00

On Capitol Hill they're spitting on Congressman John Lewis. It probably isn't the first time he's been spit on. In fact, the history of the L's that John Lewis has taken in the name of civil rights is well documented. But if the State of Texas has its way, that documentation and those images will be removed from the textbooks that sit upon the desktops of our students.

Slavery. Burning crosses. Strange fruit. Fire hoses. Police dogs. Colored Only.

For better or for most often worse, and now potentially even more worse, these textbooks serve as the foundation of American education. The foundation of your very own knowledge. Irrefutable fact to the mainstream. Normative understanding.

Those images have been accepted by mainstream America as having been "racist". These are the images that most will come together upon and denounce. These are the images that are capable of moving men of all races to tears. These have become the images of American racism.

But sadly, thats not a good thing.

Look… I'm glad that we can all agree that hanging a man from a tree just because he is Black is racist, and beyond being racist, incredibly inhumane. But you should be ashamed if you judge that to be a revelation and moreover, some sort of milestone or plateau to be proud of.

The narrative of racism has been contained. Racism has been defined on a linear timeline, having appraised its prevalence as only being parallel to the contemporaneous level of the blatantly inhumane, and its relevance as only being relative to whatever happened before it - which almost always makes it seem presently faint.

When we read the word 'racism', we see the aforementioned images; so much so that when we don't see the aforementioned images, we don't read racism. We know that racism exists no less than it did before, but we struggle to articulate it when we struggle to connect it to America's normative understanding of what it is.

So we search for triggers. Nigger is the biggest gun. If we can't point racism out any other way, and have a host of people behind us who validate our claim, we can always point to the latest celebrity who dropped the N-bomb, or just plain said something insensitive.

The consequences...

The truth is, most people are racist. Maybe thats just my judgement- your reality may not reflect that. But most of these people who are racist don't know that they are. Because being a racist in America means you must do one or more of the following things...

A.) Use the word 'nigger' frequently (a slip or two; or repeating lines to a rap song doesn't count). B.) Have less than one token Black friend C.) Carry a Ku Klux Klan membership card on your person consistently for the past 10 years (if you used to carry one in your past, but don't now, that doesn't count either)

You see... its all kinda ridiculous. I know plenty of people or things who wouldn't fall into any of those categories, that I consider to be blatantly racist. Because the boldest face of racism no longer wears a white hood, in fact, it never did. The images that are commonly associated with racism, are not racism. They are manifestations of racism. Racism is a doctrine of beliefs and systematic policy and practice that oppresses. If Black America wants to change the face of racism in America, we must start with our own approach to it, and address it head on by finally removing the Ku Klux hood from racism.

A professor of mine and I discussed whether or not my generation lacked the spirit of generations before us who fought for civil rights. His major point was that the spirt hasn't changed at all, the circumstances have. It's hard to ignore a noose hanging from a tree, a burning cross, or a sign that says "Colored Only". What do we have today?

Modern warfare and the "war on terror" suggests that the enemy is harder to identify. Our war on racism is no different. The frontline is unfamiliar, but the enemy is still the same.

A Black Woman's Worth

2010-03-15T07:30:00.002-04:00

A silly proposition, is it not? Because somewhere in the title there is a suggestion that the idea itself is in question. But its not. Not the least bit. But for a moment were going to play along and pretend like it is.

This week has been hard, with two reports that seemingly came out back-to-back; one of them appraising the value of single Black women at entire $5 and the other that stated that nearly half of Black women aged 14-49 carry the virus that causes herpes. I couldn't help but feel, by way of somewhere in the universe, that my women were being targeted.

What exactly are YOU trying to say?

Black women are worth 5 dollars. Half of them have herpes. And just over a week ago, America's favorite Precious takes home two of its six Academy Award nominations. This of course is the same academy that only honored Halle Berry after having bent herself over a couch begging Billy Bob to "make her feel good".

I dunno. Maybe it's all just a big 'ole coincidence. But after all, what does it mean to be "coincidental". Because the fact that there aren't a hundred white men who gather everyday in a sky-high boardroom overlooking the world, planning how next they will oppress the Negro race for the following morning, doesn't mean that the Western world isn't inherently racist. The biggest misconception of racism is that it requires an intentional actor, one we often refer to as a "racist".

We all are actors in this world of racism. And in this case, there is an obsession with the idea of the lowly Black woman, and how these "studies" are projected and received continue to feed the obsession. It is one that I hope I haven't fed into. My post about Black women being the "least desired" mate still pulls the most Google hits on this blog. It was never meant to be that. So when more studies like this arise, I can't help but shake my head. Sure, its important to be aware of the dangerously high rates of a sexually transmitted disease, and in this economic climate (i speak of "capitalism", not the "recession") it may be meaningful to understand what "wealth" means and how that applies to us. But the danger emerges when we allow these to become the standards of which we measure ourselves. And a world in which our standards, are not our standards, or even reside on the same field of our values, we will consistently and continually take the "L". The capital "L". It has no column, in fact it looks something like this:

L...

So I ask the question. Five dollars? What that mean?

Because yet and still, no matter what amount of currency is placed on her head or placed in her hand, she will as she always has, give birth to nations. The West can never understand the value of a Black woman. Because the value of a Black woman is uncategorical, unquantifiable, unmonetary and unfathomably incomprehensible to those who unfortunately have never consciously encountered her grace. For there is no study that can compare the wombs that gave birth to the world- there are no other wombs but her's. There is no study that can measure her strength, nor her will- she has laid the definition. None that can measure her love. Only those of us who ever found ourselves reared in her arms can divine. This is the divination that shall remain, and transcend- not study, nor opinion.

Putting the Noose on Willie Lynch and His Letter

2010-03-11T07:27:00.005-05:00

I wrote and submitted this as a perspective to The Hilltop last fall, in response to a writer who wrote a very passionate perspective regarding colorism - referencing the so-called Willie Lynch letter. My perspective went unpublished, so I posted it here.

I have one subtle request. Can my educated brothers and sisters please stop referencing the so-called "Willie Lynch letter"? The "letter" is a false, a fake, a scam, a hoax; whatever, you name it. Not only did the letter never occur, but Willie Lynch never even existed. It may be true, however, that many of the concepts presented in the letter are fairly accurate and applicable. Nonetheless, if I hear one more Howard student/faculty or influential personality reference the letter as though it is some historical, academic manuscript to be found in Moorland-Spingarn - I think my head is going to explode.

There are plenty of real Black intellectuals who did real intellectual work, that we know is real, and may reference accordingly; as opposed to a fake, white, slave master. We can even reference the real narratives of real Africans who were enslaved during that time period. But the Lynch letter is a myth, believed to have first been popularized in the early-90's as one of the first chain emails and perpetuated by individuals who haven't taken the time to research where it really came from. Even if it wasn't a myth, its value still pales in comparison to the said intellectual works and slave narratives.

Let's stop taking the easy route by listening to hear-say. We're better than that. And please, don't take my word for it, look into it yourself. Let us all do ourselves a favor and put "Willie Lynch" and his letter to sleep for good.

--

Here's a good article and another good piece about the Willie Lynch hoax. Unfortunately, this and many other writings about this have fallen on deaf ears. The letter continues to be referenced by prominent and visible African-Americans, including being referenced by Denzel Washington's character in the much applauded film The Great Debators, produced by Oprah Winfrey. Sadly, I first heard of the Willie Lynch letter from one of my professors. It doesn't take much research to discover that the letter is false.

Chaos In The Crates, Vol. 2 - Ahmad Jamal

2010-03-08T07:30:00.005-05:00

In music, sampling is an art that is often understated, underestimated, and under appreciated. When viewed through Western lenses, sampling is nothing more than stealing, an attempt at capitalizing on somebody else's talent and success. But in Africana, this is far from the case. Sampling is a continuation of a loop. The cosmograph. It is the ability to improvise and make fit the needs of that which is now. It is a genealogy. A reinvention, or reinscription that will explore unforeseen territories, but forever speak the words of that which came before it. It speaks volumes of the original work, when the sampled piece becomes another classic of and in itself.

This having been said, too often these origins are left unnoted. This is often the reason sample music leaves us with bad tastes in our mouths, having let words and notes escape them under the impression that they were completely original. James Brown, George Clinton, The Isley Brothers- these are all names that we are familiar with when it comes to their work and furthermore how it has been recycled. But there is one name that remains in the perceptual shadows of the mainstream, but calls the highest praises from jazz legends and hip-hop producers alike.

Ahmad Jamal.

A jazz pianist and composer, Jamal is a Pittsburgh native born as Freddy "Fritz" Jones in 1930. Jamal was ahead of his time in more ways than one. He converted to Islam and changed his name to Ahmad Jamal, some time before that trend became common and well-known through the emergence of the Nation of Islam.

His aesthetics are unmistakable. In 1933, when Jamal first learned to play piano at age three, Zora Neale Hurston published the Characteristics of Negro Expression in which she said this,

"Negro dancing is a dynamic suggestion. No matter how violent it may appear to the beholder, every posture gives the impression that the dancer will do much more."

This by no means is limited to dancing. Jamal's staccato essence is often gentle while masterfully interpolating depth in a forceful striking of the key; and creates spaces, though small in measure, are seemingly timeless to the listener whose mind wanders in anticipation. It seems to me, that each key is a sounding evocation and manifestation of Hurston's literary text.

Jamal's work has been sampled to create a number of hit songs and hip-hop classics that include, but not limited to:

Nas - "The World Is Yours" from Illmatic samples "I Love Music" from The Awakening, 1970

Jay-Z - "Feelin' It" from Reasonable Doubt samples "Pastures" from Jamal Plays Jamal, 1974

Teedra Moses - "Be Your Girl" from Complex Simplicity samples "The Awakening" from The Awakening, 1970

The Game - "Compton" from Doctor's Advocate samples "Swahililand" from Jamal Plays Jamal, 1974

Should you listen to Jamal throughout the years from this video in 1959, to The Awakening in 1970, to Pittsburgh in 1989, to his latest releases- you will find a continual transformation. But this is nothing more than a man who recognizes his own ability to improvise himself beyond the measures, but always coming back to the point at which he started. His own loop- per se.

Normative Chaos Radio: Coming Soon in April

2010-03-06T08:00:00.001-05:00

As much as I enjoy writing, I enjoy speaking. And even more than I enjoy either of those, I love listening. That's why beginning in April, we will listen together, as I sit down with some of the brightest minds to discuss the challenges and topics of today, yesterday, and tomorrow in Africana - broadcasting them all to you.

Each podcast episode will be posted on this blog weekly. In addition, you may subscribe to the podcasts via iTunes. Download the episodes, put them on your iPod, listen to them on your way to work in your car or on the metro.

Until then, spread the love. Keep reading the Chaos and share it with your friends. Get ready for RADIO, because if you feel like I do, sometimes the blog just isn't enough.

Steadfast.

The confined animal and the Black man...

2010-03-01T08:36:00.005-05:00

"I'm beginning to despise the term "inner-city". The connotation suggests an exterior wall in which the interior is a zoo and it's inhabitants are animals."

I tweeted sometime last month, and started this post way back in the summer. And the "all-overness" of this post in linear time should be adequately reflected. Here's a little fact about me. I hate animals. I mean hate is a strong word. But with the exception of a few pets including my own, namely dogs, I really dislike animals. In grade school, if you woulda told me our field trip was to the zoo, I may have been so ambivalent to the point where you thought I may actually rather be in math class.

But the irony in all of this is, as much as I dislike animals, I have one of the deepest soft spots in my heart for them. Like they make me weak. Forreal. And I never understood why, until this summer.

While at Six Flags in New Jersey, some friends and I ventured through the little zoo section in search of the next roller coaster. There was a tiger there. My soft spot opened up with the quickness. I caught eyes with the tiger. And it was crazy, it was like he was speaking to me and I understood every word.

Okay, that's a lie. That tiger didn't say nothin' to me. In fact, we never even caught eyes.

But I wanted to catch eyes with him. Because on that day I understood and came to realize where this soft spot in my heart for animals came from. I could see how miserable the tiger was- as is nearly every animal I've every seen in confinement. I watched as children banged on the glass, trying to get his attention. And I thought to myself, "now let this tiger try to kill these little children and watch how quickly they try to put him to sleep."

All I could ask myself was if nobody else could see what I was seeing. But of course they couldn't.

Suppression.

It's no wonder that mainstream America is so confused when confined animals kill humans. "Oh my God! Why would a whale just kill like that? In Sea World!?"

You don't hear Black America entertaining these conversations. Instead, we're being entertained. Laughing really. We get it. Even if we don't know why we get it, we do.

I don't seek to speak for everybody, but the truth is, Black people should understand pets very well. Amongst many things- others measuring your worth based on your worth to them. How it feels to be stripped from land, stripped of your nature, stripped of all those things you once knew so well. And any attempts to reclaim your geneology and what once was yours is regarded as "radical" and "threatening".

Why can't you just be an American? Why can't you forget about all of that?

Well, no sir, I cannot forget. And I surely will not forget for the sole sake of ensuring your comfort and freeing you of your guilt. And the suppression of course is so deep, that even your own will attempt to keep your "Blackness" in check.

But we're just trying to help these animals! We want to help and learn, not hurt.

No sir, you don't. Your "help" is nothing more than confinement and control to ensure your own ultimate well-being and profit. And you have approached your position of help with a presumption of superiority, assuming that the very existence of that which you are offering help to, is dependent on you and this "help" you seek to provide.

This post isn't to brush off animal cruelty and confinement as something reserved for mainstream America, because we know that not to be the case. Nor do I seek to compare myself and Black Americans as beings, to animals; or make basic projective excuses for any violent behavior that may be present amongst us. But rather, I just seek to deliver some perspective. I know it's all over the place, but put the pieces together and take from it what you will. And yeah... watch video below.