When conjuring up an image of what the quintessential companion of a wealthy Sugar Daddy looks like, as dictated by popular culture, perhaps visions of a young, thin but buxom blond woman dances in your head. Or maybe an ‘exotic’, racially ambiguous variation, whose aesthetic still passes muster when it comes to rigid beauty standards. Do you think of the late Anna Nicole-Smith; the most noted poster child for the May-December romance (for finance)? Do you recall how the, then struggling 26-year-old, blond bombshell and single mother made folks clutch their pearls when she married billionaire oil tycoon, J. Howard Marshall, a man who was 62 years her senior? If you’re about that black pop-culture life and don’t think in absolutes, perhaps Marlo Hampton of Real Housewives of Atlanta fame, comes to mind… Atlanta is, reportedly, the “Sugar Daddy Capital of America”, after-all. 

The allure of these pampered women, otherwise known as sugar babies (or kept woman, if you’re fancy), never ceases to pique people’s curiosity or, depending on your moral fiber, raise eyebrows. Over the past few years, stories have surfaced in the media about young women using ‘sugaring’ as the ultimate way to pay their way through college, acquire luxury items, travel, pay down debt, supplement a paltry income, acquire real estate, and/or to start businesses.  Mutually beneficial arrangements with well-heeled older men, often present a way out of the economic doldrums for them; and in turn, older men enjoy the luxury of squiring a nubile, attractive woman around and, eventually, access to great sex, an ear to bend, and emotional availability: Which can be taxing for some women, if they’re dealing with a mercurial and demanding benefactor.

While I’ve generally dated men significantly older than myself (for no reason other than personal preference) and have had funny exchanges with friends who often lamented the need for a sugar daddy to help ease their financial burden, I’ve never had the derring-do or fortitude to entertain such an agreement. The particulars of the lifestyle has always intrigued me though; especially when I’d see an obvious instance of it. Specifically, I’ve always wondered about the number of young black women using this route to gain accelerated upward mobility and just how successful they are at snagging and cultivating a sugar lifestyle with a wealthy and powerful sponsor. I’d find my answer in spades via well-trafficked online communities often referred to as the ‘sugar bowl’. The sugar bowl offers a (sometimes) safe space for young women to anonymously detail their lives as companions to wealthy men, and exchange useful information with one another. Within the sugar bowl is a sub-group of young black women who offer one another support, advice, and encouragement. Because like most other social hierarchies, sugaring can often be an affair rife with racial paradigms.

At 22+ (and younger), some of these women have already positioned themselves to be, what can only be described as, modern-day, Azealia Banks quoting courtesans. They’ve probably read Leidra Lawson’s Sugar Daddy 101:  What You Need to Know If You Want to be A Sugar Baby or Baje Fletcher’s A Go(a)l/d Diggers Guide, as blueprints to transform themselves into well-mani’ed/pedi’ed and coiffed vixens. They’re seasoned in the art of gentle coaxing and negotiating, speak the lingo of the sugar bowl, and have figured out how to stand out in a dating pool where black women aren’t always chosen. They’ve learned how to get the money and perks they want without ‘getting got’ by their older paramours (some of whom are prone to quickly becoming attached), and have outlined a painstaking list of rules to help sustain their lifestyles –  most of which revolve around careful grooming habits, affecting certain behaviors, and psychological trickery. They’re emphatic about novice sugar babies adhering to the advice they offer in the bowl, so that they stay safe,  don’t get too easily swept up, and aren’t taken advantage of. The golden rule of thumb is to never sell themselves short or entertain the advances of what’s known as a ‘Salt Daddy’ or ‘Spenda Daddy’–  men who don’t have the resources, charm, or influence to spoil the objects of their affection, but will play their hand anyway, to no avail; because a well-versed sugar baby knows how to vet properly and can spot a Salt or Spenda Daddy a mile away.

Most interesting, is that some of these women get their financial rewards without ever having to meet their POT (potential) sugar daddies in-person or sleep with them. Many of these men are happy to oblige and welcome the opportunity to simply interact with a pretty young woman, and see her flourish in her chosen endeavors. In addition to  financial tributes, these sugar daddies serve as mentors and offer guidance, money management, career, and business advice.  One popular black young baby in the sugar bowl wrote of how one of her sugar daddies hipped her to proper corporate protocol and helped her brush up on her relational skills:  “[Benefactor] has been helping me correct my southern language and perfecting my conversational skills. He is always quick to correct my speech. It does get annoying at times. And when we’re talking, he makes sure I give him eye contact. We go over how to properly shake a hand a few times too.”

And yet, surprisingly, while these women take snapshots of their bounty, as proof of their shopping sprees, and of the cash they earned during ‘allowance day’; some of these young women espouse the tenets of third-wave feminism on their Tumblr pages and stress the importance of consent and maintaining full autonomy over their bodies and making the decision to have sex with their benefactors, without feeling pressured to do so (although holding out for too long could result in a sugar daddy losing interest). As intriguing as these dynamic and carefully contrived relationships seem, I’d be remiss if I didn’t note how a few of the young women seemed to find validation solely in being desired by much older, powerful (white) men, will often conflate or lie about their racial identity in order to seem more interesting to POTs, and don’t appear to live up to the confident posturing they convey in their online personas, despite claims to the contrary. But I suppose I should chalk that up to the politics of sugaring and doing whatever needs to be done to win at it.

I should also point out that while being looked after by a wealthy man isn’t as simple as some dissenters labeling a woman a ‘ho’ or ‘prostitute’,  sugaring does straddle the line between sponsorship and escorting; and so sugar babies find solidarity with sex workers, are careful not to draw a line of demarcation that denotes an “Us” vs “Them” attitude, and will sometimes make the transition to becoming one – many find the cut-and-dry transaction of escorting, sans having to develop any personal or emotional ties or jump through any proverbial hoops to get what they want, much easier. But  still, black escorts sometimes contend with finding ways to build a trustworthy client list of men, who are progressive and not put-off by ‘dating’ a woman who isn’t white or non-black other.

Reading the personal narratives shared by black women, has revealed the sugaring lifestyle to be a bit more … involved than I initially believed it to be. At the risk of being outed and targeted on popular online forums, especially if they gain an online following, black sugar babies chart the trials and tribulations of finding wealthy and willing older benefactors in this ever evolving tech and social networking age; wading their way through profiles on sites like Seeking Arrangement, Sugar Daddy for Me, and even Craigslist … some of the more confident seekers freestyle offline … and having to decide whether or not to divulge information about their relationship(s) to close friends and family, who may take a morally superior stance: Fortunately for one SB whose blog I perused, her mother purportedly taught her everything she knows.

And what of the generous Sugar Daddy who’ll gladly fork over cash, but will make racist jokes and say insensitive things in the company of his young black paramour? One sugar baby expressed disdain on her blog, for a man who solicited her for sex without any discussion of an arrangement on one of the aforementioned sites, then called her a racial epithet when she rebuffed him: “I wish I had the patience to post half of the dumb ass messages I get on [SA]. One guy called me a nigger yesterday after I called him out on wanting a just sex arrangement.” she railed. As glamorous and lucrative as the sugar bowl can be, these are the sorts of issues black sugar babies grapple with, and it presents somewhat of a conundrum for girls who would rather brush off the indignity of being disrespected, just to maintain their lifestyles.

For some, getting chose finding a sponsor at all can prove to be an exercise in futility, due to those racial barriers. Sometimes being black doesn’t fall under the list of preferences for some potential sugar daddies, and for many young women looking for a leg-up; a black benefactor won’t suffice, as there seems to be a stigma attached to black sugar daddies. Some of the reasons I read were… black men are too cheap, many turn out to be Salt or Splenda daddies, they remind some of the women of their fathers or male relatives, black men usually only want young white women as arm-candy, or black POTs over-inflate their income … But let’s be frank, when women of  color (or even men) think of gaining access to money, institutional power, influence, connections, and respect, the default key to that world always tends to be  a white man.

In spite of the many racial hurdles and excess foolery they deal with, veteran members of the black sugar baby community stress the importance of being undaunted by rejection; which seems easier said than done to novice players, trying to win at a way of life where some of the participants refuse to recognize them as equals to white women, where they’re constantly expected to debunk racial stereotypes about black women, and where they have to weed out fetishists just looking for a free one-off … and will spam their inbox with a slew of nasty insults if their chance at a ‘black experience’ is denied.

Being a sugar baby definitely isn’t for everyone, and there are people who find the lifestyle cringe-worthy… most of the ire is usually (unfairly) aimed at the women. It’s a complicated and carefully orchestrated  adagio dance that many of us won’t and don’t understand, unless we dare to immerse ourselves in the lifestyle. And, quite honestly, social mores don’t trump what two consenting adults choose to do with their social and sex lives. Granted, this is a different era rife with 21st century tricks, but this concept of well-established men, looking after younger women, isn’t new.

As for my exploration outside the perimeter of the sugar bowl … I observe,  judgment-free, as a curious voyeur who’s always wondered how her sistren manage to ride this wave.  But I imagine, for a black woman, being a sugar baby or a kept girlfriend won’t always be a sustainable lifestyle, and can be exhausting.

My hope is that, however long they choose to use this as a way to stay afloat, they continue to be safe, they don’t sacrifice who or what they are to pacify ignorance (sometimes the price of riches can be too high), and when it’s all said and done, they’ve invested and saved wisely and have something substantive to show for it besides Christian Louboutin heels and Céline handbags. Sugar on.

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Looks like “racial entitlement” won big today…

So the Supreme Court didn’t announce any rulings related to “the gays” or “blah people” today. While many of us on the left side of the political side of things anxiously await rulings on DOMA, Prop 8, Affirmative Action as well as the Voting Rights Act. U suppose not announcing any rulings related to the aforementioned today was a good thing. At least for me, I’m so not in the mood for a Negro-Gay riot… or is it a Gay-Negro riot? Either way, as much as I like tearing shit up, I’m not in the mood today for any news of regression in American society. Nope, holla at me next Monday when I’m far removed from my Father’s Day hangover. Until then, let’s bask in the afterglow of post-racialness while we can. Capiche?

Okay, so lets talk about some good news:

In an opinion by conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, a 7-2 Supreme Court held this morning that an Arizona law requiring voting officials to reject voter registration forms that are “not accompanied by concrete evidence of citizenship” conflicts with a federal law requiring states to use a uniform voter registration form for federal elections. Scalia once justified an anti-immigrant opinion with a reference to laws excluding “freed blacks” from southern states, and he called the Voting Rights Act a “perpetuation of racial entitlement. So his authorship of this opinion is both unexpected and a sign of the weakness of Arizona’s legal position in defending this law.

Looks like another racism T-K-O for Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer thanks to Justice Antionin Scalia and company

The Court’s opinion in this case, Arizona v. Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, also establishes an important doctrinal rule regarding the power of Congress to push back against state election laws. The Constitution permits duly enacted federal laws to trump state law, a process known as “preemption.” Normally, however, courts should apply a presumption against preemption and assume that Congress did not intend to invalidate state law if the matter is uncertain. Scalia’s opinion holds that this presumption does not apply with respect to federal laws regulating federal elections, a holding which suggests Congress’ power to sweep away state election laws is quite sweeping.

As the Court points out, this broad view of the federal role in governing elections is consistent with the Constitution’s text, which provides that “[t]he times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by law make or alter such regulations.” So a future Congress more supportive of voting rights has the power to sweep away voter ID laws and other methods of voter suppression that have recently popped up mostly in conservative states. By contrast, a future Congress more keen to voter suppression may have significant authority to impose its will on the nation, although this power would be checked by constitutionalsafeguards against many forms of voter suppression.

Scalia’s opinion is not, however, a total victory over Arizona’s attempt to make voter registration more difficult. Rather, the final section of his opinion suggests that Arizona could renew a request to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to incorporate the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirement into the voter registration form, and that they could challenge any denial of this request in court. For the meantime, however, Arizona’s requirement is invalid. (Source: Think Progress)

Okay, so I’m no attorney, and I’m not too good with legal speak (this cat is). But, from the little English that I did learn in college, it sounds like a low-key-racist Antonin Scalia said that what Arizona attempted to do was racist. Alright, so he didn’t explicitly ay this. But we all know that Arizona’s law had its roots in the anti-immigrant wing of the Republican party who sought to keep the brown man down (see SB1070). This is a major victory for any advocate for freedom, justice, and equality and a slap in the face of those hell-bent on taking “their country” back since the black guy showed up.

After all, progress benefits us all, yes?

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I can think of many reasons to support immigration reform. But of all the reasons to sup[port immigration reform, I never knew that the fertility of immigrants would be one of them. Being an immigrant myself, you would think that I would have been wise to this obvious advantage. But it just goes to show that you don't know everything, that is unless you're a very wealthy and influential white man here in the United States of America.

With proposed immigration reform legislation receiving pushback from the usual suspects. You know, ignorant right-wingers and their clueless minions? Former Florida Governor Jeb Bush has presented what at first glance seems to be an absurd argument in support of immigration reform. Speaking at the Faith and Freedom Coalition Road to Majority Conference in Washington, this week, Jeb Bush called immigrants "more fertile," at the annual conservative gathering. Jeb Bush, himself the husband of a Latino woman, may know something his buddies may not.

This from MSNBC:

Jeb Bush and family

Former Florida governor Jeb Bush called immigrants ‘more fertile’ during his speech at the annual conservative gathering of the Faith and Freedom Coalition convention in which he praised the role of transplants in America.

No joke. As part of his pitch for immigration reform to the conservative, evangelical-leaning audience on Friday, Bush said immigrant labor is crucial to the U.S. economy, especially because immigrants are “more fertile.”

“Immigrants create far more businesses than native-born Americans,” he said, adding, “Immigrants are more fertile, they love families, they have more intact families, and they bring a younger population. Immigrants create an engine of economic prosperity.”

As I mentioned before, at first glance, Jeb Bush’s argument sounds purely ridiculous. If anything, to the ear of those opposed to immigration reform and a pathway to citizenship for the approximately 11 million undocumented immigrants currently in the country. Jeb Bush’s argument would sound like the very reason to oppose immigration reform. After all, the common belief is that newly documented immigrants would become a burden and place a strain on society. Yep, and of course you know there are only so many food stamps to go around.

When you look at his argument through the lens of race, one can see that the benefit argued by Jeb Bush makes a lot of sense. Let’s face it: Though white folks are still the strong majority demographic, their numbers are declining. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2012, more white people died than were born for the first time in a century. At that rate, unless white folks start drinking malt liquor, eating tacos, and eating watermelon, they will one day become the minority. Which is pretty weird when you think about how many of them are opposed to Affirmative Action policies for college applicants. Once that white privilege thingy is lost and colored privilege kicks in, things might get a little weird.

This from The New York Times:

Deaths exceeded births among non-Hispanic white Americans for the first time in at least a century, according to new census data, a benchmark that heralds profound demographic change.

The disparity was tiny — only about 12,000 — and was more than made up by a gain of 188,000 as a result of immigration from abroad. But the decrease for the year ending July 1, 2012, coupled with the fact that a majority of births in the United States are now to Hispanic, black and Asian mothers, is further evidence that white Americans will become a minority nationwide within about three decades.

Over all, the number of non-Hispanic white Americans is expected to begin declining by the end of this decade.

“These new census estimates are an early signal alerting us to the impending decline in the white population that will characterize most of the 21st century,” said William H. Frey, a demographer with the Brookings Institution.

[...] The transition will mean that “today’s racial and ethnic minorities will no longer be dependent on older whites for their economic well-being,” Dr. Frey said. In fact, the situation may be reversed. “It makes more vivid than ever the fact that we will be reliant on younger minorities and immigrants for our future demographic and economic growth,” he said.

In 2010, according to the National Center for Health Statistics, more non-Hispanic whites died than were born in 11 states, including California, Florida and Pennsylvania. White deaths exceeded births in a majority of counties, including Los Angeles, the most populous.

Given the apocalyptic possibility of yet another white woman (or man) having a child with a Kenyan who may somehow become POTUS, Jeb Bush’s argument makes perfect sense. I mean, who wants to have a mulatto baby these days. right? Oh, you don’t believe me? Just ask the racists who “let their color show” in reaction to a new ad by Cheerios. The ad features a bi-racial couple — a black man, and a white woman — and their adorable mixed daughter. As the following interview with the biological parents of the child actor shows, much of the backlash shows the ugly side of our now post-racial society. I suppose it’s okay to eat Cheerios in the comfort of your home if you’re white and have a child with a black person. However, to talk about your love for the cereal or even mention its health benefits on television, is clearly unacceptable to some.

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By now, you’ve probably heard about Judge Edith Jones, a former chief judge of the United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. If you haven’t, you may want to sit down and take your nerve pills pronto.

Judge Jones is in the media spotlight for having racist attitudes regarding blacks, Latinos and Mexican Nationals. She alleged believes that blacks and browns are predisposed to committing violent crimes. (Where have we heard that one before?) Plus, she thinks giving them the death penalty will give them an opportunity to make peace with God. Due to the allegations, Federal Appeals Court reassigns a death penalty case away from her.  It was reported that she made her racist comment during a discussion of the case with another judge, James Dennis, who was told by Jones in the same conversation to “shut up.”

Certainly, being a judge and having a racist disposition is a major reason why so many blacks and brown people are filling jails and prisons. However, that is not all that was discovered about this judge. It was revealed that she has more skeletons inside her moth ball smelling closet of hers. Think Progress’ Ian Millhiser reports on Jones attitude towards a sexual harassment suit:

“A paper mill worker named Susan Waltman’s supervisor told her to have sex with a co-worker, “pinched her buttocks with pliers and tried to put his hands in her back pockets,” and fellow employees hung used tampons from their lockers. When she complained to a manager, she was told she should “expect this type of behavior working with men.” After she complained, an employee of another company that worked in the mill grabbed her arm while she was carrying a vial of hot liquid, and another worker stuck his tongue in her ear. One of her co-workers told her “he would cut off her breast and shove it down her throat.” He later dangled her over a stairwell thirty feet above the floor. Though she met with senior managers about these incidents, the harassment continued. At one point, a co-worker “grabbed Waltman’s breasts and directed a high pressure hose at her crotch.”

Judge Jones wrote a dissenting opinion claiming that this woman’s sexual harassment suit should be thrown out.”

And there was the time she asked The Supreme Court to re-evalute Roe v. Wade:

“In a case attempting to reopen Roe v. Wade, Jones wrote an opinion claiming that “the Court’s constitutional decision making leaves our nation in a position of willful blindness to evolving knowledge should trouble any dispassionate observer not only about the abortion decisions, but about a number of other areas in which the Court unhesitatingly steps into the realm of social policy under the guise of constitutional adjudication.” She urged the Supreme Court to “re-evaluate Roe.”

Jones have been known never to turn down free junkets from conservative groups and major corporations like Koch, Exxon and General Electric:

“Jones ranks fourth, according to a 2010 report by the Alliance for Justice, among judges who have accepted free junkets paid for by conservative groups. These kinds of “junkets for judges” are often sponsored by groups funded by corporate donors with business before Jones’ court.”

Is there any reason to be surprised that this crook was offered a seat in the Supreme Court? If Jones had been appointed by former President George W Bush, conservatism would’ve been running way more wild for sure.

Knowing that there are judges like Edith Jones is a frightening thought, especially for us colored folk. How many more Edith Joneses are out there sitting in their chairs with similar racial sentiments regarding black and brown people? How many of them allow their prejudices and power to influence their judgements and decisions that vomit all over the meaning of justice?

Jones will have a lot of explaining to do since she’s now a social pariah. As we’ve seen lately, conservatives are losing their grip on what little sanity they have left. Jones may be punished, but the damage has already been done due to the white racial frame in this nation’s injustice system, and will continue to do more damage if something drastic isn’t done.

The post Judge Edith Jones: Just Another Racist Conservative appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Hello young brotha. I hope this letter finds you in good spirits. I hope you are doing well, and I hope life is treating you well.

I wrote this letter as a response to your latest song entitled “I Hit It First”. First off, you really have a good voice. You definitely have talent.

However, despite your claim that you’ve “moved on”, I believe this video is a testament that you haven’t completely gotten over Kim Kardashian. There’s nothing wrong with it. You never get over the people you loved or made love with. Yet, making a song about it in the way that was done was kind of tactless. I mean no disrespect, and it has a good beat, but the lyrics were disrespectful not only to Ms. Kardashian, but to you as well.

Please, hear me out for a minute. Again, this is not meant to diss you, and I know that you must be feeling some pressure from critics who say similar things. Not all of them are meant to clown you. Some people see that you have talent and they didn’t want you to abuse it.

You see Ray J, you may know that the music industry is very selective as to what gets played and what demographic they have in mind. Most of the time in this day and age, when it comes to black artists in the mainstream, it only matters if there is a glorification of sex, material possessions, cash, drugs, violence and disrespect for women. Why? Because it sells. It’s not entirely the fault of musicians or the music executives and agents. The consumers are to be held accountable as well.

I digress. The song “I Hit It First” – from the title alone – sounds almost like there’s some envy going on. Again – it seems you are not quite over Ms. Kardashian, and again, that is okay. But the song – the way it’s worded – may not have been the wisest move to express your feelings. Then again, you may be over her, but like they always say, actions speak louder than words, and that song and video is telling the world different.

Ray J. with Kim Kardashian look-a-like in the “I Hit It First” video.

Plus, it has some pride there, as if you are happy to say that you were the one to deflower Ms. Kardashian while her lover-come-lately are in some way subordinate. No disrespect to her, but you may not be the one to “hit it first”. You are the one who helped put the spotlight on her with your sex tape. That much is certain. But, uhhh…I don’t know if you were really her first.

Let’s face it. Kim Kardashian is a beautiful, wealthy woman. I don’t know her personally, but she may have a good heart. Any man would be lucky to be with her. Now, she’s settling down with Kanye West and is building a family with him. I’m sure you wish them the best in their future with the new addition coming up as I have.

I hope I’m not being too judgmental here, and please don’t think that you are singled out. I, like many others, see that you are gifted and talented, and like you mentioned, this is part of a bigger project. I really hope and wish you all the best that it goes in the right direction. You are still young, and you should enjoy life to the fullest. Your fans and supporters only pray that you will enjoy it to the fullest without any regrets. Still, in the end you know what’s best for you.

Peace and take care.

The post Open Letter To Ray J. on the Song “I Hit It First” appeared first on Madness & Reality.

BETWEEN me and the other world there is ever an unasked question: unasked by some through feelings of delicacy; by others through the difficulty of rightly framing it. All, nevertheless, flutter round it. They approach me in a half-hesitant sort of way, eye me curiously or compassionately, and then, instead of saying directly, How does it feel to be a problem? --W.E.B. DuBois

It’s the same story that never, ever gets old. High incarceration rates with a growing prison population, drop out rates, violent crimes – real or imagined, unemployment rates, and even something as mundane as music and fashion styles unflattering to some people are all negro problems. That’s right. These are problems only black people deal with. So, we are the ones who must correct it. We are the ones who must get our acts together. We are the cause of all our problems and everyone else’s.

At least this is how most of America sees it, especially the Commander-in-chief himself.

Recently, President Barack Obama made a speech to the graduating class of Morehouse while First Lady Michelle did the same at Bowie State. It was an honor for the students of two historically black colleges to have the Obamas speak at their graduations. However, I’m sure they weren’t prepared for the spirit of Booker T. Washington to hit them dead in the face.

Colorlines’ Kai Wright writes:

In both speeches, the Obamas veered into finger-wagging lectures about personal responsibility’s triumph over structural inequity. The president issued now-familiar urgings for black people to stop making “excuses”—a plainly strange demand to give a room full of young people who are celebrating a big, hard achievement. The first lady told us even our dreams are insufficient, that black kids must fantasize about being successful professionals rather than celebrities. You’ll not find similar themes in their speeches to non-black audiences.

This is no different than what Bill Cosby pulled at the infamous NAACP speech several years ago in 2004. He harssly criticized the black community on everything from poor english, petty criminality, single parenthood, hyper-consumerism, poor education and naming children. He claims that we “weren’t holding up our end of the deal” (referencing the struggles and sacrifices of civil rights leaders before us), and that “God was tired of us.” Damn!

Like us, if y’all could be like us

It’s one thing to have white people say how we are the cause of everything wrong with American society, but to hear it from members of your people is daunting. Such lectures are demeaning and misleading. It suggests that whatever’s wrong with black people are within black people. What’s worse is that it scapegoats the cause of a community’s problems away from the real causes, and that includes – in large part – to the continuous onslaught of white institutional racism.

There are numerous volumes of information to support and back up the truths the systematic and social racism is a major factor to the problems facing blacks in America. Yet, it is never considered, let alone mentioned – at least not without being accused of “blaming whitey.”

There is never a discussion on how poor and broken schools in poor black neighborhoods are being underfunded and ultimately shut down. No one bats an eye if hundreds of black youth are dying in poor inner city streets due to lack of employment, activities, an influx of drugs and guns that can easily be obtained, a seriously underfunded education system and a lack of healthcare. And let’s not leave out the horrible, racist and fatal treatment at the hands of cops and a ravenous “justice” system looking for more poor black bodies for more profit. Yet somehow, it is still all our fault!

Mr. and Ms. Obama, if you want to preach about personal responsibility, why not sit down and talk to corrupt politicans, greedy CEOs and crooked bankers about being accountable for the bullshit they’ve caused? But, since most of them are rich and white, I guess that’s forbidden.

Note: Check out our recent discussion on this subject on Madness & Reality Radio below:

The post Obama, Tough Love, & the Negro Problem appeared first on Madness & Reality.

Immigration…

As an immigrant and advocate for immigration reform, nothing upsets me off more than when I hear people who look like me complain and say, “President Obama is doing immigration for Latinos, but has done nothing for Black people.” It’s a rather myopic view of what is in fact a very complex situation. Sadly, many are of the ill-formed opinion that becoming documented is just as simple as going to the DMV and waiting in line.

If only the process was that simple, but it’s not. This type of rhetoric frustrates me. But I’ve come to realize that this country is chock full of ignorant people, who are easily influenced by the racist anti-immigration movement. And what’s even more frustrating when I hear this garbage? That said ignorance belittles the collective efforts of grassroots activists intent on seeing change; many of whom are undocumented themselves.

These are people who are willing to put their lives on the line who risk deportation and possible separation from their families. These are people like Verónica Bayetti Flores, an immigrant and queer woman of color, who was arrested in New York City recently. What was her crime? Standing alongside undocumented youth ion hopes of Governor Andrew Cuomo implementing New York’s version of the DTREAM Act. A measure that will at the least give people brought here as children a temporary respite from fear of deportation and a life of American normalcy.

Here is what Veronica had to say:

I am a queer immigrant writer, activist, and artist. I’ve worked to increase access to contraception and abortion, fought for paid sick leave, demanded access to safe public space for queer youth of color, and helped to lead social justice efforts in Wisconsin, New York City, and Texas.

Verónica Bayetti Flores

Today, I stand as an ally to undocumented youth in the effort to demand the passage of the New York State DREAM Act, which has the potential to radically transform undocumented young people’s access to education in New York. In preparing for today’s action, I re-read the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Letter from a Birmingham Jail; the powerful lessons of this open letter remain relevant today. In it, Dr. King assures us that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor, and that it must be not only demanded by the oppressed, but demanded now. That, although those who have not suffered from racial injustice too often claim that the time is not right, “justice too long delayed is justice denied.”

Justice has been denied to undocumented immigrants for too long. I am doing this today because I am a reproductive justice activist, and I know that education impacts access to health care. I am doing this today because I am queer, and I know that queer youth of color in New York are disproportionately poor and unable to afford housing, much less the rising costs of higher education. I am doing this today because, as an immigrant who was not eligible for financial aid when I applied for college, I know that most will not have the luck and the privilege that I had when I was still able to access the education has been integral to my success and happiness.

The comprehensive immigration reform being discussed in Congress will not address many of these concerns, and will leave much to be desired. State efforts like the New York DREAM Act remain critical in to the path toward justice for undocumented youth. Today, I demand that Governor Cuomo make this bill a priority. He needs to know that he does not have Latinos and immigrants in the bag if he has his eyes set on a presidential run in 2016: we need action, and we are watching.

Listen to her in her own words:

… immigration reform benefits the country.

When immigration reform does indeed become a reality and the ink that is the signature of President Obama has dried. It would be because of the hard work of people dedicated to change. It would be because those of us involved were able to build consensus by telling our stories. It would be because the people like Veronica were able to humanize an undesirable underclass of people in this country, also in pursuit of the American Dream.

As our political leaders debate and wrangle with the task of immigration reform. It’s important to know that while there is no shortage of ignorant talk when it comes to the issue. There are m,many courageous individuals who get it, who are standing up and speaking out in the interest of social justice. Not just social justice, but also human rights. Because believe it or not, immigration is indeed a human rights issue as well.

Still don’t get it?

Watch the following:

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Bill O’Reilly Plus Donald Trump Equals the Same Old Racism

According to most white folks, crime in white communities is as rare as responsible black fathers. White neighborhoods are as close to peaceful utopias as Disney World, only without the rides and cartoon character costume workers. The people there are polite, kind, hard-working, honorable, respectable and have good ole’ fashion American values. In other words white people live there. So, there’s nothing to fear.

On the other hand – still according to many whites – black and brown communities are pits of hell on Earth. Crime and violence always happen there, and most of the crime in the United States is caused by those people. Those neighborhoods support their hedonistic violent cultures and they have no one and nothing to blame but themselves.

It’s no wonder why you need to keep your windows up and doors locked when you drive through their hoods. That’s why those places are best to stay away from, especially at night because you know, black and brown people live there. Trouble is bound to happen.

This is what people like conservative commentator Bill O’Reilly and real estate mogul Donald Trump thinks. Tracy Clayton of the Root reports:

“According toBill O’Reilly,” tweeted Trump (and we know that once you begin making a point by quotingBill O’Reilly, it’s all downhill from there), “80% of all the shootings in New York City are blacks — if you add Hispanics, that figure goes to 98%. 1% white.” In tweets that have since been deleted, Trump went on to say, “When it comes to violent crime, and if we are going to solve the problem, we must stop being so politically correct — must tell it like it is!” Then, “Likewise, the primary victims of violent crime are in the African-American and Hispanic communities. These people want LAW AND ORDER now!”

This doesn’t surprise me in the least. I only read and heard similar statements like this only a million-zillion times already. It’s useless to act shocked, let alone offended. After a while, you kinda let it pass over.

One thing is true though, African-American and Hispanics are also aware of the problem of crime and violence in the community. However, unlike O’Reilly, Trump and many other white-minded critics, there are black and brown folk who actively do what they can with what they have to stop it. When was the last time Ole’ Bill and Don help end crime in places like Brooklyn or Harlem while trying to find ways to eject President Obama and protect the tax brackets of the filthy rich?

I guess Ms. Clayton and I were wrong in what black and brown communities in NYC want. I thought they wanted an end to ‘stop and frisk’ and police brutality. I also thought they want adequate and equal opportunity employment and housing and more effective ways to lower and fight crime and still be treated like human beings. But I guess all we want is “Law and Order”, which I guess they meant the TV show.

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I want to have a conversation with Rodger William Kelly. I have never been compelled to have a conversation with any of the subjects in the stories that I post on this site. But this motherfucker right here?!! Oh yeah, we need to have a heart-to-heart conversation about saving lives, sex, and rape.

Not that there’s much my overly-immature-self can teach to a 50-year-old grown-ass-man or anything. It’s just that I would like to know what the hell is on his rabbit-ass-mind when he did what he did to his neighbor? And more importantly, I would like to know if he has any plans of sticking to his story in defense of his actions? O course some people are into saving lives and that’s a good thing. But having sex with an unconscious woman so as to save her life? Come on, sir. You’re looking like more like Mr. Rapey McRapist than you do a Good Samaritan with this bullshit story.

This from The Salt Lake City Tribune:

A 50-year-old St. George man is in trouble after he allegedly found a female neighbor unconscious on her front porch and allegedly claimed he had sex with her to try to warm her.

Rodger William Kelly told police he inserted his penis inside the unconscious 29-year-old on May 19 because “he was trying to save her life,” according to court documents.

“He said he did place it inside of her to try and get her temperature up,” police wrote in a probable cause statement filed in 5th District Court.

Looks like 50-year-old Rodger William Kelly took that State Farm “Like a good neighbor” jingle too seriously.

Police told Kelly that his actions amounted to rape. He was charged Monday with one count of first-degree felony rape.

Kelly told officers that he found the woman passed out in front of her apartment and brought her inside his apartment, changed her clothes and put her on his bed. He said he then lay down next to her and hugged her to try to get her temperature up because she had been outside, then attempted intercourse to warm her.

When police arrived, responding to an unconscious person call, they said they found Kelly inside his apartment giving the woman CPR.

The woman later told police she thought she might have been raped and recalled being dressed in a pair of the man’s underwear and shorts. She told police she had bruising on her pelvic and upper thighs, according to court documents.

The hospital was unable to complete a rape kit because the woman’s vaginal area was cleaned while she was sedated, according to court documents.

Kelly told police that the two previously were intimate, but admitted the woman had told him before the incident that she didn’t want to have sex with him again.

Okay, so I don’t know much about Utah. Heck, for all I know it is probably fifty degrees below zero out there at this time of the year. Even so, I sincerely doubt that the insertion of a penis into a frozen and unconscious woman’s vagina is the suggested or prescribed fix for hypothermia.

I’m not a doctor, nor do I play one on television; but, of all the methods of resuscitation I doubt whether this one exists. Of course the medical books that I have read over the years are old. So, maybe this is something new that even the cops in Utah are not quite educated on just yet.

That said, I wonder what would he have done if his neighbor was a man instead of a woman. Would he have been quick on his feet as he was with his female neighbor and insert his penis into his you know what? Now do you see why I would love to have a conversation with this man?

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Have you heard all the talk about women being sexually assaulted in the military lately? Apparently it happens so often, that if you’re a woman who felt like being a victim, joining the military may be just the thing that you need. Yes, the rates of sexual assault are higher in the military than it is in civilian life. But who wants to be a victim of sexual assault, right? I mean it’s not the kind of thing one signs up for.

Speaking of which, of all the places a woman can become a victim of sexual assault, one would think a court would be the safest and last place where something like that would happen. But with this place they called “sin City” — otherwise known as Las Vegas — where anything can happen. I suppose we shouldn’t be shocked to hear that a woman who walked into a courtroom for a divorce, walked out the victim of such a crime.

This from KLAS-TV Las Vegas:

LAS VEGAS — Multiple employees and managers at the Clark County family court are under investigation for allegedly covering up a sexual assault by a court marshal.

[...] There are multiple marshals involved and allegations ranging from sexual assaults to choking a citizen in court. The investigation began with a 2011 video that shows family court marshals arresting a woman because she claimed one of them sexually assaulted her.

Monica Contreras went to family court with her 2-year-old daughter in August 2011. She was in the courtroom only a few minutes on a routine divorce case. Her husband filed for a Temporary Restraining Order against her during their divorce. He never showed up in court so the order was denied.

According to internal court documents, as Contreras was leaving, family court marshal Ron Fox ordered her into a waiting room for an unexplained drug search.

Contreras said Fox touched her buttocks, breast, and ordered her to lift up her shirt. A later internal investigation by Clark County courts validated her claims. Contreras went back into the same courtroom and told hearing master Patricia Donninger that her requests to have a female marshal handle the search were ignored.

“I think I’d rather have a female in here and he went anyway. I was just offended by it. I’m just offended that he asked me,” an upset Contreras told Donninger, who did not respond to her.

The video shows Marshal James Kenyon preparing to arrest Contreras. She can be heard pleading with him.

“For what, sir? Why would I be arrested? Can you please tell me?”

Marshal Kenyon is heard telling Contreras to turn around and put her hands behind her back. As Contreras continues to ask why she is being arrested, marshal Ron Fox replies.

“Because of false allegations made against a police officer,” he told her.

[...] After repeated attempts by the marshals to get Contreras to recant her story, she breaks down.

“Let me go. It was all lies. I don’t want to deal with anything. It was all lies. All lies. All lies. All lies. Please stop,” she said.

Fox tells Contreras the only way she can avoid jail is to step up to the microphone and recant. Contreras agrees, but does the opposite.

“You put me in a room. You asked me to lift up my shirt without a witness,” Contreras said into the microphone.

At that point, Fox replied, “OK, take her to jail.”

For four minutes, Contreras pleaded to hearing master Patricia Donninger to listen to her, but Donninger never acknowledged Contreras, instead she talked and played with Contreras’s daughter.

“How can you do this to me? How can you watch?” Contreras pleaded.

Contreras kisses her daughter before being sent to jail. Her young daughter was sent to Child Haven. Two months later, Contreras filed a complaint with Court Marshal Internal Affairs.

Sources tell the I-Team, investigators were shocked they had not heard of the alleged courthouse sexual assault from family court Lt. Steve Rushfield. After a six-month internal affairs investigation, Fox was fired.

 

[...] Clark County court administration released a statement reading: “Court personnel are prohibited from commenting on the video because it’s a personnel matter. When the actions of any district court employee are called into question, the court immediately responds by conducting a fair, thorough investigation and, upon completion, taking appropriate action.”

Even though Fox was fired, sources tell the I-Team, Clark County courts are widening their investigation into why this incident, and a growing number of assault allegations, were never reported by family court management to internal affairs.

Fox maintains his innocence and is suing Clark County for wrongful termination. His attorney declined an on-camera interview but claims the marshal’s arrest was legal because nobody in the courtroom tried to stop him. (source)

Watch the video below:

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