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Saturday, September 25, 2010

The EDUCATION CRISIS in America...

How many people are going to go see, Waiting For Superman? Oprah did two shows this past two days about the movie and it is a heart wrenching documentary by Oscar winning director Davis Guggenheim which is a personal journey of exploration of the current state of the United States educational system and how it is impacting our children. He travels all across America, highlighting the true stories of children in our nation's school system. One of the most heart-wrenching scenes in the movie are a group of parents from Washington DC school system waiting to see if their children will be chosen by a state lottery-like system, in which children have to depend on a lottery number being chosen in order to have the opportunity of getting into a good school. One woman whose child was selected stated that her child being chosen was a matter of him going to college or going to prison.

It is appalling that the United States Educational system has come to this.

For over 50 years, but particularly the last 35; the American education system has become a joke. You simply can not have a superior country with inferior education. We must be accountable.

The minds of our children are too valuable to be wasted.

Any teacher that miseducates a child is committing a crime in my opinion.

As relates to Black children...It is well documented how white teachers show bias toward Black students. I'll give you an example: About 15 years ago, one of my first cousin's daughters told me about a white teacher that refused to call on Black children in class when they were having oral exercises. I asked her if this happened all the time and she said, yes. At this time, I told her number one, to continue her drive to excel(she was a straight A student), I then told her not to be discouraged by this; get her mother involved and both of you go to the school principal's office and discuss this matter so that the teacher can be confronted; and third, I was just real with her and stated that in the south and other parts of America, white people have always been racist toward Black people, and many are hateful enough that they don't want to see Black people succeed at anything, even their children.

Malcolm X had a similar story...in reference to what happened to my little cousin. In his autobiography, he illustrated when he made the unfortunate mistake of telling his dreams to a white teacher. Malcolm had dreams of becoming a lawyer and he stated this to this teacher. This was during Jim Crow and it was very normal for white folks to talk down to Black people. This teacher told Malcolm, "that he should find a trade that was more suitable for a N*gger." Yes, calling Black folks by the N-word was a normal thing. But Malcolm stated that this broke his heart and his spirit. Here he was in an all white school...where he had been so smart, he had been nominated to be class president, and then he was shot down. This was the catalyst that led Malcolm to the streets.

Be careful who you share your dreams with...

However, I'm happy to tell you that this young lady is getting ready to graduate from college "with honors" next year.

She's a success story, but what about all of the Black children who aren't getting the proper motivation to continue on to a 4-year college institution? They fall through the cracks. And what would shock people is that a study concluded over a decade ago that contrary to popular belief; most children that drop out of school are actually very intelligent.

This is the greatest tragedy of the American educational system.

Someone once said: the richest place on earth is a graveyard. Why? Because it's filled with people who never reached their potential.

We must make it our collective business to encourage people, particularly young children, because we never know who they could become.

Notes on Racism: Getting It Right!


 What is racism? Many people use this term incorrectly every single day when describing behavior that yes, may be bias; but the term racism is not the correct word to use, say...from a white person who inquires a Black person whether or not they'd date/marry a white person...and if said BP says no, the white person says that they are racist. That is not racism, it's a personal choice and preference.

The issue that I have with white people using racism these days toward Blacks in power is not only ludicrous; these people exhibit a level of arrogance and ignorance of their own behavior in this country that is just appalling. Why don't white people understand their behavior? Many Blacks assess this resistance as a deep pathological denial for fear of the consequences of acknowledging their innate hatred toward Blacks and other minorities, but particularly as relates to Black people.

To choose to not understand the impact white racism has had on Black people in a system designed to benefit their group is a moral failure. Logically, to choose to remain ignorant about something where there is concrete evidence regarding it's devastating impact indicates that by choosing to not know, they don't have to take action.

Currently, we see the Tea Party as a racist movement. Why? Because although semantically, the sound-bites coming from whites, are always are in rants about them "Taking Back America! Preserving Democracy! And Protecting Their Way of Life!" But what Black people hear and see subliminally, are nothing more than a bunch pissed-off white people, who can't get over the mere fact that a black man kicked their racist leader(s) John McCain and Sara Palin's royal ass.

First of all, in the history of the United States, minorities have had to be REACTIONARY to white racism as a matter of not only survival, but basic principle.

Racism for most whites is intellectualized visually as men dressed up in white robes, but racism has nothing to do with this per se. It was a system sanctioned by the state and backed by law.

So, today, I'd like to summarize the correct definition of the term, racism, to add clarity in discussions.

The best definition of racism that I found comes from the book After Multiculturalism: The Politics of Race and Dialectics of Liberty by John F. Welsh:

Page 12


RACISM AND MULTICULTURLISM: MIRROR IMAGES?

"The concept of racism in critical thought historically entailed the notions that universal cultural, economic, social, political, and psychological dynamics undergird the identification and subjugation of people based on biological, cultural, and/or linguistic categories. Racism in a variety of contexts could be understood using the same or theoretical constructs and measures.

Page 13

One of the fundamental elements of racist though is that it is a collectivist, not individualist, ideology since it promotes the idea that the collective qualities and attributions of racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups matter more than the character and behaviors of individuals in cultural symbols and public policy. Racism defines and proscribes human identity and behavior in collective constructs purportedly rooted in biological, cultural, and/or linguistic phenomena. Through its advocates, racist thought attempt of affect or determine public policy through the seizure of political power to impose a regime of social relations that actualizes the collectivist constructs that categorizes persons into racial and ethnic groups. The self-fulfilling component of racist thought is not left to chance; instead, racist political activists seek to ensure that their definition of the situation is made real through the levers of the state, the culture and the hierarchical organizations within society.

Page 15

"Racism is a statist ideology in that it requires political authority, power, law, and public policy to enforce the domination and subjugation of racial, ethnic, and linguistic groups."

So...basically, "White Supremacy is an historically based, institutionally perpetuated system of exploitation and oppression of continents, nations, and peoples of color by white peoples and nations of the European continent, for the purpose of maintaining and defending a system of wealth, power, and privilege."

A healthy debate is always encouraged but in my honest opinion, the only people who can truly understand racism are those who have been its victims.



 

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

The Ten DEADLIEST ENEMIES of The Black Community...


*Ever wonder why things are the way they are? What you see in some areas within the Black Community today are the effects of CHOICES made decades prior. Here is a list of the 10 worst enemies of the Black community:

1.) Irresponsible Baby Breeders( Why are so many woman having children they can't afford? )
2.) Absentee fathers(It takes a man to MAKE A MAN !)
3.) Criminals that degrade their communities with their behavior and lack of moral values
4.) Dysfunctional families
5.) Parents that won't discipline their children
6.) Materialism
7.) Class bigotry
8.) Lack of solidarity in communities
9.) Churches that don't care
10.) Uncaring neighbors

Notice that I didn't include the KKK or White America as being the main culprits of the many of the problems that are existent in some areas of the Black community today.

The above issues are the main ingredients that created the problems facing many communities in Black America.

Sometimes, we are the enemy and if we don't care about who we are as a people; then we should not expect others to care either.

It all starts and ends with US .

*** A healthy debate is encouraged ***

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Facebook Finally Got Me!!!




For quite some time, I've been reluctant to become a member of many of the popular social networking sites.  My stance was why in the world would people have the need to share so much about their life.  But 3 days ago, after much thought, I gave in.  I became a member of Facebook--as you can see from the badge on my home page.  After going through the registration process...to my shock, I was instantly linked to friends from my old high school in North Chicago, Illinois, some of  whom I hadn't seen...well...since high school.  Immediately I requested friendship with about 25 people and about that many responded.  Everyone really looked good, gathering from the pictures and I've been in conversation with about 6 consistently for the last 3 days.

It made me happy to see my old friends and classmates.  They all are doing well and most have families of their own now.  Age has escaped many of them.  No Botox, face lifts or breast implants in the bunch.  A few of the guys have gotten a little chunky though, but many of the ladies must have bribed Mother Nature.

Lately, I've been a little homesick and I have been thinking about moving back home to Chicago. Chicago is just one of those cities that you can never leave even though you may reside somewhere else.  It's a great city.

Anyhoot...until I decide to move...I'll just keep in touch with all my old friends who still live there as solice.

Thus, I'm now officially a "friend" on Facebook and I admit that I'm diggin' it.

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

A Letter To Black Men: The Perception of You To Us...

 
  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYGxPDqquDQ
 
Louis Farrakhan on Interracial Relationships...
 
 
Greetings,

Today, I felt the urging to speak to this issue, primarily because it has caused such a psychological disturbance on the entire Black community for decades. There is just one thing I can say in seeing so many Black males getting in relationships with or marrying either white or other non Black mates: YOU EMBARRASS the Black community.

That's really the issue.

Jill Scott described it in her Essence article as that "wince" you get whenever you see a picture of a Black man in particular in an IR union.

The indifferent amongst us will say, "Hey, love is blind, you should be with who you want, but collectively, as a people; it's a ludicrous statement when you have over 70% of Black children being raised in single parent homes. The perception is that Black people don't want to be with each other--even though...statistical ly, the majority Blacks marry each other.

For a few weeks now, I've been trying to come up with the words to describe what I and other Black people feel who just aren't attracted to people from other people from other race or color groups. We dig being Black! We love being around Black people! We love Black food, culture, attitude, style, thought, speech--everything! We're not running away from who we are. And those that feel the pull to get in relationships with people who are not Black, draw suspicion from us. What's your problem? We just don't get it.

The Black family is sacred. I grew up in a community with Black men married to Black women who had nice looking chidren, who dressed well, they spoke well, and carried themselves well. When we went to church, you saw these families and everyone was proud and had dignity. We like these type of families and it's how we all see ourselves. Whenever most of us see a Black man or Black woman with a white or non Black man or woman, first, we look--we could be thinking a myriad of thoughts, but if we are honest, the control thought is while rolling our eyes is "Oh, Lord, another one ..." and we shake our heads...and say nothing. But the thought lingers. We just don't say anything.

But truthfully, it leads us to wonder if there is something mentally wrong within many Black people that get involved in these relationships. IR relationships are adverstised as " racial progress ." How in the hell can you call this racial progress with so many young Black women who are not in married relationships or who are single mothers? Black men continue to outnumer Black women in IR relationships. But what is making them choose these women over Black women? The media has always promoted White beauty and dismissed Black beauty. But white women in particular, are literally killing themselves to have features that Black women are born with. So, are Black men buying into White Power by proxy. Some of us think so.

The Black man is singled out primarily because of the historical hatred directed at him by white males. Can I just be real: There has been a conspiracy against Black men--and particularly at the Black father by removing him from the home. Black women continue to cry out because we have images going through
our minds of racial hatred in this country and some just can't
understand how Black men can sleep with women who are the descendants of people who thought it was entertaining and right to lynch Black men in their honor? Why do you desire your oppressor's woman? And to put salt in an old wound: the stupidity of esteeming white women as they denigrate Black women and dishonor them through sociopathic misogyny, is absolutely incendiary. Black women cry out because it's wrong! It is EVIL and a product of hell. And they will not tolerate being disrespected. It is Black women who have kept Black families together, who work to keep our communities in tact. They are the only true allies of Black men. HELL YEAH!  We're protective of Black men because it's a Black woman(his mother, sister, grandmother) that suffers if that man is harmed or killed. It's the Black community that is weakened.

Some Black women may not understand why some of their sisters object to a Black man with a white woman, but those of us who are older and wise, we know what is the truth.

This is what Black women remember subconsciously whenever they see a Black man with a white woman:
Click the image to open in full size.

White women at KKK wedding

Click the image to open in full size.

You see all of those white women smiling...at the lifeless bodies of those brothers?



Click the image to open in full size.

Found this one by accident or maybe serendipity...appare ntly, it really speaks volumes, huh?

Frankly, why don't some Black men just put swastikas on their arms and shout WHITE POWER ! when out with their white dates/wives and mixed children that don't look like them?

Do you hate the fact that you came from a Black womb so much that being with a Black woman is the one thing that you must avoid in order to live your lie?

Basically, the prevailing thought going through the minds of many of us is that some of you have lost your minds. You look foolish and given the recent Black males who have had bad press involving their relationships with white or non Black women, Tiger Woods, Tiki Barber, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Reggie White, O.J. Simpson, as well as the recent deaths of Steve McNair and Gary Coleman; we shake our heads and ask: WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH SOME OF YOU ?!?! These are celebrities, but every time you turn on the television or look in a magazine, you see some prominent Black male cheesing it up for the camera as he holds his white or non Black woman close. Almost like saying to the world, " Look, World! I've finally made it Big! " Even Black men are beginning to question loudly their Black brothers who keep getting in these type of relationships.

The concern is frankly, white people are now afraid because of the economy and per usual, they are looking to blame someone for their suffering. They aren't so nice now. And given the treatment that Mexicans are receiving in Arizona, the constant criticism of Obama and casual racism that has been creeping up, some of you better get a reality check. **** is soon going to hit the fan.

Black men in IR's-- WAKE UP !!! You are an embarrassment to your people and we are not going to continue to protect you from whites who one day are going to remind you what they really think of you. We will not come to your aid when it's not so hip to have a white chick. And we will not pray for you when these white women wake up from their sleepwalking--and looks at this Black body next to her and holler RAPE !


It's the perception that Black men need to think about. How do you look to your own people? Do you ask yourselves that? Yet, you seek comfort in the arms of white women, whose mothers and grandmothers laughed at the swinging Black bodies of lynched Black men, who laughed when white men beat Black men up with billy clubs and bats, who laughed when dogs were sicked on Black men, women and children--and you talk about their soft skin or how they support you or don't give you drama?

YOU ARE FOOLS!

I don't know what happened in a generation to Black people, but it is high time for the Black community to purge itself of this bacteria and restore dignity to our people.