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This is where I get to express myself about things that make me go......f&c#*&D^5$h&* (and sometimes that's a good thing!)
Requiem for a Dreamer - Response to your many emails from Contributing columnist Ericka C. Lee
I make no attempts to deny that my letter to the presidential candidates was based on the memories of my idealistic self. The girl I was at fifteen or sixteen of age when I believed that those in power were supposed to protect and serve those with minimal or no power. I do not make any attempts to excuse the simplicity of my thoughts or words in that piece, because I wanted to remember who I was before I became jaded by the ills and ill-gotten gains of our country. When was the last time you attempted to connect with the person you once were, the person who had plans, dreams, and ideas that transcended time and space? But alas I know that what I wrote was fairytale and to assure those who may not know, I'm more aware than some may have assumed. I introduce my realist self. Waking up from my daydreams, I have to face the reality that there are still over 513,000 children in the foster care system (Child Trends, 2007) and yet our government has yet to address the needs of these children, their families of origin, and/or the families currently raising them. Roughly 24,000 foster care children age-out of the system on their eighteenth birthday while 115,000 children are waiting to be adopted (Child Trends, 2006.) How can we protect the worlds' children when ours are so vulnerable? But which of the presidential candidates have you heard speak about this issue? I can't think of one. Let us talk about domestic violence. In Pennsylvania domestic violence agencies are sought by approximately 2,477 adults and children on any given day! (Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 2007.) Such a high number for only one day in one state? Imagine what the national numbers are for domestic violence. Who have we heard addressing this issue? I cannot recall a one. The William Institute in 2007 reported 8 in 100,000 African-Americans; 12 in 100,000 Muslims; 15 in 100,000 Jews; 13 in 100,000 gay men, lesbians, and bisexuals reported being victim of hate crimes. Which one of our leaders has shown a readiness to discuss reducing or eliminating intolerance or violence as a part of their platform for presidency? When the Jena Six story was making headlines which of the candidates came out without prompting and acknowledged that inconsistencies and inequalities in our justice system have been tolerated for too long? Who stood before their constituents at an organized event and addressed this issue or concern? Tell me who it was. Then there's the elephant that sits in every room of the White House and on every floor of Congress and the Senate.... POVERTY. In 2004 the Washington Post reported that 35.9 million North Americans were living in poverty. The cost of living is going up and very few opportunities for raises or betterment are being presented. Which one of the candidates has addressed this issue in a manner that doesn't lead the poorest of the poor to their slaughter, and the poor to a life of indentured service? Tell me who? These are the concerns that I think about and get bogged down by daily, along with thoughts about the infant mortality rate within the African-American community; the social and physical hurdles HIV positive men, women and children have to get over; the number of senior citizens who have no caregivers and cannot afford decent care. These are the things that matter to me when I think who will lead this nation. So when I say I will not vote for a person based on their ethnicity or gender, it is not to say that I would not choose someone who looks like me. It is to say, looks come and go but service is forever. Who will serve us all? Who has even shown the slightest willingness to tackle one if not all of these issues? Until that person comes along I have no problem being a realist who chooses to partake in daydreaming every now and again. Ericka Lee
- When McNabb first came to the Eagles, he was booed. He figured these were a few degenerate fans who wanted a running back more than a quarterback. He was wrong. When he was verbally zinged by Rush Limbaugh, it seemed that everyone was on his side. He was wrong. When he was called out by Terrell Owens, many Philly fans, radio and television sports jocks came to his defense. He figured they supported him because of their dislike for anyone speaking out against him. Wrong again. Most football fans do not see past the white lines. They measure everything in wins and losses, but this country is a racist land and for many, that poison does not stop at the football field. There are far too many fans who still live in the old days. The old days where all quarterbacks looked and played like Johnny Unitas. They don't believe that a black man should be leading their football team. It's funny when I hear white sports radio hosts saying things like "I don't see it". "I don't think anyone cares about race, they just want to win" or " All quarterbacks are treated the same". If you're white, you do not have enought information to even comment. For instance, if you are a leading gynocologist with years of training and experience, you still cannot tell a woman how it feels to give birth. You do not have enough information. They bring up Payton Manning, saying "He had the label that he couldn't win the big one". They forget to add that just about all the media have him in the hall of fame already. I'll cut this short because it is so simple. There is unequal treatment everywhere. Pretty girls, rich people, white people, famous people, police officers, politicians, and many others get preferential treatment. There is almost no job in the world where everybody gets treated the same, so lets forgo that lame response. McNabb finally gets it. When Terrell Owens said that he was a company man it hurt. It hurt because within the black community, "company man" translates to "house negro". A house negro is a negro who worked in the master's house. He ate better than the average slave, he dressed better than the average slave and he lived better than the average slave but if he made a mistake and spoke out of turn, he was whipped like an average slave. The other slaves resented them, not because of their position but because the house negro felt he was better liked than the average slave, he thought he was in a better position and sometimes even forgot he was a slave……until master pulled the whip out. McNabb was wrong. McNabb thought that if he dressed right, acted right, spoke right, didn't ruffle any feathers, smiled for the cameras and played as good as he could, even through pain and agony; he would not get the whip. He was wrong...... again. There is still much too much racism in this world. We see it every day of our lives. Every day. It's as simple as this. There are racist cops, sports show hosts, judges, bus drivers, cashiers, deliverymen, contractors and football fans. White quarterbacks do not get criticized by racist fans, black quarterbacks do. If you listen to any radio sports show, you can hear it but then again, maybe you can't. You can't hear it because you are not programmed to hear it. Let me try to explain it to you. Let's say you're a television news anchor, your best friend steals your girlfriend/boyfriend. A week later they have a car accident. You have to report it on the news. You try your best to say the story without emotion, without bias and you think you've succeeded, but you are wrong. Two people can see through the plastic smile and rehearsed words….your girlfriend/boyfriend and your best friend. They can tell by the words you've chosen, the inflections in your voice and the slight smirk on your face. Why, because they unlike everybody else, are sensitive to the subject. We can tell, we can hear it, we can see it. Need an example. This is a direct quote. RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Standing erect and answering questions with soft, short responses, NFL star Michael Vick pleaded guilty Monday to a federal dogfighting charge and awaited a Dec. 10 sentencing date that could send him to prison. Did you notice it? If not, Check the first line - "Standing erect?". What does that say to you? Do you think that Vick's cornrolls, goatee and hip-hop swagger had anything to do with that quote? Did you think all the fire about Vick was due soley to dogfighting? This is a country where there are places that you can shoot exotic animals with a high powered weapon through a cage….and it's legal. We have hunting channels on TV. Am I defending dogfighting? No, but either it's all right or it's all wrong. The reason most black people (oreos and Uncle Toms excluded), support Michael Vick is we truly believe that too many people in this country value dogs more than black people. Do you think Payton Manning would have gotten the same treatment as Michael Vick? If you believe that the two would have been treated the same then I need to introduce you to six young men from Jena, Louisiana. Philly's sport station WIP radio played a comment by Washington Redskin star running back Clinton Portis in support of Michael Vick, recalling the charity work he has done and noting that he is a hero in his community. Instead of letting the quote stand, On-Air personality Rob Charry made it a point to mention that Vick had used an obscene gestute and given his girlfriend an STD. If this was a Jewish man speaking of anti-Semitism or a woman talking about sexism, you would investigate. ...wouldn't you? Why the rush to judgment on McNabb, guilty conscience? When McNabb thought that all football fans cared only about football he was wrong. When he said that black quarterbacks are criticized more than white quarterbacks….he was absolutely right. He finally gets it. Even if you're a house negro..................you're still a slave. Ericka C. Lee - Contributing Columnist
I know as you prepare to embark on this very important and arduous journey there are things you think will matter, things people told you would matter and things you hope will not matter. Before someone tries to tell you what will matter to me when I decide how I will refer to you and your leadership I thought I would tell you myself. The truth is that I could care less about the following things because when looked at separately cannot paint the full picture of the person who is capable of leading us uring times of peace or during times of war. I could care less about whether you are of my gender or my ethnicity because my hope is that you realize whether you are or not, you speak for all of us. Your actions, reactions, decisions and statements reflect anyone who calls this great nation home. If you are of my gender or of my ethnicity, I hope that you remember what it felt like to be voiceless or invisible in the place you call home. I could care less about the names you use to identify your spiritual leaders or the name you use to refer to God. My hope is that the morals, values and virtues that encompass humility, compassion, respect, and dignity (written within every faith) have prepared you for the understanding of what it means to lead a diverse nation. I hope that your faith has developed you into a well-rounded individual who is open to new ideas and who seeks guidance not only from like-minded thinkers but also from those who have had different life experiences. I hope that if you are truly faithful that you will be able to recognize faith in anyone and everyone regardless of how they worship. I could care less about your sexual orientation. My hope is that you have known love, watched it blossom, feared its loss, and have been warmed by its awesome power so that when you have to make critical decisions on behalf of this country you will make them out of love and not greed. I could care less about whether you call yourself a Democrat or Republican. My hope is that you understand that you represent the American who has the time and resources to know the difference as well as the American who sees all politicians as the cause of his/her suffering. My hope is that you wear the title of President as a champion for the rights and dignity of all of us and not as the mouthpiece of a political machine. For me, your skin, gender, religion, spouse, or political affiliation cannot determine what matters; it is how you speak to me and on behalf of me. Talk to me about how you will lead, as though you were the one who had to follow. How will you show me your willingness to stand alone if that means you have stood for what is best for everyone? Prove to me that you make vital decisions for your constituents as if they are your sons or daughters. Prove that you understand if you make the wrong choices, they are the ones to suffer the consequences. Share with me a time when you felt devalued, oppressed, or victimized and how you plan to prevent any other citizen from having to experience those feelings. Convince me you will invest your energy on parenting a nation and not on the next election. When you address the nation make me believe you are speaking to me and when you are out in the world that you are speaking on behalf of me not some personal agenda. I do not envy the stress you are about to endure or the impending weight you will have on your shoulders should you be elected. If you honor all those who reside in this country, live and die in this country, defend and sacrifice for this country, you will earn my respect and my favor. May the better citizen and leader win! Sincerely, Ericka Lee………a dreamer Black or African-American.........It's Not the Same I had an interesting moment at work today.
As some of you might know I only socialize with a total of two people
at my job on a regular basis. I rather enjoy them and one happens
to be my supervisor. They are both Caucasian middle age women...their
kids are my age and older. Anywho, we have over the course of my
time working there had several conversations about race and politics,
always cool. And today when one came to talk to me about her frustration
with the report she's working on I didn't mind and felt glad that
she felt at ease to ask. The report was being reviewed and she was
told instead of using black she should use African-American. She
asked if I agreed. I said yes and explained. Her reply was, "Well
if that's the case, I want to be called French-American." Knowing
her and the situation I didn't take offense to her remark because
I knew she simply didn't get it. I wrote her the following
It's Not the Same The music industry reflects the values of our society, right? The music industry reflects the values of our society, right? I hope to high heaven that is not true. But to an unsuspecting audience (youth) the images and concepts developed are teaching tools on how to live and relate to others. My generation isn't likely to be corrupted by the messages, but those younger than us 20-30 year olds leads me to believe this world is in trouble. There are so many areas that can be discussed but the depiction of black women is what frightens me the most. The black woman's experience in America has been centered around sex, from being captured and imprisoned off the coast of Africa, to her arrival in America. If she wasn't a sex slave, she was a baby making factory producing workers for plantations. But, in my opinion, the craziest of all the ills inflicted on the African-American female was her responsibility to feed the babes of her captors with her own breast milk. Our society has always had a twisted notion of us. Not worthy of respect, but deemed worthy to nurse the future of a society that will grow up believing we're no more than sexual objects. Our struggle for equality and value in this country has been long and arduous, but we were slowly making progress. For every depiction of a black woman as a sexual object there was another of a strong black woman who was educated, sophisticated, and whose beauty was visible without her being a sneeze away from being naked. I'm not going to lie and say I was in tune with hip hop when it first started, but when I did start to take notice, I remember that the female rappers were usually fully clothed and focused on showing skills rather than skin. The male rappers had women clothed in their videos, not primped and prodded like human sex chattel. And where are the female rappers? Where are the women with a strong positive message? Where are the men who don't think they have to get ahead by psychologically raping our women? Professor Sonia Sanchez, while talking about Tupac, said that we are all made of contradictions. "The fact that he had songs that were offensive while having others that were uplifting didn't make him less human, but more human and that much more of an artist". At first I wasn't sure where she was going with that thought, but after letting it marinate for a minute I got it. No one is perfect; we are all fallible. We are all capable of contradictions, but it is in those contradictions that we become the most real. Musicians or artists who only portray one side of the human experience are not only doing a disservice to our society but are lying to themselves. Thugs can love, feel vulnerable, be politically aware, and have moral convictions. The portrayal of black women as being only sexual is saying that these rappers never had a loving mother, aunt, sister, grandmother or a girlfriend who they broke up with but respected. The only song that I've heard that's taken on a social issue and tried to repair the value and esteem of young women was the song by Ludacris and Mary J. Blige. (Runaway Love) Music/art is supposed to be a reflection of the progress or journey that the musician/artist has made over their lifetime or career. Are these artists, and I use that term loosely, trying to convince us that they have not grown or matured after having been in the industry for more than five years? Hip hop has become stagnant. The power of this art form could be awe inspiring but it has become embarrassing. The sad thing is that I know that there are hip hop artist out there who have messages that show the entire spectrum of the human experience but can't get a minute of on air time. But R Kelly can get air time for a song that talks about his inability to control his primal urges to pounce on females and the stupidity of the women who fall for his routine. Some might say we should hold the record company accountable for the outcome of the hip hop experience but I think that's bull because they are just an extension of the ideals of oppressors. I blame the artists as a collective. No one knows the name of the record executives, board members, or corporate so and so's, but people know your name. You are the product and the smut you're signing off on is killing the spirit, morality, and creativity of the children watching. You have no control, right? With everything in life there is a choice. You all just chose to sell out: your people, the legacy of every black woman from slave ship to corporate office, hip hop, and yourselves. Your inability to see that is proving that our dignity, as a people, is for sale. Is that the legacy of your art? - Ericka Lee Ericka Lee is a talented young writer and the author of Finding my Way- A Journey Into Womanhood Available at Robin's Bookstore 108 S. 13th St. Phila, Pa 19107 www.RobinsBookstore.com Other Comments: I love hip hop. I think it is a reflection of many parts of our culture. I do not agree with some of the lyrics that degrade women, but I do not consider myself to be like those women in any way, shape or form. Basically, its entertainment, they are not talking about me. Secondly, I am so TIRED of everyone ragging on the south. Yes, I love kayne west and many others who have powerful, meaningful songs...but if I'm getting ready to go out, drink and dance with my friends...I don't want to hear "Jesus Walks". Every song serves its purpose. They don't all have do be discussing the meaning of life. HIP HOP LIVES. Its is not dead, it is more powerful than ever...I just feel like some of the power could be used to spread more positive messages. Its ok to talk about drugs and jail and the trap or whatever if thats what you lived and struggled through...but now that you surpassed all that...what are you doing to make things better...for your hood...and for others.? - Bianca Mason
Have a comment? Send to: Comments@UrbanBeatMovement.com
Of course Don Imus should have been fired! It amazes me the level of the brainwashing my people have suffered. And to the the "Uncle Toms" out there trying to make excuses for the racist comments that Don Imus said, please do your research and explore our/your history. Let me clear a few things up. Stop comparing this incident to the lyricsof Hip-Hop songs. Did Hip-Hop open the door for slavery? Did Hip-Hop open the door for the 4 little girls blown apart Alabama? Did Hip-Hop open the door for the thousands of black people lynched in this country? Did Hip-Hop open the door for the Tuskegee experiments? Did Hip-Hop open the door for the execution of Rev. Martin Luther King jr.? Did Hip-Hop open the door for the discraceful treatment of the people in New Orleans? No bias, racism and a 400 yr. superiority complex did. Please stop reaching for reasons to defend this racist. Racism is a disease that that this country may never recover from. Can you excuse rappers for what they say, no, but as usual you're brainwashed into shooting the messenger instead of verifying the true culprit. Just like drug dealers don't go to jail,(drug sellers do), the owners/sponsors of the record companies, press, websites, magazines and radio stations get a free ride when it comes to Hip-Hop. I am a producer and I hear many, many uplifting songs by young artists but they know that if they do uplifting songs, they won't get a deal or get played on the radio. We don't control the airwaves. The trash on our airwaves is a clever part of a clever plan,designed to keep African-Americans down. They pay for the videos, they choose who gets signed and who doesn't, they choose who gets played on the radio, they choose who gets the write ups in the newspapers, they choose who gets the interviews, they choose who gets the awards, they choose who broadcasts and they choose who gets shown on the news. (and by they...I don't mwan Black people)We don't make those decisions. Do they have the right to criticize us after we criticize our selves? NO! If you starve a child, do you have the right to laugh at him and call him skinny? No, because you are the cause and root of the problem. Can a white person call our queens "nappy headed hos" because a few rappers do? No, because he is a part of the climate of bias and racism that to the low self esteem and self hatred felt by many of our young people and leads to the self hatred that led to the name calling and self- disrespect in the dfirst place!. Our name calling comes from our self hate and 2nd class treatment perpetuated for hundreds of years by white society. When we insult ourselves, we share in the insult. When a black man calls a woman a ho or b*tch, he is calling his mother, sister or daughter the same. This is not the case when a white person does it. Stop making this ridiculous comparison. He does not have the right, ......no one does. When we speak ill of our own, we are actually speaking ill of ourselves, so we share in the suffering. It isn't acceptable, but we have been so beaten down by centuries of racism and second class citizenship that we mistakenly see it as a way to feel better about ourselves since we have no power to affect the lives of most white people. Until someone falls for insulting and disrespecting us, none of us, no matter how some of you may try to "fit in", will be safe. Do your research, look toward his sponsors. Anyone sponsoring this show should be listed and uncovered soon and it is out duty to make them pay for this insensitivity. Imus is a racist! Just because he joins a black cause every now and then only proves that he is a good businessman, that's all. It does not prove him not to be a racist. Michael Richards is a racist! President Bush is a racist! They have proven themselves through their actions. We should not let this go. We should not move on! I heard a female radio host this morning say that she's tired of the story. I'm sure she is, because it doesn't affect her! If someone had shamed her daughter, I'm sure she wouldn't be tired of it. These are our daughters, I'm tired of the story too, but the story really I'm tired of, has been writing itself for or over 400 years! Here we go again - Part 2 Okay, whew. You know I've been going through it here in Philly. First I have to say thanks to two people. Thank you James Brown for being the backbone of Soul, Funk and Hip-Hop. I cannot put into words the importance of this man. He is the single most important figure in American music….period! I also want to thank Allen Iverson
for being the most exciting basketball player that I have ever seen.
I thank him for his courage to be himself in the face of such cowardice
in the NBA. I thank him for giving his all no matter what was happening
on or off the court and I thank him for always giving 100%. I hope
he wins a championship in Denver. To make a long story short, the issue is prejudice and CONTROL. 400 years of slavemaster mentality will do that to you. When you hear about practice, that's a control issue. When you hear about obeying authority, that's a control issue. We live in a country where the white media is afraid that young black men are drifting away from the Donovan McNabb, Dr J, yes sir/no sir mentality and easing to towards the Allen Iverson, accept me as I am mentality. They're afraid that someone will open our eyes and we won't be subservient anymore. One day we may even question the racism and bias instead of being paid to keep our heads down. They're afraid we won't want to be controlled! Most rappers have been bought and paid for. Most are high priced hookers doing the bidding for people who hate us. Actors have to keep their mouths shut or Hollywood will shut them out. Athletes, many now with guaranteed contracts still have a bit of freedom. They tried to Zone it out, they outlawed the hip-hop fashion and they still cannot stop it. They're getting scared. Look around and read/listen. Listen to how they talk about Allen Iverson, Terrell Owens, Barry Bonds and Michael Vick. Listen and remember. The ones dissing them either hate themselves, or deep down………..they really hate you. Thanks Allen for being great and for not being afraid to be you! Now - Is it just me or did you
notice how the price of gas dropped during election time and went
back up after we got more of those republicans lost control? - Why
is Nichole Richie a celebrity? - Should 3 dead mountain climbers
get more national attention than 400 people in Philly? - How can
anybody in Philly radio come at Jay-Z for not promoting the Roots
when they The Public Lynching of Barry Bonds
This weekend we had such an opportunity. I ask all black people. Look around you, watch all the faces on the news, listen to the sports talk show hosts, pay attention to how the television news anchors report the stories, and read between the lines of the newspaper sports writers….and remember. What you see is unabashed prejudice, plain and simple. Anybody booing Barry Bonds is booing out of prejudice, or self-hate. Don't feed into the "baseball purist" baloney. Ask yourself, Where were these "purists" in 1998? Barry Bonds has never tested positive for any illegal substance. And even if you give the naysayers the benefit of the doubt, remember, steroids have been around as long as baseball, and who's to say that Babe Ruth, Mickey Mantle, Al Kaline and/or Hank Aaron weren't using any chemical or natural enhancements given to then by their trainers? What would the record books look like if they allowed black players in the league from the beginning? What if there were no relief pitchers? What if there was no expansion? What if the mound wasn't raised/lowered? What if the new ballparks weren't designed for more home run production? What if Barry Bonds wasn't a black player? Anyone who saw the damn-near underhanded softballs tossed to Mark McGuire after latino baseball star, Sammy Sosa tied him at 66 homers should realize that that race is still the issue here….remember. In 1998 when Mark McGuire was chasing Babe Ruth there was joy throughout baseball. Fans flocked to the ballparks in record numbers and the media tracked his every fete. The same folks booing Barry Bonds were cheering Mark McGuire. Mark McGuire was accused of using illegal/unnatural substances to enhance his suddenly bulkier frame too, but there was no protests or throwing of syringes onto the field. By the way, when Hank Aaron was approaching babe Ruth's record, he received death threats and needed extra security too. Getting the picture?…..Remember. As I listen to the sports talk radio hosts and read the columns of the local sports writers, and watch the TV anchors, I see/hear people that I thought were fair now showing their true racist colors. I'll remember. Barry Bonds is the greatest baseball player of our generation and maybe of all time. His problem is that he, like Allen Iverson, like Terrell Owens prefers to march to his own drummer and just like in slave days, that type of individual thinking is frowned upon by many. Therefore he is no media darling. With good reason, he does not talk to the press. He will not conform. He will not be controlled. He does what he wants and offers no excuses. He is an individual. As Barry Bonds strives for his historic marks, look around you. Don't believe the excuses. The only difference between Mark McGuire's home run quest and Barry's is race. Look and listen to those who protest and belittle him and remember their names and faces. These are the faces of prejudice and remember, they aren't just prejudiced against Barry Bonds, deep down…they're prejudiced against all black people!
Although it didn't surprise me, John Smallwood's
pathetic article claiming that the "Sixers cannot grow with
Allen Iverson", did infuriate me. I don't have enough space
here to dissect all the hypocrisy and jealousy in his piece. First,
let me explain something. The reason that the Sixers are not in
the playoffs is not the fault of Allen Iverson. Quoting legendary
basketball coaching legend John Chaney, "There is not one player
on the Sixers team, besides Allen Iverson, who could start on any
good team, they just can't play!" Fan appreciation day was a perfect opportunity for Allen Iverson to see the fans' true colors, a chance for him to see if the fans truly appreciated him. He found out, they don't. Don't apologize Allen. Allen Iverson plays his heart out every night, he abuses his body, he comes back early from injuries, he plays in pain, sells tickets, he leads the league in minutes, he does what the team needs of him and he leaves his everything on the floor. That is showing the fans his appreciation, not by playing as a lame duck in some meaningless made up promotional gimmick. Yes, he makes a lot of money but the owners make ten times more off of him. If any player earns his money, it's Allen Iverson. The only thing more that Allen could do for this team is to actually die on the court and the media is calling him selfish? Once again, the prejudiced and extremely biased Philly media used this opportunity to once again railroad Allen and to tear down his name. John Smallwood, a supreme sellout, doesn't even realize that the reason for the media/fans dismay has nothing to do with Allen missing practices, or showing up late or Fan appreciation (or as we call it "Let's gouge the fans one last time before the season ends", day", if it were really fan appreciation day, then let them in free) If the Sixers truly appreciated the fans they would put a better product on the floor, they would use their draft picks more wisely, they would have acquired Ron Artest, they would hold every employee accountable, they would stop giving superstar contracts to journeyman players and they would build a winning team around one of the most exciting players of all time. The fans should have joined Allen and not attended the game to show the owners their distain for the lack of effort displayed by the other Sixer players. Then instead of giving in to their self-hate and/or prejudice and turning on their superstar, they should have rejoiced in the fact that Allen took a well-deserved day off. But no, the problem is Allen's behavior. Deep down, most of the media resents Allen Iverson's non-stop insistence to be himself, to be accepted for who he is, how he speaks, what he wears and how he plays. He does not seek the media's nor the fans approval. He is comfortable within himself…how dare he. A.I. is a human being. It is not up to the Sixers to control him. John Smallwood cannot see past his Tom ways to realize that Allen Iverson is an once-in-a-lifetime type of basketball player. He refuses to be controlled or to conform. He is a proud black man and he will not change who he is and like Terrell Owens, he will not sellout for you, the media or Johnny and the Oreos….and let's face it, that's the real problem. Don't Snitch?…it's cause you're a b*tch! Let's face it; many of you cowards who go around wearing "Stop Snitchin" T -shirts only do so because you don't have the guts of a little girl. You're so scared of the fake thugs that you admire that you sit by like a p*ssy and let them destroy your neighborhood and poison your brothers and sisters. You're a fool. Thank god for old ladies and crossing guards because the rest of you so-called thugs are a bunch of b*tches. All of you "Stop Snitchin bi*tches don't even know what it means. Stop snitchin does not include citizens doing the right thing. If you do the crime, be man enough to do the time. Stop snitchin is meant for criminals who get arrested, so that they don't tell on their counterparts. It is also meant for black people who organize movements to keep their agendas secret without sellout Uncle Johnnies and Uncle Toms running out to tell the media to get their pat on the head from uncle Whitman. Stop snitchin does not mean honest citizens reporting crimes. If those criminals don't care about your well-being, why should you care about theirs? I'll tell you what, commit a crime around me. I'm not afraid of you cowards, I will tell, testify and pull the switch if they let me.
The State of the Union - We the Sleepers It is in the wake of Rosa Parks and Coretta
Scott King's passing that I had my realization…we are on our
own. Before the fall of this great nation, it will again be up to
the young, the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the forgotten to
remind this country of the civil liberties, rights, and sacrifices
our heroes and sheroes have bled, marched, and rallied to uphold
and/or obtain. It is in this spirit that I make this plea.
We show compassion abroad because Americans believe in the God-given dignity and worth of a villager with HIV/AIDS, or an infant with malaria, or a refugee fleeing genocide, or a young girl sold into slavery. We also show compassion abroad because regions overwhelmed by poverty, corruption, and despair are sources of terrorism, and organized crime, and human trafficking, and the drug trade. Where is that loyalty and passion for
Americans living with HIV/AIDS, our infants born into families without
adequate health care, our youth who are being
Written by Ericka Lee - 1/31/06
Terrell
Owens - Talented and Outspoken
Of course this is about the Terrell Owens debacle. I'm used to Philly's biased and prejudiced media trying to disgrace and belittle any outspoken black athlete (Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson, Randall Cunningham, Freddie Mitchell etc), but now the disease has spread to the masses….the black masses. Now the media has convinced many of the black people in Philly to side with the owners over a player. Now black people are allowing the disrespect to go on without much of a peep. The media throws money at the workingman and he jumps to the owners' side? Do you realize that the media constantly broadcasts the salaries of the players but never the owners? Do you ever wonder why? Do you ever question why the owners never disclose how much profit they make from the players? Do you even question? Owners (Slave-owners) and Coaches (Slave masters) are supposed to keep the players ,especially the black ones (Negroes or slaves) in line. The media helps in any way they can by broadcasting their bias to the general public. One way they do it is by using the power of the dollar. They are also quick to throw plenty of red herrings at us ala "practice, bad attitude, high salary, selfish, ego, etc"). This is to help by curbing the behavior of the athlete. Slaves were whipped and tortured more so to curb their behavior. To be outspoken today is looked at by the "Owners"(and the media) as insubordinate behavior hence the Daily News headline "Can't shut him up". Terrell Owens doesn't do drugs, he works very hard at his craft, he isn't a violent person, he speaks well, and he is personable and intelligent. He gives 100% when he plays and he has enough guts to question authority when he sees injustice. As Americans, that is not only our right it is our duty. If we can question and critique our government, why shouldn't a player be able to question or critique his coach or players? Why does that not apply to him? Oh, he is outspoken. He speaks his mind and let's his feelings be known and sometimes when he gets in a situation where he's surrounded with weakness he rubs some the wrong way. Well grow a spine and join the new world order. The Eagles don't care about their players, so why should the players care about the Eagles? In San Francisco, he questioned his quarterback's skills (who was traded and went on to be a miserable failure), he questioned a coach who instead of changing his offense to feature its best player chose to lose and ended up being fired. He is a grown man with a right to question and critique his teammates and if they can't handle it, they should stop playing a man's game and try ballet. The Eagles could have stopped this long ago. Terrell tried to do it quietly but the Eagles wouldn't budge. He risked his career (what more can you ask of a team player?) to play in the Super Bowl and the Eagles still wouldn't budge. I also hear that the Eagles would rather lose than give in to Terrell Owens. Lose! That is bias and prejudice at its peak. Brian Westbrook tried to do it the right way and they basically told him to shove it. At some point we need to stop giving into the brainwashing and stand up to this bias and racism. Should Andy Reid not be held to the standards of human decency? How dare John Smallwood question weather Andy Reid owes Terrell an apology without even considering Terrell Owens' rights as a human being. The Eagles created this situation. By giving the coach the General Manager's post, they put Andy Reid in the position of being in control of playing time and paying time. When you control someone's money and you don't give them their just due, it can affect the team. Terrell Owens isn't disrupting the team, the Eagles are. The Eagles set a precedent when they cut Damon Moore after he wwas injured playing in a playoff game for them, when they let Duce Staley go after playing so hard for the team. This is a business and as a businessman, Tyrell is obligated to himself and his family to maximize his value. Andy Reid is a coach/general manager, he owes his the players the respect due them as human beings. The old days are gone. Gone are the days where coaches can talk to players anyway they see fit. It's time the owners and coaches stop treating the players as slaves and start treating them as what they really are……………PARTNERS! Here we go again! I've been quiet for a bit but it's getting tough to sit by and not comment on some of the goings on in music and entertainment these days. (Deep breath) So here goes!
Now to my main point. As you may have noticed by the lack of representation from Hop-Hop artists and personalities, the Grammys once again told all of hip-hop to kiss the right side of its ass. When will we stop supporting this unfair, biased and totally uninformed entity? We should have our own awards show and no R&B or Hip-Hop artist should ever attend the Grammys until we are treated equally! I know, I know, hoping that any urban artist besides Jay-Z would grow a backbone is like hoping that Lumidee will have another hit record. Questions,
Questions: Can we stop calling Nick Cannon a hip-hop artist?
Will someone please tell Christina Milian that becoming a Beyonce'
clone will not help her; She needs to stop the check to her hairstylist
and cut one to a vocal coach. Isn't it time for 50 Cent to stop
Also if Grape Street decides to blame
the man who raised a legitimate question for not hosting any more
"independent hip-hop artists events" then they either
are choosing race over facts or they didn't want us up there in
the first place!
Rick James disrespected in the Philadelphia Daily News (Twice!)
The headline read, "The Freak is Gone". "The picture on the cover was that of Funk legend Rick James. Yes, that was the headline that the Philadelphia Daily News chose to run on the day that the Punk Funk legend passed away. "The Freak is Gone". After seeing that totally disrespectful cover I was further appalled by the accompanying story. That headline read 'Early promise went up in smoke" as if Rick James' only achievement in life was a drug habit. The phrase "Sex, drugs and rock and roll" was coined for a reason (and not by Rick James). The tales of Rock, Jazz, Blues and country singers becoming absorbed in the excesses of their profession is a mile long. I doubt very seriously that the headline that ran when Elvis died (after overdosing on drugs, sitting on the toilet mind you) was "The Hound Dog is Dead". In the accompanying story, the totally inept and uninformed writer (listed as Scott Flander) even referred to R&B songstress Teena Marie as a Gospel - Jazz queen. Now using even half a brain one would guess that since Rick was a R&B/funk singer, then Teena would be one also but Mr. Flander obviously either is blessed with less than half a brain or he just didn't give a damn. I have even more news. Most of the people in the audience at Rick James' concerts were not smoking "reefer" (oh, he did say reefer) You gotta be kidding me!
I have a suggestion. Once in a while,
when a story that concerns the black community breaks, the Philadelphia
Daily News should call someone with at least an ounce of knowledge
and ask them how important or unimportant the story is, instead
of assigning the reporting task to someone who hasn't got a damn
clue! Down from the palace, ........Bill Cosby sells us out! Blame The state of being responsible for a fault or error; culpability. (Yes we can blame white people, that doesn't mean we stop striving. If you get fired for being black, are you to blame? No, but that doesn't mean u stop looking for a job, yahmeen?)
Is he serious? How can you excuse the slaughter of our children for petty crimes? If a youth is stealing pound cakes, find out why and then go and try to help eliminate the reason. That isn't just selling out, it's criminally irresponsible. Wow, I can talk all day on just that. First let me say that I used to really admire Bill Cosby. He is unfortunately one of the only black celebrities who puts his money where his mouth is. He has been a staunch supporter of higher education, donating millions and millions of dollars to black colleges and college students. I've always commended him for that and that I can't take away. He is an intelligent man as most comedians are. I just feel that at this point in his life, he's so out of touch with our reality that he's starting to believe the sentiments of his "non-black" friends. He is an old man from an older generation and now at this stage of his life he gets embarrassed when his "non-black" prejudiced friends make fun of the kids in the hood or in the rap videos. Like many of his friends (and I'm speculating here), I believe since they don't know the everyday low-income family, they begin (or want) to believe the stereotypes. The problem is Bill should know better!
(Do you remember Fat Albert?)
It's time to start spreading the wealth. Mr. Cosby made some valid points but his mistake was the painting of all lower income families with the same brush. Bill how do you explain a daughter on crack or a child out of wedlock? Every race has underachievers and we are no different, but the way to improve the race is to uplift the positive ones not by exploiting the negative. Most low-income families are hard working good people. To say that they're not holding up their end is elitist and irresponsible. If you want to place blame then spread it around. It's the "higher income" people that control the economy, health care, jobs, opportunities, politics, recreational outlets etc. This is where much of the weight placed on the working man/woman's shoulders comes from. Our children are not our "dirty laundry" Mr. Cosby, they are our future. They work hard, they resist temptation, they go to school, most of them speak well and contrary to what Mr. Cosby thinks they are very intelligent and could give a damn if an old out of touch comedian likes the way they dress. I'm sure his parents didn't like the way he used to dress either. (I'll take baggy pants over bell bottom pants and platform shoes anyday!) They are not "knuckleheads".
We do not need your validation, you complain about baggy pants, then the entire NBA changes their uniforms to be baggy, We start driving jeeps, the next thing you know, every automobile company has a SUV, We say ain't, bad (meaning good), bling and you call it Ebonics….until you accept it. Sorry we don't need to wait anymore, we don't need your acceptance. Our culture is as good, important and as creative as anyone else's. If you really want to help, then uplift the ones that are doing good. If you have complaints about rap music then start a record label and promote positive rap artists because in case you didn't know, we no longer pick the music that we hear. Instead of complaining to the lower income class about their grammar, take on the politicians, and the government. They are the ones taking the money, Art programs, recreational activities and after school programs away from our educational system. Yeah, go after the golden goose Mr. Cosby. Grow some balls and talk about who's really responsible. Good english speaking, suit wearing people are sending our children to die in a sensless war, taking our life savings away, controlling the drug trade, forsaking the educational system, raising the gas prices, controlling the biased media that you so believe in, eliminating our jobs, raising health care prices and mortgage rates, sending our jobs overseas, closing our plants, turning out already biased legal system into a joke and lobbying(a/k/a /bribing) for more guns in our communities. Not holding up their end? Blame means: to hold one responsible. You want to talk trash, then talk to the "higher income class" because it's you that are not holding up your end in this deal. (Ever hear of racism?...............yes Mr. Cosby....It still exists, ever wonder why you couldn't get a TV network?) I'm getting tired of everybody who wants to appear 'sophisticated" or "accepted" using hip-hop or our young people as a stepping stone. I'm not excusing those who choose to degrade themselves and our people by living out the stereotypes, I'm saying that we are only as strong as our weakest link. Let's fight the right fight. Let's start by fighting racism, and by racism I mean the predjudices that keep our people fighting this 400 year uphill battle. It's time to start putting the positive black people on the pedestal. I agree with some of what Mr. Cosby said but the problem is that I know that he's only talking about a small portion of our population, but I'm not so sure that he does. If you don't want to be identified with hard working lower income black people complete with flaws and attributes, then keep on dancing for your master and the next time you want to show off and be a good Negro………….stay in the house! Shock The Problem with Allen Iverson
When you read the sports media you can see it. If you listen to the local sports radio shows you can feel it…. well we can feel it. When I say we, yes I'm referring to black people. The hosts and most of the callers will probably never understand. When they say things like ""He doesn't play the right way"-we hear "He doesn't play the 'White way. Why, because the modern game of basketball was invented by a white man for white players with similar styles, cultures and athletic abilities. The object was to pass the ball around until you found an open player in a position to take an relatively uncontested shot. (zzzzzz...) As with the "accepted styles of dress and language (and just about all other ways of life), black people were excluded from this process. We never had a chance to contribute the aspects of our culture to the process. Like the way announcers refer to "schoolyard style" of basketball with distain. It's because that's the way black players play in the city, but it's not better or worse but it's ours. Instead of giving the players credit for injecting their culture and style to the sport, they are looked down upon because they don't play "the right way". For instance Randall Cunningham was often criticized as a selfish player because he wore gold -tipped shoestrings and caps with logos and sayings on them. This was looked at by the white media as him trying to put himself in front of his teammates. In actuality he was setting himself apart but not from his teammates but from white society. As black people we are constantly trying to carve out our own piece of American culture hence the differences in language, dress, music, etc. It's the same with A.I. Sitting on the Sixers bench in a throwback Milwaukee Bucks jersey is the same as being in "Street clothes" in our culture. It's no sign of disrespect, just a difference in cultures. Basketball takes a backseat to cultural respect to us. Like gay people are reported to have what's referred to as "gaydar" a way of seemingly sensing who's gay, black people have what I'll refer to as "radar". We can tell if someone has for a better term, racial & prejudice issues. We can tell by their words, voice inflections, choices of phrases and much more. When it comes to sports, there is a generational
and racial divide. Black athletes are accepted as long as they know
their "place". Their The real problem is acceptance. The game of basketball has changed, changed because now whether you like it or not, you are going to have to accept the black athlete. In accepting the black athlete, you're actually have to accept certain aspects of black culture. Many fear what they're not familiar with. Black people talk different, play different, act different, dress different, sing different, dance different etc. it's a fact (of course I'm generalizing here). Our culture will grow to include all cultures but there's an inherent prejudice within much of the white community and since our country is run by them, black people still have a ways to go to find themselves on equal terms. Sports are as close to a master/slave relationship as we will willingly accept. The coach is the master and the player is the slave. The coach (usually an older white male brought up with the beliefs that black people should know their place or an older black male who has accepted much of the same views) One thing that black people have a big problem with is respect. As black people, we are discriminated each and every day of our lives. Not the overt kind of racism prevalent in the 1960's (although much of that still exists), but we see/feel it in many forms. We notice when a TV show doesn't have any black characters, we notice the way the media reports differently on black criminals and white criminals, we see in in court as white police officers leave giggling after being acquitted of beating our youngsters, we see the difference in the words used to describe our celebrities and our heroes. If you look into Allen Iverson's background and upbringing you would have a different view but as a white person you will never know or understand the constant struggle and constant pressure and uphill battle a young black male has to overcome to succeed today. I've heard many media hosts say things like 'enough already with his background". That's because they will never understand the life and death struggle a young black man faces on a daily basis. It's easy for an old white man to say things like "background, smackground, he needs to act right", because they don't have the information needed to offer an informative opinion. What Allen Iverson is looking for is respect. He represents a new breed of athlete. This athlete knows his value. This athlete is not the Michael Jordan type, sorry. This athlete knows the corporate discrimination and racist politics and incredible greed of the owners and general managers. He knows that he in nothing but a meal ticket, nothing more. The team owners don't respect him because all he is an attraction, like the white tigers at the zoo...here to sell tickets. When they get hurt they get cut, when they have problems, they are helped only to facilitate their return to the playing arena, when they get injured they are patched up and put back to increase attendance.
Ask yourself these questions. Why would Larry brown draft an unproven, untested foreign white player over Carmelo Anthony(and no I do not believe that Larry went screaming for him and was over ruled by Joe Dumars)? Why do you think the NBA put in the zone? Why did the Philadelphia Daily News when reporting the signing of the league's top defensive free agent (Jevon Kearse), put his salary instead of his name in the headline? Why would any fan or radio/TV host forget about the 8 years of drive/dedication/sacrifice Allen Iverson has delivered to his team to constantly demean him for his cultural differences? Why does the media refer to John Runyan's speaking out about Andy Reid as "good press" and Terrell Owens blasting his coach as "unacceptable behavior". Why do older white media folk have such a problem with Allen Iverson wearing throwback jerseys? Why would a media guide digitally erase Allen Iverson's tattoos? Why does the media keep speaking of negative events in Allen's life without also reminding the readers of the positives? Why does the media give Michael Jordan credit for "making his teammates better" but give all the credit to Larry Brown for the evolution of Aaron McKie, Sam Dalembert, Eric Snow, and others? How come Allen Iverson, after leading the Seventy-Sixers to the NBA finals (and almost winning it) be characterized as a player that cannot lead a team to a championship? I have about a thousand more questions but hopefully you're starting to get the point. You can't compare Larry Bird or Tim Duncan
to Allen Iverson. When it comes to respect, it depends on how much
disrespect you've accepted in your life as to how much you're willing
to take. Philadelphia is historically tough on it's black athletes…..
Especially the outspoken ones. Keeping your mouth shut, putting
on a suit, staying away from controversy gets you a relatively "free
ride" here ala Donovan McNabb and Doctor J. This isn't to say
the media consciously doesn't want these athletes to succeed or
that they want to take away their rights, but they report and write
with their own personal and societal prejudices and since most of
the media is white, this shapes the way many people think. The answer
is to hire more self-loving and strong black writers and show hosts.
Just hiring a black writer isn't enough, you're gonna need a black
person with the inner strength and self-confidence to report honestly,
complete with the pride and straight forwardness to counter the
vast prejudices in today's media. many of our black writers are
too busy trying to please their white counterparts to report honestly.
I can speak on this all day but this column is just to try to explain
some of the cultural differences that hinder the local media's negative
slant on the new black athlete. Need proof? Sit back and listen/watch
all the media personalities/writers scramble for ridiculous excuses/explanations
all the while… proving my point. Michael Jackson - The Limits of Success
I was also a big Michael fan, from ABC, Stop the Love U Save, Ben, Rock With U to Bad but I must admit, after the "Who's Bad" days, I pretty much ceased being a fan of the person we all know as Michael Jackson. My reason was his total surgical shedding of his African features. I felt that the message he was sending to the world was -if you make enough money, you don't even have to be black anymore- I felt betrayed. I still do. We've been betrayed by plenty of athletes/artists/actors/celebrities, who feel being accepted is more impor |
Shock's
Issues 
Even
a Realist Can Dream
Donovan
McNabb Finally Gets it
Dear
Presidential Candidates:
I
don't know, It's crazy, it actually took a white man to call black
women “nappy headed ho’s” for some people to realize
that something is wrong with our culture and how we portray our
black women. It's a real problem especially in hip-hop. The disrespectful
way men have been comin at our women has been going on for too long.
It's being taught through the media that making money is more important,
than anything else in this world. Kids are learning that money buys
you jewelry, fast women, and fast cars. It's ain't good. One of
my roommates was singing Lil Wayne’s song , B%#&$ make
me rich , and she sounded so stupid to me. If you ask me that song
makes him sound kinda sweet, If you talk about women like that and
don't have one good thing to say, I gotta believe he might like
men. I don't like hip-hop one bit today, the closest to hip-hop
I listen to is Bow wow, or T-Pain. The lyrics have always been crazy
but it took me to be 18 to understand it. Some things I still don't
get and others, I don't want to understand, I don't wanna say it's
underneath me but it sure ain't where my head is. As bad as hip-hop
is right now it ain't going nowhere because too many people make
too much money off of it. What needs to change? Everything. Is everything
goin to change? Nope, unless people STAND-UP. You know there is
a Poem called "Don't Call No Nigga" It's written by Sonjaya,
I forgot the last name. So I don't use the N word, the B word, and
I don't say fool (which was my substitution for the N word) because
it says something in the Bible about not sayin that word. People
are quick to follow someone’s footsteps, but no one dares to
make their own, and that's how I feel hip-hop (on the radio and
videos) is now. I’m sorry, I gave u a whole essay about how
I feel, but believe it or not, …..that’s the short version
-Dash Hamilton
Of
course Don Imus should have been fired!
prejudiced
they were (and continue to be). They'll tell you of stupid stories
of Richie Allen not coming to practice even though he was the best
player when it counted and how he would get booed just for being
black. It's happening again. I am now a Denver Nugget fan. When
you hear people like almost every WIP radio host, Newspaper writer
and newscaster in Philadelphia, you're hearing/reading bias and
prejudice. I thought many of the hosts were just fans but after
listening to them, I know it goes a lot deeper than that.
don't
even play them? - Did you notice how Justin Timberlake uses black
producers, black music, black dances, black riffs but when it came
to defending Janet Jackson after the Super Bowl, he retreated like
a cowardly dog? When he finally has a chance to take a stand, he
sold us out and there are still black people who support this idiot!
It really pisses me off how gullible we are. Isn't he just a updated
version of Color Me Bad anyway? - If Taylor Hicks is America's Idol,
can William Hung be far behind? - What ever happened to Karyn Parsons?
- Would it have been too much to ask for Tom Joyner to stop sippin
for a second and record a tribute show for James Brown and if he
was too lazy, shouldn't his stations have preempted his show and
done one? - Can u believe how after Puffy's been treating his on
again off again girl Kim Porter like a hooker for 10 years, Essence
magazine decided to put them on the cover to depict black love?
- If you don't have a copy of Carol Riddick's latest Cd in your
collection, can you call yourself a R&B fan? - Do you notice
how sports reporters are quick to point out how Jeff Garcia was
playing on bad teams before he got to the Eagles but diss Allen
for being selfish? - Pass to who? - Can you tell me who led the
league in drops last year…..so why do I know that this year
it's Terrell Owens? - If the south wasn't hot, who would you be
listening to? - Where are the next generation of rappers? - How
many of us have to die before we realize that this thug mentality
is just a plan hatched to keep us killing ourselves? - When was
the last time you checked your email? - Are you on MySpace? - If
you don't go see Dreamgirls or The Pursuit of Happiness,
don't ever complain about the movies again! - Can Philly radio get
any worse?- Happy New Year
For
those of you naïve folks, who thought lynching was a thing
of the past, let me school you. Public lynching (or hanging) of
black men was/is used as a warning to the other blacks to keep them
in line or thwart any attempt by them/us to gain independence or
attain any trace of individualism. Today, instead of a rope (sometimes),
they use media, money or promises of authority. I'm getting tired
of writing about this, but I won't stop until things change in this
country. Any black person living in Philadelphia is full aware of
how racist the media is here, but every now and then a lynchpin
comes along to offer proof of just how prejudiced the citizens
of this town truly are (e.g. Rodney King, Hurricane Katrina, Terrell
Owens, Allen Iverson, O.J. Simpson, Mayor Street etc). As usual,
it comes in the form of sport. But this is a good thing.
Like I said, we're used to the media, but sometimes we get lulled
into a false sense of security and begin to believe that things
have changed when it comes to our neighbors and co-workers. We need
these eye-openers every now and then.
Time
for house negro John Smallwood to go!
Guest
Issue-Ericka Lee
slaughtered because they come from the wrong side of the tracks,
our young girls who are forced to choose prostitution to support
themselves and their families? And, what about the neighborhoods
that are sprinkled throughout this great nation that are overwhelmed
with high rates of poverty, corruption, and despair where is the
commitment to them to end terrorism, organized crime, and human
trafficking, and the drug trade? Where is the zeal for which he
is promoting this war when it comes time to speak about the American
experience? Our citizens who are living with HIV/AIDS…the irony
of his small reference to this epidemic is that more than half the
cases of HIV/AIDS come from the African-American community yet the
Act that addresses the problem in this country is named after a
young Caucasian boy who died from the disease. I do not take anything
away from the story, purpose and value of Ryan White's story but
if African-Americans make up half of all cases then why hasn't the
story of a young African-American child tugged at the heartstrings
of policymakers? Why, because our stories don't count unless they
help to vilify our community.
Ericka
Lee is a talented young writer and the author of Finding
my Way- A Journey Into Womanhood.....Available
at Robin's Bookstore 108 S. 13th St. Phila, Pa 19107 
Once
again the Philadelphia media is on a mission to control a popular
black athlete and once again many brainwashed readers and "black"
media folk follow along like sheep. Instead of standing behind the
player, they choose to reveal their true "UncleTomness"
and tap dance for their owners. What's at stake is the protection
of the right of individuality for the players.
After
watching the god-awful Soul Train Awards, I'm forced to break my
self-imposed gag order on music award shows. Ciara - Entertainer
of the year- Female? I'm sure she entertained a few folks in the
biz but for what she calls singing wouldn't be enough to win a talent
contest at the local YMCA. I guess Alicia Keys was busy. I'm still
waiting for Soul Train tribute to Ray Charles. Also Soul and
R&B ARE THE SAME MUSIC! When are we going to stop accepting
any label that mainstream media slaps on us! And it's time that
you stop combining R&B and Hip-Hop in the same category. Shouldn't
Soul Train of all folks know that these are two distinct styles
of music and it's not fair to keep denying these artists their just
due? And I can't leave out the Grammys. That sad tribute to Ray
Charles got me to thinking. I know this is gonna sound like blasphemy
but how about a sentimental category for any artist hit with a tragedy,
any old artist who puts out a desperate attempt at a comeback album,
who dies or is on their death bed? I love Ray Charles, I really
do but "Record of the year?" Sing the chorus -go ahead!
The music business is very fickle and for some of theses artists,
this will be their only shot.
starting beefs? He sings more that Mary J and he's beefin? I'm not
sure he could beat Ja Rule's tailor in a rhyme battle. He's known
more for getting shot and his slurred style than stinging lyrics.
Where is Glenn Lewis? Guys, is Jill Scott's "Whatever"
like the best song a woman could ever sing to you? Making love...and
some chicken wing? Whew! Anyone like to bet me? I'll take any public
high school music program against the top 12 American Idol finalists.
Is Michael Jackson planning an insanity defense? If I was the judge,
and he showed up in my court with pajamas on, I'd take him in the
back and make him kiss a girl, that'll teach him! Isn't this a coincidence,
In one week he; 1) was on trial for child molestation, 2) got the
24 hour deadly flu 3) fell and hurt his back, and 4) got offered
a job from Donald Trump. Only in America. Isn't it funny how everybody
hated the personable handsome OJ Simpson after his acquittal but
didn't say a word about the oogly and nasty Robert Blake after his?
Are you over Beyonce' yet? Is JLo serious with her Beyonce' biting
first single. Did anyone like me think the Blockbuster monthly video
rental plan was a good idea until you found out that there were
only like 3 good movies in the whole store? How many of you are
hoping for an R rated version of Catwoman? Can you believe the slap
in the face that the Rock-n-Roll hall of fame gave to the O'Jays?
They had Justin Timberlake introduce them. Justin Timberlake! I
would have refused to come out until they got someone with a career.
What happened to my boo Kimberly Russell from "Head of the
class"? Is it a coincidence that Mariah Carey appears on the
cover right after Time Warner purchased Essence magazine? Did you
see the ogres on America's next top model? Thank god for Tyra Banks
on the show. They made damn sure that there not be a black winner
this year! And speaking of top models, have you seen Eva anywhere?
Maybe top model means you're so big you don't work. How confident
are you of Jay-Z's business decision making now that he signed Foxy
Brown? Is Philadelphia morning radio the worst ever? How in the
world can we sit by and let Power99 broadcast Star & Bucwild?
To me a white radio station that allows any broadcaster to say nigger
on the air is as guilty as if they said it themselves. Obviously
Clear Channel has joined the Grammys and basically told us to kiss
the left side of its ass! . My man Pooch is trying but damn, Carter
& Sanborn,..Where's my Lumidee CD. Philly radio is horrible
but we accept it so don't complain to me, stop listening! How can
Howard Eskin, who's so prejudiced and biased against Allen Iverson
for being himself and not selling out that he was suspended and
had his station fined over a million dollars for slandering A.I.
and his lawyer and had to apologize ON THE STATION and admit that
he lied and withheld information, still have a job on radio and
TV? Can we finally admit that every hook that R. Kelly sings sounds
exactly the same! And isn't Ciarra's "Goodies" and "1,2
Step" the same song? And are you fooled by 50 Cent's "Candy
Shop" How dumb do you have to be not to know that it's the
same song as last year's "Magic Stick"? Speaking of dumb,
how dumb is Lil Kim? And I'm just talking about the nose job! Is
Whitney Houston in rehab to learn to quit cocaine or Bobby Brown?
Isn't it time for New Edition to become Johnny Gill and New Edition?
Anybody seen Maxwell? 
This
is my take on the Vestax DJ competition debacle. I've received so
many emails about the incident and the fallout including the revamping
of the GPHHA and the corresponding website. If there is a competition
and there are judges, the winner should be picked by the judges.
If you didn't have faith in the judges then they shouldn't have
been selected. But once they are selected, they are supposed to
determine the winner. This is done not to have a situation where
one person with their own set of biases or tastes choosing the winner.
If there is a mistake then be a man and own up to it. Say I made
a mistake in judgment and take it like a man and discuss a remedy.
If u feel you did nothing wrong, then give your reason and allow
all sides of the situation discuss it and agree, disagree or agree
to disagree. A difference in opinion is not an attack. Closing down
a web forum and changing an organization because of personal feelings
or fear is cowardice, disgraceful and absolutely not hip-hop. In
Hip-Hop we confront our peers like men/women and settle disagreements
with conversation or activity. 
I
was cleaning up my recording studio yesterday when I picked up an
old newspaper and before throwing it away I checked the cover. I
was having a pretty relaxed day but now I'm mad! I tried, I really
tried, believe me but if you know me at all, you know that this
ignorant front page has been eating me alive and that's not good.
The only reason that I waited so long was to give Rick James and
his family the proper respect by not starting a name-calling contest
during our time of mourning.
Rick
James was and will always be a very important and very beloved artist
to us. He worked hard and rose from the rough streets of Buffalo,
NY to reign at the top of the charts as a singer, songwriter and
producer. His career was full of major successes and a ton of incredible
hits and classic songs. He will be remembered as a talented singer/songwriter
who achieved greatness, lived hard and died too young. To many of
us he is as important as Ray Charles was to our prior generation.
He may not have been as universally accepted as Ray was but his
songs will always have a special place in the heart of the black
community. 
I
must say that writing this piece really hurts. I truly admire Bill
Cosby. I still laugh at his stories and looked up to him as a role
model. But after Last month Bill Cosby totally embarrassed himself
and the National Association For Advancement Of Colored People (NAACP)
- by attacking lower income earning African-Americans. Speaking
in Washington DC to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Brown
vs. Board of Education ruling - which eradicated segregated schooling
in America - the formally highly respected comedian showed his uppidyness
by blaming hard working lower income individuals for the ills of
the world. For instance comparing today's youth to sixtie's activists
he said, "These people marched and were
hit in the face with rocks to get an education, and now we've got
these knuckleheads walking around. The lower economic people
are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are
not parenting. They are buying things for kids - $500 sneakers for
what? I can't even talk the way these people talk, 'Why you ain't,'
'Where you is' ... You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap
coming out of your mouth!"(Have u been
to a hospital lately? Try to find a doctor that speaks english these
days)Cosby then added his thoughts that petty criminals who
are shot dead should not be a source of sorrow. He explained, "These
are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing
Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece
of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, saying, 'The
cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the
pound cake in his hand?"
He
went through the sixties where African-Americans preached "Black
Power". A major part of that movement was the "I'm black
& I'm Proud" message. Unfortunately some of us didn't realize
the true meaning of the message. The hip-hop generation did. Many
of Bill's generation were bought off with government jobs, welfare
programs rendered docile with drugs, crime and unemployment. Many
of the others (like Bill) looked to "fit in". Their theory
was" If we speak like they want us to, dress like they want
us to, and act like they want us to, maybe they'll accept
us". The hip-hop generation has a different philosophy. We
don't look for validation. We feel that our culture is as important
as anyone else's. We talk like we want; dress like we want and act
like we want and we don't give a damn if you accept us because we
don't need your validation. And whaddayou know, now they talk, dress
and act like us! We're not wrong or ignorant, we're just ourselves.
Do you get it Bill? We want to be different! We are strong in our
self-pride and no longer strive to be accepted, we demand respect.
No one respects a person without self-pride. An old man once said,
"Respect is due every Man, Woman and child". That's all
we expect. To search for acceptance implies that our culture is
on a lower level. Never! This is America the so-called "melting
pot". That means all cultures are supposed to meld into one
strong nation. That does not mean that all citizens are supposed
to "conform" to the English way of life. The problem with
that is we are the only people who were stripped of their culture
then brainwashed to look down upon out own people through education,
the media and the "house negroes". These guys are still
around and they really believe that they are accepted because they
are allowed to make a pretty good living and the white people they
see, smile in their faces. 
Many
older blacks think that white America is laughing at us, oh no,
no, on the contrary, they fear us. No matter how high they let you
climb, you're still under their control. Bill's always been dependent
on white people, Jesse Jackson's career is dependant on white people,
and the NAACP is dependent on white people. Once you accept the
money you are corrupted. In that respect most of us are still not
free. We have to work to feed our families so we accept the control
that comes with dependency. The number one fear among many white
Americans is an independent, self-sustained, strong, proud African-American
man. In reality, most rappers are freer than we are. They talk the
way they want, they dress the way they want and they act the way
they want, although there are consequences, when they walk into
the bank, the manager comes out and asks them "What can I help
you with today sir". He may not accept us but deep down, he
respects the pride and rebellion. (What do Japanese businessmen
do to help them facilitate business with Americans....they learn
their language. Maybe it's time America learn our
language.) 
Message
to Mr. Cosby - Who are they? Who are those people?
On your way back down to earth maybe you'll remember…They
are us! Those people are our people! We have problems,
we all understand that but Mr. Cosby there is no them. Contrary
to what you may believe Mr. Cosby, you cannot bank your way out
of thebAfrican race and no matter how many white people you bow
to impress, you're still a black man in America. He also made fun
of the names we give our children. If you're gonna make fun of our
names Mr. Cosby, make fun of the Jewish, Middle Eastern, Spanish,
German, Chinese, Japanese etc. names as well. Don't pick out our
people to ridicule because our names aren't your typical white name
ala Rick, Tom or….Bill. One thing for sure, when our children
succeed, we'll know it. If they see "directed by Sheliqua Williams",
at least they will know that the director is a black woman. Just
like the other races know when they hear names like Chang, Schwartz,
Spielberg, Woo, or Coppola.....Pride.
I
know many of you are reading this because you were looking for another
article attacking AI but this isn't one of them. There is a problem
with Allen Iverson, but it isn't with the basketball player….
it's with the majority of the media and "fans". In
this age of "Oreos" and "Politically correct"
reporting, the real story behind the AI story is a tale of racism
and prejudice. Now I'm not writing this to divide the races but
to offer a point of understanding for those that don't even know
why they have such a dislike for the guy.
"place"
means speaking the white way, dressing the white way, acting the
white way, playing the white way, celebrating the white way etc.
I use the term "the white way" because that's what fans,
reporters, and radio show hosts really mean when they say "the
right way". The will never admit it but if they look deep
down and truly be honest with themselves, they'll find that to be
true. It's a part of the way the world is run. These newer athletes
have accepted their "place" as right next to and equal
to their white counterparts (coaches, players, owners, fans included).
For example, I heard WIP sports radio host say "Larry Brown
got Rasheed Wallace to conform and play the right way" as if
Mr. Wallace is some mindless drone unable to comprehend what it
takes for him to contribute to a winning situation without the "mastas"
coaching. 
Respect
is a two way street. Respect is when your superstar guard gets hammered
in the paint, his coach should run screaming to the refs, even if
it means taking a fine for talking to the media (remember the Jordan
Rules?) Respect is when the same player goes out and scores 40 points
and leads his team to victory, he shouldn't hear "well Aaron
McKie had a great game, Eric Snow was phenomenal and the kid actually
came to play today", Respect is when AI damn near kills himself
each and every game to help the Sixers win, when he comes back in
3 days from an injury that a doctor says should keep him out for
3 weeks, he shouldn't hear "AI is all about AI". Remember
respect is a two way street. Most coaches don't feel that they have
to respect young black players. Disrespect is also an interim head
coach telling one of the league's top players he can't start when
he feels he's ready. When Andy Reid let Donovan McNabb play with
an injured thumb he was blasted, but he did it out of respect. If
your superstar player says he's ready …you play him. If he
can't play the full time then you sit him longer during the game
but you start him out of RESPECT. Most of you will never know the
importance of respect to black people. Contrary to popular belief,
rich black people feel it harder than the average person does. The
average black person has to go through his/her life as an employee
taking the abuse and disrespect handed to us because we need to
keep our jobs; so the little slings and arrows become accepted.
Rich black people are lulled into a false sense of security where
they feel that they are accepted. They feel that their financial
status affords them an almost equal level of respect. When they
get disrespected, it hurts that much more.