Monday, November 12, 2007
Baisden - Cannibalism Defined
Friday, November 9, 2007
Baisden & The Color of Change: Talk About Black-on-Black Crime!!!
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Reading, Research AND Discernment Are Fundamental in the Search For Truth
THEY ARE STILL OUR SLAVES
We can continue to reap profits from the Blacks without the effort of physical slavery. Look at the current methods of containment that they use on themselves: IGNORANCE, GREED and SELFISHNESS. Their IGNORANCE is the primary weapon of containment. A great man once said, "The best way to hide something from Black people is to put it in a book." We now live in the Information Age. They have gained the opportunity to read any book on any subject through the efforts of their fight for freedom, yet they refuse to read. There are numerous books readily available at Borders, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com , not to mention their own Black Bookstores that provide solid blueprints to reach economic equality (which should have been their fight all along), but few read consistently, if at all. GREED is another powerful weapon of containment. Blacks, since the abolition of slavery, have had large amounts of money at their disposal. Last year they spent 10 billion dollars during Christmas, out of their 450 billion dollars in total yearly income (2.22%). Any of us can use them as our target market, for any business venture we care to dream up, no matter how outlandish, they will buy into it. Being primarily a consumer people, they function totally by greed. They continually want more, with little thought for saving or investing. They would rather buy some new sneaker than invest in starting a business. Some even neglect their children to have the latest Tommy or FUBU. And they still think that having a Mercedes and a big house gives them "Status" or that they have achieved their Dream. They are fools! The vast majority of their people are still in poverty because their greed holds them back from collectively making better communities. With the help of BET and the rest of their black media that often broadcasts destructive images into their own homes, we will continue to see huge profits like those of Tommy and Nike. (Tommy Hilfiger has even jeered them, saying he doesn't want their money and look at how the fools spend more with him than ever before!). They'll continue to showoff to each other while we build solid communities with the profits from our businesses that we market to them. SELFISHNESS, ingrained in their minds through slavery, is one of the major ways we can continue to contain them. One of their own, Dubois, said that there was an innate division in their culture. A "Talented Tenth" he called it. He was correct in his deduction that there are segments of their culture that has achieved some "form" of success. However, that segment missed the fullness of his work. They didn't read that the "Talented Tenth" was then responsible to aid The Non-Talented Ninety Percent in achieving a better life. Instead, that segment has created another class, a Buppie class that looks down on their people or aids them in a condescending manner. They will never achieve what we have. Their selfishness does not allow them to be able to work together on any project or endeavor of substance. When they do get together, their selfishness lets their egos get in the way of their goal. Their so-called help organizations seem to only want to promote their name without making any real change in their community. They are content to sit in conferences and conventions in our hotels and talk about what they will do, while they award plaques to the best speakers, not to the best doers. Is there no end to their selfishness? They steadfastly refuse to see that TOGETHER EACH ACHIEVES MORE (TEAM). They do not understand that they are no better than each other because of what they own, as a matter of fact, most of those Buppies are but one or two pay checks away from poverty. All of which is under the control of our pens in our offices and our rooms. Yes, we will continue to contain them as long as they refuse to read, continue to buy anything they want and keep thinking they are "helping"their communities by paying dues to organizations which do little other than hold lavish conventions in our hotels. By the way, don't worry about any of them reading this letter, remember, THEY DON'T READ!!!!(Prove them wrong. Please pass this on! After Reading it..)
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I did not pass the e-mail on as requested. Instead, I hit "Reply to All" and responded: Sent: Thu 10/18/2007 10:12 PM Hey Jena Fam! Glad to see the trip has kept everyone in touch! I have to say that neither the “diatribe” nor the fact that this is the way some people think of us surprises me. I’ve known it, felt it for a large part of my 51 years. As the Jena story slowly unfolded I was surprised myself when people kept saying, “This is the first I heard about this on the Baisden, Ballentine or Al Sharpton Shows.” The story had been on the internet and in The Chicago Tribune since at least May or June of 2007 – long before Black Radio began talking about it. It both angered and saddened me. But I knew there was hope when finally enough people heard about it, cared enough about it and got angry enough about it to wake up from that nap behind the wheel and take a stand. We don’t read enough Family – we just don’t. We have fallen prey to every gimmick, must-have, must-have first, bigger, better thing thrown at us. Materialism without understanding has changed us from a strong, grounded people to the next sucker born every minute. When I was younger I was one of those suckers too. But a large part of my “awakening” came through books, magazine articles (skip the ads and pictures sometime), papers, essays, the internet – you name it, I read it. We’ve got to learn to search for our own truths and not wait for the sometimes “hazy” truths of others. That’s why we’re here in 2007 and there can be “white tree” in Jena and a child, our child, could go to jail for the possibility of 20+ years OR, after THOSE charges were thrown out he could be sentenced to 18 months in a juvenile facility for a parole violation involving the very same charges that were thrown out! Sheer madness! We keep doing the same things, expecting different results and still don’t understand why we’re not getting them by now - after all, we’re more educated, richer, more upwardly mobile, with big houses and fine rides in mixed neighborhoods now aren’t we? Or are we? I apologize for going on and on but it’s been on my mind. I started blogging lately just to get the thoughts out of my head - I’ll probably put these thoughts there tonight! :-) Nobody’s perfect Family, but we CAN do better. We have to - for our own sake. How about an online Book Club? No going on the Oprah Show or dinner with the author or anything like that. :-) Let’s just read and have intelligent discourse as we search for our own truths. I’d like to suggest a wonderful book by bell hooks entitled, “Rock My Soul” that I think would be a wonderful start. I think you’ll see a lot of people and situations we deal with every day to which we never give a second thought. I know I did. Anyway, take care of yourselves and keep in touch and thanks for listening, Deb
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After responding, I went online in search of Dee Lee since I don't live in New York and had not heard anything about this. I found her at "hfe - Educating the Financial Consumer." Follow the link and read what she said. I thought it important to share what I read with the rest of my Jena Family. So, I again, e-mailed "all" with this response: Sent: Thu 10/18/2007 11:17 PM Checked the internet for the statement and found this: http://www.deelee.net/ Something else to read in the search for my own truth! Whether she said it or wrote it, my last email still stands because there ARE many who DO have those feelings! Good night! Deb
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And yes, I stand by my last email to my Jena Fam because there ARE many who DO have those feelings. Here's an article I read on washingtonpost.com just last Saturday as a matter of fact - "Scientist's Remarks on Blacks Cause Furor." Those who've dug in their heels about who we are, have dug in their heels about who we are - which is why I have no compunction at all in expressing how I feel about them.
Truth without research is not truth - it is gossip and innuendo. And let's just be clear, culling through all the information available out there will not necessarily get you to the truth either, especially since there are a whole lot of folks, with a whole lot of opinions and a whole lot of access to what we see, hear and read. The best opportunity to reach one's own truth is to be led by discernment while researching and reading. Only then can you "Get Lifted."
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Dr. Phil, Bishop T.D. Jakes & Backlash - and the Beat Goes On...
Bishop Jakes told Dr. Phil, “I think really, Dr. Phil, one of the great issues is that for many, many main-stream Americans, racism is not even on their radar." It’s easy for one not to have racism “on their radar,” particularly when, as Peggy McIntosh notes in "White Privilege: A Personal Account of Coming to See Correspondences Through Work in Women's Studies, “In my class and place, I did not see myself as racist because I was taught to recognize racism only in individual acts of meanness by members of my group, never in invisible systems conferring unsought racial dominance on my group from birth.” That is the key to all this. The key most people do not want to acknowledge. Racism is institutionalized. It’s in our schools (elementary, secondary and beyond), our prisons, our courts, our government, our hiring practices, our banks, our medical communities and definitely in our churches. It’s in all the institutions upon which this country stands and survives.
The rash of noose-related incidents after the Jena 6 case made the national news have been characterized as both racially-motivated “backlash” incidents AND an opportunity for serious, open dialogue on race and cultural sensitivity. I agree. They are, or at least could be, both. But let’s not act like the Jena 6 encouraged all this. It’s been going on all across the country – for years. And it continues. Here are just a few links you might want to check out to see what I mean:
- Clemson Students Commemorate Dr. King - January 30, 2007
- http://radgeek.com/gt/2005/11/29/yet_another/
- Tolerance.org 2002-09-25: Jim Crow “Bizarre” at OK State
- GT 2001-11-09: The Context of racism at Auburn fraternities
- Tolerance.org (2001-11-08): University of Mississippi Fraternity Suspended Until 2002
- GT 2001-11-06: Virulent racism at Auburn fraternities
Friday, October 5, 2007
My Spin Control is Better Than Your Spin - Why Just Plain Truth Cannot Stand On Its Own
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Racism: A "Black Thing" We THINK Whites Won't Understand or a "Black Thing" Whites think we WOULDN'T Understand They Understand?
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Mychal Bell Finally Granted Bail!
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Our Young People Get It!!!
Surveying the endless crowd of protesters on September 20th, I was struck by the number of young people - dressed in black, shouting, "No Justice, No Peace. No Racist Police." I was, admittedly, pleasantly surprised and my faith in our youth was certainly validated by the depth and breadth of their commitment to equal justice for the Jena 6.
I thought back to the many, many radio broadcasts by Al Sharpton and surprisingly, Michael Baisden, that continuously beat down (per Mr. Baisden – challenged) the young who did not fit into their particular mold of decency because of language, lyrics, attire, etc. As an old-head, prior blindly follow-the-rules kind of girl, I’ve always hated the hypocrisy of it all, particularly since kids didn’t just “come upon” any of the afore-mentioned but rather learned them at the knee of many an elder!
The shaming and blaming by this patriarchal society (Black and white) seems to know no end and as Blacks, we should give it a rest because it really doesn’t work. Sooner or later, the unintended consequences of our put-downs and scathing opinions only produces rebellion - and distance we may not have time to make up. At least that’s what I’ve found with my own two sons. There’s a much better approach that yields results: 1) Recognize that just like us, the youth today have a right to explore their own journey. Instead of constantly hammering the DESTINATION, we could: 2) offer our opinions, share our retrospectives and advice 3) explain accountability and the consequences of chosen actions and then, let them step out on faith. If they fail, let’s not beat them over the head with “I told you so.” They’ll, more often than not figure that one out. Whose life is it anyway really?
The number of young people I saw and spoke to in Jena - dedicated, committed to something larger than them, angry and in control, vocal and informed and so damn smart – was so affirming. I know I’m backing the right horse here!As Gwen and I walked through the crowd, I stumbled into Sunni Patterson. I immediately recognized this powerful, young woman! She’d been on Def Poetry Jam and her poem about the Katrina experience touched me to the depths of my very soul. I asked if I could take her picture because SHE, in my mind, was a celebrity worth photographing.
Her performance had been so hot, and so spoke to the injustices Black folk continue to experience - it sent chills up and down my spine. She smiled and said, “Yes Ma’am and Thank you.” Imagine that - a young person, not only with manners, but humility - chew on that, Rev. Al, et al!
I met some Baby Deltas at the event after the rally - beautiful, young Black women who could easily have been my own children (After all, I’d pledged 31 years ago!). I was proud to be their soror as they represented themselves, their people, their school and their sorority with unabashed fun, grace and style. All the Greek organizations were represented. Kids from 2 – 20 were there. What a memory they will all have when we’re dead and gone. I have faith in the future of our young people. We all should, because they know what time it is.My "Journey to Jena" and the Specter of Racism
I met some wonderfully, friendly people from a lot of different places and as it most often is with Black people, it was like we'd known each other all our lives - because we have. Our cultural identities as Black Americans are so intertwined that it really doesn't matter where you're from, no one of us is a stranger to the other. From the staff at the Holiday Inn Express, to the cop who escorted me from the hotel to the Convention Center to buy my bus ticket to Jena so I wouldn't get lost, the people of Alexandria were very gracious.
As I was driving home to S. Florida on the 22nd with many miles to go before I slept, I heard Mr. Baisden announce on the radio, that Mychal Bell would not be released on bail as we all thought. I wasn't surprised. As a matter of fact, I expected it. Having been born and raised in the Deep South (SC) and having gone to college in the Deep South (AL) before I headed north to live, I'm more than familiar with how the white judicial (and I use that word loosely because there's rarely any justice involved) system operates, particularly when Blacks
forget their place by actually standing up for themselves. But it was alright, because in the last 24 hours, I'd just spent THE MOST overwhelmingly fulfilling time with my people and I was convinced we'd just begun. Then, I hear Mr. Baisden say, "For people to say this is about race, it's so stupid!" Alright went right out the window in that instant and I got off at the next exit because A.) I needed gas and B.) I needed to process what the hell he'd just said!Before any of you get your underwear in a bunch, let me just say this. I applaud and respect Mr. Baisden's concerted and successful efforts to mobilize the over 50,000+ people who answered the call and marched peacefully on Jena. He was phenomenal in that quest.
That being said though, if he thinks it's "so stupid" for people to say what happened in Jena is about race then go ahead and call me stupid because that is EXACTLY what it's about. I understand he may not want to offend whites, Latinos or Asians who showed up to support the Jena 6 or maybe he believes he needs to be a consensus builder because we need them to make this work or maybe he believes Jena's merely about right and wrong. He has a right to his opinion, as do I - "You cannot change what you don't acknowledge."Don't get it twisted. I know there are people of other races who are family. As a matter of fact, I've had white family for the past 27 years I've been married. And while I'd hoped in the beginning that it didn't matter that I was Black, it did and still does to some of them. Whether it matters or not, I talk about that big, pink elephant of race in the corner rather than skirting the issue with "we are all family" talk that doesn't address how people are really feeling. I'd rather live in the light uncomfortably at times than spend my time in the dark pretending a problem doesn't exist when it does. Through talking about it, some of them have acknowledged their own inherent racism as I have acknowledged my own prejudices (there is a difference between the two). From there, some of us were willing to go forward and some were not. And that's okay too because I don't have to live with them. But they know where I stand and I know with whom I'm dealing.
To take racism out of the Jena discussion is to marginalize the pain it has inflicted and continues to inflict on Blacks in America. What's happening in the courts and in that town is institutional racism so deeply embed
ded in the psyche of its people it caused them to close all their stores (with them inside and red or yellow tape as a boundary between us and them!) and lock up their parking lots with shiny new locks and chains on rusty gates when we all descended on Jena. It may not be all whites, but it's enough of them that the Jena 6 stand accused and Mychal Bell sits in jail though the adult charges have been vacated and no juvenile charges have been filed. They think what they're doing is right, we think what they're doing is wrong and because of racism, there will be no meeting somewhere in the middle – not without legal intervention brought about by the passion and conviction I saw on that absolutely beautiful September day in Jena.
BBC Documentary on the Jena 6 - Families Share (written 9/18/07)
It's truly a wonderful thing that Michael, Rev. Sharpton, Tom Joyner, Steve Harvey, et. al. got involved and galvanized this mass response. But I have to say it again, the story would have never been a story had it not been for Alan Bean, Executive Director of the civil rights group, The Friends of Justice breaking it to the Chicago Tribune and the BBC back in December of 2006 and the BBC making a documentary back in May of 2007. Here's the link to watch for yourself: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4120415818465787991.
And as you watch the documentary, you will hear that Oprah's "people" reached out to the local radio station BACK THEN (unless of course the DJ wasn't being truthful)! I guess it wasn't enough of a story then or, as it's now being spun by everybody – "She's doing a smart thing reaching out to Mychal Bell's family now." Even though she knew about it since May? C'mon Family!
I don't know about most of you but I am truly an "old-head." I remember when Oprah TOOK HER SHOW to Vidor, TX back in the early '90's to point out the racism there. She was an activist then, using her then, fairly new platform to show America its own shame (putting them on "blast" as Michael Baisden always says). You can think whatever you want about who did what when, but the facts are clear for those who really want them. True, this white man would NEVER have been able to galvanize the people the way that Black radio has and he admits it on his site: http://friendsofjustice.wordpress.com/ -- but Black radio did not even have the story when the Jena 6 was out there on their own looking for help back in December of 2006.
If we're to make a real difference, it's going to take ALL of the "Family" doing whatever each does best AND giving props to ALL the "Family" when it is due. No one group or person makes things happen and we've had lots of help in our struggle. Bayard Rustin, an openly gay Black man was an extremely integral part of the Civil Rights movement with Dr. King and A. Philip Randolph. And let's not forget the dedication and deaths of some white people, Michael Schwerner and Andrew Goodman immediately come to mind. A "movement" is the sum of ALL of its parts. And if we don't get that, we'll continue to twist in the wind just like we have been all this time.
If all of US were on the same page believing the intent of integration was access and not necessarily assimilation, I'd say we could do it on our own. But we're not and we can't. So let's spread the accolades Family and build a real movement to bring about change. This huge mobilization already shows we're up to the challenge.
That being said I'd like to add, I disagree that this is a right or wrong issue. Hell, slavery was wrong. Jim Crow was wrong. Lynching was wrong. But that didn't stop it from happening to us. It happened to us because the founders of this country thought it was right! And plenty of people in this country still do, hence the Jena 6 farce, the horrific torture of Megan Williams in W. Virginia, the Haitians in Miami, Genarlo Wilson, the slow and painful death of inner-city public schools, redlining, gentrification, etc., etc., etc. As a Black woman in America, I certainly believe this is a Black and White issue and it is one, deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of the descendants of many whose people brought ours to this country and the hearts and minds of the descendants of many who were brought.
Maybe if people would just acknowledge that truth we'd have been able to make some real change in America.
Jena 6 Update (written 9/14/07)
