Filed under: Echoes of William Lynch, Life....I wonder... | Tags: America, culture, Echoes of William Lynch, ethnicity, interaccial marriage, Keith Bardwell, Life I wonder, race, Racism
” I’m not a rascist, I just don’t believe in mixing the races that way. I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home. I marry them. They use my bathroom. I treat them just like anyone else.”
The words of Keith Bardwell, who refused to issue a marriage liscence to an interaccial couple in Tangipahoa parish. Don’t worry he wasn’t being cruel or peabrained, he just loves the kids
” There is problems by both groups accepting a child from such a marriage. I think those children suffer and I won’t help put them through it.”
See…he only discriminates because he cares…and let’s not forget he does have piles and piles of black friends, who even get to use the bathroom in his big house. I don’t even really have anything profound to say about this except for America is getting realer everyday. This is my take on the whole 2012 ‘end times’ theory; the final battle will be between progression and regression.Our consciousness will divide us, perhaps to the point of physical war. I remember when I started studying Astrology and reading about the age of aquarius I came to the conclusion that GOD would not come back in form, but in Spirit, through us. Some of us will embody GOD, some of us will embody the opposite of GOD and everyone will have to choose.
We can not continue to live in a society in which everyone is not afforded the right to live and love as they choose, chaos will ensue. I guess Mr. Bradwell has the right to believe what he wants to about interaccial marriage if I put it that way, but that whole “the races shouldn’t mix” rhetoric is as played out as it is ironically oxymoronic. We are all ”mixed”. Race is nothing more than a social construct used to divide and conquer. Ethnic identification on the other hand differs from race in that I feel it is expressed naturally. If we were never given a label from birth I believe that we would naturally gravitate toward certain music, food, clothing,hairstyles etc. We physically manifest what is spiritually innate and that is the beauty and the mystery of individuality, of culture. I believe in Tribal Identity, I don’t think that we will ever all be the ”same”, but I do believe that all parts are of equal importance to the whole. Variety enriches my life as it does the world. If history has taught us anything it’s that where there is inequality there is oppression, where there is oppression there is suppression, where there is suppression there is rage, where there is rage there is violence, where there is violence there is pain, and pain is one of the most powerful catalysts for change. People need to get with the program, for real for real.
Filed under: Echoes of William Lynch, Life....I wonder..., Uncategorized | Tags: Henry Louis Gates Jr, Officer Justin Barrett email, police brutality, race relations in America, Racism, Skip Gates arrest
I love when somebody slips up and let’s their true colors show in regards to race. I LOVE IT. I don’t know why. It’s like a personal, mmm hmmm I told you so moment. I’m often accused of being too into that “black girl shit” as one of my friends so eloquently described the content of some of my articles on this site. I’m sorry, I’m black, that’s the racial label I was given. Yes, I am into all things that have to do with black folks, especially when it comes to attacks, directly or indirectly, on my status as a human being in this society. In comes Officer Justin Barrett. You’ve probably heard of him by now if you keep up with the jones’s through CNN or if you’ve been following the soap opera-esque melodrama that is the Henry Louis Gates Jr. arrest. For clarification’s sake, Officer Justin Barrett is not the arresting officer, that was Sgt Joseph Crowley. Now we all know cops take care of thier own, and Officer Barrett went directly into ‘ride or die’ mode. He sent an e-mail to columnist Yvonne Abraham in which he referred to Mr. Gates as a “banana eating jungle monkey” and a “bumbling jungle monkey” and also refers to her writing as “jungle monkey gibberish”. After Mr. Barrett debunks Ms Abrahams skills as “as good as jungle monkey gibberish” he then goes on to state, ” I might as well AX you the question….” Hmmmmm. Why would a self-proclaimed former English teacher and writer use AX as if it was a proper word. Perhaps it was an attempt at jungle monkey speak? Even though I’ve never seen a photograph of Ms. Abraham, given some of the publications she’s written for, I am pretty that sure she’s a black woman, which makes his ignorant insinuations that much more provocative. You can view the original e-mail for yourself here. Now that Officer Barrett has been placed on administrative leave pending a full investigation and a termination hearing, he wants to cry I am not a racist, which he also stated in his e-mail.
I sincerely apologize to fellow officers, soldiers and citizens, I did not intend any racial bigotry blah, blah, bleh, bleh, bleh. Come on dude! I could see if he came up with something along the lines of, ” You know what, I was angry and there’s just some things about this country/some people I just don’t understand/upset me…..” Perhaps I could relate if he stood up for himself like a man and spoke his truth instead of stumbling and fumbling through that pre-written, politically correct, apology speech that was fooling no one. You’ve got to love how his lawyer tried to take the viewers to church when Larry started poking. My favorite part of this whole interview;
Larry: What made you come up with that language though?
Officer Barrett: I don’t even know…
Oh you know buddy, you know. You may not consider yourself a full bigot but you’ve got a little bit of it up in there swimming around somewhere, don’t front. Language like that does not come from nowhere. Social conditioning, deep-seated prejudices and upbringing might bring about that kind of language, but it most certainly does not just pop into your head like some faerie visiting you in the night.
When I was little, whenever I got a cut or a scratch ,I was always told the fastest way to heal that sucka’ was to let the air get to it. You can cover it up and keep it clean, but to speed up the healing proces you have to air it out. I say that to say this, if you’re a bigot, put it in the air. Somebody just might come along and help you heal. Don’t hide behind the veil of being a decent citizen who always treats others with respect and dignity if you know damn well you’ll let a racial slur slip from your lips in a heartbeat if somebody of the wrong complexion tests you . Don’t be afraid to let you’re true colors show, everybody is not going to like you but at least they can respect you. Having open, honest and uncensored DIALOUGUE( more intelligent debate than verbal fisticuffs) about racial prejudices and biases is the only way we’re ever really going to move forward with race relations in this country. All things that are done in the dark will come to light. It’s better to put your beliefs on front street voluntarily then let them fester in your mind untill they blow up all over your “good name”.
White people, and anyone else who this may apply to, stop perpitrating. You know good and well referring to black folks as monkeys is as Jim Crow as ‘coloreds only’ signs
Filed under: Life....I wonder..., Media Manipulation | Tags: Haters, Katt Williams, Media Manipulation, Obama, Obama haters, Obama mom jeans, Racism
Is it just me or does it seem like the powers that be will not stop until they reduce Obama and his historic presidency to a mere joke in the sidelines of popular culture. I wasn’t going to post anything about this nonsense here but when my eyes were assaulted by this story on Yahoo’s homepage I couldn’t help but notice how much of a fool the media at large is making of Obama. He’s become like that foreign exchange student in high school that everybody wants to get to know and is real interested in, because he’s from another country and all, and then once the novelty wears off he’s demoted to just another nobody you shove your way past in the hallway. If his election is supposed to mean we’ve taken one step forward as a nation, stories like this are our two steps back. Not only did the media have a field day with this bull( try googling Obamas mom jeans)they even questioned him about his fashion choices and prompted him to defend himself. Really? And this isn’t the first time they’ve got at dude for his so called “frumpy” choices in denim. Oh get a life, for real for real. There’s much more worthwhile stuff to deal with honestly. It makes we wonder what kind of jeans they want him to wear……….
maybe an ensemble like this would’ve been more socially appropriate or…….
maybe something a little more like this, with complimentary day-glo graffiti hoodie and fitted cap? What the hell is going on, am I the only one who feels like this is some old twilight zone sanctioned foolishness? Like was what he wore any worse than this dudes choice in attire…
or his…..
Filed under: Life....I wonder..., Media Manipulation | Tags: black hair, ghetto hairstyles, ghettohairstyles.net, hairstyles, is this a joke, Racism
“Looking at it now, you’d realize that having that ghetto hairstyle is more than a fashion statement or a way of making heads turn your way. These hairstyles are more of a social movement—just done in a fashionable way. In one way or another, this has helped the women’s movement by making them noticeable. So feel proud of the next girl who’s rocking that ghetto hairstyle!”
http://www.ghettohairstyles.net/
Those are their words not mine…….
While surfing the web, I came across this jewel of a site. It reads like it was written by someone who is either very skilled at passive agressive racist tactics or is just plain backwoods I-live-under-a-rock dumb. Peep their list of the 10 most popular ”ghetto” nicknames, as they put it, no “ghetto” makeover is complete without one. Pitino? Lucreasia? JonTonae? I don’t think so. To be honest I’m sick to death of hearing the word ghetto, because these days people let it slip out thier mouth too often, and when it’s said, most of the time, it’s not even in the right context. Concerning elaborate hairstyles, if you’ve ever seen a picture of the traditional hairstyles women wear in some of the African and Asian countries they are very similar to what some so called “ghetto” American women wear today. They are architectural, colorful and all around fly as hell……….
Learn about culture kids……………
Filed under: Echoes of William Lynch, Life....I wonder... | Tags: I don't shuck n jive, Poetry, Racism, shuck and jive, Spoken Word
I am not a product of the plantation
I am a daughter of this nation
where it was decreed
that I am free to liberally pursue my happiness in this life
which I do
in ways they couldn’t
and I won’t go back
feel like I’m trapped in a movie
trying to move fast forward
while you’re steady pressing rewind
I left shuckin n jivin
behind
I will not go back to being that
girl that always had to be the comic relief at her own expense
I will not change the things I say
or
how I choose to say them because it doesn’t fit
my racial profile
my mother taught me the difference between
ain’t aren’t are not ax and ask
in this I will not be ashamed
I am not black
I am the descendent of african slaves, fair skinned west indians, europeans
and native americans brown, yellow and red
they haven’t created a name that expresses the totality of
what I am made of and who I am
so I choose to tear up they labels
and make my own
you can’t box me
can’t mold my form
to fit your ideology
I broke every box they tried to put me into
and I will do so
time and
time again
I do not shuck and jive
I will not shuck and jive to prove to you I am less than human
I am above and beyond what you could ever expect
and my journey has only just begun
new born woman
I be seeing myself through eyes tired of weeping
and hearing myself through ears tired of knowing myself through what they
tell me I am
speaking from knowledge they have sought to destroy
since the beginning of time
rolodexed in my DNA
It will never go away this truth I know
and in this I will not be ashamed
I am the creator of nations
inspire hatred from women who smell the strength of my ancestors in me
before they even know my name
wishing they could
saunter like I samba down the street
envious of my natural rhythym that brings
kings to their knees
I know
I know that you hate me because I am
stronger and mightier than you will ever be
and I pity you
because I will not shuck and jive
to present you with the feeling of superiority you don’t possess naturally
I will not belittle myself to give you the
false perception that you are one of GODS chosen elite
and I am the unfortunate, down-trodden, deformed, outcast child
I will not shuck and jive
I do not shuck and jive
I can not shuck and jive
because it’s just not me
Words by yours truly. PEACE
Filed under: Life....I wonder... | Tags: America, Do the Right Thing, Do the Right Thing 20th Anniversary, movies, Racism, Spike Lee, Spike Lee Joint
In my humble opinion Spike Lee is the epitome of what a filmmaker is supposed to be. He is a master storyteller, creating moving poetry out of the grand spectacle we know as life. He shows the beauty in the complex simplicity of what we experience on this earth everyday. In terms of black America no other director has achieved what he has been able to, bringing our culture in all it’s complexity so vividly to the screen. His works are testaments to our collective experience, making films that bring some of our deepest social afflictions to the light, uncensored, inspirirng introspection and daring us to question, to change. Do the Right Thing was monumental in this way. For the 20th anniversay of the release of Do the Right Thing, Jesse Washington of yahoo news wrote a very interesting article about the issues highlighted in Do The Right Thing that still linger in the shadows today.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_do_the_right_thing_anniversary
I wrote about this the other day. America has a sickness at it’s core. To be honest it’s not just the American citizens that suffer from this particular sickness, it’s one that affects the whole of mankind, Radio Raheem explains this problem which can be neatly summed up by two words……
Hatred is the rotten apple that seeks to spoil the bunch………Now this scene was filmed in 1989, 20 years later and this shit still hits home…….
and they said they didn’t understand why this shirt could be seen as offensive….
Filed under: Life....I wonder..., Uncategorized | Tags: Abortion, American, Civil Rights, life, Obama, polititcs, Racism
My friends and I love to crack on each other. One day my boy L called me Keema X and I just about died. You see, I constantly get on him for always jocking the light skinned girl on TV, telling him the only reason he thinks she’s cute is because she’s more on the european side of the black spectrum. He in turn thinks I’m the stereotypical angry black sista, hence the name Keema X. It’s all jokes, for sure, but ya girl connects the dots between the past and the present. I state the obvious, the obvious no one wants to identify as being so. The obvious about America is for all our greatness and diversity, we are ultimately a nation of fools, much more content with bickering about surface level symptoms than purging ourselves of a deeper sickness . America was founded on elitist principles which have permeated almost every aspect of our culture. That ideology is what causes well to do pale skinned white haired republicans on CNN news shows to whine like little bitches and scrutinize Obama’s every move as President of this country like he’s a house slave whose been allowed to touch his master’s fine china for the first time. That ideology is what causes black folk to be in an uproar over the charicterization of robots in Transformers 2 as “ghetto”, while the director claims there is nothing going on but a little creative liscence. That ideology is what causes the hatred behind that nutcase attempting to shoot up the Holocaust Museum. That ideology is what causes heterosexual people to vote agianst homosexual people they don’t even know having the same rights as themselves all because they don’t think the way they live thier lives is “right”. Why do black people always feel like someone is picking on us and our culture , when we are told time and time again that the racial bigotry of the past is loooong gone and it’s not what it looks like? Why is there so much ” I told you so” attitude coming from the one’s that obviously didn’t vote for Obama even though he won the election fair and square unlike Mr. Bush, and how does a country function properly when it’s legislative and executive branches can’t even agree on issues as pressing as healthcare? I don’t think I have ever seen so much speculation, dissection and critique of a Presidents views and policies. They didn’t sweat Bush nearly as hard and he was one of, if not the worst president in our nations history. Why did George Tiller have to die in his church because sombody thought he was a sinner and murderer for providing a presently legal service? Why are we still debating about abortion when people just find more creative, sickening and inhumane ways to take the lives of fully developed children everyday? Why is a pastor praying for Obama’s death? The only thing that can save us is co-existence and equality on all fronts, but it seems to me that we will always have to be either in the right orin the wrong. Christian right, muslim wrong. Straight right, gay wrong. Republican right, Democrat left. America right, everybody else wrong. Can’t we just agree to disagree and be done with it, or would it be too much to bear knowing someone across the street is living thier life just fine without having the same personal ideals as yourself. We are supposedly a Christian nation and what is the greatest commandment Jesus gave his disciples to follow? I got a lot of questions as you can see, anybody got some answers?
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/06/24/transformers-jivetalking-_n_220005.html
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/06/gretna_man_arrested_in_rape_an.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/06/23/zelizer.obama.honeymoon/index.html
http://www.wbir.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=90814
