All I Need is One Mic!

My God, My God, What In The Hell Is Going On???

2009-04-02T12:05:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, I read an article on the Pope’s first visit to Sub-Saharan Africa. The highlight of his visit was his decision not to lift or even soften the Vatican's ban on condom use for people living in the region – a region where the AIDS crisis is worse than any other region in the world. The article was entitled, “Pope Visits Africa, Reaffirms Ban on Condoms”. The more I reflect, the more I think that the article should have been titled, “Pope Visits Africa, Commits Genocide.”

Sub-Saharan Africa is more heavily affected by HIV and AIDS than any other region of the world. An estimated 22 million people were living with HIV at the end of 2007 and approximately 1.9 million additional people were infected with HIV during that year. In just the past year, the AIDS epidemic in Africa has claimed the lives of an estimated 1.5 million people in the region. More than eleven million children have been orphaned by AIDS.¹

Mr. Pope, what have you done?

Are you that disconnected from the realities of this world that you would make such a decision? Or, do you know, but just don’t care? Is your religion more important than human lives? C’mon Mr. Pope. Grow up!! This is about more than doctrinal beliefs on pre-marital sex. This is about so much more than just ‘strapping up’. Instead of banning the use of condoms, which in a sense has become the band-aid used to cover up larger issues relating to the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, how about speaking out against and trying to eliminate rape in regions such as the Congo, which not only demoralizes the women of Africa, but is a spreader of the disease. How about speaking out against the genocide in Rwanda - another region where rape is prevalent and used as a tool to control the weak and powerless. And how about using some of the money that the Vatican is sitting on to fund programs in African regions that provide health care and treatment for those who are both affected by and infected with HIV/AIDS.

Mr. Pope, you went to Africa to speak. And you have spoken. But what were you really saying? Were you saying that the lives of Africans are not worth being preserved and are secondary to preserving religious doctrine?

Mr. Pope, you went to Africa to connect with your people, and in doing so, you committed one of the most deadly acts that one can commit against humanity, murder. And remember….thou shall not kill.

And what really perplexes me, is that while you, Mr. Pope, used your authority to commit an act of murder against African people, the rest of the church (universal) remained silent. As much as this is your fault, Mr. Pope, I dare say that you are not the only one to blame. Maybe it is true that we have become so blinded by religion and have become so heavenly minded that we do no earthly good at all?

My God, my God, what in the hell is going on?

¹UNAIDS 2008 Report on the global AIDS epidemic
http://www.unaids.org/en/KnowledgeCentre/HIVData/GlobalReport/2008/

OUT FROM THE GLOOMY PAST.....

2008-11-05T08:22:00.001-08:00

I still have yet to bring myself to the point where I can put to words my feelings about what America witnessed last night. I mean, prior to last night, I shared the lament of the prophet Habakkuk...where he cried out to the Lord:How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, "Violence!" but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed,and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous,so that justice is perverted.

But last nights Kairos Moment, which manifested itself in the form of a black man becomming President of these "yet to be united" states of America caused me to believe all the more, and cling ever more fervently to the Lord's answer to Habakkuk which said, "Look at the nations and watch— and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told."

WOW! I mean, this is why I love God SOOO much.

I still share in Habakkuk's lament concerning the conditions under which his people suffered, and still under which some of our people suffer, at the hand of injustice...but after last night, all I could do was sit and theologically reflect on the paradoxical nature of God, in that who God 'IS' may very well to some seem contradictory or absurd but in reality expresses a possible truth (HOPE) and two, the paradoxical works of God, where in what one thinks is meant to hurt and harm, actually has the ability to benefit and bless. (YES WE CAN - in spite of!!)

OMG - If my tears could talk........but for now, I'll just hum the words written by James Weldon Johnson in the Black National Anthem...

Lift ev'ry voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring.
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise,
High as the list'ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast'ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet,
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who has brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who has by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee,
Shadowed beneath thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.

Shak on Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright...

2008-03-18T11:26:00.000-07:00

Shak on Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright...

One of my friends asked me today what my views were on the comments that Dr. Wright made in the sermons that were misused by the media this past week.

First, let me start by saying that the recent attacks by the media on Dr. Wright has left me feeling, on the one hand, even more compelled, using Dr. Wright as an example, to further speak out against the injustices that many face while living in these "yet to be united States of America". On the other hand, the recent media attacks on Dr. Wright has left me with a outright anger - so much so that I have been tongue tied in effort to refrain from using some of the more descriptive words that have been embedded in my vocabulary. In other words, this is enough to make a preacher cuss FOR REAL!

As it further relates to the media frenzy on Obama & Dr. Wright, I think that the media, Fox News in particular, is taking Dr. Wrights sermons out of context and using Dr. Wright as a pawn...a mere tool to sabotage Obama’s campaign. And those that are trying to sabotage Obama’s campaign are showing their true colors, because the truth of the matter is...regardless of what any "poll" says; the conservative, right wing, racist elitist that run America are not ready to see a "black" man in the "white" house. Don’t get it twisted!

I know Pastor Wright. I have had the privilege of knowing him and learning from him for the past 7 going on 8 years. And he is not the monster that they are making him out to be. He is a really cool dude and a prophet IN THE REAL SENSE, preaching a social gospel of liberation for all who have been marginalized and oppressed. Which is so much more than what I can say for many of these preachers out here who call themselves "prophets". In addition, I find it very funny that when America wages an illegal war in search of oil disguised as a war terrorism on the basis of invisible weapons of mass destruction (because THERE WERE NO WEAPONS OF MASS DESTRUCTION), when America allows millions of children to go hungry - being the richest country in the world, - nobody sees anything wrong with it. It isn’t racism then. It isn’t classism then. It isn’t divisive then. It isn’t toxic then. Its’ right and justified. And then we slap God’s name on it to make everything "okay". While the entire world is suffering. AIN’T NO GOD IN THAT!!

But SOON AS a person, a black man in particular, has testicular fortitude to get up and speak truth to power on behalf of the "least of these"...all of a sudden its racism. I personally think that is a bunch of bulls____. (hint: the bible calls it "dung"!)

ANYWAY, what Dr. Wright said isn’t racism. It is TRUTH TELLING. The government is lying about 9/11. They know more than what they are admitting to. The government is lying about the levees in New Orleans. The government is lying about the war in Iraq. C'mon now...the art of war is deception (Sun Tzu) and most of the wars that America have waged were based in deception.

In addition, I think what the media is doing, is what they do best. HIDING the truth that is coming out of Dr. Wright’s words by attempting to refocus our attention from the real problems...which in the end leaves the initial injustice untouched. OMG Wake up!! It wasn’t the blind man who had the vision problem!!

As it relates to Hillary being called a nigger. Nobody ever "said" that Hilliary Clinton was truly called a nigger. And the point that I believe Dr. Wright was making with that statement was the fact that neither Bill nor Hillary are "black" (this was for those who claim they are because of what they did when they were in the white house). They have never experienced what black people have experienced in America. Hence, Hillary ain’t never been called a nigger. AND TRUST ME, IF SHE WAS..IT WAS MOST DEFINITELY WITH AN ’A’ and not an ’ER’ and used as a term of endearment.

The truth of the matter is, blacks have been done real dirty in America and yes, at some point, we, as a race will need to move on...but we are talking about more than the psychology of the oppressed here. It is hard to move on when the same stuff is happening - just in disguise.

I support Dr. Wright. And I don’t think that there are enough people speaking out from the pulpit or whatever your platform is about the injustices that many poor people face. I guess we have become so heavenly and "faith based" minded that we truly are no earthly good.

I’m done for now...

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Election 2008: A Black Man vs. a White Woman....

2008-01-10T11:40:00.000-08:00

Election 2008: A Black Man vs. a White Woman....

Obama vs. Hillary has sparked a lot of interesting debate on the question: "Who do we vote for?"...especially among African American women.

The way I see it, African American women have one of the most daunting tasks in this upcoming election....because aside from having to decide on who we think is the best person is for the job.....we also have to decide whether our allegiance will be to gender or race.....because the reality of the situation is, more so than who can get the job done (because I believe they both are good candidates), this election...especially on the democratic side, is about gender and race.

This would be much easier, I believe, for African American women...if Obama were a white man going against a white woman.....because then the majority of us would vote "woman"....or if Hillary were a white man going against a black man...then the majority of us would vote "black"... (especially since they both have proven that they are 'electable')

But it is not that easy...so as an African American woman....what do you do?

And consequently, contrary to what many may say, I do not believe that Obama is any stronger than Hillary because he is a man or that Hillary is weaker than Obama because she cried and showed her humanness in New Hampshire. If a leader is passionate enough to cry then I am cool with that. I am sure Dr. King shed a tear or two in his day. And even Jesus wept.

So Black Woman...what do you do?

Do you vote for a woman because according to an email I previously read: "this will be our one and maybe only shot at the presidency of the USA."

Or do you vote for a black man because African Americans have withstood the test of time and have been strong since the beginning of time...without the glimpse of the 40 acre's or the mule....

Do you listen to the "experts" and vote for the person that will have the best chance of being elected president?

OR....do you really look at these "yet to be united states of America" and its history of violence, oppression, segregation and hate............and vote for the one among the two that you think will have the best chance at longevity once they are sworn into their position?

You know, I always said if I had an opportunity to ask Obama one question, that question would be...are you afraid of death?

Most people may not like the last question that I posed or what may come after but this is a very real question....

Behind the facade....America is still very much racist. George Bush ain't the only one that don't care about black people. We are no longer dealing with Jim Crow...we are dealing with his grandchildren....and great grandchildren...Jane and James Crow Esquire. James and Jane still, in a hidden/camouflaged more powerful way, carry out the work of their ancestor. Now, if James, Jane and Mr. KKK (lets not forget him) had their say (and they do), they and "America" at its best, would have a white woman instead of a black man as president any day. And would make sure that the later does not happen...by any means necessary.

In the words of Tupac..."although it seems heaven sent, we ain't ready to see a black president". ....well black people may be ready...but as for the rest of America, I am not so sure.

Think about it....

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FROM NIGGAS TO GODS

2007-11-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

This is an old writing (Feb 2007)...but I decided to repost....

FROM NIGGAS TO GODS

On the cover of 2005's Black History edition of the ROC, was an article entitled "Nigger….Nigga….is there a difference?" which dealt with the question, "what does 'Nigga' really mean?" The article challenged different uses of the word, provided definitions and word associations for the word that were extracted from the "Museum of Racist Memorabilia" website, and ended with the challenge:

"… remember the ones who suffered and those who were hung and beaten and "NIGGER" being the justification of why they deserved such treatment. When we do this, we may want to think twice about our use of the word. I mean, yea, some THINK we are stupid and some SAY we are ignorant…but let us never be thought of, or classify ourselves as "NIGGERS."

In reflecting on what to include in this Black History edition of the ROC, I pondered the question, "what does black history really mean?" Does this generation really care about the sacrifices that were made by our ancestors? Do we use the past as motivation to make our present positive and our future promising? What does black history mean, aside from a month?......and then I reflected again on the word nigga and its relation to our existence.

If "nigga" is not a person but a state of mind or a mentality, does the hip hop generation willfully assume the racial stereotype of black people? And if so, what does that mean as we prepare to "celebrate" black history?

In his book "From Niggas to Gods", through a collection of essays written as a message to Black Youth, the author Akil argues that black youth have been brainwashed and made to think of themselves, and to operate as, niggas.

Nigga, as defined by Akil, is a "self-destructive, uncivilized state of mind that leads to a state of existence", which by the way, he says is "the state of mind and existence in which some of us now live". He goes on to ask, "How did we get here? We have not always lived within this state of mind. We once lived within a state of mind that produced supreme black excellence and supreme black genius."

After reflecting on Akil's words and looking at where we are as young African Americans, I could not help but to ask myself the same question: how DID we get here? People sacrificed their lives so that we would be free from slavery and oppression, so that we could have a better existence, and because of that we are free. That is what we are celebrating this month - our freedom. So why don't we act like free people? I mean, we are free now, right???

Yes, we are free, in the sense that we are not being physically chained anymore. But the only reason there are no physical chains is because the chains have outlived their purpose. In other words, as Carter G. Woodson said: "when you teach a man to think, you don't have to worry about his actions, he will find his proper place and stay in it". In other words, there is no need to physically chain you if your mind is still in bondage.

Think about it. Nigga is not black or white. But although you cannot physically be a nigga, mentally – it is a possibility.

Truth of the matter is, we were created in the image of God, however, the sad reality is, we no longer exist on the level of gods and goddesses. We now exist on the level of "niggas". As Akil put it, "we have been psychologically, biologically, and therefore spiritually reduced from 'Gods to Niggas' ". And our existence as niggas now begs the question: What would Dr. King say if he were here now?

The Boondocks, a TV series based on the comic strip, produced an episode, "Return of the King", which aired on the eve of the Martin Luther King holiday, showed the character Huey (a 10-year old black radical), imagining Dr. King surviving his 1968 assassination and emerging from a coma 32 years later, in the year 2000. Huey convinces Dr. King to start a "political party" and to reach out to the public again. So they call a meeting, and used a local hip hop radio station for publicity, however, the radio station misrepresented the purpose of the meeting, which resulted in dozens of young blacks arriving at the church, believing the meeting to be a "party" in the sense of a festivity.

As Dr. King took the podium to speak, he witnessed young African Americans dancing explicitly, fighting each other, etc. They were so into it, they completely disregarded the fact that Dr. King was speaking. Dr. King was so disturbed by what his people had become he began to talk saying: "Excuse me......Brothers and sisters please" However, no one listened. They just kept on partying. So King, out of frustration that the current generation of black people was acting out the racial stereotype finally spoke saying:

"Will you ignorant niggas please shut the h*ll up! Is this it? This is what I got all those a**whoopings for? I had a dream once, it was the dream that little black boys and little black girls would drink from the river of prosperity-freed from the thirst of oppression, but lo' and behold some four decades later what have I found, but a bunch of triflin', shiftless, good for nothin niggas. And I know some of you don't want to hear me say that word. It is the ugliest word in the English language, but that's what I see now, niggas. And you don't want to be a nigga.

'Cause niggas are living contradictions, niggas are full of unfulfilled ambitions, niggas wax and wain, niggas love to complain, niggas love to hear themselves talk but hate to explain, niggas love being another man's judge and jury, niggas procrastinate until it's time to worry, niggas love to be late, niggas hate to hurry...Black Entertainment Television is the worst thing I have ever seen in my life.....Usher, Michael Jackson is not a genre of music....and now I'd like to talk about Soul Plane..."

And then King finishes up, as the he has the crowds full attention, by saying:

"I've seen what's around the corner and I've seen what's over the horizon, and I promise you, you niggas have nothing to celebrate…"

Many people spoke out against this episode of the Boondocks. In fact, Al Sharpton demanded the writer of the Boondocks (an African American) issue a public apology for insinuating that Dr. King would make such a speech, especially using the word "nigga".

On the one hand, I agree with Al Sharpton. However, I believe the Boondocks depicted a realistic expression of the frustration that I am sure Dr. King, and everyone else who fought for justice and equality for our people, would have if they witnessed for themselves "how we livin' ".

Think about it. How much of that speech describes yourself? Are you living up to the dream of Dr. King, Rosa Parks, Malcom X, our ancestors who were slaves, and all the people who died trying to fight for African Americans to have better lives? Or are you operating with a "nigga-mentality", not taking advantage of opportunities because it will take too much work? Complaining about your grades in school when you do not put forth any effort? Living with a "don't care" attitude about yourself and the people around you? If the Boondocks speech or any of the above questions have you feeling convicted in any way, then I have to ask, what are you celebrating this black history month?

As you think on that question, I would like to leave you with another challenge. I challenge those of you who are operating with a "nigga-mentality" to do something that shows that you recognize the efforts of those who have paved the way for you. If it is a commitment to do better in school, make it and stick to it. If it is a commitment to a better relationship with God, make it and keep working towards your goal.

In your quest to be "hip hop", understand that hip hop is a state of being; while nigga is a state of mind and in order to transition back from "Niggas to Gods" we have got to stop thinking like niggas cause AIN'T NO GOD IN THAT!!

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JENA AT COLUMBIA

2007-10-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

JENA AT COLUMBIA

"Herein lie buried many things which if read with patience may show the strange meaning of being black here in the dawning of the Twentieth Century. This meaning is not without interest to you, Gentle Reader; for the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line." - W.E.B. Du Bois

These words were captured in W.E.B. Du Bois' book "The Souls of Black Folk" in 1903 and it bothers my spirit, that today, October 10, 2007, these words still ring true for blacks [and other people deemed 'colored'] in these "yet to be United States of America".

Yesterday, at the Teachers College of Columbia University racism reared its ugly (live) head by way of a noose hanging on the office door of an African American professor. The media and the university chose not to reveal the professor's name, however, students of the University identified the teacher as Professor Madonna Constantine, who works in the Psychological Counseling department and is known for her work on racism.

Professor Madonna Constantine

Here is an excerpt from the article out of the Columbia Spectator:

"All of her [Constantine's] work [on racism] is disregarded. She is just a black woman to them," Jasmine Alvarez, a representative to the University Senate, said.

Farrah Khan, a first-year student at TC and a member of the Black Student Network, indicated that the event had rocked the small TC campus. "I had a class at 5 and we talked about it for the whole two hours," Khan said. "The very moment that we say racism is far away, ... something like this happens. this is on our campus, here not at 116th, but on our campus." "As infuriating as it was, it was not a surprise," Khan said. This afternoon, e-mails were flying around student listservs under the heading "Jena at Columbia," referring to an incident which occurred last December in Jena, La., when white students hung nooses from a tree "which was typically a gathering spot for whites only"at Jena High School one day after six black students sat under it. Students planned to meet tonight at 9;30 in the Intercultural Resource Center on 114th Street to discuss reaction to the incident.

This comes less than two weeks after graffiti was found scrawled on the stall of a bathroom in the International Affairs Building which said, "Attention You pinko Commie Motherfuckers and Arab Towelheads: America will wake up one day and Nuke Mecca, Medina, Tehran, Baghdad, Jakarta, and all the savages in Africa. You will all be fucked! America is for White Europeans."

What is sadder than the punks who would rather hang a noose anonymously, are those people of 'color' who would part their lips to say that "racism is far away". Far away from where? Far away from whom? You can tuck racism far away in your mind all you want to but that does not negate the fact that we STILL live in an age where people are divided by race, class, gender and age - while the church, btw, remains spiritually disengaged.

W.E.B said "the problem of the Twentieth Century is the color line". Well, the problem of the Twenty First Century is THE COLOR LINE. And it will continue to be the problem as long as we continue this cycle of hate that has permeated our existence since the days of antiquity.

In the words of that great theologian Howard Thurman, hate "is death to the spirit and disintegration of ethical and moral values. Jesus rejected hatred. It was not because he lacked the incentive. It was because He saw that hatred meant death to the mind, death to the spirit, death to communion with God."

And no matter what religion you claim to be, in the words of Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr., "God! Has got to be sick of this s***!"

The world as a whole is not in communion with God. This is evident every time someone hangs a noose from a tree or on the door to display their ugly regard for people of color. It is evident every time a person gets killed in Iraq while fighting a war over money, power and respect. It is evident every time Bush vetoes legislation that will provide our children heath care. It is even evident in the church.

Jena's are being carried out all over the world in many different forms and I can only imagine God now, looking down at us...shaking her head in awe of how we can't seem to learn from our past mistakes and thinking "Can't they see? Do they truly believe? Isaiah was right when he prophesied about them being hypocrites in Scripture when he said that they honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me." "Happy is the day when they begin to feel me like Isaiah felt me. But until then........" (you fill in the blank).

(P.S. And for those of you saved, sanctified, fire baptized saints that are more offended by me quoting Dr. Wright than with the state of the world in which we live in today, my prayer for you is that you come from behind the veil of sanctification long enough for you to wake up and see what is really going on around you. Remember, it wasn't the blind man who had the vision problem.)

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IS HELL REAL?

2007-10-07T12:27:00.000-07:00

IS HELL REAL??

Okay all you budding theologians..I had to blog on this one. I got an email today with an article on Carlton Pearson. For those of you who don't know [don't sweat it, I didn't either until I read the article] Carlton Pearson is fundamentalist preacher who lost his mega church congregation and is now called a heretic because he openly questioned the existence of hell.

Here is a link to the article: A Question of Hell: One Minister Questions its Existence

Now...for those of you who do not care to read the entire article (its short..) here is the low down. Carlton Pearson...fundamentalist...preaches the fundamental view of..."Everyone is born a sinner. Everyone is going to hell, unless they accept Jesus Christ as Lord." All fine and good but fundamentalist do not believe that there can be "hell" on earth (i.e. Existentialist View). They do not believe in the human experience so to speak and they do not allow anyone to have beliefs different from theirs. They believe in racism and/or the separation of the races , subjugation of women , and a highly restrictive sexual environment . Oh and by the way, Fundamentalists were the ones who crucified Christ. (yea I said it - I may lose some myspace friends for that!!)

Now the article goes on to say in reference to Carlton that "through years, as he studied the ancient Greek and Hebrew scriptures, Pearson developed a crisis of faith."

"I couldn't reconcile [says Carlton Pearson] a God whose mercy endures forever and this torture chamber that's customized for unbelievers," he said. "You can't be happy. And how can you really love a god who's torturing your grandmother?"

Deep question. What ya'll think??

But wait, there's more. Carlton also said that "The more he studied, the more he saw the Bible not as the "literal" word of God, but a book by men about God, with primitive men prone to mistranslations, political agendas and human emotions."

"And one night, as he watched ABC News' Peter Jennings report on the parade of suffering in Rwanda, he had a revelation. He questioned how a God who calls himself loving could let people suffer so badly and then suck them into Hell."

Pearson believed God was telling him there was Hell on earth.

Pearson now believes that hell the way he had been taught to believe may not exist.

Saints, as the Rev. Dr. Frederick Haynes says, "hell is not just a escatalogical destination you go to after you die, but an existential situation that you go through while you are alive". And in the words of Jean Paul Sarte' in his play "No Exit", "Hell is other people". Hell is attempting to live and cope after dealing with the tragedies that one is faced with here on earth. Hell is trying to live while being "held hostage by systems that are designed to keep us subordinate" (Jeremiah A. Wright said that one). And the challenge for the church is to help deliver these people from thus said hell whether they have created it for themselves or not - anything less would result in what Jim Wallis, author of God's Politics calls "spirituality without social consequences and a politics with no soul."

There are is a 2 part video on www.videos.msn.com with an interview on Carlton Pearson. The most interesting thing to me was in part 2, where Carlton tells of after loosing his church, he was invited to preach at a small church in San Francisco. This was a church that he would have otherwise never even thought to visit, but he was open...because he was broke down. This church, was pastored by a woman who is lesbian and filled with members who were LGBT, AIDS patients and abused women (you know the outcast in our society and in the church).

He said after he preached, he was hurt and at one of the most vulnerable and low points in his life and the pastor of that church asked him to sit down and she and her members washed his feet. He said, it is ironic that the ones that are often rejected, the ones whom HE once rejected and tried to repress, the ones whom he damned to hell without any possibility of healing and salvation..healed him.

Look at how God works.

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Putting Money on the Table

2007-09-25T12:35:00.000-07:00

Putting Money on the Table

When I am taking a break from planning the revolution (which by the way will not be televised - lol) I often read articles such as the one sent to me today by one of my friends entitled: "Putting Money on the Table". This article, featured in the New York Times, talked about the dating woes of single women in their 20's who make earning higher wages than men in the same age range. I had to blog this one, as I am interested in your responses.....

Here's a link to the article: Putting Money on the Table

But in a nutshell, the article gave examples of women, who in their 20's, find it hard to date and to keep it real with men who are for the most part intimidated by the fact that these women appear to, and sometimes do, make more money than they do. Specifically, the article argues that "women are encountering forms of hostility they weren't prepared to meet, and are trying to figure out how to balance pride in their accomplishments against their perceived need to bolster the egos of the men they date."

The article also stated that "young affluent women say they are learning to advertise their good fortune in a manner very different from their male counterparts. For men, it is accepted, even desirable, to flaunt their high status. Not so for many women.

"Very, very early in a date," said Anna Rosenmann, 28, who founded a company called Eco Consulting LA, in Los Angeles, and earns up to $150,000 a year, "a man will drop comments on how much his sales team had made for the year, which meant his bonus was blah, blah, blah."
But, she said, "that's not how we were raised."

Instead, she said, she starts out dates being discreet. "I don't talk about myself," she said. "When people ask me, I'm going to be very honest. But I definitely don't say, 'My name's Anna, I'm 28 and I own a business.' "

Now....at first, I laughed at this article, as it seemed foolish, but then I thought about it and tried to place myself in the shoes of some of these women who have consciously decided to walk the tight rope between a woman's pride and a man's ego - and then I wondered why would these women hide who they are...to boost a man's ego...in hope to build a long lasting relationship?

Seems to me, these women would not want to put forth effort in trying to build a relationship with someone who can't accept them for who they are and more importantly, who can't be happy for the blessings that God has placed in their lives.

I've been told many times that I would make it hard for a brutha. But what does that mean exactly? Make it hard for a brother to do what? Does a brutha's self esteem lie in the gap between two incomes?

Sista's in my 28 (bout to be 29 in 2 days) years of living, I have come to believe that for every Proverbs 31 woman, there is a Proverbs 31 man, who when in a relationship, dating or otherwise, will compliment each other, not only in their individual lives but also in the the community and in the Church. I am convinced that a man who is intimidated by the fact that I may make more money than he does, does not know God the way that I would need for him to know God, because if he did, then he would be confident in who it is that God has called him to be - and would focus more on being known for his good character and being a man of valour, rather than allowing himself to be defined by how many figures are in his paycheck in comparison to a mine.

Ladies FAVOR AIN'T FAIR. Don't forfeit your relationship with God for a counterfeit relationship with man. Be careful about hiding or suppressing who you are to get a man cause you might end up giving away something you need to keep. If you have to hide that much, and give that much of yourself up, then maybe, just maybe, that ain't the man that God has for you.

I'm just sayin'....

**Transferred from my Myspace Blog**

TAKE THE CAKE

2007-07-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

TAKE THE CAKE

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse....BET does it again! I cant remember what night it was, but I was channel surfing and came across BET's new game show entitled "Take The Cake" and all I could think was "MY GOD, MY GOD, WHAT IN THE HELL IS GOING ON!!?"

Coming off of "College Hill", "Take the Cake" is BET's take at "empowering programming". But the question that I have is, empowering to whom? and to do what?

This late night game show, hosted by Joe Clair and Toccara, features ignorant trivia questions while viewers get to compete for cash prizes via text messaging or online.

When I stumbled upon this monstrosity, they were playing a game called "Tap that Booty", where interested viewers had to text in and wait to receive a return phone call so that they could identify one of the three celebrity booties that were pictured. And as they were waiting for people to text in to identify the celebrity "ass", tap dancers tapped on pictures of the "asses" - like "asses".

As people texted in - spending 99 cents per text mind you....Joe Clair and Toccara "clowns" around the stage, proclaiming, BET IS GIVING AWAY FREE MONEY!!

Maybe its just me, but what part of selling out is free? What part of looking like a baffling idiot on live television is free? What part of degrading yourself and your people is free?

And get this - since BET is :"BLACK ENTERTAINMENT" - all they can "afford" to give away is $300. With the grand prize being $5,000. So you selling out for $300!! WHAT!!?? Rev. Dr. Jeremiah A. Wright Jr. says: "when you put price over principle you define yourself as a prostitute!!"

WHEN WILL WE STOP ALLOWING THE MEDIA TO PORTRAY US AS LOW CLASS HO'S??

Black Entertainment controlled by white people equals hot "ass" mess!! But its even worse when you have your own people ascribing to the madness.

BET is creating a platform of stupidity for African Americans and we keep shucking and jiving ourselves out of the reality of what is really going on. Slavery and oppression is very much alive and well. As Rev. Yearwood puts it, we are no longer dealing with "Jim Crow" we are dealing with Jim Crow's children "James Crow Jr. ESQUIRE!" WAKE UP!! Just because there are no physical chains does not mean that slavery is gone. The only reason that there are no physical chains is because the chains have outlived their purpose.

"When you teach a man to think, you don't have to worry about his actions, he will find his proper place and stay in it." - Carter G. Woodson

Why chain your body when they already control your mind?!?!?!?!?!?

Take the CAKE? If this is how far you'll go for some money, I damn sure don't want to see what you would do for a Klondike bar!

Joe Clair and Toccara need to be SLAPPED! Debra L. Lee need to be SLAPPED!! Reginald Hudlin needs to be FIRED!

P.S. Did you know that when BET was conceived, the acronym was supposed to stand for "BLACK EDUCATION TELEVISION? Yea, it's true. But that was until someone waved a big check in the face of its founder, and then the name became "BLACK ENTERTAINMENT TELEVISION". You read between the lines...I'll just say: BOB JOHNSON NEED TO BE SLAPPED!!

**Transferred from my Myspace Blog**

DOES GOD LOVE HIP HOP?

2007-05-07T12:47:00.000-07:00

DOES GOD LOVE HIP HOP?

On April 4, 1968 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Civil Rights leader who dedicated himself to nonviolence, was shot dead on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, TN.

On April 4, 2007, the women of the Rutgers University Basketball Team were humiliated, referred to as "nappy headed ho's", on what used to be, Don Imus' nationally syndicated radio show.

Controversy followed both events, but one of the differences in the controversy that followed lies in the question: who's to blame?

Who was the blame for Dr. King's horrific death? Was it the many African Americans that stood by him, walked with him, and supported the cause? Or was it the mentality of white superiority that has been embedded in the minds of both blacks and whites since the middle passage?

Who is the blame for the treatment that the Rutgers Basketball Team received? Is it Hip Hop? Or is it the mentality of black inferiority that has been embedded in the minds of many blacks – again, since the middle passage?

After the Don Imus comment, the culture of Hip Hop, its music especially, has been criticized more than ever before, as it [hip hop music] was the justification, or the scapegoat, Imus used in explaining why he chose such terms to describe these women.

Don Imus' statement has led many people, the black church included, to refocus their critical lenses on Hip Hop culture. And many church folk have gone as far as to say Hip Hop does not have a place in the church, which raises the question: Does God love Hip Hop?

Well, whether you want to believe it or not, God created Hip Hop. And God loves everything that God created.

Both the Black Church and Hip Hop were created by God as revolutionary movements which were to be used to eradicate the injustices that our communities where and still are experiencing. God loves and is still using the Black Church, just as much as, God loves and is still using Hip Hop.

True, Hip Hop in its present form (commercialized) has little to say about God, but the same argument can be made about commercialized religious institutions.
Ironically, Hip Hop and the Church, have both succumb and fallen victim to the "principalities, powers, rulers of the darkness of this world, and spiritual wickedness in high places." And in the midst of it all, there is always God.

In the days of antiquity, God anointed prophets like Moses, Joshua and Jeremiah to "uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." In the American Slave Era, God anointed prophets like William Lloyd Garrison, Sojourner Truth and Harriet Tubman to "uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." In the Civil Rights Era, God anointed prophets like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks and Malcolm X to "uproot and tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant." And the good news is God did not stop when Hip Hop was born. God continues, even today, to anoint and appoint people as "prophet to the nations"; and will always send those who can speak the language of a people and give an appropriate word for any given situation.

"The Truth speaks through the beats of the streets" - says Alex Gee and John Teter, in their book "Jesus & The Hip Hop Prophets", which analyzes the lyrics of two of Hip Hop's known prophets, Tupac and Lauryn Hill, and the beats of the streets say "love is real…hope is real….and Jesus is real".

When it comes to youth of the Hip Hop generation, we have to be careful not to confuse the content with the containers. Hip Hop culture has its flaws, just like you and I, but that does not make God love us or Hip Hop any less.

God embraces the positive qualities that Hip Hop has to offer and challenges us all to come against the negativity that is counterproductive to advancing God's Kingdom agenda.

Imus' comment stirred up a lot of controversy, but my prayer for the church (universal) is that we begin to embrace the positivity that the hip hop movement and its people have to offer and not "throw out the baby with the bath water."

For the youth, my prayer is for your discernment in how you embrace the negative lyrics that blast thru your speakers, and the earphones of your MP3 player. Always ask yourself: what image am I portraying of myself and my people?

And for all of you aspiring artists, I leave you with the words of Lauryn Hill:

"Come on baby light my fire/everything you drop is so tired/music is supposed to inspire/so how come we aint gettin' no higher?/Now tell me your philosophy/on exactly what an artist should be/should they be someone with prosperity/and no concept of reality?/Now, who you know without any flaws/That lives above the spiritual laws/And does anything they feel just because/There's always someone there who'll applaud./I know you think that you've got it all/And by making other people feel small/Makes you think you're unable to fall/And when you do, who you gonna call?/See, what you give is just what you get/I know it hasn't hit you yet/Now I don't mean to get you upset/But every cause has an effect.

**Transferred from my Myspace Blog**

Nappy Headed Ho's?

2007-04-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Nappy Headed Ho's?

On the April 4 edition of MSNBC's Imus in the Morning, host Don Imus referred to the Rutgers University women's basketball team, which is comprised of eight African-American and two white players, as "nappy-headed hos" immediately after the show's executive producer, Bernard McGuirk, called the team "hard-core hos." Later, former Imus sports announcer Sid Rosenberg, who was filling in for sportscaster Chris Carlin, said: "The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the [National Basketball Association's] Toronto Raptors." McGuirk referred to the NCAA women's basketball championship game between Rutgers and Tennessee as a "Spike Lee thing," adding, "The Jigaboos vs. The Wannabees -- that movie that he had."

IMUS: That's some rough girls from Rutgers. Man, they got tattoos and --

McGUIRK: Some hard-core hos.

IMUS: That's some nappy-headed hos there. I'm gonna tell you that now, man, that's some -- woo. And the girls from Tennessee, they all look cute, you know, so, like -- kinda like -- I don't know.

McGUIRK: A Spike Lee thing.

ROSENBERG: It was a tough watch. The more I look at Rutgers, they look exactly like the Toronto Raptors.

Okay, so you know I had to comment on this one. The Jesus in me just wouldn't let me be quiet.
Needless to say, I was very upset after hearing this comment...I mean these gurls worked hard to play in the NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS....and this is the best he could do by wayt of congratulations?????

And...like usual, Al Sharpton was the ONLY one to step up and PUBLICLY DEMAND this dudes letter of resignation. Where is everyone else? And if you are out there, WHY aren't you saying anything?? DANG!! MUST JESUS BEAR THE CROSS ALONE?????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

Given the world in which we live in, I understand the mentality of someone who will degrade a group of women and attempt to diminish their outstanding accomplishments by reducing them to garden tool's....but for us to sit and let this happen??

AND Y? Why are they referred to as ho's for being ball players...why are they being criticized for having tattoo's....why the stereotype. NAPPY HEADED HO'??? I played ball in college. I am not a man. I am a Nubian QUEEN. I have (2) tattoo's...I AM NOT A MAN, I AM A NUBIAN QUEEN!! I got muscles...I AM NOT A MAN, I AM A NUBIAN QUEEN!!!

and my overall question....WHERE IS THE CHURCH IN THIS!1?!?!?!?!?!

Is Al Shapton the only religious leader with the "testicular fortitude" to get on TV and demand change? C'mon the church has more influence than that! Don't you think that if these presidential candidates see their constituency in a uproar about racism, sexism, and all the other ism's that exist in this "yet to be united states" that something will change? (or they will at least pay it some attention..)

WHEN WILL WE STOP BEING COMPLACENT WITH COMPLACENCY!!!

DON IMUS SHOULD BE FIRED AND WE HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN!!

WRITE A LETTER TO MSNBC AND DEmAND IMUS' TERMINATION!!

**Transferred from my Myspace Blog**

Rap-It-Up

2007-01-08T13:12:00.000-08:00

Rap-It-Up

A few weeks ago, I began to ask God to give me a deep revelatory word to give you at the beginning of this New Year, so that you can begin 2007 excited about the miracles that I know God is going to work in your lives.

After reflecting on a topic to address in this month's issue of the R.O.C, I turned on the TV, began channel surfing. I soon landed on channel 56 (BET), and began to watch the show "106 & Park". During this episode of "106 & Park", BET was doing a special promoting their "Rap-It-Up" campaign, promoting safe sex and HIV prevention.

Many celebrities took the stage and sat on the infamous couch and pleaded with young people who are engaging, thinking about engaging, in sexual intercourse to be proactive in protecting themselves from contracting HIV by wrapping "it" up.

"Rap-It-Up" is a national awareness campaign sponsored by BET and its partners; designed to empower people - particularly young people in urban, inner-city communities - to learn more about HIV/AIDS."

It is BET's hope that through this knowledge can come the "power to protect against HIV/AIDS and diminish the incidences of the virus, especially within the African American and minority populations hardest hit by the epidemic."

Sounds like an effective campaign…and actually not the first time that I have seen commercials on BET promoting "Rap-It-Up". But as I was watching "106 & Park", and many of the other "Rap-It-Up" commercials that aired on BET thereafter, I could not help but to wonder: what is "it" and is "it" the only thing that these young people need to be wrapping up?

I mean, one can safely assume that when referencing "it", BET is speaking of condom use during sexual intercourse, but is wrapping "it" up all that there is to it?

If wrapping "it" up is all that is needed to secure a happy and healthy well being, then why does 56 million Americans have an incurable sexually transmitted disease? Why are Young Americans between the ages of 13 and 24 contracting HIV at the rate of 2 per hour? Why are half of all new infections thought to occur in people under 25? Why will 25% of High School students be infected with an STD before graduation?

The truth of the matter is, condoms were never meant prevent contraction of STD's. They were meant to prevent pregnancy, and even in that case, there is a 36% failure rate. Condoms do not "prevent", they "reduce the risk" – and there is a big difference between the two.

So the question now is, after "it" is wrapped up, what are the other parts of you that are still left exposed?

In trying to come up with answers to my many rhetorical questions, it saddened my spirit to have faced again the sad reality that we have reduced our "it", ourselves, to our sexual organs. And because of this, we miss the fact that condoms cannot "prevent", or even "reduce the risk", of the mental, spiritual and emotional consequences that have come from confusing your sexuality with "what you do" and "who you are".

Yes, we are sexual beings, but that is not all that we are. We were made with a body, mind, heart and spirit, not just a body and our well being cannot come from simply wrapping "it" up, because our "it" is MUCH MUCH MORE!!

My prayer for you is that you begin 2007 taking steps towards the spiritual, emotional, mental and physical stability that will lead to a life of balance and integrity.

Make a commitment to glorify God with your heart, mind, and spirit as well as with your body.

Victory is possible. And I know that God wants you to win! You just have to do your part.

"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:33)

**Transferrred from my Myspace Blog**

THROW YOUR DIAMONDS IN THE SKY??

2006-12-26T13:17:00.000-08:00

THROW YOUR DIAMONDS IN THE SKY??
"Blood Diamonds: Are your jewels worth dying for?"
(Excerpt from the article "Diamonds are Forever A Walk through Hell" written in the November issue of Don Diva Magazine. The words in the article were written by: Mike Sievers)

DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER A WALK THROUGH HELL

"A conflict diamond (also called a blood diamond or a war diamond) is a diamond mined in a war zone and sold, usually clandestinely, in order to finance an insurgent or invading army's war efforts."

In the United States we are a culture that is fascinated and motivated by the "Bling." The diamond is a symbol of love for many but for the majority it is a symbol of wealth and prosperity. It has become an absolute necessity in the culture of hip-hop to display ones success and accomplishments to their peers. However in the other side of the world, the diamond is of no value to the people who freely have access to the worlds supply. To the natives of Sierra Leone, Africa – diamonds are a symbol of geed, corruption and death and are merely a means to an end.

Sierra Leone – a country so beautiful, its backdrop is a scenic mountain, breath taking sunsets, star filled nights and crystal clear blue coastline of the North Atlantic Ocean. How could a land so beautiful and full of so many natural resources be so dangerous, disease infested and filled with despair? Despite the fact that Sierra Leone is rich with large deposits of diamonds, gold, titanium, rutile and bauxite, it is ranked the world's poorest country by the United Nations for the past three years out of 177 countries, with about 70% of its people living on less than a dollar a day.

Corruption by government officials including police is widespread. Bribes are the norm and expected. Sierra Leone is just emerging from a civil war that's aftermath is still felt by its natives.

The Sierra Leonean civil war began in March 1991, when the Revolutionary United Front (RUF) entered Sierra Leone from Liberia, launching a rebellion to overthrow the one party of the All Peoples Congress (APC). The RUF accused the APC, which has been in power since 1967 of rampant corruption, nepotism and fiscal mismanagement. The RUF was initially made up of a mixture if middle class students, unemployed and alienated youths and Liberian fighters. The movement's initial motive was never actualized and the rebellion quickly became a campaign of violence whose principal aim was to gain access to Sierra Leone's diamonds and mineral wealth.

Sierra Leone's government is corrupted by diamond dealers. Liberia attacks the diamond areas that cannot be well protected because the diamonds are scattered all over the border region. Liberian soldiers and local rebels powered by drugs and armed with AK-47's, turn the local population into slaves who dig for diamonds. The diamonds are then sold to raise money for more guns to enslave more people to dig for more diamonds. Welcome to Sierra Leone.

After a series of military coups, by the end of 1998, the rebels had gained the upper hand military and were in control of over half of the country, including all those areas housing the country's major economic assets. The rebel occupation of Freetown was characterized by the systematic and widespread perpetration of all classes of gross human rights abuses against the civilian population. Civilians were gunned down in their houses, rounded up and massacred in the streets, thrown from the upper floors of buildings, used a human shields, and burned alive in cars and houses. They had their limbs hacked off with machetes, eyes gouged out with knives, hands smashed with hammers, and bodies burned with boiling water.

The arbitrary nature of these attacks served to create an atmosphere of complete terror. Some victims were attacked for resisting rape or abduction, trying to flee, trying to protect a friend or family member, or refusing to follow instructions to dance or make music on the streets, but most described being chosen for execution or mutilation at random, often without being asked a single question.

Throughout this, offensive RUF forces perpetrated systematic, organized and widespread sexual violence against girls and women including individual and gang-rape, sexual assault with objects such as sticks and firewood, and sexual slavery. Family members frequently reported attempting to pay for their daughters not to be raped or having to choose between having their daughters taken and the entire family executed. The rapes were usually accompanied by other physical abuse and death threats to the victim and often her family. Numerous witnesses and victims described seeing girls who had resisted rape being executed. Medical staff from one hospital reported treating two women who received gunshots to their vagina's. Both women, an eighteen-year-old and a twenty-five-year-old woman who was five months pregnant, died of their injuries.

War victim with amputated hands

Think about it. For many of you, in your quest for "riches", diamonds are high on the list of your many materialistic aspirations, but before you go spending your first paycheck on some "ice", educate yourself. Make sure you are not purchasing conflict diamonds and contributing to the genocide of our people. Kanye West's song "Diamonds from Sierra Leone" is about more than two steppin' and blingin'. It's about more than throwing up the Rock-a-Fella hands….it is a matter of life and death. Someone could have died for the "Jesus" piece that you have around your neck and ain't no God in that.

**Transferred from my Myspace Blog**