Change Has Come to America????

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/noose-found-locker-black-man-suing-nyfd-discrimination

You would think after the Jena 6 controversy that white people would have learned to think twice before running around with nooses. But in New York City, a white man took it upon himself to hang a noose on the locker of a Black man who, with others, currently has a discrimination law suit pending with the NYFD. Not the Deep South, like Jena, Louisiana but the hustling and bustling city that never sleeps, New York City. In this day and age with Black people breaking barriers on the regular basis, you would think that we as a people have reached the Promised Land that King dreamed about through love, respect for one other and appreciating the differences by accepting diversification. But why is there still so much hate and anger towards diversity?

What would those who fought, bled and even died for freedom say about us if they saw the country now? Yes things have clearly changed but the mind of the white man has not. Did they give their lives in vain?  Are we upholding their legacy and believes? Would they be able to see the progression that has been made over the span of history?

A person on the outside looking in on the American way of life would think that after seeing Obama become the first African American president, we were moving in the right direction to bring in a new way of thinking hence the term Post-Racial America. Some think that now in this so called Post-Racial America, the many struggles of racism and discrimination are over but instances like the aforementioned prove that the 'struggle' is on going and will outlast the lifetime of many of us. The remanence of the storm we call racism still dominates and create discomfort for any and everyone in it's way and beyond.

 How can we really focus on the dispelling the ideologies of racism to create a better way of life for our future? Are we that selfish and ignorant about the lives we effect to the point that we aren't concerned with the problems that will destroy the future generations to come?

Will we ever live life to the fullest without hate?

RBG-Tony Brown Journal Afrocentric Conference 1 of 6

Black Fatherhood; Community or Convenience?

So I'm watching the season premier of The Game on Black Exploitation Television and the subject matter came up about one of the characters offspring not belonging to him. He questioned whether he would stay in the child's life knowing the offspring wasn't his or not wanting to know at all. So the question I would ask is would you stay cause it's the right thing to do, or would you cut all ties and leave with no hesitation?

People think that most black men would just run out as fast as they could when finding out that the child belongs to someone else in most cases right? Maybe so or maybe not I can't say. I would ask why is that? For the longest black men catch a bad wrap when it comes down to men taking care of kids. We are all generalized when encountering women and the questions is asked "how many kids do you have?" as if it's an epidemic,not to mention the look we get afterwards as if we mistreated every woman we met.


Also if the answer is none then your sexual practices are questioned followed by more looks of disgrace. What's that all about? How did black men get reduced to sex machines, dead beat dads and no good dogs? Why aren't we the Kings we were intended to be? So the question of would you stay if you were unaware of the paternity of the child ,really doesn't help the way we're viewed and furthers perpetuate these stereotypes we often hear. I feel that as a young educated black man I understand that there are forces that want me to fall victim of a certain status or way of life,and I know that my heritage and education teach that I should combat these evils that want me dead or in jail.

How is it that you can look at other communities and see male role models present and accounted for but not in the African American communities? How is it that African American males don't feel there's something wrong with this picture? Why is it so easy to just walk away from someone's life who may look to you for guidance and say he or she isn't mine?


These are questions I pose to anyone in various positions of influence. Back when our communities were able to teach boys to be men and things of value were giving to them through rites of passage the community was a solid unit. Our youth understood when the time was right for them to go out on their own to be a man or woman. Nowadays you never hear of black men having rites of passage ceremonies or coming of age event for their sons and daughters.

How can we get back on the right track? What can we say is the reason for that not happening in our community? Are we not concerned with our youth, or do we not know importance of this time we are missing out on? Are we or should we really try harder to get more involved? Do you feel it take a community to raise a child? If so let's continue to use that understanding and do what's right to raise our unguided youth.

RBG-MAAFA 21-Genocide of Blacks in 21st Century America 1 of 15

Kwame Ture on Haiti

"Don't I know you?"

I'm tired of people coming up to me talking that old "Don't I know you?" or "You look so familiar....." I would  understand this if this was Hollywood and paparazzi is all around you snapping pics with the people trying get a look at you but it's not. Most of the time you're just walking through Walmart or waiting for a table at a restaurant when some stranger wants to have a 5 minute conversation with you in hopes that they'll remember where they know you from. Where I live is small, but its not that small and you very well might not know half the people you see.

I can see if this exchange would end with me saying "Naw I don't think I know you....' but 9 times out of 10 it does now. People will begin to ask if I attended different schools I've never heard of, ask where I grew up at, my previous employment history. If that does not ring any bells than they'll resort to asking me if I know people from any of the places I mentioned. "You from St Louis? You know Pookie and Smoke?"

Now don't get me wrong, the attention I've received can be great sometimes but most times I feel awkward. I feel like I'm a unique human being and there is nobody out there like me but I'm constantly being accused of being or reminding someone of someone else. Do I have 101 clones running around? Am I not as different as I think I am? Or on the flip side, am I that awesome that people just want to know me? Is this how celebs feel about their personal space and privacy? I just want to go out and have a great time without being recognized sometimes. That old don't" I know you from somewhere" or you look familiar is becoming too familiar to me.

Children: How should we raise them??

A child should be raised to have basic values, a moral character and a genuine personality. One who tries to instill those things in a child early on will have the least amount of road to travel when it comes to adapting him/her in the social structure of the world.

How can you develop a child that has the moral fibers needed to control the pressure of sex, guns and chasing the almighty dollar? Is religion the right answer? Is trying to befriend your child and take the chance that they might not grow up respecting the role of a parent vs child a better way? What type of fear should a child have for their parent? I can say going from a child to having my own that there are many ways that can be effective but you have to be an example they can learn from.

"What I most remember was an abiding sense of comfort and security. I got plenty of mothering, not only from Pop and my brothers and sisters when they were home, but from the whole of our close-knit community." Singer and Actor Paul Robeson

I can remember the different styles of discipline each one of my parents used which I felt in a way created the balance and core structure of who I am today. I also feel that it takes a community to raise a child coupled with tough love. People who respect tough love will tell you how they learned a valuable lesson from it and how being reprimanded as a child helped them in their adult life. Raising children is not cut & dry and will always require a combination of different styles and methods but our parents and the generations before them had the right idea on how we should raise children. The further we deviate from the 'old school' way of child rearing, the worse off our children will become.