Black Improvement Blogging (BIB) is a resource to improve our lives 'edu-culturally', financially, and practically. We are sparking the Black Improvement Movement. May the world be improved and blessed by our struggles. The term 'Black' here refers to people of any level of recognized African descent.
Recently Jesse Jackson whispered to a co-host on a television show while a television camera and a nearby microphone he didn't know was still on (stupid mistake for a media professional), captured him saying he was ready to castrate Obama "See, Barack's been, um, talking down to black people on this faith-based sh#t, I want to cut his nuts off !" after Obama delivered a speech to a Black church group about fatherhood and responsibility. Jackson felt that Obama came off as talking down to black people. Jackson later apologized for his comments, but said there were other important issues for black audiences like unemployment, mortgage foreclosures and the number of blacks in prison. Obama accepted the apology.
"They are all a bunch of usless CLOWNS...! Jackson, and Sharpton are nothing but two bit husstlers... and the rappers... thinking they have a voice... NO education, limited IQ... and they are the voice? WTF? No wonder the hood is the hood! The blind leading the blind over there! Posted by: Big Daddy."
Part four: Ludacris records a mix-tape track showing his support for Obama and his disdain for Hillary Clinton and John McCain. Using the word B#tch when referring to Hillary causes Obama's campaign to denounce the reference to Hillary.
Rejecting Mediocrity & Accepting Excellence: One Woman’s Personal Challenge to Walk in Greatness
By Dorna Carrington-Scott
Will Smith (recently) said, "I am drawn to intellect. Some people are drawn to guns, women, money. I want to be around people who are smarter than me."
Will also said, "Confucius said you are who you associate with. Look at the 5 people you spend most of your time with. That is YOU. Do you want to be that? If not, replace them." Likewise, Dr. Wayne Dyer said, "If you find someone whose soul is not aligned with yours, send them love and move along."
Do the people in your life reflect your values? Does your (in)significant other share your basic beliefs and principles? Do your female and male friends share similar goals and outlooks on life? Would you want these people to raise your son or daughter if you were not around?
I have made many mistakes in my life, and even though I am armed with better than average intellect and have access to many resources, I tend to waste my time on menial and mediocre things. I train people to be excellent. I expect excellence from my son. But I accept mediocrity in my own life. I spend time worrying about what someone is doing or has done behind my back, when in actuality, it doesn't matter because we do not share similar values. I would not want this person to raise my son. I would not want my daughter (if I had one) or cousins or aunts or sisters or friends to be raised by or to be romantically involved with this person. So why accept it for myself?
Why do we accept mediocrity in our lives? I consider each one of you to be the absolute closest people in my lives and I am proud to call you my friend, my family. And I thank you for pulling me up on my "crap" on more than one occasion. And I have a responsibility to hold myself accountable for my excellence.
Pastor Dianne Canegata said "You are Exquisite." Why should we accept anything less? We surround ourselves with people who are unequally yoked because we feel we have a void to fill in our lives. How can I possibly feel a void when I have people like you surrounding me? How can I possibly feel like I have to prove that I am just "dorna" when everyone who matters thinks I am "DORNA!" “We can create excellent enterprises within ourselves, which will, in turn, create excellent exterior enterprises”.
What will it take for you to be excellent? I train my students to create a culture of excellence at work and at home, but what about a culture of excellence inside "YOU"? What is holding you back from your excellence? Is it fear? Is it money? Is it a feeling of low self worth? How can you feel worthless when you have a wonderful group of supportive people around you?
I know I have cheerleaders. I got a rejection letter from the University of Georgia’s Graduate School, and Connie said, "Don't they know who you are! You're Dorna!" I got cheated on, abused, lied to, and some of you said, "Don't YOU know who you are; you're Dorna!" I am me because of people like you and I am ready to create my excellence. Anybody coming?
We can create excellent enterprises within ourselves, which will, in turn, create excellent exterior enterprises. Surround yourself with people who hold the same things important, whether it be financial prosperity, intellectual prosperity, and/or spiritual prosperity.
So many different people say the same things over and over, and we read books, look at TV programs, go to church and internalize all of these things. But we don't act on them. We all know what we have to do. I've known, but stayed in paralysis for many reasons. Those reasons are excuses. There is no reason we can't have what we want. You have me, and the other four people around you.
I tell the participants in my classes, "Ignorance is bliss. Now that you know, you have a responsibility to act." I want to act. I need your help, your love, and your support. Likewise, I want you to act, and know that you have my love and my support.
There is excellence within us all. Will Smith amazed me last night. And he has partners with whom he is equally yoked. That is the key.
Think of this as a pyramid scheme. I bring you in, you bring someone else in. If we spread the concept of excellence and reinforce to people that they have our unconditional love and support, what can stop them?
This was in an Imani Foundation email on 7/4/2004. We thought it was worth posting for discussion. The Imani Foundation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In his speech to the Rochester Ladies' Anti Slavery Society on 7/5/1852, he would make it plain for those of us of color who fail to see the irony of this professed holiday. Here is a piece:
Fellow citizens; above your national, tumultuous joy, I hear the mournful wail of millions! - whose chains, heavy and grievous yesterday,are today rendered more intolerable by the jubilee shouts that reach them...Whether we turn to the declarations of the past, or to the professions of the present, the conduct of the nation seems equally hideous and revolting. America is false to the past, false to the present, and solemnly bids herself to be false to the future....
What to the American slave is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty, an unholy license; your national greatness, swelling vanity; your sounds of rejoicing are empty and heartless; your denunciations of tyrants, brass fronted impudence; your shouts of liberty and equality, hollow mockery; your prayers and hymns, your sermons and thanksgivings, with all your religous parade and solemnity, are, to him, mere bombast, fraud, deciption, impiety, hypocrisy - a thin veil to cover up crimes which would disgrace a nation of savages. There is not a nation on the earth guilty of practices more shocking and bloody than are the people of these United States, at this very hour"....
Frederick Douglass ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Kenya, The Imani Foundation
Seko VArner, "God bless African, God bless America, God bless everybody !" The Imani Foundation
This post was entered as it drives home the reason for The Imani Foundation's Black Improvement Movement. It also affects a member of the local community here in the 757. Contact Brother Cook at his email address below to become active in his community improvement efforts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hello All,
Pray all is well on your end. For three nights I have struggled to write this email...you see for some reason violence has hit home...again with my 14 y.o. son, Cal....
He was shot in the leg out in Grandy Village Friday evening about 7:00pm on his way to play basketball. He is ok now and back home. We have not heard if the assailants were caught but believe they are young african american young men less 15-18 yo who had a confrontation with another group of youth. The incident escalated as my son and his friend were about Bottomline though is that we are truly blessed that he is alive and relatively well.
We have heard a chorus of voices expressing their regrets while seemingly questioning where we live, who he associates with and how Sharon and I parent this young man. So I want make some points here and respond to these questions:
We are indeed going through the maze of thoughts of what we could have done to prevent this? should we have gone further then the restrictions already in place? should have kept this young in the house? should we restrict his friends?
+ the fact of the matter is that the past history of violence amongst our youth is indiscriminate of location, victims...the only way to protect my son and all of us that live here is do something about crime in all of our communities. Besides "we" have other sons like the late "Dennis Johnson, Dominque Young, Derrius Walton and a number of others that we could ask the same questions: What could we have done to prevent their demise?
I have been asked sarcastically "where do you live? My wife and I have decided that our next response to that question will be "we live in the United States." This is not to be sarcastic but to reflect on the issue that our community is much broader than our front yards....if we believe that what happens in someone elses neighborhood can not happen in ours, we are mistaken. I will change a few words of MLK "[Violence] anywhere is a threat to [Peace and security] everywhere."
"Who do we allow him to associate with?" - Of course we are cautious about his friends. Of course we look for signs of bad influence. But what are we as parents, any of us to do? lock our children in their rooms? We had restricted his visits to Grandy village for about a month. For years we have reminded our son that he is a leader amongst his peersand that the privelege he lives is requirement to serve those who might be less fortunate. Our home is the second home for a lot of young men like him from all over the community, including Grandy Village. We have barred a few from the house but for the most part we have opened our doors, as my parents did when I was a child in the same house.
One parent even said "I dont allow my son to hang with "those kids." I would caution us all to remember what our superintendent said "those children are our children." Those children are among the 32,000 I serve as a member of the school board. The parents of some of "those children" in Grandy Village held my wife and prayed with her while she stood on the other side of the crime scene tape not knowing the extent of his injuries. One of them saw my son bleeding profusely and called him to her porch while calling 911. We can't point fingers at a portion of our community and accept their plight without understanding their plight could soon be our plight. Again, MLK in his letter from the Birmingham jail, said our "plights are inexplicably tied together."
As a public servant my son represents all of the children that I serve and have served in this community as a youth pastor, a counselor, civic league president and now as a school board member. So this is why I share my personal story like this...because what happens to him can happen to any of our children. Sharon and I have personally been connected with a number of other youth in this city who have been victims and the perpetrators of crime in our city...So they are all ours....so I hope that my sharing this with you, you too will learn to see "those children, as your children." We hope that you would become so outraged that you too not settle for nothing less than an end to violence in our community.Collectively, we have to take back every segment of our community where any of us or our children can walk safely without the threat of violence.
Sharon and I are not exactly certain what we are to do in response to this but we plan to address our city council and ask for a collective response to the spate of violence. We are considering a press conference held by families of many of the crime victims in our city.We believe that we need a collective voice in Norfolk to get out to the growing criminal element and to the all our residents in our city that we will not stand for violence in any portion of our community. As for my son, Cal, we strongly believe that God has a special calling on his life and that everything that happens to him will work "together for his good" and for the legacy of serving others that is part of my family's DNA.
Sorry to be so lengthy. Please keep our family in your prayers. Thanks.
From: Irileria Muhammad 2008/05/22 Sisterspeak for the Week.....What if you were wrong?
What if you were wrong about the choices you made in your life? Would you be able to correct them? Would you have the courage to correct them?
A large portion of our lives are lived according to preset rules that no one asked our opinions on. Sometimes the rules may have served a purpose, but sometimes they don't. For instance, why is it a given that when couple splits up, the woman gets custody of the children? Would our society really crumble if more men were the primary parents? Why is it a "good" thing to get up and go to the same job everyday for 30 years? We reward people for that type of dedication. Couldn't that also be fear and uncertainty at work? We all know some people who are miserable in relationships; however, they are encouraged to stay together. I know a couple that has really made me rethink marriage. They have been together for over 35 years and they are two of the most bitter people I know. Well, one is bitter and the other has just been beaten down under a 35 year barrage of verbal and emotional abuse. Nonetheless, I am expecting an invitation to their anniversary party any day now.
Why are we so hesitant to change our minds? The universe and everything in it evolves? Why don't we? Why don't we operate out of the water portion of our composition and become more fluid? Why don't we encourage each other to step out on faith more often? We are like concrete. We praise it for its strength and stability, yet it is also very hard and unforgiving. We crave this strange sense of sameness and routine that I find stagnant and depressing. We have a jailhouse lifestyle. In prison, the inmates pretty much have the same day over and over and over and over. There is very little chance for change. Most of us live like that without the confinement of space. Well, when you consider that you work at the same place, shop at the same place, worship at the same place, eat at the same place, drive the same route home from work, then I must retract that statement because there is an element of being confined to a particular space. In Houston, you know that the Northside sticks to the Northside and South to South. In Detroit, the East doesn't come to the West and vice versa.
I am looking at my life and realize that I was wrong about some things. I picked the wrong major in college. I picked some bad friends. I did for people who did not do for me. I asked the wrong people for help, and I helped the wrong people. I chose to alienate some members of my family. I refuse to be friends with some people who might not be as bad as I have made them out to be. School....easy...I am back in school majoring in what I wanted to major in when I was at TSU. Relationships, I am making better choices. Leaving when I know I should and respecting my needs and wants above all else. I am letting go of grudges and working on being able to make changes in who and what I am, and recognizing and owning up to the poor choices that I have made, and the things that I have been wrong about. I am willing to admit that I was wrong, and not stick to my guns which is what many of us are taught to do.
If something is genuinely not working for us, why in the world do we keep trying to "work it out". "It will get better"...what if it doesn't? "This will pass"...what if it doesn't? "He/she will be better if I stay"....What if they won't? "He/She will crumble if I leave".....What if they won't? "WE can make it work"...What if we can't? What if you were wrong about the whole situation from day one and you never should have started that situation/job/relationship/friendship/business/etc.....can you let it go? OR the reverse what if you should have started that relationship/created that business/ been that friend/etc...can you start doing that today?
What is more important than your happiness? For me NOTHING! If the archangel Gabriel came to you and said that you would die in exactly 5 years, what would yo do? Why aren't you doing that today?
If we can learn to be wrong then, the possibilities are endless. If we didn't have to be who we are, then who could we be? Jesus said that he came to give us life and to give it more abundantly.....exactly what are we doing abundantly? Not routinely, but abundantly....Well...I am getting off of my box today, but I hope that someone reading this will decide that everyday does not have to be the same day, and that we don't have to be prisoners to our circumstances because we can always change our circumstances......IF YOU WANT WHAT YOU NEVER HAD, YOU MUST BE WILLING TO DO WHAT YOU HAVE NEVER DONE!!!
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world."
Pestilence and plagues over radio waves It’s a spiritual disaster It’s worse than AIDS -Justus
“A record number of teenagers and young adults attended the HIP HOP 4 HIV Know Your Status concert at Reliant Stadium in Houston, TX. . . . Rapper Bun B passed out condoms during his performance. Others who were featured at the event included Houston native Kelly Rowland of Destiny’s Child, Lil’ Wayne, Baby, David Banner, and UGK along with local artists” (Excerpt from August 27, 2007 Jet, page 58).
We as human beings really think we are slick. We have gotten too smart for our own good. We think that we can solve every problem, cure every sickness, and do whatever we want to do without worries of consequences. When will we understand that the battles that we really need to win are spiritual, not carnal?
The fact of the matter is the people that attended and left that concert are all infected with a disease far worst than HIV. These people are living with unrepentant hearts. They now have a false sense of security that they can continue to have premarital sex as long as they “wrap it up.” Ladies can be promiscuous and not have to worry about pregnancy as long as they take their birth control. And if they do happen to conceive a child, they have the option of killing the child.
These young people have also suffered from severe exposure to deadly levels of spiritual radiation. The lyrics they rocked to at this “positive” event are killing spiritual cells at an alarming rate. They heard UGK exclaim,” My b#@ch a choosey lover, never f*%k without a rubber / Never in the sheets, like it on top of the cover, in their new single, “International Players Anthem.” They heard Lil’ Wayne say, “Fresher than a mother fu@#er, yep I'm a mother fu&*er,” in his single, “Pop Bottles.” They heard David Banner sing, “shove 9 inches of d!@k in 99 hoes yall, from his hit single, “Speaker.” They listen to Kelly Rowland praise the thugs: Rock your Timbs / sag your jeans / Ice your grill, it's all good with me / Hit your block, check your spot / If the block is hot, lay up in the spot (baby) / Roll your dice, get your cash / I'm a down shawty, you ain't gotta ask. These lyrics come from her new single, “Ghetto.”
These young people were tested for an HIV, and then they were told to live a lifestyle that puts them at risk. When will we wake up! What good is a healthy body with a sick spirit? Whether healthy or hurting, we all will return to the earth. While I do believe that we should definitely take care of our bodies because it is the temple of the Holy Spirit, we must understand that the spirit does not die. Therefore, the condition of the spirit is of the utmost importance. When we focus on our spiritual health, we learn how to please God with our spirits AND our bodies. When we are spiritually healthy, we don’t have to worry about STD’s and disease. However, physical health does not necessarily mean spiritual health. We can look and feel great and end up eternally miserable. Have you had your spirit checked lately?
We implore you to share your thoughts with us, but more important, we hope you discuss this with your friends, children, co-workers, and neighbors. Forward this letter, and pass it on. Shedding light on these topics is the first step to tearing down the stronghold of the enemy.
We would also encourage you to visit our website, www.churchcatsmusic.com, where you’ll tons of good information and material, along with a printable version of this letter. You can also find us at www.myspace.com/churchcatsmusic . Thank you for reading!
Submitted by ChurchCats Music ChurchCats@churchcatsmusic.com
All, Pray all is well with you all...today I attended the funeral for Derrius Walton, a 2006 Lake Taylor HS grad, killed in Arizona last week while at Junior College. He was shot after an confrontation with another young man, I believe also African American. Here's an indicator of the work we have todo....There were over 750 people at this young man's funeral. My wife taught him in Middle School. She also taught three other of his siblings and had me driving them around town or buying them something they might have needed forschool or for one of their children. After the funeral, while waiting behind the church in my car with my wife,son and friend, a young African American male in an adjoining neighborhood holds up a gun and fires off about 5-6 shots from what sounded like a small caliber handgun. One of the young men at the funeral goes in his trunk and gets a gun and starts to go after the other young man who had walked off by now. Fortunately he was held by a number of others. This is the time we are living in. I am reading MLK's Why we can't Wait and understand what he is talking about when he talks about the damage to the "spririt" of our youth.This is what we are dealing with! The last time I was in that church was for the funeral of a young man killed in Coleman Place, Dennis Johnson. I initially felt a sense of sorrow in the large group but afterwards I felt more of a sense of a anger, abandonment and "get back". Again, the wrong spirit to be rampant in our community. We can't wait to speak loudly collectively about what is happening in our community,whether it is outside our homes or in Phoenix Arizona. We can't wait to do something....we simply can't wait!
Billy Cook If you are intrested in becoming involved in local events/movements to improve your community contact Billy..... We simply can't wait. Email Billy
Life throws you a curveball sometimes: cutbacks on the job, a roof that needs to be replaced. You can't completely insulate yourself from such shocks, but three straightforward steps will protect you against 90% of problems.
Step 1: Build an emergency fund Put aside at least three months' worth of living expenses in cash so you can get through a rough patch without having to borrow or dip into retirement savings (make that six months if your family relies on one wage earner).
Step 2: Buy life insurance With insurance, the simplest choice is also the best. In almost every case, term insurance gives you the biggest death benefit for your premium. All you need to decide is how much and for how long. Buy life insurance equal to five to 10 times your annual salary. The more children you have, the more debt you carry and the longer your family will need help (until your kids are out of college, say), the closer you should be to the top end of that range. You can lock in your payment for 10 to 35 years, but for most new insurance buyers 20 years is about right. If you need a quote from me, just let me know.
You also need disability insurance, which typically pays up to 60% of your salary if you can't work. But this policy virtually defies simplification. If you don't get adequate coverage on the job, you'll have to confer with an agent.
Step 3: Write a will You should have a will that, at minimum, appoints a guardian for your minor children, outlines how you want to divvy up your assets and names an executor. If you have an estate worth less than $2 million and you're leaving almost everything to your spouse and kids, you can write it yourself by using off-the-shelf software like Quicken's WillMaker Plus. If your situation is complicated, spend about $1,000 on a lawyer.
I just happened to be flipping through the channels the other day and landed on a Congressional Hearing on African American Media Stereotypes. I came in on testimonies from rapper, David Banner, rapper/actor, Master P, and minister/professor, Dr. Michael Eric Dyson. The testimonies and questioning were intriguing but also disturbing. I heard some valid and praiseworthy comments, but I also heard some downright ridiculous statements, most coming from Mr. Banner. I’d like to share a few of them with you.
First of all, David Banner told the panel that he went through a terrible depression last year, and he consulted with two pastors, one who pastors a 50-person congregation in Mississippi, and another pastor who leads a 5,000-person congregation in St. Louis. Both pastors told him to keep rapping because he needed to let out the hurt. I’m all about stress relief, but if you need to vent out frustration, write in a journal, exercise, or talk to God! I cannot believe two pastors advised him to continue to distribute Godless, sinful, misogynistic, explicit music worldwide to people young and old. If true, this is sad.
BUT . . . it gets better. Later Banner exclaims to the panel, “I do horror music; I’m the Stephen King of rap.” He tried to convince the panel that what he did with his music was no different than what Stephen King did with his movies and books. He argued that his music, “was just music.” Interestingly though, he spent a great deal of time trying to tell the congressmen and women that he was presenting real problems that exist in his ‘hood. Russell Simmons cried the same tune on Oprah Winfrey’s town hall meeting about Don Imus a few months ago. When will these brothers stop making excuses! Having nearly naked women on videos has nothing to do with socioeconomic problems in the ‘hood. Bragging about cars and jewels doesn’t highlight problems we still see with racism. Glorifying violence, promiscuity, and pimping doesn’t denote the problem; it is the problem!
Furthermore, if it’s just music, why are kids dressing, talking, and acting like the rappers they see and hear. When I was a kid, I saw other kids dressing like Jason or Freddy Kruegger during Halloween. But if someone wore the costume all the time, he or she would have been going to see the psychologist. However, today’s youth emulate these “entertainment figures” EVERYDAY. So either the young people have a badly warped sense of reality (which many do), or rappers need to wake up and figure out that their words and actions are REAL and have REAL consequences.
David Banner tried to convince the panel that his music is some sort of moral compass that has a few rough spots around the edges. He claims that his music has a message, but he is FORCED to throw baseless music in with it to sell records. He emphatically exclaimed to the panel on two occasions, “My music is the bible with a playboy cover.” He wants us not to judge his music based on the singles he releases; he wants us to look at his whole body of work. Well, nearly EVERY song on his last album, “Certified,” is sexually explicit (check it for yourself). Actually, explicit is an understatement. I was utterly disgusted as I read the lyrics to his songs. And his new single, “9mm Speaker” to his upcoming album, “Greatest Story Ever Told,” is just as bad. He exclaims, “I Lick (Shoot) Em All Like 18 Ti@s On 9 Chicks . . . And Shove 9 Inches Of Di%k In 99 Hoes.
You tell me what I’m supposed to think. Sure, we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover; but we HAVE to judge what’s between the covers. What good is one page (that’s a stretch) of wholesome information amidst 100 pages of pornography? Playboy Magazines have articles in them, but people don’t buy them for good journalism (those who say they do are lying). And which do you think has a more lasting effect, the 100 pages or the 1 page? Rappers need to Wake Up! and we do too because we’re buying and listening to this crap!
We look forward to bringing you more thought-provoking, soul-stirring, heart checking articles in hopes to change the culture! We will wake up the slumberous and agitate the apathetic. Will you join us?
Discuss this with your friends, children, co-workers, and neighbors. Forward this letter; print it out; and pass it on. Shedding light on these topics is the first step to tearing down the stronghold of the enemy. We would also encourage you to visit our website, www.churchcatsmusic.com, where you’ll find tons of good information and material. You can also find us at www.myspace.com/churchcatsmusic . Thank you for reading!
Submitted by Church Cats Music ChurchCats@churchcatsmusic.com
At this point, I am sure many of you have at least heard about the Jolita Berry story from Baltimore, MD. (Visit the above link to watch the video) Ms. Berry is an art teacher was assaulted by one of her students. Fortunately for Ms. Berry, someone videotaped the incident since the school administration was ready to put her on thehot plate for catching an L in her classroom. I know I am joking about this. Yet it is serious business. As usual, the mainstream media is running with this. True to their mantra of "if it bleeds,it sells," they are having a virtual field day with it.I expect the mainstream media to echo the Moynihan Report and tomake their little jungle statements. It doesn't bother me.Oftentimes, the mainstream media creates these furors only to make money out of them. What bothers me is what I am hearing from everyday people on and off the street.
It bothers me to hear people I know and love say "those people," or "they need to get their act straight." It's as if we are talking about Cylons or something. Weact as if our babies live in a zoo. We treat them like they are hamsters in a lab.I have several close friends who are teachers in several run-down inner city schools. Many of them have horror stories. I had the opportunity to work with young people in several cities and actually worked in a group home for close to two years. I, too, have my share of horror stories. Yet it bothers me to hear our own consider our babies animals or as if they are beneath us.Watching Ms. Berry on the video getting beat while the other children egg the victimiser on says so much about OUR society. Yes,it is our society. People make up that society. WE are those people.I hear too many folks blame the school system. I hear too many folks blame the teachers. Yet no one is ready to accept responsibility.
I remember living in Norfolk, VA and I heard all these people whisper about gangs. It was amazing. I attended a so called police summit on gangs and was outraged at what I heard. There were mothers there who came out and explained how the police were racially profiling their sons. Yet the police and the politicians as well as the citizens sat there as if no one was speaking.If we don't accept some responsibility, it will only get worse. I know this sounds terrible, but I use this story on folks to get them to wake up:There was a man who raised his only son to be the best. His son was in honors all his life. His son was an all star athlete, active in the church, and volunteered at an old folks home when he could. Hisson easily earned a scholarship to an IVY league university. One day while his son was visiting his parents, he decided to go out with his friends. They went out to a club and on the way home were caught up in a drive by. The young man died upon arrival at the hospital.At the funeral, the father got up and spoke. "I did everything I could for my son to be the best he could be." The crowd clapped and amen'ed at that statement. "But I failed to ensure that the other boys in his neighborhood had just a few of the opportunities my son had."Now of course, the problems with our babies is multifaceted. It is going to take money, people, laws and bills being passed, resources,and most of all courage to save our babies. Yet I want to point out that we are all in this. We all have to chip in. I am not saying we all have to be school teachers or we all have to go out there and mediate gang disputes. Everyone has a job and everyone has somethingto contribute. We should not treat it as something that will go away or won't happen to us or someone we care about.
All my children go to public school. Two out of three go to schools in an inner city. All are doing well. I realized that a proper education needs the involvement of the parents. I say this not just for my children but for other children as well. They take their cues from us. When the babies see me come to pick up my son, they knowwho I am. All of our babies act accordingly. Our babies understand.One can send his or her babies to a private school, but if they are not involved, its all for naught. Trust.Let's stop pointing fingers. Let's do something. If you are single,sign up with Big Brothers/Big Sisters. They are Rites of Passage programs in almost every major city in the United States. They are always looking for people to lend a hand in any way they can. If you have a degree or working on one, become a tutor. The local libraries have programs where one can come and read to the babies. Become a sports coach. Teach martial arts in a local school. If you are looking for a career that always brings challenges, become a teacher. Trust me, it's not for the weak at heart.Finally, when you get the chance, thank your babies teachers. They are on the front lines and they need all the support we can get.
For all you elitist folks out there, if you don't visit the bad neighborhood, the bad neighborhood will visit you. Ase Brother Omi
Legacy Weekend 2008 (April 4th) - Celebrating King
A tree will be known by it's roots/fruits. One of the most unknown fruits of the honorable Dr. Martin Luther King's life is Black Liberation Theology developed by Dr. James Cone. Dr. Cone blended the Black-Christian experience exemplified by Dr. King and the Black Revolutionary experience of Malik El Shabazz (Malcolm X). (Click the link above to listen to Dr. Cones speak about Black Liberation Theology).
As we pour our libation for Dr. King this weekend I ask us to ask ourselves "Is the work finished ?" Many will hear the "I have a dream" speech quoted or sound-byted today. I've come to the belief that Dr. King stood for more than his frequently quoted dream, Dr. King stood for much more than racial equality, Dr. King stood for more than civil rights. Dr. King stood for liberation. Dr. King stood for improvement.
To better understand the fruits of Dr, King I listened to the interview with Dr. Cone for "Fresh Air" (click the link to do so yourself). When interviewed by Terry Gross Dr. Cone explained that Black Liberation Theology is a theology that "sees God as concerned with the poor and the weak." I listened to Dwight Hopkins' statements that "(Yeshua) Jesus came for liberation." (click this link to hear Hopkin's statements). Liberation provides a free and improved state of being.
Dr. King was murdered after his ministry moved from a focus on civil rights to a focus on human rights. He was preparing to aid workers who were not receiving a fair deal by employers and by the government. Dr. King was focusing on people who were poor and weak. Dr. King's own church disowned him as he began, to later proudly accept him as his strategy began to work. As much as I used to think that King's strategies were a bit soft, I must admit how much I admire those tactics currently. I listened to the interviews, I thought about all I heard about Dr. King, and then I asked myself the question "Is the work finished ?"
Some will say that in the year 2008 the wish/dream/idea that "Little black boys and little black girls will be able to walk hand in hand with little white boys and little white girls." has been realized. Some will say that we are in a time in our country that men are basically judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin in most of our American interactions.
I know that our work is greater than the time allowed in my generation. I know the work is greater than one person. I know the work is greater than the scope of my understanding. I know the work is a great work. I also know the work remain unfinished.
One of our Conscious-Community members, Dan TresOmi, replied to an earlier post stating "Currently, the black church seems to be caught in a battle: Liberation Theology vs. self salvation. I think that is why many of us forgotten what the Black church was there for. Now we are caught in his idea that we are supposed to be rich versus helping build our communities."
The work remains unfinished. The work is a work in progress unfortunately without the needed manpower. We can argue that people of African descent in the United States of America have progressed, the U.S.A. has progressed and is living closer to it's creed, and that the rights/opportunities/lives that our ancestors prayed and bled for have arrived. We cannot argue that the work is done.
Over the last few months I've begun using the term "Black Improvement Movement" to describe the directions/messages that I've been receiving. I believe our work has moved from a total focus on Rights to Improvement. Since the U.S.A. has gotten closer to it's direction of equal rights we may now move to a Civil Improvement Movement. Our leaders from the Civil Rights era seem passe' when they speak. It's time for new leaders to take the torch. Join the movement for improvement. The website Hot Ghetto Mess says it well, "We've got to do better." I agree.
If a neighborhood is primarily Black (of African Descent) we should ensure that it is the cleanest, safest, and most prosperous neighborhood around. In many cases the opposite is true. The Civil Rights movement can't address this disparity, Law enforcement and the government can't fix this disparity, entertainers changing some of the words they use can't fix the problem, the Churches/Mosques/Synagogues/Houses/Liberation study Groups haven't fixed the problem...Yet it most cases where an improvement in a community has occured it has occurred by one person making a decision that "We can do better" and others following the lead.
When an un-involved parent acts in a manner that says 'I can do better" the family they neglected improves. When an involved parent makes a similar decision a similar effect occurs. When a student decides "I can do better" their grades improves. When one looks at themselves in the mirror and decides to make a lifestyle change to improve their health their lives, and the lives touched by them improves. Businesses constantly look for ways to improve their profits. Let us look and act upon ways to improve our families, our communities, our nation, and our race. This sounds simplisitc..... I know....It's supposed too. We can begin by doing simplisitc acts of improvement, the results will show simple improvement. Let's all get improved. Let's all improve.
This is the Black Improvement Movement signing on ! May our actions improve the world.
Dr. Howard Thurman was and is considered by many the spiritual father of the Civil Rights Movement. Dr. Thurman was a mentor to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., a man who was considered a radical and unpatriotic by many. Dr. Thurman's was a prolific writer and author and served as the Dean of Rankin Chapel at Howard University from 1932 - 1944. Dr. Thurman founded the first racially integrated, intercultural church in the United States.
One of Dr. Thurman's most famous books is Jesus and the Disinherited. It is said that Dr. King carried this book with him as he led marches and demonstrations.
What follows are some excerpts from Jesus and the Disinherited and a pastoral statement by Reverend William Watley of St. James AME Church in Newark, New Jersey concerning Barack Obama and Dr. Jeremiah Wright. I hope that those who profess a desire for justice, equity, equality for all will pick up a copy of Jesus and the Disinherited, no matter your own personal faith, and I hope that you will encourage MORE discourse that's been raised recently due to the Dr. Wright / Barack Obama discussion. I am also attaching an article I found recently that is somewhat personal. The article describes the plight of the law firm Jordan, Dawley, and Holt in which my late uncle was a partner.
Finally I ask you to consider why it is that the words of one preacher create so much outrage but public policy in many Hampton Roads cities that concentrates poverty, racially segregates schools, and fosters class division rather than inclusion seems to escape our attention. The progress made in our country the past 40 years came with great, struggle, sacrifice, and even death. Hopefully as Americans we will do a better job of discussing our history which can then lead to a more positive discussion of our present and our progress in the future still to be had.
The solution which Jesus found for himself and for Israel, as they faced the hostility of the Greco-Roman world, becomes the word and the work of redemption for all the cast-down people in every generation and in every age. I mean this quite literally. I do not ignore the theological and metaphysical interpretation of the Christian doctrine of salvation. But the underprivileged everywhere have long since abandoned any hope that this type of salvation deals with the critical issues by which their days are turned into despair without consolation. The basic fact is that Christianity as it was born in the mind of this Jewish teacher and thinker appears as a technique of survival for the oppressed. That it became, through the intervening years, a religion of the powerful and the dominant, used sometimes as an instrument of oppression, must not tempt us into believing that it was thus in the mind and life of Jesus. "In him was life; and that life was the light of men." Wherever his spirit appears, the oppressed gather fresh courage; for he announced the good news that fear, hypocrisy, and hatred, the three hounds of hell that track the trail of the disinherited, need have no dominion over them.
I belong to a generation that finds very little that is meaningful or intelligent in the teaching of the Church concerning Jesus Christ. It is a generation largely in revolt because of the general impression that Christianity is essentially an other-worldly religion having as its motto: "Take all the world, but give me Jesus." The desperate opposition to Christianity rests in the fact that it seems, in the last analysis, to be a betrayal of the Negro into the hands of his enemies by focusing attention upon heaven, forgiveness, love, and the like. It is true that this emphasis is germane to the religion of Jesus, but it has to be put into a context that will show its strength and vitality rather than its weakness and failure. For years it has been a part of my own quest to understand the religion of Jesus that interest in his way of life could be developed and sustained by intelligent men and women who were at the same time deeply victimized by the Christian Church's betrayal of his faith...
...During much of my boyhood I was cared for by my grandmother, who was born a slave and lived until the Civil War on a plantation near Madison, Florida. My regular chore was to do all the reading for my grandmother -- she could neither read nor write. ...When I was older and was half through college, I chanced to be spending a few days at home near the end of summer vacation. With a feeling of great temerity I asked her one day why it was that she would not let me read any of the Pauline letters. What she told me I shall never forget. "During the days of slavery," she said, "the master's minister would occasionally hold services for the slaves. Old Man McGhee was so mean that he would not let a Negro minister preach to his slaves. Always the white minister used as his text something from Paul. At least three or four times a year he used as a text: `Slaves, be obedient to them that are your masters..., as unto Christ.' Then he would go on to show how it was God's will that we were slaves and how, if we were good and happy slaves, God would bless us. I promised my Maker that if I ever learned to read and if freedom ever came, I would not read that part of the Bible."
[Rodney] How many still feel that if Blacks in America would just be good and happy, be thankful for merely having a presence in this wonderful country that we built and provided leadership to -- even under inequitable circumstances -- that God and "the mainstream" will accept and bless us? Stay away from "controversy." Be good and quiet and benefactors will "bless" you and support you.
Pastoral Statement Regarding the Ministry and Witness of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago, Il, Dr. Jeremiah Wright and Senator Barak Obama
Delivered to St. James African Methodist Episcopal Church, Newark New Jersey Sunday, March 16, 2008
By William D. Watley, Senior Pastor
Since his bid for the presidency of the United States, the membership of Senator Barak Obama of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago and his friendship with his former pastor, Dr. Jeremiah Wright, have been made campaign issues and given full blown coverage in the media during the past week. I would like make several points regarding this much publicized ancillary issue with its incendiary and biased reporting that has the potential of sidetracking the American public from real survival subject matters that face this country. First, regarding Dr. Jeremiah Wright and Trinity Church: I have personally known Dr. Wright for a number of years and even though we do not agree on everything, I most certainly take issue and umbrage with the image that is being painted of him by much of the media. In spite of the snippets that have been played over and over again from his sermons, and the spin given to it, I can assure you that Dr. Wright is solid, sane, scholarly, and spiritual. Trinity Church, in my opinion, is one of the most respected, progressive, inclusive, and significant houses of worship in this nation. Senator Obama worships in a stable, sound, nurturing, and prophetic Christian community and his pastor brings a solid and sane word to his congregation. He has no reason to be ashamed or apologetic of either his pastor or his church. While some would interpret Trinity’s slogan of “Unapologetically Black and Unashamedly Christian” as racist, no one labels the Roman Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church, the Dutch Reformed Church or the American Baptist Church as such. And they should not be given such a label. No one raises any eyebrows when they hear the expression German Lutheran. Trinity United Church of Christ should not be classified in this way. They are ethnically affirming the community they serve just as the African Methodist Episcopal Church (a denomination which split from the Methodist Church over the issues of slavery and racism) is affirming of its members. Celebrating ethnic heritage or national affiliation is not racism, but a way of affirming historic identity. Could it be possible that even in this post modern era of exploding myths and falling idols, many are still paranoid at the mention of the word “black”? The hysteria that certain persons and portions of the media are attempting to create stems from the fact that there are significant elements in our society and culture are still just as mortified at the mention of the word “black” today as they were in 1968 when popular singer James Brown shouted, “Say it Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!” Only those who have been victims of centuries of caricaturing and stereotyping can understand and appreciate the declaration of positive black identity, not as a divisive strategy or as an expression of hate, but as pastoral self love and a much needed corrective to a tragic history of ingrained self-rejection. Secondly, I would like to say a word about freedom of speech. While we as a country celebrate freedom of speech, we are still uncomfortable with those who take the freedom of speech seriously enough to critique the policies of our nation that contradict our founding principles. These persons are labeled as unpatriotic. Rather than being offended by critique, I look beyond rhetorical flourishes and excesses that are inherent to oratory of whatever ilk, whether religious, political, business, and academic, and ask if the essence of what is being said is true. The reality is this, what Dr. Martin Luther King said years ago, still rings true. Our country that started out as a defender of select poor, since the rights of Africans were never part of the equation, has been on the wrong side of a world revolution for years. I am personally uncomfortable with members of clergy who never offer any word of critique regarding social justice issues and who swallow hook, line, and sinker anything that the conservative right sells no matter what the nefarious implications of that agenda might be. Freedom of speech means the right to be critical and criticism is not to be associated with being unpatriotic. Third, I would point out that while many are offended by some of Dr. Wright’s comments and analyses of this country, I wonder if they have read closely the preaching of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Amos, Obadiah, Zephaniah, Haggai, John the Baptist, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of the Old Testament prophets called for the judgment of God on their people. Our Lord Jesus Christ had prophetic bite and righteous indignation regarding injustice. Unless news commentators have truly studied the scriptures, they are not qualified to understand or judge prophetic critique. Fourth, African Americans who look at history from the underside, have a different perspective of reality than others who have been in a position of majority advantage. White America has yet to understand or appreciate that perspective or to really grasp the sense of alienation that a number of blacks feel based upon this country’s historic and institutional treatment of us. Yet in spite of this country’s track record with us we have fought in all of its wars, paid our taxes, and never failed our country when we have been called upon to rally to its defense. Fifth, this latest foray of the media into the religious affiliation of Barak Obama is just another attempt to discredit him and separate him from the interracial and intergenerational constituency that has given him victory after victory in this presidential contest. In the opinion of this preacher and citizen, he is still a major unifying force and voice of hope, among others, for a new, brighter, and better America. While we will all make our decisions regarding a presidential choice, I would just caution all people not to believe the hype of a sensationalistic media whose agenda is not an accurate reporting of the news but the spinning of news in ways that attract the most attention, sells the most products, and brings in the greatest profit. While some in the media may be uncomfortable with the tone of preaching that takes place in a number of churches, there are many others who are offended with the way much of the media spins stories out of context and intentionally omits information because for them, as long as it sells, it is simply business as usual. Now is the time for all of us who are concerned and passionate about the future of this nation to declare, “Business as usual is no longer acceptable!” Now is the time for change. The words of Deutero-Isaiah spoken so long ago in another context to another people, can serve as our rallying cry for America. He said, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch” (Isaiah 62: 1, NRSV). So let each of us say, “For [America’s] sake I will not keep silent, and for [this nations’] sake I will not rest, until her vindication shines out like the dawn, and her salvation like a burning torch.”
I've read Dr. Wright's materials for a while now, possibly for over seven years now. My father, a U.C.C. minister has told me repeatedly for the last 10 or so years "You would like Dr. Wright, he speaks in a manner that would probably get you back into church." I had a chance to hear him as the nation did.....in a sound byte. After listening to Rush Limbaugh for over 16 years Rush kinda' trains one not to listen to a sound byte and make a decision. After listening to The Honorable L. Farrakhan for over 30 years I've learned not to juge one by a sound byte.
I've heard and studied on our nations terrorist acts and support of terrorists in Russia and in other areas of the world. I've studied the documents that link the spread of Aids in Africa to shortly after the mass vaccinations during Jimmy Carter's regime. I've heard others use, and I've used the term United Snakes of America and U.S.KKK-A when describing some of the our nation's most devilish moments. When 911 occurred, during and after my grieving for the innocent ancestors that were made immediately I noted and heard in conversations that "America's chickens are coming home to roost" (a throw-back from Malik El Shabazz) due to some of the acts our government has become involved in. With all of these things people of African and Indian descent in America have always loved and hated aspects of our country simultaneously. I learned years ago that many Whites would not be able to separate the attacks upon white supremacy from seeming to be an attack upon whites. We learned years ago that many Americans would not be able to separate the attacks upon America's difficulties from seeming to be an attack upon America.
Wright is being labeled as a separatist as a member of a Christian denomination that promotes inclusion under Christ. Dr. Wright is being presented as anti-American after serving his country in the military and while he has preached the American values that has made our country the country that it is. I even heard Sean Hannity (incorrectly in my opinion) use the term Anti-Semite when describing some of Wright's statements.
I listen to Sean Hannity almost every weekday (due to Black and Rhythm radio sucking in my area) and any fuel for the "Stop Obama or Hillary Express" is good fuel for hosts such as Hannity; I do realize he speaks for a segment of America who do not feel responsible for past actions, who do not feel necessarily superior or privileged because of theirancestorship and truly don't want anyone to be handicapped or helped due to ones ancestorship. I admire his position against any type of oppression based upon race. I understand how one may feel seperated from and attacked when our use of the word 'Black' peppers our language. Trinity U.C.C.'s honorable usage of "We are a congregation which is Unashamedly Black and Unapologetically Christian... Our roots in the Black religious experience and tradition are deep, lasting and permanent. We are an African people, and remain "true to our native land," the mother continent, the cradle of civilization." may sound like music to my African-centered ears, is also is ear-aching experience to American's who wish to "get past" America's original sin. Hannity and his "a-alikes" (Peace 7's) regard our liberation theology as a slap-in-the-face movement away from the America they have been instrumental in changing. I realize it took both Dr. King (may his memory be blessed) and the reigning President to effect change in the our country. Civil rights legislation needed Black & White decision makers to enact the laws. Making the right statement in the wrong way will undermine us currently. We must, however, ensure that our ferverent speakers and activists are protected, served, and supported. As Hannity might say, we must support the troops ! Tell the agent of change next to you "We got'cha back soldier. We can no more distance ourselves from you than we can from our community. We will beat that tail if needed though !"
As we continue to teach the truth about our experiences and history as people of African descent I encourage us to consider how we say what we say. We have a nation to reach. We cannot allow our messages to be diluted nor misconstrued. We will need to walk the balance. Dr. Wright's substance was reduced due to his stylings. He, however, has built a great membership due in part to his stylings. We do have, more in stake, than membership. We are tasked to improve our world. Let us not be fooled. As we learn from Dr. Wright, AshraKwesi, Dr. Ben, and others let us use these 'words of change' (revolutionary) in a manner that will not distract from the change we are making/engaging-in/following.
We have reached another point in America's development where we are the difference that needs to be made to improve the world. This nation follows our fashion, our terminology, and dances, our music, and our values. I am of the opinion that we cannot fully separate ourselves from the history or future of this nation. The old gate-keepers have lost some of their footing, it's time for us to improve ourselves to improve the world. This is the Black Improvement Movement signing on.
May the world be improved by our actions. May the ancestors be pleased.
This is the question that is asked in the new success guide geared toward black teenagers and their parents. The book, Is It True What They Say About Black People?, is designed to teach black teenagers to critically think about the messages they are receiving from society and the media.
Are black people lazy? Are black people always late? Are black people more violent than other races? Are the wealthiest black people in sports and music? The answers appear obvious; unfortunately, many black teenagers regardless of economic or social status buy into negative stereotypes about their race which in turn negatively affects their path in life. What causes these misperceptions to be seen as truth? Parents, society, and the media all play a role in the development of a child. A study was featured in Essence magazine in March of 2005 proving that one of the strongest influences on perceptions and opinions of teenagers is the media. In a world where teenagers consume messages pertaining to black people from radio, TV, movies, and the internet, most messages about black people are negative. The result is far too many young black men want to be players and pimps. In addition, many young black women are buying into the idea of being eye candy for "the player," focusing far too much on superficial things like expensive clothes, jewelry, and having "baby daddies" instead of fathers for their children. Some black children even believe going to prison is a rite-of-passage and carrying a gun makes you a man.
The information found in the pages of this book will equip black children and their parents with the tools to decipher stereotypes from facts and hype from reality. The book is intended to spark conversations between Black teenagers and adults about what is true about their race. will inform our kids about the new slavery and why our black boys are signing up to be slaves. The book will also break down the real reason for school, "It's not all about A's and B's." As a child reads through the pages of this book, he or she will be given the tools to beat peer pressure, achieve in school, and be a leader. Reviews for the book have been amazing.
