Color History

Tha ancestors of our “Opps” who first kidnapped us, destroyed our families, treated us like animals, and forced us to work in tha industry of chattel slavery.  much to our detriment. False narratives written by"OPP's" became tha norm, serving as tha predominant, if not sole foundation of our reconstructed history. These stories asserted that we were “less than,” backward, inferior, without education, without governments, without positive family structures, lacking any semblance of religion, architecture, philosophy, theology, or medical prowess, and strangers to both agriculturally and economically based ingenuity. All of this, however, has been nothing more than a carefully constructed lie.

So, while we can rattle off tha names of a few “acceptable” Blacks, and Thurgood, still, we still do not know tha fuller story  Even more, I fear that we have little interest in discovering tha truth a path toward knowledge that will be painful, arduous, and which will require us to give up “histories” with which many of our people seem to have grown “comfortable.”

This is the reality that we continue to swallow hook, line, and sinker. In other words, Black history remains an epic saga whose truth remains untold, unknown,n and therefore impossible to pass down to subsequent generations. Tha story that we know, at least many of us, is no more than a lie, conceived and constructed with ulterior motives, holding an entire race in chains even when tha actual chains have long been removed. And so, we have evolved with a narrative that still defines a once-mighty race, stripped of its lineage beautiful and distinguished by our many “shades of Black” that adorn our skin hues of Black which grow with intensity in tha sunlight bearing colors reminiscent I know that tha story of our history, has huge empty spaces and places that must be filled in so that we can regain tha pride that was once commonplace. I would like to think that we would have shared what we knew with “OPPs” and that tha world would be a better place today a kinder world, a safer world, a cleaner world. But in tha pursuit of dominance and privilege, humanity has taken giant steps backward. And we have suffered.

"It’s Black History Month. Read, listen, reflect, question, surmise, and reach a new and different history then share that truth with others whose only “sin” has been, for hundreds if not thousands of years, that we were a people of a different color"

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Ame-Ri-Kent Violence

Tha lie of supremacy governs Ame-Ri-Kent society in implicit and explicit ways, but it also lives in tha minds of too many Native people. This cruel fact allows supremacy to show up in places where people are absent, and fuels tha need some people to feel to measure their intellect and success against Ame-Ri-Kent standards. This is a sickness many of us won’t be cured of. Too often tha desire to be viewed as different causes fissures between individuals and community. Tha lies told about people can harm other races, but they cripple tha people who believe them. I understand wanting to rise above tha negative stereotypes and imagery associated with this thing call lyfe. It’s stressful carrying around psychological baggage someone else packed for you. I’ve lived and worked in predominantly environments for tha majority of my lyfe. Tha temptation to succumb to tha trap of acceptance is as real as tha air we breathe. No one’s ever overtly asked me to distance myself from tha Ame-Ri-Kent community, but I’ve been in situations where tha opportunity to slide into tha “different than tha others” category has been extended.

These opportunities take tha form of water cooler discussions about racial hot topics and/or other existential questions about Ame-Ri-Kent in Ame-Ri-Klan. You may consciously or unconsciously be asked to center feelings about race at a time of suffering. Almost 5 years after tha death of Trayvon Martin Ame-Ri-Kent community should be united in saying Lives Matter Period, but too many professional have retreated to the political and economic safe space... All of tha educational, political, and economic distinctions people have created to distinguish ourselves from Ame-Ri-Kent community are imaginary. They have gravitas in our heads and maybe among our contemporaries, but they purchase very little in a society that stigmatizes skin color of any hue. Denigrating Ame-Ri-Kent in exchange for Ame-Ri-Klan acceptance isn’t a viable solution to Ame-Ri-Klan’s race problem. Denial can’t insulate you from racial profiling and discrimination. No level of self-aggrandizement can make someone who’s never accepted you accept you. Racism functions with or without consent.

My goal isn’t to deflect or silence meaningful criticism of our community. I’ve intentionally avoided personally attacking my colleagues who willfully engage in this one-sided violence against poor and less educated Ame-Ri-Kent. Tha Ame-Ri-Klan community loses when our intellectuals and pseudointellectuals act like mixtape rappers. I don’t want anyone physically harmed for their beliefs; likewise, I don’t want people building and maintaining platforms on the back of people suffering. You can’t love people you constantly distance yourself from. As an Ame-Ri-Kent, we should welcome a variety of economic and political ideas into tha conversation, but not if those ideas are focused on obfuscating tha realities people face. One sure fire way to avoid being labeled an “Uncle Tom” is to support our people in public: especially when It’s not tha politically expedient thing to do

Black History Month A.K.A American History

M.A.D

Actress and political commentator Stacey Dash recently ruffled feathers by saying she didn’t think Black History Month nor ethnic television networks were necessary. Okay I think it would have better Ms Dash if you would have said it like this for years, I’ve suggested re-branding Black History Month as, American History Month. This suggestion isn’t an escape from Blackness, as some on both sides of the aisle felt. It’s a recognition that our community is interwoven into every strand of tha national fabric. I would observe American History Month by acting upon its central premise, which is: Black history is American history and American history is Black history.

For all our inescapable uniqueness, our experience always leads to one inescapable conclusion we are also universal.

This dynamic of uniqueness and unlversality is especially evident in a recurring-sometimes riotous-role involving criminal justice reform. American History Month would be a perfect stage to advocate the union of brothers and badges. Its 28 days in February could promote overlooked concern about violent crime shared by cops and Black male concerned citizens. It could highlight athletic leagues, school resource officers, police/community councils, and institutions like tha Los Angeles Police Department charter school, which close tha gap between police and Black men. Inner city supporters of law enforcement like ” Detroit Bat-man ” Walter Gildersleeve and New Orleans’ Brother Al Mims would be featured as further proof that brothers and badges can work together. That’s how I would celebrate Black History Month AKA American History Month. When it all said and done as for me I salute Ms StaceyDash for raised this overdue issue. Questioning segregation era practices in a time of fairly broad desegregation recognizes our universality, without ignoring the challenges of uniqueness.

Happy American History Month 2016! If anybody has tha right to call themselves American, it’s Black folks!

5 Reasons "Why All African American Men Should Vote".

1. It’s your right and a right that was fought for with blood. Many people died to give power to your voice and make sure that you have tha ability to fairly fight for equal rights to representation.

2.Votes Matter to tha Community: While African Americans people as a whole are believed to make up between 14 and 17% of tha population, African Americans communities tend to be concentrated in certain states, cities and towns. Tha consequences of not voting has historically meant loss of services and increases in taxes communities. Voting is not just about tha President, local officials, local governments, school boards, they all depend on community participation. Tha schools were literally gutted down to tha minimal resources while funds were reallocated to private Jewish school that made up less than 1% of tha predominately African Americans neighborhood. How? These types of things happen all over the country where African Americans men and women fail to elect leaders who represent their interest.

3. People are actively fighting to suppress YOUR VOTE: Across tha country states are locked into battles with tha supreme court for voter suppression. They use gerrymandering (A process of drawing out maps for favorable outcomes in elections for one party or another), voter id laws, voter misinformation and intimidation. This is going on right now in 2015 to stop African Americans and Hispanic voters from voting. Why invest so much time and money in stopping people from doing something that supposedly doesn’t matter. You’ve bought into tha hype if you think it’s ok not to vote, clearly it matters.

4. Voting Gets Dollars: Demographic blocks that vote get money allocated to them. It is true that politicians fall sway to lobbyist but they can’t keep their job if they can’t get tha votes. Tha easiest way to get tha money needed to improve schools, to fix roads, to get loans funded for new development is to VOTE. Once you vote them in, keep pressure on them to perform. Emails, phone calls, a quick visit to their local office can work wonders. You are tha employer and you may be surprised to learn that politicians often aim to please! Use that to your advantage and improve our communities.

5. It’s Good for you: Seriously, it is! Voting is a first step towards tha process of civic engagement. Tha more you know about your local government, tha more you can get things done around your neighborhood that you’ve long wanted to see changed. It also sets a good example for your family and friends. If you have kids, they are more likely to feel empowered by their own abilities and rights and grow up to carry on protecting tha changes we are fighting for now! Voting is important for so many reasons beyond tha election season. Getting tha harsh prison sentences, tha economic oppression, tha hostile school environments and so many issues under control depends on our vote. Now is not tha time to abandon tha system, there’s been plenty of that and we’re living in tha consequence. Vote and get everyone you can to vote, we need you to exercise that right w.e "HEAVILY PAID THA COST " for.

Tha bottom line: 

WE NEED TO!

Right Cross and LeftHooks and Black politicians

For tha past 50^th years most of our conversation and efforts have been centered on politics. Reminiscent of Reconstruction, when Blacks occupied political offices for tha 1^st  many of our politicians are just figureheads, toothless tigers, and lackeys for tha establishment. Many of them are simply “employed” and are only concerned about keeping their “jobs.” Many Black politicians actually work harder on behalf of others than they do for their own brothers and sisters. We must change our conversation from politics to economics…. Before you political hacks get angry, let me say that we must continue to be involved in politics. We must run for office and we must leverage our votes, by all means. But we cannot afford to stop there. We saw what happened in 2008 and 2012; both times Black folks were told to “go out and vote.” We were told we must vote in even greater numbers in 2012 than we did in 2008. We did it, and we still cannot even get a hearing on reparations. A few years ago, #PDiddy told the young people to, “Vote or die.” They voted and yet, when it comes to economic empowerment, they, and we, are nearly dead. Like I said in a previous article, where is tha “Start a business or die” campaign, the “Pool our money or die” campaign? Black People must realize that while our relatives fought and died for voting rights, those folks didn’t die so we could spend the majority of our time “playing” politics. They wanted us to take our participation to tha next level. Similarly, Black folks, your relatives and mine, also lost their lives because they chose to go into business; where is tha rallying cry for entrepreneurship? Black politicians that do absolutely nothing for Black folks, come out every couple of years to tell us how good they have been and what they stand for on our behalf. What a load of fertilizer aka” horse shit” that is! Even stranger is tha fact that Democrats and Republicans, Liberals and Conservatives do tha same things. We may duck tha “right” cross, but we still get hit by tha “left” hook. In other words, we have nothing coming from either political party, and they have proven that to us time and time again. Since our vaunted voting “power” is so important to tha two political parties, we should be using it in ways that support tha most important political principle: “#Quidproquo”. We should be leveraging our votes; otherwise, why participate at all? It really doesn’t matter what color tha politician is. What matters most is what Black folks are getting from tha system, and Black folks are getting tha shaft from most of our politicians. You know it, I know it, and they know it. It’s bad enough that tha leadership in tha two major parties really doesn’t care about us. One is throwing “#MikeTyson” right crosses and the other is throwing “#JoeFrazier” left hooks at us causing us to be off-balance, out of sync, and off-kilter, as we try to avoid their “#Mayweather”  vicious haymakers.

Tha political “leaders” who continue to tell us that all we have to do is vote to change things should be voted out of office. This voting for all democrats or all republicans by Black folks is nothing short of political suicide. Carter G. Woodson said, “Any people who would vote tha same way for three generations without thereby obtaining results ought to be ignored and disenfranchised”. Tha old game of Black folks being all or nothing to either party has proven to be our political demise. We give our all and get nothing in return. Eighty years ago nearly all Blacks voted republican; now it’s just tha opposite. Neither scenario has worked, so why do we continue that insanity? Black folks have been getting hit with right crosses and left hooks since we got into this political game, and now we need to start throwing some punches of our own. Tha hardest punches we can throw are economic punches. We must be willing to take off tha gloves and go with bare-knuckles into the marketplace and let our presence be known by withholding and redirecting our dollars. We must put our money where our mouth is and contribute to politicians who speak and act on our behalf no matter what color he are she is. Tha only things that count with politicians are dollars and votes – in that order. We must leverage both to get what we need from either tha “Demopublicans” or tha “Republicrats.”As the right crosses and left hooks continue to be thrown by crooked, immoral, and unethical politicians, both White and Black, let’s get busy economically and start punching back, before we get knocked out.