In this new song, Rick Ross samples Rachel Jeantel's infamous "creepy ass cracker" statement regarding George Zimmerman. If you ask me, it seems as though this is Ross' attempt to capitalize on the furor over the case rather than make a substantive song. The song is decent, don't get me wrong--but the sample is a bit clunky. Not to mention the ironic creepiness of Ross' voice climbing two octaves on the chorus. Makes me a little uncomfortable, is all. Lol
Monday, July 29, 2013
Monday, July 22, 2013
The More you Know: Rev. Wade Watts
I first saw this video a few years ago. In it, former KKK leader Johnny Lee Clary details how he and his white-hooded cronies were trolled by the late Reverend Wade Watts, former president of the Oklahoma NAACP chapter. By maintaining a peaceful Christian demeanor, Rev. Watts not only duped the Klan, but actually ended up becoming close friends with Mr. Clary, who eventually renounced his racist beliefs. This video quickly made Rev. Watts one of my personal heroes. I salute you sir. R.I.P.
Thursday, July 18, 2013
Monday, July 15, 2013
Justice??
By now, I'm sure you all are quite aware of the outcome of the Zimmerman trial. I knew deep within my heart that once the verdict was announced, I was going to have to dust off the old blog because I knew that I would have a lot to say; and I do.
As soon as the judge announced Zimmerman was not guilty, Twitter and Instagram WENT HAM. For the next few hours I sat back on my hotel bed, nonchalantly refreshing my timelines on both and observing the outrage from my followers...
"So much for justice!!"
"How could the jury let Zimmerman off when a lot of them have kids? What if that was their kid??"
"WELL IT'S OFFICIAL....BLACK PEOPLE MEAN NOTHING IN AMERICA"
"The moral of the story is...don't walk around in Florida with a hoodie on at night..because someone might shoot you and get off."
Yall....I just have to speak out on this. The fact remains that NONE of us will ever know what truly went down that night. Only Zimmerman and God know for sure. The role of a jury is to take whatever evidence is set before them and make a LOGICAL, UNBIASED decision based off of it. You cannot expect for the jurors that have children to put themselves in the shoes of Trayvon's mother. They are not supposed to let their personal feelings or emotions impact their decision in any way; that is the meaning of a fair trial. Regardless of how you feel about George Zimmerman, he has the right to a fair trial just as any American citizen.
As far as the whole "Black people mean nothing in America" claim, that is just absurd. Black people are making it seem as though a white man can walk up to a black boy any time, shoot him, and get acquitted of a murder charge; you all know that isn't true. The reason Zimmerman got acquitted is because the jury was convinced he acted in SELF-DEFENSE; they were persuaded by the defense that Trayvon put his hands on Zimmerman first and thus initiated the fight. Whether this was truly the case or not, we will never know, but that was the consensus of the jury.
I was shocked and horrified to see a particular tweet that contained George Zimmerman's address, the person who tweeted it encouraging his followers to find Zimmerman and harm him. Hurting or killing Zimmerman is not going to bring Trayvon back and I pray that no one takes the law into their own hands in some deluded attempt to avenge him. In fact, for a black person to do that would be COMPLETELY counterproductive if we DON'T want America to profile us as we're walking alone at night. And people threatening to kill George Zimmerman on Twitter isn't helping either. I wish my generation would sit TF down sometimes. Yall aint killin nobody.
As a Christian man, I cannot condone killing George Zimmerman. We must remember that he is a human being just like we are. He has a past and like us, he makes mistakes. To me, he just seems like a dumb guy who followed the wrong person on the wrong night; an overzealous simpleton who took his position a bit too seriously (and may be part black himself). In all honesty, I feel Trayvon Martin's death was just a tragic mistake. Zimmerman had his trial and was acquitted, but now has to live in constant fear of his life. I feel that is punishment enough, but that's just me.
Also, I just cannot take this outrage over Trayvon's death seriously when NO ONE says nothing about the 7,000 blacks who were killed by other blacks last year. That leads me to pose the question, are we mad because Trayvon Martin is DEAD....or because the person who killed him looked white? Is it possible that, as with our use of the word "nigga," it is OK for black people to be killed as long as it is by OTHER black people?? Food for thought.
I attribute people's heightened emotions right now to media manipulation. For weeks now, we've been shown images of Trayvon's dead body and made to listen to the phone conversation in which Zimmerman refers to him as a "punk," stating "they always get away." The media is masterful at manipulating people's emotions and that is just what is happening now. Being the conspiracy theorist I am, I think that the media WANTED a riot to happen after the trial because you know who loves a good riot? The media. You know who makes plenty of money reporting on damages and murders resulting from riots? The media. That being said, it is clear to me why the media has bombarded us with images meant to enrage the black community. It amazes me how the media machine has kept us all focused on this ONE murder of a black boy, causing us to turn a blind eye to the hundreds who die around us every day. America is a big country. People of all ages and colors have killed and been killed here way before Trayvon Martin died. All I will say is that my prayers and condolences go out to the Martin family; may God strengthen them during this deeply sad period.
As soon as the judge announced Zimmerman was not guilty, Twitter and Instagram WENT HAM. For the next few hours I sat back on my hotel bed, nonchalantly refreshing my timelines on both and observing the outrage from my followers...
"So much for justice!!"
"How could the jury let Zimmerman off when a lot of them have kids? What if that was their kid??"
"WELL IT'S OFFICIAL....BLACK PEOPLE MEAN NOTHING IN AMERICA"
"The moral of the story is...don't walk around in Florida with a hoodie on at night..because someone might shoot you and get off."
Yall....I just have to speak out on this. The fact remains that NONE of us will ever know what truly went down that night. Only Zimmerman and God know for sure. The role of a jury is to take whatever evidence is set before them and make a LOGICAL, UNBIASED decision based off of it. You cannot expect for the jurors that have children to put themselves in the shoes of Trayvon's mother. They are not supposed to let their personal feelings or emotions impact their decision in any way; that is the meaning of a fair trial. Regardless of how you feel about George Zimmerman, he has the right to a fair trial just as any American citizen.
As far as the whole "Black people mean nothing in America" claim, that is just absurd. Black people are making it seem as though a white man can walk up to a black boy any time, shoot him, and get acquitted of a murder charge; you all know that isn't true. The reason Zimmerman got acquitted is because the jury was convinced he acted in SELF-DEFENSE; they were persuaded by the defense that Trayvon put his hands on Zimmerman first and thus initiated the fight. Whether this was truly the case or not, we will never know, but that was the consensus of the jury.
I was shocked and horrified to see a particular tweet that contained George Zimmerman's address, the person who tweeted it encouraging his followers to find Zimmerman and harm him. Hurting or killing Zimmerman is not going to bring Trayvon back and I pray that no one takes the law into their own hands in some deluded attempt to avenge him. In fact, for a black person to do that would be COMPLETELY counterproductive if we DON'T want America to profile us as we're walking alone at night. And people threatening to kill George Zimmerman on Twitter isn't helping either. I wish my generation would sit TF down sometimes. Yall aint killin nobody.
As a Christian man, I cannot condone killing George Zimmerman. We must remember that he is a human being just like we are. He has a past and like us, he makes mistakes. To me, he just seems like a dumb guy who followed the wrong person on the wrong night; an overzealous simpleton who took his position a bit too seriously (and may be part black himself). In all honesty, I feel Trayvon Martin's death was just a tragic mistake. Zimmerman had his trial and was acquitted, but now has to live in constant fear of his life. I feel that is punishment enough, but that's just me.
Also, I just cannot take this outrage over Trayvon's death seriously when NO ONE says nothing about the 7,000 blacks who were killed by other blacks last year. That leads me to pose the question, are we mad because Trayvon Martin is DEAD....or because the person who killed him looked white? Is it possible that, as with our use of the word "nigga," it is OK for black people to be killed as long as it is by OTHER black people?? Food for thought.
I attribute people's heightened emotions right now to media manipulation. For weeks now, we've been shown images of Trayvon's dead body and made to listen to the phone conversation in which Zimmerman refers to him as a "punk," stating "they always get away." The media is masterful at manipulating people's emotions and that is just what is happening now. Being the conspiracy theorist I am, I think that the media WANTED a riot to happen after the trial because you know who loves a good riot? The media. You know who makes plenty of money reporting on damages and murders resulting from riots? The media. That being said, it is clear to me why the media has bombarded us with images meant to enrage the black community. It amazes me how the media machine has kept us all focused on this ONE murder of a black boy, causing us to turn a blind eye to the hundreds who die around us every day. America is a big country. People of all ages and colors have killed and been killed here way before Trayvon Martin died. All I will say is that my prayers and condolences go out to the Martin family; may God strengthen them during this deeply sad period.
REST IN PEACE TRAYVON BENJAMIN MARTIN
Saturday, July 6, 2013
My people....my people.
Friends, I have been watching several youtube videos for the past few days, many of which have been centered around problems that are plaguing the black community. From sermons by the good minister Malcolm X, to random channels of brothers and sisters expressing their frustrations at our current condition, it is clear that we are in a sad, sad state of affairs. I was not going to write this post because I know for a fact that what I'm saying is nothing that we have not all heard before. You cannot be black in America and be unaware of the high HIV rate among our people, the disproportionate number of black children living without fathers, or the objectification of black women in the media. I could go on and on about all the things that ail our community, but I will refrain.
What the problem is, I feel, is that many of us have just stopped caring. Many people will probably read this blog, say "whateva nigga," and go right about their day as normal. Now I'm no authority figure, nor am I a black leader; I'm simply an African-American who is keenly aware of what is going on in his community and that these things are not right. We're better than this.....so much better. We're better than 72 percent of our children living without fathers. We're better than making up 60 percent of the current prison population. We're better than living only to "TURN UP" every weekend with no long-term goals of any kind....or are we?
Are we??
Why does the black family unit in America have to be a joke? Why? As the only child of a single mother, I feel as though I turned out pretty well; however, I always wonder what growing up would have been like had my father been around. I'd certainly know a lot more about sports, talking to women, shaving, and automobiles than I know now. Don't get me wrong, I realized early on that I would have to teach myself a lot of things if I was to become a man. I was fortunate enough to have a few good male role models in my life; who knows where I would be right now had I not. I'm just saying, I don't think there is any presence in the world that can replace that of one's biological father.
I firmly believe that the decline of the black family is the single worst thing to happen to our community; worse than HIV/AIDS, worse than the crack epidemic, worse than anything. Think about it, when you are a child, your mind is very malleable. You are constantly observing and picking things up from your environment. If a child is raised in a loving home with two parents who are in a COMMITTED MARRIAGE, it should come as no surprise that that child is statistically less likely to go to prison, drop out of school, or have children out of wedlock. However...because so many black children are raised in single parent homes, sons grow up with few, if any, positive male role models and daughters grow up never expecting to find a husband because mommy didn't have one. Up until the 1950s, the black marriage rate in America was around 64 percent, which accounts for well over half of the population. Today that number has plummeted to around 30 percent. I attribute this to several things: shacking up, images and messages perpetuated by the media, and just pure laziness.
I am a Christian. And I believe that God knew what he was doing when he designed marriage. Nowhere in the bible does it say that marriage is supposed to be easy, but is anything worth having ever easy to obtain? That being said, many of us today are simply unwilling to put in the work it takes to build and maintain a loving relationship, instead opting to hop from one partner to the next whenever we get bored. Smh.
Black men, stop calling our sisters bitches and hos. It's not cool, it doesn't sound cool, and every time you refer to a black woman as such, you insult not only her honor, but the honor of the black woman who raised you. As black men, we are supposed to lead, not berate. We are supposed to exercise sound judgement and restraint. That's what kings do. A lot of my friends tell me "well Nick, I only call a female that when she's acting like one, you know?" I swear, we just love coming up with excuses to be disrespectful. I want you to do something; picture your mother, your grandmother, a niece, or young female family member. Now picture a man calling them a bitch. You cannot feel any type of way about that, but think it's ok to refer to another man's daughter, niece, mother, or grandmother as such. Watch this youtube video of Malcolm X and pay close attention to what he says about black women at the end (around 2:18).
...but can you blame them, really? With shows like Love & Hip Hop and Worldstarhiphop.com, why shouldn't they laugh? We do it to ourselves. Growing up, I was accused of "acting white" more times than I care to recall. I've been called an Oreo by black people and white people, and I didn't understand why until I got older. It's because the Black brand in America is built on athletics, entertainment, and ignorance. Hands down, we are the best athletes and entertainers in this country, but we also have a particular talent for making the most ignorant and profitable content America has to offer. Growing up, I wasn't an athlete, I didn't rap or sing, and I was too reserved to be ignorant; hence, I was "white."
I'm really just ranting and raving here, but I think yall get the point. Malcolm is gone, yall; so is Martin, Huey, and the rest of those figures who led the civil rights movement. The black community is slowly, but surely, getting worse with each passing generation. I truly fear for my people if things continue the way that they are now. Sisters, get some self-respect. Stop sleeping with every guy who sends you a flattering DM on Twitter. Stop dissing the nice guys for men who don't care about you or what you think. Look for a husband who will treat you like the queen you are. Brothers, be men. LEAD. Stop disrespecting our women because honestly, they have been holding things down a lot better than we have. And for God's sake, how about the next time you meet an attractive girl, you...I don't know...listen to what she has to say instead of trying to picture her naked? I understand that as men, we have urges; but I also understand that one thing that separates us from animals is the ability to CONTROL our urges. Go out and find a wife. Have kids with her. Be a good example for them, and the cycle will continue. I am sick of my people being a laughingstock in this country; the time has come for us to stop making excuses and handle our business....please.
What the problem is, I feel, is that many of us have just stopped caring. Many people will probably read this blog, say "whateva nigga," and go right about their day as normal. Now I'm no authority figure, nor am I a black leader; I'm simply an African-American who is keenly aware of what is going on in his community and that these things are not right. We're better than this.....so much better. We're better than 72 percent of our children living without fathers. We're better than making up 60 percent of the current prison population. We're better than living only to "TURN UP" every weekend with no long-term goals of any kind....or are we?
Are we??
Why does the black family unit in America have to be a joke? Why? As the only child of a single mother, I feel as though I turned out pretty well; however, I always wonder what growing up would have been like had my father been around. I'd certainly know a lot more about sports, talking to women, shaving, and automobiles than I know now. Don't get me wrong, I realized early on that I would have to teach myself a lot of things if I was to become a man. I was fortunate enough to have a few good male role models in my life; who knows where I would be right now had I not. I'm just saying, I don't think there is any presence in the world that can replace that of one's biological father.
I firmly believe that the decline of the black family is the single worst thing to happen to our community; worse than HIV/AIDS, worse than the crack epidemic, worse than anything. Think about it, when you are a child, your mind is very malleable. You are constantly observing and picking things up from your environment. If a child is raised in a loving home with two parents who are in a COMMITTED MARRIAGE, it should come as no surprise that that child is statistically less likely to go to prison, drop out of school, or have children out of wedlock. However...because so many black children are raised in single parent homes, sons grow up with few, if any, positive male role models and daughters grow up never expecting to find a husband because mommy didn't have one. Up until the 1950s, the black marriage rate in America was around 64 percent, which accounts for well over half of the population. Today that number has plummeted to around 30 percent. I attribute this to several things: shacking up, images and messages perpetuated by the media, and just pure laziness.
I am a Christian. And I believe that God knew what he was doing when he designed marriage. Nowhere in the bible does it say that marriage is supposed to be easy, but is anything worth having ever easy to obtain? That being said, many of us today are simply unwilling to put in the work it takes to build and maintain a loving relationship, instead opting to hop from one partner to the next whenever we get bored. Smh.
Black men, stop calling our sisters bitches and hos. It's not cool, it doesn't sound cool, and every time you refer to a black woman as such, you insult not only her honor, but the honor of the black woman who raised you. As black men, we are supposed to lead, not berate. We are supposed to exercise sound judgement and restraint. That's what kings do. A lot of my friends tell me "well Nick, I only call a female that when she's acting like one, you know?" I swear, we just love coming up with excuses to be disrespectful. I want you to do something; picture your mother, your grandmother, a niece, or young female family member. Now picture a man calling them a bitch. You cannot feel any type of way about that, but think it's ok to refer to another man's daughter, niece, mother, or grandmother as such. Watch this youtube video of Malcolm X and pay close attention to what he says about black women at the end (around 2:18).
Yall, white people are laughing at us. Seriously.
I'm really just ranting and raving here, but I think yall get the point. Malcolm is gone, yall; so is Martin, Huey, and the rest of those figures who led the civil rights movement. The black community is slowly, but surely, getting worse with each passing generation. I truly fear for my people if things continue the way that they are now. Sisters, get some self-respect. Stop sleeping with every guy who sends you a flattering DM on Twitter. Stop dissing the nice guys for men who don't care about you or what you think. Look for a husband who will treat you like the queen you are. Brothers, be men. LEAD. Stop disrespecting our women because honestly, they have been holding things down a lot better than we have. And for God's sake, how about the next time you meet an attractive girl, you...I don't know...listen to what she has to say instead of trying to picture her naked? I understand that as men, we have urges; but I also understand that one thing that separates us from animals is the ability to CONTROL our urges. Go out and find a wife. Have kids with her. Be a good example for them, and the cycle will continue. I am sick of my people being a laughingstock in this country; the time has come for us to stop making excuses and handle our business....please.
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