Kelly Rowland and Giving Deep

A multi-multi-billion dollar software conglomerate, on track for becoming one of the world’s first trillion dollar corporations, has announced an unprecedented strategy in their efforts to give back to the community. The company has announced a bold plan where every executive office holder will clean out their closet and give their old clothing and shoes to various charitable organizations across America. Charities are racing to be one of the first to receive their share of the hundreds if not thousands of dollars that will soon be made available. The generous CEO of this philanthropic corporation said in a news conference, “I just like the idea of giving back to the people who are trying to rebuild their lives.”

Okay I’ll fess up. No conglomerate is planning such a bold initiative, at least none that I know of. I was looking at the September edition of Ebony magazine when I ran across an article that caught my eye. Kelly Rowland wrote an article titled “Moving Forward by Giving Back” where she wrote how she enjoys the feeling she gets when she gives her old clothing to her church back in Houston, Texas. The quote from the preceding paragraph attributed to my fictitious CEO is actually from Ms. Rowland’s essay. The former Destiny’s Child member wants to be an example to young people everywhere. Says Ms. Rowland, “young people must put aside their concerns for the next best new thing on the market, new shoes, electronic devices, latest fashions, and focus on helping others.”

Ms. Rowland forgot a little detail in this charity plan. A lot of people may have a little trouble giving away their old shoes and clothing without getting the next best new thing on the market. There appears to be a disconnect between what Ms. Rowland is saying and what she is actually doing. It should be obvious that Ms. Rowland works in an industry that walks hand in hand with the latest in cutting edge fashion and glamour and the ultimate in image. Regardless of how good any singer may truly be, if they do not fit the part fashionably they are less likely to appeal to the public. That’s why situations like Millie Vanilli’s and other lip syncing arrangements are so inevitable.

And impressionable people want to emulate their idols. Many clothing store chains depend so heavily on people’s ego and their need to be seen in the absolute latest in fashion. People expend a great deal of time and energy on keeping up with their appearance and how they fit with their clique or their target clique. If we didn’t spend so much of our collective time trying to obtain the latest and greatest those charities that depend so much on old clothing, furniture, electronics, and other old knick knacks wouldn’t have as much of our unwanted things to distribute.

I know people who make it their point to give their unwanted or useless possessions to charities on a regular basis. Many are retired with very limited sources of income. Many are people just trying to make room in their house. When kids grow out of their clothing or what have you they go to a charity. I know people who donate their old cars directly or indirectly to people in need.

But is that not the very least we can do? With great capabilities there are also great responsibilities. People with the ability to truly do more should have a compassionate compulsion to do more. If the management of the multi billion dollar conglomerate feels their obligation to the community is met when the donation of their old carpeting and furniture to the charities when the lobby gets redecorated every fifteen years or so then that’s their right and their privilege. No one should expect altruism from anyone, especially not in a capitalist system where the focus on self is more likely to leads to the most financial success. But on the flip side, we are supposed to be a community of people who actually have compassion for neighbors and fellow human beings. No one should be expected to be charitable. But no one should expect their selfishness or Scrooge like behavior to go unnoticed and without comment as well.

There is a big difference in making a donation and making a sacrifice. Donating old clothing and items around the house that are no longer used is one thing. But donations that make an impact in our lives is another thing altogether. In a community of people we should make it a regular habit to make a sacrifice that is truly felt in our world on a regular basis. It shouldn’t always be painless or of the least inconvenience. Sometimes it should be an impact that is felt in our life in order for us to feel like we’ve made an impact. It is the impact and true sacrifice that continues to reverberate in our lives long after the sacrifice is done that makes the assistance that much more meaningful.

I’m sure Ms. Rowland does more than simply donate old shoes and clothing. In fact, in her Ebony article she went on to explain how she and the other former members of Destiny’s Child would make it a point to contribute to the Make-A-Wish Foundation when they were on tour and how they started their Survivor Foundation to help those affected by hurricane Katrina. Ms. Rowland also briefly mentioned her participation in the Youth AIDS organization. And I have no doubt that she actually gives out of her pocket to make more tax deductible donations. I’m sure people appreciate her benevolence in all its forms. And the painless donation of old items is a wonderful thing. But, we should endeavor to remember that the deep giving that comes from true sacrifice is truly noteworthy.

The Black Experience From a White Perspective

The other day somebody was trying to open a dialog with a question to black people similar to the following, What can white people say to convince you that they understand the effects of racism? There was a similar question to white people that went, What can black people say to convince you that they understand racism is on the decline? The questions are much too simplistic to tackle such a dynamic and complex subject. Racism has more than just one face. Racism has more than one cause. Racism has more than one solution. Racism has more than one effect. Racism has more than one level or degree. Racism has more components to it than the number of victims to the exponent of the number perpetrators.

As a black man there is absolutely nothing the white community can say that will give me the impression that they understand racism. Until one is able to experience first hand the situation of being rejected and/or dejected by racism first hand and be in a situation where they are in need of help then it’s practically impossible to understand the complexities of this beast. Just because one person experiences some form of racism doesn’t mean they understand all experiences of racism. The subject is much too broad to be adequately covered with such simple questions.

It is damn near impossible for a white person to understand my experiences as a victim of this white dominated corporate culture. White people have a very narrow conception of racism here in America. Today, white people understand racism as slavery, blatant segregation and/or blatant discrimination. A white person who sees a sign that says Colored Not Welcome understands this blatant form of discrimination. But a white person that sees a black person getting substandard or rude service from white employees of a business or from the business owner his or her self would simply give the perpetrators the benefit of a doubt. To them it is a gray area. He/She’s having a bad day and that’s why he/she’s giving that black person bad service. But they never wonder why doesn’t that person give the white customers next to the black customer bad service?

White people who don some black makeup and go out on the street for a day or so are woefully inadequate to be a novice on the subject of racism let alone an expert. A white person in black face who sees another white person being rude to a black person will continue to draw on their years of experience and lifetime of affiliation with being a member of the white community. And just because they have some makeup they’re going to be able to comprehend all the manifestations of racism? This is the same makeup that they’ll simply wipe away at the end of the day with a tissue dipped in cold cream and restore their white privilege. What incentive would they have to take this subject seriously?

Just because someone drives like a jerk down the highway for a few minutes doesn’t mean he/she know jack about winning the Indianapolis 500. Just because someone has the sensation of being weightless on a rollercoaster doesn’t mean he/she know what it’s like to spend some time on the international space station. No one would ever ask a person their opinion about racing or their opinion on space travel with such flimsy credentials. But it’s nothing for someone to put a microphone in front of a white person and ask them their opinion on the black experience after a minute behind a mask.

An accurate sample of the black experience is much more than a couple of days in a costume. A black toddler can be black for months and not fully understand the entire black experience. A black teen can be black for all their years and not fully comprehend the black experience. Even a black adult wouldn’t know the complete experience of being black. A famous black basketball player would not have a clue as to what it would be like to be a financially struggling single mother even though as a kid he witnessed firsthand his own mother struggling on her own to make ends meet. A black ditch digger wouldn’t know anything about being a black middle manager in corporate America and vice versa. Even black people do not necessarily understand what the black experience is for other black people.

There are black people who say that racism is alive and well. There are black people who are quick to say racism is dead. Obviously there is a big difference in their individual black experience. A black man once said now that we have laws that make racism illegal so no one would be foolish enough to be racist so we don’t have to worry about racial discrimination. No one would ever say that since we have laws that make murder illegal nobody would be foolish enough to be a murderer so we don’t have to worry about people killing each other. Regardless of laws against murder whenever someone dies an investigation is launched to determine the exact cause of death. Nothing is left to chance. The deceased could be a hundred forty years old and a diabetic with a history of heart problems. Somebody is going to find out exactly what happened to make sure that death was from natural causes and not from foul play.

Just like no law is going to stop murder, no law is going to stop racism. Just because one person has a different life experience doesn’t mean someone else’s experience is inaccurate or wrong. Some blacks have experienced forms of racism that other black people just can’t relate to. That should be understood beyond a shadow of doubt.

But to suggest that a white person can develop an understanding of the black experience is seriously insulting. Many of our racial peers don’t even want to understand racial discrimination from their perspectives of privilege or perceived privilege. And now a white person who can only look like me with the help of makeup is going to comprehend what it is like to be black and then explain to me that they get it? It’s truly beyond my imagination. Even if they are able to say all the right things there is absolutely nothing that can be said to convince me that they truly get it. After all, politicians courting black votes say the right things all the time.

Orisa Favors For Sale

With over twenty years of experience in developing database applications I cannot find a job where I choose to live at the moment. There are plenty of jobs on the east coast, Texas, and the west coast. I could pack up and leave my family, friends, and neighborhood. I have been unemployed for three months now. But I have yet to get so desperate to move across country. My mom will be an octogenarian in a handful of years and I don’t think now is a good time for her to be alone in this city. I actually enjoy my all black neighborhood and my black neighbors. I’m continuing to hold out hope that I’ll find the job I need to stay.

Maybe I need to bust out the big guns. Maybe I need to make an ebo so I can manipulate the Orisas to move on my behalf. It doesn’t take much. If I paid about seventy to a hundred bucks for a chicken sacrifice Orisas wouldn’t dare say no to whatever I ask. At least that’s the impression from some people who practice this spirituality.

But ebos aren’t about taking Orisas for granted and trying to bend them to our will. Besides, it just plain doesn’t work. If I could get those lottery numbers from Orunmila I’d sacrifice enough chickens to open my own chain of restaurants. I can see my commercials now, “Come on down to Sango’s Fried Chicken! The extra sharp double axe is the secret! Severs the neck before the chickens know what hits them. Absolutely no adrenaline in the meat! We’re quick as lightening on the service too!”

People have totally forgotten the purpose of ebos and offerings. We’re not supposed to use them to buy spiritual favors. Ebos and offerings are supposed to be used to thank Orisas for just being in our lives. Imagine how different our lives would be without the water of Yemonja’s ocean or Osun’s river, without Obatala’s mountains, without Osanyin’s forest, or without the winds of change from Oya. The fish from the water fed us. The forest provides us with trees for houses and fire. The wind propels boats, cleans our air and changes our weather. Orisas are important in our lives and provide a lot of services for our lives.

The ebos are supposed to be an offering of thanks. Thank you for doing what you’ve done for us and nothing more. The person who feels that he or she deserves more or is entitled to more really has an over inflated sense of self worth. Why do you need more? What makes you so special?

Here is a hypothetical situation for you. A woman has a few young children. There all pretty young. Let’s say they range in age from four to ten. Now the woman give the kids food to eat, a place to sleep, makes sure they get their education, makes sure all their needs are met. But one of the kids decides that they are entitled to a little more than the others. One of the kids decides that if he gets mom that macaroni necklace for Mother’s Day she’s going to be so thankful that she’ll have no choice but to get him that PlayStation3.

Now, I don’t know how things work in the household that other people grew up in but my mom couldn’t be paid to favor one of her children over another. And who the hell needed a PlayStation anyway? My mom would be more likely to slap the taste out of our mouths for even thinking of such a proposition. So now why would someone think that Orisa would be so open to such manipulation?

The original concept of ebos was just a way of saying thank you. In the beginning ebos were a community thing and it didn’t involve individual priests getting paid by individual clients to express their individual thanks. The expression of thanks was done as a collective. No one was left out. No one was more important than another. The community moved as one for the benefit of all.

Sometimes it would be nice to be wrong about this. Trust me, if I thought it would work I would happily spend a million dollars sacrificing the most exotic chickens, goats, rabbits, hell, I’d sacrifice a dancing albino African elephant from Cirque Du Soleil if I thought it would help me out of my predicaments. But the bottom line is that Orisas aren’t open to such trivial manipulation. It is actually an insult to think that they can be open to such maneuvering. It’s a wonder that more people don’t get the taste slapped out their mouth for even thinking about trying to buy favors.

The Message Behind the Cartoon

I found this cartoon on the Mirror On American blog while surfing the internet earlier this week. The cartoon depicts a late night in a traditionally black urban neighborhood where a man has just shot another man in the back. The children in the cartoon probably witnessed the shooting. But the little girl tells the shooter that she didn’t see anything. The shooter tells the little girl that she’s a good little ho. But what really makes this cartoon speak to me is the billboard in the background of the scene selling the urban image of guns, music, and thug life sponsored by BET and the Warner Music label.

The cartoon is from Ed Gamble of the Florida Times Union and was published August 17th. It looks like Mr. Gamble understands a little deeper than most about what’s happening in the black community.

Few would argue that crime is not a problem in the black community. I don’t know a single soul who would argue otherwise. Yes there are black people killing black people in the black community. However, there are also white people killing white people in the white neighborhoods. But because there has been such a negative stigma placed on crime in the black community it is the only one that catches our collective attention so we can point our collective finger at black people and collectively say look how uncivilized you are. Black crime is magnified but little is done to correct the situation other than more police and more black people in private jails under contracts with the state.

The billboard in the background of the cartoon shows just one example of how corporate America is using advertising to sell the image of the black thug life to people in the black community. Corporate America is selling the image of a good life in the black community is the one where you can rap your life away with money, guns, bling, and women. The message from white dominated corporate America is that the only thing that matters is immediate personal gratification. The only things missing out of the cartoon’s image is the suggestion of alcohol and the proliferation of cheap fast food.

It is very true that black people are not doing nearly enough to take care of our own. Black people and black families are spending too much of their time trying to do what they can to get by or to get their own immediate gratification going on. And the age old paradigm of black people going to work in corporate America with all of the baggage that follows us isn’t helping and it isn’t about to change anytime soon. White people have described black people as lazy at work. White people have described black people as criminals at home. And the black community responds by following the script white people dictate. We simply are not doing enough to break this programming.

Some people found the cartoon offensive. It isn’t the most flattering portrayal of the black community. People will see the image and say that the Mr. Gamble was being insensitive and racist in his portrayal of black people. To say the cartoonist is being racist is to say that the society that inspired the cartoonist is in itself racist. It isn’t enough to stop the cartoonist from drawing his interpretation of what he sees. If we want to stop the image we have to stop it at its root. We can arrest the shooter, but the damage to the black community has already been done. The man who was shot is already dead.

Besides, the shooter is just a manifestation of the programming and not the true root of the problem. While some people are content to lock up another brother who made the choice to become the very definition of how white people describe blacks, a smarter move would be to do what we can to keep more black people from becoming the very characters white people say we are. We have to look at the image in the cartoon and see the complete picture. We can’t just stop and say that a black man shot another black man. That’s pretty obvious and that’s all societal thinking wants us to see.

But we have to learn to look in the background and see the messages from corporate America that is constantly telling black people how we are supposed to behave. BET, owned by the media conglomerate Viacom, and Warner Music, owned by Warner Brothers, are both white corporate entities that do a thousand times more damage to the black community than any single black person with a gun could ever do. We need to acknowledge the fact that the programming exist. Once we know that it exist we can learn to recognize it. Once we learn to recognize it we can learn to resist it. And once the black community learns to resist the programming we can learn to write the script the way we want it to playout.

The Saggy Pants Law

I have to confess that when I first heard the news my initial reaction was to applaud. Someone on the news was trying to get a law passed to keep young men from wearing their baggy jeans around or under their butts so that their boxers would show. The image in itself is disgusting. I don’t know how true this is, but I heard that this fashion statement started in prison from men wanting to advertise that their butts were literally open for business for the right price. Knowing this might be true makes the sight of saggy pants and boxer shorts even more disgusting. Every time I see one of these young men walking around with their boxers so exposed I shudder.

But the images on the television were only of young black males. Where were the white offenders? Don’t tell me there aren’t any. I’ve been to the white neighborhoods. Someone in the news article made the claim that the law targets young blacks unfairly. Here’s a news flash for you, almost every law targets blacks unfairly. But regardless of the fairness of the proposed law, I know the news article was very biased in the images selected to go along with the article.

Councilman C. T. Martin of Atlanta, Georgia says it is ridiculous to think that this law is racist against black people since he himself is of obvious African descent. I would like to take just a moment to remind readers that there are plenty of black people who would love to keep other black people subjugated under white people’s rule. For these members of the African American community, there’s something attractive about being the most modern interpretation of the house Negro. Just because you have black skin doesn’t mean that you are for the liberation of the black community.

The councilman is concerned about the welfare of young adults and wants to give young people more of an incentive to dress more correctly. The councilman plans to hold public hearings so the community can express their opinion for the law. He wants to stimulate some conversation to see how they can legislate a solution. Why does there need to be a hearing in order to start a conversation? Why do we have to enact laws and threaten our kids in order to get people talking? And when did saggy pants become such a threat to our community that we have to make laws to start conversations about keeping this all in check?

Like I said, I don’t like the idea of young men walking around with their pants hanging down and their boxers hanging out. But I damn sure don’t like the idea of giving white people’s corporate posse more excuses and tools to harass and incarcerate more of our black youth. The disconnect between black people and white people is already a chasm deep enough to guarantee that we never come to any kind of mutual understanding. Do we really need more laws to widen the gap?

How come we need to pass laws about people’s inappropriate dress choices now? Why is the law only targeting such a small part of the community? Personally I don’t think obese people should be wearing tight clothing. If a button or zipper looks like it’s about to give up the ghost then maybe they should be getting a court summons. And how about all those muffin tops? Seeing all those young girls with their flesh bulging over their jeans, pants, or skirts really makes me want to pass a law to get their fashion choices in check as well.

How about all those beer bellied guys who work on homes or repair appliances? If you’ve ever had to call for help you know chances are good homey’s going to show up with half his tailpipe out for people to see. If we had a law against repairmen crack we all would get house repairs done for free. When the repair is almost complete just dial nine-one-one and have the police haul that crack baby away. It has been a long running joke how the guy repairing the refrigerator or the plumbing will have his crack saying hello to anyone who is unfortunate enough to be behind him. But no one ever decided that their butts were so unsightly that we needed a law.

How would we be any different than the people in St. Tammany Parish and their bigoted sheriff who is on the record for promising to harass black people who make the mistake of appearing in his jurisdiction with chee-wee hairstyles (see Looking and Thinking Black)? We wouldn’t. We would be the same type of people, the same type of mindset, who would look to judge others harshly for being different.

As parents we should be able to step up and influence our children to make better fashion choices without the threat of having to bail them out of jail or help them pay steep fines. A kid walking down the street with his pants sagging is not very attractive. But in all honesty it should be one of the least of our problems in the black community. And yet our black community leaders want to make it more likely that we will suffer for something so mundane as poor fashion choices.

Mattel’s Single Minded Focus

Mattel Toys Incorporated has been in the hot seat lately. The toy giant’s relentless pursuit for profits has caught up with it. Mattel’s relationship with long time supplier of toys products, China Manufacturing Incorporated, has placed the company in an unenviable position of trying to maintain its reputation for quality toys at reasonable prices under the onslaught of bad press and news that their toys may contain unacceptable quantities of lead and are so flimsily construction that they can be hazardous to children’s health.

The CEO of Mattel, Bob Eckert put out a statement, “Many of us at Mattel are parents ourselves. And like you, we know that nothing is more important than the safety of our children.” It goes on and on about Mattel’s commitment to safety and all. But if safety was truly Mattel’s focus how did so many cheap and dangerous but profitable and lucrative toys make it onto the market?

Despite all its professions to care about children’s health over everything else the really simple truth of the situation is that by focusing on obtaining the cheapest and most profitable products available from the furthest corner of the world the company managed to put Americas children at risk. It was not the single minded focus on safety that allowed dangerous toys to hit the market. It was the single minded focus on profits that resulted in Mattel’s stumble.

Like the garment industry and everything else that is dependent on the volume of mass manufacturing, a price fluctuation of the smallest fraction of a cent can cause entire industries to relocate. We have all heard rumors of garment manufacturers and sweatshops where workers are paid a couple of dollars for a twelve hours a day work. Manufacturers here in America couldn’t compete with such a cost advantage and the entire garment industry took a hit. Now, retailers around the globe work to keep cost to the bare minimum. It only makes sense that with such competition that eventually someone is going to look at any and every means to get a cost advantage over his neighbor.

So when a company tries to publish that bull about safety is their primary concern, reality begs to differ. Profit and cost is the primary concern of every American industry. Focusing on doing the right thing sounds nice and many companies market themselves as the company you can trust. Are you’re in good hands? We never stop working for you. Quality is job one. We never forget who we are working for. That’s right, the shareholders.

The only children the corporate entity known as Mattel has as its primary concern are the children of its shareholders and investors. Some people might ask about the children of the Mattel employees? What about them? Are we talking about the same children of all those workers they laid off when the company moved their manufacturing operations overseas? The company couldn’t care less. Those kids might be the children of employees today. But tomorrow they’ll be somebody else’s problem. Mattel has to make its operations leaner so all those shareholder’s children will have a better life. Besides, the company’s legal department will do all it can to protect those children’s future inheritance.

Mattel has absolutely nothing to worry about. The company has so much clout in the toy business that no one can touch them. People don’t realize that something like ninety nine percent of the toys on the market have Mattel labels. And people have short attention spans and even shorter memories. Everybody who was gasping over how horrible it is that the company would put toys with lead paint on the market would be buying those same toys next week had the company not recalled them.

And American corporations have even shorter memories than the people. As long as Mattel can continue to make bank off of Chinese manufacturers and as long as they can deny any corporate responsibility they will keep taking a gamble on having toys made by the lowest bidder. Besides, there is a lot of money to be made with the relationship they have with those manufacturers. A Barbie dollhouse that cost about three bucks to make can retail for a nickel shy of a hundred dollars. Who wants to jeopardize profits like that?

Mattel claims to be looking out for the welfare and safety of our children. More people need to ask since when?

Andorians Are Racist

In the world of Star Trek Enterprise with Captain Jonathan Archer, the blue skinned Andorians refer to humans with the derogatory slur of pink skins. But that’s not the worst part. The blue skinned bastards see Lieutenant Travis Mayweather has his black ass, or more appropriately brown ass, right there in front of the bridge doing his Driving Ms. Daisy Through Space thing and the Andorian Captain Shran doesn’t even have the decency to recognize the fact that not all humans have pink skins. It seems the people who produce the world of Star Trek, with all of its talk about unifying planets with freedom and enlightenment of the 24th century, would do well to put some thought into what they preach.

I am one of the biggest Star Trek fans who has never donned a Federation uniform, never wore Vulcan ears (there was a time they didn’t bother to make those things in black, I mean brown), or even been to a Star Trek convention. I never owned a scale model of the Enterprise or any other other vessel from the world of Star Trek, but I must confess that I used to make my own out of Lego blocks. I grew up idolizing Captain Kirk.

Back when everyone was wearing WWJD bracelets, my personal motto was more like “What Would Picard Do?” The bald captain was the epitome of calm and rational decision making. Although I could barely stomach the heavy handed acting of Avery Brooks, I fell in love with the concept of Commander turned Captain Benjamin Sisko. I watched Star Trek Voyager from the very first episode with the Caretaker to the final episode with the modified Voyager bursting out of a Borg vessel within spitting distance of Earth. And I watched Star Trek Enterprise with the totally insensitive and racist Captain Archer. It isn’t perfect, but I still love my Star Trek.

But in all that time and in all those episodes there weren’t too many opportunities for many black actors to play very many alien parts. There was Lieutenant junior grade turned Lieutenant turned Lieutenant Commander Worf who was a black Klingon and there was Lieutenant Commander Tuvok a black Vulcan played by Tim Russ. Who else? Every other Vulcan or Klingon was played by a Caucasian actor. Three wonderful exceptions to this standard are Worf’s younger brother Kum excellently played by Timothy Henry Todd, the velvety smooth black Romulan Commander Sirol played by Michael Mack, and another black Romulan Tal Shiar operative played by Darwyn Carson. Other than these exceptions (there may be more so forgive me if I’m technically wrong) every Andorian is the same shade of blue. Every Orion is the same color of green. Every Tellarite is the same shade of whatever they are. No other species has the benefit of a variety of skin tones.

And the overt bigotry the writers put on the people in the universe of Star Trek is made against entire planets of people. Klingons hate everybody that is not a Klingon (nobody else has any honor). Orions hate everybody that is not an Orion. Tellarites hate everybody that’s not a Tellarite. Andorians hate everybody that’s not blue. The Borg wants to assimilate everybody. Nobody would dare trust a Ferengi in business. Even Vulcans are down on Andorians and vice versa. The humans of Star Trek have their prejudices. How many viewers of Enterprise can remember Captain Archer’s or Commander Tucker’s racist rants about Vulcans right in the face of his first officer the Vulcan T’Pol? And every week she makes the choice to stay with him so she can hear more! How many times has Dr. Leonard McCoy don his racism on his braided sleeve and refer to Mr. Spock and his kind as green blooded goblins or something else just as derogatory?

And let’s not forget the racist Captain Kirk! Captain Kirk was quick to bust a photon torpedo cap up a warbird’s tailpipe in a warp by shooting and then head back down to the ship’s cafeteria in time for breakfast with some young fresh female yeoman. And that was before the Klingon bastards murdered his son in the movie Star Trek III the Search for Spock. Still holding a grudge in the motion picture Star Trek VI the Undiscovered Country, when Spock told Captain Kirk that the Klingons could die from a lack of resources if the Federation didn’t help, Kirk didn’t even bat an eye when he said with as much menace as he can muster and while trying to maintain overacting control, let them.

In the Next Generation episode Time’s Arrow, Counselor Troi tries to explain to Samuel Clemens (that’s right, Mark Twain in space) how the Federation has managed to eliminate poverty. In the episode The Neutral Zone, Captain Picard tries to explain to Ralph Offenhause, an American man reanimated from the 21st centry, that the objective of modern people is the betterment of self. And in the movie Star Trek First Contact, Captain Picard was trying to explain to Lilly Sloane, an engineer from what remained of Montana in the 21st century, that the acquisition of personal wealth is no longer a driving force in the 24th century. People are motivated to simply better themselves and the rest of humanity. It all sounds good. But the way the producers of the world of Star Trek do it it really doesn’t seem very enlightened at all.

Roll Call
(in order of mention)

Captain Jonathan Archer played by Scott Bakula
Lieutenant Travis Mayweather played by Anthony Montgomery
Captain Shran played by Jeffery Combs
Captain Jean-Luc Picard played by Patrick Stewart
Captain Benjamin Sisko played by Avery Brooks
Lieutenant Commander Worf played by Michael Dorn
Lieutenant Commander Tuvok played by Tim Russ
Worf’s younger brother Kum played by Timothy Henry Todd
Commander Sirol played by Michael Mack
Romulan Tal Shiar operative played by Darwyn Carson
T’Pol played by Jolene Blalock
Dr. Leonard McCoy played by DeForest Kelly
Captain Kirk played by William Shatner
Captain Spock played by Leonard Nimoy
Counselor Troi played by Marina Sirtis
Samuel Clemens played by Jerry Hardin
Ralph Offenhause played by Peter Mark Richman
Lilly Sloane played by Alfie Woodard

The NAACP’s View On Michael Vick

According to CNN, R.L. White, president of the Atlanta chapter of the NAACP, made a statement today saying that former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Vick has made mistakes but that they should not cost him his career with the NFL. Mr. White continued his statement saying that the NAACP does not condone dog fighting or any other illegal activity, but Mr. Vick should be given a chance to redeem himself. It is Mr. White’s belief that Michael Vick made the choice to cut a deal rather than roll the dice on a trial and take a chance on being found guilty, Lastly, Mr. White went on record saying that he didn’t understand the uproar over dog fighting, when hunting deer and other animals is perfectly acceptable.Mr. White can plead ignorance about the difference between hunting and dog fighting if he wants. But to the average joe I’m sure the difference is crystal clear. Although it is true that hunters kill animals and fishermen kill fish, neither is considered torture to animals. An animal fighting to their death or being cruelly put to death for loosing their fight is flat out wrong. Besides, two wrongs don’t make a right. Because animals are killed in other circumstances doesn’t mean that we should condone their torture.

And that part about Michael Vick cutting a deal instead of taking his chances with a trial is just more evidence of his naiveté and confusion. Nobody in their right frame of mind would risk loosing so much by admitting guilt unless they are truly guilty. Hey, maybe it’s just me but if I was accused of a crime that I didn’t commit I wouldn’t admit to jack. I understand black people may have a more difficult chance in the courtroom than our white counterparts, but I’d take that slim chance on a jury or judge finding me guilty on the evidence or the weakness of my lawyer instead of guaranteeing my guilt by confessing. If Mr. Vick confesses then people need to quit making excuses for his sorry excuse of a person.

I have used this blog to vent about all the lopsided attention the accusations against Michael Vick’s have garnered. I made a comparison of the attention given Michael Vick and the attention to Tim Donaghy, the NBA referee who used his position on the court to manipulate the outcome of the game he was betting on. I also made a comparison between what was happening to Mr. Vick to what happened to Don Imus and wondered if Oprah Winfrey would come to Michael Vick’s aid as he is persecuted by PETA as she used her show to question the black community for their influence in getting Mr. Imus fired. My arguments were intended to show how a black man, Michael Vick for example, is treated differently from his white peers, Tim Donaghy and Don Imus.

However, never once have I argued for Mr. Vick’s innocence or guilt. Honestly, I could care less about Michael Vick. I think he’s scum and I think he is stupid. A nine figure income lost on something as stupid and base as dog fighting. He can profess to high heaven how much he appreciates god giving him the talent and opportunity to throw a football. But if Mr. Vick truly appreciated his blessings from god he would not have risked loosing them so inconsequentially.

But Mr. Vick’s impact on the black community as a role model, whether positively or negatively, is important if our children are to learn from not only his personal example, but how other members in the black community respond to his example. If his response to the behavior of Michael Vick is any indication, it is no wonder that Mr. White doesn’t have a career in the National Football League. Mr. White is fumbling his responsibilities. Mr. White has dropped the ball.

By unabashedly coming to Michael Vick’s defense Mr. White has forgotten his responsibility to the other colored people, most notably the children and youngsters who are watching and listening closely to what is going on even though they themselves don’t realize it. This is a prime opportunity to teach youth everywhere the consequences of a gangsta lifestyle. The message could’ve been clear, get caught acting like a thug you will pay the consequences of a thug, so think carefully about your choices.

Instead this representative of the NAACP wants to give the message, get caught acting like a thug and the black community will continue to forgive you. This indulgence of black celebrities really must come to an end. Black people who claim black criminals should be given a chance and reintegrated into society before the criminal can even begin his or her sentence are despicable. Black organizations that allow their leaders to make such brazen announcements are not operating in the best interest of their community. It really is no wonder that more people are not taking the NAACP seriously these days. More jokes like this and the name will be more like National Association for the Advancement of Comic People.

The Effects of Negative News

For some people, there is a problem with the steady focus on the negative news coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan. There is a mindset that people who report only the negative are trying to project a defeatist attitude and are essentially aiding and abetting the enemy while simultaneously demoralizing the troops of the United States who are serving in these countries. Anyone who focuses on the bad news is unpatriotic and need to change their tune so they can support the troops.

The American troops, along with troops from the Coalition of the Dwindling, invaded Iraq on March 20, 2003. So even if the negative news started the very day the troops set foot in Iraq (not such a stretch for the imagination considering the way this war has been mismanaged) the flow of negative news regarding the invasion of Iraq has been just a tad over four years and five months. In this short span of time people feel that there is a likelihood of a psychological impact on the American troops. So much negativity could demoralize the troops and imperil their ability to perform at the best of their capacity.

So why is it such a ridiculous proposition to suggest that the constant focus on negativity about the black community impacting the psyche of black people? The rhetoric against black people has been a constant and steady message for centuries. This propaganda is compounded by a history of slavery, white on black terrorism, segregation, forced separation, discrimination, and racism. People want to believe that racism is a dying phenomenon. But if reality is any indication (it’s usually the best) the subjugation of black people is alive and kicking like a Rockette from Radio City Music Hall.

Turn on the news and you’re likely to hear about black on black crime exploding in urban areas. But the steady stream of news regarding the white on white crime phenomenon is never given the label or stigma that the black crime gets. In reality, white on white crime is also hitting epidemic proportions. White crime against the community is a phenomenon that’s steadily rising as well. But there is no stigma associated with this phenomenon either.

In the past month a white wrestler killed his family and then committed suicide. The story has come and gone. Michael Vick gets caught engaging with dog fighting and he is constantly berated in the news. Sponsors are abandoning him like rats abandoning a sinking ship. It’s breaking news when companies that don’t even sponsor him are making statements about how they are going to continue to not sponsor him.

And then there’s Mr. Vick’s association with gangsta rap and how the black community is solely responsible for the development of this music genre. Did anyone ever ask what kind of music did the psychotic, family killing wrestler listened to? Tim Donaghy is fingered in the biggest scandal to hit the NBA. But that story of white crime against the community has come and gone. Who can figure the discrepancy? Then again, who can see it? Then again, who will admit to see it?

The black community cannot effect a turn around from its condition while it is constantly being barraged by this rhetoric. It is demoralizing and demeaning psychological warfare. This propaganda promotes and justifies the low opinion of black people outside and inside the community. The self esteem of black people is injured with absolutely no time to heal. Black entertainers and athletes, business people and entrepreneurs who have become wonderfully successful do what they can to divorce themselves from the black community in order to generate more appeal to white people. The white community is where the money is after all.

There is little doubt that there are black people who are financially well to do who do their honest best to help others in the black community. There are black managers in companies who make sure they give black applicants a fair shot at employment opportunities. But these people are too few and far between to successfully counter the onslaught of negativity that emanates from everywhere else. The negativity is thick enough to cut with a knife. Some may say that the propaganda is justified because the news is just reporting the facts. But if anyone watches typical television news locally or nationally they will see a carefully handpicked selection of stories designed to appeal to the large variety of news watchers.

Tonight on your Accu First News station, see a woman who’s been baking apple pies for seventy five years in the same oven her great grandmother used back on the Mayflower. But first, is Michael Vick responsible for dog fighting in gangsta rap videos? And is gangsta rap responsible for the huge surge in black on black crime statistics? All this and the weather coming up next on your Accu First News station!

True there are problems in the black community. No one is saying there aren’t. But the focus only on the problems of the black community combined with the stigma of focusing on black criminality, low test scores, unemployment, and such makes for a perfect storm that can demoralize the hardiest of souls. In order to help the black community we must first accept the possibility that there may be a system of propaganda being employed against blacks. If we learn to recognize the propaganda we can learn to resist the propaganda. Once we learn to resist our chances of redeeming the black community should improve significantly.

The Pursuit of Getting By

Chris Gardner appears to be a man on top of the world. Who hasn’t heard of this guy and his story? He is the ultimate of patriarch. He is a black man who moved heaven and hell to become successful as a stockbroker and keep his son every step of the way. Mr. Gardner is famous for his story of being so broke that he and his son had to sleep wherever they could so that he could afford to keep his son in daycare while he was at work. But whatever trials and tribulations Mr. Gardner suffered he did more than weathered them. Mr. Gardner is an ultimate success story.

Not too long ago I saw Mr. Gardner make an appearance on CNN. Somebody was asking him if he would share his keys for success. Mr. Gardner started with his catchphrases. Never give up. Keep the faith. The show must go on. Keep hope alive. Hold on to your dreams. It is okay to fail but don’t ever quit. And other clichés than I care not to remember.

I have yet to see Mr. Gardner’s story and I have yet to read his book. But, if what I hear and understand about Mr. Gardner is true, from his early beginnings he had a single minded focus on personal wealth and materialism. At one point in his life Mr. Gardner wanted to be a doctor, not because he felt a calling to serve his fellow man. His mother wanted him to know he could make a million dollars if he wanted to. He wanted to be a doctor because they are known for getting paid bank. He saw a man in a Ferrari and made the pursuit of happiness as a stockbroker his goal in life. Mr. Gardner had the determination to be a financial success no matter what path he choose for himself.

I have to admit that I have heard enough clichés and rhetoric throughout my lifetime to last me a lifetime. People need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps and god helps those who help themselves. All of these things sound really good and very inspirational. But the bottom line is that faith and perseverance alone doesn’t always cut it in reality. Faith and persistence are important components of character to have in whatever challenges we must face in life. But like everything else they must be kept in balance with the rest of the workings that come together to formulate our lives.

Mr. Gardner suffered the experience of going to prison for ten days, getting out and heading straight for his job interview, and he still managed to get land an opportunity to become an intern and fulfill his dreams. But then someone like Evon Reid (see Ghetto Dudes Need Jobs Too) who has already made the sacrifice to get his education, can go to a job interview in a nice conservative suit, and be denied simply because somebody is too much of a racist to let a black man who wants to wear dreadlocks from penetrating the shield of white domination and black conformation. Mr. Reid didn’t have to bust out of jail to make his job interview and he didn’t have to beg the security guard to make a phone call from his cell. But somehow Mr. Reid is denied and Mr. Gardner is hired to become the multi millionaire.

For every brother like Chris Gardner that gets an opportunity because of their spiritual perseverance, luck, or whatever and despite their less than ideal living conditions there are tons of brothers like Evon Reid who do their homework keep their noses as clean as they come, and are still rejected by the corporate machine. We can keep our hopes alive and hold on to our dreams. But what is happening while we are waiting to run across the one person who just so happens to be the corporate gatekeeper that is going to give us our chance to be part of the wealth building public? Until then, we have to keep our faith, keep our hopes alive, and hold on to our dreams while doing our best to get by the best way we can.

At this very moment I’m having my own difficulty trying to find a gatekeeper willing to take a chance on me. I have faith in my skills and I know I’m the very best at what I do. I have to persevere and I have to have faith in myself. But I also know that the skills and experiences are useless until I can find someone who is willing to give me an opportunity to exercise them and be compensated. I’m trying to pull myself up by my bootstraps. But I also know that the bootstraps that I’m pulling on must be firmly attached to a job in corporate America. Otherwise, I can pull on them all I want and they won’t do a thing for getting me into a means of earning a living. I might as well take my bootstrap and use it as a slingshot for hunting down tomorrow’s dinner. Squirrel pie anyone?

People ask stupid things like why don’t more black people be like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan, or Will Smith? Trust me, more black people try to be more like these pillars of corporate society than anyone would care to admit. More black kids try out during tryouts to be the next basketball or football star. More black people stand in line to be the next discovered talent on American Idol or America’s Got Talent. More black people try to prove their skills as the next high profile interviewer or talk show host. But just like it was for Oprah, Michael Jordan, and Will Smith, someone has to give them the opportunity to be a talk show host, basketball player, or rapper/actor.

Oprah didn’t wake up a billionaire one day. Michael didn’t walk into the Bull’s locker room and was instantly hired. I’m sure the same is true for Will Smith. Somebody was willing to gave them a chance to earn a living before they developed their mega reputations and enough notoriety to earn bank with little more than their name. And right now there are other seriously talented and experienced black people who need support and someone willing to take a chance on us. Not all of us sing and dance. Some of us have gone to school and have earned some serious bootstraps. But until they are anchored to a job pulling on them won’t do a bit of good.