The Next Page

Twenty Q's for the Weekend

2009-10-16T16:19:00.006-04:00

Actually, Nelly won't be answering any questions this week so maybe you can!

Why do I get sleepy every time I sit down to study?
Would we have cared so much about the death of Darrion Albert in Chicago if it wasn't captured by the cell phone video?
What happened to the coverage of South African runner Caster Semenya?
Why do White people keep losing their children? #balloonboy
Why is there no national coverage of Black children when they go missing?
Why do people talk about winter in Michigan winters in terms of ‘survival’?
Can you really avoid violence?
Does question #4 sound racist?
In light of the ongoing economic downturn, is the Middle Class really disappearing or is this group just upper-level proletariat? #ClassicalMarx
Can President Obama be re-elected in 2012?
When will OutKast drop another classic album?
Will my children have a hip hop group that means as much to them as De La Soul, OutKast, and Little Brother mean to me?
Why is SingleBlackMale.net one of the greatest blogs of all time? OF ALL TIME!!!! #Kanyeshrug
Why was Kid Cudi’s debut album “Man on the Moon” such a disappointment?
Why is Tyler Perry making so much money from 1-dimensional representations of Black people?
Why haven’t you seen Capitalism: A Love Story?
Why is Modern Family one of the funniest shows on TV right now?
Do you know where your clothes were made? (Check the tags)
How will Rio deal with the violence and poverty within its favelas in preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games?
Have you high-fived someone today? If not, what are you waiting for?

Got responses? Post below. Have a good weekend folks!!!

2009-08-30T23:00:00.003-04:00

il I look up. Things stop being familiar to me about a week ago but it's just now setting in that this is indeed the next page.

2009-08-30T23:00:00.001-04:00

So Lansing is this weird kind of place to me right now because i'm not used to it yet. I'm sitting on the steps of my porch thinking i'm in the ville unt

2009-08-11T18:35:00.001-04:00

Testing the sms function....

It Doesn't Matter if you're Black or White! (c) Michael Jackson because you'll still be White in Tamale

2009-07-06T09:36:00.011-04:00

This blog was written on July 6th, 2009

Last Wednesday I was riding on the back of Kadiri's motorbike in the streets of Tamale headed to the Youth Forum for drumming lessons. We pulled into the petro station finding a short line of folks waiting to fill up. Customary greetings filled the air. I join in to practice the little bit of the language I’d picked up so far. "Antiree (Ahn-tee-ray) = good afternoon." The woman on the motorbike ahead of us smiles and replies "Naaa" as the child tied to her back examines my face.

Our motorbike rolls forward to the pump, the attendant tops off the fuel tank, and cedis are exchanged. As we rolled off, another young man pulled up to the pump to get fuel. A flurry of Dagbani from the woman's mouth drew my attention. I didn't know what was said but I could tell that she wasn't happy about something.

Me: "What's going on, Kadiri?"

Kadiri's: "She told the young man that pulled up that he should wait his turn. She only let them go because of the 'white man'."

Me: [confused look]

Kadiri: "She was talking about you Khalfani"

Now, let me take this moment to make something very clear. I look in the mirror every morning as part of my daily routine. I brush my teeth, wash my face, brush the sleep from my eyes, notice newly developing pimples and account for the single red hair on the right side of my beard reminding me that I'm my mother's child. But I have never ever ever in my twenty-five years and seven months woke up and said, "hey man you're looking pretty white today!"

In the racial system of the Western world, I am Black, African-American, New Afrikan, etc. In Tamale, I can't blend in and I was prepared for that. I was even prepared to be identified as an American. I was even ready for the little kids to look at me funny (they do but then they scream “heelllooooo!!!!”). But this whole white man thing is something else. Cats are riding bike on motorbikes screaming "What's up Silminga?!!!" risking life and limb to get a glimpse at the stranger.

So I’ve been investigating to get a better understanding of the local perspective of Black Americans. The Dagombas use the word "Sil-min-ga" but the connotation varies depending on who you ask. Hassan, a younger friend we've met here, says that it simply means 'foreigner' and all non-Ghanaian folks are tossed in that category. Fair enough. So I asked another friend for her perspective. "It's your skin, your accent, we know you are not from here." Damn! “Ok, so is there a word for Black folks, people of African descent in the United States?” Nope. I asked some more people and the majority of responses came back in support of the woman at the petro station: Silminga = white man.

I'm trying to understand why no distinction is made to describe different groups of people outside of the Dagomba communities. And why is the most common connotation 'white man'? What qualities/roles/characteristics are attributed to this label among the people of Tamale? I wish I had some deep insightful message to explain it but I’m still a bit confused myself. I'll keep digging.

On another note, will President Obama be considered a Silminga when he arrives in Accra on Friday?

Adendum 7/8/09: I was reading a story from Time magazine in May 2009 about efforts to find Joseph Kony, the leader of the Lord's Rebellion Army in Uganda. The swahili term for "white man," muzungu was used to describe the Guatemalans defeated by LRA.

Guy Love

2009-06-16T13:30:00.003-04:00

Before I left for Tamale, Ghana, I was told that it might happen. I wasn’t sure how I felt about it though. The flash of a Cheshire grin exhuming coolness (the kind equipped to mask fear or hesitancy in the face of a challenge or imminent danger) was my only response to my Ghanaian brother's forewarning. I spoke with some (female) friends (in America) about it and they applauded the openness that accompanied my ambivalence towards it. “Well at least you haven’t taken a stance against it…that says a lot about you…” Umm, yeah but it doesn’t make me feel any easier about it.

It = holding hands (heretofore abbreviated as HH)
a common act of friendship between men in Tamale, Ghana.

In American culture, extreme acts of manliness do not include handholding with other men. Physical expressions of male-to-male non-aggressive behavior are allowed in limited contexts – father/son relationships, athletic championships (its okay, even expected, to weep like a child when you win the Super Bowl), and in extreme cases, the death of a relative. In fact, holding hands with members of the opposite sex in public spaces is often regarded as a chore. But I’m not in America anymore. According to my Ghanaian hosts, homosexuality is not openly practiced in Tamale. However, behaviors Americans stereotypically ascribed to homosexuals do occur in my new environment.

HH Encounter #1: We were greeted by a small contingent of Dagbani folks representing Sister Cities in Tamale. Upon our arrival in northern Ghana Saturday morning, the notion of guy love took was initiated. An elder member of the delegation reached for my hand to shake it and welcome me to Tamale. In a sudden act of discreet precision, the handshake morphed into him guiding me by the hand towards the rest of the group. The manly man inside of me released his hand and grabbed hold of my cool. I was on hand guard patrol for the rest of the day but I wasn’t prepared for my next encounter.

HH Encounter #2: During my time here, I have made friends with a Dagbani man of my age. We have grown to be fast friends and share a lot of interests. One day walking through the Zo-Simli Naa Palace, we were joking about some things as men often do. We slapped hands (a ritual that appears to be a universal sign of male peers) after a good laugh and it happened again. The Dagbani men are swift in their execution! I found myself walking with my friend hand in hand for paces through the palace. It doesn’t last long like a nice walk in the park or anything, but it’s lengthy enough to recognize that this XY chromosome carrier has my hand.

I’ve given a lot of thought to the cultural significance of the act. Male friends of all ages can be found walking hand in hand with little regard for any misinterpretation of their relationship. It is an act of friendship. I’m still debating on where to draw the line or whether a line needs to be drawn at all in this regard. If I am to call this man my friend, do I reject his hand when he reaches for mine? While the story unfolds, I’ll leave you with this memorable moment from Scrubs the musical. Time for some jolof rice!

Day 1 in Accra

2009-06-12T05:52:00.000-04:00

We've finally arrived in Ghana after spending almost an entire day in the Bluegrass Airport behind rain delays and thirteen hours of travel between NJ, London and Accra. It was raining last night when our flight landed signaling the presence of the rainy season. I had this sense that I'm somewhere familiar when I stepped off the plane. For my Trinidad & Tobago crew, think about our arrival at UWI's campus the first night - yeah that's the feeling.

We took advantage of the fact that our bodies are still ahead of Ghanaian time by waking up early this morning for breakfast and a walk around the Wangara Hotel area in Accra. Banana trees, pedestrians, mating frogs (seriously), taxis, and school kids carrying adult-sized bookbags filled the streets. The taxis are aggressive but the people are friendly. A young man working in the hotel spoke very highly of America during a brief chat following our hour long trek. He expressed his hope to "be there one day!" In my mind, I recalled thinking the same thing about my trip to the continent. hmmm...

Today, we will be traveling through Accra to see a few of the sights. Our flight to Tamale leaves Saturday so we have some time to see the sights. Eric, our guide in Accra, will be taking us to Cape Coast and to the Kwame Nkrumah home. Hopefully, we can extend the plan to include the Du Bois home and burial site and a visit to the Slave dungeons to walk back through the door of no return. For those that may need more info on the significance of this locale, see the movie Sankofa and this web site. Millions of Africans entering into the Atlantic Slave system ventured through these mis-named 'castles' on their way to the Americas. To walk back through the door of no return has been touted by friends who have visited the coasts dungeons as a spiritual rebirth.

I'll be getting my SIM card today with my local number. If you want to call, send me a message and I'll send you the number. You can keep up with my activity via Twitter by following CKHerm_Ghana. Wherever I go, I'm trying to bring my people with me!

Homecoming aka Coming(home) - quickwrite

2009-06-08T10:28:00.005-04:00

In two days , I will be headed to the airport to begin a life-changing journey to Ghana as an intern for the Sister Cities of Louisville Tamale program. I've been dreaming of this opportunity since my younger days. Reading Langston Hughes speak of rivers, Nikki's Ego Trip and Malcolm's pilgrimage to Mecca via the African continent let me know there was something else out there for African Americans and particularly this young boy from Kansas City.

People keep asking me if I'm ready for this trip. my short answer is a hesitant "yes." My bags aren't packed or anything and I still have to hit up Wally World for a few hard to find items. However, I've spent the last five years of my life (at Georgia State and the University of Louisville) studying people of African descent around the world. This knowledge base will enhance my experience and sensitivity to my surroundings but I don't think there's an experience that can prepare me psychologically or emotionally to return to a home that I've only heard stories about. Like many African Americans that express an affinity towards the African continent, my view of the African continent is deeply informed by romanticized notions of Africa as the Motherland. As much as I read about her history, culture, and life in contemporary times, I've held on to the rose tinted shades. I look at Africa in the way a boy looks at his mother; looking beyond her imperfections, he remains in awe and amazement of her beauty, power, and grace.

Everyone I've spoken with about the trip who has been to the continent in their life speaks of their experience as life-changing. I've traveled a great deal in the past few years to different parts of the US and the Caribbean. I don't think anything has prepared me for it though. For that I am excited. the feeling reminds me of a passage from Michael Datcher's book in which he recalls seeing his biological mother for the first time. It's like seeing your reflection in a familiar stranger...

New Wale ft Lady Gaga "Chillin"

2009-06-04T09:19:00.002-04:00

Came across the new single from Wale's upcoming debut "Attention: Deficit." As expected, Wale rips it. The Lady Gaga feature is a nice touch in my opinion. Keeps the tone of the song real bouncy on the hook. I'm looking forward to the album. If you haven't heard of Wale, check the Mixtape About Nothing that dropped last year. Peace famo!

Charles Hamilton gets rocked

2009-05-26T19:49:00.002-04:00

The lesson: keep ya business out of the streets and don't front on the ladies, fellas.

Solja Boy Tell 'Em! where ya Mama at?

2009-05-17T13:15:00.013-04:00

In a collage of past-present video-clips, Solja Boy gives us a glimpse of what it took to arrive at his current place in US popular culture. The cars, clothes, cribs, hit records, plush four-post bed and even his own cereal tells us that he has indeed come a long way. But something just doesn't seem right to me; something's missing.

Where is his family?

I mean, dude is a big time pop icon right now but he's still a minor as far as I know and kids normally have parents right? I know this is just a music video but the absence of anything resembling a family taps into a larger narrative permeating the construction of Black life in popular media.

In 1965, the United States Department of Labor commissioned New York State Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan to conduct a study exploring the dysfunctionality of the Black family in America. The product of this study, commonly known as the Moynihan Report, severely influenced the public image of Black Families in the United States. In short, the report states that Black families are dysfunctional because Black mothers have assumed the head of the household thereby and emasculating Black men who would occupy that role in the US model of the family system. Additionally, Black mothers are unable to take care of their children because they are working to fulfill he economic roles as a provider. The children (because there is always more than one!) grows up in the streets without any guidance and cannot became a productive member of society. This is the dominant narrative of Black families in the late twentieth century. Back to the video.

The Black and white portion of the video is his old life, his rise to fame, the grind. the color portion of the video is the new life post-Superman-that-hoe-dom (peep the flying cape moment when he puts his robe on and leaps into the next room). The material life has changed significantly with the cars, glow in the dark XBox 360 and the jewels. Outside his homeboy playing GTA with him, no one else is present in Solja Boy's life: No mama, no daddy, no sister, no g-ma, or anyone else. it's just him and he's making it...on his own.

Is there a causal correlation? I don't know. But the promotion of this isolated experience of material prosperity may be sending the wrong message to 106 & Park-ers who eat this narrative up 4 or 5 times a week. Is it real? Could this really be his life?

Solja Boy, when you get done "countin' dis monay!" could you please tell us where your family is?

yeeeeeeeaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh aaaaawwwwwwwwwww

A thesis break with Kid Cudi

2009-04-30T06:50:00.004-04:00

I've been living in the library over the past four days trying to make sense out of a bunch of reading on racial, gender, and Black feminist theory. Shit's bananas! Anyway, one of the things that's helped me get through it is the Kid Cudi mixtape entitled "Dat Kid from Cleveland." Dude's got a interesting sense of self as an outsider who finally made it in. Also check the creative and humorously misogynistic lyrics on "I poke her face" ft Kanye and Common. This may be the most creative song about head ever! What caps it off for me hearing Common's line "but they say, 'you be on that conscious tip.' Get your head right and get up on this conscious dick!" For real Common? Hanging out with Yeezy just brought the raucous out!

Mixtape also features Wale, Chip tha Ripper, 88 Keys and others.

I'm still working my way through the album and I'm enjoying it. Go download it here for the free-99 and enjoy it too!

Back to the grind.

Adele is her name...

2009-04-23T01:38:00.006-04:00

I'm a music fiend. Next to Hip Hop, I have a special place for women who can really really really blow (Jill Scott, Nina Simone, Billie Holiday, Christina Aguilera, etc). And even better than a pure voice is a a pure voice delivering honest, well-written soulful lyrics. That's what I've found with Adele who dropped her album in January 2008. For some reason, I've only recently heard her album 19. She has a beautiful voice that is reminiscent of Etta James's rasp (is that the right way to use the apostrophe?) and the charm of a Joss Stone/Amy Winehouse Londoner who emotes old Soul music in with such ease that shames Justin Timberlake for ever fixing his mouth to sing the hook for T.I. "Dead and Gone"

"Melt My Heart to Stone" is my personal favo(u)rite at the moment but I've only listened to it twice in the past few hours. buy it on iTunes or download it for the recession proof price of free-99. If you buy it, I recommend the Deluxe edition with the live performances.

Enjoy.

CKHerm

Nat Turner's Rebellion included white women

2008-12-29T03:07:00.004-05:00

I haven't been blogging for quite some time. Working on the thesis and being a graduate student has kept me pretty busy. Anyway, here's a interesting take on the Nat Turner Rebellion by one of the greatest comedians of my childhood, David Allen Grier.

"Because he is afraid of the Black Man's sexual prowess!"
- Nat Turner's Secret Diary (it's a secret!)

"Words touch youths like priests I'm confessin'..."

2008-07-03T15:19:00.009-04:00

Stop crankin that Solja Boy for a few minutes to feed your brain with the latest offering from D.C.'s Wale (pronounced Wah-lay). If you know him, you're probably bumping the tape right now. If you've never heard of him, it's ok. Just think about how much more you would like Kanye if he really went hard as an MC and you'll be close to envisioning Wale: Hip Hop that's saying something, even when it's on a "A Mixtape About Nothing".

Album commentary coming soon.

On a personal note...

2008-07-01T17:57:00.003-04:00

I really don't relish in the public release of private experiences but I just feel like sharing this account. Maybe there's something here for you or maybe its an act of self-therapy. Either way, here it is. Read, think, empathize, cajole, reflect.

I had a much needed conversation the other day with someone I had wronged on a few levels. She was very considerate during our talk. The somber tone in her voice reminded me of the peace we shared when we were together, both as friends and as partners. In spite of my internal struggles, she seemed to make things easier and that's a quality difficult to find. Anyhow, it was a pleasure to talk with her and reconnect if only for a short time. I wish her the best.

Sometimes, when you mess up, you're not supposed to get a 2nd or 3rd chance
Because the point of the experience is to learn
To be better tomorrow than you were yesterday
All because of what you learned today.
Don't miss the opportunity to take notes
Class is always in session.

To be honest, sometimes I get in my own way by moving on to the next lesson with no review of the last; leaving myself only to variations of the same fall and not realizing that I keep tripping over the same damn rock. Ok, the metaphor may be getting out of hand at this point. We just gotta pay attention to the messages because they're always there and will always be as long as we're willing to look for them.

me: maybe using our heart or gut for some matters is the only way to go
J: yeah my logical brain tells me not to trust my emotional heart

Obama's Key to Success: 1st-Person Plural Pronouns

2008-06-11T15:58:00.014-04:00

I want to take the time to congratulate Senator Obama for becoming the first African-American to receive the presidential candidacy from a major political party in the history of America. On some level, his ascendancy to this position signals that America wants something different from our government. The question is, can he deliver? The short and quick answer: no. But Obama knows it and that's what makes him the smartest of the last three major candidates (well, two now) vying for the top spot in '08.

Obama's key to success is the use of rhetoric generated by the power of two letters: w and e. "We" is a flexible pronoun and it's first person inclusiveness allowed the people to get on board and become part of the campaign. The campaign's rhetoric of "Yes, we can!" (or "Si, se puede!" for our Spanish-speaking audience) highlights the necessity of, and Barack's desire for, cooperation in the advancement of the United States in the 21st century. The "we" also speaks to the intra-governmental vision Barack has for federal operations. One of the central lessons of Civics/U.S. Government 101: checks and balances are in place to prevent the federal government from becoming a monarchy. Obama intends to enlist the aide of Congress to move this country in a positive direction. Practiced properly (i.e. not like Bush) the system works pretty well. Unlike McCain and Hillary's prophetic use of "I" (and Hillary's wild left arm), Obama understands that he cannot successfully operate alone. So he invited millions of Americans to get involved in the process and they have responded.

It would be foolish to assume that McCain or Clinton intend to be autocrats so I won't entertain that idea. However, their shortcomings in garnering and sustaining mass support lies partly in their rhetoric of I, the individual. They jumped on the "change" idea but missed the fundamental "We"-ness of Obama's campaign. The vacuum created by notions of individualism can curtail potential supporters from feeling part of the movement. Words definitely have power and it may have been the difference in who received the nod from the people.

Although I will be supporting another candidate in November, I'm happy for Obama and excited to see what the rest of the year brings. More presidential commentary coming soon.

Obama's 2008 Presidential To Do List -
Team Building: check!
Win Kentucky: no dice!
Win Demcratic Candidacy: unofficial, but check!
Win the Presidency: November
Work on fist pound with Michelle: check!

Apples and Bananas

2008-06-10T02:26:00.007-04:00

Initial response to the New York Times' article on the upcoming release of latest version of the iPhone

Even as I type these words onto the 15.4in screen of my Dell Inspiron 1501, I secretly wish it was an Apple product. Vista's interface resembles the smooth appearance of the Apple's own interface so that helps some. But I'm in love with the Apple. I own an 80GB iPod (the second iPod I've owned in the last 3 years preceded by an apple green 4GB iPod Nano), and continue the attempt to rationalize spending between $600 on a refurbished macbook (see http://www.macofalltrades.com/) or upwards of $2000 on a new MacBook Pro. On a practical level, the Dell does everything I would want my (future) Mac to do so it doesn't really make sense to trade out my current machine. But, like a lot of people, I'm drawn to the glow.

Apple's appeal is very clear: Apple products look better than their competitors' products. Clean lines, vivid colrs and an instantly recognizeable design all speak to the rise of Apple as a fashion accessory over the 8 years. Little white earbuds are conspicuously present in classrooms, gyms, subways, and almost every other venue available. The pearl white/smooth black/metallic silver MacBooks accent classrooms, boardrooms, coffeeshops, and parks around the world. When you see one, you may even 'ooohhh,' audibly impressed by the clean and polished appearance of the Apple's eyecandy. Don't worry; it's not you're fault and you're not the only one. The design team has built some wonderfully attractive products. And to top it off, the Mac vs PC ads are pretty good at poking fun of their less attractive competitor.

However, the iPhone is not without competiton. In a head to head with the Helio Ocean, the first generation iPhone got the brakes beat off of it.

The Helio was clearly a better phone in terms of functionality (and price), but the iPhone captured the market and people coughed up $400 to talk in style. I feel bad for those who couldn't wait for the second generation iPhone. It must feel like you've been hustled for $200. But at least you look cool.

In a world propelled by a high level of materialism, style means access and a reduced price will definitely compel more tech-fashionistas to rush to Cingular to get down with the in-crowd. And now you can use the new GPS function on the iPhone to find the in-crowd.

Past Life?

2008-05-06T19:57:00.002-04:00

I got this from a friend's blog that I read pretty often.
Past Life Diagnosis - http://www.thebigview.com/pastlife/

Your past life diagnosis:
I don't know how you feel about it, but you were female in your last earthly incarnation.You were born somewhere in the territory of modern Romania around the year 1850. Your profession was that of a philosopher and thinker.

Your brief psychological profile in your past life:Timid, constrained, quiet person. You had creative talents, which waited until this life to be liberated. Sometimes your environment considered you strange.

The lesson that your last past life brought to your present incarnation:It always seemed to you that your perceptions of the world are somewhat different. Your lesson is to trust your intuition as your best guide in your present life.

Interesting....

Live from New Orleans lower 9th

2008-03-10T23:29:00.004-04:00

3 years later and not much has changed in the lower 9th ward of New Orleans. I'm here in this time with UofL's Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee. Here's a throwback from an old blog until I get my thoughts together about the current trip. There's a lot of work to do here in New Orleans and even more in the areas in Mississippi and Alabama affected by Hurricane Katrina. Check out Common Ground Relief and Malcolm X Grassroots Movement pages for more information about the current issues facing our communities in these areas.

Obama and White Folks

2008-03-03T23:28:00.001-05:00

This was my point about two posts ago. Things White People Like - Barack Obama

Go me.

Kids do the Darndest Things!

2008-03-03T23:00:00.005-05:00

I mean, do we really need to say anything more than this young girl has already said?

Fear of Obama's Maniacs

2008-02-27T18:50:00.000-05:00

Obama is pretty close to making some sort of history and that's exciting. However, I've had the conversation with my mother about my weariness in his quest the President. I think he's a phenomenal personality. Very charismatic, intelligent and seemingly politically saavy. I'm not concerned with the "lack of experience" because Hilary's "experience" as first lady doesn't mean too much. She may have had some input on some of Bill's but that doesn't substitute for being the CEO of the nation. Both of then are green in terms of Senator experience because they're still in their first terms. The way candidates are weeded out through the primary system, not everyone can vote for who they would've voted for intially (John Edwards is the only person who spoke directly to the inequalities that produce "poor people" a la MLK Jr.'s Poor People's Campaign). So I'm really disfranchised at this point because neither candidates are speaking to issues they can impact in the next 4 years as President, but I will digress from this tangent to speak to my fear of ObamaManiacs...

Given the United State's history on race relations, it's difficult to support Obama's election. I don't think he'll be shot or anything (radicalism seems to be a pre-requisite for Black assasination). He's a viable candidate but his successful election may bring about the wrong kind of change. It's not him though; it's the people behind him.

Obama has a significant amount of White liberal supporters. What makes some White liberals dangerous (and some Black folks, too) to me is their unwilling to discuss the effects of Racism and its role in determining power relations historically and in the contemporary context. More often than not, White folks tend to be very uncomfortable talking about race relations in fear of being ientified in tandem with slaveowners of our history books. Skeptically, I think a lot of Obama's White liberal supporters fall into this category. The election of an individual who is identified as African-American/Black/Person of Color/Non-White with that base of supporters would be the equivalent of pushing the purple elephant everyone is ignoring out of the room. With it would go the conversation on race relations, white privilege, racism, and racial inequalities that needs to be had in American society. Those who choose to ignore the purple elephant are doomed to perpetuate the ills of a racialized society by not addressing the source.

Here's a snippet of how a conversation on racism could happen in the context of a Black President:

White Liberal Guy: "Hey man, how was your weekend?"

Black Guy: "Saturday was horrible. I was pulled over right outside my neighborhood. The officer wasn't clear about why he pulled me over but he gave me a ticket anyway!"

WLG: "That's crazy man! You weren't doing anything wrong."

BG: (with an angry, conspiratorial look) "Nothing but driving while being a Black man in America."

WLG: "No way man, racism is dead. Lincoln ended slavery over 150 years ago; King marched and we voted Barack in 6 years ago. Maybe you were a little heavy on the gas or forgot to turn your lights on. Yeah that's it."

BG: ".........whatever."

While that conversation may be a little simplified, it's the rhetoric of a lot of White folks when the goodie bag of race/racism/white privilege/racial inequality is introduced across lines of race. That's a dangerous approach and antithetical to the topic of change. If I've got it wrong, prove it by engaging in the conversation. If you want an indicator to the severity of this touchy issue, just notice how Barack is the only one who will not talk about being African-American as he campaigns for the leadership of a deeply racist country.

If we want to "Barack the Vote", elect "Obama in '08" or my personal favorite, "Tell yo mama to vote Obama!" then make sure you're talking about race, class, and gender oppression that happens in everyday life. Make sure you and your constituents are on the road to progressive human-centered equality. Frankly, electing Obama won't make the changes we need to see in our society; that's our job. Now that's change you can believe in!

A special thanks to MC for arguing with me about this topic.

Don't Ask, Don't Tell...

2008-02-21T21:27:00.000-05:00

I received a facebook message earlier today with a probate video for a lesbian-oriented Greek-Letter Organization (GLO). Here were the thoughts I offered to the feed and now to you, the 2+ readers of this fledgling blog, lol! So here's how I look at the emergence of Queer-identified GLOs and affiliate groups (Alpha Lambda Zeta, MiAKAs and others):

The BGLOs of the NPHC have espoused particular identities of what a _____-man and a _____-woman is supposed to be (fill in your choice of BGLO). Within this description, the assumed sexual identity is heterosexual, even though we have had members who identified as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and in some cases, transsexual in both contemporary times and historically (Countee Cullen, poet, Alpha; Langston Hughes, Omega among others).

Our organizations do not have clauses against homosexuality because we all know members in our organizations that identify as such. However, their continued acceptance in the organization is often contingent on maintaining the preferred (read: heterosexual) image of the ______-man or ______-woman. The members who decide to voice/express/openly display their homosexual identities often risk marginalization within their own "brother-" or "sister-" hood. Think about how the openly homosexual members of our organizations are treated by fellow members.

These organizations are possibly emerging out of the space our organizations have created by disallowing the performance of alternative (read: homosexual) sexualities. To exist in our brother and sisterhoods, one must leave their homosexuality at the door or face ostracization. So we should ask ourselves: Should we be upset, dismayed or even surprised when fraternities and sororities emerge that allow for its members to openly express their sexual identities? If we are, then what does this say about us?

Brothas, please step your game up

2007-10-21T23:31:00.000-04:00

I won't claim perfection in the craft of spittin game, hell I let the words "Hello, you look great. What's your name?" run into the back of my teeth more times than I can count. However, some cats just don't get it. Case in point:

I went to an artistic expression event this evening with a fellow female graduate student who happens to be a very attractive woman. She was easily one of the most attractive women in the spot so dudes were circling, waiting for their chance to lay claim. We split when I opted for a few Coronas from the bar and some healthy convo about Hip Hop and Politics (yes, at 10pm on a Sunday night). The next time we spoke, it was time to go. Apparently the host introduced himself by telling her how much he liked the legs extending from the black skirt she was wearing. He followed by running his "stats" as she called it ("This is what I do/what I have/what I can offer) in hopes of gaining a new fan. Bad move man, bad move.

Brothers, don't be this cat. I've spoken with more than enough women to know they don't give a damn about that stuff at the end of the day. Say anything to her but this stuff. Just be yourself and let the situation work itself out.

Moral of the story: You don't have to be a dick to get some pussy.

Feeling good feeling great!

2007-08-27T23:32:00.000-04:00

I'm finally here in Louisville, settled into my apartment and getting my grad school on! This is my third apartment but it is the first one that will be all mine. I can do anything in this space without regard for private decency. Autonomy is a wonderful feeling.

The FAQ over the last week or so: "How does it feel to be a grad student?" or some variation on the theme. At first I was nervous because I didn't know exactly what to expect at this level. But the support I've received from the graduate students and the department since I've been here has minimized the initial anxiety. A few class conversations into the semester, I know I'm in the right place. Reassurance is a wonderful feeling as well.

Labor Day weekend will take me back to Atlanta to shop, visit the fam, gather the rest of my personal affects to fill my studio apartment, and see Her. It's gonna be a great weekend.

Like Finding Water for Chocolate

2007-07-23T22:30:00.000-04:00

"...this is Rap for real/something you feel..."

"The 6th Sense"

Like Water For Chocolate (2000) entered my life (stage right) during my sophomore year in high school. Like Water... single-handedly expanded my understanding of what rap music was and was capable of. "The Light" was the initial draw to the album. Here was this brother, crochet cuffi hat and all, waxing poetically to Ms. Badu about how to build their relationship into a successful union. The message of equality and balanced responsibility as well as the vulnerability accompanying Black male emotional exposure were all radical departures from what I was listening to at the time (i.e. Cash Money Millionaires, Redman, Method Man and others). Quality guest appearances (Cee-Lo, D'Angelo, Jill Scott, ?uestlove, Bilal, and others) add a very soulful, jazz-filled, and familial feeling to the album. Up to this point, I had never felt this way about an album. Common's lyrics were more similar to the thoughts residing in my mind than those of Wayne, Juvie, BG, or anyone else. He wasn't any better than the mentioned artists. Common was just different and happened to be the kind of different that resonated with me. Immersed in the sound, I never looked back.

It opened up a new world to me. My expectations from music, particularly rap music, were changed. I wanted music that spoke directly to me and challenged me to grow especially if I was buying it. The adage 'food for the soul' comes to mind. LWfC was a catalyst for growth. (at some point, I will have to expand on this idea). To this day, I still spin that album. I'm on my second copy. Easily a top ten album in my music LWfC is a classic album to me.

Common's latest opus, Finding Forever, will be released to the people next Tuesday (7/31). I will be in the store (probably Earwax or Moods Music) to cop the 7th album from Chicago's finest. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying the complete downloaded copy. Yeah I copped it from the internet. I couldn't wait until next week. Finding Forever = aural bliss. Support good music and responsible artists. Cop it when it drops.

2007-07-09T15:07:00.000-04:00

For starters, I'm not sure what info should be privy to the billions of potential readers across the world wide web. I guess I'll situate myself with where I am at this moment and work outward.

After today, I have three days left as an employee at the university. This is exciting because I don't have to work in such a stale environment anymore. It sucks because my cash flow will be down for a second as I save up for the move to Louisville. I'm worried that I'm not going to have enough dough to make this happen but it always seems to work itself out. Just gotta keep grinding.

In the meantime, I've been spending a lot of time with my friends and family trying to savor the joys of freetime in their company. There are a lot of people I want to spend time with before I go, but I only have three weeks to go and that may not be enough time. A party would be a great way to get everyone together but the personal conversations are what I'm looking for in these last few weeks. Some of the best times this summer have been spent with these people over a bottle of beer or glass (or bottle) of wine shooting the breeze. More good times to be had in the last days...