Watch the video here:
Here is a wonderfully inspiring video. This video should open even blind eyes. Watch and Share!
http://www.vimeo.com/1742831#success
Change -The Future
http://obamain30seconds.org/vote/?v=view-371-JM1w9e
Pass it on...
in your family? At work? In your neighborhood?
How do you cope??
We've all worked and prayed hard this week, let's make sure Wyoming goes to Obama then we can take a break and work for our man on Tuesday which I believe will absolutely go in the win column!!
Take care.
Bryan
Finally an honest politician who has the ability to not only be believable but has proven himself time and time again,his wife is such a lucky woman,I look forward to seeing her as The New First Lady.People are drawn to his honesty,modesty all the qualities it takes to succeed..
My second grader is learning this song in class. I didn't learn it until I was in High School and it was not in a school setting, but in a community based organization. We should not only learn the Star Spangled Banner but the inspiring anthem below...
Written by: James Weldon Johnson
Lift ev'ry voice and sing, Till earth and heaven ring. Ring with the harmonies of Liberty; Let our rejoicing rise, High as the list'ning skies, Let it resound loud as the rolling sea. Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us, Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us; Facing the rising sun of our new day begun, Let us march on till victory is won.
Stony the road we trod, Bitter the chast'ning rod, Felt in the days when hope unborn had died; Yet with a steady beat, Have not our weary feet, Come to the place for which our fathers sighed? We have come over a way that with tears has been watered, We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered, Out from the gloomy past, Till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
God of our weary years, God of our silent tears, Thou who has brought us thus far on the way; Thou who has by Thy might, Led us into the light, Keep us forever in the path, we pray. Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee, Lest our hearts, drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee, Shadowed beneath thy hand, May we forever stand, True to our God, True to our native land.
This is a great link to a 4 minute video about Black History.
http://www.pww.org/article/view/12437/
Check out this video, YES WE CAN!!
http://www.dipdive.com/
Fired Up, Ready To Go!!
I find myself becoming more excited every day now that I am paying attention to current events in a way that I haven't ever really done before.
I wrote a poem about 5 years ago called Some Things Are Meant For Tomorrow. It turned out to play an essential role in reminding myself to take things one day and one step at a time and to not spend a lot of time worrying about the things that weren't going right in my life and around me in my community.
Reading this poem along with this scripture has helped me get through some of my life's trials and drama. I've also taken some "risks" since then, falling in love, getting married and moving across the country. I have suffered setbacks in between that time also, namely losing my dear mother to cancer.
Matthew 6:34 (NIV)
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."
Some things it's not meant for us to saySome times it's best that I stay awaySome things ARE better left unsaidcuz sometimes I just need to clear my head.
Some people will never seem to get itOther times there will be folks who will help you end your sentenceSome times it seems we can almost read each other''s thoughtsTry not to worry too much about the have nots.
A lot of times I slip and forget what I was about to saySo much on my mindfrom the grind from day to dayAt all times just remember it's okTo close your eyes, block it all out to pray.
Some things are meant for tomorrowSome things can waitPromise me one thing though...you won't wait 'til it's too late.
For me the meaning behind this short poem has been twofold. Originally, I was speaking to young people that I saw around me with so much potential and so little motivation...I was also speaking to myself. I don't even think I knew that at the time that I wrote it. I had a sense of hopelessness for myself and felt like I was passing on some kind of torch...but that was just some kind of evil washed up vibe that was haunting me. Little did I know at 28, I still had a lot of goals to set and attain.
My risks have been rewarding and my setbacks have given me strength.
I had to prepare my mind for change before I could make any significant progress in my life. I had to first believe that I was worthy of having something better in life than my present situation alluded to.
For me, everything that life has shown me up until this point has left me skeptical, yet hopeful...the reason it has taken me this long to support Barack more than just in theory. I don't like to be one who jumps on the bandwagon late in the game, however I feel compelled to be onboard with this campaign at this point.
I must say that any time someone gets into politics, they have to play that political game which immediately insinuates "dirty" to me. So in other words, I was not inclined to get my hopes up early on. Fortunately for all of us, Barack Obama has done his best keeping things above the belt with his fellow Democratic candidates even when the media tries to lure him into the trap of playing dirty.
He is changing the game. What's interesting to me is that as much as I love the idea of having an African American president, I was not going to vote for him just because he looks like me...I'm actually mixed with African American and White just like he is...no matter how he looked, he was first a politician to me. Now that I am paying attention, I see that he is the right candidate to lead us into a better future...not because he is Black, but because he has prepared himself to hold this position and he is worthy. He speaks the same language that I speak and that is of hope, change and progress in the face of adversity and doubt. It's time to be lead by a visionary not just another politician.
I will tell you just one more reason that I was not immediately onboard with Obama just because Common made a reference to him in one of the best Hip Hop remixes of this century "Why?" by JadaKiss. I may go to the Waffle House on the advice of Outkast (which was really gross, by the way), but I will study a candidate a little more than a dining establishment before I support wholeheartedly. Well, I had read an article a few years back about how the media refers to African Americans as the "Black community" or the "African American community" as if we are monolithic and that we will all just follow like sheep when the polls open...you know the old "well, I guess we'll go vote for the lesser of the two evils."
The democratic party has taken our vote for granted for many years now. I did not want anyone (especially white people) to assume that I was mindless enough to choose my candidate solely based on race. It was some kind of twisted way of saying, "I'll show them that we're not like them," with Barack Obama taking the brunt of that.
Out of a feeling of sheer rebelliousness, I knew that I would require more of Barack Obama than I had looked for in candidates of the past. Is this my own form of hand me down racism, self hate? I don't even know what to call that. Why wouldn't I just give this brother my vote as I had just given my votes to Clinton, Gore and Kerry in elections past?
Well, one factor that is involved is that we have our first real potential to have a Woman president as well. What a predicament. Everyone is sweating Hillary so I have to at least get a feel for her before I decide. I am not only Black, I AM A WOMAN, so the feminist in me has to give her the time of day.
To me, Hillary seems too much like the men I mentioned in the past who I just thoughtlessly handed my vote to. Yeah, she's a woman, but other than that she seems to play the game dirty like all the rest. She impresses me and I take nothing from her, but upon watching the first debate that I watched (in SC) I was not convinced that things would be much different with her in office.
Another factor was probably the doubt in my mind that America is ready for a Black man to become president...assuming that a White woman would make it into the white house before anyone of color. Self defeatist thinking I guess...but I have been moved by the diverse support that it seems Obama has alligned.
I just kept thinking about that word "electability" that the media kept throwing around when Howard Dean made that funny noise...I thought that was the dumbest reason to ridicule someone, like we were back on the monkey bars in 3rd grade. I thought that it wouldn't matter which candidate I liked because it would all come down to "electability" and we'd end up going to the polls to once again hand over our vote not FOR anyone, so long as that someone was AGAINST the Republicans.
Now I see that I was overthinking things that I shouldn't have even wasted time on and I should have followed my gut from the beginning.
Before I began paying attention to this campaign, I eavesdropped on people talking about how it'd be so smart for Obama and Clinton to run together as running mates...after seeing their chemistry I see that as a horrible idea.
It'd be great if Edwards becomes Obama's running mate (oh, yeah...that other guy who got overshadowed but actually had a good platform) a thought that I'm sure many of us had the day he dropped out of the Presidential Race. But that's an issue to wait until tomorrow to deal with.
So for today I am just excited to feel like I want to become involved with the world again, to participate and exercise my rights, the ones that my ancestors sacrificed SO MUCH for...Obama, I got yo' back and it ain't on GP, it's because you have brought hope off of the shelf and dusted it off for many Americans. You are living proof that change is not just something that is jingling around in my pocket reminding me that pay day isn't until NEXT Friday.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart for that alone.
“Art is not a mirror held up to reality but a hammer with which to shape it.”---Bertolt Brecht.Is there really anyone who says that Hip-hop doesn’t need to purify its image? I can’t readily find anyone who disagrees that the American subculture of Hip-hop has some serious internal struggles. Sadly, when in juxtaposition with mainstream American culture, these struggles seem to become marketing tools. As of late, the theme of controversy that reigns over rap music is the genre’s most reliable promoter. However, it wasn’t always this way, nor do diehard Hip-hoppas want that to become the norm.
In the early 1970’s a generation of unguided, voiceless young people created relatively inexpensive ways of expression. DJ Kool Herc introduced the famous Jamaican-influenced breakbeat style of mixing records. Later, Grandmaster Flash piggybacked on the idea and started cutting and scratching, adding a new element to DJ’ing. When people began reciting lyrics over these popular beats, they were called emcees (rappers). Others began freestyle dancing, and break dancing was invented. In the spirit of the times, artists without canvases began “tagging” or “bombing” train cars and walls with illustrations, (usually illegal) documentation of current events.
When Kurtis Blow signed the first major record deal with Mercury records in 1980, nobody anticipated that two decades later Hip-hop would be a multi-billion dollar industry. Absolutely no one could have predicted its popularity would lead to the creation of countless independent labels and new categories at the Grammy awards, and encapsulate the blueprint for much of urban life. Unfortunately, that would haphazardly include the bad with the good.
The “new-school” of Hip-hop is foreign to implicit “old-school” values. Could it be that because the pioneers of rap music—the emcees, deejays, break dancers, graffiti artists, b-boys and girls—had no moral vision for their favorite pastime or an expectation it would become a respected art form, and entire lifestyle for generations to come? This is, in fact the case. Maybe that’s why old school styles are making a comeback. Possibly a form of education.
So, it seems the anger and rebellion that is at the root of the genre has prevailed; however the integrity and respect for the aforementioned basic artistic fundamentals of Hip-hop have long since been abandoned for commercialism. Rapper wasn’t always synonymous with thug or gangsta. Women weren’t always referred to as bitches and hoes. We were once flyy, ‘round the way girls. We had love for each other and ourselves.
Hip-hop’s internal battles are nothing new. Battling is part of the culture, e.g., the dozens, LL Cool J vs. Kool Moe D, DJ battles, etc. But with many artists unable to distinguish between reality and their recordings, it’s no wonder that it becomes difficult for listeners and fans to know where the person ends and the persona begins.
In the place of songs for modest price, there are now also clothing lines, best-selling books, comedians, athletes, sitcoms, and feature length films. This is great for economic development in our community if in the hands of responsible Hip-hoppas, but bad for the consumers if the messages portrayed are reckless. An example of reckless money-making is the movie Friday, written and directed by entertainment industry mogul Ice Cube, in which the central theme of the movie is smoking weed. Personally, I love the movie, however, Ice Cube does not smoke weed in real life. Other misrepresentations are emcees that act like pimps and players on their songs, but go home to their wives and children after recording projects that will have mass appeal to an already morally challenged audience. People like Dr. C. Delores Tucker do actually want to blame rap for societal ills, but that is not always seen as being proactive. The idea here is not to bash these artists. But to hold them and their corporate backers accountable for the mainly apathetic images they emit which help to shape the fabric of our daily lives (NCBW 1).
Yes, rap is a voice for the voiceless, but, rappers watch what you say. All of what’s being said is not an accurate account of what’s going on in the ‘hood. More people do need to take a stand for making sure the truth gets across and not just rhyming about things that are integral to a people’s demise: stop reinforcing smut and validating genocide!
Simultaneously, however, there has been a strong grassroots movement to the contrary. Numerous people in the industry realize that the power of music isn’t always represented by record sales. While any financially successful businessperson in the Hip-hop industry will tell you that s/he has sold a part of her/his soul in order to reach mainstream, they will likely tell you that without doing so, they would still be poor, struggling artists with no radio or television exposure.
But the struggle is deeper than that. One reason the late Tupac Shakur is still one of the most powerful voices Hip-hop ever heard is that he bridged the gap between Hip-hop and the deep-rooted “Revolutionary forces that have in the past, and continue to work uncompromisingly in the resistance against our repression…these forces were targeted and became victims of Cointel-Pro’s agenda for destruction. These forces waged the struggle at their best, and it is important that their sacrifices be put into context.” (Shakur 2)
With reactionaries trying to pass bills to censor Hip-hop, people such as the Nation of Islam’s Minister Benjamin Muhammad realize that “what we have to do…is to be a little bit more conscious of not only the internal struggle, but the external forces that causes us sometimes to have the internal contradictions among ourselves.” (Hip-hop Under Attack” 1). At a Hip-hop Summit in 2001, Minister Louis Farrakhan asked those in attendance, “Will you accept your responsibility as a leader?” (Muwakkil 3)
Artists find it difficult to assume the role of leaders partly because of music industry executives who, according to CEO or Rocafella Records Damon Dash, “…tell you what they want to play. Radio tells you you have to make a record that fits the format. It’s not our fault.” (Hip-hop Under Attack” 7). To this, rap innovator Chuck D adds, “I could never blame it on the artist. I just think there has never been no overstructure [sic]. It’s almost like the game got no coaches, no referees…” (Hip-hop Under Attack” 10).
Whose job is it to watch over the consumption of rap music? Accountability must begin with parents of children, but it is unrealistic to make them bear all of the responsibility. The American Academy of Pediatrics says, “Awareness of, and sensitivity to, the potential impact of music lyrics by consumers, the media, and the music industry is crucial. It is in children’s best interest to listen to lyrics that are not violent, sexist, drug oriented, or antisocial.” (1219) For people who are in the business strictly for the financial benefits it is easy for them to pass off these ideals as an attack on gangsta rap. Not everyone who mentions that rappers need to clean up their messages is an advocate of censorship, but some simply want to encourage social responsibility.
Up until 1996, research was not developed enough to determine “a cause-and-effect relationship between sexually explicit or violent lyrics and adverse behavioral effects…[However] in some cases lyrics communicate potentially harmful health messages” (AAP 1219). This is something that our community can’t afford to do. Death by a firearm is the highest cause of death among our young men, and the music not only reflects that, it also seems to evoke the lifestyle.
The emergent evolution of Hip-hop has hastened the need to rectify the state of the industry that has the most influence over young people in the world. It has escalated from friendly freestyles to bitter battles, courteous competition to cutthroat court cases.
The time is way past due for representatives of Hip-hop music to take a stand on issues facing our communities, and some are. There has been enough of the misogynistic, sex, drug, and violence driven record sales being the excuse for artist irresponsibility. In the past ten years, this has become the norm.
Now that they have their foot in the door to be able to have an impact on others in their communities, some are reaching out to benefit those from which they come. Whether their goal is to buy their mother a home outside of the ‘hood, organize Hip-hop summits, or make a call of action to restore educational funds to the New York public school system, Hip-hoppas are making major power moves. (Lewis 22)
It is unfair to place insurmountable pressure on individuals because of what they may represent. But one thing is for sure; without giving the inalienable youngster proper historical perspective, we may not be able to keep the future of Hip-hop from happening to us instead of determining it.
Works CitedAmerican Academy of Pediatrics. “Impact of Music Lyrics and Music Videos on Children and Youth.” Pediatrics 98 (1996): 1219-1221.
“Hip-hop Under Attack.” The Source Magazine Jan. 2003: 1-14.
Lewis, Miles Marshall. “Russell Simmon’s Rap.” The Nation. (Jan 2003): 21-23.
Muwakkil, Salim. “Farrakhan and Hip-Hop: A Not-So-Odd Couple.” Chicago Tribune 25 June 2001. 4 Mar. 2003.http://www.commondreams.org/views01/0625-05.htm.
National Congress of Black Women, Inc. Crusading Against Gangsta/Porno Rap. 2001http://www.npcbw.org/newweb/rap.htm.
Shakur, Dr. Mutulu. “Support Today and Dare to Struggle.” Mutulushakur.com 2002. 3 Mar. 2003 http://www.mutulushakur.com/daretostruggle.html.
There is no better time than now to let everyone know that I am a firm believer that Media Literacy should be taught in every classroom across America. I feel like I am on an island alone on this topic even though it's the key to solving many of our problems in society very much from the ground up. There is already wonderful curriculum that has been created and I have actually taught this subject in a couple of settings. I am not a certified teacher, but each time that I have introduced the subject to young people, it sparks such intriguing discussions.
Part of why I get frustrated with society is because with all the talk, talk, talk, no one in the political spotlight really seems to address this issue. I watch panel discussions about Hip Hop or social issues which effect the African American communities as well as the US as a whole, and all of the speakers are very passionate, concerned, eloquent, tap dance right around it...yet miss this major point for me.
Just like lobbyists, the media is such a powerful institution in our country that it's hard to tell who's in whose pockets sometimes. We know that the Bush's have Rupert Murdock (FOX) in their pocket. That's why once I figured out that Mr. Murdock also owned MySpace I quickly closed my account. It is hard to stand for everything that is good and right...impossible even, but somehow that small action made me feel like I was making a political statement. Did anyone from MySpace join me over at another less popular friend site? No, only one person...but that person was my 16 year old niece so I would like to think that she learned something from that. I think that's what it's all about, taking unpopular stands on issues which you feel strongly about and teaching others why you made the choice you made. Letting younger people know that they don't have to do things because "everyone else is doing it". Each One Teach One unless or until you are in a position to effect change on a larger scale.
Watch the documentary Outfoxed if you haven't already. What else don't we know about the media monopolies though? Too much. Where do we start? Probably the internet is the best place to begin research. See, condemning TV and saying that the Internet is evil is such a reactionary attitude in my opinion. It's not evil in and of itself. It's an extremely powerful medium and can be used for progress. It all depends on our use of it. But I am likely preaching to the choir.
Instead of censorship or attacking controversial artist's lyrics...why not teach people HOW to listen. Teaching people how to decipher through the media's constructions will double as teaching people how to THINK for themselves and therefore LEAD for themselves and others. With the dumbing down of America, we have to address this need for every person's ability to make better choices and think for themselves and not succumb to society's often very low expectations of them.
I grew up listening to Too Short, the KING of raunchy booty shaking nasty pimpish demeaning rap and yet I didn't go down the path to become one of the women in his freaky tales. I don't believe in censoring artists and I don't believe in covering our children's eyes and ears to the harsh realities of the world.
I am convinced that there needs to be public discourse on artist responsibility, but having briefly worked with teenagers, I can assure you that before we jump down the throats of these artists we need to jump on some of the uninvolved parents who, by free will choose not to teach their children how to navigate through the pitfalls that are not going to go away any time soon. They will choose instead to turn a blind eye or condemn these things, but that will not prepare a child for when they are out of their parent's care.
There will be strip clubs, alcohol, drugs, gangs and violence. There will be porn, peer pressure, sex and perverts in America...but just as we teach our children to brush their teeth to keep the germs and bacteria off and prevent cavities, we must also teach our children that the media is not God. and no form of media should dictate over their lives and their daily choices and behavior and that they have minds of their own no matter how much Maury they watch or whatever questionable music they listen to. Help them be empowered enough to make better viewing, listening and nutritional choices. Explain that these money grubbing pigs who run corporations don't care about their well being, they just want them to CONSUME, CONSUME, CONSUME.
Then make them turn off all noise and read a book to exercise that tool between their two shoulders. They may just stare at the ceiling and never flip a page, but it's our job as parents to give them structure, give them food for thought, direction and discipline. Parental controls on remote controls are not to infuriate our teens, but to show how much we love them by the limits we set. They will understand later...or maybe they won't, but we will have at least attempted to let them know that we have choices in life...we don't have to sit and become brainwashed by society about what to wear, what to eat, where to go, how to get there, what kind of car to drive and what kind of friends to take with us.
In our house, everyone knows to mute the commercials because MOM can't stand them. They are loud, obnoxious and always trying to tell me that I need something that I didn't even know existed or wondering if I have some type of condition that requires that I take a pill...giving me side effects that are worse than the original condition. It's really sickening. RLS and ED pills...I am so tired of hearing these silly ads...I am tired of being made to feel fat because I have a few extra pounds and that I need to buy something that will solve that. I can solve that without any gimmicks...it's called taking a walk, a jog, doing some callisthenics.
Parenting, a thankless job...It's the hardest job in the world, even harder now with so much technology and media influence available to us and at our young people's fingertips, on every billboard, flyer, soda machine, on every radio station...and they haven't even turned on a TV or computer yet! I don't claim to be Mom of the year or have all of the answers, but as we have three girls and a boy to raise, you better believe that I will take every opportunity to broaden their horizons without putting peripheral blinders on them.
For some great reading by a wonderful thinker on subjects such as these read:
Check It While I Wreck It Black Womanhood, Hip Hop Culture, and the Public Sphere
by Gwendolyn D. Pough
You don't have to be a Black Woman to appreciate this book.
Another resource with excerpt below:
www.medialit.org
Five Key Questions of Media Literacy
1. Who created this message?
2. What creative techniques are used to attract my attention?
3. How might different people understand this message differently than me?
4. What values, lifestyles and points of view are represented in, or omitted from, this message?
5. Why is this message being sent?
Five Core Concepts
1. All media messages are ‘constructed.’
2. Media messages are constructed using a creative language with its own rules.
3. Different people experience the same media message differently.
4. Media have embedded values and points of view.
5. Most media messages are organized to gain profit and/or power.
2005 / Center for Media Literacy
Support Obama Day (February 4, 2008)Honk Your Horn Support Barack Obama 2008We now are in a Head to Head Battle with Senator Hillary Clinton this is our Super Bowl. Lets come out of this Champions..
Come out and show your support for Barack Obama 2008.
On February 4, 2008! The People of the United States, can show the world just how “United We Are” by Honking There Horns at the same time all over the Country. The Times is set as followed. East standard time (EST) at 12:00 Noon, Central Standard time (CST) at 11:00am, Mountain Standard Time (MST) at 10:00am, Pacific Standard Time (PST) at 9:00am. In Support of Barack Obama for President.We Can Change!
In Canada, not having health care is just as anomalistic as not having a cd player in your car. It is virtually uncommon. The United States should adopt universal health care. I do apologize to all those opposing socialist concepts. Remember socialism as a whole does not work. On the other hand, the socialist concept of universal health care does work in many democratic nations and will work under Senator Obama's Presidential administration in 2008. Obama’s plan will work in the capitalist powerhouse of the United States.
Barack Obama’s health care plan does not merely include covering all Americans but ensures mandatory coverage for all children. When one thinks of the anything affordable, economic demographics plays a major role. How can everyone afford health care? Simple economics will tell you that competition creates an open playing field for health care providers, large or small. Creating competition will lower health care costs by defeating monopolistic traits currently practiced today. Next, his plan encompasses lowering the costs by increasing the sale of generic drugs.
Obama will save Americans money as well as ensure coverage for all. How will he hold these large companies accountable? With the creation of the National Health Insurance Exchange, this organization will monitor and mandate all health care providers. This will create and maintain healthy competition, guaranteeing fair health care coverage. On average, American families will save $2,500 per year.
Senator Obama is working to save us some money and provide health care for all. This plan must be too good to be true. It only gets better because technology will serve as a primary investment. The use of technology contributes to the reduction in health care overall. Doctors will also find a breath of fresh air knowing their mal-practice insurance will not increase due to frivolous health care law suits. Doctors will be able to practice their passion without unnecessary stress. Lastly, the increase in Medicaid coverage will truly make this plan “universal”.
Serving as the President of the United States requires more than witty slogans and loaded rhetoric.These characteristics have placed America in the current state we live now.I support Barack Obama because he is the standard of leadership needed to guide America towards the future as our next President in 2008. It is not mind boggling nor improbable to believe that Senator Obama will become the next United States President.When one thinks of a President, he should think of a man who stands firm in making decisions. Barack Obama voted against the War in Iraq originally and consistently denounces these military actions.From the sands of Honolulu, Senator Obama was not born a leader. Leaders are groomed through experiences, not by the innate abilities to lead those around him or her.Leaders are not self appointed nor are they perfect. Effective leaders believe in quality over quantity, but build upon their own quality over time.Barack Obama is truly a leader exemplifying quality.Additionally, Barack Obama has served as an ethical Senator as well as family man. Many politicians exert an image of civil service but fill their terms with scandals, adultery and false promises.The American people deserve a President who is honest. America desires a President that is consistent.America is eager for a President that will advocate for positive change not personal gain.I can honestly say that I believe in a man in which I have not had the privilege to meet.I believe in him because his actions have spoken volumes.I support Barack Obama for President of the United States in the upcoming 2008 election.
