An Ode to Survival
More proof that hip-hop isn’t dead. This track comes from Darnell Williams. An unsigned beatsmith and MC from Detroit. He is also an activist and college student.
More proof that hip-hop isn’t dead. This track comes from Darnell Williams. An unsigned beatsmith and MC from Detroit. He is also an activist and college student.
The whole nation is shaking its head after that horrible mob beating that took place in Chicago last week. Of course, this isn’t the first time that something like this has happened. This tragic murder just so happened to be caught on tape. ( If you haven’t seen it…Google it, because I refuse to post it.)
Check out the blog below from my home girl Ebony. We gotta do something about this ya’ll.
>SEPTEMBER HAS BLOWN IN A “LORD OF THE FLIES” FEEL TO THE WINDY CITY.
Fresh off of a school year which boasted 500 shootings committed against Chicago Public School students this recent melee in the streets of Chicago stands boldly as a testament to the EMERGENCY the Children of Chicago are going through! This past Thursday while walking home from school, while passing a Community Center, 16-year-old Derrion Albert, a student at Fenger High School, was beaten to death (again was BEAT TO DEATH) by a MOB of school aged children in a street melee that wasn’t gang related. This was a case of school tension boiling over into after school brutality and bloodshed!
more after the jump
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The youth unemployment rate has hit 52%.
Yep. You read that right. 52%. As in more than half.
And ok, I realize that there are a certain percentage of young people in that age group that don’t want jobs. So consider that when pondering this number. But the rest of it?
I understand this plight. All too well. Even though I don’t fall into this category of “youth,” who are by definition 16-24 years old, I’ve struggled in the past to find work. A past as recent as this year, when I moved to NYC shortly after the bank crash and stock plummet, when people were losing their jobs by the thousands.
I won’t gloss this over; it got desperate. It took four months. And this is with a beefy resume of solid work since I was 16, a college degree and management experience. I got bored. I got depressed. I came close to broke. And my heart goes out to those in the same boat.
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Many of my family members are in the armed forces. My grandfather served in WW2, my uncle enlisted in the National Guard and my cousin is at military school.
I was never much of a fighter, but I always had the utmost of respect for anyone who would be willing to give of themselves and fight for their country. Military enlistment remains middling, but still, many are denied the opportunity to serve the country they love because their sexuality does not fall in line with what the military deems ‘acceptable’.
Like an aging elephant in the room, the looming specter of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell (DADT) acts as a burden to progress. Why – in a nation as advanced as America – can men and women be refused the right to fight for their country, as a result of who they love? Let’s look at a few cases where brave Americans’ dedication and love of country was ignored as a result of the unjust, and frankly unAmerican, DADT policy.
During my time in high school, the closest I got to a green education was making a Bonzai tree during a Horticulture class, which I clumsily ruined in Gym class later that day.
Luckily for kids who are still in high school, a few East Bay High Schools in Oakland, CA are leading the pack to green up their learning, by instituting green technical education programs.
Ready for the best part? Half of all the students who were admitted are from ‘at risk’ communities.
In cooperation with the Berkeley National Laboratory and local organizations such as the Ella Baker Center, Green Academy pilot programs will be instituted at Oakland Technical High School and El Cerrito High School to give students a ’school within a school’ education about sustainable energy technology as a career path.
Gettin’ green isn’t just going to affect the science classes – the unified theme is going to be spread amongst all subject areas, from biology to history to environmental science. And yes, even English literature.
It’s Monday morning. Which means I’m in that post-weekend hangover. And since the air has yet to punch me in the mouth with the endless cold of New York’s winter, my thoughts are drifting back in the direction of the Farmers’ Market.
Since moving to Brooklyn last fall, I’ve changed my eating habits significantly. Most notably, I eat mostly local food. I know, that should be challenging in a bustling city, shouldn’t it? In reality, not so much. Granted, I’m not eating from my neighbor’s garden, but thanks to the Farmers’ Market, I’m eating mostly food produced within the Tri-State area. Really, I’m not joking.
With $40 (the cost of two pizzas), my girlfriend and I can purchase enough food to last us a week. And it seems more folks are joining along my line of thinking. With a bit of help from community organizations and local government, Farmers’ Markets are becoming a viable source of food for people from all walks of life, especially those from lower income communities.
Dig up some carrots after the jump!
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Like many kids of the modern age, I’ve been told to ‘keep it safe’ and use safe sex practices. I can remember the awkward experience of “getting the talk” from my parents too. Hearing your mom say the word diaphragm is just plain weird. Hey, let’s face it, nobody wants to get a disease or be confronted with an accidental pregnancy.
But now, there’s another reason to play it safe: the environment.
According to a recent report, contraception in all forms is key to preventing climate change. The reasoning behind it is simple: climate change is linked to population growth, but in 40 of the world’s poorest countries, women do not have access to birth control. The report states that over 200 million women want to have access to condoms or other methods but can’t get them.
It’s a good thing to keep in mind, next time you’re at the drug store, picking up your chosen birth control method. You’re not just protecting yourself – you’re protecting our world. And that’s an ‘extended pleasure’ we can all get down with.
You can’t underestimate the power of black media, especially radio. The medium has been the voice and life line of urban communities. Word to Donnie Simpson, personalities like Steve Harvey and Tom Joyner have an incredible amount of influence, especially because of the consolidation that has gone on over the years.
Of course, the current state of urban America has many questioning whether Black owned media outlets are doing enough to empower their communities. Actually, to put it mildly, some people believe that moguls like Robert Johnson, Cathy Hughes and Debra Lee have sold their communities out to the highest bidder.
It seems like things are heating up. Just last week respected online music editor Andreas Hale quit his position at BET.com claiming that the network was too forgone to be saved. (It’s hard not to see his point. Did you see this year’s BET Awards? Slowly SMH in disgust. )
Up until now, BET has been the main target for media activists. But increasingly the folks at Radio One are being attacked for their corporatist and anti-community behavior.
Just check out this open letter to Cathy Hughes from Paul Porter. He’s really pissed at Radio One’s top boss for a number of reasons, note the block quote below. Sounds like fighting words.
Fear tactics seem to be today’s replacement for news and information. Unfortunately, the listeners you are licensed to serve continue to get your commentary with only entertainment news. While in DC, you made your mark as the “Queen of information”, branding “Information is Power” on your flagship station WOL-AM. News content is none existent in a world where a Black adult is 25 times more likely to hear a syndicated music host like Tom Joyner or Michael Baisden. Syndication on Black radio has increased at an alarming 343%, while white music syndication has decreased in the past ten years. The “less is more” philosophy basically adds up to controlling the messengers.
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