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 Read the full story

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. Read the full story

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.

Read the full story

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.

Read the full story

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! Read the full story

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.

Click here for the rest of the letter.

Van Jones sent this letter to his closest supporters earlier this week. He shouted out www.Ilovevanjones.com

Dear Friends:

My family and I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support that we have received over the past week or so. I resigned from the White House on September 6, and I have remained silent since then - in keeping with my promise not to be a distraction during a key moment in the Obama Presidency.

Over the past several days, however, many people have been asking how they can help and what they can do.

The main thing is this: please do everything you can to support both President Obama and the green jobs movement. Winning real change is ultimately the best response to these kinds of smear campaigns.

I ask everyone to:

1. Support President Obama’s efforts to fix our nation’s health care, energy and education systems. His victory last fall did not represent the “finish line” in the fight to renew America; his election was just the “starting line.” This autumn, it is time to make history again - with victories on health care and clean energy.
2. Sign up to support groups that are working for green jobs. As others seek to vilify or marginalize the movement for a clean energy economy, the leading groups deserve increased support. This is the year to ensure that the clean energy transformation creates good job opportunities for everyone in America.
3. Spread the green jobs gospel. The ideas and ideals of the green jobs movement are grounded in fundamental American values - innovation, entrepreneurship and equal opportunity. My true thoughts can be found in my book: The Green Collar Economy. Check it out from the library - or order a copy and share it with a friend. See for yourself why clean energy and green jobs are good for our country.
4. Stay connected and speak up for me via your favorite blogs (e.g., Huffington Post, Grist, Jack & Jill, etc.), on message boards and all of your favorite social networking platforms (Twitter, Facebook, etc.). Supporters have set up a couple of them, to help you stay engaged, including: I Stand With Van Jones and I Love Van Jones.

In due course, I will be offering my perspective on what has happened - including correcting the record about false charges. In the meantime, I must get my family affairs in order and sort through numerous offers and options.

I want to be clear that I have nothing but love and admiration for President Obama and the entire Administration. White House staffers are there to serve and support the President, not the other way around. At this critical moment in history, I could not in good conscience ask my colleagues to expend precious time and energy defending or explaining my past. The White House needs all its hands on deck, fighting for the future.

Of course, some supporters actually think I will be more effective on the “outside.” Maybe so. But those ideas always remind me of that old canard about Winston Churchill. After he lost a hard-fought election, a friend told him: “Winston, this really is just a blessing in disguise.” Churchill quipped: “Damned good disguise.” I can certainly relate to that sentiment right now.

Nonetheless, we must keep moving forward. Let’s continue our work to make an America as good as its promise. These are historic times. And we have a lot more history to make.

Sincerely,

Van Jones

This semester, I’m not in school. I’ve almost completed my degree but like so many other Americans, I’m taking some time off to step out into the “real world” and make the money that will get me through the rest of school. It’s not a surprise. College costs - both public and private - have been skyrocketing, often outpacing the cost of living by 200%. Basically, for every new dollar earned, college costs go up two.

But colleges aren’t the ones making bank here - the lenders are. And they push so successfully on profit measures that students wind up paying down their debt for decades. But check it: right now, there’s a measure in the House to push private companies out of the college loan business for good, expanding the government’s direct loan program as well as boosting the Pell Grant.

I’m a big fan of the almighty P.G.; the Pell Grant has saved my ass for the past few years. Without the Pell Grant, I wouldn’t be able to afford school at all. But even now, the Pell Grant - which were my two favorite words in the English Language - isn’t enough. Even though I won’t see the positive effects of this bill during my years as a student, it’s a welcome and necessary change to the financing of higher education.

But questions still remain and there are many loose ends.

Is this measure enough? And is it a sustainable way to curb college costs?

Many believe that rather than simply reacting to bad lending practices, we need to proactively get to the root of why college costs are increasing so dramatically and rebuild educational financing from the ground up. Others believe that these privatized companies are the root of the problem and when they are taken out of the equation, the ’system will right itself’.

And a few believe that students can live on ramen and beer alone, so screw ‘em.

What do you think?

Time to admit something: I’m kind of uncool.

On a scale of one to badass, I’m somewhere around Screech from Saved by the Bell.

Maybe that’s why I’m a little jealous of Kanye and, to some degree, even Joe Wilson.

These guys have been cocky enough to actually yell out and take over our collective attention with their bad behavior for the past week or so and to some degree - I kinda envy that. But it takes a certain type of person to bluster on loudly while important things are actually happening.

And all the while, nobody is talking about the issues we actually give a damn about. What ever happened to that little health care reform thing? Or the fact that the racism we all believed to be dead is making a resurgence in ‘news’ punditry? Or an effective, progressive climate bill?

It’s kind of like our eating habits. More often than not, we’ll choose a big, juicy gossip Big Mac over a nutritious fact salad. And we’re infinitely worse off for it. As young Americans, we really need to reevaluate our news habits… or soon enough, we’re gonna be watching the weekly (Insert Pundit Here) Hot Dog Eating Contest And Face Punch Challenge for our daily updates on the state of the country.

Could be just the Screech side of me talking though.

So I guess yesterday President Obama got caught slipping once again. Apparently, the President was having an “off the record” conversation with ABC’s Terry Moran and called Kanye West a “jackass.” Of course, Moran got so excited that he had the inside dirt that he lost his manners and tweeted Obama’s nonsensical statement to the entire world.

It’s not clear why Obama feels the need to address questions about Kanye West. By chiming in on such low priority things as the VMAs, Obama weakens his positions with both allies and opponents. (Not to mention that I don’t think that I want the busiest man in the world to even know about Kanye’s sophomoric antics.)

After all, while Kanye is a jackass today, 18 months from now Obama is going to need Yezzy’s and hip-hop’s support to get reelected. There are only so many beer summits, or in this case Hennessy summits, that he can host during his time in office to clean up his messes.

So Mr. President, next time you get asked a potentially controversially question about pop culture, just say no comment.

Before last night’s MTV Video Music Awards I was a pretty big fan of Kanye West. After all, not only is the beat maker/MC one of the most talented artists in music, but he is also from my neck of the woods, you know, the rugged Midwest. But now I am starting to question if Kanye deserves my hard earned money. I mean, it was kinda of funny the first time he jumped on the stage to steal his peer’s shine, but now its just way too much.

While I have never heard of Taylor Swift before the VMAs, she definitely didn’t deserve to be interrupted by Yezzy. Props to Beyonce for having enough class to let her eventually get her shine.

Word to Ronald Reagan, that super male ego stuff is so 20th century. Humility and patience are important characteristics needed by all true leaders (which Kanye is). Forget about college, Mr West must have dropped out of kindergarten.

(pic stolen from bossip.com: apparently Kanye was off that Henny)

Like many Americans, I remember exactly where I was when I heard about the towers falling on 9/11. I was a young kid in a History classroom, learning about World War 1, trying to jot down all the notes I could to keep myself from falling asleep on that cold September morning, when - unbeknownst to me - a relative of mine was dying in the Twin Towers.

The teachers refused to tell us what was going on, but we knew something was up. Students were trickling out during the day and all the adults had some heavy heartache in their faces. When I found out, I just wanted to give back. I wanted to do something to help. Being so young, my hands were tied. All I could really do was mourn.

Even today, I want to give back as much as I can. So, to me, it’s interesting to hear the date 9/11 reevaluated as a day of service, rather than a day of mourning. Volunteers across the country are working at homeless shelters, food banks and other charitable organizations to fulfill the sense of brotherhood that Americans felt after the 9/11 attacks.

If you can, volunteer. If you can’t, at least do something nice for those around you. It’s about time.

Working together, we can usher in a new era in which volunteering and more service is a way of life for all Americans. Deriving strength from tragedy, we can write the next great chapter in our Nation’s history and ensure that future generations continue to enjoy the promise of America. -Barack Obama

A national political campaign is better than the best circus ever heard of, with a mass baptism and a couple of hangings thrown in.

-H. L. Mencken

If you’re wondering, that picture to the left is an old picture of Jerry Springer and yours truly (taken when I was about 15, mind you).

Why would I put that picture up, you ask? Simple. We’ve entered an era where even he - the king of trash television in the 21st century - has become dated. Jerry Springer - the ringmaster of a disgusting television circus - has given up his genius swindler throne to none other than Glenn Beck.

Rest assured, I doubt I’d be taking my picture with Mr. Beck anytime soon. He’s probably the kind of guy that thinks that cameras are the devil or something. And if he knew who I was, he’d have me burned at the stake on live television.

Rather than a whimsical culture of strange love affairs and “not-the-father-freakouts” that characterized the talking heads of the 90s, modern talkshow hosts have become dark doomsayers, content to deliver racist, hostile diatribes in this - the “culture of cruelty”.

And - to be candid - I have never been so nervous to be in the crowd, watching it happen.
Read the full story

I am disgusted to learn that Van Jones resigned from his position of Green Jobs czar for the Obama Administration.  I do not know what to think about our country.

I am a Southern Man, born in North Carolina, raised in Mississippi.  My history is slavery, is grits, is catfish and racial distrust, confederate flags and soulful music that hits you in your guts.  I am not an anarchist, and I dare you to come inside the ‘conservative stronghold’ of Mississippi and call me one.  I am no radical, I am a lover of freedom and truth, of intelligence and change meaning growth, meaning the desire to do what is right even in the face of incalculable danger.

I was not born loving America, but it grew on me.  I was born like all organisms, outside of identity, inheriting the genes and attitudes of my forefathers and for that I thank my parents, two beautiful, wonderful Mississippi natives who grew up in a time when family, when community, meant everything.

Sound familiar?  That’s the America we all love, right?  The America that has been co-opted by certain individuals, people who hide behind some cloak of political party, hide behind the walls of commercial entities that, increasingly, appear to me to be the threats and dangers to Truth, to Justice, that we are so afraid of.

America, what have we become?  Honestly, honestly, does anyone think Glenn Beck is the answer?  He sits behind his desk.  His interns - unpaid, low paid, low wage sycophants - develop our news and Glenn Beck adds the fire.  But he is no pastor, this is no religion and this is nothing we can believe in.  His language is the language of oppression, of fear, and I refuse, I absolutely refuse, to be afraid.

I am America.  I am some small and burning part of it, and I am flawed, I am self centered but I try to uphold the greatest tradition, the most beautiful idea of which humanity ever conceived: the belief in Honor. Read the full story

Here’s a fact I don’t often like to admit. I’m from New Jersey.

Yes, yes, I’m coming clean. Before you start asking ‘what exit?’ and ‘does your backyard smell like moldy feet?’, let me defend my little state.

I think NJ is home to some of the most intelligent people in the nation and is a great place to raise a family. It’s a haven for artistic merit, healthy debate and a great place to grow up.

And hey, I was pretty lucky in the ‘accident of birth’: New Jersey ranks among the 4 smartest states in the nation, in terms of primary and secondary education.

I guess that’s why the following video scared me.
A disabled woman gets heckled at a NJ health care town hall.
Check it out (and more lunacy) after the jump.
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Check out this video from the Internet Celebrities. This is what you call edutainment. They always drop classic material.

Let me start this review by saying that I am a Jay Z stan (ie uber fan like the kid from that old Eminem song). Despite his misogyny, materialism and machismo, I actually think he is one hell of a MC. I also think that despite what some critics say, he has grown tremendously over the years and is a much deeper rapper than he is given credit for.

With that being said, I have to say that I am not the biggest fan of Blueprint 3.

More after the jump.

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According to a recent poll for the AARP, most people still don’t know what the public option actually entails.

Even after all the rhetoric, the posturing, the partisan politics, three out of five people do not know what is on the line. Peep the stats:

“A new survey by Penn, Schoen and Berland Associates for the AARP reveals widespread uncertainty about the nature of the “public option” — a government-run health insurance policy that would be offered along with private policies in the newly-created health insurance exchanges.” When given three separate choices as to what the public option entailed, only 37 percent of people chose the correct option. 26 percent of people believed the public option would be a nationalized health care system like Great Britain, while 13 percent thought the public option would be a network of health care co-ops. The final 23 percent of people didn’t know.

Luckily, I’m feeling pretty generous today, so I spent some time tracking down a little video which will put any confusion to rest. End of story. Send it to your friends and stuff, so you can let that guy next door who cries “OH MY GOD IT’S SOCIALISM WTF” whenever anyone mentions health care reform that he is basically a nut job.

Check the video after the jump. It’ll give you the straight dope about what health care reform is and what it isn’t. AND it’s a pretty cute cartoon too. Chloe Hilliard would be proud.

Read the full story