Police State

I am asking myself why in the world the nation is not pissed about what is taking place on the streets of Columbus, Ohio. I think I might have just discovered the answer.

In the past month, six black men have been shot by police in Columbus, and three of those gunshot wounds proved to be fatal. While this crushing reality is certainly on the minds and on the Facebook statuses of plenty of Columbus residents, it just isn’t getting the national coverage it would seem to merit. Just as I was beginning to think that America has forgotten about us, I realized that it is not the headline of national news because people around the country are too busy ducking fists and bullets from their local law enforcement to be concerned about what is going on in little old Ohio.

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Kwesi Low

Dee-1 Weighs in on Lil Wayne & Jay-Z Beef

“When it comes to rap, you’re not cracking my top 5… you sold a million records but you ain’t changed no lives.”

Check out the song here:

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Kwesi Low

Poet Service Announcement

If you are a poet, or a poet enthusiast, you should probably check this out. Sure, poets are the vanguard of the revolution, but there are definitely a few things we should keep in mind. Oh and watch the whole thing, you should know that poets save the best for last.

Hit the jump for funny video…

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Kwesi Low

Young Man Killed by Taser on Ohio Campus

His friends described Everette Howard as the type of person who would always give “110 percent.” He was the captain of the football and wrestling teams, so I tend to think they are right, though I can’t say for sure.

When police respond to an assault call at 3 a.m. however, seeing 110 percent of someone’s energy coming at them can be rather threatening. It will always be the case that an officer’s primary concern is making it home. Everette, apparently, did not take that into consideration.

This was also not the first time that Everette was hit with a Taser. Obviously, he survived the first one, but this time he was not so fortunate. Understandably, there is a range of responses to this tragedy and much of it hinges on the use of the Taser. With all of the attention that has been given to police brutality lately, this could be a potential hot-button issue in a city that has witnessed its share of civil unrest in recent history. This matter seems to be one where the officer used reasonable means to calm down the situation (I almost can’t believe I just said that).

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Kwesi Low

From Hood Flicks to Documentaries

We have come a long way since Menace II Society. In 2011, the harsh reality that was shocking to certain portions of the American public 20 years ago is now common knowledge for all. Indeed, we have come a long way, but what I want to know is what direction are we headed in?

It is appalling to consider the depth of the variance between the haves and the have-nots in this nation. Just by listening to how people describe their environment, a lot can be gathered of the mentality of its inhabitants. For instance, to have a conversation with a person that has grown up in the hood, they might describe their neighborhood by saying how many people might not make it there. On the flip side, if I were to talk to some of our wealthiest citizens, I could image them describing their residence as a place from which I may never want to leave.

[TRAILER]: The Interrupters Documentary inside…

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Kwesi Low