Can Everyone Be Reached?

I get a personal joy from registering young people to vote for the first time. I am always excited when I come across 17 year-old young people and I get to let them know that they can vote as soon as they turn 18.  Since President Barack Obama has been elected, it seems as if the consensus among young people has changed from apathy to excitement.  This leads me to believe that the political and social change we envision is happening with the young people. Yesterday, I realized that half the people that I spoke with and registered were under the age of 20.  In several years, these young people will be the policy-makers, legislators, and law enforcers.  On the other hand, those who choose not to engage will be the victims of the process. My job is to remind them that even being a victim is a choice.

I realized then that the political process can start with voter registration and dialogue about the political process.  From the conversations that I have had with various young people, I have realized that they are not regularly in practice of speaking about the political process or what is encompassed in the realm of politics.  Based upon my conversations with young people during the voter registration campaign, I realized that young people are not being engaged on their level by policy makers or adults who understand the process. They are, however, being engaged by music videos and popular culture. I am curious about how to blend the two because the ones who resist engagement are the ones who embrace the false reality created by pop culture and mainstream media. My question is this: how do we as community organizers engage the young people who are in opposition to the very process that determines the projected quality of life for us all?

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

The Message of the Music

On a typical day for me, a 20-year old who is a longtime hip-hop fan, I’ll flick through the TV channels searching for something related to hip-hop music. I flick through the channels and land on BET’s 106^th and Park video countdown hoping to be updated on the new hot hip-hop songs.

While watching, I notice a startling trend in the videos. I see that nearly all of the songs have either violent or sexual content in their lyrics and in their videos. What is alarming about this realization is that a great deal of 106’s and Park’s viewers are young teens.

Now don’t get me wrong I enjoy seeing videos with beautiful women, flashy cars, and not to mention a catchy song. However, when only these types of videos and songs become the majority of what’s played on the radio and TV, that can be a problem.

Within the last 25 years there has been a great deal of discussion of the content of hip-hop music. We’ve all heard the negative words which people commonly associate with hip-hop music and its culture. The words “violent” and “misogynistic” seem to be two of the most commonly used terms when describing the content of the music.

There have been numerous efforts to address and condemn the negative themes in hip-hop throughout its history. One of the most memorable efforts was that of former Vice-President Dan Quayle who spoke against artists such as Ice-T and Tupac Shakur, whose lyrics he perceived to promote violence against police.

Ironically, even people who once considered themselves freedom fighters for African-Americans through the civil rights movement have been vocal in speaking against hip-hop, which is considered one of the treasures of African-American culture. Figures like C. Delores Tucker, Rev. Calvin Butts, and Rev. Jesse Jackson have all at one time or another have publicly criticized hip-hop music for its content

Even some hip-hop artists and fans themselves criticize the music which they perceive to have grown more commercialized, being less about the art and more about the money. Many of these types of hip fans believe that artists should show more complex lyricism, speak on social issues and try to uplift their communities with more positive messages.

… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Marvin DeBose Jr

What A Difference A Year Makes

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

Leave The Muslim Community Center Alone, People. Geez.

This is one of those things that’s just like. . .”Oh, god . . .really? No. Stop that. You can’t mean that”.

A big rally is being planned to protest the construction of a Mosque and Islamic Community Center near the site of Ground Zero.

One of the opponents is quoted as saying “‘If the Japanese decided to open a cultural centre across from Pearl Harbour, that would be insensitive. If the Germans opened a Bach choral society across from Auschwitz, even after all these years, that would be an insensitive setting.”

Considering that Bach died in 1750, I have a feeling that few Polish Jews are holding him personally responsible for World War II. But even that’s not the point.

Obviously, building a mosque near ground zero, as stated by the leader of the project, “sends the opposite statement to what happened on 9/11″. It shows that American Muslims are working as hard as they can to disprove the crazy stereotypes about Islam that have become rampant since 9/11. This protest is a depressing sign that they have a pretty big mountain to climb if that’s going to happen.

Posted by:

Rachel Bishop

As The Hood Goes, So Goes The World

The near east side of Columbus, Ohio, more recently known as the King-Lincoln District, is an area of historical importance in the city. The historically black community was once a thriving area of town until the construction of I-71, which cut off access to downtown.

Poindexter Village was one of the first federally funded apartment complexes in the nation. It was once one of the cornerstones of the community but has recently been at the center of talk about being demolished. The stage has already been set, as several smaller apartment complexes in the area have been knocked down and replaced with upscale condos.

Poindexter Village is a representation of the future for people of color in my city and indeed my country. If we do not collectively stand together now and fight for what we have, we will no longer have anything to fight for. As the King-Lincoln District goes so goes the rest of our nation. In the words of the late great Dr. Martin Luther King, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Posted by:

Kwesi Low

Don’t Be A Hipster Doofus: Fill Out The Census

The neighborhood I live in has a reputation for being the hippest- and also the most apathetic- part of Brooklyn. This dubious honor was confirmed by a recent NPR report documenting that the “hipster enclave of Williamsburg” has the lowest census return rate in all New York City.

The reporter asked a few token hipsters why they didn’t participate. One’s thoroughly academic response was “I guess it’s laziness and like, what’s the point?” Another sunk further into nihilistic futility, saying “maybe some people, they figure what’s the point to be counted if you don’t count for much anyway? If we don’t count, why be counted?”

Come on guys. If you know how to read a billboard (and God knows you’ve read Nietzsche), you should know that filling out the census will bring important resources to your community. This is not a ‘does-one-vote-count’, debatable sort of question. Everyone’s census form makes a difference; the city’s estimating that each form filled out will bring NYC an extra $3000 in federal funding.

Maybe the problem is that young, cool people don’t really feel like they’re part of a community. It’s hard for the values of strong community to be present when the whole neighborhood is young; no kids making it necessary to show up at the school board meeting, no parents saying we have to go to the lame Community Day parade. So we end up seeing ourselves in a void, just us and our friends and nobody much mattering outside that.

But Williamsburg is a community. Hipster kids share many key values; the importance of art, love of music, the need for access to sustainable transportation and healthy ways of living. We congregate in masses for kickball games, free shows, street fairs.  But we get stuck before the realization that the group of all of us together means something real and needs our active involvement to keep it going.

So Williamsburgers, I beg you: Before you throw out the census form, think for a minute about what your values are. Why do you live in Williamsburg? For most of us, it’s not just because it’s “cool”; this is a community that formed because young people with shared values wanted to live together, work together, organize and play together.  This community needs to get its fair share of government resources, so we can have great transportation, schools, parks, education; even funding for the arts! Think about it before you shrug it off. Fill out the form.

Posted by:

Rachel Bishop

Some Nevadans Have Not Received Census Forms

While surfing the web I ran across an article from Las Vegas Action News via ABC that was titled “You Ask: Why am I getting duplicate census forms.” I was immediately interested because I received two forms myself.

Nevada’s Census liaison David Byerman, who I had the opportunity to meet last month, told ABC that duplicate forms were sent to zip codes that had poor response rates in the past. Maybe that’s true, seeing that 10 years ago my zip code did not exist.
… Continue Reading

Posted by:

Krysten Hughes

Clark County DBC Pens Open Letter To Nevada Residents About 2010 Census

This morning, Clark County Democratic Black Caucus Chair Member Yvette Williams penned an open letter about the 2010 Census and where Nevada ranks in return rate.

Greetings,

Yesterday was the date the Census Bureau asked for us to return our form.  It is sad to say that I’ve heard early reports that Nevada ranks around 47%.  That means that we need 53% of our community to return their census form.

PLEASE, if you have not taken a few minutes to complete your form, PLEASE do so this weekend.  Your participation represents almost $10,000 per person in additional funding for our State.  We desperately need these funds if we’re going to improve the quality of our education system, provide much needed community services, repair our highways and roads, etc., etc., etc.

If we would each call our family and friends and make sure that they have returned their completed form, it would go a long way in improving these current numbers.  It is particularly concerning that members of our low income and minority communities are participating at a much lower rate than the more affluent neighborhoods. These neighborhoods desperately need these resources and we should do all that we can to make sure that they get counted.

Can we count on you to sound the alarm and get your neighbors, friends, and family to be “counted.”  Your answers are confidential.  This means that the Census Bureau CANNOT give out information that identifies you or your household.  Your answers will only be used for statistical purposes, and no other purpose.

This is our opportunity to empower our community for the future.  It’s not too late. Mail your census form today.  Please!!!

Kindest Regards,

Yvette Williams

CCDBC Chair

As a Las Vegas apprentice representing Clark County, I felt compelled to share this letter on 99problems.org. Between now and June my volunteers and I will be going door to door collecting pledges – also calling residents, attending community events and encouraging young people online to fill out their Census forms and mail them back.

Remember to also fill out our Census pledge form!

Posted by:

Krysten Hughes