HIATUS

I am going to be offline for the next week or two.
My computer has crashed and I will have to take it in for repairs.
Until then, everyone please feel free to browse the archives and catch up on some reading of my posts.
See ya.

A STORE IN AFRICA CALLED “NIGGERS”, AND A WOMAN CALLED “HO”

(Post updated on April 4, 2009)
Editorial
What’s in a Name? Hip-hop’s African Influence
By David Sylvester
Thursday, August 18, 2005. I recently completed a charitable bicycle trip in Africa, riding over 7000 miles from Cairo, Egypt to Cape Town, South Africa. The trip made me the first and only African American to cross two continents on a bicycle.I [...]

A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE

N.Y. MINISTER COMBATS NEGATIVE RAP LYRICS  -  REV. CALVIN BUTTS, III
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER, MAY 21, 1993  by PAT LEFEVERE
TENAFLY, N.J. – Reaction has been swift and supportive to a New York minister’s charge that certain rap artists negatively influence black youth by glamorizing sex, misogyny and violence.
Since the Rev. Calvin Butts III, pastor of Abyssinian [...]

CONGRESSWOMAN MILLENDER-McDONALD DIES

Story Highlights
• Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald died of cancer early Sunday
• President Bush: We hold her family in our prayers
• The 68-year old was in her 7th term representing a southern California district
• Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has 14 days to set a date for a special election

LOS ANGELES, California (AP) — Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, a seven-term [...]

STAND

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might,
Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, [...]

NICE NEIGHBORHOODS, AND BAD NEIGHBORHOODS

Over at Rachel’s Tavern (http://www.rachelstavern.com ), I responded to a comment someone said about “nice” neighborhoods. I gave my point of view, and was attacked for telling the truth about so-called “nice” neighborhoods, and so-called “bad” neighborhoods which are disparaged as if the people who live there are non-human inhabitants. The topic of discussion,  “Untitled [...]

BANNING SEXIST, RACIST MUSIC: A RADIO STATION TAKES A STAND

This report from the Kansas City Star:
Black-owned broadcasting company bans racist and sexist music
By JIM SALTER
Associated Press Writer
ST. LOUIS –
A St. Louis company that operates four TV stations and a hip-hop radio station said Wednesday it is banning programming and music lyrics that it deems violent, sexist and racist.
The decision by black-owned Roberts Broadcasting Cos. [...]

THE INJUSTICE OF NO JUSTICE

Raid goes bad, police deny wrongdoing

10:35 PM CDT on Thursday, April 19, 2007

By Jeff McShan / 11 News Click to watch video“Crime was so bad around Antoine and Tidwell last year, Houston police blanketed the area with extra officers. Officers went undercover to catch drug dealers believed to be the source of much [...]

THE GRIOT INITIATIVE

Capturing history — one voice at a time
StoryCorps seeks to preserve 20th Century African-American life
By Martin Savidge
Correspondent
NBC News
Updated: 7:06 p.m. CT April 12, 2007
ATLANTA
If you are a regular listener of National Public Radio, then you are probably familiar with the StoryCorps project. For years now, microphones have been set up in public and mobile studios [...]

IN REMEMBRANCE OF JUNE JOHNSON 4-18-2007

When many people think of the Civil Rights Movement, they usually think of Dr. King, and Sister Rosa Parks (God rest their souls).
Sadly many people do not know of Ms. June Johnson, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ella Baker, and many other unsung and unknown black women who were the true backbone of the Civil Rights Movement, from the [...]