About Damn Time…Maybe NOT July 31, 2008

The United States Government has finally issued an apology for Slavery. Here is the Official Transcript:

Transcript: Rep. Steve Cohen (D-TN) Introduces U.S. Apology for Slavery, Jim Crow

July 29, 2008

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and Mr. Chairman. It is with pride that I introduce this resolution with 120 co-sponsors from both sides of the aisle. It is with pride that I serve as a member of this institution, in this building that was built with slave labor, and for which the new Visitors Gallery will be known as Emancipation Hall. It was a gentleman from this side of the aisle, the party of Lincoln, Representative Zach Wamp from my state, and this side of the aisle, Representative Jesse Jackson Jr., who eloquently spoke to a subcommittee of which I’m a member, urging the remembrance and recognition of the work of the slaves who helped construct this magnificent capitol building and have the entryway named Emancipation Hall.

This country had an institution of slavery for 246 years and followed it with Jim Crow laws that denied people equal opportunity under the law. There was segregation in the south and other places in this country, at least through the year 1965 when civil rights laws were passed. There were separate water fountains for people, marked white and colored, there were restaurants, there were separate hotels, there were job opportunities that were not available to African-Americans. There were theaters that were segregated.

It’s hard to imagine, in 2008, that such a society existed and was sanctioned by law, that the laws of the nation provided for segregation and enforced slave fugitive slave laws. In fact, the history of slavery goes not just through the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to our constitution, but as so eloquently written, just yesterday, in “The Baltimore Sun” in an editorial by Mr. Leonard Pitts Jr., that slavery existed up until about World War II, but it was a form of slavery where people were bought and sold for debts, it was slavery by another name. In a book called Slavery By Another Name by Douglass Blackman, a correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, when he talked about a convict leasing system in the south where in poor black men were routinely snatched up and tried on false petty or nonexistent charges by compliant courts, assessed some fine they could not afford, and then put into the servitude of an individual who bought them. This system continued up until World War II.

The fact is, slavery and Jim Crow are stains upon what is the greatest nation on the face of the earth and the greatest government ever conceived by man. But when we conceived this government and said all men were created equal we didn’t in fact make all men equal, nor did we make women equal. We have worked to form a more perfect union, and part of forming a more perfect union is laws, and part of it is such as resolutions like we have before us today where we face up to our mistakes and we apologize, as anyone should apologize for things that were done in the past that were wrong. And we begin a dialogue that will hopefully lead us to a better understanding of where we are in America today and why certain conditions exist.

In 1997, President Clinton talked to the nation about the problem this country had with race. And he wanted a national dialogue. He considered an apology for slavery. I happened to run into President Clinton at that time, at the Amtrak station here in Washington and discussed with him having an apology for Jim Crow as well as slavery. I encompassed that in a letter dated July 2, 1997 that as a state Senator in Tennessee I wrote to President Clinton. In that letter, I urged him to have a slavery apology and a Jim Crow apology and to mark it on the 30th Anniversary of the Assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, and that event tragically took place in April of 1968 in my city and that the appropriate time for President Clinton to have that apology would be on that 30th anniversary.

In going through my papers as I was elected to congress, I found this letter and I thought about it and I said to myself, you’re a member of congress, you don’t need to wait on a response from the President of the United States, which my friend, the president’s office, failed to make a response. I can take action myself. So I introduced the resolution in February of 2007 with 120 sponsors joining me as time went on. It is important on this day that we admit our error, that we apologize. I’ve been in this body and voted with the rest of the body on unanimous voice vote to encourage, this past year, the Japanese Government to apologize for its use of Chinese women as “comfort women” during the war. And not a voice was raised questioning that resolution which passed unanimously on us calling on a foreign country to apologize for its use of “comfort women.” Twenty years ago this congress passed a bill apologizing for the internment of Japanese citizens during World War II. In fact, subsequent to the consideration of this resolution, the distinguished lady from California, Ms. Matsui, has a resolution recognizing and celebrating the 20th anniversary of the passage of that bill.

This Congress did the right thing in apologizing for the imprisonment of Japanese-Americans during World War II and in encouraging the Japanese Government to apologize for the use of “comfort women.” But the fact that this government has not apologized to its own citizens, African-Americans, for the institution of slavery and for the Jim Crow laws that followed and accepted that fact and encouraged changes in our dialogue and understanding in the actions of this country to rectify that is certainly a mistake. And today we rectify that mistake. This is a symbolic resolution but hopefully it will begin a dialogue where people will open their hearts and their minds to the problems that face this country, from racism that exists in this country on both sides and which must end if we’re to go forward as the country that we were created to be and which we are destined to be. So it is with great honor that I speak on this resolution and urge the members of this body to pass this historic resolution, recognize our errors, but also recognize the greatness of this country, because only a great country can recognize and admit its mistakes and then travel forth to create indeed a more perfect union that works to bring people of all races, religions and creeds together in unity as Americans part of the United States of America. Mr. Speaker, I thank you for the time and I urge my colleagues to vote unanimously to pass this resolution today. Thank you.

All of that was nice and all but I must be blind because I totally missed this sentence, “We, the White people, apologize for Slavery and the Jim Crow Laws that were create to repress Blacks as a whole and make us, White people, wealthy as a whole and you, Black People, poor as a whole.” OR This Sentence, ” This country is exactly the way it was made and built to be that is why blacks are not treated like real human beings (three-fifths of a human being), that is why the police officers can shoot and taser them to death and get off for it and go back home to their families while some black family has to grieve the loss of one of their own. WE APOLOGIZE FOR THAT TOO.

But no, it is missing because giving a real apology would have been to much like right.

I Know My Worth, Do You Know Yours? July 23, 2008

Last night me and my cousin went out to get some Pepsi from a Walgreen’s and had to travel all over to find on that was up at midnight. I parked the car at the 87th & Cottage Grove location and she went in. While I sat there in peace trying to listen to India.Arie tell me how she was ready to accept love, some young men came out of the store and walked over to the truck directly to my right. I paid them no attention after that until another truck pulled up on my left. It was the same two who came out of the store. I looked up into the truck and the guy appeared to be talking down to me but because I did not know him I ignored it. I wrote it off as a figment of my imagination. They got out of the car and Guy A (the one speaking down at me) walks over to the other truck. Then he starts yanking on the door handle of MY CAR!! He then starts to say I can relax because he won’t hurt me. I bend over to crack the window so he can talk. He says some BS about knowing me from somewhere preferably a high school called Harlan. I did not go there, don’t know where it is located and have never been in the vicinity of this school unless I have driven past it unknownly somewhere in my lifetime. I bend over to roll the window back up. He starts to talk to the guy in the truck again. Then turns around and knocks on my window. Asks me some BS like do I know him from a party (I do not party) or through friends (HELL NO!!!). Saying he does not forget faces (neither do I !!). I must have a doppleganger because he does not know me. This entire time Guy B is standing on my side of the car keeping me feeling trapped.

The sad thing is to some I know that scenario sounds like a set up for a scene in a FUCKING horror film, but for me it was creepy but not truly terrifying because I am used to being put in situations similar to this all the time. As a Young Black Woman I have to deal with BS from Young Black Men all the damn time. I do not know what went wrong with the parents, Parenting Skills because most YBM are completely clueless on how to approach a YBW with some class and tact. Then I thought maybe it is me. I am a slightly overweight person and most men feel like women in my category should be very thirsty and desperate. They see me like this:

And that is fine they have their opinion but… I hold myself to a different standard because I see myself like this:

And I really need them to treat me and other YBW how they would treat this woman if they saw her out in public or if she was their woman:

I am a real woman and I work hard and I have morals and values that should be respected. I do not give a FUCK how a YBM feels about YBW, they should be showing all of us the same respect they would want someone to show their mother or grandmother or sister. My size has nothing to do with what kind of woman I am or the value of my life and time. But I am just one case. Many YBM disrespect YBW because they think she is an easy woman, or a dumb woman, or an ugly woman. Most of these idiots only go for women who look like her ^^^^^^^ and they get their heart broke or feelings hurt and then they want to run off to another race of women. Thats fine 2, good riddance to the quitters, YBW do not need a weak man anyway. And I am not just bashing the Educated Young Black Men (they are the quickest to run off to another race because they think they are better then their counterparts). I have meet some YBM from the hood who have “threatened me” with their wants and desires of being with a white woman. Good Riddance!!! Let a lesser woman put up with your ridiculous ways and views on life. I will pray for her and hope she won’t ever leave you.

I am sorry but my anger has been building up because I have been dating since I was 13 and it has been 9 years and 5 serious relationships that have all failed. I have given all 5 five of these males all my love, time, energy, effort and trust. Sadly, I have been hurt in one way or another or in all ways by each one of these men. I thankfully don’t have any children with any of them so I have no ties to them but a lot of women do have kids by men (BOYS!!!) that do not show them their full value. They are broken by these men and it is hard to pick up the pieces once your heart, life and world has been torn apart (I have seen it happen so many times).

Black people are some of the most torn and divided people in the world. Healthy Relationships are the most treasured thing in the world. A vast majority of Black Men have decided to give up on Black women because they perceive us all to have bad attitudes (a lot of Black women do but then again a lot of WOMEN do and anyone would if they have been hurt time and time again). Men are stronger then women with their emotions (nature) and things won’t faze them the same way. The thing is we have to nurture one another and help others heal their wounds. That is what love is about. Why do people think they don’t have to love those who look like them? Black women are loyal to Black men but Black men reject black women. This is tearing me apart. The Black Community is already as fucked as it could possibly be ( an overwhelming amount of broken homes, criminals, single parents, unguided children, missing children, dying children and no father figures). Why do our men think running away is the answer to fixing this problem (someone please tell me)? I am starting to envision a future where black people are as rare to find as Native Americans. That makes me cry and it should make you cry also. Our men are indulging in things that our community cannot afford right now.

Everywhere I turn I am being told by a BM that he wants a woman (Wife) who will love him,cook, clean, take care of the children and raise them right. That is fair but the same has to be reciprocated. These black men envision themselves to be some sort of modern day Martin and they want a Coretta. These men are not anything like Martin because Martin was a fighter. He wanted to uplift the black community and these men are quick to tear it down. Why the fuck do they deserve a Coretta (someone please tell me)? How do we change this? If we don’t Black People will disappear to jails, graveyards and more mixture with other races.

Being a Parent is SO Important. July 22, 2008

Today has been a very hard day for me and it has got me thinking alot about what real parenting is. It is something that I see is seriously missing in my neighborhood: kids out riding bikes in the street or crossing streets with nobody watching them, kids out at night, kids or teens out in public disrespecting their elders (yes, that includes me even though I am only 22) and/or children who are no older than 10 but weigh too much. There are so many violations that I can go into right now but these are the problems I can think of right now.

I was always a person who thought I became who I was because of the great parents I had. Today I saw more than ever just how wrong I was. I am a special exception to the “good child” rule. My parents are the kind of people who are good on paper. They worked hard and always made sure my needs were met and sometimes my wants. They were not ever together and they battled all the time. My dad was very abusive, physically and verbally, and my mother was the same,just in a different way verbally. I was never ever told that something was wrong until I did wrong and was punished for it. I was a pretty good child, I did good in school , not because I was told that it was the right thing from my parents but because I LOVED the feeling I got from teacher compliments, rewards and seeing good grades. I remember the first time I got a bad grade in 3rd grade. I got in a lot of trouble not because my mother told me bad grades were wrong but because I never had one before and so I established a norm and then I broke it. I pretty much raised myself into who I am.

Well maybe I should be truly honest. My parents made sure I was not homeless and that I knew how to be a cold not loving woman, also that I know the importance of lying to get myself out of trouble. My dad taught me how to be ruthless person and do it at the expense of others and their happiness.These are all the things that I hate about myself. The one good thing I learned from my father was Black Pride, I think. He never wanted me to own white barbies or dolls, not that it really mattered because I did not like dolls period. Well I guess he was a true failure. My mother taught me to never have kids before you are ready, I learned this because she did and we hate each other. I hope when I do have children I have the strength to be a better mother than she was to me. My parents were good providers but anyone can provide, not everyone can parent. It is unfortunate that they both have produced another child with other people (both sons). In my opinion the other parent in both of those situations is a real parent but maybe their children feel differently, I doubt it though.

People have to understand that your word is like Gold to your child. They believe everything you say, all you have to do is tell then all the right things. Kat Williams said it best, you cannot beat your children because they like skittles. You have to teach them how to be good people. That means instilling in them the value of hard work, that starts with school. Being smart and a hardworker will take you very far. It is not okay for a child to roam the streets alone or with other young children because our streets are NO LONGER SAFE. People are all stuck on a me against the world mentality and so many YOUNG BLACK PEOPLE ARE DYING. This shit is breaking my heart. We have got to do better BLACK PEOPLE.

It is a well known fact that most people (read:white people) do not care about us (read:black people) and want or expect for us all to fail. We are making that more and more possible with every passing generation. When I walk outside my house I do not see kids who will grow up into productive adults, I see kids who enjoy being BAD ASS ALL HELL but not enjoying childhood. I have heard them say so many disrespectful things to me and others. I want to know where they get it from. I was a child that many would have considered bad because I talked back to adults who I thought were not acting how they should be or those who thought they could talk down to me like I was stupid just because I was shorter and their mamas popped them out of her cootch before mine did. But, like I said I raised myself, there was definetly a method to my madness. I do not get the same vibe from todays youth.

I really do not want to hear any more stories of children finding guns at home or getting access to guns when they are to young to understand the importance or effect of that weapon. I do not want to hear any more stories of a child getting hit by a stray bullet. I do not want to hear any more stories of children who can not read on their grade level. No more stories about a kid or teen not being able to enjoy their youth because they have to take on the role of a parent because a parent is missing and the one that is there has to work hard to make sure they all have a place to sleep at night (that was my high school life).

No more failing the youth in our communities. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. WE HAVE ALL GOT TO STEP UP SO THINGS CAN BE BETTER. I am no fool and I know some people will never change and that is fine for them. We have to let them be them but we also have to instill knowledge into those that these deliquents will try to influence before it becomes to late for them also. I want to do my part by becoming an English teacher and a tutor at my school and in my neighborhood because I am fed the fuck up. WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Black fathers are missing and we need them back. Black youth are parents and we need them to be good students. Black mothers are the providers and cannot be a parent and we really need them back. Black children are dying and we need them to live. Young black men are in jail and we need them walking the streets being a positive person. Black women are missing husbands and we need to have more family structure and structured families in our communities. People are convincing our youth that being smart is not cool and we need to get rid of those people. Young black women do not know how to be good upstanding young ladies or women and we need to fix that. Too many of our youth are angry and we need to nurture them and take care of them and convince them (verbally and with our actions) that life can be special and worth living. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD. WAKE THE FUCK UP EVERYBODY. wHAT WILL YOU DO TO MAKE YOUR COMMUNITY BETTER? Because, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO RAISE A CHILD.

What Is Beautiful? July 20, 2008

Just a few moments ago I came across a video on youtube about defining black beauty. I will not post it here because I refuse to give this man any more shine at my expense. In his title he asks the question of What makes Flava Flav ugly? Now to most people this would be a common sense question. There are a vast majority of people who consider this man unattractive (your personal taste) or UGLY (the negative way of seeing things and a very clear attack on a person). Now me personally have seen some pictures (a magazine cover shoot) of Flav were he looks simply like an average man but on his show, his general public persona, he spends alot of time making funny, weird, dare I say ugly faces.

I do not care about who anybody is if they are out looking like a black joker intentionally or unintentionally they will not be found attractive by the general public. Now he toned this craziness down on the new Sister 2 Sister magazine shoot because he was representing his family and I could see why a woman would see him, the way God made him, attractive. He created a gorgeous child with his fiancee and I wish their cute little family much success.

Now me personally find many different types of men attractive based on how they look and carry themselves as an individual. I do not care what the general public thinks. To me this is attractive:

This does not warrant my attention:

<<<^^^ Millions of women love these men and will probably hate my guts for not understanding the wonderfulgorgeousamazingspectacularness that makes up these two men.

But of course beauty is not black and white nor is it reserved for men in my eyes::

^^^^ All 5 above are very sexy and all very different looking.

My point is that an attractive person can come in all different shades, nationalities and races. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I know that is very cliche but very true. One persons trash is another persons treasure. Very common and often said but it was not made up out of false hopes. Be the best person you can be with what God, your God, your parents or nature (to cover everyone’s beliefs) gave you.

Just because you do not like how someone looks gives you no right to call them an ugly person. How do you feel when you have had that said to you? I bet it was not a feeling of bliss or happiness. What would you do if someone said that to your children? Do people believe that it is okay because they are flawless because everyone (a large majority at least) loves them? Put positive energy out into the world and it will come back to you (it is called KARMA and it is real and can be a real bitch if you do not honor her!!) What happens when you experience too much heartache, or people no longer favor you, or something tragic happens to your precious face or body? Will you humble yourself then? Just something for the public to ponder. We are all humans and there is beauty in all of us all everyone has to do is be true to themselves and they will be found attractive to someone because WE ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL!!!!!

Lets take Megan Fox (a girl you can find almost anywhere in the world) for example,

For about a year now the general public has been fawning over this average typical looking woman. Transformers has made a hot star. She got big headed feeding off of her own hype and broke up with her boyfriend of five years because she feels she is too young (read: too hot and popular) for marriage. This man was with her when she was on Hope & Faith (you know the show she was on for about 3 years looking exactly like she does ^^post Transformers). But I guess being with him was acceptable when nobody gave a fuck about you. What will she do when the Transformer trilogy is over , a year passes and she is back to being a nobody. Will she go back to her childhood fantasy, Brian Austin Green? Maybe she will bring more cheap attention to herself by actually trying to make that mostly nude movie (read: PORNO) she spoke of earlier this week.  Or will she end up like Britney Spears, one of America’s previous pinup, superstar, super hot girls?

Personally, I love Black Men when it comes to those who I choose to date exclusively. A part of this is because they are the majority of who and what I know and because of my personal beliefs (more on that at a later date). This however,  has nothing to do with who catches my eye in that sense because I do not discriminate visually.

It’s Time For Good Music July 16, 2008

As we saw earlier the music that is being released lately has been on a serious decline. It is a sad day people. A sad decade because music is nothing like it was in the 90’s. Let’s take a look back at a certified classic because today it may have just been destroyed for the masses. More on that after the video.

H-Town “Knocking Boots” from 1993

That indeed is a classic and a nice reminder of how music could have been about intimacy but still tasteful and have a nice tasteful video to accompany it. But as I have already say today it is over. Let me share with you.

Pretty Ricky “Knocking Boots 08″

Now that you have layed witness to both versions of the song. Tell me how bad are your eyes bleeding? This video is way too comical to be taken seriously at all. Between the lame attempts of portraying ‘boot knocking’ by having some stepping boots pop up randomly in the video and ‘Sexy Spec’ trying to get his strip tease on I don’t know how to continue on with my life without these images haunting me. The only person who makes this song acceptable is the new singing man ‘4 Play’. He needs to take a serious clue from his predecessor and break free to go solo. He is no Marvin Gaye (who they seriously disrespected by cutting him out and replacing with themselves) but he is nothing to shit on by todays’ standards.

What is wrong with the youth of today who I know will buy this trash of an album “80’s Baby” that I predict will be coming to attack this planet with its impending awfulness very soon? I watched the H-Town video again today and realized I was only about 7 years old when this song came out and I remember it coming out and I remember loving it when it came out and waiting on The Box to play the video again. But I sit here thinking how tragic it is that this new remake with a vulgar video will be viewed by the 7 year olds that exist today. Thank God I had parents to teach me right from wrong but since there is a serious lack of that ability nowadays, THESE KIDS ARE FUCKED! This groups demographic of pre-teens and teens are SERIOUSLY FUCKED. They will walking around thinking a man kissing on his biceps is ’sexy’, that interpretive dancing is something worth imitating (about 1:10 into the video), and that being a part of the Technicolored Yaki Weave Crew is something worthy of praise (BLACK, BROWN, BLOND and RED, HOORAY FOR THE RAINBOW!!!).

Blood boiling now, time for more counteraction of that major foul offense here you go, music for your soul:

and her husband:

and something recent:

There now I send you out into the world in peace. Have a Great Day.

Why oh Why?? July 16, 2008

Today I came across a video that was so shocking I wish I had a way to banish it from this planet and erase it from the memory of everyone who has viewed it. BUT I CAN’T, SO SHARE I MUST.

What has happened in this world, that young women think it is cute and acceptable to appear in a video like this. It is disrespectful to themselves and to other women. What kind of right do people have to portray women in that light? Any woman who does not respect herself enough to keep her sexuality behind closed doors has a problem. Don’t get me wrong, I believe everyone has the right to express their sexuality anyway they choose 2, just keep it private. The sad thing is that there are women in the world who would actually bust-down any random nobody. Kudos to the women who decided not to show their faces. Sadly, that is the highest and only compliment I can dish out to these young ladies.

Women have got to respect themselves and the image of womanhood because it is falling apart. I know too many girls and women (myself included) who have been disrespected on the streets or in general public areas because of the fucked images many men get of women . I hold myself to a high standard and I have morals and standards and I get disrespected all the time (more at that at a later date). There are many other women who do also but yet they have to put with unruly men against their will. I am sick of the BS and things have got to change. Enough ranting though, time for something to counteract that atrocity.

I have to give a big thank you to Ms. Alicia Keys because I have been waiting for this song to be released as a single and today my dreams have finally come true. This is so refreshing a tear almost came to my eye. I feel hopeful every time I have watched this video today. Maybe it will start a revolution: the importance of a STRONG BLACK WOMAN, thus eliminating the not so important images of how good a bottom feeder can suck on a mans dick in front of others. TO ALL WOMEN: it is OKAY to respect yourself, because YOU ARE a VALUABLE human being. You can add so much to a GOOD MAN’S life. All you have to do is hold yourself to higher standards. You will be surprised how much bullshit it eliminates from your life. Don’t wait till tomorrow lets all make the change today. THAT IS JUST MY WISHFUL THINKING.

Why I Created This Blog!!! July 16, 2008

I have spent a lot of time lately deciding if and why I should start a blog. Would I be doing something new? Probably not. Would I be able to reach the people. Definetly. That is what is all about, bringing my views to more people. I am doing this because I believe in common sense. There defintely seems to be a lot of slack showing up in that department in this country. WE HAVE GOT TO PICK IT UP PEOPLE!! I am coming to the rescue to help you figure things out and shine some light on things. I will tackle personal issues, universal problems, problems occuring in my community (THE BLACK COMMUNITY), and the rampant lack of artistic creativity that becomes worse every week. But I can not always be negative, so I will sprinkle in a little positivity every now and then.  Always remember this: Everything we do, we have to be sure of. There are only TWO ways to handle any situation:THE RIGHT WAY AND THE WRONG WAY.  If you come across this page add it to your favorites because I promise I will not disappoint.