Tag Archives: Black Lives Matter

Kaepernick’s ‘Unpatriotic’ Conviction

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“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color…” “To me, this is bigger than football and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way. There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

(http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap3000000691077/article/colin-kaepernick-explains-why-he-sat-during-national-anthem)

As the dog days of the national sports world comes to a close, many networks are looking for virtually anything newsworthy to chew on until college and pro football lines up for the opening snap. That includes socio-political issues that have become immersed in sports talk much to the chagrin to the common man’s sports junkie pleasure. Which brings me to the story of Colin Kaepernick, who, for all intended purposes, might not even keep a roster spot by years end. The story of Kaepernick’s political protest has created lighting rod in sports talk because it has more to do with what’s critical and eye opening instead of what’s popular. It transcends the sports world and makes typical Americans focus on a matter that’s often swept under the rug. No, we’re not talking about the usual “black on black crime” that usually circulates the media circuit and puts the emphasis on black folks to get it together. Kaepernick’s statements shines a light on law enforcement which is to the American masses is a slap in the face, followed by an indignant middle finger to everything deemed “white American.” By Kaepernick refusing to stand and acknowledge the national anthem, he has become in many people’s eyes an “anti-American” who is ungrateful for what our military has done—past or present—so he can have the opportunity to enjoy life as a citizen of the alleged free world. How dare Colin commit the sin of patriotic blasphemy, or did he?

None of Kaepernick’s detractors will stick to what he actually said, nor will they point to the reason why he said it. They are quick to point out our service men but will not address our local so-called service men that have gotten away with killing black people with impunity. For instance, you have law enforcement that has been captured on camera murdering African-Americans in cold blood, yet these same officers have as Kaepernick has stated, “getting paid leave for getting away with murder.” So how does such a pivotal statement get misconstrued? Simple because Colin has as Stephen A. Smith articulated, made Americans choose sides; like it or not. If one was to look at social media this past weekend, you can clearly see how the American populous took to Colin’s conviction which was mostly met with venomous ire.

Then you have your Victor Cruz’s and now Jerry Rice’s of the world coming forth trying to diffuse Colin’s stance at the appeasement or out of their own opinion, which coincidentally sides with the prevailing popular opinion—of white folks. I wonder though if these Negro athletes are familiar with the person who wrote the national anthem in the first place? None other than American honored Francis Scott Key, who was a lawyer by day and a slaveholder by all means necessary to benefit the capitalistic so-called patriot. Even if one was to dive in the annals of the Smithsonianmag.com, there lies an article which begs to question “Where’s the Debate on Francis Scott Key’s Slave-Holding Legacy?” Here’s an excerpt for those who just don’t know:

In 1814, Key was a slaveholding lawyer from an old Maryland plantation family, who thanks to a system of human bondage had grown rich and powerful.

When he wrote the poem that would, in 1931, become the national anthem and proclaim our nation “the land of the free,” like Jefferson, Key not only profited from slaves, he harbored racist conceptions of American citizenship and human potential. Africans in America, he said, were: “a distinct and inferior race of people, which all experience proves to be the greatest evil that afflicts a community.” (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/wheres-debate-francis-scott-keys-slave-holding-legacy-180959550/?no-ist)

If one was to read further in the article, you would discover that Key’s racist views were parallel to President Thomas Jefferson and many others; for even he too thought the Negro was a inferior being. With that being said, how can anyone justify their scrutiny towards Kaepernick for not standing for a country whose original sin continues to haunt them at every angle? Whether it be through the media or our government, the fact is the so-called American Negro hasn’t received its well-deserved justice and those who think otherwise are living in a color blind society.  America has made it common practice for the Negro to forget what has happen to his ancestors while having no problem propping up so-called Jews and the travesty of their Holocaust. This is the minimization of black culture which gives rise to the affluent blacks who have quote, “made it” but share the same ideology that is pro bono for white folks.

In the end, what Colin Kaepernick has done is open that same can of worms that too often gets fed to self-righteous journalists, pundits, and typical American skeptics who would rather hear about if Colin will make it to his or hers fantasy league. Given his limited platform, Kaepernick has decided to break the sports code for Negroes by not only refusing to acknowledge the national anthem, but telling you why he does by directly pointing to an institutional problem with law enforcement. I wonder, would Kaepernick’s stance be considered this “newsworthy” if it was something other than black lives? Kaepernick’s stance should leave the normal American downtrodden NOT because you agree or disagree with Colin, but for the simple fact that when you express your beliefs according to our Bill of Rights, you get vilified. The hatred especially gets intensified when you speak on black issues. This is a no-no in America or you’ll get labeled as being a “victim” or some KKK affiliate (for what reason I don’t know) when black folks DO NOT have a history of oppressing folks. But it is what it is…peace and love y’all!

After a Slaying In Baton Rouge; Should Jesse Williams Be Fired Now?

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After delivering such a riveting message during last week’s BET Awards, Grey’s Anatomy star Jesse Williams went from a thunderous ovation from a crowd of his peers, to a week of receiving malicious criticism from Conservative cowards; who set up a spiteful petition to have him fired from ABC. See, Mr. Williams’ words wasn’t about his blackness, playing the victim card, or him being some spoiled overpaid actor using his platform to bash cops. Not even close. His words were about what took place in Baton Rouge, Louisiana last night when a young man identified as Alton Sterling, 37, was gunned down by some bloodthirsty cops.  Eerie; however, but prophetic.

In an updated story from the Advocate: “Alton Sterling, a 37-year old man who sold CDs, was shot and killed by a Baton Rouge police officer Tuesday morning outside a convenience store on North Foster Drive after “some type of altercation” with two officers, officials said.

Baton Rouge police did not provide much information about what escalated the incident between the officers and Sterling or what prompted an officer to fire his weapon. A witness, however, described police as “aggressive” and said Sterling was armed but was not holding his gun or touching his pockets during the incident. Police later retrieved a gun from the man’s pocket, said the witness, shop owner Abdullah Muflahi.

Around 12:35 a.m., Baton Rouge police responded to the Triple S Food Mart at 2112 N. Foster Drive after an anonymous caller indicated that a man in a red shirt who was selling CDs outside the store pointed a gun at someone, telling them to leave the property, Baton Rouge Police Department spokesman Cpl. L’Jean McKneely said.

East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner William “Beau” Clark said the initial results of an autopsy performed Tuesday show Sterling died due to a homicide and suffered multiple — meaning more than two — gunshot wounds to the chest and back.” (http://theadvocate.com/news/16311988-77/report-one-baton-rouge-police-officer-involved-in-fatal-shooting-of-suspect-on-north-foster-drive)

**Warning video contains graphic footage**

Then there was this…

In a petition started by Erin Smith on Change.Org, Smith accused Williams of a “racist, hate speech against law enforcement and white people at the BET Awards.” She also wasn’t fond of the show’s creator, Shondra Rhymes, accusing her of “condoning” his actions and even calling Ms. Rhymes a “hypocrite.” Here’s a small excerpt of what Smith wrote:

“Upon receiving a humanitarian award at the BET awards, Jesse Williams released a cascade of inappropriate, unprofessional and racist commentary against police officers and Caucasians. Had any one of his offensive words been said by any other race other than an African American, they would’ve been publicly shamed, fired from whatever job they had, lost endorsements, advertisers, etc…”

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Smith’s petition–a disgusting one to say the least–has over 18, 000 supporters, needing 25,000 signatures to achieve its ridiculous goal. People like Erin and TheBlaze Tomi Lahren, really don’t want to hear about any socio-political issues involving the Negro in this country. We should instead, not focus on race because if you do, I will pull out my conservative bias talking points and remind you who was the people who freed you from slavery. According to them, the subject of race can only be addressed when they control the narrative; which always reminds us what we’re not doing, should be doing, or what ‘they’ have done to help us.

RT.com has just released the names of the officers involved in the death of Alton Sterling: Blane Salamoni, 4-year veteran, and Howie Lake II, 3-year veteran. It has also been noted that one of the officers, Lake II, was involved in a prior police killing in December 2014, RT.com reports.

Prior to today, I must admit I was not a proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement; even after today, I will hold fast to my convictions about the movement. The only movement we as black people should only be a part of, are the ones which are not funded by white handlers. History teaches us from the Civil Rights Movement, when it was completely funded and controlled by white handlers, black folks as a collective received nothing from that movement. Unless you want to count retired or deceased Negro leaders, whose legacy left us singing spirituals, the DNC party, and no economy because we were satisfied with the white man liking us. However, even in the aftermath of this police execution, locals from the Baton Rouge area have flooded the streets in protest (which they should) being assisted by community leaders and organizers—while black America holds its breath waiting to breathe for justice.

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“What we’ve been doing is looking at the data and we know police somehow manage to deescalate, disarm, and not kill white people every day”--Jesse Williams

While I may not agree with Mr. Williams’ Black Lives Matter Movement or some of the sentiments he made during his compelling speech; however, we both agree our lives matter and we shouldn’t have to include “all lives” when historically and concurrently, all lives still aren’t created equal. Peace and love y’all.

“We Don’t Even Care About ‘US”

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Some of my best memories growing up as a kid in the 80’s were the times when I wanted to be like Michael Jackson. Unbeknownst to me, it was during the time when Michael Jackson was at the crown of his career having just released his album entitled; “Bad.” I would spent my time trying to imitate his dances moves, wore one glove pretending it was white; and finish every dance move mimicking Jackson’s patented sounds of “Hee-Hee and Aoww!” This was before hip-hop had my attention and when music was still good enough to listen to on the radio without having to explain why there are so many pauses in a record. Then fast-forward into the 90’s where my adolescence was ‘chin-checked’ if you will when I was told I had been “hoodwinked and bamboozled” from Spike Lee’s movie Malcolm X. I had started middle school and was introduced to high top fades, House Party films, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, Cross-Colours, Karl Kani, and of course: girls. While I was going through the stress of peer pressure and teenage puberty; my early childhood idol, Michael Jackson; was being investigated on child sexual abuse charges. Though such charges would haunt him for the rest of his career; Jackson maintained his innocence in a recorded interview and would later go on and settle with his accuser outside of court. Jackson would go on musically to record HIStory:  Past, Present, and Future, Book I, as a response to not only the accusations he endured; but to the mistreatment he received from the media. Regarded as Jackson’s most controversial album, Jackson again became the center of public scrutiny when one of the albums songs, “They Don’t Care About Us” was cited as having anti-Semitic lyrics. Despite Jackson’s pleas that the lyrics or his intent was not anti-Semitic; the commotion ended when Jackson re-recorded song removing the anti-Semitic slur. All controversy aside, the song “They Don’t Care About Us” was thought by many as having a hidden message and that maybe the singer was trying to tell us something—by us I mean African-Americans.

Such a song could be the impetus turned into a chorus sung by countless African-American voices as the year nears its end. We’re just barely four weeks removed from the decision by a grand jury which chose not to indict NYPD Officer Daniel Pantaleo in the death of Eric Garner. Garner, who was a father of six, was accosted by police for allegedly selling loosies’ cigarettes was taken down by an illegal chokehold by Pantaleo while America gasped when hearing Garner reply; “I can’t breathe.” Unlike the Michael Brown scenario involving Officer Darren Wilson; this case had visual evidence of an Officer using not just excessive force but an illegal take down method and Garner’s cause of death was ruled a homicide. But of course you had people apologizing for the officer saying “This isn’t about race and he [Garner] was resisting arrest.” Even Garner’s widow mentioned this isn’t about race in an interview with Rush Limbaugh, (of all people) and her husband was known by the officers for selling illegal cigarettes. I get the resisted part to some degree; however, are we then to conveniently forget about Officer’s Pantaleo’s checkered past?  The New York Daily News reports back in April of 2012, two men, (both who are black males) Darren Collins and Tommy Rice; alleged that Pantaleo pulled the men’s pants down and slapped their genitals during a traffic stop. Criminal charges against the two men were dropped according the reports and each received $15,000 each in a settlement. There is other cases against Officer Pantaleo (including one still pending) but my point is the guy clearly has a history of unfair treatment towards blacks so why was he even on the force?  Before I could even answer that question, I was aghast to find out that the Staten Island borough where Garner was killed has the highest number of most-sued NYPD officers the Daily News reports.   No, no, no. Maybe it has to do with Pantaleo’s Sergeant, Kizzy Adoni, who failed to intercede or break up the encounter so the grand jury had to rule in Officer’s Pantaleo’s favor, right? And just for the record; Sergeant Adoni is a black woman. As thousands rushed the streets nationwide to protest (and rightly so) after the decision was made; there was still a part of me that was hesitant in giving my full support. Of course it would be easy for me to put my pro-black militant hat on and talk about institutionalized racism and yell “white supremacy is alive and active!” It would also stick to my initial social-political narrative with the Jackson song of, “They Don’t Care About Us.” But that would be too easy.

I want to be very, very, clear in this article before I move on because initially I did not want to write it. I didn’t want to be considered a race-baiting; the white man is keeping us down, quoting liberal; or a personal responsibility, American flag wearing, blame the poor, high-horse conservative. I have no political affiliation whatsoever. I say this because anytime someone black gives an honest, constructive criticism of the black community they are immediately labeled as Toms and Coons. They say this because in some way shape or form, you sound like your repeating white supremacist rhetoric talking points. Although I disagree with that assumption; however, I will say there are some black conservatives out there who never seem to defend anything black or African-American. In fact, many of them would be insulted if you were to call them an African-American; or say they represent the black community! I can assure you I am not one of those type of guys. Likewise, in regards to the liberal argument which ignores or better yet makes excuses for everything wrong with black people. Their end all solution is to NOT fix or improve the black family; but to subsidize it with the government’s supervision. Please understand my intent isn’t to belittle or berate the black community; but it is always from my conviction which leads me to write about various topics that affect us as black people. This is why although I know white supremacy does exist; however, I do NOT spend a whole lot of time addressing it because most of our issues WE should be able to work on constructively and collectively. Just like when I hear people get mad at rich upper class African-Americans for not giving back to the black community. I used to be one of those cantankerous people myself until I understood that those rich blacks are bought off and controlled by sponsors and corporations. Moreover, the only time I personally see fit to call out those black elites is when they’re involved with a product, advertisement, or a movement that is at the detriment, decadence, and the destruction of black people. Something I like to call the 3-D’s effect.

This leads me to the monotonous protesters or creators of the “Black Lives Matter” movement which will be soon hijacked by whatever minority group associated with them who feels they’re just as important as well. So according to their website blacklivesmatter.com, the movement began back in 2012 after George Zimmerman was acquitted in the murder of 17 year-old Trayvon Martin. Since then the group has been actively involved in organizing several marches, rallies, and protest. They have become virtually the crest of the movement, led by “Black Lives Matter” originators: Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors, and Opal Tometi. They have garnered national media attention and social media notoriety most notably after the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. After I browsed through their website to see what they ultimately stood for; I was not surprised that “Black Lives Matter” isn’t just about black lives dying at the hands police and vigilantes. Here’s a quote from blacklivesmatter.com:

“It goes beyond the narrow nationalism that can be prevalent within Black communities, which merely call on Black people to love Black, live Black and buy Black, keeping straight cis Black men in the front of the movement while our sisters, queer and trans and disabled folk take up roles in the background or not at all.  Black Lives Matter affirms the lives of Black queer and trans folks, disabled folks, black-undocumented folks, folks with records, women and all Black lives along the gender spectrum.  It centers those that have been marginalized within Black liberation movements.  It is a tactic to (re)build the Black liberation movement.”

**Sigh**I couldn’t help to notice that something was glaringly missing from this movement’s website. You guessed it—black on black violence. I know, I know, I KNOW; what I just said could get me put on some fictitious Coon Train; but the greatest threat to black male’s lives; is other black males. I get this stems from various socio-economic factors such as concentrated perpetual poverty, drugs, mass incarceration, lack of jobs/unemployment, the practice of hood culture (and the media’s promotion of it through music and images), fatherless homes; I could go on. I myself understand that there’s always been this pervasive predatory target placed upon black men in America. However, the explanation of being a product of your own environment should be just as irritating of hearing me and others talk about “black on black crime.” The difference between me and the political bigot; is that I am genuinely concerned for the black community just like a prisoner doing 20 to life. What do I mean? This same prisoner if he had the chance (and was remorseful for his crime) who would tell you not only don’t make the same mistakes which landed him in jail; but you have a choice to do something different. That’s code for take responsibility. That’s right. Also, since we are talking about black lives and all; I would be remissed if I didn’t bring up the lives which begin at conception. I understand this might stir up a hornet’s nest by addressing a woman’s right to choose; but abortion continues to be a problem in the African-American community. Yes the abortion rates (nationwide) have dropped considerably within the last decade; unfortunately, black women are still five times more likely to abort than white women and two times more than Latina women according to the  Center for Disease Control and Prevention. There are other groups in which the “Black Lives Matter” movement is also engaged in but of these groups’ transsexuals [gays], feminism, and illegals; already have a national platform and political support. So while I applaud “Black Lives Matter” and the thousands of protesters nationwide; this isn’t really about black males being killed. It’s about having a face—rather a black face— to push their own politicalized agenda’s for their own personal gain. I could be wrong but hey that’s ‘politricks.’

I was almost tempted to end this elongated article by saying “My fellow Americans,” as if I was giving a presidential address. Truth be told, as much as I care about black community and its overall all well-being; it seems like our future as a people is very grim. It’s like we deliberately ignore the seemingly obvious issue, which is the black family; and we focus on who we think is bothering us and become capricious with anyone who tells us otherwise. Racism and anything associated with it; isn’t our core problem. So how can we say “They Don’t Care About Us,” when ‘WE’ don’t even care about us. But nevertheless, those of you who wish not to be enlightened or flat out refuse to, will be the ones who will continue to rail, march, and bark at the moon. Just like those who went before you. Peace.

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