Alicia in Africa: A Journey to the Motherland Documentary

Alicia Keys traveled to Africa and created a documentary to share her journey with the world. Check it out:

Dr. King's "I Have Come To The Mountaintop" Speech

This year marks 40 years since Dr. King's assassination. At this point in time, now more than ever, is it important for us to look back in history to a man that brought America to a turning point. America remembers the history of Dr. King that they want us to remember--only pieces of his "I have a Dream" speech that they twist to propel their colorblind rhetoric. Yet, there were many speeches that Dr. King delivered. And it is up to us to educate ourselves on Dr. King in his entirety, not only through the lens that America deems as safe.

Delivered in Memphis, TN on April 3, 1968, the night before he was assassinated, his "I have come to the Mountaintop" speech gives great insight into what Dr. King was thinking and seeing about the future of this nation. He delivers this speech, it seems, as if he knew it was his last. His heartfelt charge given during this message remains true today. Please take time out to listen to this speech; you will not regret it.

Part 1:


Part 2:

What are American Values?

Arizona

I'm pretty disgusted. If you read the short clip above, Arizona is trying to eliminate public funding to race based student organizations at higher ed institutions.

Lets visualize this for a second.

Imagine the University of Maryland's Black Student Union without any funding from SGA. The Pan Hellenic Council, NAACP, Black Graduate Student Association. Latino Student Union, Asian American Student Union. Literally ALL would cease to exist because they would be DENIED funding.

No program through the BSU to mentor freshmen, the Honors program could no longer fund the Black Honors Caucus or Latino Honors Caucus. We would be telling students of color that college was no longer a place where you could embrace your culture and learn about others.

If this doesn't make your stomach turn, the rationale will.

It is that these groups do not create an "inclusive America; therefore they: “denigrate American values and the teachings of Western civilization.”

So here in lies the story of one of the most racist states this union has, rationalizing is hatred of ethnic minorities by denying us the opportunity to form communities of strength and unity on predominantly white campuses.

What happened to celebrating our diversity? What happened to remembering that American values rest in capitalism which seldom aids the rest of the world?

Righteous Minds wants to know your thoughts on this extremely important issue. What can happen in one state opens the floodgates for other states to try to pass similar laws.

Minister Louis Farrakhan speaks at State of Black Union

check out what he has to say: Part 1


Part 2

HOT TOPIC: 70% of Black Women Single?!

...(interesting video, from Oprah...check it out!!!)

Hot Topic: Boondocks' Banned BET Episode

Check out Aaron McGruder's banned episode about BET! Comedy Central banned the controversial episode, but we have it for you right here. Watch it. Then speak your mind on it! *Courtesy of the folks at www.JustRealeyez.com <--check out this blog written by students at UMD!

Honoring a Civil Rights Hero: Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

CNN has a dedicated portion of their website entitled, Black in America, which gives video accounts of those who were with King when he was assassinated and discusses how the FBI followed his every move. Come here Jesse Jackson as he recalls the moments followings King being shot and the call he had to make to Coretta Scott King to inform her that her husband had been shot. FBI files called King, "the most dangerous and effective Negro in the country." Click the link above for more.

Teenagers: Doing it and doing it well?

Teenagers are doing it alright, but they are not doing it well.

I read some startling statistics today. According to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control, 1 in 4 girls between the ages of 14-19 have an STD and 48% of African American girls between the ages of 14-19 have an STD. What does that say about sex in our society?

In an age where sex education is just as accessible as the oversexualized images on television, one would think that given the information many teens would at least be educated enough to make smart decisions about having sex. Clearly, that is not the case.

In an era where parents are urged to talk to their children about sex, how many parents are actually doing this? Parents and educators can no longer think of sex as a taboo subject, because the youth are suffering. Sex sells and is everywhere from magazine shelves to hidden jokes in family sitcoms to the blatantly sexy lyrics in music. Have people given up on talking to their kids? Do parents think "Oh, they're going to do it anyway?" Someone let me know, because those statistics are serious.

Teenagers are being infected with herpes and will have to live with that disease for the rest of their lives, and some do not even know what herpes is, and other STDs for that matter. One Philadelphia Inquirer columnist stated in his column, The sexually uneducated, recalled a conversation he had with a member of the track team he coaches:

"As a track coach and mentor to young men in the same age category as the CDC study, I have seen many misinformed, yet very sexually active teenagers. One young man, who had at least four years of sex under his belt, argued me tooth and nail that herpes was not a permanent condition. He was adamant that there was a pill that could be taken to make it go away for good. I assured him on the spot that he was mistaken and that we could never share a Gatorade."

Teenagers are out there having sex with little knowledge of the serious consequences that they may have to live with. And with no one out there combating the vivid sexual images and culture of society, the statistics will continue to increase. For some reason, everyone thinks they're immune to catching diseases. The superman or superwoman mentality is having serious consequences.

When I was in middle school, I knew of my classmates engaging in oral sex, fondling, and everything else. Yet, these actions were not seen as socially acceptable, nor the norm for middle-school aged children. Today it seems as all the rules are out the window--even elementary kids are experimenting, while parents and adults remain hesitant to tackle these issues head-on.

Lastly, a sexual education that covers STD awareness and contraception measures is not going to cut it. As a country we need to begin to change the conversation we have about sex to inform those coming behind us on the purpose and meaning of sexual intercourse. I'm not saying that we have to go tell every teenager in America that they need to stop having sex--that's not realistic. What I am saying is that they should be well-informed about what sex is, both physically and emotionally, in order to make an informed decision to engage in the act.

Hot Topic: Obama's Pastor Jeremiah Wright

I've been searching for unique takes on this debate. And I found two columns that I found to be quite interesting. The first is from a columnist for The American Spectator, a conservative journal. The following is an excerpt:

"Ever since Barack Obama delivered his much praised but inadequate race speech on Tuesday, the editorialists have been telling us how much we need a national dialogue on the subject.

Right. It's high time. So here's my contribution:

Rev. Jeremiah Wright's remarks about America were the worst things said about my adopted country since I came here from England in 1962. Louis Farrakhan and Malcolm X are not in the same league as this champion of race hatred from Chicago. Imagine if Senator John McCain had for years been a member of a church where a white pastor said that blacks should go back to Africa where they came from. And McCain were to respond: Well, I disagree with his remarks and I reject what he said but I won't disassociate myself from him, because he has been so important to my life. McCain would be out of the race in the blink of an eye. Yet Obama has not felt the need to distance himself from Pastor Wright.

The New York Times has praised Obama's speech as a "profile in courage." That is baloney -- reflecting the gross double standard that has prevailed for decades on the subject of race. The underlying problem is that the liberals who still control so much of the debate quietly agree with much of what Wright said."

He goes on to say several paragraphs down:

"Anti-white discrimination has been legal in this country for 30 years now, even though it is politically unpopular and goes down to defeat when voters are given a voice in the matter.

THE TRUTH IS THAT the African-American establishment benefits from the current system of affirmative action and racial preferences. They feel ennobled by their victim status. White liberals like this arrangement, too, because the cultivation of victimhood and the arousal of guilt feelings is their stock in trade -- practically their raison d'etre. The New York Times' Nicholas Kristof sought to excuse Pastor Wright's mendacious claims that the U.S. government engineered HIV as a death-dealing weapon against blacks. Maybe 30 percent of blacks believe that, Kristof wrote, in extenuation. Perhaps it's time to expose the lies that black leaders spread within their own communities, and not excuse them."

Click here to read the rest of Tom Bethel's, Senior Editor of The American Spectator, op-ed piece entitled, "Obama and His Minister".

In response to his piece, Vince McKnight responds. He offers great insight into what many people leave out in this debate: the history of racial discrimination against blacks in this country and its effect on our lives today. The following is an excerpt from his response:

"I read your article about the Obama-Wright flap, and there is an element to this story that you are missing. Indeed, much of the press is missing this point.

You minimize and trivialize the pernicious, virulent, and lasting effects of state sponsored racism in the United States. I will be the first to admit that the United States of America has made spectacular progress in becoming a more open and just society. However, many white journalists look at the world as it exists today in a vacuum, as if the past has been eradicated by the passage of landmark legislation and Supreme Court cases.

I am a 54 year old African American, Ivy League educated attorney. In my lifetime, I have personally experienced acts that you can't imagine. Moreover, I dare say, that if you took the time to speak to any African American over the age of 45 -- anybody -- and ask them to candidly tell you their experiences with racism in this country, you would understand that this is not a figment of their imaginations, that it had real and lasting impacts, and that no law can fix or undo the harm that has been done."

Click here to read the rest of his response (you will have to scroll down the page to find it, but it's worth it). Then I pose to you, did you agree or disagree with Pastor Wright's remarks? Also, what is your opinion on how the media has framed this debate? Since black voices are not the ones heard in mainstream media because we do not have control over CNN or MSNBC, we do not have shows like Glenn Beck or other political pundits, how do you feel about the silence of black voices in the media? And anything else you have to say about this, just speak your mind.

Hot Topic: Typecasting

I received a Facebook message as a part of the BGLO Scholar group from Gregory Sparks, a scholar in Black Greek-lettered organizations, about the controversy surrounding the Lebron James cover of Vogue and was compelled to send you all the story. Check out the images below:


Here's an excerpt from the blog:

"Tom Withers of the Huffington Post describes LeBron James on the cover of the April cover of Vogue thusly:

LeBron James is striking a pose.

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ superstar will appear on the April cover of Vogue, joining actors Richard Gere and George Clooney as the only men to do so in the influential fashion magazine’s 116-year history.

Wearing a tank top, shorts and sneakers from his own Nike clothing line, James appears on the cover dribbling a basketball and screaming as if in game mode while throwing one arm around supermodel Gisele Bundchen with Tom Brady nowhere to be found.

LeBron James is striking a pose, all right.

What Withers does not say is that neither Gere nor Clooney struck a pose remotely close to that of James’. What Withers does not say - nor does anyone else as of yet - is that Tom Brady would never have been asked to pose with his girlfriend, Gisele Bundchen, in full New England Patriots gear.

And Tom Brady never, ever would have allowed himself to be cast as a human ——-

King Kong.

Some people who see the Vogue cover and see the inescapable similarities between King Kong and King James will blame Vogue and/or photographer Annie Leibovitz for the ape-like visage of James, mouth agape, all 6′9″, 260 pounds of his blackness charging out of the cover with Bundchen swept up in his arm and her in her best German-Euro version of Ann Darrow."

Click here to read the rest of Dwil's post, "Lebron James and the Vogue Cover: More 'King Kong' than 'King James'" and also check out this amazon review of the book Typecasting and then speak your mind.

Obama's speech about much more than race

To say I was moved would the the understatement of my lifetime. This speech was by far the most honest and relevant testimonial on the state of race relations I've had the opportunity to witness. This is by far the most important speech delivered on this country's soil in more than forty years. Rest assured, win or lose, your children will watch, read, and relive this moment. This speech will be memorized and recited in classrooms along side the Declaration of Independence, King's "I Have a Dream", Maya Angelou's "Phenomenal Woman", Act 3--Scene 2 of Julius Caesar, Old Major's address to his fellow farm animals in Orwell's masterpiece, and any other major speech that has embeded itself in the American psyche. But enough of my brown-nosing...what are your thoughts?

Video Vixen Dreams and Young Black Girls

After seeing the short movie above, I was inspired to write my blog on the topic of video vixens. These plastic surgery women with carved figure eight physiques, grey or hazel contact colored eyes, are scantily clad in the latest Apple Bottom jeans and boots with the fur. They dis"grace" the covers King and Black Male magazine. Today, women are willing to sell their souls and self-respect for fifteen minutes of fame. Take Flavor of Love for example. The show, in its third season, brings together these women who everyone already knows are not looking for love, but will slander, verbally abuse, and embarrass themselves on national television with the hopes of getting their own spin-off of I Love New York. With all of this emphasis on physical beauty and one's ability to publicly display her sexual prowess, I have to think about how these images are effecting the dreams and aspirations of young black women.

Media depictions of Black women are negatively effecting the psychological minds of young Black girls. Black school girls are growing up with dreams and aspirations of being the next video vixen on the 106 and Park Top 10 countdown instead of inspiring to be pioneers like Harriet Tubman, Mary McLeod Bethune, and Shirley Chisholm. Instead of using their God-given intellect, they are focusing on their God-given physical assets. At school dances, young girls are emulating the bumping and grinding and eye candy demeanor of video vixens. What is happening is the entertainment world and reality are mixing to create a cloudy vision of morality. Young girls are not being taught what is acceptable behavior in society. Instead they are watching these videos and degrading shows daily. As a result, the mental images are being ingrained into their psyches and displayed in their every day lives.

Insecurities permeate the minds of these young Black women. The stress of trying to fit a white standard of beauty too often breaks their self-confidence. This emphasis on physical beauty and sexual exploration does not empower women, but constantly breaks them down leaving more room for a competitive nature to flourish. These young girls are comparing themselves to the likes of Angel Lola Love and Melissa Ford -all of whom have had plastic surgery-instead of embracing their inner and outer beauty. They should be aspiring to continue the legacy of Rosa Parks, Coretta Scott King, Maya Angelou, and other Black female powerhouses of the past and present. Yet while the media pushes video vixens to the forefront, simultaneously the legacies of Black women are pushed to the wayside. And Sara Barton's story is forgotten.

It frightens me to listen to young girls when they say they aspire to be video girls. What ever happened to aspirations to be doctors, lawyers, and teachers? In school, the video girls strutting the hallways are crowned the queens of the scene while those focusing on attending college are teased and mocked for their educational success. In school women are fighting each other now more than ever. Even more Black women are being incarcerated within the juvenile justice system. Additionally, abortion has become the number one killer of African Americans. An old saying goes, "Behind every Black man is a strong, Black woman." However, too many of our Black men are in jail and becoming victims of the system. What does that say about the video vixen ideology that has consumed many Black women?

Even if one observes the interactions of young Black girls and guys in elementary, middle, and high school, one can see the effect the music videos, songs lyrics, and media portrayals of African Americans are controlling their lifestyles. How artists interact with video girls in the videos is displayed at school parties, walking down the hallways, and in classrooms. The oversexualization of Black women in the media is having a negative effect on how guys approach girls and what they deem as appropriate means to get a ladies attention. I even notice this when I am out and a guy reacts negatively and proceeds to call me a "Bitch" or some other degradation because I refuse to give him the time of day when he approaches me like I'm a piece of meat.

Too often Black America discusses the problems facing Black males, but the struggles of both males and females are connected. If we do not begin to teach our youth about their history, the story of Sara Barton and others who paved the way so that we would not have to take our clothes off will be forgotten. Black women are the creators of Black families. The future depends on our enduring strength and resiliency.

Hot Topic: Discipline by Spanking may be "Risky Business"

I came across this article today and thought it was interesting. Apparently some studies have found a link between being spanked as a child and "risky" sexual behavior later in life. If this is true, should that influence our decisions to use corporal punishment to discipline our children? Check out the article and let Righteous Minds know what you think.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-02-27-spanking_N.htm?csp=34

Hot Topic: Becoming a Black Man

This article is about a Black, lesbian woman who recently made the transition to become a Black man. Whatever you may think about homosexuality and transgendered persons, this article gives excellent insight on the different challenges racism presents to women of color versus men of color. Check out the article below:

Becoming a Black Man

FYI: Colorlines is a great publication. Take a look at their other articles.