Hey all:
This is not going to be my usual all inspiring post. I am extremely disappointed, possbily because of a night of heated discussions with friends of mine, while on vacation. Topics that ranged from a young man being arrested for an incident that started with him wearing sagging pants, to the recent Terrell Pryor mayhem, to gentricfication, education etc. It was interesting because normally our conversations are never up on this level, we spend more time catching up than debating anything. But it put me in a mood. Here we are ranging from our early to late 20s about to embark on huge changes in each of our lives and we're having debates that have perplexed many for years.
One of the conversations that came up was the recent release of Johannes Mehserle- the former BART Officer who shot and killed an unarmed Oscar Grant on NYE 2009 in Oakland California. Johannes Mehserle was covicted of involuntary manslaughter a charge that would give him 2 years in prison, and eventually a coviction that he ultimately served less than a year for. It's disappointing because there are countless shootings that happen by the people that are supposed to make sure the rest of us are safe and whether or not he intended to kill Oscar Grant, Mehserle DID kill him. Here we are "making an example" out of Michael Vick (who killed dogs, not people), Plaxico Burress (who shot himself), but a man who killed an unarmed person, by a gun shot to the back is able to not only walk with a slap on the wrist, but also not serve his full sentence.
I know stories like this put the activist in me on a tight line that I have to be careful of what I say and how I say it as I do not want to discredit my beliefs in the past or in the future, but it is during times like this that you do have to take a look at what you think and sort of evolve in thought. I am well aware that there is a system in place that favors people of a certain race, or financial background. It is frustrating to me that Another young Black man is dead at the hands of "justice" and yet it seems to me that justice was not at all served. But if the roles had been reversed if Oscar Grant was Mehserle the book would have been thrown at him.
And now there is another complex layer being added to this story. Which I still think only continues to highlight the disparities amongst the way we treat our convicted felons etc. I read an article this morning in the online source "Color Lines" the article titled " Former Transit Cop Johannes Mehserle has retail dreams" . Any article with his name in it automatically peaks my interest- especially given that I made my return to the Bay the very day he was released from jail. Anyways, the article does comment on the short sentence and the crime for which he was charged, but what was really interesting was that the article highlights an issue that I think is very telling of our society. It takes on the perspective of "Re-entry" in terms of prisoners into society. The purpose of jail as I had grown up understanding is that it is a place for rehabilitation- there is a reason why these men and women are being locked up and kept away, and being in jail or prison is a way to correct that reason. To be able to rehabilitate these people into the society that they left. That by the time the are released it should be as if they had never left. What the world is starting to see and what I have been reading however is the concrete jungle is a lucrative business, it costs much more to keep a person in jail than to educate them, but the money that is made through the prison system is like no other business venture here in the US. The system is set up to essentially return these criminals back into the jails and priosns they left. Having a felony on your record doesn't make it easier for you to find a job- even though you aren't supposed to be discriminated against because of it. Which is what this article focuses on. Having a criminal record is a stigma , a blemish and something that takes years to get away from. It is something that prevents a lot of released convicts from being able to remove the stain of their crime from themseleves. It prevents them from being able to earn a job, it prevents them from having some of the luxaries that those of us "non-criminals" get to enjoy everyday. I'm not saying that this is something that needs to be changed, because at the end of the day you are a criminal. But when we talk about "rehabilitation" what are we talking about? Because while the criminals are learning how to become re-acclimated to their previous lifestyle, we are constantly pushing out ways to "send them back." Johannes Mehserle has dreams of going into sales- retail, and he should the likelihood of him getting this job and "moving on" with his life is prtty high. And he should be able to- he was sentenced of a crime, and did his time (unfortunately not the full length of his time, but he did it), so rehabilitation if established correctly would mean that Mehserle will be able to move forward and "re-enter" society as if he never left. The truth is he'll have an easier time to do that than others.. But don't take my word for it.. read the article and tell me what you think...http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/06/johannes_mehserle_released_from_jail_wants_to_find_a_job_in_retail.html
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
In my lifetime...
Hey y’all.. I have been blessed with many opportunities to be able to talk about things that I am so super passionate about. My goals that I have for my life and goals that I have for the future of this world and the community I live in.
I have been toiling with this thought. In our grandparent’s generation there was a common phrase “not in my lifetime,” as in there were social changes that they couldn’t imagine happening in their lifetime. I think that as a society we have adopted this phrase as some sort of way of life and the end all of our experiences. I was talking to a friend, Tania. She and I were talking about the state of the community, in particular the Black community. We see that the Civil Rights movement was our big power play. But since then, we have been somewhat complacent and dependent on that history that we don’t see the power that we possess BECAUSE of that history. What do I mean, we hold on to the Civil Rights movement as a badge of honor- and rightfully so, but I think as a community, I think we also hold onto that as our only example of the greatness we can become, instead of using that history to push forward other movements. We use phrases like “ I don’t think I’ll see a Black President in my lifetime.” “Racism will not end in my lifetime etc.” But, can’t we be proud of what we HAVE seen in our lifetime. I am about to be 26 years old. I have seen the release of Nelson Mandela from a prison in South Africa, I have seen a President apologize for the past transgressions of the United States to African Americans and other people that have been oppressed in this country. I have lived through one of the most tragic experiences that the world has faced, one that completely shaped the way I think about what we need to do as a country and a world. I have been blessed enough, to be blessed by Bishop Desmond Tutu. I have been blessed enough to meet many of the movers and shakers of the Civil Rights movement- to thank them for the choices they made, and for the conclusion that they came to that SOMETHINGS CAN HAPPEN IN OUR LIFETIME! I have lived through Women taking over in political positions, I have lived through the United States electing the first person of color as President, I have also lived through a real contender for President that was female.
There are so many things that we can be proud of, some many things that we can all be excited to have been able to see in our lifetime, things that would ultimately, in my opinion give us the hope that there are many things that we can do. But I feel that as a community we are so jaded, we are so wrapped up in the constant tragedy of our story, that we can’t look past the muck to see that we have so much beauty and power to give to each other, to ourselves and to the world.
I beg of my generation to not make statements like “not in my lifetime.” But to use statements instead-- “in my lifetime.” As in these are things we can accomplish in my lifetime. We are a strong people, there are so many of us who are making moves in the world to make it a better place. While we do not have an organized movement as I would like. We do have so much to give the world and we need to hold on to that faith that we can do something great.
So I guess I would like to start with me.. .what things would I like to see in my lifetime.. I expect that before I die young Black males are no longer an endangered species in the United States, I expect that we will have elected a Female President, a Latino President, more openly gay politicians. I expect that we cut poverty significantly down. I expect that we end world hunger, I expect that we have for the first time an open discussion on race, on the effect of colonialism throughout the world and have a better conversation on how we can bridge the gaps. I expect that the Black community look inside themselves to make changes around them and not wait for the “one” leader to rise up again. I expect that we all use the greatness that is inside of us and make differences in the world around us, even if they are small..
I expect that we don’t give up, that we fight for a better tomorrow because it’s not only about how we live today, but what we leave behind. I want my niece, my nephews, my goddaughter to know that the world is truly at their fingertips, they are not too big or too small to take responsibility for what we do as a human race and that they have the power to change it… IN MY LIFETIME!!
That's all she wrote..
I have been toiling with this thought. In our grandparent’s generation there was a common phrase “not in my lifetime,” as in there were social changes that they couldn’t imagine happening in their lifetime. I think that as a society we have adopted this phrase as some sort of way of life and the end all of our experiences. I was talking to a friend, Tania. She and I were talking about the state of the community, in particular the Black community. We see that the Civil Rights movement was our big power play. But since then, we have been somewhat complacent and dependent on that history that we don’t see the power that we possess BECAUSE of that history. What do I mean, we hold on to the Civil Rights movement as a badge of honor- and rightfully so, but I think as a community, I think we also hold onto that as our only example of the greatness we can become, instead of using that history to push forward other movements. We use phrases like “ I don’t think I’ll see a Black President in my lifetime.” “Racism will not end in my lifetime etc.” But, can’t we be proud of what we HAVE seen in our lifetime. I am about to be 26 years old. I have seen the release of Nelson Mandela from a prison in South Africa, I have seen a President apologize for the past transgressions of the United States to African Americans and other people that have been oppressed in this country. I have lived through one of the most tragic experiences that the world has faced, one that completely shaped the way I think about what we need to do as a country and a world. I have been blessed enough, to be blessed by Bishop Desmond Tutu. I have been blessed enough to meet many of the movers and shakers of the Civil Rights movement- to thank them for the choices they made, and for the conclusion that they came to that SOMETHINGS CAN HAPPEN IN OUR LIFETIME! I have lived through Women taking over in political positions, I have lived through the United States electing the first person of color as President, I have also lived through a real contender for President that was female.
There are so many things that we can be proud of, some many things that we can all be excited to have been able to see in our lifetime, things that would ultimately, in my opinion give us the hope that there are many things that we can do. But I feel that as a community we are so jaded, we are so wrapped up in the constant tragedy of our story, that we can’t look past the muck to see that we have so much beauty and power to give to each other, to ourselves and to the world.
I beg of my generation to not make statements like “not in my lifetime.” But to use statements instead-- “in my lifetime.” As in these are things we can accomplish in my lifetime. We are a strong people, there are so many of us who are making moves in the world to make it a better place. While we do not have an organized movement as I would like. We do have so much to give the world and we need to hold on to that faith that we can do something great.
So I guess I would like to start with me.. .what things would I like to see in my lifetime.. I expect that before I die young Black males are no longer an endangered species in the United States, I expect that we will have elected a Female President, a Latino President, more openly gay politicians. I expect that we cut poverty significantly down. I expect that we end world hunger, I expect that we have for the first time an open discussion on race, on the effect of colonialism throughout the world and have a better conversation on how we can bridge the gaps. I expect that the Black community look inside themselves to make changes around them and not wait for the “one” leader to rise up again. I expect that we all use the greatness that is inside of us and make differences in the world around us, even if they are small..
I expect that we don’t give up, that we fight for a better tomorrow because it’s not only about how we live today, but what we leave behind. I want my niece, my nephews, my goddaughter to know that the world is truly at their fingertips, they are not too big or too small to take responsibility for what we do as a human race and that they have the power to change it… IN MY LIFETIME!!
That's all she wrote..
Friday, June 10, 2011
#StoptheViolence
Yesterday another ruthless shooting left one 16 year old girl dead and 4 others wounded. But not only that it has left a community devastated and a country in fear of "the next one."
Her name was Tysha Jones, she was 16 years old and like the other 100s of people at Brighton Beach yesterday, she was just enjoying a fund day in the sun with friends. I don't know Tysha, but I am getting sick and tired of seeing so many people gunned down too early, and not only that I am tired of seeing so many of our youth getting gunned down. When will this stop? What was the gain in killing an innocent girl? What was the purpose in shooting 4 other people?
This all in the wake of the impending release of Johannes Mehserle, the BART Police Officer convicted of shooting and killing Oscar Grant in 2009. I am anoyed with the slow pace that our government is taking with stricter hand gun policies. I am angered with the rate at which young black men are either being killed or imprisoned. I am angered with the deaths of young people like Tysha Jones and the countless others.
Today, Twitter blew up with @UncleRUSH (Russell Simmons) asking his followers to tweet the names of victims who have lost their lives to gun violence, with the hash tag #Stoptheviolence. I will be happy for a day when we don't have to have hashtags like this anymore. If it could fit in 140 characters this would be my tweet:- Victim: Our inalienable rights to, LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT of Happiness When: Every time someone dies from a gunshot #Stoptheviolence
--That's all she wrote
Her name was Tysha Jones, she was 16 years old and like the other 100s of people at Brighton Beach yesterday, she was just enjoying a fund day in the sun with friends. I don't know Tysha, but I am getting sick and tired of seeing so many people gunned down too early, and not only that I am tired of seeing so many of our youth getting gunned down. When will this stop? What was the gain in killing an innocent girl? What was the purpose in shooting 4 other people?
This all in the wake of the impending release of Johannes Mehserle, the BART Police Officer convicted of shooting and killing Oscar Grant in 2009. I am anoyed with the slow pace that our government is taking with stricter hand gun policies. I am angered with the rate at which young black men are either being killed or imprisoned. I am angered with the deaths of young people like Tysha Jones and the countless others.
Today, Twitter blew up with @UncleRUSH (Russell Simmons) asking his followers to tweet the names of victims who have lost their lives to gun violence, with the hash tag #Stoptheviolence. I will be happy for a day when we don't have to have hashtags like this anymore. If it could fit in 140 characters this would be my tweet:- Victim: Our inalienable rights to, LIFE, LIBERTY and the PURSUIT of Happiness When: Every time someone dies from a gunshot #Stoptheviolence
--That's all she wrote
Friday, June 3, 2011
Music Review with a message- Man Down Rihanna
Hey all:
let me preface this by saying I am the biggest HIP HOP, RAP, GANGSTER RAP fan in the world! It's probably really ironic considering that I am also a major advocate for many different causes, and I have a strong sense of empowering women, well because I am a woman! But I can get down with some hip hop, I take it for its vulgarity, its roughness, its rawness. I see it for its faults as well, mysogony etc. I recognize that while I love it, it can get better be, better and do better. With that, there are few songs/videos that shake me, because in this industry I am expecting my comfort to be pushed, I'm expecting to be rocked. But lately I have been moved in an almost distasteful way by music videos by the female artists. The first was "Ride" by Ciara- I learned to come to grips with it, because instead of being a girl shaking her booty on Jay-z's music video, Ciara took control of her own and let it all out.
The one that is causing this blog to spark from my fingers as I type across the pad of my computer, is Rihanna's "Man Down" video. It has been the topic of much main stream media. I hadn't heard the song, because lately I haven't really cared for Rihanna. But I wanted to know what the buzz was all about, the video premired and Twitter blew up. So I watched the video (click the link above to view it). When I first watched it, I was rubbed the wrong way. Rihanna guns down a guy in the beginning of the video and you don't really get why she did it. But then piecing the video together you realize she was raped by this same guy and that was her revenge. Well, upon first watching the video I was annoyed. I thought the message was too close to waht happened to her when she and then boyfriend, Chris Brown got into an altercation that left her beaten. I was worried that by creating a video like this, she would never really be able to "live that down." Not that I know if I want her to be able to live it down, but she probably wants some sense of normalcy and I wasn't sure if creating that video would get her that normalcy. I don't know it just stirred up some really conflicting messages.
But the other day Rihanna spoke out on 106 and Park saying that the point of the video was to "empower young girls" and that "Rape is something that is still taboo in this country and around the world," and that she " is the voice for her fans, for young girls, for women who had to deal with this for years." When she said that I got it, it made sense.
I had to watch the video again, now taking into account Rihanna's message. She isn't afraid to push the envelope and to make a message about something that we really shouldn't be afraid to talk about. The song when you listen closely, is about a young girl who is faced with this incredible burden, she kills the man who raped her and is crying to her mother about the regret she has for doing it. I think after watching it again, the video was brilliantly directed. The message is clear, I would have liked a PSA of some sort at the end. or maybe even a statistic, but I think it basically got the message across. We all get pushed to a limit where we will do something that we might regret. I think Rihanna leaves it up to us to determine the weight of this video. Which I think is challenging. A young girl murdered someone... that had raped her. But I think with the girl crying to her mother, the point is more to speak out. To own your hurt, your pain and let someone else take the burden for you and as Rihanna says- feel empowered.
I am pleased with Rihanna creating this song and putting herself in a video like this because she does create the dialogue that needs to happen surrounding this issue. If anything, she allowed the rest of the world to take part in something that many have to deal with alone.
But don't take my word for it. See for yourself and join in the conversation.
let me preface this by saying I am the biggest HIP HOP, RAP, GANGSTER RAP fan in the world! It's probably really ironic considering that I am also a major advocate for many different causes, and I have a strong sense of empowering women, well because I am a woman! But I can get down with some hip hop, I take it for its vulgarity, its roughness, its rawness. I see it for its faults as well, mysogony etc. I recognize that while I love it, it can get better be, better and do better. With that, there are few songs/videos that shake me, because in this industry I am expecting my comfort to be pushed, I'm expecting to be rocked. But lately I have been moved in an almost distasteful way by music videos by the female artists. The first was "Ride" by Ciara- I learned to come to grips with it, because instead of being a girl shaking her booty on Jay-z's music video, Ciara took control of her own and let it all out.
The one that is causing this blog to spark from my fingers as I type across the pad of my computer, is Rihanna's "Man Down" video. It has been the topic of much main stream media. I hadn't heard the song, because lately I haven't really cared for Rihanna. But I wanted to know what the buzz was all about, the video premired and Twitter blew up. So I watched the video (click the link above to view it). When I first watched it, I was rubbed the wrong way. Rihanna guns down a guy in the beginning of the video and you don't really get why she did it. But then piecing the video together you realize she was raped by this same guy and that was her revenge. Well, upon first watching the video I was annoyed. I thought the message was too close to waht happened to her when she and then boyfriend, Chris Brown got into an altercation that left her beaten. I was worried that by creating a video like this, she would never really be able to "live that down." Not that I know if I want her to be able to live it down, but she probably wants some sense of normalcy and I wasn't sure if creating that video would get her that normalcy. I don't know it just stirred up some really conflicting messages.
But the other day Rihanna spoke out on 106 and Park saying that the point of the video was to "empower young girls" and that "Rape is something that is still taboo in this country and around the world," and that she " is the voice for her fans, for young girls, for women who had to deal with this for years." When she said that I got it, it made sense.
I had to watch the video again, now taking into account Rihanna's message. She isn't afraid to push the envelope and to make a message about something that we really shouldn't be afraid to talk about. The song when you listen closely, is about a young girl who is faced with this incredible burden, she kills the man who raped her and is crying to her mother about the regret she has for doing it. I think after watching it again, the video was brilliantly directed. The message is clear, I would have liked a PSA of some sort at the end. or maybe even a statistic, but I think it basically got the message across. We all get pushed to a limit where we will do something that we might regret. I think Rihanna leaves it up to us to determine the weight of this video. Which I think is challenging. A young girl murdered someone... that had raped her. But I think with the girl crying to her mother, the point is more to speak out. To own your hurt, your pain and let someone else take the burden for you and as Rihanna says- feel empowered.
I am pleased with Rihanna creating this song and putting herself in a video like this because she does create the dialogue that needs to happen surrounding this issue. If anything, she allowed the rest of the world to take part in something that many have to deal with alone.
But don't take my word for it. See for yourself and join in the conversation.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Invisibility
So I work for The Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholars Program at American University. Through this position I have been able to work on various projects and develop programs for the Scholars. This summer in particular I am working on the 2011-2012 curriculum. In doing that I came across this website that has basically rocked me too my core today. It is titled "Invisible People TV" . I encourage you all to check this site out. It highlights homelessness in the United States. I was struck by the title-- " Invisible People," I think about the times I pass a homeless person on the street, I don't ever look them in the eyes, there are times when I just keep moving hoping I can get passed quick enough so that they don't see me. I know it's wrong on some level and I don't know why I do it-- I get that some people don't have a choice in being homeless, I have worked in homeless shelters. I have worked in soup kitchens, I have written papers on homelessness. I get the cause, but in my life these people are the people I don't associate with. I guess every country in its own way has their "untouchables," and for me and I think US Society our untouchables are homeless people.
But coming across this site I realized my own faults. I see the statistics and I think wow! this is happening in our country, right here in our nation's capital and with the stresses of a horrible recession, an already horrible economy, not to mention health care, a lack of education-- it's only a matter of time until everything bottoms out. But is this really what we've come to? I think about wealth in America and as a society we live well above our means, well above our comfort levels, while other people suffer. I don't think it's another person's responsibility per say to make it easier for the next person, or to pay for the countries issues, but I think we need to be concious of what it is that we are dealing with. I think about the book Invisible Man. I used to understand that book based on race relations, but now I associate it with the title of this website I came across. We have created a society of invisible people and nobody should really live like that. I wouldn't want to be forgotten and there is a reason they ended up in that situation and with the way things are going with our economy and the like, none of us can risk taking these moments to adjust for granted. Our comfort could very easily be taken away from us.
I recognize every day my limits, I know that I can't possibly solve all the worlds problems, but I can definitely start with myself. My goal, is to not turn away when I see a homeless person. Maybe I can move into the area of talking to them and finding out their story. But being homeless is a huge issue, it intersects with many other social justice issues and can often be seen as the result. There is a need to give everyone a chance. At keast in my opinion.
With that again, I ask you all to please , please, please take a look at this website and if you have any other questions be sure to let me kno.
Best,
Keesha
But coming across this site I realized my own faults. I see the statistics and I think wow! this is happening in our country, right here in our nation's capital and with the stresses of a horrible recession, an already horrible economy, not to mention health care, a lack of education-- it's only a matter of time until everything bottoms out. But is this really what we've come to? I think about wealth in America and as a society we live well above our means, well above our comfort levels, while other people suffer. I don't think it's another person's responsibility per say to make it easier for the next person, or to pay for the countries issues, but I think we need to be concious of what it is that we are dealing with. I think about the book Invisible Man. I used to understand that book based on race relations, but now I associate it with the title of this website I came across. We have created a society of invisible people and nobody should really live like that. I wouldn't want to be forgotten and there is a reason they ended up in that situation and with the way things are going with our economy and the like, none of us can risk taking these moments to adjust for granted. Our comfort could very easily be taken away from us.
I recognize every day my limits, I know that I can't possibly solve all the worlds problems, but I can definitely start with myself. My goal, is to not turn away when I see a homeless person. Maybe I can move into the area of talking to them and finding out their story. But being homeless is a huge issue, it intersects with many other social justice issues and can often be seen as the result. There is a need to give everyone a chance. At keast in my opinion.
With that again, I ask you all to please , please, please take a look at this website and if you have any other questions be sure to let me kno.
Best,
Keesha
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