Power of the Mic- Why I love Lupe Fiasco

If you read my other blogs, you know I love music! I love the way music transforms people, I love how music can make people think. I have am particularly fond of hip hop and rap music. I have clear definitions of what these are.. Hip hop for me sparks people to think deeper, it provokes action. I look at Hip Hop starting in the 80s and still going on today, except back in the 80s you could count that Hip Hop was largely all of the music that you heard from certain artists and now only a few rappers I feel still fit in the Hip Hop Column. And Hip Hop today in my opinion is a dying breed where Rappers might dip a little into the genre but they are too mainstream and bubble gum producing the same trashy music- that yes I admittedly will play, but that produces an image of a culture that was very much far from what I think the forefathers of Hip Hop were trying to convey.
  So today, one of those artists that I feel continues to be true to Hip Hop is Lupe Fiasco... Lupe doesn't make music to appease the Industry. His music is enlightened, is challenging, teaches you to think, pushes the limits and doesn't fit in the form that many would think rap should. He continues to have a strong base of supporters and in my opinion for Lupe he's in the game not because of the music but because of the message.

 So recently he released a new song and video called "Bitch Bad." I had seen some rumblings of the video in my social media outlets but I hadn't actually seen the video for myself until today. I was blown away and in a GREAT way...
  "Bitch Bad" certainly is controversial. He basically is creating satire of what is known as "hip hop" music today. With the rappers and their money, and grills, showing off their jewelry and cars. It highlights the video women, dancing around in skimpy clothes and the misguided power that young girls think they can have. Images that make many question the sexism and misogyny of hip hop. The video is bananas (in a phenomenal way)  and the part that is so interesting is that not only is he making it a satire on what is mainstream rap, he has the "rapper" and the "video vixen" in his music video in Blackface. As a way to equate mainstream rap as a minstrel, playing into the hands of what the, then "white man" wanted and today an image that some claim as not our own. (Please note, our as I am a African descent woman and am speaking from the community to which I identify most with).
   I must comment here, that my fascination with this music video is also due to the fact that I love music, as I mentioned before and for me, music videos should closely relate to the story in the song. This video does just that, "Bitch Bad" is a play on the ideas that we have about what the word "bitch" means. For some "Bitch Bad" could mean "bad ass," "hot," "down," etc. For others the fight around the word "bitch" is that it is degrading. Women call each other "bitch" sometimes as a term of endearment so they claim, but most often as a way to cast them down.. not with the same meaning as the N-word , but it does have the same power.
  Lupe's wordplay throughout the song  is AMAZING!!  He starts the song "Bitch bad, woman good, lady better," as a reminder of what we should call our female population. Bitch is bad, woman is alright, but calling her a lady, better.
  And then you get to this verse:
  Disclaimer: this rhymer, Lupe, is not usin' "bitch" as a lesson
But as a psychological weapon
To set in your mind and really mess with your conceptions
Discretions, reflections, it's clever misdirection

I think this is what makes Lupe a GENIUS!! Lupe flips the image quick, to let you know that if you thought he was glorifying Bitch, that you had it twisted. 

He continues:

 He caught in a reality, she caught in an illusion

Bad mean good to her, she really nice and smart
But bad mean bad to him, bitch don't play a part
But bitch still bad to her if you say it the wrong way
But she think she a bitch, what a double entendre

This is the reality of the word in our diction today. Many people think bitch is a "good" thing. As I said, it's a term of endearment when your girls call you bitch, it's a negative when your man or another dude or another female that you are having issues with calls you a bitch. We ( as in women, the gender I identify as) use that word as if it is love one minute and a dagger then next. 

So with the lyrics and coupled with the video it is an all around "mind-f%&*." That has left me thinking about the way we use words. It also reminds me of those moments where I am torn between a good beat and a horrible misguided image that continues to taint the fabric of a community. Furthermore, it makes me thankful for the power of music as art, as a movement  and as an opportunity to speak a message and have value. 

But don't take my word for it.. Take Lupe's "Bitch Bad" 

My thoughts on Chris Rock 'White People's Day' July 4th Tweet

The 4th of July is a cause for celebration for many Americans. We use this time as a much needed vacation, we bbq, we find reasons to hang out with friends, drink and enjoy the merriment and laughter of good company. The day's festivities culminate in a tremendous display of technical ingenuity in a Fireworks show.... and for what?
  A day to celebrate the Nations Independence from the British. A day to reflect "the birth of a nation", outside of the domination of the British rule. But at what expense?
  Comedian Chris Rock hit the Twittersphere on this 4th of July (for many a day to highlight our extreme Patriotism) with this lovely beauty:
 "Happy white peoples independence day the slaves weren't free but I'm sure they enjoyed fireworks." (via @HuffingtonPost http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/05/chris-rock-white-peoples-day-july-4th-tweet_n_1651833.html?utm_hp_ref=tw)

A tweet that sparked a lot of controversy. This statement received a lot of commentary, in both a comedic fashion and one of profound thought. Whether or not you believe Chris Rock's comments to be a joke, he hit something in you to feel the need to comment. Why?

 Is it wrong for him to comment on how the "birth" of this country impacted his own heritage? What Independence day meant for white America was very different for the slaves at that time.  And is what Chris Rock said any different than the message written by Frederick Douglass so long ago in his "The Meaning of 4th of July for the Negro," (via PBS) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part4/4h2927t.html ? Douglass states, "But such is not the state of the case. I say it with a sad sense of the disparity between us. I am not included within the pale of glorious anniversary! Your high independence only reveals the immeasurable distance between us." 

  I think that many Americans like Douglass, have commented on what we chose to celebrate in this country, because we turn historical moments into another day to get drunk and have a day off from work--- Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day etc. Not that every holiday or important moment in history needs to be a dramatic reflection on how far or how little we have come,  but we do need to sometimes look back and remember at what risk we achieved the "greatness" that is the United States of America.

Regardless of what you may think, because we are all apart of these UNITED States, we all have an obligation to our own opinions and values. We have an obligation to recognize, that why we may be United, the experiences which made us such are very different.

Personally I do not think Chris Rock meant to start this level of debate. I think he knew he was poking fun, but whatever the reasons I hope that some people learn some valuable lessons from this and at least strive to keep the conversation going.

Why the hoodies are so important

On February 26, 2012 a 17 year old young man was shot and killed. He was killed by a neighborhood watch captain, who thought he was "suspicious." This young man's name was Trayvon Martin. He was a 17 year old young Black Man. Trayon Martin's death has sparked a public outcry for several reasons. Trayvon Martin was considered suspicious by the neighborhood watch because he was wearing a hoodie, and seemed to be on drugs. Trayvon Martin was 17 year's old. Walking back to his father's fiance's house from stopping at 7/11 for an ice tea and a bag of skittles.
  While we don't know what made the neighborhood watch feel he needed to defend himself, we do know that a young Black man lost his life because he "looked the part," like this.

What does this image do?

To this day the 28 year old man has not been arrested and no charges have been brought against him. In less than a month Trayvon Martin's family has been left with no recourse for the actions of the man who killed their son. But as the name Trayvon Martin takes over social media and the news, more and more people are calling for justice.
Rallies are being held all over the country with people rocking hoodies and making calls for justice for Trayvon and his family.

With these rallies comes many questions. Why is it important? What do we want? What are our goals?

Here is why I rock the hoodie:
  - I have a nephew he is 14 years old and he rocks hoodies. He is at the age right now, that he'll stand around outside of a movie theater having watched a movie, will walk home from catching the school bus, or can just hang out at the mall. But if how he's dressed makes him suspicious, then I'm sorry, I'm rocking the hoodie. It's just as bad as someone saying the way I dress in short shorts and a tank in the summer is asking for me to be raped. Now we are saying that wearing a hoodie and walking home is a cause to get shot and lose your life. It's a direct assault on our young men (of ALL races) who are engaged in the "hip hop culture"
There are many young men who are like my nephew, who look like Trayvon, who look like the image above. These young men shouldn't be stereotyped at an expense that costs them their lives.

- Why is it okay for some man to still be walking around after killing a young kid? Why haven't charges been brought up? Regardless of guilt, murder equals being tried in the court of law?

-  When I have a son, I want him to know that his life is valued. That who he is is valued. Yes we teach our young men to act a certain way, to carry themselves with pride, with dignity. But we don't expect our young men to be gunned down. There are 99 problems that I already face raising a young Black man in this country and in this world. Fear of him dying by the hands of someone ignorant is not one of those 99 problems I want to always have to think about.

- Why not? What are we losing by rocking a hoodie? We've already lost yet another Black man for a senseless crime. Trayvon will be marked in history under an abundance of names like his- Emitt Till, the 4 Little Girls bombed in a Birmingham Church and Chaney, Goodman and Schwerner. Trayvon Martin, for me, will be a name not forgotten. A name like the ones who went before him, that didn't deserve his end.

I get that for many there needs to be a goal. That as a community we have lost our "protest power." But sometimes we need to unite simply for the need to heal. I'm tired of coming back to the same thing. I'm tired of people being to confused to have an open and honest dialogue about race in this country. I am tired of feeling that anytime I get engrossed in stories like this, that I will be labeled "Angry Black Woman." We have an obligation to our youth, that they won't die. We have an obligation to our youth to protect them. We have an obligation to ourselves to leave this world a better place then we got it.

To a community, we are wasting the gifts we have been given by the activists and martyrs before us. If we don't stand up now, when will we stand up..

So today and every day next, I will wear my hoodie with pride and with one name in mind Trayvon Martin, may you never be forgotten.

Giving- Bill Clinton

Just finished reading Bill Clinton's Giving. Such a good book on the power that we all possess-  the ability to give time, energy, money or skills. The one thing that I have always stuck by in my own beliefs is that God has blessed me with an ability to breathe, so I can give my time and energy for others. In Giving Clinton lays out so many opportunities for the average American to give in anyway they can. He talks about how the "biggest" givers have been able provide for opportunities that the average person can get behind, support and build to benefit others. I used to think what I wanted to do with my life, make a difference for others was something that was sort of an anomaly but reading this book and seeing what Clinton has laid forth I have just been so proud to know that I have a vision and that there are others who are in the same position as me. I am 26 years old, with air in my lungs, I might not have a lot of money but I am so thankful and blessed to have this opportunity to give. It excites me, makes me happy, it fulfills me.

 I recommend reading Giving if you haven't read it yet, it gives you a wealth of information about the amazing network that Bill Clinton is a part of. It truly is about who you know, what you are able to give to others. Clinton was able to pull the right people together to change the world. Bill Clinton might have money, but he is great at connecting people and creating this global network of change. There are parts about Clinton that I do not agree with, but then there are parts of Clinton that I love to see and am reminded about what a great leader he is.

 

This thing called Justice

Hi all: so as you know the purpose of this blog stemmed from the need for me to sort of separate the different facets of my life and emphasize the different parts of my identity. I have my one blog that sort of shows what got me to this point in my life, what has been the biggest marks of my life and how I have used these moments to shape the woman I have become. This particular section of my blog "Be the Change" focuses on my activism. The woman I am today is because of the many different topics I am passionate about. They are anything from politics, to social justice issues to many other areas that impact a person's growth or topics that I can use to stimulate discussion.
  Well I recognize that I do not post as frequently as I should from this blog primarily because my life is activism- in some way shape of form. I am doing it everyday and tend to forget to utilize the outlets I have.
   This week marked a new leap in the U.S Justice System and sort of solidified one, in my opinion, faults of this country in justice-- the death penalty. Whether you believe in the use of the death penalty or not as a form of justice the point is the U.S was thrust into this terrible position as technology began to catch up with the past.
  Over the last decade or more we have begun to see a trend in reversals of prison sentences as people who were thought to be guilty were found to be innocent. We have begun to see some of these positions reversed particularly in the area of life in prison. Amongst prisoners on death row, this has sparked a new trend in the increase of appeals as well.
  While I understand the many reasons why the Justice System works, I find it personally difficult to grapple with this idea that any error in the system is almost ignored and the same old policies are continued. This last week one case put this flaw under a magnifying glass.
  His name was Troy Anthony Davis, in 1989 he was accused of murdering an off duty cop named Mark McPhail. This is not at all to take away from Mr. McPhail or his family as no one's life should be taken away. However, Troy Anthony Davis maintained his innocence through the trial and after he was sentenced to death. For the last 20 years Troy Anthony Davis has spent time on death row. His name picking up speed as he began to appeal this sentence, raising doubt in the fairness of his trial. His story like some others, was left to inadequate lawyers who were unable to properly defend him in such a high profile case.
   What was unfortunate is that over the last few years witnesses, former Presidents, former FBI Chiefs and even the Pope among countless others have stepped in to ask the Georgia Courts and eventually the Supreme Court of the United States to rethink Mr. Davis' sentencing and to commute his sentencing to Life in Prison so that a new trial and case could be presented. The Troy Anthony Davis case raised a lot of doubt to his guilt and to ultimately the sanctity of the Justice System itself. Despite the intervention and protests and a few hours of delay Troy Anthony Davis was put to death on Wednesday night.
  I do not know if Troy Anthony Davis murdered Mr. Mark McPhail. What I know is that one person was murdered, and that we killed another many who may or may not have been innocent. I think it's heartbreaking and tragic. I think that when this level of scrutiny is being raised we need to pause and reexamine our policies. I think we need to provide a pathway that grants criminals innocent and guilty the best lawyers to adequately defend them. Everyone based on our Constitution deserve the right to a fair trial, and currently that is not something that is being done.
  I hope that this country and the activists and protesters that petitioned the Supreme Court to listen to the Troy Anthony Davis appeal continue to fight for the cause. I hope that some day we can correct this system and make it truly work in the way it should.
  I think that our Justice System has done it's job most of the time, but there is now an opportunity to correct it, strengthen it and make it better.
  R.I.P to Troy Anthony Davis and Mark McPhail may Justice be reached in both of your names.

Frustrated with the same things and NO change...

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

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..