Race in 2010

So, I know that I have talked about this before, sort of. Maybe I wrote a draft, but haven't really talked about it. Okay, so in case you don't know, the United States was founded on the backs of ignorance and calculated control. This thing called slavery has been so heavily rooted into the American culture, that we have no idea what is up and what is down..
i have been less willing to talk about race because I don't want to be perceived as the "Angry Black Woman".. and also because I have been reading Malcolm X's autobiography and I haven't wanted to have my militant thoughts be over run with this right now.
But lately there has been so many things that have flared up about race, that it has been hard to not talk about it or be mindful of it. Recently the Federal Government was under fire with a huge allegation against one of their representatives a Ms. Sherrod of the US Department of Agriculture. Apparently at a speech she did for the NAACP, she basically said that she had wanted to deny a white man assistance because of the anger she had felt as a young Black woman in America. But the tape of the speech had been edited and what was cut out was that the woman had in fact helped the young man.
What I find disturbing is that all of a sudden, prominent Black people are sort of being thrown under the bus. We are damned if we do, damned if we don't. We bring up race and we are "pulling out the race card" if we don't bring up race than we are selling out. Sort of like how I feel Barack Obama is now. He's in between a rock and a hard place. He's a multiracial man, for the most part and to many in this country a Black man- who holds the highest seat in this country and he can't even have an open dialogue about race. How do we as Americans begin to have this dialogue with each other if even our President can't be allowed to have these conversations too?
I think this is a subject I will continue to speak about. But here is something that struck me. This came out 2-4 years ago. Chris Rock's Never Scared standup comedy. Anyways, there were many things that struck me about this so here is the video and I'll get to my thoughts:


I'm not sure if this is the clip where Chris Rock said it, but there are many elements of this video where you have to wonder if people really should be laughing of if people are really getting the message behind this- Can we say Dave Chapelle?!
Anyways there was something Chris Rock said in this show to the effect: Black people as slaves- an extension of slave times in today's society is relevant to the inner-city mentality. And that reminded me of all of the stereotypes and the overall image of the "hood." I'm going to let that sit for a minute, stir up your own ideas as you let that settle and come back for another addition of this blog so that I can fill you in some more.
Let me leave you with this, the point of this particular segment of my blogs, is so that we begin to have the dialogue that is needed. If we can't be open and honest about race- how do we expect to change our own views? Deuces!

Redemption Song...

Hey ya'll, so this blog is coming with a heavy heart. We live in a messed up world. But it doesn't mean that you don't do what you can to fix the things that you can fix, when you are able. With that the way I am going to make my small mark is to keep speaking about the injustices that go on in this country in the hopes that we will get it right... I am praying that Oakland holds it together, because it is a city that has been on the rise for way too long, and given this recent news, I can only imagine what could happen.
Where do I start. In the United States Police Brutality is a rising problem. There are many theories that Police Brutality and some parts of the Justice System are just appendages of Slave Era. Most instances of documented police brutality have sparked racial clashes in the areas that they have been presented. Biggest one in my lifetime: RODNEY KING Beatings... I was 6 years old when this happened. This situation was referenced so much in pop culture that I think we became too desensitized to the reality behind it. But the truth is that many minority youth deal with this on a daily basis, this is nothing new, nor nothing that will end, unless we once and for all change the way in which we "use justice."
The next one that I really focused on was a story that I only heard about in 2007 when I had moved to NY. It was the Sean Bell case. In November of 2006 the eve of his wedding, Sean Bell was shot at 50 times. I remember when I arrived, the case was just going to trial, there were all of these rallies and vigils. It was crazy, and then I began hearing the story of what happened, and I was just outraged. How can this happen? I mean how can we continue to live in an environment where this can just be swept under the rug. The worst part was the nonsense that went on in the court room. The man was murdered, and it was like he was on trial. His character was being brought into questioning as a case for the defense- I don't understand how this can be entered into court, it is and can never be in my book justification for a person to be murdered. Police are supposed to "serve and protect" and when these stories arise the only people that some police are serving and protecting is themselves.
I began to be more formally introduced to the back story of the justice system through what is called " The school to prison pipeline." This was directed at minority youth, where there is more funding going to inadequate Juvenile detention centers and not enough funding going to inadequate education systems. During my research I learned of one student who had been suspended from school, but showed up to pick up his/her textbooks and homework one day and the suspension led to an expulsion from the school. I don't understand how this is reasonable when our education system is failing, when we are losing a majority of our minority youth to drugs and violence and yet we turn them away and expect them to make it on their own. I think we need to be spending more money to educate our kids rather than investing in their future in a jailhouse cell. [For more information regarding the school-to-prison-pipeline, type it into a google search and see what it says].
So now you may be wondering what has lead to this recent outcry by me. Well, yesterday a California Jury convicted a Oakland Transit cop of Involuntary Manslaughter for gunning down a guy on New Years Eve 2009. The story goes that Grant had been among a group of rowdy transit riders on New Years Eve 2009. He was removed from the BART train and after being laid on his stomach his back to an officer, Grant was shot by the officer in the back (who had thought he was reaching for his Taser and not a gun) this incident had been caught on a cellphone video and when Grant was pronounced dead the next morning, the city of Oakland and people across the country sat in dismay. For one, I do not understand at all how a trained transit cop could not know the difference between a Taser and a Gun and if the person is already on the ground, on his stomach what is the cause for the Taser at all? If you are too caught up in the moment to know a difference between one weapon and another than you shouldn't be handling them in the first place.
My anger, this is not the first time, and it won't unfortunately be the last time. And my heart aches, because there is that cringe in the back of those left standing that know correcting the injustices of a judicial system that is very much racially charged is a long and hard road. Do I think that the officer was looking for a black man to shoot and kill? No. But the way in which the case was handled, the way in which most cases are handled, does not equal justice. Not in the slightest. I do not understand how he could have gotten Involuntary Manslaughter. Oscar Grant was unarmed, punch him in the face. But don't mistake a taser for a gun and then expect us to believe that you don't know the difference between the two weapons. For Involuntary Manslaughter the Officer convicted is looking at anywhere from 24-48 months (2-4years) in jail in the State of California.
I'm not sure I understand the whole prison sentencing guidelines, as I know that this is easily swayed depending on who is the one convicted. Especially when it comes to mandatory minimums with drug sentencing, which is yet another aspect of this justice system that is faulty. However, what I know is that the way in which we ask our public officials to "serve and protect" us has to change. The public mentality has already changed the way in which these officers view members of the public and the communities that they work in. We have to make these relationships much stronger and more sustainable to really improve conditions for both sides. But the truth is right now a city is outraged for what has happened. And the families of others who have been victims of police brutality are constantly reminded of their pain because of cases like this. The pain doesn't end, and the fear remains. How do you trust someone who took a loved one from you and in most cases did it unprovoked?
I am outraged as well, not only because of the verdict, but sadly the biggest story of the night wasn't that a man's wrongful death didn't see a "right" kind of justice, but that a 25 year old Basketball player finally decided what team he was going to go to. The things we focus on, huh? #what'syourchange? ~ BE THE CHANGE

There are some things that we must not be too quick to forget...

It is my opinion that long-term sustainable engagement is the only way in which we can really make change in the communities around us. The video above this is close to my heart because typically we push so hard to serve directly after disasters, but years out our we suffer from some sort of short-term memory loss. I have mentioned before that New Orleans is deeply imbedded in my heart. You must understand that New Orleans is still a long way away from being "back to normal." It also reminds me that the short- attention span that we have will also impact the way in which we serve Haiti. It is my job to make sure that we remember our obligations as a community, as a friend, as a member of this United States.
Listening to this man's story and his joy and deep appreciation of the crew that helped him is the exact reason I want to be an advocacte for causes like these. What is your cause? #BETHECHANGE

Don't just talk about it..

..... be about it!
So I know over the last few weeks I have "talked" about being the change. I have blogged about different news worthy material that has sparked me to want to be the change. Yet, I do not think I have fully talked about what ACTION I have taken to be part of the change myself. Today, I would like to take a moment and talk about the things that I have done to "Be the change." Please note that this is not a space for me to post my resume, or to toot my own horn, but this is a space for me to let you know of the ways in which we can all play an active role in our communities.
The last two weeks I was blessed enough to attend two conferences that mean a lot to me as far as the work I will be undertaking in the next couple of months (how do you like me speaking my positive affirmations out loud!)
As my profile will tell you, I am Haitian-American. The American side of me is that I was born in the states, and I cannot speak creole fluently. But I am 100% Haitian as both my parents were born and for the most part raised in Haiti, until their families immigrated to the United States in the late 60's early 70's. I have always known that in some way I was going to invoke change. I had wanted to be a journalist. When I was younger, I was quoted in the paper for some activity that was being done at my elementary school. When the paper came out, I read the quote and the reporter got it all wrong. I vowed, that one day I would be a journalist so that I could "Tell the truth." Well, as I grew older I still had a fantasy of being a journalist, but my eyes started focusing on politics. Bill Clinton had just been elected for his first term in office. I went to the inauguration and I fell in love with this world of politics. Years later, I became enamored with a CNN update that ran 24 hours- it was a story unraveling in Haiti. President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was a victim of a coup. It was the first time that I had seen Haiti on the international screen, and it was my first real look at the long road of reconstruction ahead. I began asking my father questions about Haiti, it's history, it's culture, what Haiti was like when he was a kid. As I grew older I knew that my passion for politics would lead me towards a domestic agenda, seeing poverty in the streets, and injustices all over the country I wanted to change things here. But my long-term goals were to always and in some way assist Haiti in the development that I knew it very much needed. I joked (with some seriousness) in High School that I would become the Ambassador to Haiti, one day.
Given the recent devastating earthquake, my passion for making a difference in Haiti's political development has been pushed forward in my life. I with 4 other students, "rose" together with American University in a Benefit Performance that we organized with 1 week and a half of planning. The five us were able to make the earthquake in Haiti something that we could all impact. In one night, that I will remember forever, we raised $30000. For me, this was something that helped me heal in many ways, because I was able to contribute my time and energy to making sure that Haiti wasn't forgotten. I felt helpless watching CNN again, like that time during the coup, and seeing people who could just as easily be family so disoriented by what was going on. This to me was the least I could do, and something that I pride myself on. I know that I may not have a lot of money, but I have been blessed enough with life and time and if that is all I can give, than that to me is enough.
But my passion for change didn't stop there. I have done my best to stay active in Haiti news, latching on to every news source and media link that has referenced Haiti in some way. Just so that I can keep up to date and stay focused on what is going on now. I currently sit on an Advisory Board with my University's Alternative Break Program. This Board is the think tank for the Program's commitment to a 5-year Alt Break Compact in Haiti. Through this think tank, I have implemented meetings with other organizations as we prepare to send students to Haiti on a service learning trip in the next year. Again, I know that this right now, might not seem big, but to me it is the best use of my time. And meeting with organizations is a great way to keep them engaged in the process as well.
Last week, I mentioned that I attended 2 workshops/conferences. The first was covering the Caribbean Diaspora and their role in the Haiti redevelopment. It was such an honor to be able to attend such an event. And the event reinforced the path that I am on as far as career growth etc. It gave me a real opportunity to put to practice everything that I have learned over the last 2 years here in D.C.
In the beginning it was rough though. Myself and another student leader on the Advisory Board, were the only two "young people" there. We were ignored, by Ambassadors and other officials when we tried to talk to them about our efforts.
Finally after a panel, I stood up to ask a question. My question was in concern to Higher Education and the role of youth engagement in this rebuilding process. I asked the panel " What are you doing as organizers to engage the youth and more specifically the 2nd generation in this process? Had we not stumbled upon this meeting through our other contacts, we would have never known of such an opportunity." Mind you I wasn't calling anyone out, it was directed to the panel itself. Well the response I received from a Congresswoman on the panel was "What are YOU doing to engage yourselves?" Now not to be, pompous, but I really hate this answer from the older generation in the political process, and I will get into that when I discuss the second conference I attended, but it is such a cop-out.
I ended up responding to this Congresswoman, by telling her and the audience all of the great things that American University and students like me are developing on behalf of Haiti. I let her know in response to a statement that she made, that I would be happy to contact her assistant with further information regarding what the University and students like me are doing.
After the question and answer session, we broke for lunch and FINALLY people were coming up to us and asking us, what it is that we are doing? They also asked us how they could assist etc. My concern is that it is always a moment of proving ourselves as young people before we are listened to and actively engaged with.
Needless to say my questions didn't end there. I asked a few more pointed questions and then was asked by one of the Ambassadors of the Program to help facilitate one of the breakout workshops! It was a great day, and I hope that the input I gave gets translated into some other form of engagement for both generations to grow.
And with that, I will lead into the second piece of my wonderful journey. I apologize that this is more like a novel and not a blog, but this is important to get out. I attended a workshop on Monday put together through Campus Progress an extension of The Center for American Progress. This workshop was an all day event that featured many great speakers, members coming out of Rock the Vote, The Obama Election Team, Scott Brown's Election Team, analysts etc. The purpose of this workshop was to come together to discuss ways in which to engage youth in the 2010 election.
To be honest the political arena is waiting to see what we do in 2010. In 2008 we voted in high numbers to elect President Obama, in 2009 we fell off so now our credibility as a voting body is in question. But to be honest I feel that it is always in question. We get the whole, we are young we don't understand politics etc. But yet politicians want to make sure that we vote for them and their issues that they care about. But we don't hear much past the need for us to be "just voters." I am a Democrat, I don't know if that matters that much though. But reflecting back on 2008 and the power we had as youth during the Presidential Elections, I find that the Democratic party lost a lot of our support directly after the election. It was almost as if the party thought it was fine for them to ride high on the momentum of the election without actively engaging the voters to continue in this process. I mean there is so much President Obama can do for his party and that was clear in the results of the 2009 Elections. Organizing America has to be the premise for all politicians and it needs to be something that they all unite on. Basically I am more "Fired Up" to do more work, and find ways to get young people to be taken seriously in this political world. We have a lot of insight to offer and it is going to be my generation that is going to change they way in which politics works, so we need to be allowed to be a part of that change.
#BETHECHANGE is the BOMB.COM!

Another day of police brutality...

I heard about this story by a friend last night at dinner. However, I didn't see the video until this morning after another friend posted it on FB. Although, the story begins with an Officer addressing a "jaywalking" incident, I don't think that it needed to end like this at all. However, we do not know what sparked the start of this footage. Whether it was something that was started because the girls were being "verbally antagonistic" or whatever the case may be. I definitely do not agree with the actions taken. If someone is being "verbally antagonistic" to an officer does that mean that the officer has the right to arrest the young ladies? And the way it seems, the officer didn't try at all to explain to these young girls what they were being arrested for. And secondly where was backup, if this was an arrest shouldn't there have been another officer present or something. I think it got way to out of hand. From what I hear from the video, the officer never explained why he was arresting the girl, or that he had intended to arrest the girl until after he had slugged her cousin. And is it necessary to hit the cousin like that, I mean the young girl is screaming for him to let her go and instead of taking better control of the situation he gets more aggressive and violent.
Juvenile Justice is an issue that really gets a rise out of me, and the way in which our police officers act towards certain individuals also bothers me. There are better ways to handle this situation. I would like to see what comes out about this in the next couple of weeks. Regardless the girls were taken into custody and the charge might be "resisting arrest" which was never clear that that was what the officer intended to do in the first place.
But don't take my word for it, look at this video:

Remember your history...

It is 2010, the world sits watching as the World Cup takes place for the first time on the continent of Africa and with that in South Africa. But as we experience one of the greatest moments in history, we must also be reminded of the past.
South Africa, much like the United States was ridden with segregationist and colonial policies known as "apartheid." Apartheid lasted well into the early 90's with ending with the release of one of the most prolific and notable leaders the world over, Nelson Mandela after being held for 27 years in prison. Not to mention was he released but then had served as the first freely elected African President of the country.
The times of apartheid were violent and brutal. Africans throughout the continent were fighting for their voice in a post-colonial environment. It caused a lot of damage to the people and to the heart of the continent as well.
South Africa was no different than the rest of the continent. Like the children of Birmingham, Alabama did in the 1960s so did the children of a province called Soweto in 1976. They (the children) protested the apartheid and the effect it had on their education system. Similar to the students who protested Vietnam at Kent State in Ohio, the police in Soweto answered these children's protests with guns- killing 23 students and sparking civil unrest.
I was supposed to travel to South Africa for the World Cup. But I really wanted to immerse myself in the history, as much as I wanted to catch a game or two. Soweto is one of the places, that when I am able to go to South Africa, I plan on seeing.

Know the history:

Have we gone too far? And when will it end?

(CNN) -- A proposed Arizona law would deny birth certificates to children born in the United States to illegal immigrant parents.

The bill comes on the heels of Arizona passing the nation's toughest immigration law.

John Kavanagh, a Republican state representative from Arizona who supports the proposed law aimed at so-called "anchor babies," said that the concept does not conflict with the U.S. Constitution.

"If you go back to the original intent of the drafters ... it was never intended to bestow citizenship upon (illegal) aliens," said Kavanagh, who also supported Senate Bill 1070 -- the law that gave Arizona authorities expanded immigration enforcement powers.

Under federal law, children born in the United States are automatically granted citizenship, regardless of their parents' residency status.

Kyrsten Sinema, a Democratic state representative, strongly opposes the bill.

"Unlike (Senate Bill) 1070, it is clear this bill runs immediately afoul of the U.S. Constitution," she said.

"While I understand that folks in Arizona and across the country support S.B. 1070, they do so because we have seen no action from the federal government," said Sinema. "Unfortunately, the so-called 'anchor baby' bill does nothing to solve the real problems we are facing in Arizona."

Arizona Republicans are expected to introduce the legislation this fall.

CNN's Ethan Harp contributed to this report



Months ago Arizona was under a fire storm because of a Law they put on the table that would make "racial profiling" less of a discriminatory act. Basically the law stated that police officers could use whatever discretion they wanted and ask anybody they wanted for valid I.D. There is already a federal law in the books that states that you must have a valid I.D. on you at all times. So this law brought many to ask if there was a more specific reason why Arizona would want to push for this. As I stated a fire storm broke out, because for many Arizona was targeting people of Latin/Hispanic dicsent and even more specifically undocumented citizens.
I have had many concerns over the language being placed in this conversation and conversations like the one I posted above. The term "illegal alien," has only been directed at one particular group, those members who have been of Latin/Hispanic descent. This is extremely problematic. To underly issues of race, or discrimination under the premise of "homeland security," infuriates me. It annoys me even more that this isn't the conversation that is being had. Much like my post on Race via Obama, I have to wonder if this is yet another example of how far we have fallen from the direction we were meant to follow.
There was only one comment that I agreed with during this whole clip and that was by Rep Semina, when she mentioned that the reason for Arizona's backlash, was lack of control by the Federal government. Yes, we have a problem with controling our borders and we need to do a better job and come up with better solutions before idiots like the legislators in Arizona continue to come up with these crazy ways to sneak in legislation that goes against everything that this country has stood for at least in this century. It also irritates me to argue on behalf of "original intent" to suit your own needs when clearly the Constitution was written to ensure that only a few privileged people were able to support their own power.
Do I fault Arizona for trying to correct something they feel needs to be corrected? No, I think Arizona is trying to make something work for them within a system that isn't working. But I think that there are better ways to go about it and I still think that we are missing the bigger picture- we have an opportunity to have a greater conversation about cultures and race, but yet we are so flustered at least from Rep. Kavanagh's view with the idea of securing the many lifestyles that vote for him- I wonder too, what category a majority of his voting base comes from. Ah ha!