Discussing the Diaspora as seen through an internal Black lens
September 2nd, 2010
With Tea Party participants and candidates pushing rhetoric such as nullification of federal law under states rights, an issue that was decided during the civil war and reienforced when Southern states tried to deny black children access to school against court orders; or Neveda Senate hopeful Sharon Angle proposing to take down Congress with “Second Amendment remedies” aka, armed insurrection, rapper Jasiri X asks; what if the Tea Party was white.
See music video:
posted in Politics, Racial Injustice, Social Commentary, Video, youtube | 1 Comment | | View blog reactions |
September 1st, 2010
Youtube commentarian StatuesqueOne has laid a verbal smackdown. Eloquent in both asthetic vocal quality and delivery, and most importantly in content.
We are now all familiar with the cadre of “strong” black women in our society. They usually proclaim themselves so, so that we can indentify them as they are rolling their neck, and waving the index finger to accentuate. Most often this proclamation either is being given as justification for a tirade where she’s explaining why she “don’t take no mess”, or is preceeding such a tirade that’s about to ensue.
StatuesqueOne theorizes that this sense of strength and independence has been misplaced and misused, much to the detriment of Black woman. Further, that the whole phrase and concept of the “Strong Independent Black Woman” has become a mockery; such as how white comedian Kathy Griffin will refer to herself as a “strong black woman” before regailing how she told someone off, or what have you.
She also seems to agree with a position I have long pointed out, and noted in this piece, where a swath of black women have confused strength with aggressiveness and beligerence.
Watch this video commentary, and tell me what you think.
posted in Intraracial, Social Commentary, Video, youtube | 1 Comment | | View blog reactions |
August 21st, 2010
Haitian born, New Jersey and Brooklyn raised Wyclef Jean earlier this month filed for and announced his run for president of his native country. Though having left when he was 9, he’s been very active in philanthropic and community work there for years. In 2007 he was officially named Haiti’s roving ambassador by current President Rene Preval.

Yesterday Haiti’s election council denied his bid to get on the ballot for November’s election. This well might be expected, as he lacked the requirement of having recently lived in the country for five consecutive years before election day.
Likewise not unexpected to me, but yet disappointing is the joy that his detractors take in the denial of he even having opportunity to stand before the Haitian people, and put forth himself to help better his country.
Much is the gnashing of teeth of how celebrities are disconnected from social issues, are often politically ambivalent and take no stand; and how the rich (which Wyclef is) neglect the interest of the poor.
Would Wyclef have made a good president, I don’t know, and didn’t particularly have an opinion on whether he should be elected; I felt it was up to the Haitian people to look at all alternatives and make that decision. Though, I out of hand reject the notion that you simply need an experienced politician, or expert technicians. Technicians don’t lead, leaders do; and all the professional politicians have done nothing for Haiti all these years, so what’s one more?
I don’t think anyone should have supported Wyclef if they didn’t think he was the best candidate; but likewise I find it disconcerting that he received such vitriol and personal animus for wanting to stand up for his country.
A couple of years I did a series called Determined Activism Verses Naysayers. The bottom line to the 3 commentaries was that you can always expect to be derided for any attempts to effect social change, or make a difference in anyway; no matter what you do. Both my study of history and every social movement or activist I’ve ever studied; plus my decade of personal experience in social activism lets me know this to be a certain truth.
I was listening to local sports talk radio a yesterday, and they were discussing parents who are apt these days to deride, insult, and even assault the coaches of children, and how these coaches get paid little or nothing; and this is the thanks thy get for their volunteer efforts. A former volunteer coach that called noted that you’ll get more criticism for volunteer work then you’d get for doing the same work for pay.
I found the saying relatively true that “no good deed goes unpunished.” So before you do the right thing, make sure it’s what you believe in, because you’ll pay for it.
I say that not to encourage you not to do good, but to let you know to be sound in your belief in doing the good that you attempt to do; because you won’t be congratulated, rewarded, or thanked for it. You better believe that doing right is it’s own reward, because it’ll likely be the only one you’ll get.
You’ll get more snickering, naysaying, criticism and disregard than anything else. But again, nothing ever got better listening to the naysers. They’re always there to naysay everything.
posted in Foreign News, News & Events, Social Commentary | 1 Comment | | View blog reactions |
Previously on Black Perspective...
- Investigation of the case of the Scott Sisters - Saturday, August 21, 2010
- August 2010 National Unemployment Numbers - Friday, August 20, 2010
- Video: Obama’s New Aids Initiative - Wednesday, July 28, 2010
- Fake ICE Checkpoint at Netroots Nation 2010 - Tuesday, July 27, 2010
- “Impeach Obama” Says Texas Democrat Kesha Rogers - Monday, July 26, 2010
- Mark Williams Proves The Tea Party Is Not Racist…by Penning A Racist Post - Monday, July 19, 2010
- Is the NAACP Right? How Racist Is The Tea Party? - Thursday, July 15, 2010
- Alleged Katrina Killer Cops Are Indicted - Wednesday, July 14, 2010
- The Tennessean Still Misleading about TSU Accreditation - Monday, July 12, 2010
- Live Account from Oscar Grant Verdict Protest - Saturday, July 10, 2010
- In Union Carbide Verdict, Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied - Tuesday, June 29, 2010
- Venus and Serena at Wimbledon 2010 - Friday, June 25, 2010
- Who’s Benefiting From The World Cup In South Africa pt 2 - Tuesday, June 22, 2010
- Video: The Best of the Tea Party - Tuesday, June 22, 2010
- Who’s Benefiting From World Cup In South Africa - Sunday, June 20, 2010
- Glenn Beck On African-American Founders - Tuesday, June 8, 2010
- Obama’s Too Cool. Well, Not About His Critics - Tuesday, June 8, 2010
- Malcolm X Autobiography’s Lost Chapters - Monday, June 7, 2010
- Why Are Other Options Not Being Used By BP and The Obama Administration - Monday, June 7, 2010
- For Those Who Are For Immigration Profiling - Sunday, June 6, 2010