Uptown Notes

My President is Black, is his agenda too?

May 26, 2010 · View Comments

Not too long ago, I had a chance to discuss the question of a Black Agenda and President Obama with Kelli Goff- author of Party Crashing. The discussion is part of The Atlanta Post’s 50/50 segment and was moderated by China Okasi. There were some surprising points of agreement and disagreement. Click here and hear all three parts of the conversation.

*this conversation was taped in January 2010 so keep that in mind/ context.

Arizona: For Whites Only?

May 17, 2010 · View Comments

Recently, I penned a piece discussing the need for Black folks to join in with the fight against Arizona’s racist immigration bill SB 1070. My goal was to challenge Black folks, to think beyond the immediate immigration bill to the larger injustices that are taking root in Arizona. In the past few weeks, Arizona has continued to make their intentions clear. Whether you agree with SB 1070 or not, the state of Arizona has begun a march towards making the state free, open and inhabitable to Whites and closed to people of color, particularly Latinos.

Friday Funny: Swagger Wagon

May 14, 2010 · View Comments

I told ya’ll to stop using the word swagger back in 2008. See you didn’t listen, now we have the swagger wagon! LOL!

If you can’t see the video click here

Black Male Privilege Panel Discussion 5/17 @ 7:30pm

May 10, 2010 · View Comments

On next Monday the 17th at 7:30 pm there will be a panel on Black Male Privilege at the Brecht Forum. The panel will feature L’Heureux Dumi Lewis of City College- CUNY, Marc Lamont Hill of Teachers College- Columbia University, Mark Anthony Neal of Duke University and Byron Hurt an award winning film maker. The topic is a controversial yet important one. The past months have been ripe with conversations about Black folks, gender, and the future of our community. This panel was organized by and will be moderated by Esther Armah and it is sure to be an enlightening, challenging and productive conversation. Brothers and Sisters are welcome!! I look forward to see you all there. I’ll be tweeting about, so please forward to your loved ones. Please note the cost of entry is 10 dollars which is a small price to pay for intellectual and activist stimulation!

The Bell Curve & Charter Schools: The Not So Odd Couple

May 6, 2010 · View Comments

Yesterday the NYTimes ran an interesting Op-Ed piece on Charter Schools by Charles Murray entitled, “Why Charter Schools Fail the Test.” I read through it quickly and thought it to be arguing two main things: standardized tests were weak measures and that school choice was a democratic right. Both of these things meshed well with my ideology and then I arrived to the bi-line and read Charles Murray. I froze, kept reading and sure enough it was the Charles Murray. Murray’s name not ringing a bell? Well Murray was one of two authors of the uber-controversial book The Bell Curve. The Bell Curve, of course, ultimately argued that there were racial differences in intelligence, no matter how you “sliced the pie.” So this may lead one to wonder, “Why or how on earth would Murray be writing about Charter schools and supporting them?” Well to answer that you have to understand his back story.

Black and Brown Unite to Fight SB 1070

April 30, 2010 · View Comments

The term racial profiling has been part of my vocabulary and reality for nearly 15 years now, but it shouldn’t be. While the terminology for the practice of profiling people based on their perceived race, ethnicity and nationality is regarded as taboo, many in this nation have a nasty habit of trying to re-introduce it over and over again. As African-Americans, we are well aware that, whether driving or walking, our skin color can be a legal liability. The problem is that we, as united communities, have not learned to speak out against the various forms of racial profiling that continue to be floated as legislation and policy. The controversy of SB 1090 in Arizona is a perfect time for us to join our voices against injustice, but too many of us are without comment and are missing the larger picture.

Recently, the Arizona legislature signed a bill which allows agencies to demand verification of immigration status if there is “reasonable suspicion” that the person being questioned is an “illegal alien.” The minute I heard “reasonable suspicion,” I myself became suspicious of this bill given my own experiences with racial profiling. The sad reality is that there has been a continued emphasis on immigration control, not immigration reform, in a national culture that increasingly centers on fear. This culture of fear continues to allow racial profiling to curb the civil and human rights of Black and Brown people.

Silencing Sexual Assault

April 19, 2010 · View Comments

Originally published at The Atlanta Post

The internet is a funny thing and Twitter is a funny place. I find myself on there getting all sorts of information, as do many Black folks given that the Pew center says that 26% of Twitter users identify as African-American. At best, it is a fast paced way to share information and at worst a fast paced way to spread pain. One Friday night, comedian Lil Duval decided to get a subject going called “it aint rape.” He started out with “It ain’t rape if you order from the entrée side of the menu.” Essentially, it was a fill-in-the-blank festival that, for some, led to laughs and that, for many others, led to pain. Lil Duval’s tweeting falls squarely during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, demonstrating that too many in our community take sexual assault as a joke.

Lil Duval’s quickly took a step back and said, “Rape ain’t funny but women putting theyselves [sic] in [expletive] up positions is.” By saying rape doesn’t exist and that rape is based on poor decisions, Duval joined a line of Black comedians who have found humor and sadly greater acceptance in our community.

CUNY Haiti Benefit and CCNY Health Fair & HIV Summit

April 16, 2010 · View Comments

Some days I’m so immersed in work and other matters that I forget to mention how amazing the students here at CCNY are. This weekend, you have an opportunity to experience this amazingness via two community centered offerings. The first, a CUNY system-wide Haiti benefit organized entirely by students. “CUNY to Haiti: Let Hope Ring” will be happening Friday from 8pm -11pm in the Aronow Theater.

Friday Funny: Trick Play … Fail

April 16, 2010 · View Comments

So I like watching sports highlights. Over the years I’ve seen a number of trick plays that have impressed me. This is not one of them!!

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Moral of the story kids, practice your plays or you may be the one tricked.
p.s. and before you say it, she’s okay, look the girls were laughing at the end. sheez! i would never post something with someone got hurt … or would I?

Count ‘em all … at home!!!

April 15, 2010 · View Comments

Unless you have been in hiding, you have noticed the Census 2010 is in full swing now. From rapping commercials to inflatable census forms, there are a large amount of resources going into getting people to fill out the 10 Census questions. Despite all this hoopla, the biggest controversy has been the use of the word Negro on the Census. The word Negro is not new on the census and it’s there now because more than 56,000 Black folks wrote in “Negro” last Census. While many are in a tizzy about Negro, the count of prisoners should be getting us more riled up and more attention.