Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Jena 6 Fiasco Continues. Have The Wheels Finally Fallen Off The 'Civil Rights' Bandwagon?
Robert Bailey Jr, one of the "Jena 6," has been receiving tens of thousands of dollars in CASH donations, which he keeps at home in his bedroom.
He bragged about it on MySpace and posted pics of himself rolling around in 100 dollar bills, and putting them in his mouth...
Damn. What's next? A video tape of these guys in a hotel room with drugs and guns while confessing to attempted murder?
So much for 'boots on the ground'.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
27 comments:
So lemme see..
Gangsta Niggas who brag about killing black men but who shit in their pants when it comes to confronting white men are praised by DV when they brag about "I Got Money, Money is Got(d)", but these black kids who beat down some racist ass white kids in the Heart of Whiteness that is the deepest South get the boot from DV when they show off the puny amount of dollars they done got.
Niggletisms...
Damn, I hate it when Michael beats me to the punch. So let's twist it another way. What else do you expect a poor, under-educated, under-supervised kid to do with a sudden influx of cash? Well let's look at what are our young role models doing? Poppin bottles, get some rims, make it rain, re-up on the hustle, cop some new swag? I know there are a few more positive examples out there, but you have to admit the bad, in the area of leading by example, far outweighs the good.
Why are we so quick to blast this young man? This video will get more play than the Paris Hilton tape before it's all over. Why don't we ever ask questions whose answers might lead to fundamental positive change in this young man's life? Such as, Why did any of the money ever get to this child's hands? Or, Where are his elders? How about, Are they capable of giving him sound financial advice or any other kind of sound advice? Why is it that Baby Jessica, pulled out of a well some 18 years ago, has a million dollar trust fund waiting for her when she turns 21 from the donations that were sent to her, but this is how donations to a young brother get handled?
Fuck it. Let's just fall back on the age old, tried and true, never fails tactic of blame the young dumb Black man. No in depth analysis needed; Much easier; much more airplay.
And who edited this video? Has anyone seen his actual myspace page where he said he was "thuggin"?
LOL. Ahhhhh
Interesting. Brother Mike and Exodus.
LOL.
Funny how sensitive you cats become when the recipient of scrutiny and criticism is not a ballin' rapper or a collar poppin' ball player who earned his own loot, but is a civil rights TOKEN with a mouth full of hundred dollar bills that were SUPPOSED to be used for his defense fund.
Come On People!
Ex, I can't believe your last paragraph. You were joking right? Fisher has built his entire thesis on attacking young black men, blaming them for the pathology in black America and then somehow connecting that to global white supremacy.
Tell the truth fellas. You don't like this story because it, just like the Duke Dancers, and Tawanna Brawley and the W. Virginia torture victim who you don't mention any more - blows holes in your Blame White Folks theories.
Be honest.
Sista Kimberly,
I don't know who edited this video. Probably some Crackers.
But I know who shot it. The brotha in it.
Why give the DA and other racists the ammunition that they want?
Maybe next time before black people mobilize by the thousands and jump on buses and run off to places like Jena, and hold news conferences - our "leaders" will explore the case a bit longer not to put THEN ENTIRE POPULATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS in the embarrassing position of defending fools.
These cats are starting to hurt the thousands of young black men who really are in jail on some bullshit.
What about them?
DV: These cats are starting to hurt the thousands of young black men who really are in jail on some bullshit.
By emulating Fiddy?
No really. I do see the difference. Even with his semi wack lyrics, Fiddy made his millions legitimately using extremely successful marketing tactics and dope beats.
Unless that's birthday money, these kids are basically biting the hand that's been feeding and fueling them. What a shame.
DV: These cats are starting to hurt the thousands of young black men who really are in jail on some bullshit.
By emulating Fiddy?
No really. I do see the difference. Even with his semi wack lyrics, Fiddy made his millions legitimately using extremely successful marketing tactics and dope beats.
Unless that's birthday money, these kids are basically biting the hand that's been feeding and fueling them. What a shame.
kimberly said...
DV: These cats are starting to hurt the thousands of young black men who really are in jail on some bullshit.
By emulating Fiddy?
If they were emulating Fiddy, they would be self-actualizing and building businesses. And that would be a good thing.
I can't help but notice the rappers had good sense enough not to jump on the Jena bandwagon while Civil Rights Negros continue to squander what little credibility they have left.
Sista Kimberly, do you think the NAACP, and Jesse Jackson, and Sharpton and Steve Harvey and the rest of the Civil Rights Industry could sit down and learn a thing or two about strategy, marketing and business from the successful rappers?
Honestly, I think Fiddy and Jay should take over the Civil Rights Movement. They know how to make things happen.
Corporate Negros know only how to appeal to white folks.
DV: Sista Kimberly, do you think the NAACP, and Jesse Jackson, and Sharpton and Steve Harvey and the rest of the Civil Rights Industry could sit down and learn a thing or two about strategy, marketing and business from the successful rappers?
Most definitely. The NAACP is nothing but a pawn, maneuvered and controlled by people who do not have our real needs and cocnerns at heart.
DV:If they were emulating Fiddy, they would be self-actualizing and building businesses. And that would be a good thing
My concern with these kids (and thousands of others) is that they have no concept or understanding of Fiddy's "metaphorical" lyrics. Some cats take it literally and at face value with the ultimate goal of being surrounded by money, hoes, and rims.
I will ask, as I often do, WHERE IS HIS MAMA AND/OR DADDY!!!
To Patrice and Dina: (I dont know if Patrice even reads here)
This is why his ass didnt need to be at the BET awards.
This is why he needed to sit the hell down and reflect.
This is why external intervention is sometimes necessary b/c elders have fallen down on the job.
Some MAN needs to grab this BOY by his collar and smack the shit out of him.
I dunno, Cuz. Fish might have you on this one. He made some great points. I think you'd even have to admit that.
DV
"Maybe next time before black people mobilize by the thousands and jump on buses and run off to places like Jena, and hold news conferences - our "leaders" will explore the case a bit longer not to put THEN ENTIRE POPULATION OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS in the embarrassing position of defending fools."
But that's what you do in defending gangsta rappers RIGHT!?
"Some cats take it literally and at face value with the ultimate goal of being surrounded by money, hoes, and rims." Kimberly
You hit the nail on the head Kimberly.
That does seem to be the major concern of those among us who maintain a skeptical attitude towards rap. It is actually the foundation of my boy Casper's complaint -
'young blacks are not quite capable of discerning fantasy from reality and they will attempt to imitate these attitudes literally, and in the process not only become an obnoxious person, but also end up in jail..."
My response is this -
Anyone who is persuaded by something like rap - WILL BE PERSUADED BY SOMETHING ELSE ANYWAY.
Either rappers are going to fill there heads, or Hollywood slasher films are going to fill their heads, or little pro-gay TV shows and movies are going to fill their heads, or movies that portray Arabs as terrorists, Israelis as victims, and Americans as heros are going to fill their heads.
Either GUNIT or USARMY or GLAAD is going to fill their heads. PICK.
The world is a propaganda contest, and Rap is the only thing black people have that can compete.
The messages from corporate black America and Civil Rights Black America are falling on deaf ears.
The message is stupid and retrograde. Instead of reviewing strategies and objectives Corporate blacks and Civil Rights blame rappers for "making the kids not listen".
That's where Mike Fisher hits a brick wall. He would rather blame rappers for stealing his audience than face the fact his message lacks appeal.
Proving Global White Supremacy doesn't promise empowerment.
"I Get Money" is all about empowerment.
Poor people want to talk about money. So Fiddy gives em money.
In between the cheese, he drops jewels about focus, discipline, not giving up, self-reliance, ambition, determination.
But art is not literal, and the literate are not artists, therefor corporate and civil rights black people often miss the jewels and focus on negative.
Poets hear poets.
T.I. is featured on the November ‘07 issue of Complex magazine. What a cute theme “Home for the Holidays with American Gangster”. It’s a damn shame that it’s a strong possibility that that might not be true, and he might spend Thanksgiving locked up. Poor thang.
Here is a snippet from T.I.’s interview with Complex:
Complex:
You’re the only rapper to drop platinum albums the last two years. How can you say you don’t fit in?
T.I.: When I saw Tupac talking that “Thug Life” shit, getting locked up for shooting police, and getting shot and living, that’s when I was like, Damn, them niggas is really about that shit. Now you’re just let down. This ain’t this guy that he was on this record. And nobody seems to have a problem with it. It’s a lot of fake shit in it. I like to consider myself an intelligent person, and this shit is not something of intelligence anymore. It’s getting real young and stupid, and that ain’t me.
Not stupid??? Riiight!
Credit:Bossip
What's your point Casper?
DV
"But art is not literal, and the literate are not artists"
If you define rap as art or not. The concept of it to be taken by it's face value or not is difficult for a young minds that have not be educated well enough to discern the difference. See the marketing genius of white cats like Iovine and Morris was to take real thugs and have them rap to add the authenticity! BINGO! This was calculated and promoted by these men for PROFIT without regard to the impact of the real impact gansta's who now have obtained women, cheddar and fame would have on the undereducated. That is the basis of my argument with any of you who support gansta lyrics as promoted to our youth. The pro's do not outweigh the con's of this genre. The prison statistics reflect that.
Hubby (who produces for a living) and I get into this conversation quite a bit.
I'll admit, that once upon a time I felt that these rappers somehow "owed" something to their listening audience, or at the very least, their music should be "socially responsible".
But whose responsibility is it really, to help these kids understand the difference between imagination and reality? And even if they can discern the difference, should we cut off their imagination?
I’m coming to grips with the fact that I cannot be the savior for some of these folks who refuse to learn the distinction.
Even those that come to the rescue for women who are “degraded” in music videos must realize that some women choose to be doctors and some women choose to be hoes.
So DV, what difference do you see between this and the red carpet fiasco?
The Red Carpet incident didn't bother me. This doesn't bother me too much either Kalena.
I'm simply pointing out the sad collapse of the Jena movement, and the precious good will that was built up within our community.
People, long accused of apathy, mobilized for what they thought was a good cause. Unfortunately that "cause" was poorly defined, poorly managed and poorly executed.
We risk losing our investment.
I'd like to see more effective empowerment strategies and efforts than this last one.
gotcha
co-sign
Kimberly
"But whose responsibility is it really, to help these kids understand the difference between imagination and reality? And even if they can discern the difference, should we cut off their imagination?"
Who is promoting to them to imagine becoming a Doctor, Scientist, Inventor, Developer, etc. What are they watching TV and listening to on their IPOD's all day. We as adults are not helping them by defending the rights of unbalanced oversexed & violent lifestyles. Some of you expect other peoples kids to make wise choices.?? Prison stats illustrate that they are not making wise decisions. Thus we must be responsible and sensible adults.
DV
"The Red Carpet incident didn't bother me. This doesn't bother me too much either Kalena.
I'm simply pointing out the sad collapse of the Jena movement, and the precious good will that was built up within our community."
So would you allow or promote your kids to behave exactly the same way these young men have in these two instances???
"So would you allow or promote your kids to behave exactly the same way these young men have in these two instances???" Casper
Casper, you might 'mentor', but you don't have kids.
If you had a son, you would realize that kids don't become what you "promote" or "allow".
They attempt to become what empowers them, not what makes them weak.
These boys with money in their mouths look weak.
The young black men wearing suits, courtside at NBA teams that they own, sitting with the most beautiful women on the planet, smiling, happy, and unapologetically black - appear empowered.
Civil Rights Negros running for President while promising the GAY Lobby to correct "African-American" religious leaders - look weak.
Ultimately your message needs to speak for itself.
Which is another reason the Mike Fisher message of "Global System of White Superiority" will continue to fall on deaf ears.
DV
"If you had a son, you would realize that kids don't become what you "promote" or "allow".
They attempt to become what empowers them, not what makes them weak."
I noticed you avoided asking the direct question posed to you .. Why is that?? Your not running for office here are ya!? So would you promote your kid behaving in the same manner. Would you tell him ...Damm good job junior... !?
DV...
"Fisher has built his entire thesis on attacking young black men, blaming them for the pathology in black America and then somehow connecting that to global white supremacy."
DV, stop lying and present things correctly instead of distorting them.
You are not intellectually honest by doing this. When you have to invent and distort a debate opponent's argument in order to make your own point, it does not do much for that argument of yours.
Then again, the question becomes. What is your agenda?
Hey, I would love it if you could really punch some holes in my so-called "Blame the white folks" theories. There is nothing I like better than being shown conclusively that I am mistaken. It's damn hard going through life thinking I know all the answers, but that's just my cross to bear.
And besides that, where exactly in my comment did you get me blaming white folks? I was actually placing the blame on whatever elders are supposed to be in these young men's lives giving them better direction than they have obviously been receiving. That sounds to me like I am blaming the Black adults in their lives. I'm not even blaming the overload of negative imagery in hip hop. It's there whether you choose to acknowledge it or not, just as it's everywhere else in themedia today, and I continue to call it like I see it, wherever I see it.
DV you are absolutely correct that many of our young Black hip hop entrepreneurs are showing signs of growth and positve development. But that's just half the picture. You seem to want to ignore the other half of the picture that glorifies getting to the financial mountaintop by any means necessary including contributing by tohught word and deed to the destruction of your own people, women, community, etc. That's not what Brother Malcom meant when he said by any means necessary.
You say kids don't become what you promote or allow? I say that's a crock of crap. My 18 year old Black son has become exactly what I promoted. I'm sure he will develop into his own distinct individuality that will encompass more than what I have been able to instill in him, but I am equally sure you would never catch him doing some of the dumb shit that we constantly have to see from many of our youth who have not been blessed with the proper guidance.
I get that you are just pointing out how the activism surround the Jena 6 is woefully inadequate. I too would very much like to see us move to a higher level of activism rather than the same old re-activation of the same old reactive tactics, that don't address the root cause of the issues and don't provide long term solutions. I just don't think we will get there without calling out all that is wrong with how we do things, while never forgetting that we were put in this situation by a white majority that has nothing but our total destruction as it's primary aim.
Post a Comment