Black Exploitation and Humiliation, Why Are We Dehumanizing Our Own People?

I recently watched a YouTube video that really disturbed me. The video was of famous child star Maia Campbell at her worse. I was very shocked and embarrassed, not because of her condition, but because someone thought it entertaining to post such a humiliating video instead of trying to help her. Usually I link videos to my post to give examples of what I am talking about, but I refuse to give that video any more airplay than it has already gotten.
When did our generation become so vain and dehumanizing? When did we get so caught up on money and fame that we forgot our morals? We forgot our feelings for others? We forgot what it feels like to be demeaned? It saddens me that this video is being floated around for entertainment purposes and some people actually find it entertaining and that "our people" make such awful and off the wall comments about this young lady. Is this not the same young lady that you looked at as a goddess? Is she not the same young girl that you thought was beautiful and you supposedly respected? Why has her demise become the center of attention? The trending topic? The most searched article? She like many child stars have become exploited and thrown out as garbage and labeled as useless by not only the media industry but we as consumers.
Whoever shot that video should really take a look in the mirror at themselves because you would have to be sick, twisted and have very low self-esteem to think of this as entertaining or anything else. Instead of adding to her demise, why not try to help her?
I am so sick of this crab mentality that "my people" have all of a sudden developed. This mindset that it is okay to kick someone while they are down. That mentality that it is fine to "cash in" on someone else misfortune. That mentality that instead of helping each other to the top, lets "hate on them," lets "kick them while they are down," that "I didn't make it out, so I'm going to make it my business to ensure you don't either" When did we as a "black race" become so obsessed with fame and money that we will attempt to "cash in" on it at any cost.
We have talked so much about being oppressed by "the white man" that we have forgotten what oppression is. Well let me define it for you. Oppression is a form of bondage. According to Wikipedia, It is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. It can also be defined as an act or instance of oppressing, the state of being oppressed and the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions and anxiety. We have been oppressed so long as a people that we have adopted the oppressed mindset. If you are wondering what I am talking about, let me enlighten you. I am talking about how we have become our oppressors. We have now started oppressing each other. "The man" is not our worse enemy anymore, it's our own people. We have been dehumanized so long that we forgot what it means to be human.
To be human is to have compassion. To be human is to show love. To be human is to be of service and to help others. Stop have that "me" mindset and that "I got to make it by any means necessary" mindset because it is hurting our generations and future generations to come. You want to know why Mississippi has never has a black governor, why President Obama is catching "hell" in the white house and why our people are the ones in poverty, why we have the highest drop-out rate, why black men and women are the highest percentage of prisoners in the prison system, it's because we as a people do not stick together but rather have developed the "crab mentality" and forgot where we came from and how hard it was for our people to get the "limited privileges" we have. So the next time we choose to cash in on the demise of our own people, we should ask one question, "What if that were your mother, your sister and your daughter, niece, friend etc. in that video being exploited by her own race. What would you do? Now where the heck is Debbie Allen and L Cool J? One of you need to be going to Compton and searching for Ms. Maia to help her, enough of our people have been lost to the streets, LET'S NOT LET HER ADD TO THE NUMBER!!!!

My Black Is Beautiful: Angry Black Women...The Syndrome

My Black Is Beautiful: Angry Black Women...The Syndrome

Angry Black Women...The Syndrome

I have just come to the realization that a lot of black women have anger issues and these issues run deep down inside of them and it compromises their character and who they should be. Being an angry black woman is not something that just happens, it is something that is imprinted and embedded within them. It is my belief that  being an angry black woman is a plague, it is a disease and it is something that destroys a woman, therefore it should have a name, Angry Black Woman Syndrome (ABWS).

So where does this syndrome stem from? Is it something that a woman is born with? Is it something that is learned? Is it something they pick up from others? During this blog, I will attempt to explore and answer these questions as best I can.

It is my belief that for some people, this is a learned behavior, sort of like hatred. It is, in a way, a form of hatred that is inherited. Most black women are raised in a single parent household where they are constantly being told by their mother that black men are no good. Their mothers tell them that their fathers are no good, black men are no good, etc and this is where it begins. Because their mother experienced bad relationships, she embed in her child that she doesn't need a man, that men are no good and that child begins to believe them.

For some women, their fathers are the root of it all. Because they have absentee fathers, abusive fathers and so on, they think that all men are that way and their mentality is that by dating men of other races, they have upgraded. But the reality is, you are what you attract. Dating a white man, Asian man, etc will make no difference if it is something within you that attracts these types of men.

Another reason black women are angry is because they have angry friends. When you surround yourself with negative people who have nothing positive going on in their life, they will bring a good relationship into a negative one because they will always find fault in your relationship. They will hate on a good man because they don't want you happy because they aren't. Never surround yourself with negative friends and negative women because they will turn you into that same angry woman that they are.

Finally, some women attract bad relationships because that is what they want. They don't want that man who respects them wears fitted clothes, cares for them. The problem is they see that good man as only the friend type and tend to gravitate towards the thug type of man because in their mind he is what a strong man.

Now let be break it down for you...I came from a single parent household, however, my mother never talked negative about my father even though he was absent in my life. She never said black men were bad. She dated bad black men and good black men, but she still believed. I have dated all races and found that all men are the same regardless of color. It's not a race issue, it is a personality issue. I dated some bad black men because I was attracted to negative black men who were the thug, but now I have a good black man. He opens the door for me, he gives me his coat when it's cold. He respects me, he pays for our food. Don't get me wrong, he still  has flaws but a good relationship is give and take. Sometimes you have to learn your place. It's okay to be strong, but don't be so strong that it is perceived as aggressiveness and cockiness. Don't accuse a man of cheating and definitely don't make him pay for all the bad men you've had in your life. Finally, do something to show that good man that you appreciate him. Stop making a man have to work for your love. Love is an emotion not a job and it is give and take.. So while you're out there being an Angry Black Woman, you're missing out on all the good black men, because no man should and wants to pay for another mans mistakes or the hatred you refuse to let go....So thanks to all the good black men that are a constant reminder to me that being an angry black woman really has nothing to do with the man, but more so the anger within the woman...so let go of the ANGRY BLACK WOMAN SYNDROME you have acquired, it's not wanted or needed to be happy!

Sending troops to Lybia is a Bush move and we don't need this....

As I sat at this computer pondering what should be my next blog post, I can't help but notice all the controversy surrounding the fighting in Lybia. So I decided that it is my journalistic duty to speak on the issue....

We all remember the "weapons of mass destruction" mess with Bush and how we just had to go to Iraq and fight. We also remember how we began sending our troops over to Iraq to fight a war that was not ours to fight in the first place. What's the worst part of it all is that our government lied to us, they betrayed our trust and they allowed us to send troops to  fight someone else's battle. Now, I'm all for defending my country and my people, but why is it that we always seem to be fighting other peoples battles, yet we can never get anyone to help us with our own battles. I'm not anti-government or anything but I do have a problem with my friends and family being sent to a country to fight a battle that the people of that country don't even want our help with. I mean, if we are going to go to a country to help someone fight, we should not be receiving opposition from those people that we claim want and need our help.

It just seems like we have this "hero mentality" where we have to be super-save-a-country or something. So excuse me if I am for not going to Lybia. Excuse me if I am for President Obama and the fact that he is not gunhoe about going to Lybia and fighting. It's so funny how contradictory we can be; we got mad at Bush for sending troops to Iraq; we got mad at Obama cause the troops ara still in Afghanastan and Iraq; yet we are mad the Obama isn't moving fast enough for us with Lybia. It's like we want to kill our economy or something. Is it just me or is this war expensive as heck already. I mean we are technically fighting two wars right now, even if you don't believe it or the government doesn't admit it. But just being honest, we can't afford to fight a third war. Heck we are having problems paying our own bills, gas prices are killing us and our economy is a hot mess so why do something we don't have to yet! I know one thing, if things keep esculating, we may be headed into WWIII!

So now that you have heard my thoughts, I would like to create some open dialogue to see what other's are thinking...no racist talk and lets be respectable of other's on my page...I will delete all offensive posts!

The lack of Blackness may be contributing factor in diversity issues

I wanted to see what the contributing factor could possible be to the lack of diversity and the type of coverage Blacks get in the media industry and what I found was expected, but still low. I discovered that there are only roughly 240 black-owned radio stations operating across the country.  African Americans make up almost 13% of the U.S. population but only own less than 1% of the country's television stations. This is a sad number. I think that this in part is the reason for the lack of and over representation of African-Americans in the media.

I think that the reason that Blacks are viewed in a particular manner is because there is someone that is not Black determining what the think it means to be Black. I think that this is a direct effect of the lack of ownership in media. If Blacks owned more television shows and stations, they should be able to give better programming and representation of Blacks.

I also argue that BET does not adequately show Blacks and that some of the things they display has a negative effect on how Blacks should and wish to be viewed. I honestly don't consider BET to be a real station because of their content. They do not show images and programming that I feel appeals to certain demographics within the Black community and I feel like their programming in some way gives a negative connotation of how Blacks act and live.

I also feel that the media only shows black imagery in news stories to where the suspect is possibly Black or if the story is in a low income area. I think they use over sensationalism when they cover stories in these areas and they also use a lot of framing to make it seem as if this is all there is to the Black community and that isn't true. We are not all low income families and we are not all criminals and uneducated. Part of the problem is that we do not demand better therefore they think it is okay to show these images.

Black entertainment is suffering because we do not whole our entertainers accountable for the content they put out there and we do not demand that the stations give us better programming options. I don't want anyone to see that this is a black/ white issue because it is more than that. This is a diversity issue, I am just focusing on the Black aspect because I am Black myself.

I ask that you all weigh in on this topic and give your opinions and statements regarding diversity in programming and the media as a whole.

Let the Framing begin...

Blacks have been an overly represented people in the news when it comes to negative coverage but under represented when it comes to positive publicity. It is my opinion, that the media portrays images of blacks that do no necessarily represent the majority.

When I watch the news I am both baffled and embarrased by how blacks are portrayed in the news. Is it just me or does the news seem to get the most ghetto person to speak for the majority. When there is a crime being committed they show mugshots, interview people in the family and go to the neighborhoods.

If you are going to depict this type of imagery for one race, it should be for all races. I feel like symbolic inilation takes place because each race is not represented equally, therefore one race gets more coverage than they should over the other race whether negative or positive. It is also my observation that hispanics receive the same stereotypical framing as blacks. The imagery portrayed makes it seem as if both races are ghetto and live poorly when this is not the case.

In a way, I don't blame the media because they are portraying what we think is news, therefore I feel we must change our thinking and hold news to a higher standard instead of allowing this type of imagery to be seen on a daily basis.

One image that was very popular that I thought was a mess was when this guy tried to break in a house and rape this girl and her brother ran in on the guy, this became a youtube phenomenom and he became an overnight celebrity.
This is the original news story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZKXAFqdlC4&feature=related

This is the youtube edited version: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw

This is the post interview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hdC16-cTQ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og5znBpNEh8&feature=fvw

Here are some more links from different media outlets so that you are able to decide if you agree with me or disagree with me...all feedback is welcome and wanted.

wjtv 12

wjtv 12-2

wjtv 3

Juan Williams Fired...Stupidity Was The Reason

I know by now everyone has heard about Juan Williams being fired, so I don't need to elaborate on what happened, however, I will elaborate on why he was fired and you may comment on it if you choose whether you agree with me or not.


Williams was fired not because he was a black journalist who said the wrong thing, I think race had nothing to do with this incident. I think his repeated violations of NPR's warnings was the reason. Furthermore, I believe his affiliation with Fox played a part in him being fired.


The question that comes to mind for me is, "What ever happened to being unbias and fair as a journalist?" What he said may have been taken out of content, I'm not disputing that, however he is a journalist and he should have never made the comment.


Everybody is getting mad at NPR, but would you have been mad if he had been white and had said he fear blacks? No you would have been mad at him and demanded he be fired. I think NPR did what they had to do to protect the integrity of their station and if I were in their shoes, I would have fired him also.


In media, their should be boundaries you do not cross and things you do not say, this was just a wake up call to all of these so called journalists that think their opinion  matters. In journalism you have no opinion, so therefore you don't say anything that is offensive to others, even if it is something that most people think. Had he had some facts to back up what he said, I would have been mad at NPR, but since this was a stupid comment made by a stupid man, I say you get what you dish!

UPDATE:
OK, I new Jessie Jackson was going to get involved in this situation. This is another chance for him to get in the spotlight and steal it from the real issue. I don't know about you, but why is it that he is worried about Juan Williams and he has yet to speak up about the Scott Sisters life sentence for robbery when no one was hurt in that robbery. I know this is another issue, but it seems to me that he only get involved in high profile situations so that he can use big words and the race card. As an African American, I am sick of the race card being used every time he gives a speech. One of these days it will  be a race issue and no one will care because he overused it! 


Jackson talks about freedom of speech, but as a journalist it is my opinion that you don't have freedom of speech because your freedom was purchased by the company that employs you. I feel like journalists should never state opinions, unless they are backed by facts because they are viewed as fair and impartial. Also, his comparison to the issue with Shirley Sherrod. That was totally different. Her firing was wrongful because they edited her words to make a statement that she did not say, however, Juan Williams said what he meant to say, so he should suffer the consequences.


His comment about freedom of speech is totally wrong and does not apply to this situation because journalist are not free to speak their minds because they are the voice of the people to the people. I also feel that this race card thing is too controversial and overrated. He could have came up with other reasons why NPR was out of place for firing Williams. Now he makes others think that we will always say our race is the reason something happens to us. This creates another negative typecast added to African Americans.