Black Power, Civil Rights, Black history, and anything related to the empowerment of black people. From Malcolm X and Martin Luther King to Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, we are interested in what empowers our people.
WASHINGTON, (AFP) - Black Panther-turned human rights campaigner Mumia Abu-Jamal has requested a retrial on his conviction of murdering a police officer, after his death sentence was overturned in March, his lawyer said Sunday.
A three-member Philadelphia appeals court on March 27 voted two-to-one to overturn the former radio journalist’s death sentence, while upholding his conviction for the 1981 murder of Daniel Faulkner.
The court said Abu-Jamal, 54, should face a new sentencing hearing or have his sentence commuted to life in jail.
Abu-Jamal, 54, has always claimed his innocence while on death row for 25 years. While in jail, he became a leading campaigner against the death penalty.
In his request for a retrial, Abu-Jamal’s lawyer Robert Bryan asked for a decision by a full panel of 12 judges, not a three-member court like Philadelphia’s…
KABUL, Afghanistan - U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama met Afghan President Hamid Karzai in Kabul on Sunday, Reuters reported, the second day of a visit to Afghanistan that is meant to bolster the senator’s foreign policy credentials.
Obama has previously criticized Karzai, who has led Afghanistan since U.S.-led and Afghan forces toppled the hardline Islamist Taliban in 2001, but said the purpose of this trip was to listen rather than deliver strong messages.
Obama, part of a congressional delegation, was at the heavily guarded Afghan presidential palace in the capital Kabul and was having lunch with Karzai, a palace official said.
The Illinois senator will also visit Iraq, Jordan, Israel, Germany, France and Britain on a foreign tour he hopes will help answer Republican criticism that he does not have the experience to be commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Crticized Obama Obama last week criticized Karzai in an interview with CNN.
“I think the Karzai government has not gotten out of the bunker and helped to organize Afghanistan, and the government, the judiciary, police forces, in ways that would give people confidence. So there are a lot of problems there,” he said.
Once the darling of the West, Karzai has come under increasing criticism at home and abroad for failing to take tough action to clamp down on rampant corruption, tackle former warlords and stamp out record-breaking drug production — all factors that feed the growing Taliban insurgency.
Dr. Boyce Watkins www.BoyceWatkins.net www.YourBlackWorld.com
Not sure if you guys have seen this cover of Barack and Michelle Obama on The New Yorker today, but here it is.
Those of you who know me know what I am thinking:
1) Black people should never purchase another copy of The New Yorker again, unless there is a retraction and full apology. Even then, they should be held accountable regarding how many African American writers and editors they have on staff.
2) This cover says at least two things: Being too black is a bad thing, and being a Muslim is just as bad. I don't believe that Senator Obama is a Muslim, but it is shameful that being a Muslim has become a crime in this country. It appears that black skin is acceptable, but black people receive acceptance into the establishment typically if they are docile and weak (hence, the whole "militant black woman" label you see on the cover). Many of you experience this kind of cultural dominance every day on the job. This, in my opinion, is the new racism of America. People don't hate you for having black skin. They hate you for having black cultural attributes that they do not understand (Remember when the boxer Joe Louis was given the list of appropriate Negro behavior when he became a pro? America loved him because he followed the list).
3) This re-emphasizes the need for more black-owned media. This election has been distorted because there are no black voices to counter those of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity. Hence, our voices are either muted or distorted, and we end up having to "shoosh" one another to ensure that the media doesn't find out that black people really have something to be angry about. That kind of sickens me.
4) Someone asked me to explain why I am voting for Obama. Here is the answer: 1) He is electable. 2) He is intelligent. 3) He is better than McCain (anyone is). 4) I respect strong, intelligent brothers. 5) The rest of the world hates our guts and he can help fix that problem. 6) Michelle Obama is one of the most intellectually beautiful people I've ever seen, and I am hopeful that she can keep Barack honest. My frustrations with Barack are similar to my frustrations with some hip hop artists: They both end up doing silly things in response to pressure from the racists they are trying to appease. If they were behaving according to free will, they would likely be doing something entirely different. Racism makes all of us do things that are humiliating to our people and ultimately divisive, and as long as we are chasing corporate, political and financial carrots, we will always be a slave to this tap dance. I am no exception, but I strive each day to break out of that pattern.
5) Congrats to another beautiful black woman, Cynthia McKinney, who just secured the Green Party nomination. Her platform is quite compelling, and she deserves an honest look from all of us. I suggest that when it comes to all candidates, we look at a list of the issues and make decisions based on whether the candidate appears to be willing to support the agenda that works best for our community (whatever that means to you). We should also remember that when it comes to politicians, if we ask for nothing, we will get nothing. So, don't be afraid to ask for political accountability (even if you think that Barack is the Black Baby Jesus).
Interview with Public Enemy Artist and Lecturer, Prof. Griff, by Tolu Olorunda.
“Prof. Griff” is a Hip-Hop artist, community activist, lecturer and so much more. He has accumulated enormous knowledge, over the years, in his struggle for the liberation of young black and brown minds. Prof. Griff is a member of the legendary group, Public Enemy, but he has also branched-out and pursued solo projects, in his musical career. He is a vociferous lecturer, who has taught at Colleges and High Schools for some time, while trying to stress the importance of understanding the texture of the new wave of Hip-Hop in the 21st century. Along with fellow lecturer, known as “The Black Dot,” he has spoken extensively on the “vibratory frequencies” and “chakras” that influence the majority of music, news and entertainment packages -- which dominate the mainstream-channels today. In 2007, he was featured in an underground documentary, entitled, “Turn off Channel Zero.” The documentary was constructed for some candid-analysis of the dynamic effects of Media Empires – such as Viacom – on the minds, hearts and souls of young black and brown youth. Professor Griff is a dedicated and relentless fighter for Truth and Justice, who has steadfastly criticized the Hip-Hop Industry for its opulence, materialistic-obsession, misogyny and destructive-content. I had the opportunity to speak with him on issues pertinent to Black America – focusing on three pivotal pillars – with regards to the incivility of today’s young folks, the responsibility of the adults, and the complicity of commercial Hip-Hop in the destruction of black heritage:
YOUNG FOLKS
Thanks for joining us, Professor Griff. I want to go right-off-the-bat to an issue that is deeply pressing: Teenage Pregnancy. Psychologist, Frances Cress Welsing, speaks of teenage-pregnancy -- being as a result of an emotional-overdose in young black girls? Do you agree with that inference, and what are effectual means of combating it?
I agree with it wholeheartedly, and in order to combat it – just as the great philosophers and teachers who came before us advocated – we need to “know thyself.” And in order to know thyself, we need to know our open enemy also. There’s a DVD out now titled, “Medical Apartheid;” it explains in detail the experimentation on young black girls during slavery. When you look at how the black woman was used in slavery – to produce multiple slave children – and you put it under a microscope, you then incorporate it into the education of young children in the home. We can also ‘offset’ teenage pregnancy (in our community) by changing certain behaviors.
TV and Radio seem to be the primary sources of entertainment and stimulation for young black/brown kids. How does one utilize those channels in order to reach them?
You don’t; you turn them off. There’s nothing that our open enemy would put on his major networks – as far as entertainment – that would educate our children. We need to stop thinking that way; that’s absolutely ridiculous. Several years ago, investigative researcher, Cory Johnson, put certain cartoons under the microscope. He talked about the perversion of subliminal suggestions and advertising that goes on in the context of three-minute cartoons. Furthermore, most of our actresses and actors are not concerned with what goes on in the lives of the younger ones.
It’s no secret that the majority of Black and Brown kids are dying mentally, morally and spiritually. What is your diagnosis of the state of the young community, and what are the prescriptions that you offer?
You have to primarily put those dynamics under the microscope. If we’re dying spiritually, we’re dying simply because there are no diets -- as far as the educational element is concerned. If what Dr. Cress Welsing said in “The Isis Papers” is correct – with regards to Racism and White Supremacy being both local and global -- we need to take this issue more seriously. We are letting our open enemy destroy the minds of our young people in the third and fourth grade. If our kids are spiritually-educated in religious institutions on Sunday Mornings, what do we expect at the end of the day? And to write a prescription for that, the hearts, minds and souls of our young people’s destiny must be put back into our own hands; and until we take the daunting task of educating our young people, we’re going to remain in this position.
ADULTS
What’s your overall-assessment of African Americans in the mainstream of the media beltway?
Well, that’s a very political-oriented question, and in most cases, the average-person answering it would tend to be more politically-correct. But, if the belt tightens within the beltway; what do you think would happen to Black people attempting to be more politically-correct in the arena of politics. First of all, let’s define politics: Politics is the science of governing people. If black people can’t govern themselves, then who are we governing? We presently have a fundamental disconnect with our young people. I sat on a panel at Martin Luther King Library, in Washington D.C - where the focus was “Bridging the Gap: The Civil Rights movement vs. Hip-Hop community” - and we couldn’t even come to amicable terms. So, we need to bridge the gap, and work on those agendas that never reach the news stations and TV networks.
In the documentary “Turn Off Channel Zero,” you spoke of “raising the dead;” can you elaborate on that?
What I mean by raising the dead is, raising the mentally and spiritually dead, from the grave of ignorance. And, ignorance is bliss; a lot of people just want to remain deaf, blind and dumb. We also have to understand that it is not going to be an easy task; to tell someone that ‘Lil Wayne’ is not “the best rapper” of all time, provokes a fight. And, we need to understand that dynamic.
As an historian, what role did slavery play vis-à-vis the present crisis of Black and Brown disunity?
Well, slavery was three-fold, and it depends on how you view it. The way I view it, nothing good came out of it; and those in the struggle for liberation and mind-revolution feel the same way too. So, as far as I’m concerned, slavery did nothing good for black people, and that’s the bottom-line.
HIP-HOP
Moving on to Hip-Hop; how destructive is - that element of what you coined “disposable music” in - Hip-Hop today?
Well, we’re talking of Hip-Hop being co-opted; i.e. the upper/middle-echelons of the music industry having the ability to market and develop the new Hip-hop sound. Also, N.W.A (Niggaz with Attitude) was used sort of as a template for every other Hip-Hop act that came after it. And then the movies that came out such as, Boyz n the Hood, and Menace II Society, set the template and frequency for what the future Hip-Hop sound would be. Prior to Hip-Hop being “niggerized,” we put out images that uplifted the people, but now Hip-Hop has grown to be very destructive. I’m doing a lecture-series now, called “Destroying Hip-Hop’s Appetite of Self-Destruction,” because unfortunately, all we’re deriving right now from Hip-Hop is low-vibratory frequency. Hip-Hop was once the voice of the voiceless, and a sub-culture of our ultimate/grand culture, and those are some of the things we need to understand.
In the late 1980’s Public Enemy emerged and changed the industry and culture of Hip-Hop forever. But, can you rewind and take us back to the beginning -- and how oblivious you might have been to the significance of what you we’re doing at the time?
It was definitely one of those things that we didn’t initially recognize, but was guided by the spirit. We didn’t know that what we we’re doing – in the context of those 4 or 5 albums - was going to change the course. But, most important was what we we’re doing outside of the music – such as, the prisons we visited, the hospitals we visited, and the projects we visited – that made the larger difference. Of course, we we’re blinded in hindsight, because we didn’t know that we we’re going to raise a nation of millions or 5,000 leaders. Stevie Wonder said that, “when you believe in things that you don't understand you will suffer.” We we’re trying to resurrect and reflect back on the “Black Panther Party.” We didn’t know that we we’re going to start a mind-revolution, but we knew that we we’re going to start something, so we had a goal.
Public Enemy gaining access to Def Jam is still looked upon as a phenomenon today – as many ‘conscious-artists’ lament their inability to get ‘looked upon’ by a mainstream/major record-label. How did the Def Jam thing happen; and being that your message was black-nationalistic in nature, how come no one saw the threat you we’re posing?
They trivialized what we we’re doing. They thought it was cute; and just innocent kids with Malcolm X key chains. No one saw it coming, and they didn’t think that Public Enemy would hit that hard. They heard our music on a College radio station, and automatically assumed that we we’re clawless. Also, initially, they just wanted to sign Chuck D – not the other 6 guys. And then, Chuck D incorporated “The Bomb Squad,” my community activism and Flavor Flav. More so, with Flavor Flav, because they assumed that we couldn’t be dangerous with a ‘clown’ on the stage with us. So, when we stepped up to the plate, and they found out that we we’re raising the conscience-level of black people, we caught them by surprise. By the time they found out our true objective, it was too late. It was too late, because by that time, we had thousands of white kids devoted to our music. And, we incorporated those white kids into our thrust of revolution. Those white kids came to our concerts and carried the messages back to the suburbs. Finally, Def Jam tried to regurgitate our music, and slowly tried to chip away Public Enemy by eliminating its members, one by one – such as giving Flavor-Flav a reality show. From the looks of it today, they might have successfully neutralized Public enemy – and it was by design.
Lastly, what are your upcoming projects – both musical and social?
I can’t give my personal plans up - on an open-interview - but we plan on uniting the political-action networks. What’s wrong with Talib Kweli, Mos-Def, Common, Public Enemy and KRS-One sitting down together to put forth a 4-point agenda to be adhered to? Such as: NO more disrespect of our women in Hip-Hop videos; and NO more ‘bling-blinging’ of Diamonds out of South Africa, Sierra Leone and The Congo; and NO more ‘big I’ and ‘little u’; and NO more signing of contracts with Beer and Liquor companies – which inversely further the destruction of our communities. If we can put forth this platform out, and the artists give their words, things will certainly change.
Sometimes the black political pundits are right, even when they don't brag about it.
This video was shot on CNN before Barack Obama became a powerhouse candidate for president. It appears that Dr. Boyce Watkins was on the money when mentioning back then that he would eventually challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
Fox News was caught changing the photos of its guests to make them look scarier. Dr. Boyce Watkins was one of the guests that had his image changed. The teeth color was changed for some, the forehead lengthened or the ears widened, depending on the picture. This is yet another strike against the journalistic reliability of Fox News.
Black Power is hitting Fox News hard. It turns out that their racism has led to a dramatic decline in their number of viewers. They are no longer being taken seriously as a source of strong news, and people are starting to realize that.
Interview with Congressional Candidate, Regina Thomas, by Tolu Olorunda.
In recent weeks, Georgia State Senator, Regina Thomas has made some headlines. She is a seasoned-politician in the ‘Peach State,’ who is running for a Congressional seat from Georgia’s 12th District. Her opponent is a fellow-Democrat, John Barrow, who was elected to Congress in 2004. On June 19, 2008, John Barrow picked up a big endorsement from the Democratic Presidential Nominee, Barack Obama. This endorsement came as a surprise to many for two distinct reasons. Firstly, on the account that Barrow is widely regarded as a feckless politician in matters relating to President Bush’s policies. Secondly, noting the fact that his opponent is an African-American Woman, living in a district with a majority black-demographical make-up. Despite this occurrence, Senator Thomas has vowed to remain focused with her sight on the Congressional seat. I had the grand-opportunity to speak with her about this and much more:
Thanks for being with us, Senator. When did your political-career effectively take-off?
It began in 1990, and I ran for the office of the School Board for the 2nd District in Georgia.
What has the journey from Local School Board to U.S. Congress been like?
Well, it’s been a transition; because in 1990 I did not win the School Board seat, but I went on to win a Georgia House of Representatives seat in 1994. My political journey embodies, 2 years as the Deputy Majority Whip of the Georgia House, 4 years as a member of the Georgia House of Representative, 8 years as a Georgia State Senator, and 12 years as a State Legislator.
How did it feel, to have Senator Obama endorse your opponent, John Barrow?
Well, I expected that, so it didn’t have any effect on me. I knew that Senator Obama would do that. He (John Barrow) is an incumbent, and also a Superdelegate, who gave Barack Obama his Superdelegate vote. So in essence, it was ‘payback time.’
In light of that, do you think the Democratic Party is in disarray at the moment?
Well, as a rule, the Democratic Party is not supposed to endorse candidates when there is opposition from within the Party. However, individual Democrats can do whatever they want to do. So, I think that the Democratic Party has been pretty much imitating the Right-Wing, and I feel that we need to remain true to who we are, what we believe, and the people we stand for.
As a Black Woman, do you think Senator Obama’s candidacy is something Black folks should disproportionately support?
Well, that would be for each individual to decide for themselves, and my opinion might differ from that of someone else. So, you look at a candidate’s qualifications, and if that’s who you decide to support, so be it.
So far, how’s your campaign been going?
My campaign is going fantastic, and ever since Senator Obama endorsed my opponent, my campaign has been turned up a notch.
If elected, what are your proposals vis-à-vis revamping the broken down communities across the country?
My plans, when, not if. I don’t know what the word “if” means. So, when I win on July 15th and November 4th, I will address “No Child Left Behind,” and eliminate that unfunded mandate, by taking the funds from “No Child Left Behind,” and sending it to The State on an “at-need” basis. By doing that, the funding will go to the different local school systems. I will also repeal the tax-cut that aids the Big Oil companies, and put that finance into health-care provision, so everyone can realize their access to health-care. In addition to that, I will repeal the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).
What advice do you have for young brothers and sisters, hoping to secure a career in politics someday?
First of all, they have to get actively involved in their communities. They also have to be fully aware of the activities of their communities, by attending meetings. They must have input, by registering to vote, and participating in that process. They should try to seek offices on the local levels. They ought to also know, that they are powerful if they work together, and can achieve anything. They have to stay out of trouble, and pick their friends wisely. Education is essential, so they should stay in school. Lastly, they need to work hard, because it definitely will help them in the future.
To contact Mrs. Thomas or to donate to her campaign, pls. visit: http://reginathomas4congress.com/index.html
This interview was conducted by Tolu Olorunda, Staff Writer for YourBlackWorld.com
