The LCR Editor – Page 4

Spike Lee’s Oscar… A Different Perspective

Spike Lee and Lessons From Drake…

Spike Lee finally won an Oscar at the 91st Academy Awards. Long time coming and well deserved. His film, BlacKkKlannsman, landed three nominations and Best Adapted Screenplay proved to be the winner. I must admit, I was somewhat shocked to see his jubilant reaction to winning his first Oscar. Maybe Barbra Streisand’s introduction, and Samuel L. Jackson, who appeared in some of Lee’s first movies, presenting the actual award contributed to the adulation and overflowing of emotions that overcame him when he realized he had won. But after watching him celebrate, dance, and jump-hug Sam Jackson, I couldn’t help but think about Drake’s acceptance speech at the Grammy’s just weeks previous when he won for Best Rap Song…

“If there’s people who have regular jobs who are coming out in the rain, in the snow, spending their hard earned money to buy tickets to come to your shows, you don’t need this right here, I promise you that. You already won.” – Drake

“You don’t need this right here… you already won.”

Of course, he was referring to his Grammy award. Whether he won or lost, it’s safe to say Drake was going to be ok. His message to up and coming artists was that you essentially don’t need this award, or any award for that matter, to validate your success or greatness… you’ve already won. When you factor in valid critiques of racism regarding Hollywood’s unwillingness to recognize African-American artists on stage and talent in front of and behind the camera, Drake’s comments truly hit home. Ironically, his mic was cut shortly thereafter and we couldn’t hear the rest of this speech.

So while I’m happy for Spike, deep down I wish he would’ve given a similar speech as Drake and kept his composure. As someone who’s been very outspoken about social justice, institutional racism and equity in Hollywood, his reaction screamed finally accepted… recognition that I belong. Such a response gives too much power to the Academy and institution which has failed over and over to recognize his talent and the talent of others who look like him. Why not take a Drake approach… because before people were coming out in the rain and spending their hard earned money to see Drake, they were doing it for Spike.

Do the Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, He Got Game, Inside Man, Love and Basketball… the list is long.

Spike has been winning for a long time… whether he knows it or not. We’re not here to judge Spike, but future Spike Lee’s of all ages, races, and cultures, watched his acceptance speech. We just hope they realize their greatness and power long before receiving an award that might not come for 30 years… 30 years after their fans have already recognized their talent and deemed them great.

SOTU Reactions… From the Left, Center, and Right

The president delivered his State of the Union speech last night (2/5/19) under a different set of circumstances… with a new speaker of the House in Nancy Pelosi and a Democratic-led House of Representatives, not to forget a government shutdown looming, all eyes were on Trump. The fear of socialism, immigration, and the border wall were just a few of the many topics he spoke about.

We asked a few of our contributors to weigh in and this is what they had to say…

“In regards to the State of the Union address, I had a hard time deciphering if it was truly the annual update on the process of our Nation or a cameo-filled tribute to the President by the President, flashing all the cool things he has done. One thing I will say is the President has improved his cadence while speaking, as I thankfully didn’t cringe during the entire speech. He hid his usual brash outbursts; however, his viewpoints, particularly on the issues of the Southern border and international relations, were not the most unifying. I found it particularly offensive that he did not address, or better yet THANK, all the federal employees and contractors who worked for 30+ days without getting paid. I pray for the sake of our Nation that the President and Congress come to a middle ground so we don’t have a second government shutdown.” – Left Healthcare Professional

“Listening to the SOTU left me angry and confused. It felt like a lot of fluff about unity and being morally correct in the same speech he demonized immigrants. Once again #45 finds way to instill fear instead of understanding just in an effort to get his way. I would have loved to hear about a real threat to America, such as gun control, our crippling education system, immigration reform, and police brutality. But none of that was mentioned, just another way to push his agenda of fear.” – Center Single Mom

“It was much less divisive than anything we have seen from DC in months. The president remains at odds from the House, but undoubtedly he’s going to get a bounce off the floor he’s been on since January. I don’t know that it changes much in the long-term. The wall is coming – and with it will be the court challenges of what’s pretty certain to be an executive action. The Mueller probe will likely bring a House effort against the president no matter what the findings, and polarization is likely to get more poignant rather than less. But for now, the president has some breathing room, and there is still a lot left of his agenda that’s out there to capture. ” – Right Army Veteran

Perspectives are important, from the Left, Center, and Right. We should not focus on Trump’s approval rating, which will get an inevitable bump similar to most presidents after they rally the country in their SOTU speech. Instead, we should focus on the citizens who are impacted by his leadership and the gridlock in Washington.

Do you agree with our perspectives?

Yearbooks, Racism, and Black Women

School yearbooks rarely rest on the mantle in the living room. Whenever it arrives, it’s usually thrown in a box and stashed away in the closet… AFTER you check it out to see the pics and get it signed by classmates who often leave weird notes that only you will know what it means 20 years later. So at least once, and maybe only once, you take a look at your yearbook. Agreed?

Virginia’s Democratic Governor Ralph Northam has to resign… immediately. The Governor’s claim that he never looked at his yearbook is BS. The claim that he didn’t know where he got the nickname “coonman” is BS. The claim that he didn’t think dressing in blackface as Michael Jackson was offensive is BS. In 1984, at 25 years old, in a state with a Black Lt. Governor, not too far from Washington where Jesse Jackson was running for president of the United States, you knew better.

After his PR team had 24 hours to prepare (they all need to be fired by the way), his press conference was awful. Instead of calming the waters, it did the exact opposite and led more Democrats to call for his resignation. If there was anything worse than his press conference, worse than admitting to wearing blackface in a different state, and laughing when asked “can you still moonwalk,” it was the willingness of Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) to publish those images in the first place. Where was the oversight? Was there such a culture of racism and bigotry that even the editorial staff and yearbook committee thought it was ok to publish?

We should note the systemic healthcare disparities that exist in this country. According to recent data from the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention, for every 1,000 babies born in the US, 4.8 White babies die in their first year. For African-Americans, that number is 11.7. After decades of research, it’s a strong consensus that racial discrimination directly impacts many Black women and their inability to carry their baby to full term. For Black women specifically, it’s not just childbirth, it’s breast cancer detection as well. According to a study from Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention, Black women were much more likely to be diagnosed at later/advanced stages than White women. One might assume they didn’t have access to care or didn’t go for regular checkups and screenings. Not exactly, Black women were 40% more likely to receive treatment that did not fall in line with standard breast cancer guidelines. The list of healthcare disparities adversely impacting Black women, Black men, and Black children, backed by a plethora of research and credible studies, is beyond long.

Medical institutions such as EVMS, which let blatant racism and bigotry go unchecked from future physicians and healthcare professionals, have directly contributed to such bias and mistreatment of African-Americans in their greatest time of need, when seeking medical attention. There’s no room for such racism in this country, especially in the operating room, or the Governor’s mansion. As stated earlier, he needs to resign… immediately.

The Embarrassment in Adrien Broner

Last year, we wrote an article about Adrien Broner entitled They Want Some Rice and Chicken. If you’re shaking your head, you should be, those were comments Broner made in reference to his Mexican opponent, Jesse Vargas.

Similar to Broner’s last fight against Manny Pacquiao (Pacman), Vargas whooped his ass as well. And instead of Broner taking his defeat like a good sportsman and simply asking for a rematch, he resulted to racism and bigotry. Unacceptable.

Boxing is a unique sport. Similar to tennis, it’s you and only you competing. Unlike team sports, such as football, soccer, or basketball, there’s no one to lean on or no strategies that will cover up your mistakes or weaknesses. So when you lose, you lose. In Boxing, the judges often render horrendous decisions that has everyone shaking their heads wondering how much they got paid to fix the fight.

But in regard to Broner’s recent fight against Pacman, I don’t think anyone under the sun would argue with Pacman’s decisive win. Pacman landed more punches, he was much more active, and he controlled the fight.

“I controlled the fight. He was missing. I hit him clean more times. I beat him!” No, you didn’t, not even close.

The arrogance and delusion of his imaginary victories are getting old. No clear racist comments like in past post-game interviews, but enough is enough. When it’s not blatant racism, it’s disrespect, it’s nonstop delusional comments about his performance, and Mayweather-like arrogance without the “0” to the right of his win column.

As the interview went on, Jim Gray asked him about recent fights not going the way he wanted. Broner responded, “I’m 3-3-1 in my last seven but I’ll be 7-0 against you.” At this point, none of us should be surprised. But since he’s not winning (anymore), when will promoters stop booking his Pey-Per-View fights? The embarrassment in Adrien Broner is hard to watch, so much that many have refused to continue to order his fights or even watch them if made available.

The embarrassment rests with those in his community, he’s probably too self-centered to personally be embarrassed, which is another problem in itself.

They Love to Hate Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a 29-year-old Hispanic woman from the Bronx. Despite being outspent 18-1, she defeated 10-term Democrat Joe Crowley in a New York Congressional primary before going on to win 78% of the vote in the general election. By doing so, she became the youngest woman ever to be elected to Congress. She’s everything the average Congressman is not… young, a minority, and an outspoken woman not afraid to speak her mind and ruffle a few feathers.

So yeah, Republicans love to hate her. And (top) Democrats, well… let’s just say they haven’t necessarily had her back and embraced her with love since she was thrust into the political spotlight. Nancy Pelosi downplayed her monumental upset over Crowley. FORMER Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill called her, “a bright shiny new object.” In the same interview, McCaskill went on to say, “I’m not sure what she’s done yet to generate that kind of enthusiasm.”

Politico recently reported that nearly 20 Democratic lawmakers, off the record, are fearful of her influence and her ability to overpower more established Democrats. And such fear probably makes sense considering she represents change, energy, and a new way of doing things and addressing issues. Off the record (again), a Democratic lawmaker said, “She needs to decide: Does she want to be an effective legislator or just continue being a Twitter star… There’s a difference between being an activist and a lawmaker in Congress.” This is probably worth an entirely different article, but why can’t she be an activist and a lawmaker? Why can’t she be both?

Shortly after that Politico news broke, Ocasio-Cortez responded by tweeting to her 2.2 million followers…

“To quote Alan Moore: “None of you understand. I’m not locked up in here with YOU. You’re locked up in here with ME.” ?

Basically, zero F’s given. Don’t forget the emoji.

Any criticism she’s doled out to the party is likely deserved. While many might not agree with her politics, her passion to create change should be admired by all who believe Washington is broken. Democrats shouldn’t shun her. By doing so they’re sending a few signals to millions of fairly new and inspired voters, many of whom are millennials, which could doom them and their party…

1 They think she is an anomaly and hundreds if not thousands of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s can’t pop up and take their seat like she took Joe Crowley’s… and 2 While they talk a good game about the importance of change, the moment it starts to threaten their position of power and the system which preserves said power, all bets are off.

Ocasio-Cortez is getting enough hate from the right side of the aisle, the left better embrace her. Because she’s genuine, her following is growing, and whether they like her or not… she’s going to be here a very long, long time.

Surviving R. Kelly… You Knew And Said Nothing?

Surviving R. Kelly aired last week. A 6-part documentary that shook the country and had everyone talking. The details shared in the documentary were tragic, infuriating, and triggering from many victims of sexual abuse… physical, sexual, and mental abuse, isolationism, starving, total control, and complete brainwashing. Whether the documentary was good is up for debate, but it did allow these victims and survivors to tell their story, and that is and should be the most important takeaway.

Let’s assume everyone has heard of his predatory and sexual abuse allegations over the years. But when he surprisingly beat his case, and released instant classics like Ignition (Remix) and Step in the Name of Love, many of us let go of the allegations in favor of his music catalog, which inevitably continued to fund his sickness. That’s a hard truth, because while the outrage from seeing the documentary is genuine, it’s 10-20 years too late, and because of it dozens if not hundreds of more young girls were likely abused.

Black children, Black young women, deserve better… from society, and specifically everyone who was in contact with Robert Kelly and witnessed his behavior… from his managers, assistants, producers, label-mates, other artists, Sparkle, close friends, many of these girls parents who thought their daughter was the next Whitney Houston and despite knowing Robert’s past believed he could help their daughter reach stardom, everyone of-age who witnessed such behavior at parties and decided not to speak up, and so on… over 30 years, that list is long.

Numerous people in the documentary mentioned seeing or knowing of him visiting Kenwood High School as a grown man. You were cool with that? You knew he had a bed in the middle of his studio and witnessed young girls constantly around him and at the studio, some as young as 12-years-old, and you were cool with that? Yes, clearly you were because you continued to let it happen. Shame on you and your lack of morals and courage.

Robert Kelly directly and indirectly fed and supported a lot of people through his ingenious music ability, and unfortunately, that was more important to them than the safety and protection of these girls. Even Sparkle, who witnessed his activity over decades including the slave-like treatment of his ex-wife Andrea Kelly, thought it was a good idea to introduce her niece to him in hopes of her making it big. Epic fail; she ended up being one of the victims filmed on the infamous sex-tape, excuse me child pornography, that was leaked and seen by millions.

They all deserve to go to jail.

In a society where criminal injustice and institutional racism is evident at every corner, we must ask ourselves… if these girls were White, would Robert still be abusing girls today? Would he be a free man and up to last year still booking shows and writing music for other mainstream artists?

Robert Kelly is apparently not doing too well financially. And movements of protest to stop his shows and digital streams are finally beginning to gain traction.

While many are frustrated and searching for answers, some, on the other hand, are blaming the victims, giving excuses, and attempting to justify Robert Kelly’s nearly 30-year run of abusing minors. These girls weren’t fast nor were they chasing stardom and therefore deserved such abuse. They were taken advantage of by a predator and a lot of adults willingly let it happen. That simple. There are Robert Kelly’s all around us. If you know one, if you see one, or if you know a victim who might be in a similar situation, speak up and try to assist. There is no amount of money or friendship strong enough to allow the abuse of a minor.

Trump’s December, A Week To Remember

This has been a rough month for the Trump presidency, especially the week of December 17th, 2018… certainly a week to remember…

The government shutdown, although a partial shutdown, it’s still significant considering Trump requested $5 billion for border wall funding and failed to get the votes needed from Congress. It’s important to note that Republicans currently control the three branches of government, yet have failed to deliver on the Trump’s campaign promise. The Dems won the House in the November midterms, so expect this fight to continue with Trump and Republicans losing leverage as he prepares for the second half of his first term.

Pulling troops from Syria and Afghanistan, an announcement that came from left field has everyone including our allies shaking their heads and trying to prepare for the aftermath of such a decision. It’s rumored that Turkey President Erdoğan informed Trump of his plan to move in on the Kurds and Trump made the decision to pull our troops shortly thereafter. It’s the ultimate betrayal to our allies and the news certainly shook members of Congress, both Democrats and Republicans.

James Mattis, Secretary of Defense, immediately resigned following Trump’s announcement to pull troops. Mattis, a highly respected military official, leaving the White House is a historic resignation. His resignation letter didn’t even include the generic salutation most cabinet resignations mention. Scheduled to officially leave his post in February, Trump has decided to replace him much sooner… on January 1st, former Boeing Executive Patrick Shannahan will assume the position as acting Secretary of Defense. Shannahan’s authority will be extremely limited until he’s confirmed by the Senate.

The markets are down… a lot. In fact, the markets are having their worst year since the Great Recession. Trump often brags about the markets regarding the success of his Presidency and policy decisions, but he’s avoided the topic as of late. Many fear that the run might be over. On Sunday (12/23/18), Steven Mcuchin, Secretary of Treasury, called the Chief Executives of the United States 6 largest banks (Goldman, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, BOA, Citigroup, and Morgan Stanley). He reported that they have “ample liquidity” to continue lending to consumers and businesses, unlike times during the 2008 financial crisis. But why is such a confirmation needed?

Trump signed First Step into law, aka the Criminal Justice Reform Act. While it only impacts the criminal justice system at the federal level, which is roughly 10% (181,000) of the total US prison population (2.1 million), it’s certainly a historic piece of legislation; yet, failed to get the news coverage it deserved. So what exactly does the bill do…

It further reduces the disparity between crack and powder cocaine sentences at the federal level, which partially addresses the mass incarceration of Black and Brown people in this country.
It takes several meaningful steps to ease mandatory minimum sentences under federal law.
Inmates can now get “earned time credits” by participating in more vocational and rehabilitative programs. Such credits would grant them early release to halfway houses, which would increase their opportunities to participate in educational programs and likely reduce the recidivism rate.

All of this news is amidst Mueller’s Russia investigation which continues to be a staple in the daily news. Rumors have surfaced that Mueller will release his report as early as February, but who knows. Either way, this has been a rocky December, especially the week of December 17th. And with Dems taking over the House, it won’t get any easier for Trump and top Republicans to govern.

“I Haven’t Found (The Humor In) It, Nor Do I Seek It”

“You’ve found the humor of it, I haven’t found it, nor do I seek it.” – Jerry Seinfeld

A video from 2011 recently resurfaced of comedians Chris Rock, Louis CK, Jerry Seinfeld, and Ricky Gervais, discussing the controversial use of the N-word. Chris Rock surprisingly gave Louis CK a pass to say the word and Jerry Seinfeld appeared to be the only one not willing to jump in and say the word…

Chris Rock: “He’s the Blackest White guy I fucking know.”

Louis CK: “You’re saying I’m a nigger?”

Chris Rock: “Yes… you are the nigger-est fucking White man I have ever (met).”

Moments later, Seinfeld added some much-needed clarity by admitting he doesn’t get it, nor has he ever tried to get it regarding his comedy. They all kept laughing, but if there was ever a time to push back regarding the use of a racial slur that is inevitably tied to horror and dark times in American History, it was then. While many people would’ve expected Chris, the only African-American in the room, to bring that clarity, it was Jerry instead.

Is this clip nearly 8 years old, sure. Why is it resurfacing now, who knows? But what we do know is that this word is beyond controversial, and it immediately caused people to react, and it wasn’t in support of Chris, Louis, or Rick… all of whom had a great time using the term and hysterically laughing about it.

Some of those reactions were caught on Twitter…

How do you feel about the word? And does Chris, as the only African-American on the set, deserve more blame than the other 3 comedians?

Student Highlight of the Month: Chioma Ugochukwu

In today’s society, it’s easy for high school students to get distracted and let their grades slip or make bad decisions. Chioma Ugochukwu, a Senior at Detroit Renaissance High School, has remained focused by keeping her eyes on the prize. Not only is she a great student and a member of the National Honor Society, but she is also a model citizen in her community.

And what’s this prize she’s keeping her eyes on?

She eventually wants to earn a doctorate degree in Molecular Biology, and open a free clinic in her hometown of Nigeria to provide free healthcare. She clearly wants to leave her mark and make a significant impact. When asked about her long-term plans, she responded, “There are children that walk around with no clothing or shoes, and many have a hard time getting to a doctor because of the distance and cost. I plan to set up a free clinic so that all the people in need can get free health care and not have to worry about traveling hours to an industrial inner-city hospital.”

Such a lofty goal requires a strong academic foundation and a work ethic that’s hard to match, and Chioma has both. She has an extremely high aptitude for math and science, and she’s taken just about every AP and Honors class you can think of. She continuously tries to understand how things work and often searches for alternative ways or solutions to solve problems. As mentioned earlier, she’s a member of the National Honors Society. She serves as the historian, and has proven to be invaluable during meetings and frequently pushes members to reach their full potential.

Chioma has also volunteered for community service projects throughout the city of Detroit. She has served as a youth leader in several organizations and has successfully led teams of other young people to participate in service learning. She’s always thinking about how she can help others, which was evident when she played an instrumental role in getting an AP Psychology course added to her high school (solely to benefit students who will follow in her footsteps).

Considering her strong work ethic, endless curiosity and willingness to take risks, there is no reason to believe that she won’t continue to grow and make great strides in college and beyond. We believe in Chioma and want to see her continue to do to great things. Sooner than later, she’ll be graduating with her doctorate degree in Molecular Biology and planning to open a free clinic in Nigeria.

Chioma, congratulations for being highlighted as the student of the month!

Major League Baseball And Mississippi Politics?

Major League Baseball (MLB) has a Political Action Committee (PAC). PAC’s are organizations that privately raise money to influence elections or legislation, especially at the federal level. Most corporations have one. That’s not the real story here.

The real story is that on November 23rd, their PAC decided to make a $5,000 donation — the maximum donation allowed under the law — to Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. How can they justify such a donation AFTER the Senator made several racially charged and insensitive comments on the campaign trail? The answer is they can’t, and by 8:30 am today (11/25/18), not even 48 hours later, they’ve asked for the donation to be returned. Official MLB statement…

“The contribution was made in connection with an event that MLB lobbyists were asked to attend. MLB has requested that the contribution be returned.”

Talk about optics for a league that has struggled with integrating African-American players since day one. In 1956, which was Jackie Robinson’s last year in the Majors, African-Americans made up 6.7% of all MLB players. Seventy years later there has been virtually no difference or improvement in that figure (2017 – it was 7.7%). Lack of inner city programs, engagement, outreach, etc., the list is long and probably worth another article as to why those numbers are so low.

Regarding the peculiarity of Major League Baseball and Mississippi Politics… the link is hard to find since the state of Mississippi doesn’t have a Major League Baseball team. The economics are simple… Mississippi is one of the poorest states in the country and their economy can’t support a pro team. Next to Louisiana, it’s the poorest state in the country with nearly 20% of their residents living in poverty. Hard to sell premium seating and book big entertainment events when their economy is in such condition. Sure, if Cindy Hyde-Smith wins the runoff election, perhaps her vote would count towards passing legislation that would positively impact the MLB and their owners. But with the outcome of the Midterms, Democrats taking the House and Republicans picking up a few more Senate seats, her vote probably wouldn’t matter. So the question remains, why?

I think it’s also worth noting that Charles B. Johnson, billionaire and principal owner of the San Francisco Giants, also donated to her campaign AFTER her “public hanging” comment surfaced. Mr. Johnson is one of the largest Republican Party donors in the country, but why is he concerned about Mississippi politics? He’s originally from New Jersey, attended Yale University, and is the former chairman of Franklin Templeton Investments, one of the world’s largest asset management firms with $740 billion in assets under management. California, and especially the San Francisco area, is probably the most liberal state and city in the country… in comparison to Mississippi, which probably couldn’t be more different regarding issues of race, politics, and progressive views.

Sure, MLB has asked for the donation to be returned, but it should’ve never been made in the first place. In a league that is less than 8% African-American, why would they care about the optics or the pushback from the African-American community? Why… because decency, humanity, and morals still matter. Pro sports teams and leagues claim they want to stay out of politics, but they continue to make questionable decisions that put them right in the middle of political and social debates. Major League Baseball, and others like Charles B. Johnson, who unlike the MLB has not asked for his donation to be returned, need to be held accountable for their actions. If they won’t hold themselves accountable, then it’s up to the citizens to do so.