Clothes Don’t Fit

by with One Comment CultureDiversity & InclusionFeatured

I previously wrote an article about the blackface incidents circulating the news. Gucci, the luxury fashion brand; however, deserves additional dialogue for their attempt to sell a blackface sweater.

Let’s be clear, all acts of blackface are egregious and the usual cockamamie excuses for them are equaling as insulting, but the Gucci incident is more costly than the overpriced sweater they tried to sell. 

Simply put, Gucci and most luxury brands, whether it be alcohol, cars, watches, or apparel, have largely become household names due to one group of people… hip hop artists. 

You and I both will never check the time on our Rolex watch flooded with diamonds while jumping into a Maybach in Prada flip flops… spoiler alert… neither will most rappers. Those braggadocious lyrics may not mean much; however, their effect has left an imprint on an entire culture. 

That culture being people fixated on luxurious brands… brands that have put forth little to no effort or appreciation for some of the people buying their products. By people, I mean Black people. 

From Prada to Gucci you rarely find Black models in their ads. They host virtually no community engagements or services at all. Their company is composed primarily of well to do White people and their stores rarely have Black employees. 

I get why the lopsided relationship exists between luxury brands and Black people.

Spoiler alert, they don’t want us buying and promoting their brands!

Remember when Tommy Hilfiger said, “I wish the rappers didn’t wear my stuff?” He received major backlash and immediately Black people stopped wearing Tommy Hilfiger. Tommy Hilfiger was actually saying what most designers were thinking. 

So why do Black folks in particular still buy brands that make every effort to show they have no interest in them or even their dollars???

Well… 

The American economy is a consumer based economy, and the supporting culture is materialism. Black people in this nation have been ostracized from housing loans to draconian drug laws. And if there’s one aspect of American culture where Black people feel like they can briefly escape these oppressions, it’s through fashion, buying the most expensive items… flossing as they say, or at least it seems. 

Whether it’s a new Benz, a very expensive handbag, or the latest designer shoes, such products immediately grant American consumers the attention and praise they crave, for whatever reason… regardless of their race.

Lastly, many luxury fashion brands have no interest in the inclusion of Black people, which is evident by their repeated blunders and cultural mishaps. Yet, many Black people continue to spend their hard earned money on these brands. It’s like the clothes don’t fit, but we continue to try them on in hopes of breaking them in one day.  

Similar Read: Stop Giving Out Black Hall Passes

A Bowl of Soup, Super Bowl Politics

by with No Comment FeaturedSports

You ever have a good bowl of soup? I mean a really good bowl of soup. Either jumbo, crab soup or Étouffée… well, I don’t think Étouffée is soup but it’s served in a bowl with soup like features… all of which leave mouth watering feels if you don’t eat it that often. That’s because soup is generally blah served via a can and you’re only eating it cause you’re a little under the weather or cold. So when you do get a good bowl of soup, my God, it’s amazing. More amazing than a traditional dish of food sometimes. 

I for one gladly break my plant-based diet during my annual trip to New Orleans to satisfy my desire for some shrimp Étouffée or jumbo. Delicious!

I thought about a bowl of soup while thinking of a Super Bowl recap. Whether you’re a casual football fan or a die-hard fan like myself, it’s hard not to say this Super Bowl lived up to the hype. It was a bowl of disappointment, reminding me of regular soup. The soup we all order at a restaurant that isn’t terrible, but not memorable.

Each football season we look forward to the Super Bowl. It’s an unofficial holiday, and despite never knowing exactly who will be playing, it’s mega get together akin to Thanksgiving and Christmas. We love the Super Bowl, even if our respective clubs aren’t playing.

Last Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots was exactly that – a bowl of soup on the menu that looked promising, but ended up not being eaten and made you have that awkward talk with the waiter to “try something else” instead.

Outside of Patriots fans, no one had an interest in seeing the Patriots appear in their third straight Super Bowl and their fourth in the last five years. Most knew if the Patriots got in, especially against the Rams, they were going to win. No matter what transpired in the actual game, a super dud in many opinions, the outcome was going to be Tom Brady hosting up the Lombardi trophy. 

The backdrop of the Super Bowl didn’t help the lack of interest either. The conference title games between the Patriots and Chiefs and the Saints and Rams both ended in major controversy. Between a bogus roughing the passer call on Tom Brady, not shocking, to the missed pass interference call against the Rams, many fans felt as if the Patriots and Rams didn’t even belong in the Super Bowl, let alone excited to watch them play. 

To make the situation worse, the game was terrible. Terrible in every sense of the word. It didn’t deliver the same excitement we saw in earlier season games, and it was definitely underwhelming in comparison to last years Super Bowl with the Eagles and Patriots.

The Super Bowl was supposed to be some world famous Wolfgang Puck tortilla soup, but instead, it tasted more like hard strips of stale chips in broth. Yuckers! 

Next year’s presidential election will likely be similar to the stale chips. It’ll pit Trump against a Democrat primary sure to be full of drama and intrigue. While we’re all excited to see the complete list of candidates, we know the eventual primary winner is sure to be common and uninspiring. Obama ’08 was an anomaly, not the norm. 

Every now and then we get a Patriots comeback against the Atlanta Falcons (SB LI – 2017), or the Seattle Seahawks (SB XLIX – 2015) Russell Wilson throwing an interception on the goal line when everyone in the stadium just knew they’d score and take the lead with seconds remaining. Those Super Bowls were anything but common, just like Obama ’08. But, for the most part, Super Bowls have either been blowouts or okay at best. Or should I say, just a regular bowl of soup… and 2020 will be no different.

Stop Giving Out Black Hall Passes

by with One Comment CultureDiversity & InclusionFeatured

Remember hall passes? I’m probably dating myself, but a hall pass was something needed in grade school to roam the halls during class time. I’m sure today there’s a hall pass tablet or something, but in the ancient days of the 1990s, we had handwritten hall passes which gave proof to any authoritative figure walking around to see we had a legitimate reason to be in the hallway.

A hall pass or a “pass” seems to always be given by Black people to those who have done blatant wrong against them or their people. On the latest episode of Oh That’s Racist, a few incidents have transpired, and as quickly as they became news people were defending the actions of the accused racists.

Stop! Please for the sake of decency and respect, stop defending wrong.

Liam Neeson

The English actor recently confessed that he wanted to seek revenge against ANY Black man after learning that a female friend of his was sexually assaulted. For the simpleton Hollywood crowd and fans of the “Taken” movie series stop defending him! 

His mentality lines up with the same psyche that escapes every other group of people in the world… except White men. And that psyche is to classify an entire group of people based on the acts of one. White men have done everything from running Ponzi schemes to the creation of domestic organizations that have burned homes, churches, and killed thousands of people including children… yet no one attributes that behavior as a cause to kill any White man. White men are judged as individuals, if at all. Never as an entire group of people. So no pass on this. 

Blackface

For the elected officials caught with pictures of themselves in blackface, there’s no such thing as “youthful” mistakes regarding your actions. A youthful mistake is signing up for an 8 AM class during your first semester at college. There’s nothing youthful about blackface. Nothing. There was never a time when blackface was an “innocuous” thing to have fun with. When these elected officials were younger they knew better and didn’t care. Why? See the previous paragraph. No pass again. 

Gucci Blackface

The blackface sweater Gucci attempted to promote and sell is a learning lesson for Black people who overvalue so-called “designer fashion.” First, the fact that an idea of a blackface sweater went from idea to drawing board to presentation to approval to production to promotion to the public, shows at no point in time did anyone with power within Gucci understand the historical context of blackface as highly problematic. That’s VERY telling. Secondly, yet another “designer fashion” brand has little to no respect for Black consumers, nor use for their cultural perspective, only their dollars. I hope this example encourages some Black people to stop placing such high values on material items and brands produced by companies and corporations that literally place no value on them as consumers. 

Class dismissed! 

NP

2019 State of the Union Address: Fact or Fiction

by with No Comment FeaturedGen ZPolitics

Various news organizations and media outlets analyzed the SOTU transcript. 

According to the U.S. Constitution, The President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient.”

President Donald Trump gave this address to a polarized Congress on Feb. 5, 2019, after a 35-day partial government shutdown – the longest in U.S. history. Topics covered included his continued call for immigration reform to the strong economy to the record number of women serving in Congress. 

Starting off his agenda, Trump states he wants to “reduce the price of health care and prescription drugs, to create an immigration system that is safe, lawful, modern and secure, and to pursue a foreign policy that puts America’s interests first.” According to POLITICO, the Trump administration has indeed lowered those costs, particularly on prescription drug prices.

Immigration reporter Ted Hesson confirmed Trump’s claim that in two years he has launched an “unprecedented economic boom.” The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported the U.S. gross domestic product has increased 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018, but Hesson added former President Barack Obama surpassed that level four times during his presidency.

We get into a sticky situation when Trump says unemployment has reached the lowest rate in over half a century. Politico staff counter this with links to articles that say in September, unemployment fell to 3.7 percent, the lowest it has been since December 1969. Last month, the unemployment rate was 4 percent.

Trump used his usual rhetoric towards illegal immigration from Mexico, “As we speak, large, organized caravans are on the march to the United States.” The Atlantic criticized President Trump for not devoting more time to speaking on Afghanistan, trade with China, or Venezuela. They reported he “devoted 463 words to immigration and 180 to the wall—a total of 643 words on a subject where he is bound to lose.”

Looming over the State of the Union address was the approaching Feb. 15 deadline to avoid another government shutdown. PBS Newshour reported Democrats have refused to accept Trump’s demands for a border wall, Republicans are increasingly unwilling to shut down the government, and the GOP does not support his plan to declare a national emergency if Congress won’t fund the wall. 

Trump continued by stating, “Year after year, countless Americans are murdered by criminal illegal aliens.” He brought Deborah Bissell, a woman whose parents were burglarized and shot to death in their home by “an illegal alien.” The couples granddaughter Heather and great-granddaughter Madison were also present. Politifact reported there is no quantitative proof specifically documenting how many U.S. citizens have been killed. This is because we do not have a national database on murders committed by immigrants in the country illegally. 

A striking display of applause from female Democrats dressed in white in solidarity for the suffrage movement came after Trump’s comment that women have filled 58% of the new jobs created in the last year. “You were not supposed to do that. Thank you very much,” Trump joked after the freshman congresswoman erupted in applause.

The internet more specifically erupted at the manner in which Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi clapped. Pelosi, who remained seated for a majority of the address, rose to her feet and clapped at President Donald Trump’s call to end the “politics of revenge.”

Although the Washington Post said Pelosi’s clap wasn’t sarcastic, it still made for some fantastic memes amidst the 82-minute speech.

A detailed fact check of the entire State of the Union address can be found at POLITICO.

Bold Ideas and Lessons Learned

by with One Comment FeaturedGen ZPolitics

While we all look ahead to 2020—which can be fun, that I will not deny—it might be best to start by looking back.  On Tuesday, Trump gave his second State of the Union Address, followed by the Democratic rebuttal given by Stacey Abrams.  Reading through Twitter after the address, I was expecting to find my favorite political voices pushing back on Trump’s falsehoods and rhetoric, and I did, but right before sighing and calling it a night, I found something even more profound.  It was a tweet, retweeted by an account I follow, written by Joe Kennedy. He was offering support and advice for Stacey Abrams before her rebuttal speech. It took me a minute to even understand the tweet’s context: Kennedy gave the Democrat’s State of the Union rebuttal a year earlier, at the end of Trump’s first year in office.  Aside from jokes about Kennedy’s over-application of chapstick (which he poked at in the tweet), the speech ultimately fell flat. That’s not to say it wasn’t well done, but it is to say that it appeared to be Kennedy’s opportunity to be thought of as the future of the Democratic Party, and a year later, he is not. In a very short time, the Democratic Party has experienced some pretty significant changes.  

To explain this, let us go back further, to 2015, when Hillary announced she was running for President.  Her campaign, personality notwithstanding, was essentially a promise for 4 more years of Obama: hold the line on some of the important victories Democrats had won, like Obamacare, the Iran Nuclear Deal, and legalizing gay marriage, and build on some of the things he began to do, like strengthening discrimination laws and making minor cutbacks in incarceration laws.  Then Bernie came along, then Cynthia Nixon, then Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and today, our Democratic Party has taken an entirely different form. It is being moved by a diverse array of faces, it is confronting and pushing back on its opponents, and it is insisting on bold changes. Part of this, it must be said, is due to a wholly unpopular president and stagnation in progress on health care, tax reform, and mass incarceration, which are key issues for the American public.  But it is also an important lesson in American political science. A lesson borne of our obsession with the moderate, our two-party system, and a relatively obscure idea called the Overton Window (to be explained later).

Let us start with the moderate, who is the fixation of nearly every politician who hopes to take office.  When we envision our two-party system, we imagine our microeconomics lesson on two competing hot-dog stands: if there are two hot-dog stands on a street, logic would say the best placement would be such that the two stands broke the street up into 3 equal parts.  To increase Stand A’s business in this situation, one would suggest moving closer to the middle of the street—customers who were once in the middle now find themselves closer to Stand A, while those on the edge of the street are unaffected. For an example of this kind of thinking in politics, simply look for anyone begging the Democratic Party to abandon things like Medicare for All or free college tuition in order to “appeal to the moderate.”

The problem with this opinion is that it fundamentally misunderstands how American politics work.  If we go back to the hot-dog stands, what happens in the long run if the best idea to increase business is to stay close to the center?  The answer is that we are eventually left with two stands directly next to each other—a smart reaction in the short term turns into a long-term equilibrium where very few people are happy with the inefficient placement of the stands.  Next, who’s to say that the location of the people has to be fixed? The first question ties in deeply to Clinton’s 2016 campaign; an obsession with being near the center leaves voters near the edges unhappy, and they end up staying home or voting for Jill Stein.  The answer to the second explains the importance of figures like Bernie Sanders and AOC; bold ideas, attractive messaging, and genuine desire for change has the Democratic Party promised for success in 2020 and beyond.

The best articulation of this is the Overton Window, a theory whose named was coined in the late 20th century by Joesph P. Overton, which explains just how vital the “New Left” wing of the Democratic Party is.  The theory goes that the mainstream discourse exists in a certain window, with its center being the “moderate” take, and its edges the farthest one can go without appearing extreme (and being dismissed).  Just 3 years ago, college tuition and Medicare for All fell outside this window and would have been disqualifying in a presidential candidate. The interesting thing about the Overton Window is that it is not a fixed box in space, immovable and restrictive; it is a fluid area that can be expanded, contracted, and pulled in either direction.

Bernie Sanders, through his grassroots campaign and social-media-friendly advertising, moved the Overton Window, putting M4A and other “socialist” policies on America’s radar.  In New York, AOC proved that such ideas were not simply possibilities, they were winning policy goals, as she upset a 10-year incumbent en route to becoming the youngest female ever elected to Congress.  As she leads the progressive charge, Republicans are taking notice, as many on the campaign trail made sure to tell voters they would protect their public health care. The point is not to say that the next president will pass Medicare for All or that a stronger Republican Party will not find answers to a growing swell of progressive support, but the lesson is this: too long have Democrats wholly misunderstood the game they are playing, as bold ideas populate the left, they do not weaken Democrats, they pull voters with them, making a stronger party for years to come.  

SOTU Reactions… From the Left, Center, and Right

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

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?

Learning From Black History

by with One Comment FeaturedGen Z

As everyone likely knows, the month of February is Black History Month. In this country, the topic of race tends to be a very sensitive one. The reason race is such a difficult topic to discuss is because nobody wants to be called a racist. Nobody wants to be called out and told that what they are saying or doing is wrong or problematic. However, what many people don’t realize, is that this kind of call-out communication is sometimes necessary. If a person of color takes the time to explain why something is offensive or harmful, it is important to really listen and understand. White people cannot decide for people of color what is and is not racist.

On the other hand, however, it is never necessarily a person of color’s responsibility to teach White people about their history. People of color should not have to carry the burden of educating White people. If you are not Black but you want to do something for Black History Month, take the time to learn some Black history for yourself. Black history is often not taught thoroughly in schools. In general, we really only learn Black history through the lens of American history — starting with slavery, and usually ending around desegregation and integration. However, we all know Black history didn’t start with slavery, and the hardships certainly didn’t end with integrated schools.

There are centuries of Black history prior to slavery that has essentially been erased. There are so many Black people in this country today who don’t know where they are from or who their family is. Absent history is a huge problem in the recording and telling of history. All it takes is for someone to decide that your storyline is unimportant, and suddenly it’s gone forever. The more you learn about Black history, the more you realize just how much is left out in teachings. 

The best thing you can do as a White person during Black history month is to listen and to learn. If we want to move forward in our society, we need to stop silencing people. We need to listen to these marginalized groups and stop assuming that we know what they need or what’s best for them. Take a step back and listen to those who are actually affected by racism and other race-related hardships every day. We are still far from true equality in this country. One Black president does not mean we have solved racism. We still have a long way to go in our society. If we want to make lasting change, we need to start giving Black people the power and the voice to be able to do so.

Yearbooks, Racism, and Black Women

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

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. 

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A REUNION IN LAGOS

by with One Comment CultureFeatured

You know that scene from Back to the Future? The one where Marty McFly, the main character, delivers a thrilling rendition of the song “Johnny B. Goode” on that red guitar?

It’s one of my favorites.

During that scene, Marty is on stage with a band called “Marvin Berry and the Starlighters.” As Marty continues to rip on the strings, Marvin can’t believe his ears. He runs to call his cousin, Chuck Berry, the famous musician who actually sang the original song in real life:

“Chuck, Chuck! It’s Marvin,” he said. “You know that new sound you were looking for? Well, listen to THIS!”

Listen to this….

In 2015, I received a similar phone call from my friend Ian who’s like family to me. At the time, he was working for an American multinational corporation while on rotation in Lagos, Nigeria.

Ian was so excited. He was telling me all about this new sound he’d encountered one night in Lagos. He described the sound as a combination of Jamaican Dancehall and American Pop music.

Now I knew I could trust Ian’s musical taste. Ever since I met the guy twenty-five years ago, we’ve spent countless nights dancing to Reggae music well into the early hours of the morning. While I tend to rumble around like a fool, Ian is actually a good dancer. He smoothly glides around the floor and he never seems to get tired. The guy can also pick up just about any dance move within seconds.

So when he sent me a few Afrobeat songs, I wasn’t surprised that I got hooked and couldn’t get enough of this new delightful rhythm.

Ian, who had been stationed in Nigeria for four months, quickly fell head over heels in love. I’ll never forget when he came back because he couldn’t stop talking about his life there. The people, the food, the accents, the clothing. He was gushing. So I promised him I would visit Lagos one day.

Then I met his friend, Chukwudubem (or “Dubem” for short). The instant you meet Dubem you just get a good vibe from him. He’s a salt of the earth kind of guy. A cool, laid-back, soft-spoken gentleman who quietly makes his presence known in whatever room he’s in. I met Dubem in 2016 when I was partying with Ian near his new rotation in Dubai. Dubem was born and raised in Nigeria and the more I talked to him, the more curious I got about Lagos.

Over the course of my stay in Dubai, we talked for what felt like for hours and when I returned home we continued to message one another on WhatsApp. I’d ask him questions like: What did he think of Black Lives Matter? Who’s better: Patoranking or Gyptian? What did he think of Black Panther?

Sometimes I wanted to get his perspective on a certain topic. And other times (I have to admit) I wanted him to validate a point that I had been debating with my American friends on the African diaspora.

With every exchange, my curiosity continued to grow. Then one day he mentioned he was getting married to a beautiful Nigerian woman whom he had met in Dubai. He shared that he may not be able to extend an official wedding invite but that I was welcome to tag along with Ian. If the stars aligned I may even be able to attend the after party.

“So you’re saying I can crash your wedding?!” I replied.

He said “yes”! Soon after that, I bought a ticket to Lagos. I’d take off in December.

A few months before we left, I had received an email from 23andMe informing me that they had been able to drill deeper to clarify my ancestry results. Previously, my results showed that I was generally 58% African, 33% European, and 6% Native American. I opened the app on my phone and was pleasantly surprised to learn that the highest percentage of my African ancestry is from—you guessed it—Nigeria!

I am typically never one to get excited about trips abroad until a few days before I leave. However, I had been excited about this trip for months. Between constantly listening to Afrobeat music, to meeting Dubem, and the recent discovery of my Nigerian ancestry, the anticipation for this trip had surpassed any feeling that I had ever had stepping onto an airplane.

But beneath the excitement there was a bit of unease. Here I was onboard a midnight ten-hour direct flight across the Atlantic Ocean to return to a continent that I had never physically been. My mind was racing with questions like:

What if the Nigerians weren’t friendly towards me?

I never go anywhere for eleven days … What if I get bored while I am there for so long?

What if being an American Afro-Latino kid from Brooklyn is not welcome by the people I encounter?

What the hell am I going to wear to this wedding?

Do I know enough dance moves to keep up with Ian?

What if my ancestors were never stolen off the continent to begin with?

When I arrived in Nigeria, I was quickly taken aback by all of the commotion. Apparently, Christmas time in Nigeria is the busiest season of the year. Many Nigerians return from abroad to visit family for the holidays so the streets are jammed with traffic. The humid air is filled with the melodic percussions of Afrobeat music pouring out of every car and bar. Sometimes even today I hear that symphony in my head — the ruckus of the cars, the horns and irresistible beat of “Able God” — and I can’t help but break out my finest Shaku Shaku dance.

All of the top Nigerian musicians are in town. Their concert billboards were plastered everywhere. For me, it’s like a Who’s Who of all the artists I had come to love over the years. I can only imagine that this is what Detroit must have been like during the Motown era in the 60s or the Bronx during the birth of hip-hop in the early 80s.

The club scene is electric. Filled wall to wall with joyous dancing Black bodies. It’s a beautiful sight to behold.

One night, I was doing my usual rumble on the dancefloor when Ian taps me on the shoulder to leave. But I was feeling the vibe and it was only 1 a.m. I wanted more.

“Why are we leaving?” I asked. “The music is so good here!”

A sly smile creeped across Ian’s face, “The music is good everywhere in Lagos!” he replied.

Ian wasn’t exaggerating. Every club we went to had amazing music. Every now and then the DJ would play two or three American songs but that’s it.

After a week of clubbing every night I had taken on the moniker, “Chike from BK.” A nod to my roots but still a label of my difference. We had debated if I might be of the Hausa or Igbo tribe. And ultimately settled on Igbo because of my stature and regal demeanor (kidding).

But alas we were nearing the end of our voyage. The day had arrived for the first of two wedding ceremonies. First, the traditional wedding which was a beautiful tribal ceremony that joined the two families as one and felt more “African.” Then two days later, the “White” wedding which was a more Western style ceremony with a lavish reception. I was ready to immerse myself into these rich cultural experiences.

I’ve been a groomsmen in an inordinate amount of weddings back home. Just off the top of my head I can count about ten, so I understand the jitters of a wedding day. Regardless of my involvement, I always try my best to stay in the periphery and be as helpful as I can to keep the day flowing smoothly. Sometimes I throw in a joke or two to keep the mood light.

Dubem had reached out to get my clothing measurements before I arrived in Lagos so I wouldn’t feel left out. To my surprise, on the morning of the traditional wedding ceremony, I learned that I would be dressed exactly like the groomsmen. I felt a strong sense of belonging as I put on my brown hat, white top, and what can only be described as a pink wrap skirt.

I was ready to attend this meaningful cultural ceremony but still wanted to add a little Brooklyn flavor to my outfit so I slightly tilted my hat to the side.

Before the ceremony, the wedding party began to take pictures and I watched observantly on the sidelines. Then suddenly, Dubem invited me to join them as if I were a member of his family. Stunned, I initially declined as I felt out of place. Most of the members of the wedding party were lifelong friends of the bride and groom.

I don’t know about you, but my parents and I have gone through their wedding photos many times over years and I have asked about every single person represented in those photographs. I was honored that this Afro-Latino kid from Brooklyn by way of Grenada, Puerto Rico, and Cape Verde would forever be documented in Dubem and Ore’s wedding photos.

Maybe one day when their children point to me in their wedding photos they can tell my story.

Maybe they can tell their children about our collective story as we across the African diaspora continue to reconnect with our roots.

Maybe they can share with their children that love — the love of music, the love amongst friends, and the romantic love between partners — has always brought us together.

As I stood there with the sound of cameras flashing, I began to reflect on my ancestors. Their son was back home for the first time. They’d be happy to know this son of theirs was welcomed back by one of his best friends Ian, embraced by his new friend Chukwudubem, and moved to dance by Afrobeats into the wee morning hours. As I envision our ancestor’s benediction upon us, I see our reunion bringing a smile to their faces.

…That’s the new sound I was looking for. The sound of belonging. 

Venezuela 2.0: The Insanity Continues

by with No Comment FeaturedGlobal

Once upon a time, Venezuela used to be the wealthiest nation in South America. Unfortunately, for years, the country has been caught in a violent downward spiral over political discontent, insane hyperinflation, food scarcity, and gaps in power and electricity. 

Three million and counting Venezuelans have left the nation in the last few years to survive. In my last take on Venezuela, I explained in detail the insanity that had taken over and the driving force (Maduro) that is pushing the nation over the edge. I want to provide an update on the situation and what you, as a reader need to know.

Two presidents?

Yes, you read it right. Asking that question in most countries would be absurd, but as of January 23rd, 2019, the question makes perfect sense in Venezuela. On this day, Juan Guaidó proclaimed himself to be the new acting president of the nation and would assume the executive branch of powers moving forward.

This move was a direct “come at me bro” to Nicolás Maduro, who had been sworn into office again just two weeks ago. As expected, good ol’Maduro did not take it kindly to someone attempting to wrest power from his hands. Going as far as to call this move a ploy from the U.S. to remove him from power. 

Why are there two presidents?

Nicolås Maduro received power directly from his socialist mentor and predecessor, Hugo Chavez. Even with the direct line of succession going to him, he only won by a thin margin of 1.6%. From the very first few months of being in office, Nicolås Maduro’s government sent the Venezuelan economy into a free fall, which led to the people of the nation to blame Maduro for the nation’s woes. 

To make people hate him even more, Maduro went as far as to stage a sham election in 2018 to cement his power for a 6-year term, which most opposition parties boycotted.

His opponents were either barred from running the election against him and fled the country in fear for their lives, or were merely put into jail to remove the threat of Maduro losing completely.

How is this all coming together now?  

After being re-elected to a second term in elections in May 2018, Mr. Maduro announced in a very odd way that he would serve out his remaining first term and only then be sworn in for a second term on January 10th. It was because of this swearing-in process that the opposition got its second wind to resist and oppose. The national assembly states that because of Mr. Maduro going through some ridiculous process of becoming president, that his election was not fair, which currently makes Mr. Maduro a dictator of sorts to the people of Venezuela.

This is the narrative that is being pushed forth specifically by Juan Guaidó. Citing the articles of the Venezuelan constitution 233, and 333, the legislative body declared that in such cases like the current one, requires for the national assembly to take over as acting president hence why Juan Guaidó declared himself as president on January 23, 2019.

How is the rest of the world taking it so far? 

Well, our great commander In-Chief has officially recognized Juan Guaidó as the legitimate president of Venezuela, literally moments after Juan stated he would be taking on the role of acting president. Of course, that sparked a response from Mr. Maduro, who once again started with the same rhetoric that the U.S. government was out to get him. In an idiotic attempt to show some measure of control, Mr. Maduro broke off ties with the U.S and told the diplomats they had 72 hours to leave, which he abandoned three days later stating that each country should keep an “interest-section” open in their respective capitals.

What’s going to happen now?

Well, as of now Juan Guaidó is urging the people of Venezuela to keep protesting and resisting until the nation is liberated. He hopes with the majority of western powers on his side, and for his cause, he will be able to take control completely and bring Venezuela back from the edges of total ruin. Though he is president of the national assembly, this body of the government was rendered powerless in 2017 by the creation of the National Constituent Assembly.

Currently, the military is the only force that can indeed make an impact and break the stalemate between Maduro and Guaidó. Though currently, they are loyal to Maduro, because of consistent pay raises and reasonably good treatment of the armed forces. Following the election on Jan 23, top Venezuelan commanders tweeted their support for Maduro, so this situation does not bode all too well to providing any stability to an already unstable country.

We will have to pay close to attention to the next move either president makes now. The biggest challenge, and possibly the most significant opportunity as well falls on the man who can reduce the insane hyperinflation that the country is going through right now. The world’s the stage, and Venezuela has just started Act II.