Dave Chappelle: The Victim

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedSocial Issues

“The Closer” is dividing critics and fans of epoch-defining comedian, Dave Chappelle.

An “equal opportunity offender” for most of his career, the widely recognized GOAT in Stand-Up has spent a considerable portion of his last four Netflix specials either commenting/joking about trans issues or defending himself against criticisms by members of the trans community.

For most of his career, Chappelle has focused his observational humor on racism and his experience as a Black man in a very White nation. His early jokes were rich with cutting truths that laid bare the hypocrisies and evils of a country whose initial prosperity sprang from slavery.

With wit and satire, The Chappelle Show helped an entire generation of all races think and even laugh about the poison of racism. Dave’s experience as a Black man made his art personal, authentic, and believable. He could say shocking things with impunity because he owned the experience he was presenting.

With “The Closer,” Chappelle seems to be pleading his case more than simply trying to entertain. He is wondering aloud how the trans movement has gained so much traction and influence while Black Civil Rights movements from MLK all the way to BLM still struggles. He posits that Civil Rights leaders in the 60s had to make real, sometimes mortal sacrifices for change while today’s social Justice warriors mostly form woke Twitter mobs to cancel their opposition and wear “pussy hats” to raise awareness for their cause (neither being very effective).

He has some valid points within these comedic jabs, and if he is to be taken in good faith, perhaps there is much to be learned. The idea of “roasting” someone or something is to ridicule, exaggerate, and criticize every single possible weakness so that when the subject survives the lambasting, they are much stronger, maybe even invulnerable. Roasting is an exercise in building thicker skin.

If Dave is truly an ally (this seems up for debate), then the LGBTQ+ community would do well to take his jokes deeper than face value and try to use them to become stronger, maybe even laughing them off like all of Chappelle’s other targets that must do the same to enjoy his humor.

But, in this latest Netflix special, I can’t help but notice a seeming personal stake that Chappelle has in not just making jokes, but condemning those who have condemned him. It seems personal.

Everyone wants to believe they are “the good guy.” But a champion for justice and truth would not pick unworthy targets, right? A powerful mechanism of Comedy is how it maintains the status quo by ridiculing the outliers of society. The majority doesn’t like something about a minority, so a joke could be used to point out that difference in a mocking way and make the majority feel comfortable in their bigotry or ignorance. It’s a very regressive use of comedy and one Chappelle would probably never wish (intentionally) to use…

But perhaps that is exactly what he has been doing to the trans community for four Netflix specials now. And when they tell him they are victims and not worthy of this ridicule for all they have endured, Dave doubles down. He now believes *he* is *their* victim (or at least people he admires like Kevin Hart and DaBaby).

Perhaps the blind spot in Dave Chappelle’s hubris is that his success comes from speaking on his personal experience against injustice and hypocrisy that affected him. Audiences gained universal truth from his subjective experience because he eloquently captured and criticized them with the highest degree of wit.

White people were commonly a target of Chappelle’s most stinging accusations, but they heralded the comedian. Perhaps, deep down, they agreed with him and recognized the work still needing to be done in regards to race relations.

The trans community is not taking their abuse as kindly (for the most part – I have seen some positive reviews while scouring google, Reddit, and Twitter).

This vitriol from members of the trans community means either they have some growth needed to embrace the ridicule we are all subjected to when we have a place at the table, or maybe Dave is really doing more damage than he wants to acknowledge or believe. He ended his special saying something to the effect of, “I’m done telling trans jokes until y’all can handle it.”

Imagine if a White comedian tried to represent Black issues like Chappelle has? It would seem a bit out of place. Chappelle ridicules White people because he has felt antagonized by many Whites. He ridicules Black people because he has lived the Black experience. It doesn’t seem like Dave has any credible connection to the trans community apart from his friend, Daphne, that gives him authenticity in his use of the subject for humor.

Maybe these trans jokes should be told by the “Dave Chappelle of trans comedians” instead.

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

TRUMP-19

by with No Comment CultureFeaturedPolitics

“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Last night over dinner my eldest son, almost 8, asked me if Donald Trump had become rich by winning the lottery. Amused, I told him that Trump’s father was already a rich man when his son Donald started making his own money in business. He replied, “I think Trump’s father got rich by making TikTok videos or something similar.” I don’t know where my son got familiar with TikTok as no one in our family owns an account, and the anachronism was of course a good reason for my partner and I to have a good laugh, but then I started reflecting on my son’s vision of the world. 

Two years ago, they didn’t know who Donald Trump was, and Covid-19 didn’t even exist. Since January 2020, these have been our main focuses, as we watched the news of the world and commented on both situations, in both cases appalled by what we heard and saw. We have since learnt how to keep a safe distance with other people, how to wear a mask correctly, how to wash our hands thoroughly. We have learnt that being a racist, a misogynist, a con man and a liar could make you, then destroy you. Or not exactly… 

To be honest, the overrepresentation of Trump and his acolytes in the media was almost as much a sore as the literal toll Covid-19 was taking on humanity. Waiting shakily for the weekly update on the toll, the safety measures and closures, wondering whether schools would close again was, and still is, our daily lot. Comic relief came in the form of a character Shakespeare would not have disowned in this larger-than-life tragedy. How many times did I think I had heard it all, only to be contradicted the next day? I didn’t attempt to count, and I am glad I didn’t. Rather, I used Trump as a lesson to teach my sons about truth, respect, tolerance and fair-play. I told them they were growing up in a very special time, and they needed to remember that our planet defends itself against us sometimes, just as we defend ourselves against people like Donald Trump. 

I watched, flabbergasted, as the Capitol rioters claimed to rescue their nation from the Big Bad Democrats. I watched as they invaded, threatened, broke, stole, and laughed. I watched as they made excuses for themselves claiming they were just doing what the President had enticed them to do, powerless as he was to fight against this newly born evil called defeat. I watched as the President himself failed to bear the consequences of his words, his acts and his lies. I was lucky enough to watch, instead of lying in a hospital bed attached to a ventilator. This, I told my sons, is how a dictator falls. This is how a nation realizes it must stand together stronger and reclaim what is their founding principle: justice and freedom for all. It didn’t take long for me to be disappointed. The decision to reject the impeachment of the now-former President of the United States is a political move, by no means justice. You may loathe or love the man, but you must recognize him for what he is, and has always been: a selfish, arrogant, and spoilt megalomaniac. Losing the election was only fair revenge considering the harm he did to the American people. The ultimate step was to acknowledge that he had behaved the same way as those leaders he admires so much. Impeaching him was the only way to tell the Americans they had been swindled, mistreated, and lied to. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” That we had to wait for it to happen –again— in the Land of the Free, couldn’t be more ironic.

If Biden, or anyone, wants to help fix this broken country, he must start with the people who claim they are dedicating their life to making it great. The fracture between Democrats and Republicans can heal, just like a broken bone, with reason and admission of guilt, not excuses. Fresh faces representing the USA’s multiculturalism will be needed to cement and reinforce the unity. Donald Trump shattered an already fragile skeleton, watched it crumble and danced onto its pieces. His failure to address the issues revolving around the pandemic contributed to his downfall, but the level of protection he benefits from is properly shameful. Aristotle’s assertion that all communities aim at some good only serves to highlight the decision-makers as prioritizing their own good at the cost of their country’s. We are witnessing a very special moment in history as the whole world is fighting a deadly virus. Since we have to rely on our governments to drive us through this crisis, now their time has come to shine, although making amends is sometimes the only way.  

By refusing to impeach Donald Trump, the Republicans have lost the trust many Americans, but also world citizens, had in justice. Sadly, I presume they have also gained unconditional support from those who think that getting away with crime is proof of leadership and strength. I do believe there’s dignity to be found in acknowledging one’s mistakes before starting anew. Hopefully, my sons will grow up to see the USA stand again, proud to be free as a true democracy, and Donald Trump will never be on TikTok. 

Similar Read: Post-Covid: Look to Japan

America Doesn’t Need a Patriot Act 2.0

by with No Comment FeaturedPolitics

While sitting at home attempting to enjoy a relaxing, quarantined birthday, my peaceful mood was shifted to disbelief by reports of White Supremacists storming the Capitol in an effort to overturn the election results. The danger of White Supremacist violence obviously shouldn’t be taken lightly, so I was nervous about how things would unfold and especially worried if Black people in D.C. would be safe. The Capitol being stormed was wild to me, but certain things that took place that day were predictable (yet still disappointing). Police handling the rioters with kid gloves wasn’t surprising since I’ve spent years being painfully aware of the double standard that exists when it comes to the way that law enforcement treats Black people vs. White people. It’s not lost on me that if the rioters were Black, we would’ve witnessed a massacre. It’s also predictable that politicians are calling for unity and healing without any accountability, which is a type of forgiveness and understanding that would’ve never been extended if that mob was full of Black people. A lack of accountability in this situation is a green light for increased White Supremacist violence, and more coup attempts, which worries me. 

There’s another thing that I’m concerned about. A Wall Street Journal article I read on the 7th explained Joe Biden’s plans to pass a domestic terrorism law, which is concerning to me & other leftists, who know that this won’t stop White Supremacists like those who planned and executed the insurrection, but will be used against Black activists, socialists, etc. Plus, there are already existing laws that are meant to prevent these kinds of things from happening. Marginalized people will be disproportionately harmed by the creation of more laws, which is why more laws are not the answer.  

Increased government surveillance is not the answer either. My concern is that our government may implement a Patriot Act 2.0. This idea is disturbing since The Patriot Act already had devastating effects, giving the government more unchecked power and expanding its’ ability to spy on its citizens, which is why we don’t need a repeat, especially when you consider that rioters planned the insurrection openly on social media forums and law enforcement did nothing.

In fact, the role that law enforcement played in the events is probably one of the best examples of why increased police funding will never be the answer. Not only did police basically open the doors for those storming the Capitol, waving them through barricades, taking selfies with them and escorting one of them down the steps, but many of those who participated were off duty police officers from across the country. The connection between White Supremacy and the institution of policing can no longer be ignored, and we can’t depend on police to protect us from the hate groups they’ve aligned with. Any increase in government surveillance or police funding is going to impact Black activists negatively. We’re already surveilled and over-policed by the state as it is. White Supremacy and fascism are the problems, not those fighting against it, and it has gone unchecked in the U.S. for far too long. The events at the Capitol were unfortunate, but there is an opportunity here for accountability. Unfortunately, there have already been attempts to conflate BLM protesters with those attacking the Capitol, and we need to ensure that the wrong people don’t end up facing the consequences.

Similar Read: Until the Revolution of 1776 is Complete

You Are NOT Your Ancestors!

by with 5 Comments CultureFeatured

Popular opinion always sides with the right side of history. Hindsight being 20/20, that’s an easy decision to make. It’s real easy to armchair quarterback the Civil Rights Era, boldly proclaiming from 2020 that you would’ve marched arm in arm in 1965. But the reality is, 2020 is not 1965 and we have no idea the danger our elders faced as the walked across the Edmund Pettus Bridge.

The painful truth is that many sat paralyzed in 1965, overwhelmed by the reality that participation then could literally mean death. Truthfully, their paralysis was justified in 1965. Being vocal and/or visible was a death sentence for many, including the greatest icons of that era. In 1965, one had to weigh the fight for justice against the sanctity of their family and home. Four little girls in the 16th Street Baptist Church speak to that tragic reality in a way that many in today’s world could never comprehend.

To say those that did sit out the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s were justified in their terror is an understatement. It was pragmatism at work. It was simply life, where an alleged whistle in the wrong direction could get a child beaten, dismembered, and dragged to the bottom of a river. There’s a painful contradiction in many shunning those that did sit out, when they didn’t live in those times.

The more painful reality is that many today still sit out, while facing far less severe consequences. Many that have boldly proclaimed they would rather die than be enslaved or that they would never take the disrespect that our ancestors braved. That same crowd that boldly wears the, “I’m not my ancestors, you can catch these hands” T-shirts, while marching in safe spaces, 50 plus years late. They are right about one thing, THEY ARE NOT THEIR ANCESTORS. They don’t have the heart to balance life and death by seeking basic dignities in every facet of survival, such as a water fountain or bathroom.

We are currently living in a time where the Chief Executive blatantly espouses prejudice, racism, bigotry and division in a manner that makes Nixon or Reagan seem tame. Yet, the “I’m not my ancestors” crowd isn’t certain of what to do. We are seemingly more concerned with the open marriages of celebrities, foolish people arguing over their “Constitutional right” to not wear masks, or the never-ending quest to prove who is the most conscious in the room.

One must pose the question, what does any of that matter to progress?

To that same crowd of social media warriors, fighting for the newest and boldest cause that is trending on Twitter, the time for hypotheticals has long passed. In reality, it was an illusion and the time for hypotheticals never arrived. Oppression never ended. Freedom was never fully achieved. So what is the wait about? When is the time right? Should we postpone true liberation longer for a more opportune time? Maybe it will be more convenient in 2030. It’s only another decade away…

But you’re right, YOU ARE NOT YOUR ANCESTORS! They fought. They didn’t wait. They survived atrocities that would seem unbearable to many now who complain of not having fully functional A/C or bad WiFi signal. Our ancestors didn’t get comfortable waiting around for a more opportune time. Our ancestors fought, knowing some would likely die. Our ancestors, and many white allies, had far more heart than many of the social justice warriors of today preaching from digital pulpits in their comfortable homes. Our ancestors died for our comfort, while we sit this one out because “we are too busy” or “we should be social distancing,” as if police violence isn’t as big of a threat as COVID-19.

July 17, 2020, marked the death of two Civil Rights Era GIANTS. As we view their collective legacies, both individually and jointly, we must take pause to determine what is next.

We have let our ancestors down in our comfort. Ironically, that comfort was built on the backs of our ancestors’ sacrifice, not our own. Are we willing to sacrifice our comfort and individual “successes” to push the future of our people forward? John Lewis and C.T. Vivian both did. That was their life work. Collectively, many of us have not. Again, we are NOT our ancestors.

While we complain from our WiFi soapboxes and boldly proclaim what we would’ve done on social media, our community is still engulfed in a deliberate and subversive form of genocide. While we bicker over what #BlackLivesMatter should mean, our children are dying at the hands of police, systemic racism, and at the hands of other children. Yet, we sit those out to stay comfortable. That same comfort we have not truly earned, but instead inherited. So yes, we are NOT our ancestors. They were better men and women.

To those who hypothesize on what they “would’ve done” during slavery or Jim Crow, you no longer have to hypothesize. The time is now. A bigot occupies the Oval Office. This Administration openly works to roll back the social progress of the last 50 years in an attempt to make America what it was in the “good ole days.” You don’t have to hypothesize on what you would’ve done when facing police dogs, fire hoses, clubs, prison, lifelong persecution, or death. You won’t get your hands dirty engaging in GOOD TROUBLE during a time when the consequences of said action pale in comparison. You would’ve sat out the movement of the 50s and 60s because you’re sitting out now. It’s the same mentality of subjugation by appeasement. To you I say, you’re damn right, YOU ARE NOT YOUR ANCESTORS!

Similar Read: MLK 50: BANKRUPT JUSTICE

“Newspeak”

by with 2 Comments CultureFeaturedPolitics

How do we create dialogue on different planes of reality?

I recently had a conversation with someone who stands on the far opposite end of the political spectrum from me. When I presented a verifiable fact, the type of fact that one could argue the reason for the content of the fact, but not the occurrence of the fact itself, I was told that it did not happen. “Fake news,” I was informed. I didn’t quite know what to say, but responded with a simple, “no, it’s not.” From there we argued whether or not the fact actually happened, and this person’s veracity made me question my truth. So, I re-verified what I knew to be fact. I felt vindicated, but I also felt cheated – that I had allowed what could have been a productive conversation between two people with different beliefs to turn into an argument over the very validity of a fact. Has political discourse become nothing more than petty arguments over what a fact is?

George Orwell, in his increasingly prescient novel 1984, said, “not merely the validity of experience, but the very existence of external reality was tacitly denied by their philosophy. The heresy of heresies was common sense.”

We currently have a president who has told more than 10,000 non-truths in 2.5 years. But, he is an expert at denying what we can see with our own eyes. By repeating the lie over and over, we begin to question what the truth is and, over time, our truths become different realities. When I speak about something I know is truth, there are others that believe the opposite is true. One of us believes 2+2=5, and as a result, the other loses the freedom that comes from saying 2+2=4. And while one can say they have verifiable evidence that 2+2=4 (the mathematics community, etc.), the believer that 2+2=5 has a traditionally reliable source telling them they are correct, the President of the United States. The very existence of eternal reality is being questioned. Arguing if what we know beyond a reasonable doubt as fact is true destroys all meaningful dialogue on the important topics we need to discuss as a nation.

So, how do we make sense of this and return to an age when we could discuss things productively? I believe that dialogue is important, and our lack of conversations of substance has badly harmed our country.

I think there are several things we can do to begin curing this and healing.

First, we absolutely must elect a president that holds truth to the highest standard. Someone who is honest even when it’s unpopular and hasn’t shifted their goal posts throughout their career. We will never be able to re-discover integrity, on both sides of the aisle, if we don’t demand our elected leaders possess it.

Second, we must demand that social media give us an accurate depiction of the world and political landscape so we can escape our individual bubbles. Social media is designed as an echo chamber in which we are presented with information that furthers our beliefs and shows us what we already believe, not as an actual provider of information and truth.

Third, we continue to talk, at any cost. Maybe we have to schedule these talks with others that actually want to have dialogue on important topics. Maybe we need to have a computer nearby to verify data we disagree on the validity of. Maybe we begin the conversation by finding common ground and building from there. There are very few people who believe small children should be separated from their mother, even if they don’t believe the mother and child have a right to be in this country. Are we able to get to meaningful conversation by first agreeing that children should not be kept in jails away from their family?

Fourth, we have to always remember that we have been presented with separate facts, and we do not share the same truths. The bubbles we live in are not of our own making, but they are real and we won’t pierce through them by getting frustrated or angry. So, we understand that we need the dialogue, our realities are different, but we have common ground. Then we verify facts and we demand the way we receive information is based in reality and our elected leaders are committed to the truth. Who knows, it could work.

One thing is for sure, if we do nothing, it will be a bright cold day in April as the clocks strike thirteen. 

Similar Read: Critiquing the Candidates

Professional Fandom: Donald Trump, Robert Mueller, Sports, and Pop Culture

by with 2 Comments CultureFeaturedPolitics

Last Friday, the most anticipated political moment of the Trump Presidency occurred: The Mueller Report was completed and submitted to the Justice Department. Within minutes of the breaking news, every cable news channel, political blog, and Facebook newsfeed was flooded with a flurry of opinions without any new details. While it is a perfect example of the hyper-polarization of today’s political climate, it is also a microcosm of a much deeper trend that transcends politics. Like our interest levels in sports, music, and entertainment in general, our passion is no longer rational and under control. Due to the global reach of social media with immediate access to anything that strokes our most passionate interests, it is no longer acceptable to be a casual fan. You are required to devote a level of obsession that previously was considered psychotic.

Through social media and advancements in technology, fans of any form of entertainment have access to stoke their curiosity level from casual to knowledgeable to obsessive. There are Facebook groups, hashtags, fan pages, message boards, YouTube channels, smart apps, etc., dedicated to every cinematic or musical genre, sport, team, political candidate, and political or current event. If you are a fan of your college team, there are multiple message boards that provide in-depth analysis, recruiting updates, and behind-the-scenes stories regarding potential coaching challenges that keep you informed before any of it hits the mainstream news. If you are a fan of the WWE, you have an on-demand network that has every match, pay-per-view, or show. If you are a big video gamer, you can play every game online with people across the globe on every gaming console (Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC) that matches your skill level and personal tastes. Simply put, if you have more than a surface-level interest in something, you will be exposed to enough material to progress that interest from ‘Intrigued’ to ‘Passionate’.

Like our entertainment options, the same options are available for our political tastes. Whether it’s the cable news channels that unabashedly market to a specific political affiliation, Facebook groups and fan pages devoted to individual candidates or causes, or the pre-determined newsfeed of our Facebook page from the people we associate with, it is nearly impossible for someone with an interest in politics to not make the emotional leap from a responsible voter to outspoken advocate. As one’s interest grows, the pressure from fellow believers is to only communicate and associate with likeminded views while censuring out anything that challenges or competes with that unassailable principle. One’s community is no longer your next-door neighbours or co-workers; it’s the hundreds of people we communicate with daily across the world. In many cases, these ‘friends’ are people we have never met and will never meet in person.

As our created communities become more politically homogeneous, our tolerance for divergent views weakens. If this were a football game, we became ‘That’ fan with our face and chest painted in team colors standing in sub-freezing temperatures heckling every opposing player or fan present. No one questions our fandom, but opposing fans and even some mutual fans, will dodge us to avoid making a scene or listen to a guilt trip for being a ‘Fairweather fan’. As voters transform from the family taking their kids to their first ballgame to ‘That’ fan, the political candidates who best play to ‘That’ fan are the ones that rise to the top. Donald Trump is NOT the cause of this dynamic, he is the byproduct of it.  

President Trump is the perfect byproduct of this phenomena. For the most part, no one is a casual fan or critic of him. He uses this dynamic to provoke the (predictable) reactions from his audience. If this was a neutral stadium, he’s provoking the liquored-up super fans from both teams to go at in the stands. In a vacuum, we generally find this behavior disgusting, but the reality is we all had a hand in this. The reality is we are all guilty of being ‘That’ fan (I am guilty when it comes to A&M football, Spurs basketball, and the WWE). For some of us, it’s politics. For others, it’s a sports franchise, musical artist, or gaming community. Having passion for something is a GREAT thing, but if our passion controls our behavior and character it will continue to poison the well for future generations. 

Similar Read: A Center-Right Response to Climate Change

The Duality of Social Media

by with 2 Comments FeaturedGen Z

Regardless of what websites you use or how you use them, social media is undoubtedly a huge part of our culture today. Today’s generation of teenagers and young adults have grown up in an age of social media and technology expansion like we’ve never seen before. Because social media is such a new concept, there are many things about it that the older generation does not seem to understand.

The way I personally view social media is kind of a love-hate relationship. Because social media has become so central to communication, especially in our generation, it’s almost more of an inconvenience not to have it. It’s like a necessary evil. Now, I don’t REALLY believe that social media is actually evil, but I’ve certainly seen the constant connection and communication have negative effects on people.

With smartphones constantly in our pockets and social media platforms just a click away, it’s nearly impossible not to be connected all the time. Because of this, people often tend to experience a sort of information overload. While staying informed, up to date, and connected is an important part of our world today, being overwhelmed by constant updates can have some pretty nasty side effects.

Increasingly more often I see people taking a break from social media, or even deleting certain platforms entirely, for mental health reasons. Bullying can be a huge problem on social media and words can have such a strong impact on people. Social media can present us with an overwhelming amount of negativity at times, which can be very stressful and mentally draining.

Constantly having to read and see what other people are doing can be very hard as well. What a lot of people don’t realize is that people only post on social media in the way they want to be viewed by the world. Posts online are never truly reflective of what’s really going on in a person’s life. It’s so easy to get lost in a newsfeed full of people on tropical vacations, out partying with friends, and achieving great successes. It’s easy to think that others have a better, more perfect life based on social media posts. It’s easy to think that your life is not as great by comparison. This is simply not true. People tend to forget that others live a life outside of social media that we cannot see. You never know what is really going on behind closed doors.

On the other hand; however, social media can also have an extremely positive influence on people. I have seen people connect on social media who would have never met otherwise. I’ve seen friendships and relationships formed online with bonds strong enough to bring people together from miles apart. I have seen people find a safe space where they can express who they are and find a community when they cannot in real life. I have seen people build entire careers and businesses from the ground up, made possible entirely by the breadth of social media’s reach.

Social media has the ability to change lives for better or for worse. It’s important that social media is used as a tool for growth and connection rather than tearing-down and isolation. Let social media be a tool to connect the world and spread information, but don’t let it take over your life. Breaks and time away from the Internet can be crucial for mental health, and it is most important to keep YOURSELF in mind as you scroll through others’ posts. 

“Is It Safe?”

by with No Comment MediaRace RelationsSocial Issues

Racism, sexism, homophobia, xenophobia, etc, will always have a permanent seat at the table which is the United States. We’re reminded of that permanent seat in every facet of Americana. One of the more recent editions of the showcase of bigotry has been social media. Social media has exposed the usual suspects of bigotry; however, that’s to be expected and thankfully largely ignored. The interest in social media regarding bigotry isn’t just random rants on Twitter accompanied with the hashtag “freedomovertyranny,” it’s actual people who have actual careers who have actual consequences for their actions.

In recent news, social media remarks have surfaced from MLB pitcher Josh Hader and Baltimore Ravens reporter Lindsey Ok. The remarks… the usual… “N bombs” left and right, racial slurs, “joking” about White supremacy, homophobic remarks, and the icing… the forever classic “suck my ” insert private part” demands. Previous articles on this publication have already gone into detail regarding their remarks; however, I’m writing to explain why their remarks were made for the public to see in the first place.

Spoiler alert… no, it’s not the typical lame excuse of being young and insensitive, spare me. It’s simple. They can…

In the classic 1976 Dustin Hoffman film “Marathon Man,” there’s a famous scene in which Dustin Hoffman’s character is being tortured with dental equipment. During the scene, the villain of the movie Dr. Christian Szell, repeatedly asks Dustin Hoffman’s character Babe the cinematic famous line, “Is it safe?” Dr. Szell was asking Babe this question, for fear of being caught by the police regarding stolen diamonds.

“Is it safe?” Yes, White people in America, by and large, have the safety to make remarks of bigotry, apologize, and move on. Sure, there’s the occasional firing of a Paula Deen or shaming of Mel Gibson or removal of John Schnatter from being CEO of Papa John’s, but as soon as it no longer becomes a trending topic, things return to normal. No true loss.

Josh Hader, received a standing ovation from Milwaukee Brewers fans when he returned to the mound a few days after his tweets surfaced. Think about that. John Schnatter still has a net worth of almost a billion dollars. Lindsey Ok will eventually get a gig with Fox News… safe.

“Is it safe?” Yes, I’d say it’s pretty safe.

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“Patriotism… Who Am I And Where Do I Belong?”

by with No Comment CultureFeatured

July 4th is approaching. People are forced to think about the state of this country, its leadership, the relationships it has with other countries and whether or not its accomplishments are actually a reason to celebrate this holiday, which represents independence and freedom.

As I think about all of this red, white and blue, I ask myself, “What am I celebrating?” Is this holiday really about my people and me? Are African Americans truly considered to be a significant part of this country? In spite of all of the contributions we have made to this country, is our citizenship really worth anything?

When I look at communities overridden with poverty, drugs and a lack of fair and equitable education systems, and legal systems set up to fail people as opposed to help them, the black and brown people in these communities are suffering. The great system is set up to benefit others; yet, it plant seeds of inequality, self-hatred and slavery in our communities. People’s lives look more hopeless than hopeful and day-by-day the picture seems bleaker and darker.

I sit from a perspective of “privilege”, some would say. “You don’t experience these things”’ and “You have beaten the odds”. I wish that were absolutely true, I respond. My skin color makes me no less hated, but my drive to exist and succeed in spite of- is what separates me from others. And while the outside looks polished and stable, my inside is crumbling from seeing my people self destruct because they cannot recognize all of the traps that are being set for them through broken educational systems and cultural “norms” such as music and social media. Our children’s minds are being captured, just as our enslaved ancestors’ bodies were. And although we walk around “free” as if we enjoy the same luxury as others… we are not free; thus, where is the patriotism in that?

This country represents ultimate greed. It bullies other countries and takes their resources. Wars are fought over property…not principle.  Even the wealth that is acquired when we are successful isn’t for Black people. We merely exist in a place where we were dumped after we were stolen. And our true culture and heritage is trampled on and made to seem nonexistent more and more everyday. Black children have nothing to identify with culturally, so who are they? And if they don’t know who they are, then where are they going?

Patriotism… who am I and where do I belong?