While you were googling Beyonce: A few things on our mind

As I was cleaning out my inbox, I ran across a few interesting stories that I had either been sent or starred for later review.

CNN.com: Police: Four boys sexually assaulted 8-year-old girl

(CNN) — Four boys ages 9 to 14 have been charged with sexually assaulting an 8-year old girl, police in Phoenix, Arizona, said Wednesday.

The girl was lured into a vacant storage shed by the suspects, who offered her chewing gum, police said at a news conference.

The girl was restrained while the boys — ages 9, 10, 13 and 14 — sexually assaulted her, police said of the July 16 incident.

All the suspects except for the 14-year-old live in the same apartment complex, according to Phoenix police Sgt. Andy Hill. The 14-year-old has been charged as an adult, Hill said.

Detectives said the girl was placed in the custody of Phoenix child protective services after the attack because of her parents’ attitude toward her.

The girl and the boys charged are all from families that have come to the United States from the West African nation of Liberia, police said.

What the hell is this? What ever happened to 9 year olds riding bikes? Her parents are blaming her? Can someone tell me why CNN found it necessary to mention the children were from Liberia? [Thanks Charles]

Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/07/22/arizona.juvenile.sexual.assault/index.html

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At yesterday’s White House Press Conference to discuss health care, Barack Obama was asked about the recent arrest of Henry Louis Gates. This response came the very same day as Dr. Michael Eric Dyson’s column, calling out the President to renew his pledge to eradicate racial profiling. [Thanks Margaret]

Dyson wrote,

“To Gates’ credit, he realizes that racial profiling happens regularly to poor black folk, and he has pledged to do something about it. But another famous black figure associated with Harvard must renew his pledge to get rid of racial profiling and spare the nation the illusion that his success represents a post-racial America. While it’s not likely he’ll be unjustly arrested in his House, he’s got to make sure that the same privilege extends to millions of other black folk who don’t live on Pennsylvania Avenue.”

Did Obama address this as you would have liked him too?

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Yes sistas, this is a real commercial! I have received confirmation that this was on the air!

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think this is cool by any means, but that is because I don’t ever want to see Black people made mockery of or publicly embarrassed . I realize that we probably do not own KGB, and do not own the networks that are airing this foolishness; however, I must ask do we have any responsibility to change our behavior that is producing these images, and serves for the basis of these types of commercials?

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NPR: Rapper Feud Mirrors World Politics: Jay-Z Schools Us In U.S. Hegemony

President Carter: Lookin' real federal!

George Washington University Professor and director of the Institute of Middle East Studies,  Marc Lynch made a recent analysis of how fueds in rap music mirror world politics. [Much appreciated Kabrielle]

Professor Lynch writes,

The difference today is that we’re in a uni-polar world with the United States on top. In the rap world, Jay-Z is that guy.

The Game is the erratic wildcard.

“He’s North Korea; he’s Iran,” Lynch says. “He might not win, but he can hurt you if he drags you down into this extended occupation, this extended counterinsurgency campaign.”

Are we serious here? Am I the only one who hates to see good research dollars and airtime go to waste. As the director of Middle East studies, isn’t there a real conflict in Middle East that could use your attention? Get outta here with this mess. I’m just thankful this didn’t come from a professor at Bethune Cookman!

Link: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106857447

That’s a good ass question…Thursday, July, 23rd

Edgar Anquan Poe asks…Do you feel more compelled to give to Black panhandlers when they approach you in front of your white coworkers?

Somebody please help this brother out?

Please comment with your thoughts.

(If you’ve got a ‘good ass question’, that you would like for others to stop and think about, email us at TSA1865@gmail.com)

While you were googling Beyonce: Frank Hatley, Father of the Decade

I apologize for holding onto this story for a few days, as this might be one of the most terrible stories to not get frontpage news coverage.  Yesterday I received some flak and was even called ‘racist’ for my mention of the parenting approach of Joe Jackson. Like Barack Obama and Bill Cosby, I support black men who accept their responsibilities as fathers (just not those who chokeslam those responsibilities). Because I care about the thoughts and opinions of each one of you readers, and wouldn’t want to be thought of as a racist, I thought it would be more than fitting to highlight a brother who went over and beyond his call of duty in his parental duties.

The CNN.com headline reads: Childless man freed after serving time for child support violations

Awww hell naw.

Father of the Decade AKA "Boo Boo the Fool"

For 13 years, this good brother Frank Hatley paid child support. My man sat down for six months in 2006 falling behind payments when he became unemployed. But like a good dad, he picked back up making payments after being released and continued to do so even after losing his job and becoming homeless. He was jail most of this past year when the burden became to great and he was unable to pay. For this alone, for the commitment he showed to honoring his duty, he should receive a certificate. But to learn that this brother was doing this for some other man’s kid, he gets himself the gold star. Damnnit, he should be allowed to tie down that kid’s mother and karate chop her in the throat until his hands get tired. And once he is tired, the city of Cecil, GA ought to make a proclamation that the third Sunday of every June, from this day forward, be known as Frank Hatley Day with a full ticker tape parade in his honor.

So that I don’t leave out any details, please read the story from CNN.com below:

(CNN) — Frank Hatley spent the past year in jail for being a deadbeat dad. But there’s one problem — Hatley doesn’t have any children. And the “deadbeat” label doesn’t fit the 50-year-old either, his supporters say.

After a hearing, Hatley was released from the Cook County Jail in south Georgia Wednesday afternoon, with the help of the Southern Center for Human Rights.

Superior Court Judge Dane Perkins ruled that Hatley was indigent and should not be jailed for not being able to make child support payments. Perkins postponed a decision on whether Hatley should have to make any more back payments on child-support for a child who is not his.

In June of last year, a judge ordered Hatley to jail for failing to reimburse the state for public assistance that was paid to support his “son,” who, as the court was aware, is not actually his son.

Hatley’s attorney Sarah Geraghty, who filed a motion for his release, called it a case of “blatant unfairness.”

Hatley is a hard-working man who demonstrated his desire to pay what the court said he owed, even making payments from his unemployment checks, Geraghty told CNN.

On top of that, “the state has no legitimate reason to pursue Mr. Hatley for child support — he doesn’t have any children,” she said.

The story dates back to 1986, when Hatley had a relationship with Essie Lee Morrison. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son.

Morrison told Hatley that the child was his, but the couple ended their relationship shortly after the boy’s birth, according to court documents. The couple never married and never lived together, the documents state.

When the boy turned 2, Morrison applied for public support for her son. Under Georgia law, the state can go after the non-custodial parent to recoup the assistance.

For 13 years, Hatley made payments to the state until learning, in 2000, that the boy might not be his biological son. A DNA test that year confirmed that there was no chance he was the father, according to court documents.

Hatley returned to court and was relieved of any future child support reimbursement but was ordered to pay more than $16,000 that he had owed the state before the ruling.

Latesha Bradley, an attorney who represented Hatley in that hearing, told CNN the argument for keeping Hatley liable for the back payments was that he had signed a consent agreement with the office of child support services. The court agreed that Hatley had to comply with the consent agreement for the period that he believed the boy was his son.

Court documents show that Hatley for the most part continued to make payments. He was jailed for six months in 2006 for falling behind on payments during a period of unemployment, but afterward he resumed making payments and continued to do so even after he lost another job in 2008 and became homeless, court records state.

Last year, he again became unable to maintain the payments and was once again jailed.

The circumstances of Hatley’s arrest didn’t feel right to many, including Cook County Sheriff Johnny Daughtrey.

“I knew the gentleman’s plight and didn’t know how to help him,” Daughtrey told CNN.

About two months ago, when attorneys from the Southern Center for Human Rights visited his jail, Daughtrey alerted them to Hatley’s case.

The more I think about this, the more I want to cry. The Lord only knows what happened to my man when he was locked up. This aint even funny anymore. While the real daddy was out there still doin’ his dougie, sucka ni&&a Frank was getting “dug by Doug”.

Hill Harper’s Letter to a Young Brother, Chapter 6:

Don’t sign any consent form, birth certificate, permission slip, or even a bathroom pass for a child that you aren’t 100% positive is yours!

Source: CNN

That’s a good ass question…Wednesday, July, 22nd

Edgar Anquan Poe asks…Why do people pose in front luxury department stores that they can’t afford to shop at?

Oh we doing it real big! I'm going to put this on my Myspace!

Please comment with your thoughts.

(If you’ve got a ‘good ass question’, that you would like for others to stop and think about, email us at TSA1865@gmail.com)

While you were googling Beyonce: Professor Henry Louis Gates gets arrested

“We know all too little about the factors that affect the attitudes of the peoples of the world toward one another. It is clear, however, that color and race are at once the most important and the most enigmatic.”

- John Hope Franklin

Just in time for Wednesday’s Black In America 2 (this is CNN’s chance to redeem themselves), Henry Louis ‘Skip’ Gates had an unnecessary run-in with the law/racial profiling moment of his own. For those who may not know, Gates is the director of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute for African and African American Research at Harvard, and the foremost authority on Black history since the passing of John Hope Franklin. There are numerous accounts circulating; however, the essential facts of the story are below:

• July 16th – Gates arrived to his home on Thursday from a trip to China to find his front door jammed.
• He forced the door open with the help of his cab driver, and had been inside for a few minutes when Sgt. James Crowley of the Cambridge Police Department appeared at his door and asked him to step outside.
• A white female caller had notified the police around 12:45 p.m. of seeing two black men on the porch of the home, at 17 Ware Street. The caller, who met the police at the house, was suspicious after seeing one of the men “wedging his shoulder into the door as if he was trying to force entry.”
• Gates told the sergeant that he lived there and showed his Massachusetts driver’s license and his Harvard identification card, but Sgt. Crowley still did not seem to believe that Professor Gates lived in the home, a few blocks from Harvard Square.  (According to the police report, Professor Gates initially refused to show identification.)
• At that point,  Professor Gates grew frustrated and asked for the officer’s name and badge number.
• (You know how this ends) The officer did acknowledge the residence to belong to Professor Gates but then reported Gates yelling at him, exhibiting “loud and tumultuous behavior”. Gates was then arrested and handcuffed. Gates was held at police headquarters for hours before being released on his recognizance.

What burglar do you know who wears Brooks Brothers?

[I must acknowledge that actual charge was that of disorderly conduct.]

Now we realize there are always three sides to every story–in this case, Skip’s story, the officer’s story, and the truth–and the truth will come out in time, but this on its face, is enough to get me fired up. Let it be known, this is not the first incident of its kind to happen on Harvard’s campus either. Five years ago, S. Allen Counter, a university neuroscientist and  25-year faculty veteran who is black, was stopped by campus police on suspicion of being involved in a robbery. Counter was on his way to his office when police threatened to arrest him. I might have been able to get a better grasp of this situation had Henry Louis Gates been some random brother in Cambridge–but he wasn’t. He has taught at Harvard for 18 years and is one of 20 Harvard faculty members with the title of university professor, created in 1935 for “individuals of distinction.” What chance does the janitor have if an “individual of distinction” can’t even get the benefit of the doubt?

"The bail money is under my stack of Richard Wright's books!"

Referencing the arrogance/prima donna complex of current Black leadership, some African Americans are criticizing Gates for “feelin’ himself” with his expectation that the police should know who he is. My response: You can hold on to that jive talk! I’m not even mad at my man Skip for losing his ‘Cambridge couth’. I believe I would get equally indignant if you accused me of breaking into my own damn house! Like a true G, while being handcuffed Gates yelled to the police, “This is what happens to black men in America”, “you don’t know who you’re messing with” and “this is not the last you’ve heard of me”.

To no surprise, the complainant (who apparently couldn’t recognize her own neighbor in the broad daylight at 12:45 pm) was not returning phone calls to the press. She better be in the kitchen making some rhubarbs pies to take over to Skip’s house to apologize.

This story reminds me of the picture of the Black newscaster:

Being "Black in America"

Source: Boston Globe

Please comment and let us hear your thoughts.

Tuesday’s Terrible Song of the South: Ack A Azz

Artist: Cutta C

Song: Ack A Azz

Failed by the School System of: Dallas, TX (again!)

Worst Lyrical Content:
‘Make it rain on em look like God cried’

‘Get so much dough I got my own Chuckie Cheese’

THIS IS THE OFFICIAL VIDEO

Feel free to let us know of other Terrible Songs of the South at TSA1865@gmail.com

If you knew better, you’d do better: Joe Jackson

“Listen now. You got to understand me. Don’t cut me off here Larry”

With all of the media attention surrounding the death of Michael Jackson, we have been reminded of the man, who remained behind the scenes, but who was responsible for the success of the King of Pop–the one and only, Joe Jackson. For many of us, our first-hand introduction to the man came from the four hour TV movie, The Jacksons: An American Story. There he left us memorable lines such as, ‘get a switch’ and ‘Michael I’ma kill you’. There we witnessed the death of Mr. Rat at his hands. It was there, we developed a greater appreciation for our own fathers–if for nothing more, we appreciated that Joe Jackson wasn’t our father.

Monday, Joe was a featured guest on Larry King Live. I will admit, 17 years after the made-for-TV movie, I am still just as afraid of Joe as I was the first time I saw him whip Tito for breaking the string on the guitar. Watch this brother attempt to exonerate himself of accusations of abuse while dropping some knowledge on Larry about slavery!

• Observation #1: Why is he cracking his knuckles like he’s about to whip Larry King ass? Larry is 75 years old!
• Observation #2: Why does he have a African medallion on his chain?
• Observation #3: Joe’s history lesson of slavery and claiming a lot of parents beat their kids, doesn’t help his case!
• Observation #4: Why does the other brother, Leonard Rowe, look like Fab 5 Freddy!

In Joe’s defense, if not for the tenacity, the grit, and the ferociousness he showed, the Jacksons might just be nine (10 actually, he had a daughter on the side–damn shame) deferred dreams of Gary, Indiana. I’ve been to Gary–aint nothing pretty about it. You see The Jacksons wrote a song about Gary but never took their black asses back! Many of us forget that Joe Jackson was a professional boxer even before he was ‘Father of the Year’. He was simply using the tools he was blessed with. If your daddy could cook, I would guess you probably ate a good meal or two in your day. In a like manner, if your daddy had a strong left hook, I would expect you probably took a mean ass whopping or two in your day as well.

Larry should have asked him about the names he picked for his kids: Maureen Reillette “Rebbie”, Sigmund Esco “Jackie”, Toriano Adaryll “Tito”, Jermaine La Jaune, Janet Damita Jo, Joh’Vonnie (the illegitimate one).

Entire interview in 4 parts:

Part One • Part Two • Part Three • Part Four

That’s a good ass question…July, 21st

Edgar Anquan Poe asks…When is the last time you’ve seen a white person smoking a Black & Mild? I wonder if that’s why they’re are called BLACKS?

According to the United States Government Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, they are the preferred cigar of young African Americans at 55%

Source: Center for Disease Control

(If you’ve got a ‘good ass question’, that you would like for others to stop and think about, email us at TSA1865@gmail.com)

That’s a good ass question…July, 20th

Edgar Anquan Poe asks…Why hasn’t Heinz purchased the recipe for mumbo sauce?

4 Wings, Mumbo Sauce, Fries, Salt, Pepper, Ketchup

Please comment with your thoughts.

(If you’ve got a ‘good ass question’, that you would like for others to stop and think about, email us at TSA1865@gmail.com)

If you knew better you’d do better: Pat Buchannan

Tell us how you truly feel Pat?

We know not to judge any group of people by the actions or deeds of the worst of that particular group, so we must appropriate these comments to the ignorance of one, Pat Buchannan. If for nothing else, you gotta respect his honesty. I think the greater question is how many people of his demographic do you believe think the way he does?

Tell us what you think!

While you were googling Beyonce: The NAACP celebrated 100 years

Even if you may not find the NAACP to be relevant today, you cannot deny the impact that the organization has had upon the lives of ‘Colored People” in America. I will accept, without argument, much of the criticism that you may have of the NAACP today, but you must admit that if not for the NAACP, life for Black people throughout the United States today, would more closely resemble life for your average brother in Pine Bluff, Arkansas (something about Pine Bluff takes you back to 1979…there is no such thing as fine dining in Pine Bluff…the nicest club is the American Legion Post 36).

We've come a mighty long way!

There would be no integrated schools, no shared water fountains, no blind governor of New York (I’ve met the man–he is blind as a bat). All-4-One’s I Swear, would have never existed. I was the man at the skating rink knowing those lyrics! Without the NAACP and it’s Image Awards, the talented Shemar Moore would have never received the acclaim he didn’t deserved, as he won the 1999  “Light skin brother in a daytime series” Award. I hate him not because he was the corniest character in The Brothers, nor because he found a way to cheapen the acting in a Tyler Perry movie. Rather, I hate him because he single-handedly destroyed Don Cornelius’ Soul Train with his leather pants, his suede pinwhell beanies, and his continued dancing with the wretched sister with the two-strand twist that went down to her butt (anyone else remember her?).

If you can spare about 25-35 minutes in your day, go ahead as listen to the President honor this great organization and its 100 years of …umm.. advancement. Amen.

That’s a good ass question…Friday, July, 17th

DeMarcus Twain asks…What flavor is red velvet?

Don’t say chocolate either…chocolate is chocolate!

Please comment with your thoughts.

(If you’ve got a ‘good ass question’, that you would like for others to stop and think about, email us at TSA1865@gmail.com)

In High School You Was The Man Homie: Denim Shorts and White Air Force Ones

We have been miffed over this for some time but we can’t hold it in any longer. There is just no easy way around it. In fact, we may be calling out some of our own friends. DENIM SHORTS AND WHITE AIR FORCE ONES ARE NO LONGER ACCEPTABLE ATTIRE AMONGST AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES.

There we said it.

Let’s retire denim shorts and white Air Forces Ones at once. They stood the test of time and rightfully deserve their place in the Urban Wears Hall of Fame. Simply think back to all of the shirts that came and went since brothers first started rocking the black man’s version of Birkenstocks and cargos. We’ve seen the death of Mecca, Enyce, Mitchell and Ness throwback jerseys, oversized Polos, tall tees, Iceberg, Gino Green (the bullsh*t with the 6’s and 9’s on it), Ecko Unlimited, Rocawear (that includes State’s Property), G-Unit, OutKast Clothing, Sean John, FUBU (yes Platinum FUBU too!), Akademiks, Miskeen, and Vokal. Although we have never seen anyone rock Vokal, we don’t put it past some of you simple ni&&as!

Remember how you used to laugh at the brother who wore Pure Playas and Clench Jeans. The more we think about it, the more we realize our freshman dormitory looked like a set of extras for Three 6 Mafia’s Ridin’ Spinners video. Think about how terrible Crunchy Black looked! Denims shorts and white Air Forces Ones should have died when Howard Homecoming did. Oops, did we just say that?

Hall of Fame Inductee 1992

We understand that many of you may have only come to discover these staples of Negro fashion in 2002, when made popular by Ali and Murphy Lee. But when was the last time you’ve seen either Ali or Murphy Lee, let alone the brother with the Jason Vorhees mask.

We don’t care if you had to get the white and grey ones because Champs was all out of the all white lows. We don’t even care if you bought them a half size too small and took the sole out so they wouldn’t crease.  We don’t give a damn if you think you look just like D4L, when you rocking em with those bedazzled replica Dolce & Gabanna frames. Go ahead, do yourself a favor, and hang those shorts next to your Bugs Bunny and Tazmanian Devil two sided shirt, right underneath your Black Bart Simpson tee.

…we forgot to give an honorable mention to Coogi!

To all my DC youngins: Don’t think we forgot about yall just because yall wore Foamposites and New Balances 993s. We will have a special post to discuss your foolishness in its entirety.

Miss Black Awareness Pageant Contestant: Kerry Washington

I already feel the hate beginning to boil inside of black women everywhere. Why you got this girl up here? She didn’t even go to an Ivy League school? She aint never had a serious role! She aint never won a Lady of Soul Award! And she dates white boys!

So! Tell me the last time you fundraised for Barack Obama? When was the last time Bill Maher asked you for your opinion? For that matter, when was the last time anyone asked you for your opinion? Right, I thought so.

Without further ado, we highlight our third contestant in the Miss Black Awareness Pageant:

Contestant #3: Kerry Washington

I Think I Would Have Left My Wife!

Born in New York, NY, Kerry Washington grew up in the Bronx. After the sixth grade, Washington left public school to attend junior high and high school at the prestigious Spence School for Girls in Manhattan. She later attended the theater program at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. As a presidential performing arts scholar, Washington created a personalized major called Performance Studies, which allowed her to examine the role performing arts played in a community. While attending G.W., Washington worked closely with the local theater community and helped create a support system for people of color in the arts called Shades of the Fine Arts. After graduation, Washington spent three months in India to immerse herself in a foreign culture and to touch-up on her yoga skills.

Washington made her screen debut in the ABC telefilm Magical Make-Over (1994). She has gone on to appear in several movies, including Save the Last Dance (2001), The Human Stain (2003), Spike Lee’s She Hate Me (2004), Ray (2004), Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005), Little Man, & I Think I Love My Wife (2007), and, in a departure, an accented, period role as a wife of 1970s Ugandan dictator Idi Amin in the UK historical drama The Last King of Scotland (2006). Washington has also appeared in the recurring role of Chelina Hall on the ABC television series Boston Legal, and in several episodes of the A&E cable-TV series 100 Centre Street.

She also co-directed and appeared in the music video for hip-hop artist Common’s song, “I Want You”, the fourth single off of his album Finding Forever.

Washington has appeared several times on Real Time with Bill Maher, at times referred to as a political activist and was a recognized official surrogate of the Barack Obama presidential campaign.

Now Kerry, since your engagement didn’t work out, come on back to brothers. We getting our sh*t together in 2009!