WHAT TRACY MORGAN SHOULD'VE SAID...
A lot of people are not digging comedian and actor Tracy Morgan’s recent diss on the gay community and simply talking off the hook regarding homosexuality. Why? The man was expressing how he felt. And his feelings are a true reflection of that of a lot of the people in the Black community. That’s why New Birth Baptist Church, although undeniably wrapped up in the biggest homosexual and child molestation scandal of all time, still has members despite Eddie Long (the Predator) continuing as pastor. Moreover, when you have Creflo “Dollar Bill Y’All” backing Long and simply referring to this thing as a mere “accident,” it shows that the Black community, and especially the Black church has no tolerance for gay activity, even when children have been hurt. In the case of Long, the victims were dismissed with a few dollars that could never erase the pain of being assaulted by a man who is supposed to be a servant of the Most High.
But that’s not my point.
We tolerate what we want to. And in the Black community, we do have some trifling men. President Obama tried to address this issue a few years back and caught hell. It was Father’s day at the Apostolic Church of God in Chicago. He challenged brothers to step up and be a father to their children. His speech was refined and articulate. Howsonever, I could tell he was poised to put things differently. Something along the lines of, “get off your ass, pull up your pants, and dammit, stop blaming the ‘man’ for all your shit.” But he didn’t because he probably felt Sister Jenkins glaring at him from the second pew. Furthermore he knows good and hell well that the Black community apparently revels in tolerating bullshit. We allow our kids to get C’s and D’s, just to get by. We allow others to tease, taunt and bully our kids when they do well. We allow our kids to be obese by eating all kinds of crap at Church’s, the corner store, and the Chinese restaurant. We allow lil Kim ‘n em, the East Indians and er’body else to come into our neighborhoods, open up businesses where we spend millions of dollars and then they don’t invest in our community. Added to that, we allow those same shop owners to treat us like shit—i.e. outrageous prices, sub-par products, filthy establishments and assuming we are going to steal something the second we walk through the door.
But again, that’s not my point.
What Tracey Morgan should’ve said is, “If my son ever, ever, had babies all over the place that he couldn’t take care of, or refused to be a positive influence in his children’s lives, or walked around with his pants sagging, or had locks in his hair, but didn’t make them look half-way presentable, or signed a million dollar sports contract and then says he is superior to everyone, or fucked numerous women without a condom and all the while engaging in homosexual activity but without telling those women, or buys an expensive ass vehicle while still living at home, or simply acts like the world owes him something—I would stab him…”
It’s a run-on sentence, but it makes my point…
Axe.
16 June 2011
13 April 2011
STRIKES, FOUL BALLS AND ALL THAT GOOD SHIT
Note on this Note: if you are easily offended by profanity, this may not be the Note for you…
A Woman should never be like a bus—ridden by anyone, anywhere, anytime. And a Man should not be like an interchange, housing so many buses. No one wants to walk into a relationship with everyone having slept with your partner… ~ Mike Nab
This quote is written by a fellow alum about 7 years younger than I and wise beyond his years. And it gives me major cause to pause for two reasons. First, Mike’s right. Nobody wants to get all comfy and cozy with a person and then discover that said person has been intimate with any of your friends. Even a friend of a friend is hard to swallow. I have always avowed I am “a stingy bitch who refuses to share my m & m’s or my man…”
The second and last long pause is caused by the undeniable double standard. While Mike neither stated, nor implied that women are held to a higher moral standard, we are. No getting around that. And it’s been like that for a minute. Ironically, I recently came across an old clip from the film, Bingo Long All-Stars… The semi-fictional account of Negro baseball in the 1940s was made in 1974. In an opening exchange between superstar pitcher Bingo Long (phine-ass Billy December Williams) and his on the field nemesis, Leon Carter, the two men discover that they have something (or someone) in common.
Leon: I heard you done taken up with a hot number by the name of Violet.
Bingo: You heard right. Wait til you lay eyes on her.
Leon: Well if you are talking about Violet Graham (shoots Bingo a knowing glance sideways), I done laid more than eyes on her already.
Bingo tries to shake off the fact that his new found “jewel” has been screwing Leon. But it’s evident that Leon “gets Bingo’s dander up.” Prior to this exchange, it’s two strikes, and no balls. Yet instead of striking Leon out, Bingo goes off the mark. Carter, played by James Earl Jones, who was incredibly fine back in the day, hits a home run—out of the park, no less. Bingo half smiles tilts his head to the side and mumbles to himself that he was, “tired of Violet anyhow.”
Fast-forward to that evening when Violet greets Bingo at the local watering hole. She is ready to dance, dine, etc. (stress on the “etc.”) with Bingo. But Bingo stiffens and ever-so-smoothly takes a half a step back, advising Violet that she has “let him down.” Translation: Um, I had no idea you had fucked Leon.
It’s definitely a given that Violet had been intimate with Leon, probably in the very recent past, but she is not currently sleeping with him. So really, Bingo should have been willing to let what was past, “be past.” Furthermore, it usually takes one or two major infractions for a person to call it quits in a relationship; two people ordinarily have been going together for a while to actually make those miss-steps. Violet committed this offense, as it were, before she and Bingo got together. Ergo, it’s a “non-issue” because she anything or anybody she “did” before him, is none of his business. Yet, she doesn’t even have a chance to step up to the plate and take a full swing before he counts her out—damn!
Still, this brings me back to Mike’s statement. It’s disheartening to find out that your new boyfriend, or girlfriend has had a lot of partners, especially when those partners may travel in the same circles, or within spitting distance, of the ones that you do. Not only does it take the “fresh” feeling out of the relationship (shit, somebody else has in fact played with your new toy!), there’s the feeling that perhaps, you are now in possession damaged goods. Sure, you knew this person is not a virgin, but the fact that somebody else knows what you now know—or about to know, if you haven’t yet “done the do,” can put a damper on things. It makes you question if you want to continue to get to know that person on other levels because in fact, someone else already knows those levels. Someone else may know that story about how he really wanted to be a police officer because his Uncle was one. Or, that he went alone to the prom and watched the girl of his dreams (at the time) dance the night away with the captain of the football team. Or that he loves scary movies but the sight of Tinker Bell traumatizes him. Or the hopes and dreams he has for his firstborn. Or, that for him why it really is about making love and not just sex.
Most, but not all men are concerned with a woman being spotless. While women do have standards, in general, we are not overly concerned with who our current beau has been with—unless of course, it was another man (and that’s a whole other blog!). And of course we do get jealous if the former girlfriend is not totally out of the picture (Note to the Fellas: if she’s gone, let her STAY gone; don’t resurrect her number when your current lady won’t give you any or you get angry with her. Not a cool move at all). Violet was going to cuddle up with Bingo, although she has to know that as a ball player, he is going from town to town and has more moves than an overloaded and unbalanced washing machine; or maybe not. Yet, she is willing to take that chance.
Still, a new friend said something profound today about women and our choices. “This is why it is important to choose the right partner so that when we give energy to a man, he is also giving it back to us…like a plug and an outlet. ~ Nichelle Ryan (thanks, Lady!)
Axe.
Note on this Note: if you are easily offended by profanity, this may not be the Note for you…
A Woman should never be like a bus—ridden by anyone, anywhere, anytime. And a Man should not be like an interchange, housing so many buses. No one wants to walk into a relationship with everyone having slept with your partner… ~ Mike Nab
This quote is written by a fellow alum about 7 years younger than I and wise beyond his years. And it gives me major cause to pause for two reasons. First, Mike’s right. Nobody wants to get all comfy and cozy with a person and then discover that said person has been intimate with any of your friends. Even a friend of a friend is hard to swallow. I have always avowed I am “a stingy bitch who refuses to share my m & m’s or my man…”
The second and last long pause is caused by the undeniable double standard. While Mike neither stated, nor implied that women are held to a higher moral standard, we are. No getting around that. And it’s been like that for a minute. Ironically, I recently came across an old clip from the film, Bingo Long All-Stars… The semi-fictional account of Negro baseball in the 1940s was made in 1974. In an opening exchange between superstar pitcher Bingo Long (phine-ass Billy December Williams) and his on the field nemesis, Leon Carter, the two men discover that they have something (or someone) in common.
Leon: I heard you done taken up with a hot number by the name of Violet.
Bingo: You heard right. Wait til you lay eyes on her.
Leon: Well if you are talking about Violet Graham (shoots Bingo a knowing glance sideways), I done laid more than eyes on her already.
Bingo tries to shake off the fact that his new found “jewel” has been screwing Leon. But it’s evident that Leon “gets Bingo’s dander up.” Prior to this exchange, it’s two strikes, and no balls. Yet instead of striking Leon out, Bingo goes off the mark. Carter, played by James Earl Jones, who was incredibly fine back in the day, hits a home run—out of the park, no less. Bingo half smiles tilts his head to the side and mumbles to himself that he was, “tired of Violet anyhow.”
Fast-forward to that evening when Violet greets Bingo at the local watering hole. She is ready to dance, dine, etc. (stress on the “etc.”) with Bingo. But Bingo stiffens and ever-so-smoothly takes a half a step back, advising Violet that she has “let him down.” Translation: Um, I had no idea you had fucked Leon.
It’s definitely a given that Violet had been intimate with Leon, probably in the very recent past, but she is not currently sleeping with him. So really, Bingo should have been willing to let what was past, “be past.” Furthermore, it usually takes one or two major infractions for a person to call it quits in a relationship; two people ordinarily have been going together for a while to actually make those miss-steps. Violet committed this offense, as it were, before she and Bingo got together. Ergo, it’s a “non-issue” because she anything or anybody she “did” before him, is none of his business. Yet, she doesn’t even have a chance to step up to the plate and take a full swing before he counts her out—damn!
Still, this brings me back to Mike’s statement. It’s disheartening to find out that your new boyfriend, or girlfriend has had a lot of partners, especially when those partners may travel in the same circles, or within spitting distance, of the ones that you do. Not only does it take the “fresh” feeling out of the relationship (shit, somebody else has in fact played with your new toy!), there’s the feeling that perhaps, you are now in possession damaged goods. Sure, you knew this person is not a virgin, but the fact that somebody else knows what you now know—or about to know, if you haven’t yet “done the do,” can put a damper on things. It makes you question if you want to continue to get to know that person on other levels because in fact, someone else already knows those levels. Someone else may know that story about how he really wanted to be a police officer because his Uncle was one. Or, that he went alone to the prom and watched the girl of his dreams (at the time) dance the night away with the captain of the football team. Or that he loves scary movies but the sight of Tinker Bell traumatizes him. Or the hopes and dreams he has for his firstborn. Or, that for him why it really is about making love and not just sex.
Most, but not all men are concerned with a woman being spotless. While women do have standards, in general, we are not overly concerned with who our current beau has been with—unless of course, it was another man (and that’s a whole other blog!). And of course we do get jealous if the former girlfriend is not totally out of the picture (Note to the Fellas: if she’s gone, let her STAY gone; don’t resurrect her number when your current lady won’t give you any or you get angry with her. Not a cool move at all). Violet was going to cuddle up with Bingo, although she has to know that as a ball player, he is going from town to town and has more moves than an overloaded and unbalanced washing machine; or maybe not. Yet, she is willing to take that chance.
Still, a new friend said something profound today about women and our choices. “This is why it is important to choose the right partner so that when we give energy to a man, he is also giving it back to us…like a plug and an outlet. ~ Nichelle Ryan (thanks, Lady!)
Axe.
01 February 2011
WHERE’S THE FOUR?
(Or Why Isn’t Anyone Standing In The Gap for Kelley Williams Bolar?)
As I write this blog, I pause to think about the significance of tomorrow: February 1st. This date is more affectionately known as “February One,” on the campus of North Carolina A & T State University, an HBCU in Greensboro, NC. Usually a cold dreary day, it has had a warm place in my heart ever since I set foot on “Aggie Land,” back in 1995. I spent 4 of the best years of my life there and in addition to earning my degree, I learned about the “Greensboro Four.”
(Or Why Isn’t Anyone Standing In The Gap for Kelley Williams Bolar?)
As I write this blog, I pause to think about the significance of tomorrow: February 1st. This date is more affectionately known as “February One,” on the campus of North Carolina A & T State University, an HBCU in Greensboro, NC. Usually a cold dreary day, it has had a warm place in my heart ever since I set foot on “Aggie Land,” back in 1995. I spent 4 of the best years of my life there and in addition to earning my degree, I learned about the “Greensboro Four.”
On February 1st, 1960, Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair Jr. and David Richmond walked downtown to Woolworth’s, peacefully sat at the counter and asked to be served coffee. They waited all afternoon for service yet did not receive it. The next day, they returned, bringing more students. Soon sit-in protests were being held all over town and in nearby cities like Winston-Salem and Raleigh. This non-violent challenge continued until July 25, 1960, when the five & dime relented, serving its black employees at the counter first. The next day, Woolworth’s desegregated their counters nationwide.
Fast forward to January 2011; Kelley Williams-Bolar is found guilty of taking the law into her own hands. She did not commit murder, assault anyone, or rob a bank. Fed up with the school system where her family lives, she lied about her residency and enrolled her two daughters in the “less brown” township of Copley, where her father lives. At trial, the school deemed that Williams-Bolar should repay “$30,000 for the cost of educating her children. By the way, Copley officials spent $6,000 to investigate when they suspected the girls were attending school outside of their zone. Williams-Bolar refused to pay. She was thereby sentenced to 10 days in jail, three years’ probation and may lose her current job as a teacher’s aide. The single parent is just 12 credit hours shy of becoming a school teacher, but now is a convicted felon.
For crying out loud, where THE hell is Jessie Jackson? Al Sharpton? Oprah Winfrey? Michael Jordan (true—you leapt through the air for millions during the 90’s and was America’s boy-next-door. You have now, however, decidedly grown into a definition ass, but you are a parent, too)? Will Barbara Walters interview her? Will Bono sing a song in Williams-Bolar’s honor? Why hasn’t Brad Pitt, George Clooney or any other celebrities who have asked for an audience with the President about injustices abroad rang the bell at 1600 Pennsylvania on her behalf? Sarah Palin? Surely Kelly’s actions are a maverick move you have to respect… How about any of the potential Presidential candidates for the ‘12 election? I mean, damn, education is a Top Ten issue during a political race. Nobody; not a damn soul of national or international prominence has said, “a word nor a syllable” on this woman’s behalf. Pathetic; simply pathetic.
Why is everyone running scared from this one? Probably because a lot more people than we think do what Williams did—break the law in one form or another, to achieve, “a greater good.” This probably causes a fear of receiving the same scrutiny and the same results—jail. Shit, if Dr. King, Rev. Abernathy, etc. had been afraid of jail, there is no telling where we would be right now. Plus, in the wake of the uprisings in Egypt, and the start of Black history month, I think Americans need to recognize they’ve taken on a lazy, self-centered and inexcusable state of contentment. Bottom line, US citizens are settling for the “okie-doke” and not exercising their right to speak up when something is wrong.
Yes, Williams-Bolar broke the law. But this law kept her children locked into what she perceived “a dangerous environment” and force fed them a second class education. Her stance goes beyond a mere cry of “it’s not fair.” Every child in the United States is supposedly granted the right to an equal education. But we all know that this does not happen. The truth is that many US children receive a shitty education. By putting her children in another school, Williams-Bolar was simply acquiring what is guaranteed her under the law. Furthermore, why is it a crime to do such a thing? True, if no rule was in place, parents would do whatever they wanted, leaving the potential for grand pandemonium. School districts are there to maintain order.
Still, wouldn’t it be cool if kids got an equal education under the law? But they don’t. Wouldn’t it be cool if the parent, who has to work way across town, could put their kid in a school near their job so they wouldn’t miss the PTA meetings, could have lunch with their kid every so often, or attend parent-teacher conferences without feeling rushed? But they can’t. And wouldn’t it be really cool if we could stop being so uptight about this shit and work together on it? But we won’t.
Fast forward to January 2011; Kelley Williams-Bolar is found guilty of taking the law into her own hands. She did not commit murder, assault anyone, or rob a bank. Fed up with the school system where her family lives, she lied about her residency and enrolled her two daughters in the “less brown” township of Copley, where her father lives. At trial, the school deemed that Williams-Bolar should repay “$30,000 for the cost of educating her children. By the way, Copley officials spent $6,000 to investigate when they suspected the girls were attending school outside of their zone. Williams-Bolar refused to pay. She was thereby sentenced to 10 days in jail, three years’ probation and may lose her current job as a teacher’s aide. The single parent is just 12 credit hours shy of becoming a school teacher, but now is a convicted felon.
For crying out loud, where THE hell is Jessie Jackson? Al Sharpton? Oprah Winfrey? Michael Jordan (true—you leapt through the air for millions during the 90’s and was America’s boy-next-door. You have now, however, decidedly grown into a definition ass, but you are a parent, too)? Will Barbara Walters interview her? Will Bono sing a song in Williams-Bolar’s honor? Why hasn’t Brad Pitt, George Clooney or any other celebrities who have asked for an audience with the President about injustices abroad rang the bell at 1600 Pennsylvania on her behalf? Sarah Palin? Surely Kelly’s actions are a maverick move you have to respect… How about any of the potential Presidential candidates for the ‘12 election? I mean, damn, education is a Top Ten issue during a political race. Nobody; not a damn soul of national or international prominence has said, “a word nor a syllable” on this woman’s behalf. Pathetic; simply pathetic.
Why is everyone running scared from this one? Probably because a lot more people than we think do what Williams did—break the law in one form or another, to achieve, “a greater good.” This probably causes a fear of receiving the same scrutiny and the same results—jail. Shit, if Dr. King, Rev. Abernathy, etc. had been afraid of jail, there is no telling where we would be right now. Plus, in the wake of the uprisings in Egypt, and the start of Black history month, I think Americans need to recognize they’ve taken on a lazy, self-centered and inexcusable state of contentment. Bottom line, US citizens are settling for the “okie-doke” and not exercising their right to speak up when something is wrong.
Yes, Williams-Bolar broke the law. But this law kept her children locked into what she perceived “a dangerous environment” and force fed them a second class education. Her stance goes beyond a mere cry of “it’s not fair.” Every child in the United States is supposedly granted the right to an equal education. But we all know that this does not happen. The truth is that many US children receive a shitty education. By putting her children in another school, Williams-Bolar was simply acquiring what is guaranteed her under the law. Furthermore, why is it a crime to do such a thing? True, if no rule was in place, parents would do whatever they wanted, leaving the potential for grand pandemonium. School districts are there to maintain order.
Still, wouldn’t it be cool if kids got an equal education under the law? But they don’t. Wouldn’t it be cool if the parent, who has to work way across town, could put their kid in a school near their job so they wouldn’t miss the PTA meetings, could have lunch with their kid every so often, or attend parent-teacher conferences without feeling rushed? But they can’t. And wouldn’t it be really cool if we could stop being so uptight about this shit and work together on it? But we won’t.
The Sit-in Movements of the 1960’s worked because somebody did something. Somebody took that first step. On February One, four gentlemen took a step. Kelley Williams Bolar took a step and stands alone…or does she?
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