So yeah, sale like I mentioned on the last show, click I was interviewed on the CBC’s Radio One, anorexia on a show called Search Engine. The link to the interview is up on the CBC front page (for now), and you can see the blog post for this week’s show here, and direct download the show mp3 from their site
. They did a little mash-up of the Jena 6 podcast, which means that some of you are also on there.
If nothing else, you can laugh at how I sound on the radio. Also note that while I have very little connection with this “afrosphere”, I have been told that my Afro is spherical.
In other news, Mychal Bell is finally out on bail, Davey D puts the lack of responsible rappers into perspective, my man John Carlos is telling people what time it is, and white supremacist groups have started issuing death threats and posting the addresses of the Jena 6 kids on the internet in an invitation for people to go do physical harm to them.
You read that right.
Hey, I live in Vancouver and caught that interview yesterday – thanks.
Not sure what you thought about the idea that the internet itself has become racially segregated… Or how much that even matters.
Anyway, thoughts are with everyone down there fighting against governmentally-supported racism.
Ry – Yeah, I’m not sure that I would accept that model. If you want to apply the idea of “spheres”, it’d be more of a series of three-dimensional Venn Diagrams than a bunch of segregated, unrelated corners of the internet. Actually one of the two blogs I mentioned in the interview is run by a white dude. There was a bit of discussion on that sort of thing in the original interview, but I guess it didn’t make the final cut – but that’s how it goes.
interesting ..
!
Just listened to the “Search Engine” interview. I guess some press is better than none.
Also, I’ve recently wrestled with a NEW-story which seems to be somewhat relevant.
The title of this news story is, “Pro-Slavery Assignment Angers Parents”
It also comes with a video:
http://cbs13.com/topstories/local_story_276081210.html
Vince – yeah man. The more people hear about it the better, I guess, regardless of the format. Hopefully they then do their own research and do the knowledge on their own.
And this story is – again – stupid, but not surprising. I could actually almost see it if it was at a predominantly Black school, taught by a Black staff, because they’d already be coming from a position where they understood that it was an evil institution and the lesson might help students see how utterly insane the whole thing was. And I mean insane in the sense of criminally insane.
Again, that’s an almost.
But in this context, it’s more like “well, look at all the great things slavery did for us!”. I know you know this – the US was built on the backs of people of color – Blacks being probably the lion’s share of that, then you have the Native Americans, Chinese rail workers, etc. I don’t think kids are going to make the distinction between a sense of responsibility for their own history and a “as long as it’s not me, and I benefit, it’s cool”. Those teachers need to be fired, no questions asked. And somebody needs to talk to that principal if he doesn’t know what his teachers are doing.
And looking at it again, middle school is too early. Maybe high school.
Thanks for posting that.
By the way – just got an email. There is literally one dude standing in the way of justice for the Jena 6 – and that’s the DA Reed Walters.
Color of Change is demanding an investigation of him, and has a letter that you can send to make this happen and remove him from the case. Here’s the link.
Sounds like a plan, so thanks! I just mailed my letter off today.
http://profbw.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/pro-slavery-school-assignment-please-contact-teachersschool-district/
This website is off the chain. They have the e-mail address’ of both teachers & the principal! Also, they (like I) don’t understand how this could go on for 2 years before the principal is made aware of it. The article says he isn’t able to tell us if the teachers were dismissed because it’s a privacy issue. Well, I know sexual predators have to register with the state and their names get posted on websites so maybe their sould be some sort of monitoring/tracking system set up for Pro-Slavery teachers as well. Just a thought..
There was a respone from someone who calls theirself, “GOP” on some blog I found. In it, “GOP” said something to the effect, and I’m paraphrasing, that the “Pro-Slavery..” article was a liberal overreaction.. I don’t trust the reasoning which led him/her to that conclusion but unfortunantly it’s the same logic which permeates a majority of conversations concerning issues of importance (ig. Race) The politics of race, or like Prince Paul says, “The Politics of the Business” is just that– a business. These fools got this down to a science– from Wille Lynch to Eugen Fischer, Woodrow Wilson (a Democrat) to Richard “Dickhead” Cheney (A Republican.)
gotta get myself some stamps as well.
That post is good. It’s hard for me to read academian language without getting annoyed, but it looks like she’s not too much into that.
While I bet she never gets a response from those teachers, it’d be interesting to see what kind of conversation would develop from that if they did respond.
I feel you on the whole “liberal exaggeration” farce. People really believe it when people in power – and I mean this in all contexts you would care to take it in – say that they are “colorblind”. I don’t buy that shit for one second.
Another interesting thing that she brought about 1/3 down the way on this page on the subject of the “video ho” :
“…I would also add, the “video ho†was pioneered by Heavy Metal in the 80s, launching people like Tawny Kitane for dry sexing cars and band members legs. It was adopted by certain British pop stars and even exploited by British porn stars turned pop front women. The video ho is also financed by the record and video industry which is largely white, though we cannot forget that black men own huge rap labels.”
whoa.
Just as an update…we’re still follwing this at Blunt HQ over in the UK, and, for real, someone needs to look into this DA Reed business….its a farce…who the hell put Boss Hogg from The Dukes Of Hazzard in charge of things??
(Actually, I take that back…Boss Hogg was mildly funny…I see nothing funny about Reed)
Jeez…from this side of the pond, it just re-inforces the belief that the US is run by rednecks who would be happier strangling chickens than doing anything worthwhile for the people of their country…I know this aint the case, but it sure as hell gives a bad impression/sterotype to the rest of us!! – Middle America needs to sit up and take notice….
Well, I guess the answer to that is the indifferent majority who dont use their vote, dont care about politics, and then just put it down to “the system” when things like this happen…
The only way to stop things like this happening is to change “the system”, and that means being prepared to be counted for what you believe in…
Rant over!
M
excuse my spelling today – fat fingered takeover on the keys!! :)
I’ve watched “Lean On Me” on tvOne twice in the past week. I think the NAACP is a little soft this century & since it’s going down in Jersey w/ these Pro-Slavery teachers maybe the only hope they’ve got is Joe Clark (he still around?)
Yeah, profbwoman is on it! I wonder if she’s single. I’ve never heard anyone break down the history of the “video ho” like she did but it made a lot of sense.
I was watching this flick called “Money For Nothing” In it, this cat starts speaking on these labels– who they are, who owns them, what share of the market they own & some science on how they control our culture. It’s about 6 min long
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.Channel&ChannelID=116021145
BETnews said this rocker named John Mellencamp (guess he’s famous) made a song about the Jena 6 and the mayor of Jena got heated. I watched the video & I’d have to say that’s it’s not bad for a white boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHNZHe0Q14I
Agent M – it just re-inforces the belief that the US is run by rednecks who would be happier strangling chickens than doing anything worthwhile for the people of their country…I know this aint the case, but
stop right there: yes it is. Voting is a whole different discussion, but I take zero offense at people criticizing those leading the country right now!
vince – damn, both of those links are down. Do you have any updated ones? I want to check those. And where does the mayor of Jena get off getting heated about somebody telling people what’s going on? If you don’t like it, do something about it.
actually: here’s that john mellencamp video right here: John Mellencamp: Jena 6. Not something I’d listen to were it not for the subject matter, but dude did his thing. I guess it’s time to give up on waiting for rappers to make tracks about this.
Maybe we’ll get lucky and David Bowie will make something too.
Yeah, that “Money For Nothing” flick is produced by the Media Education Foundation (MEF) They posted the video on YouTube under the username, “ChallengingMedia.” They seem to be putting out some good documentaries. They just came out with a new flick called, “Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes” & it seems interesting enough to watch. Their website: http://www.mediaed.org/
I don’t know if you’ve been watching the news these past couple days but I’ve noticed that CNN seems to be saturated with stories involving race & I can’t help but believe that there’s some idiotic reason behind it. However, there’s one story that takes the cake & I don’t remember it being covered– perhaps I blinked while it was aired. The story was sent to me courtesy of The Final Call & it’s called, “Race Torture in West Virginia.” It’s pure insanity:
http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_3996.shtml
Man, I got an e-mail from my ex-wifey yesterday & she didn’t know anything about Jena. So, I figure If she DOESN’T watch or keep up with current events then she’ll continue to be left behind. Then, if she DOES watch without a clue as to how to navigate the constant barrage of video tabloids then she’ll always get suckered. Then again, who has time to worry about the news when you’re struggling to survive?
I’m with you on that David Bowie joke– it’s sad but like Pac said, “That’s Just The Way It Is” Pac’s flow was nice but I thought the track was annoying. I heard that jewel you dropped on Soultronica (ig. goonie-tay, lol..some Minstrel singers) that was tight
HERE IS MORE ABOUT IT
by A.man.I
MARCH FOR MEGAN WILLIAMS
On November 3, 2007 a historic National March will take place in Charleston, West Virginia. This call to action is to support young Megan Williams, who is the victim of one of the worst hate crimes in United States history.
The March is also called to address an unacceptable rise in hate crimes and incidents of injustices currently perpetrated against Blacks or African Americans. On September 12, 2007, and in subsequent preliminary hearings, it was revealed that Megan Williams, a twenty year old Black Woman, was lured into a nearby Logan county trailer house of hatred.
Young Megan, who also has special disability needs, was repeatedly raped, choked, stabbed, forced to eat dog and rat feces as her six white tormentors berated her calling her “nigger†incessantly. According to evidence gathered, Megan was sodomized with a stick and a noose was tied around her neck for lengthy periods during this week long ordeal that is verified by several of co-defendants signed confessions.
This is an this ugly and outrageous ordeal. Prosecutors said. “Every time they stabbed her, they called her ‘nigger.†Carmen Williams, the mother, told The Charleston Gazette. “She wakes up in the middle of the night screaming, ‘Mommy.’ What’s really, really bad is, we don’t know everything, and they did to her. She is crying all the time.†No doubt, had she not been rescued they were going to kill her and throw her in a nearby lake.
This march is being organized by Black Lawyers For Justice (BLFJ), the Support Committee For Megan Williams and will be endorsed by at least 100 Black organizations, student groups, clergy and leaders of every stripe.
When: Saturday November 3, 2007 12:00 noon
Location: Charleston, West Virginia. Beginning in front of West Virginia State University and Marching to the West Virginia State Capitol in Charleston.
Contact: Black Lawyers For Justice (BLFJ) / Malik Shabazz, Esq.
Attorney/ advocate for Megan Williams and the Williams Family)
Ph: NATIONAL (202) 397-3577 local (304) 657-1493
Mos Def has a video on YouTube that was posted by SMtv that says it all:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=566XHQqmG8g
“I’m sick of marching in these rallies– It’s time to ride and get rowdy like they did in Cali”– Hell Razah
So, guess I’m going to the march now. Just checked up on what’s going down. Part of the program will be highlighting these hate crimes:
Deonte Rawlings (R.I.P.)
http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/1007/462011_video.html?ref=newsstory
Gary King Jr. (R.I.P.)
http://cbs5.com/local/local_story_267205237.html
Martin Lee Anderson (R.I.P.)
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/content/opinion/epaper/2007/10/15/a6a_leadedit_bootcamp_1015.html
Omega Leach (R.I.P.)
http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=7198774
Genarlow Wilson (Serving Time)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOl2iH81Rqo
Mychal Bell (Serving time)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0l5Fow6LW-U
Meagan Williams (Lucky to be alive?)
vince & talat – Thanks for bringing that up. That Megan Williams story is terrifying. I’d heard of the Genarlow one as well – that one is sickening.
Vince – man, I can’t even watch the news. Truth be told, I haven’t owned a TV in four years. It’s good and bad – good in that I don’t have to deal with the lies, but bad in that it’s hard for me to understand sometimes why so many of us are in the dark.
All the videos you linked up earlier are good. You’re educating one person on this thing, hopefully others are watching.
Thank you for making that step to go participate in that march. If you have time to snap a couple photos and let us know what the situation was, I’ll link/post it up.
But, as you, I, and Hell Razah (you all did catch that Hell Razah freestyle, right?) said – I’m sick of marching in these rallies. Where do you stand on that?
Or to anyone – where do you all stand on this? When is talking and waiting patiently for justice no longer enough?
Pingback: Mos Def - Shook Ones at the mixtape show rap / hip-hop podcast
Yeah, I caught the freestyle– in fact, iTunes say’s I’ve listened to it.. let’s see: 141 times
I can understand that TV situation cause for awhile I kicked it to the curb after reading a book called, “Behold A Pale Horse.” As crazy as that book was- it changed my life. Aesop Rock has a funny song about TV though & it’s called, “Basic Cable”
About these marches– even though they seem like a lost cause I’m not really in a position to voice that frustration meaning– I’m still young & though I’ve been to a few of ‘em it’s only a drop in the bucket compared to all the sweat my elders & ancestors had to pour out just to get us where we are today– which doesn’t like much to be grateful for in my opinion but that’s just me being naive so never mind that
That’s a good point on the marches – people before us have definitely done more, and at greater cost. Maybe I’m just too cynical, but a lot of times, I don’t expect things like that to have much of an impact. I fully expect some people to resist until the end, but the least we can do is spread the word to the people who are able to interact with this information on a human level. Marches, I guess, is one way to bring attention to that.
But to be fair, this massive action on the Jena 6 case has had an effect – the hearings are going down, and the gov seems to be admitting finally that hanging nooses is a hate crime. That’s a positive step, however small and symbolic.
A dude I met at a party a long time ago was telling me about that book. Sounded pretty crazy.
Oh, so you have the single track itself. For a second I thought you were saying that you’d listened to the full episode 141 times.
#83 is one of my favorites but I isolated the track from the rest of the show & just played it like that. Also, he’s got a track on Razah’s Ladder called “Halos” & it’s solid!
DEX– You asked when is waiting for justice no longer enough & that’s a good question. In my opinion the wait should’ve been over. There’s plenty of justifications for revolt but there’s no such thing as a one man brigade, especially when it comes to implementing the social changes we need. I wouldn’t care if there were 2 people, 100 or a million men marching. Without a sustained effort people will show up only to go back to their own lives chasing their own dreams that often have nothing to do with the grand struggle. Then, there’s no medium to reinforce that struggle or should I say that we don’t have an effective medium. There’s plenty of reasons why that is & I’m sure you can name a few. One that I can’t stand is the church. I mean, there’s so much potential to educate people just within the church alone but these greedy azz preachers– that tax-exemption got most of ‘em burnt (what a joke!) Here’s another one I can’t stand– it’s like urban legend to talk about religion & politics. WTF? How is anyone gonna have a serious dialogue about 2 of the most dominating elements in our civilization when you gotta go about it walking on egg shells? Offend the wrong person & it’s blasphemy which means eternal damnation. Piss off the fed’s & they cry sedition then scream for the guillotine. No wonder people are timid
Ha, I guess you liked that track then if you went through all that trouble!
I feel you – a one person brigade isn’t going to do much. And too many of us – by us I mean the general populace – are scared. Scared to do anything, and scared to have even conversations on it.
Religion, politics – I’d add to that race, class, gender, etc. Unfortunately a lot of people are absolutely terrified of talking about any of the above – but race seems to be something that makes people particularly nervous. The media is scared to do anything but dance around the issue, and too many people assert that they “don’t see color”. Right.
I feel like the battles for television and radio have already been lost. The new battlefield is new media, and we’re all in the midst of it right now.
I understand when a person claims that color shouldn’t be the focal point but I can’t understand a person claiming that American institutions & policies whose operations owe their existence to the acknowledgement of skin color don’t exist. For instance, in Pelican Bay, prisoners are separated according to race. Does anyone find that a little odd?
I know a little bit about what your talking about as far as the battlefield being new media but it’s still a little foggy to me. I know I’m not feeling the iPhone or the Telecommunications Act Bill Clinton signed into law. Oh, and have you heard about Madonna & Radohead yet:
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20057685_20057687_20153007,00.html