Culture, Race & Economy

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Black Men and the White Left http://www.counterpunch.org/reed09172010.html Why Some White Progressives Make Me Sick By ISHMAEL REED Ralph Ellison wrote his novel, “Invisible Man,” in an elliptical style because HUAC was breathing down the necks of black writers. Langston Hughes, appearing before the committee, had to renounce his left leaning pro-Soviet poetry. But stripped bare, Ellison’s book is about the left’s abandonment of the issue of housing foreclosures. Progressives of the day turned their attention to saving the Communist revolution abroad, under attack by German fascists. Ellison was furious about what he considered a betrayal. I thought a…

After a chase a black motorcyclist beaten by Dallas, TX cops. This has touched off a firestorm of controversy and resulted in firing and suspensions. http://DTPollard.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rS9_LU7qog

The big swing bands of the 1930s and early 40s were who provided dance music for hep cats and fly chicks. I can see my older sisters and brother jitterbuggin now, - or “cuttin a rug” as it was also called. This era was the hey day of Duke Ellington and Count Basie. Who hasn’t heard of these giants? The name Jimmy Lunceford may not be as familiar but he was also a trail blazer in this domain. For trivia buffs Lunceford was once the rival of Harlem Renaissance poet, Countee Cullin for the hand of W.E.B.DuBois’ daughter. Countee got the girl because her family found him more acceptable than a transient saxophone player. Jimmy got the last laugh, however, when …

In my ongoing quest to do what some will find boring, the next two entries are meant to remind people that before Motown, Disco, Psychadelic Funk, Hip-hop, and Rap, black people snapped their fingers and patted their feet to other types of R&B music. Yeah, you know a little about the Blues. BB King. Roberty Cray. But, let’s go back a little further, back to the 1930s. Myth has it that musician Robert Johnson went to the crossroads and while there, sold his soul to the devil in exchange for the amazing guitar skills he inexplicably acquired. Nobody does, or did it better. Blues aficionados claim Johnson approached his guitar like a keyboard and treated the strin…

From time to time people provide links to songs they want to share with others for one reason or another. Since it's a slow day, I'll indulge my personal tastes. Music lovers know that good music is good music, and the passage of time doesn’t alter this. My first choice is a song that became popular around 1950. It is entitled “It’s a Blue World” and was a ground-breaking record because it set the bar for all the crooning male singing groups that came after, including The Temptations, who cited The Four Freshmen as the vocal quartet which had inspired and influenced them most. As is the case in all of their selections, the Four Freshmen’s 4-part harmonizing …

This post is not about shooting the messenger. It's about a little old lady that lived is a shoe. She wanted so much attention she didn't know what to do. Well, although Alveda King's participation in Glen Beck's "rally" may have been honorable, she blew it! Not only did she drop the ball with her "cookie cutter" speech, she gave credence to a man that's the personification of a dormant cancer that has gained a new hold. Is she a sell-out, sambo or a puppet? Well, in my opinion, she has the qualities to wear many of their shoes. I know it's not a popular opinion to speak ill of her, but it has to be said. Her seemingly disdain (driven by the media & her own …

<A href="http://careycarey-carrymehome.blogspot.com/2010/08/for-over-80000-days-there-was-white.html">FOR OVER 80,000 DAYS, THERE WAS A WHITE GENTLEMEN SITTING IN THE WHITE HOUSE. President Obama has a huge weight on his shoulders and so did my grandfather. At the beginning of their new voyage, each of them were up against the mighty Goliath. A formidable foe for sure. Sticks and stones could break their bones, but that was the least of their worries. In 1865, my grandfather (above picture) of six generations past, was released from slavery. Since that time, there has been 28 white gentlemen seated as President of The United States. Over Fifty Three…

When we were younger we used to complain about a media that always seemed to be on the look out for the craziest sounding people to use as a sound bite for a news story. They did this so much it became a cliche. Over the years the media has taken this type of "journalism" to a new level with shows like Jerry Springer which are designed to profit by entertaining the masses at the expense of the most dysfunctional in our society. Now here is a story (that someone forwarded to me); covering a very serious crime -- attempted rape. However rather than being at least partonizingly sympatetic to the victim; the highlight of the broadcast was a rant by the victim's brothe…

The obvious question to ask you, Chrishayden, is: as a black man, are YOU full of self-loathing? Do YOU look at yourself in the mirror and hate what you see? If you don't, then why do you think others do? If you do, then how can you scold people when you are as guilty as they? You regularly distance yourself from the crowd, covering yourself in the "onlooker" cloak, as you criticize "Negoes" who offer opinions about the black problem. Yet you, yourself, do what you accuse these "Negroes" of when you attempt to assess Blacks who are not in your proximity, painting all of them with the broad brush of a self-hating slave mentality. But, what makes the scenarios you conc…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM2alg1Z2ak Man I was smiling as I watched the trailer for this DVD. I LOVED seeing some of my favorite performers in their prime. More information about this DVD, which will be released on Tuesday, may be found here: http://runt.it/soultraindvd

Hello Cynique, Troy, Chris, Carey and other long time Thumper's Board Residents This is Jackie from Long Beach. I've been away for a looonng time ! Just wanted to actually say hi. There's a certain lil human being in my life now...she will be 9 months on the 20th. Yikes ! I need an instruction manual ! lol. Anyways, just wanted to holla. Hope all is well with you and yours. Peace and Blessings !

Should I create a Facebook page for my dad? My dad passed in 1979 and without getting into all the details, suffice it to say that I did not know him very well. The profile would be a place where I can post some of his old super videos, a few photos, and some biographical information. Others could post info too. My thinking is that one it would be not a memorial, but an interactive archive of sorts. I might even learn more about my dad from the potential contribution of people I don't even know. If Facebook (or the internet lasts) my children's children could learn about their ancestor. Ancestry.com provides a similar service but it is not as accessible…

WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — Grammy-winning rapper T.I. was arrested along with his wife on suspicion of possessing methamphetamines, five months after the hip-hop star finished a prison stint on weapons charges. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/09/01/ti-arrested-rapper-cliffo_n_703111.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ioq7U6S_ko

Commentator Christopher Hitchens put his spin on Glenn Beck's rally in Washington DC. One crucial element of the American subconscious is about to become salient and explicit and highly volatile. It is the realization that white America is within thinkable distance of a moment when it will no longer be the majority. http://www.slate.com/id/2265515/ Stolen Country 911 Call (Video) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ioq7U6S_ko

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Is America ready for Coal Black? http://www.theroot.com/views/free-black-looney-tunes?page=0,1

I was just getting ready to add my response to Mr. Mason's post, when I read Troy's remarks and decided that they should stand on their own, without the distraction of what I have to say, especially since what Troy and I have to say are somewhat similar. So, I started a new topic and below is my commentary. (Cynique) With all due respect, I agree with some of what you had to say, Mr. Mason, but one of your assertions didn’t win me over. Your implication that black men should not emulate white men because this would endorse white supremacy is debatable. You obviously equate success with skin color. But the traits and qualities necessary to excel and prevail are…

A woman calls 911 to report that the country was stolen. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ioq7U6S_ko

You GO girl! Finally a Negro with BALLS! (Why is it most often a WOMAN these days?) http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_usda_racism_resignation

Hi Everyone: Please allow me to announce that 'Solving the Arab-Israeli Conflict' is now available on Amazon Kindle. For your information, it is perhaps the first time that an attempt was made to resolve the underlying religious issues that have prevented both sides from negotiating a peace agreement in good faith. Over the past 40 years, proposals to end the Arab-Israeli conflict have generally specified the following two pre-conditions. 1. The Islamic nations must recognize Israel’s right to exist in peace in the region. 2. Israel must return the Gaza and West Bank areas. These pre-conditions appear to conflict with the following aspects of I…

Today is not only August 18, 2010, but is also my 77th birthday! I can't believe I've been around this long. How things have changed and progressed since that sunny afternoon in 1933 when the doctor whose office was where my Daddy worked as a part-time janitor, hurried to the home of my parents and kept his promise to deliver his employee's baby instead of paying him his measely salary that week. With my mom's best friend, who was a nurse, in attendance, I was delivered at home, - like a whole lot of other "depression era" babies. I weighed in at 9lbs, - surprising since for most of the rest of my life I was thin. Over the years, I've been a witness to a lot of histo…

Shown below, is an actual letter that was sent to a bank by an 86 year old woman. The bank manager thought it amusing enough to have it published in the New York Times. Dear Sir: I am writing to thank you for bouncing my check with which I endeavored to pay my plumber last month. By my calculations, three nanoseconds must have elapsed between his presenting the check and the arrival in my account of the funds needed to honor it.. I refer, of course, to the automatic monthly deposit of my entire pension, an arrangement which, I admit, has been in place for only eight years. You are to be commended for seizing that brief window of opportu…

"I come to realize that I'm wasting way too much time on here. The real movers and shakers aren't on here, just us everyday working joes. I want to be a mover and shaker. It's time to get my hustle on, so I will only be checking my FB once a week to post any signings or dj gigs I might have. FB is keeping us from making any real moves, it's a drug and I need to stop being a junky." --Anthony L. Wallace Is he right?

The man really does not understand what it means to be President of the United States. You cannot make offhand comments. You cannot speak and be guaranteed to be taken in context. You cannot get involved in controversial LOCAL issues when your ratings are slipping and members of your party are about to go on trial for ethics violations and you are looking at getting slaughtered in the mid term elections. But let's say you did it? Why then start flip flopping the very next day, looking like either an idiot, a coward, or a crass politician? The guy wasn't ready for it--which was part of his charm I guess--all I know is I would feel a lot better about t…

What "We Want Our Country Back" Really Means White Citizenship By MARGARET KIMBERLEY The founding fathers made one thing perfectly clear when they ratified the constitution in 1787. Full citizenship rights were meant only for white men of property. Over a period of nearly 200 years, people’s movements guaranteed that those rights were extended to everyone regardless of race or gender, but the fact that the struggle literally took centuries should not be forgotten. It is tempting to snicker at the sight of today’s Tea Party members, grown men wearing knee breeches and three-cornered hats. Yet their costumes tell an important tale. They evoke an era still seen a…

As I returned to my apartment for the evening, I chanced to come across some new tenants a woman and her small children sitting on the porch.. All three of them, even the little kids (especially them) looked as though somebody had "whupped them with an ugly stick" I spoke to them. They all looked at me evilly. Hmphhh, I hmpph entering my crib. They didn't look too friendly. I likes my colored folks happy and smilin'. Must be mad because they woke up black this morning. Probably blaming all their troubles on the white man. Probably the woman's fault. You know how Black women is, those dusky servants of Satan. I was going on about this when another te…

So crazy...

Drive Through Fight Over Chicken Nuggets http://DTPollard.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB9HIEdmDFY

A figure that obviously was President Barack Obama was featured in a carnival shooting game, but the operator said he had no idea. http://DTPollard.com http://www.amazon.com/D-T-Pollard/e/B002BLVC7Q/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHJscXfqrBc

I can’t believe what I‘m hearing on the news! It’s not bad enough that whooping cough and head lice have resurfaced, now bed bugs have made a come back, their infestation reaching epidemic proportions. “Good night, sleep tight,” has taken on a whole new meaning. Yikes! Oh well, this is something to take my mind off Obama having to rely on the Republicans to get his bill for more billions to fund the war in Afghanistan after his fellow Democrats refused to support this folly. No wonder his hair is turning gray. Add to that the irritation caused by all the hoopla involved in keeping the details of Chelsea Clinton’s multi-million dollar wedding a secret, and my chagri…

What is Obama up to? Afrofuturism? http://www.africom.mil/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Africa_Command http://www.jpanafrican.com/docs/vol2no9/2.9_The_United_States_Africa_Command.pdf

http://www.suntimes.com/news/metro/2530358,59hours-chicago-shooting-072410.article And, all those who scream about lack of community cooperation with the police, first answer these questions. 1) do the police snitch on each other? 2) do politicians snitch on each other? 3) do white folks call out white racism? 4) do Italians snitch on the Mafia? And so it goes.

Well, I didn't actually go there. I listened to their live stream (Friday, July, 2010). I received an e-mail announcing the departure of Al Goodman of The Moments. Oh yeah, love on a two way street. In the e-mail there was a link to the station in Harlem (WHCR 90.3 FM). They played my kind of music. I even called the station and asked for a special request. They were more than happy to honor my request. They got on the air and sent one to me. They even mentioned that I was way out in Iowa.

So you wanna talk Homer? Let’s Talk the Iliad. Which translation of the Iliad are you talking about? There are over 200. http://www.editoreric.com/greatlit/translations/Iliad.html The one I like now is Richmond Lattimore’s Translation http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0226469409/editoreric-20 To wit Richmond Lattimore's acclaimed translation in 1965-7 tries to keep the long lines of the original Greek poetry. Homer used dactyllic hexameter, which is a dum-da-da rhythm with six dums to the line, and Lattimore struggles to at least fit the six stresses into each line. He also tries to stick closely to the Greek text. The result is…

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/13/whoopi-goldberg-mel-gibso_n_644161.html

Her firing happened awful fast, as did the offer of reinstatement. There has been no word of any punishment for Tom Vilsack, the man who did the awful deed. Obama himself was quick to get on tv and get to apologizing and calling her up. A couple weeks ago he had a supposedly secret meeting with that skunk, Slick Willie Clinton--who threw Sistah Souljah under the bus in order to get elected. Did he do it? If so, should he confess?

Another Chicago policeman was shot dead last week, a black, 62-year-old veteran, months away from retirement. Just getting off duty, exiting his brand new Buick in front of his home, he was gunned down by young thugs intending to steal his car. Scared off when he returned gun fire before succumbing to his wounds, the perpetrators who are suspected gang members fled on foot. This is the third Chicago officer murdered in 2 months and, according to authorities, the gangs have moreorless declared war on the police, sending a message that they have no respect for the uniform. Compounding the problem is the “no-snitch” street code which prevents investigators from getti…

This is gonna be a long next two years He should have declared victory and got the hell out the day after he was sworn in But he didn't want to appear "soft" http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/world/war-logs.html Well, how does he look now?

Chicago’s western suburbs were hit hard by a deluge of rain this weekend. Lightning flashed, thunder boomed, and the rain fell, and fell, and fell. The fund-raising gala sponsored by the local black heritage museum of which I am a staff member was held at the club house of the race track that borders my town, and I should’ve known after the first race was postponed due to threatening skies, and the horse I bet on in the third race came in last, that I was in for an "erratic" evening. By the time my friend dropped me off at my house, the rain was really coming down, but I wasn’t concerned. It’s not like I hadn’t experienced bad weather before. Anyhoo, as the n…

Can a black man say he's a choir director without getting a strange look? Come on now, yawl saw Kat Williams in First Sunday. Can a black man say OH MY GOD, without receiving that same piercing glare? Isn't that a term reserved for chicks or white guys? And, instead of saying OMG, black men say, ain't that a bitch, don't they? Real black men wear a mustache don't they? I know there are those that like going O.J. all the way, but I would rather wear tighty whiteys than cut the hair off my lip. Can a black man say he doesn't watch any sports? That's blasphemy, isn't it? I don't know but it's ruff being a black man. See, I can't dunk a basketball and I've n…

The Pied Piper of Hamelin is the subject of a legend concerning the departure or death of a great many children from the town of Hamlin, Germany, in the Middle Ages. The earliest references describe a piper, dressed in pied (multicolored, LIKE A PIMP) clothing, leading the children away from the town never to return. In the 16th century the story was expanded into a full narrative, in which the piper is a rat-catcher hired by the town to lure rats away with his magic pipe. When the citizenry refuses to "pay the piper" for this service, he retaliates by turning his magic on their children, leading them away as he had the rats. Now, look at that pimpish dressing pied pip…

I'm listening to a Sunday morning talk show here in NYC, while trying to get a newsletter written (first one since late April). The radio hosts talking about the number of murders taking place in Chicago. In one recent weekend, 52 murders took place over a single weekend - including a 1 year baby! This past weekend 40+ murders took place. Virtually all of these murders are of Black people by other Black people... One Brother felt that Black men need to hit the streets and take them back -- policing our own communities. That sounds good, but it will never happen. Most Black people with money do not live in those communities and are not coming back to help. Wo…

As a black man I've got way too many questions with too few answers. I got tired of waiting for someone else to create the site that tries to answer these questions so we decided to create it. The Black Man's Survival Guide is located at www.afrodaddy.com and it contains articles about basic survival skills for black men as well as information on how to save money and be more efficient. We hope the site provides black men information about things that they don't know but need to know to help themselves and their families. This is a community project and we need the ideas and content of all the positive, literate and intelligent brothers and sisters in this forum. Fir…

I'm curious, what do you think about white, Western literature? Does anybody read or enjoy Homer, Shakespeare or T.S. Eliot? I know this forum is mostly meant for discussing black writings, but indulge me.

Being a 23 year old black man splitting my 23 years btween a city that has a strong African American influence ( St. Louis) and another city that despite the growing number of African American the culture is weak and seems to lack roots (Phoenix), I have learned one main thing about black women and women of other races, most black women do not know there roles. Hear me out, the reason for the growing number of black men looking to marry outside of there race is do to the fact the a growing number of black men a being educated and finding out what they want in life and in women. No matter what anyone says about the white race, thewomen in it know there roles and stic…

This should be their campaign slogan: You don't like the shape the country's in? The Republicans did it! If you want more, vote for them! They should hammer that in over and over. They should say it in reply to every question put to them. Unless they totally demonize them they don't stand a chance. I don't think they have the balls for it.

Whatever, without folks like him, we'd have one less holiday... JUNETEENTH BABY, JUNETEENTH! Didn't he know the slaves are free? And, what's that hole in his pocket? Well, we all know there's some freaky cavalier priest running around. Some of them are at the top of their organization, just like the owner of Cleveland's basketball team. Now, Ohio is right next to Indiana, and it's been said the Grand Wizard used to live there. I don't know if it's true but some people are saying that Cleveland's owner is in his Fab Five. I mean, there seems to be a connection but stay with me. Don't try this at home, but there's an old game, or joke, that some guys once play on …

Every Negro should keep up on basketball. It is one of the few things you got going. Anyway, he did NOT stab Cleveland in the back. Just the same, I hope he was moved out of his house, his bags was packed and he had a plane ticket in his pocket when he made that decision. Tyger Woods is the Obama of Golf. Will LeBron be the Obama of Basketball?