What Did SHE do?

I've had enough. It is time for me to get this off of my chest. I've been silent about this Chris Brown and Rihanna incident, and frankly that's because I didn't feel like wasting my time with the ignorance--but it must end here. This incident is representative of the nasty case of "blame the victim" that seems to be sweeping over the country.

You may have noticed that at the Grammys, some people turned down their televisions when Chris Brown performed, and others tweeted "he can beat me any day". A friend of mine in particular commented that he was tired of people beating on Chris Brown because in reality "it takes two". Up until those last three words, I understood what he was saying. Now I'm not saying the boy doesn't deserve to have a career. But really, "it takes two" to get beat up? Since when? Therefore, I felt compelled to write the following response, "The hell it does!! Since WHEN!?!? WHY does this country always play this stupid "blame the victim" game. Let's all go ask all the female rape victims why they were raped. I mean...they must have been wearing provocative clothing or something to tempt them right? God forbid we just teach men how to control their damn selves." 


Okay, so I could have used nicer language (thankfully he is my friend and knows I mean no harm). The point is that this is an incident that exposed how twisted people think about issues pertaining to domestic violence. The reaction immediately following the incident disturbed me. When people said Chris Brown was wrong, I heard "Well we don't know what happened", but when it came to Rihanna, people wanted to know what SHE did to cause him to lose his cool (and she probably didn't have to do much if you heard about the Good Morning America incident). 


What do you think? SOUND OFF! Does this incident hold little significance now? Should we forgive and/or forget? Are we too tolerant with those who perform acts of domestic violence, particularly celebrities? Do you think Chris Brown has changed? WOULD PEOPLE HAVE REACTED DIFFERENTLY IF IT WERE TAYLOR SWIFT INSTEAD OF RIHANNA? 

Ms. Barbie and Mr. Lollipop Bring Swag to the Classroom

Apparently, “hip hop” artists Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne recently received “Teacher of the Year” awards for their role in educating—yes I said educating the young people of today. The awards were presented by a South Florida corporation called "The Better Education Place".  Find more details here: http://thisbeatgoes.com/hip-hop-news/florida-literacy-company-names-nicki-minaj-and-lil-wayne-teachers-of-the-year/

Perhaps I’m just a little conservative, but I happen to find this particularly disturbing, especially considering that they beat out teachers who most likely have degrees in education and interact with these kids on a daily basis. Not to say that the degree makes them a great teacher, but if you are familiar with their music, you would understand my confusion. I understand the logic of using music to help kids grasp certain concepts, but I also feel the content of the music is just as if not more important than the method being used.

I’ve decided to refrain from speaking directly about why I think Lil Wayne and Nicki Minaj do NOT deserve these awards (although there is much to be said on this issue). However, I think what is more important is what this means for the education of our young people and what this says about the value of education.  Should we really be telling teachers that it is more important that they have the “swagger” necessary to gain the kid’s attention, and less important they have the skills necessary to teach the kids once that attention is present? Does this further encourage students to prioritize values that are far less important in applying for the jobs they want? What do you think? Did Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne deserve to be named the teachers of the year? Does this event expose some of the ugly truths of our educational system or is it a good sign? 

Kwanzaa For Dummies

I recently read an article that I found to be particularly disturbing regarding the relevance and authenticity of Kwanzaa. The article can be found at "http://newsone.com/nation/abanjoko/kwanzaa-is-wack-there-i-said-it/". In response to this article, I have decided to write a letter to the author, stating why I disagree with her claim that “Kwanzaa is Wack”.

Dear Adisa, 

Allow me to start off by saying: I celebrate Kwanzaa. My family has been celebrating Kwanzaa for many years now and recently became very serious about the celebration, even inviting many friends and family members to celebrate the big seventh day feast.

Now let me admit, I do not believe the holiday is perfect. I believe that there are some faults in it and that the songs are especially corny, but to suggest that it has no use to the black community is not only ignorant but completely false. You claim that Kwanzaa is “stupid” because its creator was FBI informant Dr. Maulena Karenga (who may have had bad intentions in creating Kwanzaa).  You also state the obvious by mentioning the lack of Africans that participate in this celebration. Considering that the holiday was originally intended for the African-American population, that would be assumed Adisa.

Based on your logic, there should be no black Christians. After all, the creators of Christianity were not big fans of the black diaspora and the religion was later on used to enslave the Africans physically and mentally. Many black Christians are aware of this history and have chosen to make the religion their own, regardless of how Christianity has been used and manipulated by other people. Of course with Kwanzaa, I guess it isn’t possible to make it your own! (My family personally focuses much more on how the seven principles affect the black community today, and much less on the African aspect that people stress when describing the holiday.)

My favorite line from your article really resonates with me, "Kwanzaa is like a bad weave. People might kinda like it, but we all know it ain’t real." I'm not going to say much about this, but I would like you to give me a brief summary of the origins of Christmas and its traditions and then tell me what exactly "real" is? 

Everyone has a different perception of Kwanzaa. To me, it isn’t simply about celebrating African ancestry. It is also about providing a time for black families to convene in an effort to RESTORE the black family, which is much needed. Although I do not feel it should be a once a year thing, I certainly think it is useful to families who use it. It also gives people of African descent a time to honor those who have contributed to our blessings, and discuss what issues are important in the black community and how we can address them. Many people think this is a no-brainer that should be happening already, but in reality it doesn’t and people have become so consumed in their own individual lives that an opportunity like this is rare. Hence, Kwanzaa is very valuable.

To others, Kwanzaa represents a time where people can escape the monetary, superficial pressures that are often times associated with Christmas. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t have any beef with Christmas; it has provided me with lots of nice things. However, many people tend to neglect the purpose of celebrating Christmas, and use it as an excuse to spend money or unapologetically ask for gifts. Unfortunately, celebrating Christmas has never provided me with the personal fulfillment and encouragement that Kwanzaa has. 

To conclude, YOU DO need Kwanzaa, Adisa Banjoka, regardless of all of the history of Africa you claim to know. Your “knowledge” means nothing if it isn’t used to help and uplift the black community and/or inspire the youth. Is it possible to love your black heritage without celebrating Kwanzaa? Absolutely. But Kwanzaa is much more than informing people about their African roots. Kwanzaa is not a counterfeit classroom, but a platform used to promote and restore the unity, hope, faith and determination that has been lacking in the black community. I’d advise you to think of how important these values are in this age of the “post-racial society” where many black issues have been swept under the rug. Harambee to you!!

         Sincerely,

            A wannabe-hardcore-revolutionary-Shea-Butter-selling black girl

Human Nature and Sexuality

As I was browsing through various sites today, I came across an article about cheating and how a large percentage of men AND women admit to cheating on their spouse. The article then began to question whether or not humans are meant to be with one partner for life, or if this is some ideal concept we've forced upon ourselves. I admit that I've thought of this many times before. Apparently love goes in cycles, and sometimes you love your partner more than other times, but could this be because you aren't naturally meant to be with ONE person? IF our purpose truly is to procreate, why would we have to have ONE partner? I am in no way trying to promote promiscuity, but one must wonder why people push for marriage if they have such a hard time staying faithful. Humans have always tried to manipulate nature and ignore their instincts. For instance, women were once forced to control their instincts to a much larger degree than men (as in polygamist traditions), which is why men were always seen as animalistic and untrustworthy. However, more women now follow their instincts and have more sexual partners (although society deems them insecure). These thoughts lead me to the following questions: Was the institution of marriage originally created to maintain an organized family structure within society? Is marriage becoming less serious to people because it has lost its original purpose? Are we really meant to be with ONE person our entire lives? If so, why?

The "Age of Obama"

When the first African-American was elected to become the Commander in Chief of the U.S., most Americans were proud, and it marked a critical moment in history not only for people of color, but for the nation itself. On one hand, this time demonstrated the progress that has been made since the days of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement. However, many wonder whether the "Age of Obama" has also had a negative effect on people of color. One day I had a discussion with one of my Professors, and he explained that many white Americans were eager to elect an African-American president in order to rectify past wrongdoing and deal away with the "race" issue. Along with the "Age of Obama" came America's self-proclaimed "Post-Racial society" where discussions of race are seen as politically incorrect and even irrelevant to many. This could pose a problem, especially considering that there are still many disparities among ethnic minorities that could potentially get worse when ignored and overlooked. What do you think? Does presenting America as a "Post-Racial Society" benefit all Americans equally? Are issues pertaining to people of color gradually being ignored because of this new "Post-Racial society" or is there little to no difference? Does the positive impact of the "Age of Obama" outweigh the negative (if it exists)?

Social Media Hurting our Social Lives?

As an avid Facebook User, I've always wondered whether or not the time I spent on Facebook could have been put to better use. While I studied abroad in Ghana, internet connection was a hit or miss situation, so I was forced to immerse myself in the world around me. However, the same is not the case in most other developed countries, which leads me to question what influence sites such as Facebook and Twitter have on our social lives. Have these sites been helping us to communicate more with people, or rather have they been detaching us from the real world around us (or both)?  People who would usually have to call and say "Happy Birthday" or stop by to say "hi", can now spend two seconds writing on a friend's wall and feel satisfied that they've taken care of this "obligation". In addition, many people have been using these social media sites to create their own fantasy world, where they can display themselves as they wish to be seen, while ignoring (and hiding) the reality of their lives. Of course, these sites are great for keeping in contact with friends, advertising events, and contacting people you haven't seen in years. But are these same sites also harmful to the social life that exists when your computer screen shuts down?