the "nigga" police

"why do i call myself a nigga you ask me/cause police always wanna harrass me" - mc ren

So, it's Saturday night. You're chilling out with friends watching college football at a local bar. Drinking, laughing, basically kicking it! There's lots of loud conversation and horseplay. Somewhere during the discourse you or one of your friends does the unimaginable; YOU SAY THE WORD "NIGGA". Suddenly everyone in the bar stops talking. We start to hear police sirens in the distance. Growing closer, and closer, and closer! Tires squeal. Sirens stop. Sound of two car doors slamming. Red and blue lights spinning light up the dark parking lot. The front door flies open. Two middle aged men bust into the bar, guns drawn. Their names, Rev. Al Sharpton & Rev. Jesse Jackson. They run up on the culprit and yell FREEZE! They read him his rights, hancuff him, and drag him away to "Being A Bad Nigga Prison". What you've just witnessed is a sign of the times. And clearly illustrates what most would love to see happen, any and every time you use the word..."nigga".

At the heart of the "nigga" debate is a growing and ever widening generation gap. On one side you have the civil rights generation. These are the people who marched and fought against blantant racist and the word "nigger". They were hosed down, bitten by dogs, spit on, and were dehumanized for the sake of one cause, ending racism. For them, to embrace the word "nigga" or "nigger" on any level is beyond taking a step back, it's to demean their work and their movement. On the other hand you have the hip hop generation, who politically have no movement. Not only that, but hip hop generally embraces "nigga" as every day slang, a term of endearment, and a way of saying they are the people of the struggle; the have nots, the forgotten, the voiceless. For hip hop, "nigger" is not even part of the conversation, because it has that little relevance in their daily lives. Yet, the word "nigga" seems to hold a rawness or rebelliousness that fits right in with the expressive nature of hip hop. Over the past year, it seems like every other week, said rapper is defending "nigga" and freedom of expression, while people like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson are holding mock burials to rid the world of the word altogether. Ultimately, both sides may have a point.

Sesquicentenial. This is a word that we'll see in the news a lot in the coming years, it means 150. That's right, in 2015, black people in America will celebrate their sesquicentenial, 150 years free from slavery. When I think about all the progress that has been made in that time, and all the racism that sill exist, it really puts into perspective just how short amount of time has truly passed. We're basically talking about four generations of people. That's all! No wonder "nigga" is still a hot topic, it should be, but so should the real problem, slavery. Slavery is the untold secret of our country. It's barely discussed in our history books. And the little that is discussed is condensed into some Black History Month tribute. Whereas every major city in America has a holocaust museum, where mandatory class field trips take students to learn about the Jewish plight, the same can not be said for the African-American holocaust. Slavery is skimmed over in our country because it makes too many people uncomfortable. White people don't want to be reminded of their wicked ancestors. And black people, who have never really accepted the horrors of our past, want to distance themselves as far away from those painful memories as possible. Our only constant reminder slavery even happened today, is "nigger" and "nigga". And for that alone, I say thank God for the n-word.

"i'm just telling you, it's uncomfortable to me. i don't like it when black people say it to me, i really don't no more" - richard pryor

If the "n" word stings, hurts, or makes you uncomfortable, good! It should. Because slavery stung, hurt, and was beyond uncomfortable. And the racism that is alive today still stings, hurts, and is beyond uncomfortable as well. But guess what Al and Jesse, it goes far beyond the word "nigger". If that word was never said again in life, we'd still hear it in the gun blasts every time a racist cop shot an unarmed black man. We'd hear it in the slam of the gavel every time a falsely convicted black person was sent to prison. And we'd hear it if we deciphered the words when corporate America justifies their lack of minority employees by saying "there just aren't enough qualified black candidates". You see, "nigger" is the fever that proceeds the flu. In other words, it's simply a symptom of a greater problem, racism and ignorance. And just like the flu, each year racism and ignorance advances and comes back stronger. Although it may keep many of the same old symptoms, it does develop new ones. So "nigger" is simply the sypmtom of racism recognized and watched by the the Civil Rights generation. While "nigga" isn't necessarily viewed as a symptom of racism or even ignorance by hip hoppers. Instead they see things like unfair hiring practices, discriminatory hair and dress codes, and racial profiling by police as the symptoms to watch for. And many even believe "nigga" is a part of the cure. Some would argue, by saying the word, although you can't change its history, you can definitely take away the power it holds today. And uh, if you haven't guessed it, those people would definitely not be Rev. Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson.

Queensbridge rapper Nas will weigh in on the debate in December with his instantly controversial titled cd "Nigger".

So what does it all mean? It simply means, WE AIN'T THERE YET! We have not arrived black people. Racism is still real, and people died to end it. So yes, I'm as pissed off as Al or Jesse when I hear a 12 year old screaming out to his friend with a big ole loud NIGGAAAAAA! There are also times when I'm blazay blah about it when hanging out with the homies, "what up my nigga!" Some months I create a "nigga-free" zone and refuse to say the word, or play music with the word in it. Other months I'm saying it and playing it so much, I feel like Paul Mooney and can actually see it making my teeth whiter. But at least I'm happy to say this is a black debate. For white people the rules are and have been very clear for a long time. Say the word if you choose, but beware of the consequences. See KKKramer. All I know is, if we all knew our history and got more active to end racism, maybe the word would mean a little more to us. And if the world we're living in today was truly a better place, maybe the word would have no real significance in these days and times. But on both counts, WE AIN'T THERE YET. And since I'm bound to say "nigga" a few more times in my life, I got one thing to say to all you folks dropping a dime on me to the "nigga" police... stop snitching NIGGAS!!! One luv.

freestyle friday

like a doc before making incisions
a skilled hand and a vision
i pray, ether germs and aim with precision
write with my wisdom
my mission is to gain what i’m missing
strain when i train
it hurts
but i never complain
it seems sex is just division of legs
my intentions
to delve deep within and find different dimensions
beauty i hate, why
cause it creates suspicion
love’s ascension is stopped
and it ends in dissention
i try and relax
instead all i feel is the tension
in my mind it’s like
brown vs. the school system
so i
stay in my lane outta sight from the lames
sippin good
lighting long nag champas with flames
my knees stay callused from prayers
and meditating for change
inside i burn but my eyes never melt from the pain....

corporate america, watermelon, and me

It’s one thing to be black in America, where blacks are 13% of the population, and you actually see other black people on a regular basis. It’s an entirely different thing to be black in corporate America, where blacks make up less than 2% of all white-collar workers. In my case, that means being the ONLY black in my department for over six years. Although it sounds pretty awkward, you get focused, you do your job, and you adapt. But you never quite adapt to feeling like you’re the ambassador for the ENTIRE black race. More often than not, the pressure to put forth the best face for the race can lead you to frustration, confusion, and even and isolation,

“One ever feels his two-ness, an American, a Negro; two souls, two thoughts, two un-reconciled strivings; two warring ideals in one dark body, whose dogged strength alone keeps it from being torn asunder.- W. E. B. Du Bois

What do you do? You’re at a department meeting in a boardroom with 30 of your white co-workers. Lunch is wheeled in. The two choices? Roast beef, or fried chicken? If I was white, I’d simply eat what I had a taste for. But as the only black, suddenly, this isn’t a matter of taste, it’s a social statement. Do you shun the chicken, for the roast beef, or do you risk confirming some kind of stereotype by getting your finger licking grub on with the fried chicken? Eight years ago, every time when I found myself in these types of situations, this little voice in my head would start whispering. It’d say stuff like, “certain shit you just don’t do around white people”. And every single time, I’d get as far away from the chicken, or watermelon, or collard greens as I possibly could. But it wasn’t just about food. When asked questions about hip hop, that voice would whisper, “ohhh, so you have to like hip hop cause you’re black”? So I’d play dumb, like I had no idea what they were talking about. And when people walked up to me assuming I voted democrat, that voice would whisper, “so a black man can’t be up on all the candidates, just the democratic ones huh”? And I’d have to drop some knowledge about all the independents in the race. See, eight years ago, I had it all wrong. I was so worried about what other people thought about me. I was allowing the possibility of their pre-conceived notions about blacks, make me insecure. Eight years later, I’m totally different.

Today, luckily I’m not the only black in my department, (finally we have two more) but I’d be comfortable if I were. Why? Because I’ve come to grips with the fact that in corporate America, I AM an ambassador for black America. However, that doesn’t mean I have to carry all of black America’s burden. All I can do is be real, and put forth the best me I can. And if I do that, I think I’ll be repping my race to the fullest. I love to engage in discussions about race, and to educate ignorant people when I can. Besides, I love hip hop, so pictures of folks from Kool Herc to the Gza plaster my walls. And if I feel like eating a piece of chicken or watermelon, or whatever around my co-workers, I just do. What really put it all into perspective for me is this brotha who works here. He’s a janitor. He comes through the office late at night, and empties the trashcans. Brotha man has a jheri curl, wears lots of gold, and talks with a twang. But at the end of the day, that’s my brotha. And not for my white co-workers or anyone else would I ever shun that man, or that part of my black experience. Every time I see him, he greets me brotherly, and I always make time to talk to him as well, no matter who’s around. See, a lot of times, in an effort to put forth a good face for white people, blacks become extremely insecure about who we are. And that ain’t cool. Because in the end, we have to be comfortable with what black is, before we can try to show others, what black is not.

jim crow television

“We have defeated Jim Crow, but now we have to deal with his son, James Crow Jr., esquire.” - Al Sharpton

Remember the images of a WHITE'S ONLY water fountain side by side one marked COLORED? Well, as awful and horrifying as that image was, at least both fountains were dispensing the same water. But what if the water coming from the COLORED fountain was slightly brownish, tasted funny, and left long lasting affects. Imagine what that would do to how we perceived ourselves and each other over time. Well, that's exactly what Viacom is serving up on MTV and BET. In this scenario, MTV is the equivalent of the WHITE'S ONLY fountain, and BET (Black Exploitation Television) is the COLORED fountain. And it only takes a quick flick back and forth between the two channels to notice how seperate and unequal they really are.

Intitially, when I heard Viacom acquired BET back in 2000, I thought mo'money should mean better, higher quality programming. Take a look at what Viacom COO, Mel Krazmin said at the time.

"This is a strategically perfect fit," he added. "We now have a major business targeting the African-American market, which is growing faster than the general population. African-American household income is growing faster, consumer spending is growing faster and the market consumes more media than the general market. Additionally, while ad spending in the general market is showing 6 to 7 percent growth, ad spending in the African-American segment is showing a growth of 15 percent."

Hey, it sounded good on paper right? Then came the infamous BET Uncut. An after hours adventure that felt like the red light district of cable television, graphically taking you to a place where misognyny, hip hop, and adult themes all came together. Although BET would condone the show by saying it aired late at night, the fact is, the images of our people being beamed to 62 million U.S. households was atroscious. It's one thing to make the decision to go to a strip club, it's another to have one beamed to to your home. (Who can forget Nelly swiping the crack of a dancer's ass with a credit card) Also, it makes me raise the question, "would Viacom air this show on MTV"? Think about that for a second. Exactly. I think we all know the answer to that one my friends. So what made them so comfortable airing it on BET? Maybe it was simply a case of, as NWA would say, "here's what they think about you."

You hear a lot of talk about how BET is MTV's sister station. For real, I can't tell. Especially if you look at some of the very successful MTV shows compared to the BET knock offs. lI remember expecting the presence of Viacom to bring up the production quality of the BET shows. Then College Hill debuted. I'm sorry folks but compared to The Real World, this show just looks extremely low budget. Same with the reality shows for Lil Kim, Keyshia Cole, and DMX. Even when BET gets black star power, they deliver shows that look bootleg. Anyone flipping back and forth between BET and MTV would never in a million years conclude these two stations were owned by the same company.

Let me not blame all of BET's problems on Viacom. A lot of it has to do with not living up to the name Black Entertainment Telivision. Once again, I must refer to the MTV model. MTV is simply Music Television. Over the years, MTV has defined itself as the main source for all things cool revolving around youth culture, with music being the glue. And more often than not, MTV has gone out of its way to also address issues affecting youth culture with serious programming about drug abuse, AIDS, gun control, etc. Now let's look at BET, which stands for Black Entertainment Television. The name is extremely important. It's not Black Teen Entertainment Television. It's not Black Hip Hop Entertainment Television. It's Black Entertainment Television. Therefore, it's demogrphic is huge, and should cater to the huge diverse group that is black America. Instead, the station's programming acts as if black people are this monolithic group that is fascinated by all things having to do with hip hop, videos, and celebrity. Once upon a time in what now seems like BET's "golden era", there were news programs. People like Ed Gordon and Tavis Smiley actually had talk shows. There were syndicated family shows. And athough we still wanted more from the station at the time, at least we felt like they were "trying" to live up to the name Black Entertainment Television. Today, that is hardly the case. If an alien were to come to Earth and base his thoughts of black people off of the programming he saw on BET...the thought of that alone saddens and sickens me. Yet, many non black people are doing just that, and the images they are seeing are simply reaffirming there predetermined stereotypes.

I'd like to see BET represent the best of who we are. I'd like to see BET secure the rights to our BEST tv shows and our BEST movies. I'd like to see BET put some effort into creating adult programming as well as family programming. I'd like to see BET develop a REAL newsroom, with up to the minute news covering our stories, the ones that don't make it on screen on the major networks. I'd like to see BET develop some talk shows. I'd like to see BET stop focusing on what the stars are doing, and focus more on showing young people the realities of black people working behind the scenes in music and television. I'd like to see BET improve the over all production quality of all of their shows, and diversify the music they showcase. I'd like BET to be my source for all things involving black culture. If the best engineer in the world is black, BET should let me know that. If St. Croix is the new black vacation destination, BET should let me know that. If there is going to be a march to bring attention to inferior sentencing of black teens, BET should let me know that as well. BET has proven over the years that its standards for us, are much lower than the standards other stations have for their viewers. The day of Jim Crow television is over, sorry BET and Viacom, but we DEMAND more than that. One luv.