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BEYONCE, BLIGE TO SING AT OFFICIAL INAUGURAL KICKOFF: Bono, Bruce Springsteen also on the bill for Lincoln Memorial concert.
*Beyonce, Mary J. Blige and Usher will join more than a dozen other music stars for the official kick off of Barack Obama's presidential inaugural festivities at Washington D.C.'s Lincoln Memorial on Jan. 18.
The free event, which is open to the public, will also be broadcast on HBO and include 19 other performers across various musical genres, including Herbie Hancock, Stevie Wonder, will.i.am, Heather Headley, John Legend, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks, Shakira, and Sheryl Crow.
Queen Latifah, along with Jamie Foxx, Martin Luther King III and Denzel Washington, will give historical readings at the event, which carries the official title "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial."
The celebration opens a four-day schedule of Inaugural events that will include 10 official Inaugural Balls, as well as an Inauguration-Day-eve youth concert at the Verizon Center.
A number of other music events celebrating Obama's Inauguration are being planned to take place around Washington D.C. as well, including the Beastie Boys and Sheryl Crow headlining a "Hey, America Feels Kinda Cool Again" event on Jan. 19 at the 9:30 club; WAR and Marc Anthony appearing at the Latino Inaugural Gala at Union Station on Jan. 18; Jay-Z Jan. 19 at the Warner Theatre; and Bela Fleck and Wynton Marsalis performing at CNN's Inaugural event on Jan. 19 at the Kennedy Center.
Here is the initial music lineup for "We Are One: The Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial":
Beyonce
Mary J. Blige
Bono
Garth Brooks
Sheryl Crow
Renee Fleming
Josh Groban
Herbie Hancock
Heather Headley
John Legend
Jennifer Nettles
John Mellencamp
Usher Raymond IV
Shakira
Bruce Springsteen
James Taylor
will.i.am
Stevie Wonder
ANN COULTER VS. ENTIRE 'VIEW' PANEL: Even Elisabeth had issues with author's attack on bi-racial Americans and single moms.
*It was another banner day at "The View" on Monday, as the co-hosts welcomed – or rather tolerated – conservative author Ann Coulter for a discussion about her book "Guilty: Liberal 'Victims' And Their Assault On America." [View clip below.]
In the segment before Coulter was introduced, co-host Barbara Walters read a passage that accused famous bi-racial personalities such as President-elect Barack Obama, Alicia Keys and Halle Berry of "race-bait[ing] their way to success."
Coulter writes in the book:
Even grifters know that to be embraced by the cool people in America, you must claim to be a victim, preferably abused by religious fundamentalists.
In a related phenomenon, various half-black celebrities insist on representing themselves simply as "black" -- the better to race-bait their way to success.
Actress Halle Berry, singer Alicia Keys, and matinee idol Barack Obama were all abandoned by their black fathers and raised by their white mothers. But instead of seeing themselves as half-white, they prefer to see the glass as half-black. They all choose to identify with the fathers who ditched them, while insulting the women who struggled to raise them.
In 2002, Berry engaged in wild race-baiting to win her Oscar and then ate up most of the awards show with an interminable acceptance speech claiming that her award was "so much bigger than me." People who say "it's bigger than me"
always mean it's just about them. During the 2008 campaign, Barack Obama repeatedly said the exact same thing: "This election is bigger than me." Would they be able to pawn off their personal victories as transformative events for the nation if they were not claiming to be doing it for the blacks?
Goldberg called Coulter's words "bulls***" and said that a 5 ft 7 inch blonde woman shouldn't be commenting on race issues that she hasn't experienced personally. Co-host Sherri Shepherd chimed in, saying it doesn't matter what race bi-racial Americans identify with because society defines them as black.
By the time Coulter ended up at the Hot Topics table to defend her point of view, Goldberg had moved on to another controversial topic in the book – single mothers. In a chapter titled "Victim of a Crime? Thank a Single Mother," Whoopi quoted several of Coulter's comments, including one that read: "Single motherhood is like a farm team for future criminals and social outcasts."
Whoopi said she took personal offense at Coulter's suggestion in the book that female celebrities use single motherhood to promote their latest film or TV projects, but Ann said she was just talking about the last few years.
Elisabeth asked Ann why she doesn’t come down on the fathers who abandon the children. Ann said that people who say they are victims have doors open for them and she doesn't like the way that single mothers are exalted.
The conversation eventually swung back to Coulter's view on bi-racial celebs. Ann accused the ladies of attacking her in the previous segment when she was not there to defend herself. Coulter also accused Barbara of earlier reading the bi-racial passages from her book as if she were reading "Mein Kampf," a book dictated by Adolph Hitler.
Walters responded by reading another segment from the book in a warm, soft monotone, after which lone conservative co-host Elisabeth Hasselbeck snapped to Coulter, "Was that gentle enough?"
The passage, which said some negative things about John F. Kennedy, was followed up by Walters asking Coulter her thoughts about Caroline Kennedy's run for the senate. While Coulter said that we don’t know much about JFK's daughter, Sherri interrupted Coulter to say that her "Mein Kampf" crack to Walters was uncalled for.
"I don't appreciate the way you're talking to [Barbara]," Sherri told Ann, which was followed by applause from the audience. "Nobody is attacking you. You didn't have to talk to her like that."
As they tried to go to break, Whoopi said she wanted to reiterate that they were not attacking her. When Ann tried to say something, Whoopi told her that she listened and now it is your turn to listen. She added that Ann can dish it, but can't take it.
View clip here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGFJ0XiULFk
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PRINCE ACCUSED OF PLAGIARISM: Court rules 'Most Beautiful Girl in the World' was taken from two Italian writers.
*In a case that has dragged on since the 1990s, an Italian court ruled that Prince's 1994 hit "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" was plagiarized from a song by two Italian writers. However, a final ruling still has yet to take place.
For a sentence to become definitive in Italy, a "third degree" ruling is necessary and this could take several more years.
The Court of Appeals in Rome ruled that Prince's song borrowed heavily from "Takin' Me to Paradise," written by Bruno Bergonzi and Michele Vicino, according to Billboard.
In the sentence handed down, Prince must stop distributing the song on Italian soil. Plus, he faces having to pay the royalties he has so far collected to Bergonzi and Vicino and their publishers, but only if a final hearing confirms the Italian songwriting duo was plagiarized.
"Our song was first released in 1983, at the height of the Italian dance boom and it appeared on assorted compilations that were distributed internationally," Bergonzi tells Billboard.com. "When we first heard Prince's song we immediately took action, but this case has been dragging on for 15 years and it isn't over yet, such is the slowness of the Italian legal system. We only decided to go public with our story now."
The recent ruling is, in fact, an appeal against the original sentence, which, in 2003, rejected Bergonzi and Vicino's claim. This latest ruling was actually made in December 2007 and registered on Feb. 11 last year, but Bergonzi and Vicino have only now spoken out.
COSBY, WATSON, POUSSAINT, FENTY ON OBAMA: 'Meet the Press' gathers group to discuss black America under incoming president.
*"Meet the Press" on Sunday began a special series on Presidential Leadership with a discussion on how the Obama presidency can confront challenges in the black community.
The panel included Bill Cosby & Dr. Alvin Poussaint, co-authors of "Come On, People: On the Path from Victims to Victors," plus Washington D.C. Mayor Adrian Fenty and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA).
The following are excerpts of the discussion with "MTP" host David Gregory. The entire transcript may be viewed here:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28605356/page/4/
MR. GREGORY: Bill Cosby, I want to come back to you. I want to pull back for just a second. Will you tell me what it was like for you to go in and vote for Barack Obama?
MR. COSBY: Well, I took my father's picture, I took my mother's picture and I took my brother James, he died when he was seven, I was eight. And I took the three of them into the voting booth in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, and I pulled the curtain and I took their pictures out and I said, "And now we're going to vote." And I--we only, I only voted once. But--and I did that and their pictures were out, and then I put them back into my pocket and I opened the curtain. And it, and it was wonderful.
MR. GREGORY: And here you are on--have been on this journey in the course of your life and career, now you're on this journey to get people as angry as you are, as you've said in, in a speech. What do you expect of this new president, who happens to be our first black president?
MR. COSBY: Change, challenge for all of us. I believe he's asking us to be honest. I, I, I believe he's, he's asking us to be honest. I believe he's asking us to look around and see in all honesty what we can do and what makes sense as opposed to what will go into our pockets or make us feel good or who we can punish according to our religion. I think it's time for all of us to, to do things in terms of community, to stop worrying about what other people think of us and, and just go right on in and begin to talk to our youngsters about correct choices, to not be afraid to, to challenge them and be honest with them and, and, and to not be afraid to just stand and, and work with him and think that we're working with him to make change and choices and challenge.
MR. GREGORY: Mayor Fenty, how much of an experience do we have in cities across the country, but I'll talk about Washington, D.C....
MAYOR FENTY: Yeah.
MR. GREGORY: ...where young kids are even paying attention to what's going on with Obama, but they may look at him and say, "No, no, that's not me.
That's not my life. That's not my path."
MAYOR FENTY: I see--I don't think that that's the case. I really think that Obama connects with this generation of Americans in a way that few presidents ever have. These shots of him, you know, preparing his young daughters to go off to school, I mean, these are just going to resonate through the psyche of, I think, people in Washington, D.C., and other cities. And you know, someone said to me in a, in an Obama fundraiser one time, he was a white gentleman in, in his 50s, he said to the crowd, "You know, to all of us he'll be the first black president. But to our kids and the younger generation, he's just the president. That cap of the African-American never being a president will never exist for them. And I think that will have more of an impact on being a role model or anything else than anything we've ever seen in our community.
FIRST GRANDMA TO GIVE WHITE HOUSE TRIAL RUN: Michelle Obama's mom on hand to help grandkids settle in.
*The presidential transition team has announced that Barack Obama's mother-in-law will move into the White House soon to help her family – particularly her granddaughters – settle into a new routine.
Marian Robinson, the 71-year-old mother of Michelle Obama, will stay in the White House in what's being described by aides as a trial visit, a chance for Robinson to see if she's ready to trade her classic Chicago bungalow for the nation's most famous mansion, reports the Chicago Tribune.
However temporary, the living arrangement is viewed as a plus for senior advocates, who say Robinson will serve as a role model for the growing number of retirees moving in with their children and grandchildren. Senior advocates say Robinson could show that moving into a grown child's home does not mean surrendering one's independence or usefulness.
Robinson, a retired secretary from the South Shore, is expected to continue her busy lifestyle, which until a few years ago included both a job and competing in the 100- and 50-yard dashes at the Illinois Senior Olympics.
"She is the kind of role model you want," AARP spokeswoman Nancy Thompson said. "She's an active retiree with her own life."
Robinson already has media and special interest groups lining up to speak with her. Generations United, a group that aims to increase interaction between children and seniors, has asked her to be the keynote speaker at its international conference this summer.
Robinson hasn't responded to the invitation yet, but organizers believe she already has done a tremendous amount to help their cause by taking an active role in her granddaughters' lives.
"It's such a nice example of so many generations working together to raise a family," said Donna Butts, Generations United's executive director. "We believe the Obamas will show Americans the valuable role each generation can play."
J.LO AND HUBBY TO ATTEND OBAMA BALL: Marc Anthony agrees to perform at Latino Inaugural Ball on Jan. 18 in DC.
*Although they were not public supporters of Barack Obama during the campaign, married couple Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony have agreed to attend one of the many unofficial balls tied to the swearing-in of our first black president.
According to the New York Post, Anthony agreed to sing and Lopez said she would "speak" at the Latino Inaugural Ball in D.C. on Jan. 18, two nights before the ceremony.
However, some Latinos who supported Obama throughout his campaign are furious that the couple didn't support the Democratic nominee until he'd won. One power player called them "vile opportunists for worming themselves into anything Obama related even though they had nothing to do with his win," Page Six reported.
According to the source, Anthony refused to perform for Obama during a crucial get-out-the-Latino-vote event in Orlando, Fla., two weeks before the election. And Lopez refused to endorse Obama unless he called her himself, which he didn't, according to the column. The Orlando event went on without them and featured Bill Clinton and Jimmy Smits.
Some Democrats are also upset that Lopez and Anthony didn't donate to Obama's election effort. "They haven't given him, his campaign or the inauguration a cent," a source said - likening the couple to J.Lo's ex Sean "Diddy" Combs, whose reps reportedly tried to procure inauguration tickets for him for free.
But a friend of Lopez and Anthony said, "Unlike Puffy, they are doing something - they are performing. And lots of people, including Rihanna and Mariah Carey, are performing and didn't donate. A lot of celebrities are showing up as guests of magazines or political people and not paying anything or doing anything. Marc and Jennifer shouldn't be reviled for that."
The Latino Ball, at Union Station, has a guest list that includes Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama and "Ugly Betty" actor Tony Plana.
MORGAN IS NEW '30 ROCK' SPOKESMAN IN OBAMA ERA: Actor makes announcement during Golden Globe win.
*When "30 Rock" won a Golden Globe Sunday night for television comedy, costar Tracy Morgan gave the acceptance speech rather than star-creator-writer Tina Fey – thanks to the election of Barack Obama.
"Tina Fey and I had an agreement that if Barack Obama won, I would speak for the show from now on," Morgan told the receptive crowd. "Welcome to post-racial America. I'm the face of post-racial America. Deal with it, Cate Blanchett!
"We'd like to thank the Hollywood Foreign Press. Especially me 'cause the black man can't get no love at the Emmys. I love you, Europe. That's wasssup!"
Fey, meanwhile, was named best actress in a TV comedy, while her "30 Rock" co-star Alec Baldwin was honored for best comedy actor.
"Mad Men," AMC's retro drama about 1960s America as seen through the prism of Madison Avenue, repeated its victory as best TV drama. Anna Paquin won as best actress in a TV drama for HBO's vampire series "True Blood," and best-actor honors went to Gabriel Byrne for his portrayal of a therapist in HBO's "In Treatment."
HBO's "John Adams" earned best miniseries or TV movie, best actor for Paul Giamatti, best actress for Laura Linney and best supporting actor for Tom Wilkinson.
Laura Dern, who in HBO's "Recount" portrayed Katherine Harris, the Florida secretary of state who figured in the disputed 2000 presidential election, won best supporting actress for a series, miniseries or TV movie. It was this year's contest and Obama that were on her mind as she accepted the award.
"I will cherish this as a reminder of the extraordinary, incredible outpouring of people who demanded their voice be heard in the last election so we can look forward to amazing change in this country," Dern said.
"Slumdog Millionaire" was the big film winner, taking home four trophies, including best drama. "The Wrestler's" Mickey Rourke and the late Heath Ledger of "The Dark Knight" won best actor and best supporting actor awards, respectively; while the best actress and supporting actress wins went to Kate Winslet for "The Reader" and "Revolutionary Road." Woody Allen's Spanish romance "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" won for best musical or comedy film.
RUMORS FLY SURROUNDING DUPRI'S DEF JAM EXIT: Page Six says mogul's heart was no longer in job after girlfriend's album tanked.
*Producer Jermaine Dupri was reportedly dropped from his position as President of Island Records Urban Music because he stopped showing up for work when his girlfriend Janet Jackson's album flopped.
"After (his girlfriend) Janet Jackson's album and tour bombed, he basically didn't come back to work," a source told the New York Post. "He still collected a paycheck, but didn't bother to do anything that he was supposed to do, like find artists, release records or actually show up.
"Executives tried to talk to him, but he just lost heart. Very few producers have turned into good executives, with the exception of Dr. Dre."
As previously reported, Dupri's role has been "terminated effective immediately."
Jackson's "Discipline" was released last February, but had only shifted an estimated 415,000 copies in the U.S. by September that year. Island Def Jam reportedly stopped promoting the album in June 2008.
MOTOWN STARS RETURN HOME FOR 50TH B'DAY: Event kicks off year-long schedule of anniversary events.
*A who's who of Motown alumni returned to famed Studio A of Hitsville USA yesterday to officially kick off a year-long celebration of the label's 50th anniversary.
The Four Tops' Abdul "Duke" Fakir was joined by other Detroit-based Motown artists, including Bobby Rogers of the Miracles, Rosalind Ashford of Martha & the Vandellas and Rare Earth's Gil Bridges, Funk Brothers Uriel Jones, Ivy Joe Hunter and Dennis Coffey, producer/arrangers Paul Riser and Johnny Allen, Motown manners coach Maxine Powell and songwriter Melvin Moore, according to reports.
Many will spend the week working as celebrity docents at the Motown Historical Museum, housed in the company's original Hitsville Headquarters in midtown Detroit, as part of an In Their Own Words series.
"Fifty years is a wonderful anniversary," Fakir told Billboard.com. "You've got to give credit to the songs, but of course you've got to give credit to (Motown founder) Berry Gordy for the vision. He had the whole vision, and he made it come true. It's just great to be part of that legacy and still be alive to talk about it."
Gordy did not attend Monday's event but sent a message that was ready by Robin Terry, his grand-niece and CEO of the Motown museum. Gordy said he was "honored" by the celebration and noted that, "Motown music was for everybody, and it grew out of love. It has spread around the world and has become part of the culture and consciousness in all seven continents, and it all started right here."
JIM JONES JOINS EXECUTIVE STAFF AT KOCH: Label hires 'We Fly High' rapper as VP of Urban A&R.
*Rapper Jim Jones, best known for his hit "We Fly High," was appointed the new Vice President of Urban A&R for KOCH Records, the label announced Monday.
Under the new title, Jones will be responsible for signing and nurturing new talent to KOCH Records' urban roster.
It feels good to know that the hard work has been recognized by the same people that have helped me get to this point in my career. They recognize that I'm not only an artist but a person that can smell talent and be able to mold a superstar," Jones said in a statement.
Alan Grunblatt, KOCH Records' General Manager, states, "Jim Jones put KOCH on the map. He truly knows what it takes to make a hit record. I am thrilled to be working with him for many years to come."
The first release Jones brings to the table in is the much anticipated debut album from Skull Gang (starring Juelz Santana). The forthcoming album will be released on Feb. 24, 2009.
CLIVE DAVIS STUGGLED TO FUND PRE-GRAMMY GALA: Usual sponsor backed out due to economy; NARAS steps in, but for how long?
*The New York Post is reporting that the next pre-Grammy party thrown by Clive Davis may be his last.
Last week, the record mogul announced he'd throw the $1 million-plus gala next month, not with its usual sponsor - Davis' company, Sony Music Group - but with the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences (NARAS), which hands out the Grammys.
An insider told Page Six: "Sony told Clive it wasn't going to pay for the party this year. It was a bad year for them, and [Sony chief] Howard Stringer feels the party doesn't help sell any albums and only serves to promote Clive's ego . . . Clive then tried to get his own sponsors but couldn't, so NARAS stepped in. But forget about next year. It's over."
Last year, Alicia Keys, Fergie, the Foo Fighters and Leona Lewis performed at the legendary affair. This year, Whitney Houston, a Davis discovery in the '80s, is scheduled to belt songs from her comeback album, which is due in March.
'ELECTRIC COMPANY' GETS EXTREME RAP MAKEOVER: Music supervisors from Broadway's 'In the Heights' added for revamp.
*PBS has announced it will infuse hip hop into a makeover of its 70s children's series "The Electric Company" in an attempt to connect with a new generation of viewers.
The show’s executive producer, Karen Fowler, has recruited the creative team behind the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights to serve as music supervisors. The improv hip-hop collective Freestyle Love Supreme will also be on board to perform various musical numbers, including "Silent E Is a Ninja" and "Miss Bossy R."
Known for utilizing sketch comedy, animation and songs to help elementary school youth learn and develop literary skills, the original "Electric Company" premiered two years after "Sesame Street" as a follow-up to the iconic children series in 1971.
Upon it’s cancellation in 1977 after 780 episodes, the original "Electric Company" remained on the air through reruns in the early ‘80s and is currently available on DVD and iTunes.
The new version will ditch the use of sketch comedy and instead incorporate narrative threads that run throughout each show. The threads will include jokes, singing and dancing while teaching five vocabulary words per episode.
In addition, stories from the new "Electric Company" will focus on a group of four kids who have superpowers that allow them to manipulate words and help one another as well as stop the Pranksters, a rival group of neighborhood bad guys.
The new Electric Company will premiere Jan. 19 on PBS Kids Go.
LIL WAYNE TURNS RED CARPET REPORTER: ESPN The Magazine taps rapper for network's NEXT Big Weekend.
*ESPN The Magazine has hired rap star Lil Wayne to cover red carpet arrivals for ESPN's 5th annual NEXT Big Weekend, which kicks off at 9 p.m.
on Jan. 30 as part of Super Bowl weekend in Tampa.
The private, V.I.P. event is designed to highlight what is next in sports, technology, and lifestyle and from ESPN.
Wyclef Jean has been booked to perform, while celebrity DJ Samantha Ronson and guest DJ/ESPN Analyst Marcellus "Dat Dude" Wiley will make special appearances
Lil Wayne is already working for ESPN the Magazine as a blogger for the publication’s Web site and periodically comments about sports on the 24-hour sports network.
THE BRIDGE: Stupid, Laughing Americans
By Darryl James
*Where America once lead the world in education and the cutting edge of technology, we have been dumbed down for so long that we are now at the level of some Third World Nations or below that status. More money is spent on bombs and foreign affairs than domestic education and the results should be frightening.
But not many are frightened, because too many Americans are just stupid.
In addition, American people have become lazy. And because of our laziness and dumbing down, we expect to be entertained at every turn.
Advertising is delivered in song, but much of it is delivered in humor, even when dealing with serious products or services.
Corporate meetings have to be quick-paced, and conventions must be laced with entertainment to keep the attention of the ADD masses.
Morning radio shows are no longer simply music, news and traffic--the pressure is on to make the audience laugh. And, even the most serious of presentations--the morning and evening news-- are now delivered in most cases with humor.
Politicians can no longer focus on messages and promises, however empty. They must focus on being entertaining, good looking and engaging.
We saw evidence of this in the 2004 election, when old ragged-face John Kerry had his face cosmetically enhanced in order to become more appealing to the dumb-ass masses. We also saw it in the 2008 elections, when stupid ass Sarah Palin was trotted on the world stage with an emphasis on her alleged good looks, even though she was as dumb as a jelly donut.
Our schools have to take special care to keep the lesson plans moving swiftly, competing with the pace set by television and computer games, even if the message is a bit cloudy or missed by the majority.
Where previous generations of children were given age appropriate entertainment for children, today's youth are given access to violent and sexual entertainment beyond their years.
In previous times, the average citizen placed primary needs above entertainment--the need for assistance, freedom, education and enlightenment as well as the need for cures for the most threatening diseases. Now, we fear being bored more than we fear death itself.
Amusement parks build faster, scarier and more dangerous rides, while the people line up for them, ignoring the crash test dummies that fell apart or got necks snapped during testing. Reality television shows promise to present real people in real activities, ranging from eating bugs and pig intestines, to risking life or at least limb in risky stunts, or to be overly sexual for trinkets and trash or for nothing at all.
We talk about keeping it “real,” but very little is actually real. Very little exists simply because it exists. Much of what we do, think, wear and say is developed for corporate benefit, even as we imagine that we have individual thought and freedom of expression. Even most of the people's politics and religious views are shaped by mega-corporations, while the people defend beliefs they don't really understand with tooth and nail.
Critical thinking and independent thought are rare in a world of social seeding and engineered popular culture.
Yes, popular culture, which once developed organically from Black culture, is now artificially stimulated, taking backward portions of Black mis-socialization into the mainstream.
This may explain forty and fifty year old men and women who would rather wear silly hairstyles and ridiculous clothing, claiming to be "ghetto" and "real," instead looking like clowns, duped into foolish behavior symptomatic of arrested development.
This may also explain why many of us have begun to turn on our own people. The likes of neo-Black Conservatives, who are really radical activists for change attack every effort made by anyone to deal with real issues faced by the Black community, operating under the false reality that America really is one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all.
And sadly, this explains why Black people can tell jokes of how perfect white people are, leading to a punchline of how dysfunctional Black people are in comparison and Black people will pack the house to laugh.
But there was a time when we were searching for something greater than what we are.
Where we once set lofty goals to surpass the best of us, now, we define ourselves by how good we look in comparison to the worst of us.
And, instead of working to make things better, we turn to anything that will allow an escape—especially comedy.
So, perhaps it feels good to laugh because the world is so difficult. But while the people are laughing, the joke is on them. The world economy is in the toilet, while a few continue to get richer and many continue to get poorer.
This nation is slowly but surely becoming a police state as civil rights are being offered up by the frightened masses who are barely aware and stolen from those who are happily asleep.
Our children are fed over-processed garbage devoid of nutrition and given little activity and then the obese are defended because they shouldn’t be made to “feel bad.”
Most of America's youth are undereducated and ill-prepared to compete on a global level, yet we blame the children of poverty for poor schools while the nation spends more on defense than school improvement or teachers' salaries and more to bailout failing corporations than on after school programs or books.
The nation is creating a subculture of undereducated, underemployed people who are finding it hard to remain hopeful, while those who have better chances and better choices bitch and moan about how the poor make it hard for the "rest of us."
But the great equalizer is coming as global greed and manipulation for power go into the end game. Those without are prepared because they have already been functioning with worn out tools. Those who have or pretend to have and lose will be harmed greatly because they were looking for the laughter while the situation kept getting sadder and sadder.
Sad, but they won't wake up until it is too late and they are left with broken lives for which they will continue to use medication or alcohol, spending or sex, gambling or comedy to pretend it away, looking for the punchline because they have been punched while in line.
A bunch of pathetic, stupid, laughing Americans.
Darryl James is an award-winning author of the powerful new anthology “Notes From The Edge.” He released his first mini-movie, “Crack,” and will soon release his first full-length documentary. View previous installments of this column at www.bridgecolumn.proboards36.com. Reach James at djames@theblackgendergap.com.
THE JOURNAL OF STEFFANIE RIVERS: Miles to Go
*While most people were preparing for a New Year’s Eve celebration last month, 23-year-old Robert Tolan lay in a Houston area hospital. Tolan was shot in the early hours of Dec. 31st by a policeman who falsely accused him of stealing the car he had just parked in his family’s drive way. Tolan’s parents owned the car and he is expected to recover fully.
Another man, 22-year-old Adolph Grimes III, died after he was shot 14 times, 12 times in the back, by a group of plain clothes officers in New Orleans in the early hours of New Year’s Day as Grimes sat in his car outside a family member’s house.
Around that same time another 22 year-old, Oscar Grant, of the Oakland area was shot in his back by a police officer in front of dozens of onlookers as he lay face down on a San Francisco area train station platform. He died the next day at a hospital.
All three of these victims are African-American men. The officers who shot Tolan and Grant are white. The nine NOPD officers who shot and killed Grimes haven’t been identified.
With the attention of most people focused on the upcoming inauguration of Barack Obama as America’s first Black president, people of color – especially Black men – are still being victimized by police officers in every part of this country.
As optimistic as I am about the future of race relations in America, realistically - in the words of one of my favorite poets Robert Frost - we have miles to go before we sleep.
The election of a Black man as president didn’t change how these three Black men were treated. It didn’t matter that Tolan’s father is a former professional baseball player who lived with his family in an upper class neighborhood outside of Houston and whose mother told the officer the car in question was not stolen and Tolan was her son.
It didn’t matter that Grimes, who survived Hurricane Katrina and was building a new life with his fiancé and infant son, sat in his own car outside his family’s home minding his own business.
And it didn’t matter that Grant, who was videotaped by onlookers offering no resistance to a team of police that had him face down on the cold, dirty train station platform, obviously was no threat. He was shot in his back anyway like an animal. How will his family explain that to his toddler daughter and the baby on the way?
Every police encounter has its own circumstances and the nature of the job has law officers on a mental edge every day. So I know those factors can cloud a person’s judgment. But there is no doubt that some police are overzealous to the point of reckless misuse of their authority when it comes to dealing with Black men as possible criminal suspects.
Now I use the term “possible criminal suspects” because every Black man who is suspected of a crime isn’t guilty. But most times Black suspects are more likely to be treated as guilty from the start. At the very least Black suspects are not given the same benefit of the doubt that most White suspects are given. What other reason is there that a disproportionate number of Black men end up shot or dead when they aren’t even guilty?
And when those rogue cops are not held accountable for their actions by termination and criminal prosecution for violating someone’s civil rights it sends a message to other people in authority and the general population that the lives of Black men are less valuable if it has any value at all.
In the case of Oscar Grant, an officer at the scene tried to confiscate the camera from a woman who later turned over her 20-minute video to a local news station. She got away because the doors of the trained closed and it pulled off before the officer could get on board. The video showed events leading up to, during and right after Grant was shot.
In case I’m totally wrong in my analysis, I welcome any examples of white men who, after being detained by police as a “possible criminal suspect” ended up shot or dead after police found them to be innocent and they offered no resistance in spite of their innocence.
Go ahead. Send me as many examples as you can come up with. I’ll wait, but I won’t hold my breath.
While the election of a Black man as the 44th president of the United States speaks volumes about the progress in this country, we cannot allow one win to overshadow the huge loss of life that people of color experience at the hands of bigots with badges everyday.
President-elect Obama can’t be all things to all people. He will have his hands full trying to untangle the financial fiasco called the American economy.
The whole thing sounds like a set up. But I digress.
This is a job for everyday foot soldiers to use the momentum of this unique time in history to change their own fate. The struggle for civil rights continues until everybody’s life has equal value in the eyes of everyone else.
Steffanie Rivers is a free-lance journalist living in the Dallas, Texas metroplex. See the broadcast version of her column at youtube.com/steffanierivers. To schedule speaking engagements or to send questions or comments email her at teamtcbadvertising@hotmail.com
TURNER’S TWO CENTS: Obama Inaugural, Hip Hop at the Crossroads
By Cameron Turner
*Two major hip hop events will jump off in DC next Monday (January 19), the night before Barack Obama is sworn in as President of the United States. T.I., Young Jeezy and LL Cool J will rock “Hip Hop Inaugural Ball” thrown by Russell Simmons’ Hip Hop Summit Action Network next Monday night (January 19) at The Harman Center for the Arts. While that’s going down, Jay-Z’s “Concert on the Eve of Change” will be bumpin’ at the Warner Theater. The rappers involved in these two functions helped get Obama elected by mobilizing and motivating young voters, so it is fitting that hip hop take part in the festivities surrounding next Tuesday’s inauguration. But I hope these celebrations will be about more than just giving props to hip hop.
As we move into this historic new chapter in the Black American Story, our people have an unprecedented opportunity to redefine ourselves by embracing the best of who we are. For hip hop, that means ending the suicidal glorification of street culture.
Hip hop is at its best when it forces society to confront the realities of poverty, crime, despair and injustice. But the art form loses its validity and relevance when it lionizes gang-bangers, drug dealers and pimps, when it dishonors black women, glamorizes drug and alcohol abuse and promotes reckless, self-centered materialism. Hip hop began almost 30 years ago as a vital and true voice of the black underclass. But over the years much of mainstream hip hop has devolved into a corporate cash cow that reinforces the worst stereotypes about black people. This strengthens racism and, worse yet, solidifies the violent, cliquish, sexist culture which is destroying black people and black families all across our nation.
It is long past time for this to stop.
The inauguration of Barack Obama presents us with a unique moment to collectively reclaim our true selves: hard-working, family-oriented, self-loving, intelligent, dignified and spiritual people who always strive for the best…even when we have the least. This is who we are and who we must be if we are to fulfill the opportunities represented by brother Obama’s election.
Yes we can!
Thanks for listening. I’m Cameron Turner and that’s my two cents.
THINK! IT AIN’T ILLEGAL…YET!
VERONICA'S VIEW: The Great African American Blackout or American Black? You Decide
Veronica Hendrix
*I confess, I do live in my own world and have come to terms with the fact that sometimes I can be a little detached, despite the fact that I am a news junkie.
When my brother asked me if I will be participating in the “Great African American Blackout” I paused with that deer in headlights look. What was he talking about?
Within a nanosecond of him asking the question, I combed through the chambers of my mind and couldn’t recall anything I had heard about this blackout. Was he talking about some boycott against an electronics store chain or national family diner that I totally missed?
I was stumped. I simply didn’t have a clue.
Well it turns out that he was referring to the upcoming duo-of days set to commemorate our past and celebrate our future – King Day, January 19; and the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States on January 20.
It’s projected that record numbers of African-Americans domestically, as well as abroad will be absent from the work place on both days to observe King Day, and to watch the inauguration take place then later participate in a number of post inaugural activities.
It’s a tenuous time to take off. The national and world economy is on life support.
As we’ve gotten deeper into this recession and businesses have shed millions of jobs, a more conscientious workforce has evolved, and for good reason. But at the same time this is a touchstone moment in our collective culture and history. It’s that “in our lifetime” kind of moment. So when I think about the thesis of the “Great African-American Blackout” it doesn’t seem far-fetched at all. In fact, it seems almost obligatory.
But personally speaking, I don’t like the term “blackout.” It may be a catchy double entendre, with undertones of black people staging a massive temporary work outage across the nation to reflect and revel, hence the term “Great American Blackout.” I can see this being used for fodder on late night television shows or even better on the CNN conundrum “D.L. Hughley Breaks the News.”
Who coined this term anyway? It sounds subversive, dissonant and obtuse. The historic moment before us is really quite the contrary. It’s a moment when our past, present and future comes together in symphonic redress and resonance so profound it touches the ancestors.
If I had been ahead of the curve, I would have framed this completely different.
Instead of dubbing these two days the “Great African-American Black Out” and focusing on the work stoppage and loss of productivity associated with commemorating and celebrating two memorable events, I would have extolled them as the “Great American Black In.”
This moment transcends us taking a day or two off. With both events occurring in tandem, the nation is compelled to make the nexus between its past and present while building a bridge to its imminent future. As the first African-American steps “into” power we step “into” a new era. The term “leading while black” will be a new concept that the world will see executed in a way they’ve never seen before. Hey, I may be ahead of the curve on this phrase – you think?
This is indeed a hollowed moment to commemorate, celebrate, and contemplate. And I plan on making this moment count in terms of significance and relevance by gathering with family and friends. And we will laugh, cry and prophesy. We will look back, look at each other and look ahead.
Some economist somewhere will crunch the numbers and report the millions of dollars lost in productivity from the sheer numbers of people participating in the black out due to the use of vacation, holiday and sick leave pay. But conversely I hope some altruist will calculate the increase in human spirit and equity, particularly among the African American community, for those who embrace the “Great American Black In.”
ASK ADVICE CHICK: Answers to YOUR Dating, Sex, Life, & Love Questions!
By AdviceChick at ameritech.net
Dear Advice Chick,
*What I want to know is why is it such a problem to defend a loved one, especially when that loved one is your husband? I personally am sometimes expected to defend certain people other than my husband, but as soon as I start defending my husband, I turn into someone others perceive as weak. Now, if my husband starts spewing negatives toward others, they get mad at me for not coming to their defense, but I am dead wrong for defending him when they speak negatively of him. I just cannot grasp an understanding on that. If people do not want me defending my husband, they should either be mature enough to go to him directly when they have a problem with him, while giving him a chance to defend himself or stop complaining about him to me. I guarantee that if he has a problem with someone, he will not go through me, he will confront that person directly.
Also, if it’s not ok to defend my husband then why should I defend anyone else? I believe everyone should recognize their own faults before casting stones at others, so what do you advise I tell these people who continuously berate my husband while expecting me to agree with their negativity?
Advice Chick replies,
It’s a new year, stop giving a damn about who thinks what about you or your boo. As a matter of fact, if these grown asses have a problem with your husband they are getting at the wrong person. Let them know you aint trying to hear it.
Stop them in their tracks by telling them, “I am not trying to hear your issues with Michael. He’s in the kitchen, tell him yourself.”
There ya go. People have too much time on their hands so they want to waste your time. If you prefer to argue, you can defend whomever the hell you want to defend – especially your husband.
#### Chicago Valentines Day ALL Male Revue, coming 2/14/2009! Visit http://www.ultimateladiesniteout.com for ticket information!
Send YOUR questions to Advice Chick right NOW! Please put “Dear Advice Chick” in the subject line so your email isn’t deleted as spam. Thanks! Send your emails t advicechick at ameritech.net
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Ask Advice Chick about ANYTHING and EVERYTHING related to dating, sex, love, and life! She is THE resident dating expert at EURweb.com, and calls on over a decade of dating and relationship industry experience.
EUR MOTIVATIONAL NOTE
"We’ve got to have a dream if we are going to make a dream come true." — Denis Waitley
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS
Jan. 13: Drummer Fred White of Earth, Wind and Fire is 54. Actress Traci Bingham ("Baywatch") is 41.
WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Black College Wire is a news service promoting the journalistic work of students at predominantly black colleges (www.blackcollegewire.org).
Submit your favorite Web site to us along with a 15-20 word (or less) description to info@eurweb.com.
BLACK HISTORY
Jan. 13, 1869: National convention of black leaders met in Washington, D.C. Fredrick Douglass was elected president. (Source: www.BlackFacts.com)
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