Tim Russert of Meet the Press recently passed away. It is suspected that he died from a heart attack. I would watch his show, he always had enlightened political discussion and he asked the politicians the hard questions. He will be missed, please keep his family in your prayers.

What it means to be a NIGGER

A few weeks back as I sat and watched the red carpet section of the Grammy’s I saw my fellow Virgo grace the camera with his wife donning a t-shirt that said “NIGGER”. Wait a minute rewind that back, I saw Nasir Jones better known as “Nas” and a group of supporters of different ethnicities in “NIGGER” Fashion. This is clearly a sign that the times have changed, television has become so liberal, when I was a child they would have blurred out the image at minimum to say the least. Nas was interviewed about his “message”, there were no censors over the word and things went relatively normal. I mentioned earlier that Nas is a Virgo because they are the thinkers of the zodiac and very strategic in their movements, so maybe Nas is titling his album NIGGER and grappling after the publicity that it is causing so that we can have intelligent discourses like the one we are about to have.

Wait one second, before you lose interest in fear that I am about take you on a historical voyage enduring the plight of black people and the socialization of the term Nigger and how we need to accept it to empower ourselves, I promise you I will not. This is not the typical discussion of whether this is a term of endearment or mental slavery. But to understand what the concept of the term nigger we must first look to one of the great writers of the Harlem Renaissance, James Baldwin.

Baldwin says, “What white people have to do is try to find out in their own hearts why it was necessary to have a nigger in the first place. Because I’m not a nigger, I’m a man! But if you think I’m a nigger it means you need it. If I’m not the nigger here and you, the white people invented him then you’ve got to find out why?”

Baldwin paints us such a vivid picture when he speaks about the system needing a nigger. You see the term nigger is about an institutionalized inferiority complex. The system, those proponents of white supremacy need a nigger to belittle, they need a nigger to make themselves feel better than another group of people because they lack self-esteem. The nigger is needed in order to perpetuate systems of control, a hierarchy within this great land from sea to shining sea. Unfortunately today the term nigger has become synonymous with black people. However this is not the case, this is not the fate of black people; this has been the position of various ethnic groups in America. I will chronicle the stories of three niggers who have been bastardized by a system of oppression and blatant racism in this country without ever painting the picture of a black face!

If you are of Middle Eastern decent, or even look like you could possibly be of the Islamic faith after 9/11, I regret to inform you but the United States has declared you a NIGGER! Your rights were stripped from you; you became the victims of police brutality, random search and seizures, and you are always pulled aside at the airport for more questioning. Why is this; because you fit the “description”, you look suspicious? But none of this is true; it is merely the pigment of your skin and the religious affiliation that you are suspected of practicing which garners you such attention. You watch your faith and belief system ridiculed daily on television, you have become the butt of all jokes. You’re fearful when your children go to school because other children will torment them; forgive them for they know not what they do. You came to this country with hopes of reaching the American dream however you are now living the American Nightmare! The ultimate insult is no longer to be black but it is to be Muslim. Your beautiful, peaceful culture has been tainted by slander; you are now judged by the few who make it tough for the many. Welcome!

Rewind the clocks back before the Civil Rights Era, after the Red Scare, where if you were communist you were a nigger. No, I am speaking of World War II, a defining moment in this country’s history where we joined forces with our allies overseas and toppled the Axis Powers who viciously slaughtered those of the Jewish faith and anyone else in their quest for world domination. Let us look into our backyard at today’s most successful minority, looked upon as intelligent, reserved, model citizens of this great nation; the Asian. Yes in 1942 here in America the Japanese were considered NIGGERS! Stripped of their land, businesses, and personal possessions, some 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into relocation centers into the interior lands of this country. Placed in prison camps with little to no food to eat and cramped living quarters for large families were just some of the conditions the Japanese had to experience. Propaganda spread through the media about the “Japs” as they were called, “good riddance to the spy’s and traitors”. These were some of the messages about the people who had only a few years prior been trying to assimilate into American culture. They too were in search of the roads paved of gold people from other countries associate with our great America. White farmers benefited with the Japanese farmers gone, they were then able to take over their profit share and make more revenue for themselves. Even the Supreme Court of the United States permitted this racist behavior holding that this exclusion did not violate the constitution arguing “it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a “pressing public necessity.” So much for Justice!

Who discovered America? Oh yes I remember we have a beautiful holiday in this country named after none other than America’s most beautiful thief, rapist, and oppressor among other names. Yes I am speaking of Columbus, when we discuss the concept of the nigger we have to speak about our beloved Columbus. You see the Indian; wait a minute what am I saying, Native American is the correct term because this is their native land. When we think of all the horrific things done to black people during chattel slavery our bodies quiver with fear. However, we forget that the Native American watched his woman be raped, and his family die from sickness brought by the Europeans. He watched his people become addicted to substances, his name was changed, and not just his name but also his ethnicity. To this day we call Native Americans Indians because of a mistake that an idiot made. We keep this mistake going forth, Native Americans call themselves Indians even; similar to how African Americans call themselves Nigger, they have embraced the term. Last but certainly not least the Native American was robbed of his land and certainly his culture. The history that they created prior to imperialism has long been erased and they are forced to live on reservations of land and lay dependent on the powers that be. America’s first experimentation with this Nigger concept was and is still in fact the Native American!

So many Niggers over the years, and I use this term loosely for this piece in hopes to articulate the construction of an underclass. That is what it is to be a nigger. Similar to the Untouchables in India, the term nigger is rooted in not only a need for superiority but a mindset entrenched in socio-economic slavery. The ability to legally strip people of the inalienable rights that our Constitution provides for them speaks not only to a power struggle but a constant reminder of who the boss is and what can happen if the system was ever to be questioned. The term Nigger, the concentration camps, the nooses, all of these symbols are objectifiable and measurable elements of what it means to be inferior but deeper than inferiority one must know their place. You see in 2050 the white majority will actually be the minority yet they need not worry because the hegemony and institutionalized racism have made all of the niggers fearful and afraid to jolt the status quo. Nigger is a term of fear; it’s a bastardizing moment in an ethnicities history that emotionally, physically, and mentally scars the people. This fear that is instilled takes over the mind yet keeps the body, the nigger is still used for their talents but their mind will never forget that moment and how much they never want to experience such a moment again.

Malcolm X once said “If you are a citizen, why do you have to fight for your civil rights, if you’re fighting for your civil rights that means you’re not a citizen”. Niggers are not citizens, at least for the time in which they are apart of the social construct of the term. That is why the Supreme Court allowed the Japanese to be placed in internment camps, that is why we allow our media and public officials of the law to bastardize the Islamic faith. That is why Native Americans are still relegated to plots of land on reservations in a country that they once owned and were illegally dispossessed of this land. So next time you hear the term NIGGER, or you go out and purchase the upcoming album NIGGER by Nas, be aware that this term has nothing to do with a specific group of people and more to do with a concept of how to control different groups of people. How to make one fearful, and how to make another group feel superior thus always limiting the power of one and expanding upon the power of the other.

Dear children, let us stop just saying we love each other; let us really show it by our actions. It is by our actions that we know we are living in truth, so we will be confident when we stand before the Lord, even if our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. I John 3: 18-20
Dear friends, let us continue to love one another, for love comes from God. Anyone who loves is born of God and knows God. I John 4: 7-8
Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love has been brought to full expression through us.
I John 4: 11-12

Good morning, I hope you enjoyed your weekend, I definitely did! My weekend was great and what made it so great was that I was surrounded by love, family, friends and a roller coaster or two lol. I started writing this message in my head last night as I was riding home and I was reflecting on the events that happened over the weekend. It’s way to much to put into this short message but the basis of my happiness came from the love that I shared with my people and the reciprocity of that love by them sharing it not only with me but with everyone around. This morning the word is talking about love, how we must love one another, how that loves speaks volumes to the God within us and how this is what our Creator wants for us.

Yesterday my main man O said the pulpit is not necessarily in the church, it is wherever one or more gather and speak the word of God. I had to reflect on that statement and I started to think of how I had been ministered to throughout the day and did not even recognize it. Ma Greer hit me with some jewels, Heist hit me with some jewels throughout the day and at that moment these people were expressing love for me and allowing the divinity within them to shine through them and to light my life. When we love one another, when we will good things into each others lives we are fulfilling what God had planned for us. That we would live in harmony, caring for one another, helping one another move through life to reach even higher plateaus. I woke up this morning thankful that the Lord has blessed me with people who allow me to love and love me back. Peace and Grace be unto you!

A Stacks, my brother you know I could not forget you, Happy Born day!. Ayinde - meaning we gave praises and he came. Bless you brother and your family you are definitely a blessing. 1

I will, I will, I will, I’LL WORK FOR LOVE FOR ALL MY LIFE!

I must say I was quite impressed with Hillary’s Concession speech the other day. I was pleasantly surprised with the energy and tenacity she used to pledge her support for Barack Obama. Clinton urged her 18,000,000 plus voter base to support Barack as well so that the Democrats can re-claim the White House in the Fall.

I must commend her on her gracefulness and what seemed to be a genuinely sincere message that not only supported Barack but highlighted this historic moment as a barrier breaker for both people of color and women. I hope that we can continue to see such energy from the Clinton’s in this general election process. YES WE CAN!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAk3NMf4waY]

Over here at Notes of This Native Son we always like to shout out up and coming artists. Today I want to send a special shout out to the sultry sounds of L. Michele. We have to start supporting real musicians so that we can stop being plagued with trash music. Her work speaks for itself, ENJOY!

Could it be that the world is falling in love with the new sultry sounds of L. Michele? She’s your friend, your neighbor, the girl you knew all your life. Entering the music scene with soulful beats and beautiful vocals, she is rebirthing the movement of rhythm and blues. Her sultry melodies and charismatic personality make it nearly impossible not to fall in love with her Brooklyn bred stylish yet street edge flavor.

Over the years, the borough has been highlighted for its hip-hop artists; however, L. Michele is here to remind the world that her hometown also belts out crooners. At the tender age of 12, L. Michele got her start performing at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem, NY. With such a powerful instrument coming from her small body, L Michele captivated her audience and the desires for her dreams were actualized on that fateful night. It was at that moment that her sound caught the ear of record producer True Master, whose credits include Alicia Keys, Busta Rhymes and The Wu Tang Clan, who then put L. Michele under his wing and began to hone her craft through songwriting.

L. Michele has achieved many accomplishments in her pursuits for success. She was a member of the Grammy and Stellar Award winning choir, The Love Fellowship Tabernacle Choir. It was with them she made numerous television appearances including the Bobby Jones Gospel special and the McDonalds Gospel Fest. This opportunity gave her the chance to sing along side such music greats as Fred Hammond, Stevie Wonder, Babyface, Sean Combs and Mario Winans. Along with those performances, she has also performed at the famed venues Radio City Music Hall and Madison Square Garden.

With the release of her first album self-titled L. Michele her unique self-proclaimed sound captivates and soothes your ears but promises to make you two-step with songs such as “Could It Be” and “No One Compares.” For easy listening “1,000 Words” and “Love” will soothe your melodic pleasures.

With a distinct voice, multifaceted talent and intelligent character, L. Michele’s possibilities for success are endless.

L. Michele the Writer
L. Michele the Singer
L. Michele the Performer

Visit www.IamLMichele.com for more info

Who is this man Barack and where did he come from? A picture is worth a thousand words!

WHERE DID HE COME FROM?

For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5: 9-11

First I want to send a special happy bornday shout out to my brother from another Darian Mark Joel Roopnarine, may God bless your day brother and I thank him for keeping us meshed like two trains that collide and the metal melts into each other. (Pause) That was vivid, lol, but the month of June is the birth month to my closest brothers so I just want to acknowledge the iron that sharpens me, shout out to to Mo Freezy. Now that I am done with my intro (lol), I chose this particular scripture today because the last line spoke to me. It says we should encourage one another and build each other up. How real is that, I mean how genuine of a word to tell us that we need not be so worried about ourselves but look to encourage our brothers and sisters and build them up.

This morning while building with Darian we spoke about how there is a saying that the sun don’t shine forever but that is simply not true. The sun shines while we are asleep, while we are awake and it wasn’t until right now that I realize that our son is our Lord and Savior. When it seems that times are dark, the sun still exists, it is just preparing us. Preparing us for more battles that we have to fight, more greatness that we have yet to achieve. So I put the scripture together and it is clear that God has lit us with his light not only to light our dark paths but to light those around us. You might hear a good word, some words of wisdom and selfishly think that it does not apply to you. Does it not apply to your friend who is struggling, the man on the corner asking for change. Many have given their lives so that we can be where we are today, Jesus was crucified so that we could put forth good works in the name of God and our sins would be cleansed. Let us continue to build each other up, for without you there is no me. Peace and Grace be unto you!

There is a time for everything, a season for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. Ecclesiastes 3: 1-3

I told you I would revisit this scripture because I feel it is so rich with knowledge and understanding if only we allow the wisdom to be applicable in our lives. As I was riding the train this morning it was raining, the beautiful blue skies had turned a stark grey. Mentally I prepared for the gloom, in the Western world some tend to de-value the rain and associate it with sadness. However, it’s funny that in other cultures the rain is honored, it is seen as a blessing from the Supreme Being. So all this thinking about the weather made me think of the storm of life and brought me back to this very scripture.

There is time to plant and a time to harvest. We can’t plant all of the seeds that we want into our lives but without the rain they will not grow, our harvest will not flourish. The rain in your life is the same way, it is vital for your growth and continued living. You ever see someone you love wet with rain on their face, with their smile you are reminded of life and growth. Whether the rain is a golden yellow with the light from the sun or that dark grey from the clouds it is still serving a purpose in your life at that moment. Allow yourself to be immersed in the rain, cherish the experience because it is only making you stronger and more beautiful. I think of the storms that I have seen in life, I walked out of every storm a better man. A step closer to the man that God wanted to me be. We are his crops, and without the rain that he showers into our lives we cannot grow and be the full blessing that he wants us to be. Peace and Grace be unto you!

Patience can cook a stone.

Ummm maybe living in the United States is not so bad!!!

]

HMMM YOU CAN BE A NIGGA TOO!

What it means to be a NIGGER

A few weeks back as I sat and watched the red carpet section of the Grammy’s I saw my fellow Virgo grace the camera with his wife donning a t-shirt that said “NIGGER”. Wait a minute rewind that back, I saw Nasir Jones better known as “Nas” and a group of supporters of different ethnicities in “NIGGER” Fashion. This is clearly a sign that the times have changed, television has become so liberal, when I was a child they would have blurred out the image at minimum to say the least. Nas was interviewed about his “message”, there were no censors over the word and things went relatively normal. I mentioned earlier that Nas is a Virgo because they are the thinkers of the zodiac and very strategic in their movements, so maybe Nas is titling his album NIGGER and grappling after the publicity that it is causing so that we can have intelligent discourses like the one we are about to have.

Wait one second, before you lose interest in fear that I am about take you on a historical voyage enduring the plight of black people and the socialization of the term Nigger and how we need to accept it to empower ourselves, I promise you I will not. This is not the typical discussion of whether this is a term of endearment or mental slavery. But to understand what the concept of the term nigger we must first look to one of the great writers of the Harlem Renaissance, James Baldwin.

Baldwin says, “What white people have to do is try to find out in their own hearts why it was necessary to have a nigger in the first place. Because I’m not a nigger, I’m a man! But if you think I’m a nigger it means you need it. If I’m not the nigger here and you, the white people invented him then you’ve got to find out why?”

Baldwin paints us such a vivid picture when he speaks about the system needing a nigger. You see the term nigger is about an institutionalized inferiority complex. The system, those proponents of white supremacy need a nigger to belittle, they need a nigger to make themselves feel better than another group of people because they lack self-esteem. The nigger is needed in order to perpetuate systems of control, a hierarchy within this great land from sea to shining sea. Unfortunately today the term nigger has become synonymous with black people. However this is not the case, this is not the fate of black people; this has been the position of various ethnic groups in America. I will chronicle the stories of three niggers who have been bastardized by a system of oppression and blatant racism in this country without ever painting the picture of a black face!

If you are of Middle Eastern decent, or even look like you could possibly be of the Islamic faith after 9/11, I regret to inform you but the United States has declared you a NIGGER! Your rights were stripped from you; you became the victims of police brutality, random search and seizures, and you are always pulled aside at the airport for more questioning. Why is this; because you fit the “description”, you look suspicious? But none of this is true; it is merely the pigment of your skin and the religious affiliation that you are suspected of practicing which garners you such attention. You watch your faith and belief system ridiculed daily on television, you have become the butt of all jokes. You’re fearful when your children go to school because other children will torment them; forgive them for they know not what they do. You came to this country with hopes of reaching the American dream however you are now living the American Nightmare! The ultimate insult is no longer to be black but it is to be Muslim. Your beautiful, peaceful culture has been tainted by slander; you are now judged by the few who make it tough for the many. Welcome!

Rewind the clocks back before the Civil Rights Era, after the Red Scare, where if you were communist you were a nigger. No, I am speaking of World War II, a defining moment in this country’s history where we joined forces with our allies overseas and toppled the Axis Powers who viciously slaughtered those of the Jewish faith and anyone else in their quest for world domination. Let us look into our backyard at today’s most successful minority, looked upon as intelligent, reserved, model citizens of this great nation; the Asian. Yes in 1942 here in America the Japanese were considered NIGGERS! Stripped of their land, businesses, and personal possessions, some 120,000 Japanese Americans were forced into relocation centers into the interior lands of this country. Placed in prison camps with little to no food to eat and cramped living quarters for large families were just some of the conditions the Japanese had to experience. Propaganda spread through the media about the “Japs” as they were called, “good riddance to the spy’s and traitors”. These were some of the messages about the people who had only a few years prior been trying to assimilate into American culture. They too were in search of the roads paved of gold people from other countries associate with our great America. White farmers benefited with the Japanese farmers gone, they were then able to take over their profit share and make more revenue for themselves. Even the Supreme Court of the United States permitted this racist behavior holding that this exclusion did not violate the constitution arguing “it is permissible to curtail the civil rights of a racial group when there is a “pressing public necessity.” So much for Justice!

Who discovered America? Oh yes I remember we have a beautiful holiday in this country named after none other than America’s most beautiful thief, rapist, and oppressor among other names. Yes I am speaking of Columbus, when we discuss the concept of the nigger we have to speak about our beloved Columbus. You see the Indian; wait a minute what am I saying, Native American is the correct term because this is their native land. When we think of all the horrific things done to black people during chattel slavery our bodies quiver with fear. However, we forget that the Native American watched his woman be raped, and his family die from sickness brought by the Europeans. He watched his people become addicted to substances, his name was changed, and not just his name but also his ethnicity. To this day we call Native Americans Indians because of a mistake that an idiot made. We keep this mistake going forth, Native Americans call themselves Indians even; similar to how African Americans call themselves Nigger, they have embraced the term. Last but certainly not least the Native American was robbed of his land and certainly his culture. The history that they created prior to imperialism has long been erased and they are forced to live on reservations of land and lay dependent on the powers that be. America’s first experimentation with this Nigger concept was and is still in fact the Native American!

So many Niggers over the years, and I use this term loosely for this piece in hopes to articulate the construction of an underclass. That is what it is to be a nigger. Similar to the Untouchables in India, the term nigger is rooted in not only a need for superiority but a mindset entrenched in socio-economic slavery. The ability to legally strip people of the inalienable rights that our Constitution provides for them speaks not only to a power struggle but a constant reminder of who the boss is and what can happen if the system was ever to be questioned. The term Nigger, the concentration camps, the nooses, all of these symbols are objectifiable and measurable elements of what it means to be inferior but deeper than inferiority one must know their place. You see in 2050 the white majority will actually be the minority yet they need not worry because the hegemony and institutionalized racism have made all of the niggers fearful and afraid to jolt the status quo. Nigger is a term of fear; it’s a bastardizing moment in an ethnicities history that emotionally, physically, and mentally scars the people. This fear that is instilled takes over the mind yet keeps the body, the nigger is still used for their talents but their mind will never forget that moment and how much they never want to experience such a moment again.

Malcolm X once said “If you are a citizen, why do you have to fight for your civil rights, if you’re fighting for your civil rights that means you’re not a citizen”. Niggers are not citizens, at least for the time in which they are apart of the social construct of the term. That is why the Supreme Court allowed the Japanese to be placed in internment camps, that is why we allow our media and public officials of the law to bastardize the Islamic faith. That is why Native Americans are still relegated to plots of land on reservations in a country that they once owned and were illegally dispossessed of this land. So next time you hear the term NIGGER, or you go out and purchase the upcoming album NIGGER by Nas, be aware that this term has nothing to do with a specific group of people and more to do with a concept of how to control different groups of people. How to make one fearful, and how to make another group feel superior thus always limiting the power of one and expanding upon the power of the other.