Am I getting Punk’d:

Did she say a real nigga need a real bitch?

It smells like water…. WTF….. I’m sorry ladies I must post Letter to a Young black Female AGAIN. CLEARLY SOME OF YOU OLDER WOMEN CAN READ IT AS WELL!

Letter to a young black female

What’s up young lady. You may not know who I am but I know who you
are. You see, I see your potential, I envision you accomplishing all
of your dreams and goals. Anything that you set your mind to can and
will be yours if you just Believe!

Believe in what you may ask? Yourself! Believe that you are the
intellect which has governed civilizations for century upon century.
Believe that you are the standard of beauty and not whatever images
the media shells out at you. Believe that there is no task too big
or too small that you can not reach for and achieve.

Realize young lady that women have always been at the helm of
everything great. James Brown said it best, “this is a man’s world but
it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl”. You have so many big
sisters to look up to, so many sources of inspiration that have
provided the framework of the strong work ethic known as womanhood.

Notice I call you young lady for these terms that I hear you referred
to are not your names. You are a Queen who must demand respect, your
mere presence should command respect. You must first respect yourself
however, and respect your fellow sisters as well. Together you young
ladies make up the future table of leadership.

God made you to be special, he made you to stand apart from the crowd.
So fear not if you feel isolated or alone, look back to your big
sisters who have changed the landscape of history, they once felt
alone too. I write you this letter to show my admiration for you, to
pay homage to the beautiful gift that the creator is bestowing upon
us. Follow your dreams and believe in your path young lady, for the
very thought of you reaching a tenth of your potential is an
inspiration to us all!

Truly yours,
Cedric D. Shine (your #1 fan)

Do you remember Elian Gonzalez? He was the young boy who came here from Cuba with his mother and his mother’s boyfriend. However most of the people on the small aluminum boat they were traveling on died on their way to the United States. Two young boys then ended up on the shores of Florida via an inner tube and were turned over to the U.S Coast Guard. A nasty fight ensued between both sides of the family which resulted in the little boy going back to Cuba to be with his biological father.

You’re thinking like me, what in the world does this have to do with Obama. Well apparently his Uncle is holding some of Barack’s associates responsible. One of which is Eric Holder who is now helping Obama pick a running mate, he was under Janet Reno when she ordered Elian’s return to his father in Cuba. Gregory Craig was Elian’s father’s lawyer who helped him get his son back.

While I was watching CNN, the family’s spokesperson was speaking to a group of Cuban supporters misinterpreting Obama’s stance on Cuba. Apparently Elian has become a member of the Young Communist Union, and many Cubans blame a host of individuals for his return to Cuba and two of them are Obama’s advisers.

I just ask, when does it all end. People are so focused on media attention and because Barack is what’s hot in the news right now all types of nonsense gets attached to him. My question is why don’t these supporters go make statements about the U.S. Supreme Court who refused to hear their case. Or the countless other courts who denied them. Instead they come after Obama, for future reference please attack the NEXT President with substantiative issues and not mere propaganda which seeks to alienate more voters. Thanks. YES WE CAN SI SE PUEDE!

Ok, is this stupid children Friday! I know, I know you should never call a child stupid but the nonsense in the news today is utterly ridiculous and disheartening.

A group of teens at Gloucester high School in Gloucester Massachussetts made a pact to get pregnant. Over 17 young women, most under the age of 16 have gotten pregnant during this school year. The numbers were so startling that the school officials decided to investigate what was going on.

What they found was that these young girls were getting pregnant on purpose. There is so much wrong with this situation that it is not even funny. 1. We have children playing with the lives and futures of these babies that they are about to bring into the world. 2. STD’s are spread through unprotected sex, it is logical to assume that if all these girls are getting pregnant that they are having unprotected sex with these men.

The article states that one man is 24 years old and homeless and he is the father of one of these young girl’s babies. These young girls are searching for love in all the wrong places. It’s sad that they went to such lengths to gain attention. I am truly worried for the young women of the coming generation. In a world where youtube booty shaking and naked photos of young girls pop up everywhere on the internet I am concerned for their well being. I am concerned for the future mothers of our children. Ofcourse it would be preposterous to assume that all young girls are acting this way. But any time you see 17 young girls at one high school making pacts to get pregnant that should let you know that this is a growing problem.

It would be a waste if I just ranted about these problems and said nothing in the way of solutions for such a  problem. We need young women to mentor these young girls. We need young men to mentor our young sisters and present them with more respectful and favorable images of themselves. We need to enstill respect in these young ladies. Not only respect for themselves but respect for their peers and most importantly their own bodies. I pray for these 17 young children coming into this world, and I pray for these girls because the road to parenthood is not be easy by any stretch of the imagination. Now that we have watched these young ladies make these mistakes it is up to their parents, communities, churches and us to help support young women in such a situation and to prevent other young ladies from making similar mistakes. Peace and Love!

Letter to a young black female

What’s up young lady. You may not know who I am but I know who you
are. You see, I see your potential, I envision you accomplishing all
of your dreams and goals. Anything that you set your mind to can and
will be yours if you just Believe!

Believe in what you may ask? Yourself! Believe that you are the
intellect which has governed civilizations for century upon century.
Believe that you are the standard of beauty and not whatever images
the media shells out at you. Believe that there is no task too big
or too small that you can not reach for and achieve.

Realize young lady that women have always been at the helm of
everything great. James Brown said it best, “this is a man’s world but
it wouldn’t be nothing without a woman or a girl”. You have so many big
sisters to look up to, so many sources of inspiration that have
provided the framework of the strong work ethic known as womanhood.

Notice I call you young lady for these terms that I hear you referred
to are not your names. You are a Queen who must demand respect, your
mere presence should command respect. You must first respect yourself
however, and respect your fellow sisters as well. Together you young
ladies make up the future table of leadership.

God made you to be special, he made you to stand apart from the crowd.
So fear not if you feel isolated or alone, look back to your big
sisters who have changed the landscape of history, they once felt
alone too. I write you this letter to show my admiration for you, to
pay homage to the beautiful gift that the creator is bestowing upon
us. Follow your dreams and believe in your path young lady, for the
very thought of you reaching a tenth of your potential is an
inspiration to us all!

Truly yours,
Cedric D. Shine (your #1 fan)

Here is the article

http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/1016357,pregpact062008.article

I will say then that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of bringing about in any way the social and political equality of the white and black races - that I am not, nor ever have been, in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people; and I will say in addition to this that there is a physical difference between the white and black races which I believe forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality. And in as much as they cannot so live, while they do remain together there must be the position of superior and inferior, and I as much as any other man am in favor of having the superior position assigned to the white race.– Abraham Lincoln 1858

I remember sitting at my cramped desk at Deauville Gardens Elementary School more than 15 years ago. I was no more than 10 years old but I remember learning of “THE GREAT EMANCIPATOR” Abraham Lincoln. It was taught that Lincoln freed the slaves and being a young black child I should be forever grateful because if it were not for his actions many of my people would still be in chains. Those formidable years of education were filled with large fabrications. A growing amount of Americans never make it to college and thus are forced to mull around the lies and propaganda that our history books sell us, between them and these false history channels we are inundated with the winners version of history which can often be extremely flawed.

For years if you asked me who was my favorite President I would proudly state that Abraham Lincoln was the greatest President that ever lived. I was taught that he liberated blacks out of the chains and physical captivity of chattel slavery in these United States of America, that this man saw blacks as his equals and valiantly battled racist southerners and their disturbing opinions of people of color in this country and drove us to freedom. However as I read his quote above, it seems that Abraham Lincoln was quite the opposite, quite the racist, and very much an oppressor of people of color. He believed that people of color were inferior to whites, why was this quote omitted from my education, why is history painted in such a viciously false manner?

In law school the question to every answer is “maybe”. The teachers say maybe because there are always multiple different ways of looking at things thus giving us various outcomes, nothing is absolute. Did Abraham Lincoln free the slaves? Maybe!

As I look at several photos taken by up and coming Photographer Young District, who has a great eye for capturing the feeling of a moment. While shooting in the Abraham Lincoln Projects on 132nd and Madison in Harlem he manages to capture this historical relationship between people of color and Lincoln. A picture is worth a thousand words and when I look at this series so much comes to mind.

Look at how the sculptor chose to dress the young black man. Lincoln is fully dressed, bow tie included while the young man wears torn clothes with no shoes. He is visibly supposed to be portraying an enslaved young man, dressed in rags praising Lincoln and his fully suited self. The young boy is looking up to Lincoln, admiring him for his courage, his oh so noble character. The young man is forever in debt to Abraham Lincoln for without Lincoln this boy would still be a slave. Now he’s become a new slave, a slave to a warped view of history.

Look at Lincoln, his face is emotionless, in fact he stares past the young man, not even making eye contact with him. Lincoln is comparable to the Santa Clause who sits in our shopping malls during the holidays, it’s just a job and he really could care less about the wishes that the young man whispers to him because he has no intention of making those dreams come true. But that’s just it! Young District has captured the real intention of Lincoln. He’s looking past blacks but using them as a tool to preserve the Union, to preserve the United States of America. And where does this statute sit, it sits right in the heart of a housing development which is the home to many people of color.

Everyday there’s a kid just like me who walks by this statute and is proud. Proud that in a country who bears the dirty stain of slavery, that there was one man who defied the odds. One man who fought to make sure that blacks and whites were equal. The above quote is not found in history books, it’s not found near this statute. However it is found in the emotionless expression on Lincoln’s face. It’s found in the archives of his speeches that let us know that he had no intention on freeing the slaves. In fact Lincoln is quoted as saying “If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that.”

Another deleted quote from the legacy of Lincoln, another example of how we were used as pawns and firepower to defeat the Confederate States of America. Nowhere in this quote is this Great Emancipator championing our rights, speaking out against the destructive and oppressive system of racial inequality, yet he gets this great title in our history. He is known as one of the leaders of the Abolitionist movement, yet he did not believe in our abilities, intellect or right to be treated as his equals. So did Lincoln free the slaves, why of course he did, the Emancipation Proclamation and 13th Amendment tells us so. However, it was a mere accident. Thanks to Young District for allowing his lens to capture one of Lincoln’s greatest misnomers, that he actually cared.

More trash from the same exhibit! Nas said “I have a song called the ‘Fear.’ The full title of the record is ‘The Fear of the Black Man’s Dick.’ That’s some shit you can get comedy [from], or you can get some seriousness from it when you talk about the barbaric castrations that happened in our past … which is very serious, nothing to laugh at,” Nas explains.

Here we have more fear of the black man’s dick, more stereotypes, and an attempt at a political castration. Look at the title’s near what is supposed to be Barack’s anatomy. Once you Go Barack, clearly taken from the phrase “once you go black you never go back”. This gentleman was being creative and utilizing a play on terms representing how many feel that Barack is reaching a new audience. He is making Barack’s campaign comparable to the myth of large black penises. Simply that; a myth! Rather than looking at the wide amount of people that Obama is able to transcend. I know people who are die hard Republicans and they may very well cross party lines this November to vote for Barack because they inspired by his message of change and his sound judgment.

One thing this election process will be sure to show you is the little truck yard minds of many Americans. Stereotypes and biases will never have been so prevalent, code words and racial tensions will continue to be mounted by the ignorant.

So now Obama’s daughters are Nappy Headed Hoes. I understand that art is the freedom of expression but this is utterly ridiculous. America has lost its values. Not only is the man’s wife allowed to be disrespected but now his two beautiful children as well. This photo is from the “Assassination of Barack Obama” exhibit.

These are the days we are living in. It’s a sick world and what this clip doesn’t show you is that this man brutally mugged this woman and ran from the scene of the crime. Then came back while the cops were investigating and stole her car. I pray for this young man because he knows not what he does. You reap what you sow and right now he is sowing himself up some real destruction.

Oh an by the way thanks for reinforcing stereotypes, JERK!

So Pat Buchanan has already let it be known that this is how the Republican Party will fight this upcoming fall. By inserting “code words” about Barack Obama and his candidacy. Code words like exotic, what exactly do you mean Mr. Buchanan.

It’s like “he’s exotic” which means what, he’s different also known as he’s black. Do you really want a black president! Then they get into the experience debates and more but you can expect for Karl Rove and others to rear their ugly heads. Punks! Think about it, when you’re a child and you are having a debate and you have nothing of substance to argue you start to make jokes to grab the attention of the people. Hoping they follow along with your silly stereotypes and mis-representations because you have nothing of substance to say. BUCHANAN GROW UP!

N.E.R.D “SEEING SOUNDS” Album Review

“I’ll never forget I was like 7 years old, I closed my eyes and that’s when it happened. I STARTED SEEING SOUNDS!” With the backdrop of music that reminds you of the Pee Wee Herman days, Pharrell spits these words on “Time for some Action” and the trance begins, you become a part of outer space, you’re traveling to Planet N.E.R.D. A world where a hard core hip hop head can meet an alternative skateboard punk rock kinda kid while their both tryna holler at a Soulful, R&B girl. I SEE DEAD PEOPLE, I SEE SOUNDS!

I think the thing you have to love about N.E.R.D albums is that they are not made for the mainstream. It’s almost as if Pharrell and Chad make beats and do cameos on all mainstream music just so they can afford their addiction. Their addiction to making music that transcends a kid from the projects to the suburb with tales of women, drugs, relationships, and everyday life. Expect the beats to blare out your speakers. Tracks like “Anti Matter” might throw you at first but then you’ll realize this ain’t normal, it wasn’t intended to be.

“Sooner or Later” has people who are not typical N.E.R.D fans crossing over into Planet N.E.R.D. The instruments take you somewhere you’ve been before, with every drum snare you are starting to see the picture they are painting, you are beginning to see your own sounds. With a NERD album you are really bound to get double the amount of songs you bargained for. Every song has a bridge where the beat changes up, the vocals change up and you are given a teaser of another dope beat. I guess when you get super producers who make albums they have so many hot beats to choose from they have to be creative to get all of their sound in there.

“Yeah You” finds any male or female’s nightmare; a stalker who just doesn’t get it! If on the album Pharrell and his cohorts were trying to make music where the listeners see the potential video it definitely worked. For this track I see a new version of Black Sheep’s Strobelite Honey video treatment. Most are too young to remember, just go on youtube and look it up.

The smash hit single “Everyone Nose” has the streets buzzing, the clubs buzzing and THE “Black Mac” has been pumping it for months. Celebrity Insiders aren’t even mad that N.E.R.D. is exposing why some girls always feel the need to “POWDER” their noses. On the bridge Pharrell might even be trying to tell the girl to slow down with all her reckless partying while also trying to help himself to some of her wild behaviors. Already an Internet favorite is the extra-terrestrial “Spaz”. With an opening line like “I’m a little teapot short and stout” you have to wonder what the f*** is this song about to be about. Just Spaz if you want to!

I walk into my 16 year old brother’s room, a young dude who is more worried about the new Jordan’s or some Air Force one’s and I hear “Love Bomb” pumping out of the computer speakers. Why is that, why is this album crossing age groups, genres, and racial boundaries. Because everyone needs an escape from reality and that’s what this album offers, FREEDOM. Freedom to say whatever you want, listen to whatever you want. There is nothing typical about the music and the vocals can be just as confusing. But uff it, just go with the flow. Welcome to PLANET N.E.R.D where the norm is not so normal but the catch is you don’t care because you like it! I SEE DEAD PEOPLE, I SEE SOUNDS!