a few last minute pointers for Barack Obama…

Here are some key last minute points that Barack should hammer home during the final hours of Election 2008.  In no particular order:

• Assure White America that Black folks are not going to enslave them.  Tell them upfront that we are not looking for revenge.
• Assure White America (and Black America) that Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Rev. Jeramiah Wright, and Louis Farrakhan will have no place in an Obama Administration.
• Remind all of his supporters that the fight doesn’t stop with the vote.
• Remind Black folks not to celebrate too hard if he becomes President.  Why?  Look, some White folks are gonna be very angry/scared/depressed in response to an Obama victory.  They might very well be lookin’ for some get-back.  Don’t provoke them with excessive celebration e.g. rockin Obama Tees and poppin’ Champagne bottles at the office – in a “Soul Train line” – while blasting “ain’t no stoppin’ us now”.  Do that shit at the crib or at Church.  And when you get back to the office on Thursday – on Thursday – act like nothing has happened.
• Urge people not to riot if he loses the election is stolen.
• More than a few Black people lost some tried and true White homies (Hillary supporters) over the jolting course of this social and cultural powder-keg of a campaign.  Barack should gently nudge Black folks to determine if any of these relationships are worthwhile and salvageable and if so to go about the work of rekindling these friendships.
• To assuage the concerns of some Black folks that continue to charge Barack with, “forgetting where he came from”, the Big “O” should acknowledge a few of the key Black people that helped him to arrive at this momentous occasion.  Especially his barber.  Barack’s fade, waves and line were consistently TIGHT throughout the entire campaign cycle.
• Let everyone know that if he wins the election, this does not mean that America has finally overcome the “race problem”. 
• In case the election is lost stolen, Barack should point out to his supporters that he/we came this far together.  And that we have come too far – accomplished too much to turn back now.  He should embolden his supporters to continue to march bravely forward and carry on with the great change-work that THEY started.

Humbly Submitted.

kd

Video: War (Insert Patriotism) What is It Good For – Edwin Starr

Stirred up by the hate and fear-mongering of the McPalin ticket, good ol’ American patriotism has been on full display as of late.  The below video/song best captures my reaction to the ugliness that I’ve witnessed.   As you listen, every time you hear brotha Edwin shout, “War!”, insert the word “Patriotism” in its place.

 

more about “Video: War (Insert Patriotism) What …“, posted with vodpod

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WARNINGS: these posts deserve another looksy…

Warning #1:  “If Barack Becomes President…”

 

Warning #2:  “Things we should do…”

“…one of them coon dogs…” An Act of Racism? Real or Imagined?

Sunday afternoon at the pet store w/ my 2 boys.  We’re checking out the kittens and pups.  A handsome and frisky doberman pup catches our eye.  We post up for a few minutes in front of the pooch’s cage.  A couple of minutes fly by.  Another family approaches.  Moms, pops, junior, and grandpa.  They have a real rust-belt ethos about ‘em.  They peer over our shoulders at the same pooch we’re looking at.  Junior expresses an keen interest in the pup.  They continue to move in – encroach.  Pretty damn close to invading our personal space.  I have to defend the perimeter.  I turn and give them a quick and subtle don’t-get-no-closer glance complete with a half-smile.  Message received.  They stop and continue to observe from an acceptable distance.  Another minute or two goes by.  We’re still excitedly engaged with the pup.  Tired of waiting, pops verbally signals for his rustic squad to go browse the other animals in the store.  As they turn to walk away I hear grandpa say, in a voice much louder than what was appropriate for the setting, “I’d rather get me one of them COON dogs anyway”.  I’m immediately thinking to myself, “WTF!  COON dog?  Who says COON DOG!?”  I turn and instantly lock eyes with grandpa.  This mofo flashes me a quick smile and offers up a sinister, “Have a nice day.”

OK.  To me, this a is a clear-cut case of racism/bigotry.  However, I could be making this shit up in my head.  Maybe grand pa simply decided to make known - at that precise moment in time – his longing and preference for a got-damn coon dog.  I seriously doubt it.  What do you think?  Is this an act of racism or am I imagining things?

kdizo

quick question: for the last 2 weeks has America been the greatest country in the world?

Considering the FACT that we are in an economic depression.  Considering the CRASH of the stock market.  Considering all of the mudslinging in the Presidential race.  Considering all the racial tension bubbling over…  Can we you believers still, at this precise social/historical moment, stand on the claim that this is the greatest country in the world?

I’m not writing anything else about Election 2008 Until…

I’m self-imposing a moratorium on commenting about Campaign 2008.  I’m tired of all the politalking, the stump speeches, the faux-debates, the mudslinging, the absolutely useless media coverage.  And can we please do away with the damn polls!  It’s the same stories and soundbites and finger-pointing – by the same people - over and over and over again.   So, as far as I’m concerned, there really isn’t anything riveting or substantive to talk about.  That is, unless someone in the mainstream media or the blogosphere has the balls/ovaries to spark up a national conversation about the 800 lb. guerrilla in the room.  You know exactly what I’m talking about.  I’m sure you’ve been thinking about it, and maybe even discussing it under your breath.  What’s the 800 lb. guerrilla that I speak of?  It’s the persistently ignored fact that the race for the White House is as close as it is because one of the candidates is Black.  And relatedly,  the only reason that the vast majority of  “undecideds” (mostly White) remain undecided, is because on the one hand – in their rational minds – they know that the McCain/Palin ticket is a fucking joke.  On the other hand,  they just can’t quite bring themselves to vote for – gulp - a negro.  Just to be clear, I’m saying that if Barack were White, this thing would’ve been over a long long time ago.  Why isn’t anyone touching this?  Why isn’t this headline news?  Is it because the shot-callers in mainstream media don’t know?  Or could it be that they don’t care?  Whatever the reason, I refuse to contribute anything else to this white-washed amateurish real-time work of political pop-fiction that’s been over-sold to us as insightful, objective, and professional campaign coverage.

Frank Talk (like Steve Biko);

kd

McCain/Palin and the n-word: you know it’s comin’…

***SEE NEW UPDATE AT END OF THIS POST***

I called this a while back in an earlier post (here).  I can see it goin’ down sumthin’ like this:

[Setting:  2nd Presidential Debate.  1/2 way into the program.]

Tom Brokaw (Moderator):  “Senator McCain.  After the first debate there was much discussion about your outright refusal to make any eye contact at all with your opponent Senator Obama.  You received a lot of criticism from Democrats and some Republicans for that.  And yet tonight, you’ve not looked at your opponent once.  Do you think that is a smart tactic on your part considering…”

[Brokaw is abruptly cut off by a grumbling red-faced McCain]

McCain:  “Uhh yeah…I umm…I think…Hey!  Fuck you Tom!  I’m not looking at that N-!!!

[Gasps and then stunned silence.  McCain smiling, winks at the camera.  Barack stares, mean-muggin' McCain.  The silence is broken only when Michelle Obama launches from her front row seat toward the smiling/winking McCain.  Hang time. Her right arm extended. Shoe in hand...]

Don’t even trip.  It might not go down exactly like this but… Shit, Jesse called him a nigga!

Get at me…

k to the d to the izo

***UPDATE # 1:  Someone said the N-word.  I told you it was coming.  Granted, it didn’t come from the mouth of McCain or Palin, but they, and the nefarious RNC, with their fear-mongering “he’s not one of us” tactics,  are definitely responsible for creating the conditions that breed this type of hatred and stupidity.  See the Washington Post article (here).  This isn’t just negative.  This shit is Birth of A Nation scary.  Wow, just a taste of what life – black life would be like under a McCain/Palin regime.***

am I the only one: boy george, and racism on the street and at work

Am I the only one:

1. Am I the only black dude that, as a shorty, had a crush on Boy George?  Don’t trip.  I was 10 years old.  I didn’t know much of anything about homosexuality (even though my go to diss at the time was “nigga, you gay!”) and even less about studs cross-dressing.  What I did know was that Boy George’s warm sultry voice riding over the reggae-drenched riddim of 1982’s “Do you Really Want To Hurt Me”  had a little black boy feelin’ all warm and fuzzy and – - yeah….
2. Am I the only 6′4, 265 lb. brotha that gets just a tad affronted, or thinks it’s racist, when a random White person makes steps towards me and asks If I play football or basketball and, as of late, if I fight in the UFC?  This shit happens all the time.  I wouldn’t mind these encounters so much if, every now and then, instead of asking me if I play sports, some random white cat would approach me to ask if I’m a Professor or an Advertising/Marketing Exec. or an Astrophysicist…  I’m sick of it.  The next time some random White homey, young or old, invades my personal space to ask me if I play sports,  I’m gonna stand up tall and straight, chest out, and calmly reply, “No, I don’t play sports.  I’m a field-nigga.  Now get the fuck outta my face.”  Is it just me?
3. As a senior level manager in corporate America, I often get the sneaking suspicion that when my white staff and colleagues ask questions in response to my directives, they do so for no other reason than they hate to take orders from a homeboy – from a brotha.  At times it seems like this is their default knee-jerk response to any directive/suggestion that I put on the table.  Seriously, I could suggest that one of my White team members simply lace up his wing-tips and he – all red faced –  will immediately respond, or push-back with, “Well, why exactly would I do that and where does that sit with our other priorities?”  Am I the only one???

up

kdizo