Thursday, January 31, 2008

Kwame Kilpatrick Addresses Sex Scandal in Public


Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has, for the first time, publicly addressed a sex scandal that has rocked his administration. Giving a speech while holding hands with his wife, Kilpatrick asked the city of Detroit to forgive him for his sins.

"I would never quit on you, ever," said Kilpatrick. "We've got a lot of work to do. And with your help, I am going to continue to lead this city in getting the work done."

Wednesday, the Detroit Free Press reported that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick may have lied under oath about having an affair with his Chief of Staff, Christine Beatty. Kilpatrick was also accused of lying about his firing of Deputy Chief Gary Brown.

Kym Worthy, the county prosecutor, has announced that an investigation is being opened into wrong-doing. If found guilty, Kwame Kilpatrick could face time in prison.

Rather than denying the affair, as Bill Clinton did nearly 10 years ago, Kilpatrick took full responsibility, stating, "To all of you who have believed in what we have been doing in this city since 2002, to all of you who have believed in me and my leadership, to all of you who have stuck with me through difficult times, to all of you who have prayed for me, I'm sorry."

Mayor Kilpatrick's wife, Carlita Kilpatrick also stepped in to provide support for her husband. She also noted that she and Kwame were having problems.

"Like all marriages, ours is not perfect," she said. "But through our commitment to God and each other, my husband and I will get through this. Yes, I am angry, I am hurt, and I am disappointed. But there is no question I love my husband."

Kwame Kilpatrick refused to discuss details of the sex scandal during his speech.
"Because there are legal matters pending at this moment, unfortunately I am unable to discuss any of those issues at this time."

Kilpatrick finished off his speech with a public apology.

"Most of all tonight, I want to make a public apology to my entire family, and specifically to the four people who I love the most in this world," said Mayor Kilpatrick.

"First, I want to apologize to my sons, Jelani, Jalil and Jonas. For the first time in my life I had to have a conversation with my 12-year-old twin sons about very grown up things. It was, without a doubt, the hardest conversation that I've ever had in my entire life.

"Finally, and most importantly, I want to make a public apology to my wife, Carlita, who I fell in love with when I was 19 years old. We decided to build a family together and we did that. Our marriage has not been perfect, but it has been great."

Reporters were barred from Kwame Kilpatrick's speech, given in a relatively empty room in the church that he and his family attend. Kilpatrick did not address the woman that he allegedly had the affair with, Christine Beatty. Instead, he focused on his marriage to his wife, Carlita Kilpatrick.

"This has been a situation where, yes, it's been embarrassing, yes it's been painful," the mayor said. "But through all of that, through the grace of God, we've also had a feeling of thankfulness and freedom. We have committed to moving forward together to make our marriage better and stronger."

Whether the public chooses to forgive Mayor Kilpatrick is up to debate. The American public forgave Bill Clinton for his relationship with Monica Lewinsky, but there are some who doubt that a young black politician can be as easily forgiven.

Kwame Kilpatrick, one of the youngest mayors in America, has been under a great deal of controversy since he took office. While being supported strongly by the city of Detroit, many have criticized his unconventional style of leadership as arrogant and overbearing. It is yet to be seen if he can overcome his most recent controversy.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Old School


It really irks me to no end to hear old people say, “When I was young such and such happened”. I know that groceries used to cost less than two dollars, I know school used to be a 30 mile walk each way and I know that clothes used to be cheaper. All of this I know, yet I still have to give my elders their just due. Their stories keep me in touch with my present if that makes any sense. The wisdom that elders pass on to me might seem very useless and redundant at times because it sounds like that cassette tape that you’re mother plays every time she cleans up the house. As I mature in age and experience I realize that their advice is helpful. In society there has always been a clash between old and young, innovation against tradition and so forth. The young feel like the older generation doesn’t let them create new traditions and feel oppressed by their ranting and raving about respect. The older generation feels like the younger generation doesn’t have any sense of history or respect for their generation. Both sides have equally valid points, but who’s right?

I wasn’t around 23 plus years ago, but I can tell there has been a disconnect somewhere along the path. KRS-One, rapper, scholar, activist, is constantly reminding the younger generation to know their roots because history repeats itself. The idea of reverence for the past has come up a lot in hip-hop as most of the older artists feel like the new school artists don’t give them their praise for their. I agree with the older rappers because most of the stuff on the radio is a reverberation of older music. Newer artists have put their fresh spins on it but it’s still old. 50 Cent’s smash hit “I Get Money” was highly successful because it used a sample from Audio Two’s “Top Billing”. Rapper Nelly is nothing more than a modern day LL Cool J, rappers Foxy Brown and Lil Kim are borrowing a lot of the swagger of female counterparts MC Lyte and Salt-N-Pepa. These artists are certainly ORIGINAL but history does play apart in the present lives of these artists.

If we look at history there have always been clashes between generations. This idea hasn’t started with the addition of this generation. One thing I have learned is that the game doesn’t change, but the players do. I used to think that the things that I was listening to or the way I dressed was newer and hipper but in reality I was a throwback to the older generation. I used to try and emulate Kanye West’ preppy fashion and I thought it was so original and fresh. Then I learned that he borrowed a lot of his style from suburban white kids. There is a lot of originality in every generation. History keeps us all connected. Every generation builds upon the next. Lebron James had to learn from his predecessors just like Michael Jordan had to learn from his.

In order to keep our generations from clashing we must always realize that no idea is original and nothing’s new under the sun. We must learn to be tolerant of the old and new and have respect for each other. Keep the lines of communication open and most importantly learn to love your history.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Do We NEED to be Around Each Other?

So it finally happened. I had been teaching at this southern rural college for 3 and a half years. I was the only black tenure track professor. There were only dozens of black students out of the population of 1000. But there they were last Friday at my door ready to change things...
We had a Martin Luther King Jr. celebration on campus and that provided the spark. The spark wasn't unusual. MLK day celebrations definitely will (and should) do that. But this time it seems like it's going to turn into a wildfire.

"I really think we need a group as men of color on campus," one of them said. I was stunned. Of course they would ask me to be the adviser for this newly formed group. But this wasn't about me. I continued to listen and ask questions:

"What do you want his group to be?"

"What are you hoping to accomplish?"

"Why do you feel you NEED a group?"

The last question is the the real issue. I have struggled (and continue to struggle) with it for most of my life as most men of color should. Why do we feel we NEED to be around people who look like us? It may seem natural. Indeed, when I asked them to explain exactly why they needed the group, they stumbled over their words in trying to explain. It's not an easy question. Being trained as a mathematician, I clearly have been influenced by and surrounded by peers who were not black. Moreover, I have never had the need to be around people of my own race. I have always enjoyed it, but never NEEDED it. That may have to do with my background; being a graduate of Howard University and a native of DC may have something to do with that. Maybe I am just used to it.
Intuition however, would argue in the opposing direction. Why don't I feel a need to be around my own people when my past has me being around them all of the time? Why am I not struggling having the problems that people thought I would have in adjusting down here in a rural area? Why don't I have a problem with it? If I don't have a problem then why am I thinking about it? Is there something that I am missing?
I pose the questions to you; Explain your need to be around people like you. Would you go crazy if you couldn't hang around black people? Why? I haven't heard an eloquent explanation, but I am looking for one. We'll be talking about this issue on the show this Tuesday. Feel free to call in to show and express how you deal with this situation. We should be talking about this topic around 9:30pm. You can get info about the show at dcsouth.com under the radio show tab. Look forward to hearing from you.

Peace and Love,

Winger





Thursday, January 24, 2008

She's White


My friend Jeremy told me she had long hair, thick legs, a nice behind and was very endowed in the bosom area. Jeremy slid me the phone number and I called the next day. We had a lot in common; we liked the same movies, music and even shared similar goals. I forgot to mention she was White but that shouldn’t matter. Should it?

Me and this young lady (I wont disclose her name) dated for about two months before making it official. I must admit I wasn’t the most comfortable brother walking around my own neighborhood knowing that I had a White girlfriend. The “brothers” in my neighborhood would say “she thick as hell B” or “at least you gotta White-Black girlfriend”. My White girlfriend wasn’t the stereotypical White girl as some would say. She got what they called a “black card” by some of the African American community because of her social connections and affinities with the culture. The “sisters” AKA African American women looked at me funny when I walked in the mall. I constantly got the “mutha*@@* you must be tripping” look as I walked hand in hand with her. My African American female best friend didn’t say much when I told her the colorful news but she gave me that “look”. Any man can attest to the “look” that a woman can give you when she disapproves of something you’re doing. That look was classic, but nothing compared to the conversation with my Black mother.

A school Junior Ring Dance was coming up at my high school and I was planning on taking her. My mother asked me who I was taking and I told her the name of the young lady, so I left it at that. UNTIL THE DANCE PICTURES CAME BACK. My mother looked at the pictures and said “she’s White”. I nervously said “Naw mama she Jewish” hoping to get the oppressed people sympathy, but it didn’t work. She just shook her head and retreated to her room. I thought to myself “this isn’t gonna last long”

Even when we were dating I didn’t feel comfortable because I knew how my mother would take it. She wouldn’t approve and not because she’s racist but rather because it would put a bad mark on me. She said it was hard enough being an African American
without having someone criticize you for dating outside of your race. She says in a perfect world interracial dating would be okay, but the world isn’t on the same page with the issue. I agree but I still had to try and see for myself. Another issue that my mother had with interracial dating is the re-creating of interracial babies. When a baby is born to a Black and White couple, what racial-identity does the baby assume? I’ve seen a lot of cases where an interracial child preferences one of his nationalities over the other. Some of those reasons could be based off of socialization based on physical or socioeconomic attributes or self-hatred. I have seen cases where both cultures are recognized and respected seemingly equally. Tiger Woods, Mariah Carey are a few of these examples.

I haven’t dated outside of my race since that incident and a lot of it has to do with the perception that others have. I would love to say “I don’t care what other think, but I do and almost have to care in certain instances.” It was just a several decades ago when African American men were lynched for “liking” White women. I don’t think our society has fully embraced interracial dating. I don’t think I have either. I don’t think there is anything wrong with it but I have reservations about it. The reservations I have are based off perception and not racial discrimination. To each is own. Society is becoming more and more accepting of these types of issues but we still have a lot of work to do. My experience taught me a lot of about the baggage that I carried around because of my race. I would love to say we are all the same and we can do whatever, but we aren’t there yet. However, we are making strides.

Monday, January 21, 2008

In Honor of Black History Month


In honor of my brothers and to all of the brothers,

I am submitting this to all of you, in honor of our collective ancestry, a notice about my new book entitled, "It's All Gumbo to Me: Examining Our World through the metaphor of Gumbo."

This is the beginning of a life's work that attempts to record and detail the impact of our human interactions in this world. I wanted to join the ranks of so many of you who have produced scholarly work to make life better for all people, but especially those in African American communities. Below is a description of the work and how it can be obtained.

I have been blessed to give a keynote address at the National Black Graduate Student Association in March in chilly Chicago where I will be discussing this topic to that audience. I am trusting that some of you who read this blog will be there so we can meet and build stronger bonds of brotherly care. Cheers to all!


About the Title. This book focuses on multiple layers of the culture of the United States. It is a text that addresses cultural phenomena through the metaphor of Gumbo, a southern cuisine developed by African slaves. It’s All Gumbo to me is ideal for students, educators, and interested persons studying cultural diversity, humanities, multicultural education,counseling, psychology and African American Studies. This book brings together key cultural dimensions of the American fabric synthesized through the metaphor of Gumbo.

This is a multi-volume set that addresses a variety of social concerns.
The initial edition contains:

• A detailed Author’s preface that lays the foundation for American culture and how the metaphor of Gumbo is to be used.

• Six original essays concerning key cultural phenomena impacting American society.

• A new and fresh look at American society from an established and emerging
academic leader in the field of Counselor Education.

• An Epilogue that makes a link to the next book in the series.

It’s All Gumbo to Me is designed to be read and enjoyed all
around the world to assist concerned individuals to positively impact their communities.

Excerpts from the book:

“The gumbo pot and its contents serve as a
means to understand the need to create communities
through grass roots activities so people
can better relate to themselves, others and the
world around them.”

“Hope is made up of burying our past baggage,
leaning on something that you may not be able
to see, preparing the self & preparing others, and
being altruistic.”

“We live in a society that has, what I have called,
Contradictory Rules of Engagement. Contradictory
Rules of Engagement refers to the Inequitable impact of our nation’s ideology on
people of color, women and the poor.”


Online Sales at www.lulu.com.
Type in the title in the Search Window,
Then select your purchase option:

1. Download the book to your
Computer for $15.00.
2. Order the hard copy book
for $22.01.

Binding: 6”x9” Paperback, perfect
binding, 40 pages of comprehensive
content.

Publication Date: 1/20/2008
Release Date: 1/25/2008

In Honor of Black History Month

About the Title. This book focuses on multiple layers of the culture of the United States. It is a text that addresses cultural phenomena through the metaphor of Gumbo, a southern cuisine developed by African slaves. It’s All Gumbo to me is ideal for students, educators,and interested persons studying cultural diversity, humanities, multicultural education,counseling, psychology and African American Studies. This book brings together key cultural dimensions of the American fabric synthesized through the metaphor of Gumbo.

This is a multi-volume set that addresses a variety of social concerns.
The initial edition contains:

• A detailed Author’s preface that lays the foundation for American culture and how the metaphor of Gumbo is to be used.

• Six original essays concerning key cultural phenomena impacting American society.

• A new and fresh look at American society from an established and emerging
academic leader in the field of Counselor Education.

• An Epilogue that makes a link to the next book in the series.

It’s All Gumbo to Me is designed to be read and enjoyed all around the world to assist
concerned individuals to positively impact their communities.

Excerpts from the book:

“The gumbo pot and its contents serve as a
means to understand the need to create communities
through grass roots activities so people
can better relate to themselves, others and the
world around them.”

“Hope is made up of burying our past baggage,
leaning on something that you may not be able
to see, preparing the self & preparing others, and
being altruistic.”

“We live in a society that has, what I have called,
Contradictory Rules of Engagement. Contradictory
Rules of Engagement refers to the
Inequitable impact of our nation’s ideology on
people of color, women and the poor.”



Online Sales at www.lulu.com.
Type in the title in the Search Window,
Then select your purchase option:

1. Download the book to your
Computer for $15.00.
2. Order the hard copy book
for $22.01.
Binding: 6”x9” Paperback, perfect
binding, 40 pages of comprehensive
content.

Publication Date: 1/20/2008
Release Date: 1/25/2008

Sunday, January 20, 2008

Reflections on Martin Luther King's Birthday


Brothers and Sisters,

I am writing this on the eve of the Observance of Dr. King's Holiday. Every year I take time out to teach my daughters about the movement that placed Dr. King at the forefront of a people's quest for freedom.

I grew up, as many of us did, learning about Dr. King and his service to a people yearning to be treated as full citizens inside of a nation that claimed to be the example of freedom for the world.

I was born in February 1967. Dr. King's life ended the next year. I wish I could have heard him in real life. I visited the Lorraine Motel many years ago with my daughter when she was about 7 years old. If you have never visited that landmark, you may want to visit it soon.

The tour was self directed, but you also had the ability to have a guided tour. I chose to walk with my daughter and explain what we were viewing as a moment to bond and build a relationship with my daughter. The museum was quite interesting. When my daughter and I happened upon a burnt out bus, she inquired why would an old bus be in a museum. I began to tell her why the bus was burned in the first place. She gave me a look of confusion that only a young girl could who did not have the context of that time in our nation.

We happened by a replica of a jail cell. We went in the jail cell and sat on the iron beds. She asked why are we sitting in here? I explained that many, many times in Dr. King's life and in the lives of others the jail cell was a meeting place as much as it was a place for "the bad guys". I began to explain that Dr. King and many people, men and women, were arrested for trying to make a difference in the lives of people who were not being treated fairly and that often times large groups of people were put in prison for the smallest of reasons. She gave me the same look she gave me while looking at the burnt bus. I stated to her that one of Dr. King's most famous letters was written from a jail cell. I also told her that a jail cell, when occupied for justice, is more a place of triumph than it is a place of shame and degredation (Dr. King taught me that lesson).

The tour ends with a view of the rooms Dr. King and his people were staying in before he was assasinated. The rooms are said to be left in the condition they were in at the time of the killing. Mahalia Jackson (at least at the time of my visit) was singing in the background. At this time, I was not talking to my daughter, I was working very hard to hold back the tears. I was always emotional over this event, but seeing the room-the plates, coffee cups, bed turned back-and looking out at the spot on the balcony AND hearing Mahalia sing was a bit too much. I was glad my daughter did not ask me a question at that time, nothing would have come out.

I encourage all of us to pick up a speech and read it, pick up a book of Dr. King's life and read it, or find someone who kinda knows about the man and the movement and speak to them about it. I encourage all of us to re-engage in the study of what it meant to speak out when death could have been the result of our words and actions.

On the eve of Dr. King's observance, let us endeavor to re-educate ourselves and educate others of the cost of freedom....

Until the next time,

Cyrus Marcellus Ellis

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Bob Johnson Should Have Backed Off Barack Obama


By Dr. Boyce Watkins

"Why Bob, why?" That's the only question I asked as I watched Bob Johnson attacking Barack Obama in favor of Senator Hillary Clinton. I have endorsed Barack, but I am not in love with him. I am completely out of love with Hillary, and I thoroughly enjoy a good verbal sparring match. Dialogue can be healthy.

But damnit Bob, did you have to come off like THAT?

I am not a big fan of Bob Johnson, but part of me understands him. I am a financial expert, so I know full well how the profit motive in American business consistently contradicts productive community activity. I understood why he made his billions shaking booties on BET. I understand why every black celebrity, from Michael Jordan to Snoop Dog must kiss Bob Johnson's ass to make him happy. I understand why Johnson enjoys the power that comes in a world where people only judge you for how much you have and have little concern for how you actually got it.

But there are times when even I am shocked at the lengths that hard core capitalists will go to in order to shamelessly promote their own agenda. I've seen more ethical behavior from drug dealers.

Attacking Barack Obama by casually referring to the mistakes of his past is lower than low. It is even lower when you are making the attacks in support of a candidate who might be called "The Crypt Keeper" for the number of skeletons her family has in its closet.

Hillary Clinton has a husband who didn't inhale, was receiving oral sex in the White House and then lied on the stand to try to cover his tracks

Yet, you are only pointing fingers at Obama. Having a black man point the finger at Obama was clearly a more effective strategy for Hillary, since having a black man take down one of his own allows you to remain the angelic overseer. How disgusting.

Bob Johnson will continue to be Bob Johnson....a man who honestly thinks that money is more important than integrity and that who you are as a person is measured by the size of your bank account. I've seen this in some of my other friends who are unable to satisfy their wives happy in the bedroom. An implant might do the trick.

I feel sorry for Mr. Johnson. One day, he is going to realize that his worth as a man is not diminished nor increased by the size of his bank account. For when it comes to his commitment to the black community, the man is completely bankrupt.

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Fox News and Their Smear Campaign Against Barack Obama

Here is a video of what Fox News has been doing to smear the name of Barack Obama. I know about this first hand, since O'Reilly spent an entire week saying things about myself, Syracuse University and CNN that were not true. Obama seems to be wise to it all, as he has not appeared on Fox since February of 2007. I am proud of him for doing this. Fox is a disgrace to modern journalism and it's about time they become exposed for what they are.

Before I knew that Barack had joined me in a boycott of Fox, I had privately told the producers of Bill O'Reilly's show (also Hannity & Colmes) that I am not interested in making anymore appearances for them. I am not a fan of Bill O'Reilly and Sean Hannity, for they are far worse than David Duke, Don Imus and nearly every other racist in America's recent past. The fact that they appeal to so many people says that our country has alot of work to do.

Here is the video below. It's a good one.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

TI: The Greatest Rapper Ever?



TI is still the best rapper in America. Jail or not, he is as talented as Tupac. Tupac was great, I used to listen to him every morning when I was in graduate school. I still love his stuff, and he became great when he got with Dr. Dre (in my opinion). But TI is the stuff that legends are made of. He and Chamillionaire also both possess the ability to understand the complexities of racism, business, politics and social injustice and I predict that they will become more politically involved through time.

Oh that weapons charge on TI? I'm not sure how that's going to turn out. But I honestly think that TI, as sharp as this brother is, will find a way to get out of this one. Not to say that he won't do any time, he has a target on his back and the feds are looking for him to slip up. He probably does slip up at times. But this brother has CEO/Rocket scientist genius, and I know that he is going to bounce back.

I use alot of hip hop with my show, "Boiling Hot with Boyce Watkins". Some people like it, some don't, I personally don't give a damn. Someone once asked me "You are a highly educated brother, and why do you dumb yourself down by connecting yourself with rappers?"

I looked at the stupid &^%$*@ and said "Don't you realize that rappers are smarter than most PhDs I know? It's just a different form of intellect, and you are not smart enough to understand it." People assume that because rappers talk about the street that they are not as sharp as some one-dimensional geek who has spent his whole life inside a physics book.

I beg to differ.

Actually, it takes more intelligence, creativity, discipline, determination, focus, passion and courage to make it in the street than it does to make it on a college campus. If you slip up in college, you go live with your parents. You slip up in the street, you end up dead. There are fewer resources to use, more obstacles to overcome, more traps set out for your demise. When you can dodge all those bullets and still end up on top, you are clearly representing survival of the fittest. Most of my friends at Ivy League schools could never make it in such an environment.

Bottom line: when a rapper has overcome all this and still ends up on top (i.e. TI, 50 Cent, LL Cool J, Eminem) they clearly represent survival of the fittest. This achievement beats out the accomplishmnts of a pampered, overprotected clown like George Bush any day.

Nuff said.

Out of respect for the late Tupac, I included one of my favorite Tupac songs below. This will balance things out, because when you compare two artists this great, nobody loses the contest.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Golf Channel Analyst Says Golfers Should Lynch Tiger Woods


Kelly Tilghman, a former golfer for Duke University and now a play-by-play analyst for The Golf Channel, said some things on air that would have made Don Imus and Bill O'Reilly blush.

During a telecast of the PGA Tour's opening event, Tilghman said that today's young players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back alley."

According to Newsday, a spokesman for the Golf Channel said that Tilghman apologized during Sunday's broadcast and has "reached out to Woods' representatives to express regret for the comments."

"I've reached out to Tiger to make an apology, and I've done the same with our viewers," Tilghman said.

"I can assure you that there was never any intention to offend anyone. I'm sorry for any misunderstanding."

The Golf Channel representatives have stated that they plan no disciplinary action.

Monday, January 7, 2008

Michael Vick Switches His Jail House


Atlanta Falcons star Michael Vick left his jailhouse home and got a new one. Vick was recently transferred to a Kansas prison to serve out the rest of his 23-month prison sentence on a federal dogfighting charge.

The camp is in Leavenworth, Kansas, said Traci Billingsley, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Yahoo! Sports stated that Vick is attempting to enter a drug treatment facility at Leavenworth. If he successfully completes the program, he will be eligible for parole in 12 months.

Vick was convicted on federal dogfighting charges after he and 3 co-defendants were found to have raised pit bulls with the intent of dog fighting. The dogs were found on Vick's property in Virginia and Vick was connected with the events that took place on the property.

Sunday, January 6, 2008

Kenyan Election Violence Still Continues


A week of post-election violence in Kenya has left 250,000 people homeless and over 300 dead. This is a surprising reality, given that the nation of known for being a safe haven for those fleeing war ravaged countries.

"I can't believe it. We're refugees in our own land," said Dan Mugambi, a 35-year-old teacher who was among about 15,000 people sheltering in a primary school compound in the North Rift Valley village of Kachibora. "This has never happened here before."

Kenya has turned chaotic after supporters of the opposition leader Raila Odinga accused President Mwai Kibaki of rigging the presidential election. The election was held on December 27.

Odinga blames Kibaki for the violence, claiming that he armed militant gangs in Nairobi slums to cause the chaotic violence after the elections.

It has also been reported that former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has been called in to help find a solution to the violence.

The United States initially congratulated Kibaki for the election, but then retracted after the EU and Great Britain called the outcome into question. The only country on record for congratulating Kibaki is Uganda.

“You need to address the genesis of this violence,” Odinga said during interviews. “Most of this has been done by Munguki, the government has armed illegal terrorist organization called [Munguki] organization who started long before. They are responsible for killing people.”

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Bill O'Reilly Allegedly Attacks A Barack Obama Aide


Fox News Host Bill O'Reilly appeared at a Barack Obama event at Nashua High School. Upon O'Reilly's presence, the crowd took notice, since O'Reilly has been accused of being racist and heavily against Barack Obama. However, it wasn't his presence that got the most attention.

Obama staffer Marvin Nicholson, a close aide to Senator Barack Obama, was standing next to Obama as he was taking handshakes. O'Reilly then yelled for Nicholson to get out of the way of his camera's shot. Nicholson also said that O'Reilly proceeded to move beyond the barricade protecting Obama, demanding a closer look.

"Then he grabbed me with both of his arms and tried to push me out of the way," Nicholson told the press.

Fox News has no comment about the incident.

"I told him, 'Sir, I would appreciate it if you wouldn't shove me anymore.'

"He called me 'low class.' He was pretty upset."

Secret Service agents assigned to protect Obama strongly ordered O'Reilly to get back behind the barricade, at which point, Obama extended his hand. O'Reilly then asked if Obama would appear on his show.

Nicholson, who has worked on other presidential campaigns in the past, said that he has never seen anything like this in his long career.

"I've never seen a member of the press lay hands on a staffer before," he said.

Democrats, to this point, including Obama, have refused to appear on Bill O'Reilly's show, as have most African-American leaders. Fox was forced to cancel a Democratic debate after none of the candidates agreed to appear.

"The senator said he would think about going to the show after the primaries," Nicholson said.

Some say O'Reilly's show has lost credibility in recent months, as he has been accused The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC and many major networks of being biased. Being accused of attacking a close aide of Barack Obama isn't likely to help his reputation.

Friday, January 4, 2008

Where are the Roles for Women in Black Leadership?



Written by Mary Alice Miller

Many Black "leaders" decry the lack of massive support when calls go out for community action. They wonder why outrage is not spontaneous and ubiquitous. Black leaders actually vocalize their wonder when the masses go about their business as if nothing is going on.

What most Black leaders miss are these facts: the leaders are Black men, the issues revolve around Black males, those expected to engage in community action are Black women, and issues related to the well-being of Black women and children are ignored.
Under normal circumstances, male leadership stands for the well-being of the entire community- men, women and children. In the Black community, male leadership are generally concerned only with themselves, and other males. The well-being of women and children, in the community and the home, do not seem to be of paramount concern. The low rates of stable marriages among Blacks, and the doubling of Black children in single-parent families (from 35% in the 1960's to 70% at the beginning of the 21st century) are two examples of the absence of "operational unity" in the Black community.

During the Civil Rights Movement, with Black men in leadership roles, Black women and children were the backbone. Rosa Parks' courageous defiance was the spark of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black children were at the center of integrating Little Rock High School. Black male leadership strategically used Black children as fodder for water cannons, dogs and filling jail cells during Civil Rights marches. What did Black women and children get for their efforts? Dismissed.

Years of sustained action culminated with the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom which led to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the National Voting Rights Act in 1965. The March on Washington was organized by A. Phillip Randolph (international president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters), Whitney Young (president of the National Urban League), Roy Wilkins (president of the NAACP), James Farmer (president of the Congress of Racial Equality), John Lewis (president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and Bayard Rustin (organizer of the first Freedom Rides).

Black women played the central role in a wide variety of Civil Rights organizations and actions, including Daisy Bates (president of Little Rock NAACP who recruited the Little Rock 9), Pauli Murray (lawyer and feminist who had staged the first sit-in at a Washington restaurant during World War II), Dorothy Height (president of the National Council of Negro Women), Diane Nash (student leader and organizer of the Freedom Riders in the South), Jo Ann Robinson (college teacher who worked with a group of middle-class Black women to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott), Ella Baker (acting director of King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference, advisor for Black college students who formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and Rosa Parks (long time activist and catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott). Despite the sacrifices of these and other Black women, the organizers of the March on Washington refused to let even one Black woman speak.

Black women thought the Civil Rights Movement included our well-being, in spite of Black men marching with large placards tied to their torsos declaring in huge black lettering, "I AM A MAN." Black women thought we were included when we got arrested at protest marches side by side with Black men. It was our children who were strategically used as human targets for water hoses. But when Stokely Carmichael (who appropriated the term "Black Power_" from Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.) was asked the role of the Black woman in the movement, he slipped up and honestly (from his point of view) retorted, "On her back."

Popular culture was sometimes not much better. A classic Parliament Funkadelic line: "Stupid Jill forgot her pill, and now they have a son," as if Jack, who had no concern for the well-being of Jill or his son, was not responsible for the situation he created. Blaxploitation movies glorified "pimpin" and being a "playa" at the expense of Black women, nurtured children and stable families. Gangsta rap is no better when it tells the world Black women ain't nothin' but hos, not wives.
Last season's Survivor: Cook Island graphically illustrated how casually Black female opinion is dismissed. The 16 participants were divided into 4 teams- Black, white, Asian and Latino. The Black team members, Sekou, Nathan, Sephanie and Sundra were asked to make a decision. Without thinking, Sekou grabbed Nathan's shoulder, stepped forward and conferred for a decision. Left out of the team process, Stephanie and Sundra looked at Sekou like he was stupid. Later, it was no surprise that Sekou was voted out. Sekou's analysis of the vote was that the team made a mistake by voting him, their leader, out. It never occurred to Sekou that a true leader takes into account the gifts and opinions all team members bring, including Black women.

In spite of this and other increasingly public and private indignities, our love for Black men has kept hope alive.

For decades, Black women have been the backbone of community action. Interestingly, when many of these same women (who are members of any number of community groups) ask for development of community action around issues related to the well-being of Black women and children, they are told they are being "divisive". Many Black women, not wanting to be "divisive", have dropped their inquiries and calls for action. This has been going on for years.

Who are really the "divisive" ones? When Black male leadership chooses "Black issues", why are they (with few exceptions) limited to support for Black male challenges with the criminal justice system? Could it be that addressing the well-being of Black women and children would require Black men to look at and amend their selfish male privilege instead of myopically focusing on white racism? The greatest risk to the well-being of Black women and children is not racism or police brutality. The greatest risk to the well-being of Black women and children is the behavior and attitudes of Black men. Consider, for example, the large numbers of Black children on welfare and the family and community instability attendant with Black women begging for food stamps to feed Black men's children as if it is a glamorous lifestyle. Why has no Black male leader called for a rally at the welfare center demanding that Black men get their children off welfare? Why has no Black male leader held a march in support of children who feel threatened when they are sexually harassed while walking to school?

There are a few glimmers of hope. Tamika Mallory has led the National Action Network's Decency Initiative in challenging denigrating lyrics in Hip-Hop. Girls For Gender Equity, under the leadership of JoAnn Smith, gives young teens tools to deal with street sexual harassment. Kevin Powell has been hosting monthly men's meetings after his successful Black and Male in America conference. Byron Hurt produced Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a documentary look at misogyny in popular Black music. Taharka Robinson recently organized a march against domestic violence.

In the meantime, Black women need to speak up, even at the risk of being called "divisive" by "divisive" male leadership. The survival of the Black community is at stake.

Where are the Roles for Women in Black Leadership?



Written by Mary Alice Miller

Many Black "leaders" decry the lack of massive support when calls go out for community action. They wonder why outrage is not spontaneous and ubiquitous. Black leaders actually vocalize their wonder when the masses go about their business as if nothing is going on.

What most Black leaders miss are these facts: the leaders are Black men, the issues revolve around Black males, those expected to engage in community action are Black women, and issues related to the well-being of Black women and children are ignored.
Under normal circumstances, male leadership stands for the well-being of the entire community- men, women and children. In the Black community, male leadership are generally concerned only with themselves, and other males. The well-being of women and children, in the community and the home, do not seem to be of paramount concern. The low rates of stable marriages among Blacks, and the doubling of Black children in single-parent families (from 35% in the 1960's to 70% at the beginning of the 21st century) are two examples of the absence of "operational unity" in the Black community.

During the Civil Rights Movement, with Black men in leadership roles, Black women and children were the backbone. Rosa Parks' courageous defiance was the spark of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Black children were at the center of integrating Little Rock High School. Black male leadership strategically used Black children as fodder for water cannons, dogs and filling jail cells during Civil Rights marches. What did Black women and children get for their efforts? Dismissed.

Years of sustained action culminated with the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom which led to the enactment of the Civil Rights Act in 1964 and the National Voting Rights Act in 1965. The March on Washington was organized by A. Phillip Randolph (international president of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters), Whitney Young (president of the National Urban League), Roy Wilkins (president of the NAACP), James Farmer (president of the Congress of Racial Equality), John Lewis (president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee), Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King (president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) and Bayard Rustin (organizer of the first Freedom Rides).

Black women played the central role in a wide variety of Civil Rights organizations and actions, including Daisy Bates (president of Little Rock NAACP who recruited the Little Rock 9), Pauli Murray (lawyer and feminist who had staged the first sit-in at a Washington restaurant during World War II), Dorothy Height (president of the National Council of Negro Women), Diane Nash (student leader and organizer of the Freedom Riders in the South), Jo Ann Robinson (college teacher who worked with a group of middle-class Black women to organize the Montgomery Bus Boycott), Ella Baker (acting director of King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference, advisor for Black college students who formed the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee) and Rosa Parks (long time activist and catalyst for the Montgomery Bus Boycott). Despite the sacrifices of these and other Black women, the organizers of the March on Washington refused to let even one Black woman speak.

Black women thought the Civil Rights Movement included our well-being, in spite of Black men marching with large placards tied to their torsos declaring in huge black lettering, "I AM A MAN." Black women thought we were included when we got arrested at protest marches side by side with Black men. It was our children who were strategically used as human targets for water hoses. But when Stokely Carmichael (who appropriated the term "Black Power_" from Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.) was asked the role of the Black woman in the movement, he slipped up and honestly (from his point of view) retorted, "On her back."

Popular culture was sometimes not much better. A classic Parliament Funkadelic line: "Stupid Jill forgot her pill, and now they have a son," as if Jack, who had no concern for the well-being of Jill or his son, was not responsible for the situation he created. Blaxploitation movies glorified "pimpin" and being a "playa" at the expense of Black women, nurtured children and stable families. Gangsta rap is no better when it tells the world Black women ain't nothin' but hos, not wives.
Last season's Survivor: Cook Island graphically illustrated how casually Black female opinion is dismissed. The 16 participants were divided into 4 teams- Black, white, Asian and Latino. The Black team members, Sekou, Nathan, Sephanie and Sundra were asked to make a decision. Without thinking, Sekou grabbed Nathan's shoulder, stepped forward and conferred for a decision. Left out of the team process, Stephanie and Sundra looked at Sekou like he was stupid. Later, it was no surprise that Sekou was voted out. Sekou's analysis of the vote was that the team made a mistake by voting him, their leader, out. It never occurred to Sekou that a true leader takes into account the gifts and opinions all team members bring, including Black women.

In spite of this and other increasingly public and private indignities, our love for Black men has kept hope alive.

For decades, Black women have been the backbone of community action. Interestingly, when many of these same women (who are members of any number of community groups) ask for development of community action around issues related to the well-being of Black women and children, they are told they are being "divisive". Many Black women, not wanting to be "divisive", have dropped their inquiries and calls for action. This has been going on for years.

Who are really the "divisive" ones? When Black male leadership chooses "Black issues", why are they (with few exceptions) limited to support for Black male challenges with the criminal justice system? Could it be that addressing the well-being of Black women and children would require Black men to look at and amend their selfish male privilege instead of myopically focusing on white racism? The greatest risk to the well-being of Black women and children is not racism or police brutality. The greatest risk to the well-being of Black women and children is the behavior and attitudes of Black men. Consider, for example, the large numbers of Black children on welfare and the family and community instability attendant with Black women begging for food stamps to feed Black men's children as if it is a glamorous lifestyle. Why has no Black male leader called for a rally at the welfare center demanding that Black men get their children off welfare? Why has no Black male leader held a march in support of children who feel threatened when they are sexually harassed while walking to school?

There are a few glimmers of hope. Tamika Mallory has led the National Action Network's Decency Initiative in challenging denigrating lyrics in Hip-Hop. Girls For Gender Equity, under the leadership of JoAnn Smith, gives young teens tools to deal with street sexual harassment. Kevin Powell has been hosting monthly men's meetings after his successful Black and Male in America conference. Byron Hurt produced Beyond Beats and Rhymes, a documentary look at misogyny in popular Black music. Taharka Robinson recently organized a march against domestic violence.

In the meantime, Black women need to speak up, even at the risk of being called "divisive" by "divisive" male leadership. The survival of the Black community is at stake.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Obama Dominates Clinton in Iowa


In a major touchdown for his campaign, Senator Barack Obama defeated Hillary Clinton in Iowa.

Obama, from Illinois, has taken his most significant step yet toward becoming the nation's first black president with this win. John Edwards and Hillary Clinton were in a close tie for second.

Obama was joined by Mike Huckabee, a former governor of Arkansas and ordained Baptist minister, who was an equally surprising winner on the Republican side. Huckabee defeated front-runner Mitt Romney easier than expected, raising more eyebrows on the Republican side.

Both Huckabee and Obama rode grassroots campaigns to defeat their wealthier and more established rivals. The 2008 presidential campaign is considered to be the most wide open campaign in nearly 50 years, with neither a president or vice president running for the nation's highest office.

Although Iowa is a state small in stature, a win there is considered to be a tremendous boost to a campaign. The candidate can then claim to be the front-runner and has an easier time getting new votes and contributions.

Hillary Clinton and her camp are now back peddling to find ways to slow down the strength of the Obama campaign. Obama's work with Oprah Winfrey and other black leaders has cut into Clinton's base. Obama has also proven himself to be a more charismatic candidate and a better fund raiser than Clinton, nearly matching her dollar for dollar with a smaller number of political connections in Washington.

By winning Iowa, Obama is in a prime position as he moves into the races in New Hampshire and South Carolina. More half the voters in South Carolina are black, giving him a tremendous edge.

Many African-Americans had been afraid to support Obama because they felt that Clinton had the greatest chance of winning the presidency. That tide is slowly turning.

"Now that I know he has a chance to win, I am not going to vote for Clinton," says Dewhite Scott, a supporter of Obama. Many others are echoing this sentiment.

Casualties in the Scramble for Congo's Resources


by
Maurice Carney, Executive Director, FOTC
Carrie Crawford, Chair, FOTC
info@friendsofthecongo.org

Over the past few months a lot of ink has flowed in mainstream publications about the situation in the Congo. In almost all of the articles, the underlying reason for the crisis in the Congo - the scramble for Congo's spectacular natural wealth- has been consistently omitted or underplayed. The front-page article in Thursday, December 13, 2007 New York Times entitled "After Clashes, Fear of War on Congo's Edge" by Lydia Polgreen is no exception. Not only were there key omissions, but also, a glaring factual error said volumes about the manner in which mainstream media covers Congo.

The error claimed that the 2006 Congolese elections "produced Congo's first democratically chosen government." Why is this inaccuracy so egregious even though to the casual reader it may seem like a minor oversight? Well, it obfuscates a narrative that is central in explaining why the crisis exists in the Congo and continues to date. Contrary to the New York Times front-page report, Congo's first democratic elections occurred in 1960 and led to the formation of the first post-independence government with Patrice Emery Lumumba as its prime minister. Within months of Lumumba's ascendancy to power, the West, mainly Belgium and the United States, induced their Congolese puppets to assassinate Patrice Lumumba who believed that the vast mineral wealth of the Congo should be used to benefit the Congolese people.1 Belgium apologized in 2002 for the assassination of Congo's first elected leader. However, it was not sufficient to assassinate Lumumba, the West then installed and sustained one of the main culprits in Lumumba's assassination, the brutal dictator Joseph Desire Mobutu, whom the West maintained in power for over 30 years. Whenever the Congolese people rose up to overthrow him, the West led by the United States rushed in to crush the aspirations of the people.

The current crisis is the latest eruption of the West's 120-year history of controlling Congo's enormous natural wealth at the expense of the Congolese people. Although there is a UN force in the Congo and the West spent $500 million to organize elections, they systematically sidelined the democratic forces in the country while providing Joseph Kabila with unconditional support.2 The pro-democracy forces called for national reconciliation and inclusion following the 1996 – 2002 war. They argued for a process that would lead to stability and justice for the people. However, it became quickly evident that the primary goal of the West who had never supported democracy in the Congo was to put in place a "reliable" person and a legal apparatus that would ratify the looting of the Congo by multi-national corporations. A 2007 ICG report states, "the U.S., Canada, South Africa and Belgium took the lead in seeking to control strategic reserves of copper, cobalt and other minerals and restrict China's access." 3The same report goes on to say that the focus on economic interests by Western diplomatic corps who supposedly was in the Congo to shepherd a democratic process was revealed with " the U.S. ambassador's public celebration of Phelps-Dodge's acquisition of the Tenke-Fungurume concessions in Katanga in August 2005 and the grandiose June 2006 ceremony in Kolwezi marking the reopening of the Kamoto mine, attended by Belgian, EU, Canadian, French, Angolan and even UN representatives."4

The $500 million investment in assuring Kabila's ascendancy to power was the beginning of the pay off for the West's investment. It is for this reason that many Congolese surmised that Kabila was summoned to Washington in October 2007 because he may have strayed from the game plan when he signed a $5 billion deal with China. Even as Kabila ventured to Washington, he first had to stop in Phoenix, Arizona to visit Tim Snider (recently replaced by Richard Adkerson,) CEO of Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, formerly Phelps-Dodge, inheritors of what Global Witness called the world's richest copper mine, Tenke Fungurume. Global Witness also goes on to note that the deal is so odious that it resulted in Congo owning only 17.5% of its own resources and being in such position that it may even not get any profits from the deal.5 Nonetheless, the United States government agency, Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) has provided risk insurance for a $1 billion investment project by Freeport-McMoRan.

If there were any questions as to where the United States government stood on the review of mining contracts undertaken by the Congolese government, the risk insurance provided to Freeport-McMoRan should put all speculation to rest. In part due to pressure from civil society and international human rights groups, the Congolese government began reluctantly, in early 2007, a review of the mining contracts. The review process is finished but the Congolese government has yet to publish the results. The world has already got a glimpse of the significance of decisions made by Congo's leaders regarding mining deals in their country. In early November, a Congolese newspaper published what it claims to be the findings of the report, which called for renegotiation of the majority of the contracts and an outright cancellation of others. The result was the decline, on Exchanges from London to Toronto, of the stock prices of mining companies with interests in the Congo. Billions of dollars have been raised on the world Stock Exchanges to invest in mining operations in the Congo.

As a result of the high stakes in Congo's resources, the Congolese people are fighting against enormous odds. The die is literally being set now for a continued impoverishment of Congolese for several generations. The odious contracts will be in place for 30 to 40 years and will be backed by international law. The World Bank established the Mining and Forestry guidelines in the Congo as early as 2002. These guidelines were fixed on a neo-liberal model, which calls for the selling off of the country's wealth to private interests. Both codes facilitated and legalized the fleecing of the Congo. The World Bank has come under withering critique from groups like Greenpeace for allowing the Congo rainforest (known as the second lung of the earth) to be sold off to logging companies. Greenpeace International, Africa Forest Campaign Co-ordinator, Stephan van Praet said "These contracts are a shameful relic of colonial times. Millions of hectares of the Congo rainforest have been traded away by local communities to the logging industry for gifts like salt, machetes and crates of beer while logging companies and their taxes do next to nothing for local development."6

The Congolese landscape is replete with spectacular modern day heist backed by international institutions such as the World Bank and western governments, mainly the United States, England and Belgium, all at the expense of the tens of thousands of raped and brutalized Congolese women and millions of corpses.

As humanitarian groups seek resources to care for the sexually violated and brutalized women and children of the Congo, they should start with those companies that are lined up to purloin billions from Congo's wealth while 80 percent of Congolese live on less than 30 cents per day. Coexisting with the orgy of rapes and killing is what one corporate magnate calls a party. Gerhard Kemp of the Rand Merchant Bank, of Johannesburg, SA is quoted saying "The Congo is so rich in mineral wealth, you can't just ignore it. You don't want to be the last guy at this party."7

We may look at what is taking place in the Congo and cringe or cover our eyes but the unsightly picture that is often left out or obfuscated, especially by the mainstream media, is the significant role of the corporations that provide us with our cell phones, game consoles, lap tops and other modern technological devices which benefit from Congo's woes.

The New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Ms. Magazine, Huffington Post, and Glamour Magazine, all have published reports of atrocities in the Congo in recent months but none get to the crux of the issue and almost all obfuscate the problem instead of adding clarity that may lead to prescriptions that will benefit the people of the Congo and result in a lasting resolution of the crisis. The central issue is only touched upon tangentially or in passing.

We cannot genuinely weep for the Congo or lament the rapes and killings, yet remain silent about those profiting from the atrocities. Corporate pilfering influences everything that happens in dramatic ways in the Congo. The conflict resulting in brutal rapes and ghastly killings are inextricably linked to the looting of the Congo. Noble laureate Wangari Maathai is instructive in this case when she says, "These wars when you look at them, they are all about resources and who is going to control them."8

In the end, not only will the Congolese people have to endure enormous suffering from the wounds of war and instability but when things finally settle down, they will come to realize that not only their women have been brutally violated due to a climate of impunity but the entire country would have been raped of its wealth.

By only telling the part of the tragedy and savagery in the Congo that is consistent with our preconceived notion of the "savage," "depraved" African, the leading media institutions of the west are complicit in one of the most well documented resource heist of the 20th century and which persists at the dawn of the 21st century. We can hear the echoes of Joseph Conrad's "the horror, the horror."

A lot of the blame for the persistent climate of conflict is often laid on the Hutu militia who fled Rwanda in 1994 pursuant to the genocide in that country. In fact this is just a part of the story, which does not give a complete picture. It is instructive to note that, for all intents and purposes, Rwanda controlled the east of the Congo from 1996 – 2002, a period in which they claimed to be in hot pursuit of the Hutu genocidaires known as the Interhamwe. However during that period, Rwanda's most noted military clash was with Uganda inside the Congo. The source of the clash was over who would control vast diamond concessions in Kinsangi hundreds of miles away from where the dreaded Hutu genocidaires were situated. Hence, although the Hutu presence in the Congo is an issue, it falls far short of explaining the source of the violence and crimes in the Congo.

Rebel leader Laurent Nkunda and his rebel forces, currently the source of the bulk of the unrest and suffering in the East of the country and who for all intents and purposes is a proxy of Rwanda, are using the Hutu argument as a justification for the havoc they are wreaking on the Congolese people. This argument was not sustainable when made by Rwanda itself and is even less convincing when made now by its proxy Nkunda. Instead of pledging military advisers to Kabila, the United States has a golden opportunity to play a constructive role, mainly by placing pressure on Rwanda to stop its support of Nkunda and disabuse itself of any notion of invading Congo for a third time. The whole idea of Rwanda "pledging restraint" is preposterous. The path to peace in the East of the Congo starts in Kigali.

Key Sources of the Conflict:
1. Clients of the West such as Paul Kagame of Rwanda and Yoweri Museveni of Uganda who serve as lifelines for rebel groups in the Congo
2. Congolese elites who serve as sycophants for western interests while using militia to terrorize the Congolese people
3. Western Governments
4. Multilateral institutions such as the World Bank who set the legal framework for the looting of the Congo's wealth
5. Multi-national corporations who are to quick to super-exploit the Congo all in the name of business and at the expense of the people

Constructive International Engagement:
1. Pressure Rwanda to stop supporting its rebel proxies in the Congo
2. Encourage Rwanda to create democratic space for the Hutu to return
3. Promote reconciliation and justice in the Congo
4. Call for and support the genuine inclusion of the democratic forces in the Congo
5. Support a democratic process and not just power elites who are too quick to mortgage the country's wealth and the future of the sons and daughters of the Congo to mining and forestry multi-nationals

Should the global community play a constructive role in the Congo, the Congolese people will take care of the rest and produce leaders who represent their interests by bringing reconciliation, justice and prosperity to this vital country in the heart of Africa.

Notes:
1. Ludo De Witte's The Assassination of Lumumba
2. International Crisis Group, Congo Consolidating the Peace, Africa Report No. 128, July 5, 2007
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Global Witness, "Digging in Corruption: Fraud, Abuse and Exploitation in Katanga's Copper and Cobalt Mines," July 2006, p. 36-37
6. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/press/
releases/congo-report
7. Global Witness, "Digging in Corruption: Fraud, Abuse and Exploitation in Katanga's Copper and Cobalt Mines," July 2006, p. 34
8. Interview, Democracy Now with Amy Goodman http://www.democracynow.org/2007/10/1/
unbowed_nobel_peace_laureate_wangari_maathai


--
Become a Friend of the Congo
Ph: 1-888-584-6510
http://friendsofthecongo.org/action/index.php

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

Racism in the Heisman Trophy



Perhaps they should just call it the "Whiteman Award" and cut to the damn chase. Seriously. 3 out of 4 of the Heisman Candidates this year were white, although anyone with eyeballs knows that college sports is dominated by black men.

But then again, the Heisman always goes to the golden boy. That is usually a white quarterback. The black guys get the Heisman sometimes, but they have to be supermen to beat out the leading white guy.

Then, the NFL draft comes, and we see all the black guys getting drafted first. This clearly shows that they are the best players on the field, but the white guys keep getting the Heisman.

So, let's just call it the WhiteMan Award. What is most ironic is that it was not until after the year 2000 that the Heisman became it's most racist. Since the year 2000, 6 of the 8 Heisman Trophy winners have been white quarterbacks. What is also interesting is that when a black man wins it, he is usually a running back. When a white guy wins it, it is as a quarterback.

Here is a list of the Heisman Winners since the early 80s. Out of this list, only a couple of the white winners have done jack squat in the NFL. Most of the black running backs who win the Heisman went on to have great NFL careers. Some of them did not. But while the black failure of a Heisman winner is rare, the failure of white quarterbacks after winning the Heisman is the norm. It is no different from the year that Shaquille O'neal was given none of the player of the year awards, while Christian Laettner got everything. That was a travesty.

Here is a list of the Heisman winners. You be the judge:

2007 Tim Tebow Florida (Quarterback)
2006 Troy Smith Ohio State (Quarterback)
2005 Reggie Bush USC (Running Back)
2004 Matt Leinart USC (Quarterback)
2003 Jason White Oklahoma (Quarterback)
2002 Carson Palmer Southern California (Quarterback)
2001 Eric Crouch Nebraska (Quarterback)
2000 Chris Weinke Florida State (Quarterback)

1999 Ron Dayne Wisconsin (Running Back)
1998 Ricky Williams Texas (Running Back)
1997 Charles Woodson Michigan (Cornerback)
1996 Danny Wuerffel Florida (Quarterback) 1995 Eddie George Ohio State (Running Back)
1994 Rashaan Salaam Colorado (Running Back)
1993 Charlie Ward Florida State (Quarterback)
1992 Gino Torretta Miami (Quarterback)
1991 Desmond Howard Michigan (Wide Receiver)
1990 Ty Detmer Brigham Young (Quarterback)
1989 Andre Ware Houston (Quarterback)
1988 Barry Sanders Oklahoma State (Running Back)
1987 Tim Brown Notre Dame (Wide Receiver)
1986 Vinny Testaverde Miami (Quarterback)
1985 Bo Jackson Auburn (Running Back)
1984 Doug Flutie Boston College (Quarterback)
1983 Mike Rozier Nebraska (Running Back)
1982 Herschel Walker Georgia (Running Back)
1981 Marcus Allen Southern California (Running Back)