Kevin Powell Speaks on Domestic Violence

Writer’s note:

Given all the hype and controversy around Chris Brown’s alleged beating of Rihanna, I feel compelled to post this essay I originally wrote in late 2007, so that some of us can have an honest jump off point to discuss male violence against females, to discuss the need for ownership of past pains and traumas, to discuss the critical importance of therapy and healing. Let us pray for Rihanna, first and foremost, because no one deserves to be beaten, or beaten up. No one. And let us also pray that Chris Brown gets the help he needs by way of long-term counseling and alternative definitions of manhood rooted in nonviolence, real love, and, alas, real peace. And let us not forget that Rihanna and Chris Brown happen to be major pop stars, hence all the media coverage, blogs, etc. Violence against women and girls happen every single day on this planet without any notice from most of us. Until we begin to address that hard fact, until we all, males and females alike, make a commitment to ending the conditions that create that destructive behavior in the first place, it will not end any time soon. There will be more Rihannas and more Chris Browns.

In my recent travels and political and community work and speeches around the country, it became so very obvious that many American males are unaware of the monumental problems of domestic violence and sexual assault, against women and girls, in our nation. This seems as good a time as any to address this urgent and overlooked issue. Why is it that so few of us actually think about violence against women and girls, or think that it’s our problem? Why do we go on believing it’s all good, even as our sisters, our mothers, and our daughters suffer and a growing number of us participate in the brutality of berating, beating, or killing our female counterparts?

Click to read more.

 

 

Technorati Tags: kevin powell,black women,african american women,black writers,african american writers

Your Black World: Will President Obama Stand Up For The Righteous Cause?

By: Tolu Olorunda
Staff Writer - YourBlackWorld.com

In light of Sen. Obama’s historic win on Tuesday night, certain perspectives must be taken into consideration in order to avoid being taken for a 4 year ride, which provides nothing, having promised NOTHING! In the long and winded 20-month battle for a seat at the table of presidency, Sen. Obama has often conducted himself with an unimpeachable level of dignity, grace and humility. Nevertheless, there have been times when the Good Senator has fallen short of those ranks. In fact, he has, throughout the course of his presidential bid, played the 90% hand that fed, clothed, nurtured and made him: The Black Community. Whilst many Black progressives seem quite comfortable with being snubbed – in exchange for a Black presidency – not every card-carrying member of the Black Community appreciates the Illinois Senator’s disposition on the issue of Race. They are fully aware of the tightrope which needs to be walked for a Black man to transport himself to the pedestal of history, but many see a tension between overt opportunism and the potential for a progressive Black president. In my humble judgment, there are ten issues of concern to the Black Community on which Sen. Obama has failed woefully in the course of his political career and this historic campaign:

1. Hurricane Katrina: Shortly after the furious storms ripped asunder New Orleans, and Black folks waited hopelessly for 5 days without any governmental intervention, Barack Obama chose to deposit his two cents into the tense discourse surrounding the correlation between skin pigmentation and FEMA’s ineptitude. On September 5th 2005, Obama remarked: “There's been much attention in the press about the fact that those who were left behind in New Orleans were disproportionately poor and African American. I've said publicly that I do not subscribe to the notion that the painfully slow response of FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security was racially-based. The ineptitude was colorblind.” With 84% of Blacks endorsing the sentiment that the “painfully slow response” was, in fact, directly tied to discrimination, Sen. Obama, a Black man, appeared to have intentionally pitted himself against the Community which has steadfastly stood with him every step of the way.
   
2. Ronald Reagan: He is perhaps the most hated figure in Black circles. Nowhere has his name been more circulated, in unflattering terms than within the Hip-Hop (young Black and Brown) Community. Yet, Obama’s admiration for the Conservative Icon seems too huge to contain: “I think Ronald Reagan changed the trajectory of America in a way that Richard Nixon did not and in a way that Bill Clinton did not. He put us on a fundamentally different path because the country was ready for it.” With such public affection for a man who reveled in the characterization of destitute Black Women as “Welfare Queens,” Obama’s assault on the same constituency seemed appropriate.
3. Inequality: Having praised Ronald Reagan for eliminating “the excesses of the 1960s and 1970s” – otherwise known as the struggle for equality – it came as no surprise when Sen. Obama stood in the midst of Civil Rights leaders – who wouldn’t dare challenge him – and declared the Black Community to have come “90 percent of the way” to equality with whites. Obama’s statements do a fine job of spitting in the face of a 2004 Pew Hispanic study which displayed, in explicit terms, how “the wealth of Latino and Black households is less than one-tenth the wealth of White households even though Census data show their income is two-thirds again as high.”
4. Black Fathers: On June 15th, earlier this year, Obama chose to spend his Father’s Day on the South Side of Chicago in the Apostolic Church of God. With a clear agenda at play, Obama took to the pulpit and rendered unilateral and generalized swipes against Black men for abandoning “their responsibilities, acting like boys instead of men.” Acclaimed Scholar and Obama supporter, Michael Eric Dyson, noted that Obama’s “rebuke” of “his own race” was a clearly “aimed at those whites still on the fence about whom to send to the White House.” Sen. Obama’s decision to use Black men as the sacrificial lamb for presidential victory is strikingly reminiscent of Clarence Thomas’s decision to pawn his financially-challenged sister as the stepping stone to greater success.
5. Sean Bell: When a man’s body is desecrated by the bum rush of 50 bullets, it’s safe to say an injustice was wrought. Commenting on the exonerating verdict rendered in favor of the police officers, Obama described the execution-style murder of the soon-to-be bridegroom as a “possible case of excessive force.” Referring to any form of violence as “unacceptable and counterproductive,” Obama asked Black folks to “respect the verdict that came down,” because “the judge has made his ruling, and we're a nation of laws.” The Rev. Al Sharpton, clearly disappointed, was quick to accuse Obama of trying to “grandstand in front of white people.”
6. Rev. Dr. Jeremiah Wright & TUCC: When Sen. Obama defended Rev. Wright’s right to free speech, many neo-liberals praised his unwillingness to throw his 20-year mentor under the bus. But when Rev. Wright hit the public airwaves to reclaim his dignity, Obama suddenly felt the urge to distance himself from his “old uncle who says things I don't always agree with.” Obama’s condescension toward the widely-respected Black theologian and scholar blossomed into full-fledge status, following Rev. Wright’s press conference on April 28th. With his description of Wright’s remarks as “a bunch of rants that aren't grounded in truth,” Obama chastised Wright’s decision to focus so “much on the plight of the historically oppressed,” and lose “sight of what we have in common.” Following this logic, Black people, being historically oppressed, should not have that much faith in the possibility of an Obama presidency to “focus so much” on their abysmal plight.
7. 40th Anniversary of Dr. King’s Legacy: Whilst Hillary and John McCain were in a rush to express manufactured admiration for Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Obama, perhaps too big for Memphis, chose to speak 400 miles away in Indiana. Taking his 90% Black-voting bloc for granted, Obama would rather give a stump speech in Fort Wayne, Indiana, than pay homage to one of the greatest moral crusaders the world has ever produced. Upon hearing this, many Black wondered: “Who does he think he is?” Indeed, who does he think he is?
   
8. Democratic Convention Speech: Having intentionally structured the last day of the DNC on the 45th anniversary of Dr. King’s historical speech at the Lincoln Memorial, it was highly disappointing for many Black scholars to see Obama relegate Dr. King’s legacy to simply, “a young preacher from Georgia.” Two renowned Black scholars, Dr. Julianne Malveaux (BC Editorial Board member) and Dr. Cornel West, expressed immediate disdain with Obama’s obsession with political expediency. Dr. Malveaux’s description of Obama’s speech as a “whitewash of our history,” correlated with Dr. West’s opinion that Sen. Obama was attempting to both “ignore” and “run” from history and memory.
9. Affirmative Action: In a discussion with Journalists of culture/color at the annual Unity Convention, Obama was asked about his present stance on Affirmative Action. Obama responded that the race-based system, under which it currently functions, is faulty and, under an Obama presidency, would undergo reform. Sen. Obama mentioned that he believes Universities and Colleges “should be able to take into account race, but they should also be able to take into account class, and hardship, and difficulty in making assessments about whether or not a young person is deserving of - of opportunity.” Such statements only promise more hardship for an already fractured and disenfranchised community.
10. Iraq War: Through his hawkish rhetoric, Senator Obama has shifted his Iraq War stance as far to the right as the Democratic platform permits. Once an opponent of the War, Obama has skillfully reneged on his promise to end the War within 2 years of his presidency. His increasingly moderate views on the Iraq/Afghanistan/Iran/Pakistan Wars are definitely in constant conflict with 71% of the Black Community, which opposed the War from the start.
    

If Black folks are not vigilant enough, and choose to be sucked in by the aroma of “firstism,” Clarence Thomas v2.0 might as well be sitting in the White House on January 20th. Sen. Obama has displayed an unprecedented level of apathy in dealing with his own race. That’s not, however, to charge him irredeemable (Indeed, there have been moments when he has functioned in ways that insinuate a deep desire to do right). It simply suggests the amount of work cut out for Black progressives. For a man who hasn’t shown unseemly eagerness to put integrity before income, sincerity before success and verity before victory, an uncritical level of support of Obama is as much 4 more years as one can imagine.

Originally Appeared In Black Commentator

Black Finance Professor Speaks Out "Against D.L. Hughley Breaks the News"

Dr. Boyce Watkins
www.BoyceWatkins.com
Hey peeps!
The response I received from you guys on the new CNN show, “DL Hughley Breaks the News” was overwhelming. Within 20 minutes of sending out the email statement, we had an entire inbox full of messages expressing extreme disappointment in CNN and this offensive new show. This helped me realize that we need to do something about it.
Our goal is to present an intelligent, dignified and firm response to CNN, letting them know that programming based on racial stereotypes is not acceptable. Political satire can be quite funny, but it must be intelligent, balanced and conscientious. This is not the brand of humor presented in “DL Hughley Breaks the News”, which went back to the same degrading media stereotypes and disturbing images that scholars and consumers have been upset about for decades. Senator Obama opened the door for us to see ourselves as educated, enlightened and empowered, so the last thing we need is to be readmitted to the asylum of pimps, thugs, criminals and buffoons.
A sample letter you can use to contact CNN is presented below. You can get the contact information at this link. You can also forward this link and email to anyone you believe to share your sentiments regarding how our community should respond to this painful and disappointing new show. If you wish to hear my personal comments on the topic, please click here.
Finally, don’t forget that we are going to “Get our paper straight in 2008”, so if you wish to join our group for Dr. Boyce Financial Advice, please click here.
The sample letter is below. You can get contact information for key decision-makers at CNN by clicking here. Remember: Change won’t start with Obama or McCain. Meaningful change is going to start with US.
To CNN and its key decision-makers,
As a member of the Your Black World coalition, I am writing to inform you that I found your recently released show, “DL Hughley Breaks the News” to be a tremendous disappointment. While I certainly respect CNN’s effort to develop itself as “The most trusted name in news”, I did not find the new DL Hughley show to be consistent with the degree of trust that CNN has worked to obtain with the American public.
The 2008 Presidential campaign represents an amazing landmark for change within our country by allowing an African American male to present himself to the world as a dignified and educated member of our society, an image which lies in stark contrast to media representations confining Black men to being criminals, rappers, athletes and entertainers. I found it disheartening that this progress was reversed by CNN’s decision to create a show which relied on the very same stereotypes to build a consistent stream of laughs at the expense of African Americans everywhere. The show was also degrading to those in the broader community who support the candidacy of Senator Barack Obama, and who wish to see our great country move past the deep and painful wounds created by our nation’s legacy of racial inequality.
We ask that you discontinue the show, “DL Hughley Breaks the News”, and consider a brand of political humor that is respectful to all ethnicities and shows greater appreciation for the tremendous gains made in the 2008 Presidential election. Perhaps then, CNN can regain its status as “The most trusted name in news”.
Sincerely,
The Your Black World Coalition

I Don't Love You Anymore

As a writer I know the power that words can have on one’s mind. I remember reading “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” as a kid and being mesmerized by the vivid word play of Roald Dahl. The sounds and denotations of the words were so powerful that it made me feel first person with the text. My love for words eventually became 16 bars. My first rap CD was Heavy D and the Boy’s second album “Big Tyme” and from then on my collection grew to “Ready to Die”, “All Eyes on Me” Thug Motivation 101” and the list goes on. Rap is a mainstay in my life. The morning ritual consists of: brushing my teeth, listening to the enthralling beats of the enormous rap collection that has grown exponentially since 1989 and eating. Over the years my tastes have grown within the genre. When I was around 5 or 6 my uncle would grace my ears with the sounds of Chuck D’s politically charged anthems, Q-Tip’s laidback grooves and even the sounds of the Fat Boys. This inception into the realm of hip hop took many twists and turns. From the East Coast, West Coast, Dirty South and even the Midwest, this love of mine called hip hop has uplifted some of my darkest days. It has been my pre-game warm-up music, getting dressed to impress music, background sound while I’m studying music, the cant wait to hear your next album music. It’s been everything. But now I’m falling out of love with it.

It’s not you, It’s ME.

God has been speaking to me about the music that I listen to for some time now. In my never-ending quest to FULLY submit to God and all his Love, I have been struggling with the potential of letting go of the music that I love. To let something go that is so engrained in your being is like losing a limb or organ. The music that I listen to isn’t taking me a step closer to God and I know it. While I fully know that SOME of the music that I listen to is hindering my progression into God’s kingdom, I can’t let it go. Let me rephrase that, I CAN but I’m not ready and willing to let it go. I compare this situation to your parents telling you to dump your girlfriend/boyfriend because their bad for you. You may knowingly agree with them, but it’s something about that person that keeps them around. Some of the music that I listen to glorifies materialism, inappropriate displays of sexuality, drug abuse, violence and any other –ism that you can think of. I hate to pick on my rap collection because some of my R&B choices are quite risqué as well. I must reiterate that not all of the rap music that I listen is bad, but some of the music that I listen to on a daily basis quite harmful to my ears. God has a way of letting me know when I’m wrong that’s indescribable. I can listen to a song and immediately feel weighed down by the excess negativity in the music.

Recently I have decided to start deleting some of the music in my library. I must admit that it has been a very hard process, but its one step towards erasing my life of negativity. I have asked God for the strength to erase a lot of different things in my life, but this by far has been the longest and hardest change to make. Hopefully my testimonial will bring about change.

Your Black Politics: What About the Black Community America?

By Peniel E. Joseph,

What About the Black Community America?

A front page story in today's New York Times explores the way in which Barack Obama's presidential candidacy has precipitated excitement and anxiety among African Americans underscores the way in which race continues
to contour the dynamics of this historic election. Obama's march to the Democratic Party's presidential nomination has produced what I call "racial vertigo" in the United States and beyond. Racial vertigo is characterized by a profound inability to comprehend historic events and phenomena due to the way in which they upend pre-conceived notions of America's color-line. This is to say that the prospect and promise of Barack Obama being elected America's first black president has dramatically transformed the national political landscape in ways that continue to defy analysis. In America, what the pre-eminent black intellectual of the twentieth century--W.E.B. Du Bois--called "double-consciousness" cuts both ways. Du Bois defined "double-consciousness" as the tightrope between American citizenship and black marginalization that African Americans faced. Famously, Du Bois wrote of a "veil" or wall that separated blacks and whites in a world where skin color shaped social, political, and economic reality. The color-line imposed its will on white folk as well, allowing them to embrace an identity that, in large measure, defined itself as anti-black. This fiction was backed by an elaborate mythology that used popular culture, public policy, and, as a last resort, racial terror to rationalize black oppression. Racial vertigo distorts these deeply ingrained assumptions that shape the hopes, dreams, ambitions, potential, and imagination of all Americans.

Obama's dramatic primary battle against Hilary Clinton revealed stark racial and gender cleavages within the Democratic Party and the nation as a whole. In his two best-selling books, Dream From My Father and The Audacity of Hope, Obama expressed a romantic admiration for 1960s era civil rights heroes and a generational fatigue with the cultural wars that continue to
remain one of that decade's most enduring legacies. Many of Clinton's most ardent supporters participated in these culture wars and are openly skeptical of Obama's candidacy. Although couched in terms of Obama's perceived lack of political experience, such women offer up telling examples of the effects of racial vertigo. Many of these women view Obama as the
worse kind of example of Affirmative Action, where America's vicious legacy of racism trumps what they view as an even more pernicious and enduring gender inequality. Feminist icon Gloria Steinem lobbed the first salvo in this discourse, arguing that Obama's gender made his candidacy possible in a provocative New York Times op-ed that distorted the nation's tragic legacy of racism and sexism by arguing that blacks received the right to vote fifty years before women, while conveniently forgetting that most African Americans could not vote until 1965. Geraldine Ferraro, former congresswoman and the 1984 Democratic vice-presidential nominee, ratcheted up this line of attack further by suggesting that Obama's race proved to be his major asset among a media and public enthralled by the voguish notion of racial identity. When critics objected, Ferraro hurled allegations of reverse racism and displayed a spirit of entitlement and seething anger at black advancement that echoed the passionate white response to Boston's busing crisis of the early 1970s.

Such attacks, of course, proved to be a double-edged sword. As noted scholar and public intellectual Boyce Watkins has observed, Bill Clinton helped make Obama a political "king" through his ill-advised comparison of the Illinois junior senator to civil rights activist Jesse Jackson. Billionaire entrepreneur Bob Johnson and Harlem Congressman Charlie Rangle inadvertently contributed to Obama's ascent through equally impolitic assertions that brought up Obama's admitted past drug abuse. Cumulatively, explicit and implicit racial attacks against Obama galvanized unprecedented black support. The candidate who, at the beginning of 2007, faced blunt questions about his racial authenticity has evolved into the most popular and
universally beloved black public figure since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Obama's soaring popularity has stoked hopes, dreams, and fears about the transformative power of his candidacy. Liberals, neo-liberals, and conservative magazines, newspapers, and journals (ranging from the New York Times to Time, Newsweek, and U.S. News and World Report) have openly wondered whether Obama's extraordinary ability to attract white voters in the Democratic primaries illustrated America's evolution into a "post-racial" phase of national politics. From this perspective, white voters' embrace of Obama during the January 2008 Iowa caucuses signaled a watershed moment in America's racial history.

More provocatively, some have suggested that Obama's election as president could signal the "end of black politics." In this narrative Obama's ability to situate himself as a candidate who happened to be black, rather than the black candidate, is evidence of the decline of identity politics among black elected officials. Fresh political faces, including Massachusetts Governor
Deval Patrick, Newark Mayor Cory Booker, and Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, are touted as post-racial elected officials whose appeal transcends the explicitly racial identifications of the civil rights-Black Power era.

Contemporary events have complicated both of these arguments. Obama's difficulty in attracting white working-class voters in Ohio and Pennysylvania, coupled with the explicitly racial tint of Clinton's victories in Kentucky and West Virginia belied notions of a post-racial American political landscape. The raging controversy over Obama's former pastor, Reverend Jeremiah Wright, dominated media attention and threatened to undermine the candidate's universal appeal. Ironically, faced with the toughest political test of his career, Obama responded with his most forceful, eloquent, and thoughtful statement on race. Obama's speech, "Toward a More Perfect Union," came closest to outlining the litany of historical ills and contemporary burdens that plague the African American community. At the same time, he leavened this criticism by empathizing with the fears and concerns white Americans have about black people in general
and, by proxy, his own groundbreaking candidacy. In the aftermath of this widely discussed speech journalists and commentators predicted a renewed national conversation about race on a level unseen since the 1960s. Obama's campaign however, quickly dropped this controversial subject in favor of more unifying themes focused on the bread and butter economic issues facing the vast majority of the electorate.

The black community's overwhelming support for Obama has been tempered by this complex political landscape. Nationally, media pundits and journalist have interpreted Obama's individual political success as a litmus test for America's racial progress. Such a formula confuses Obama's iconic run for the presidency as positive proof of the end of institutional racism. In effect it substitutes individual achievement for collective racial progress. Certainly African Americans have embraced Obama's candidacy with a mixture of pride, admiration, and anxiety at witnessing history unfurling before their eyes. Obama's candidacy may in fact be one of the few points of unity between the civil rights and Hip Hop generation. Both groups, for different reasons, admire Obama's confidence, self-determination, and sense of style. Obama's candidacy also reflects a watershed of sorts, in terms of individual achievement in American society, one built on barriers broken during the civil rights era and by a host of entrepreneurial, sports, and entertainment figures. Yet the myth that Obama's ascent means the end of racism remains a
powerful allure of his candidacy. A host of social-economic indicators--from dramatic rates of AIDS/HIV, incarceration and poverty rates to income, wealth, educational and health care disparities--contradict this myth. Nonetheless, Obama's campaign continues to be interpreted by mainstream opinion makers as empirical proof of the declining significance of race.

Black leaders have reacted cautiously to the bold new racial and political landscape Obama's candidacy has seemingly ushered. Old guard civil rights leaders, unable to believe that the same nation that terrorized civil rights workers could actually elect a black man in their lifetime, enthusiastically supported Clinton's candidacy only to be chastened by history's spectacularly dramatic tide. Jesse Jackson, whose important 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns paved the way for a black president, publicly supported Obama but privately grumbled and inadvertently went on record castigating the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee as "talking down
to black folks." Veteran civil rights activist, former Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee Chairman, and Georgia Congressman changed his support from Clinton to Obama after agonizing months of deliberation. Meanwhile, a new generation of black elected officials embraced Obama's themes of change. For this new cadre of black elected officials, claiming national political power in states, cities, and a nation dominated by a white electorate required a new political paradigm. Whereas racial solidarity led to the election of the first wave of African American officials ushered into office after the 1965 Voting Rights Act, this new guard touts individual achievement, intellectual ability, and political effectiveness in an effort to convey to white voters their ability to judiciously utilize political power. Finally, despite rumors of their demise, grassroots activists related to the Black Power era have offered perhaps the most stinging denunciations of Obama's candidacy. On August 1, 2008 an Obama rally in St. Petersburg, Florida, was disrupted by local black militants who held up a sign, "What About the Black Community, Obama?" Obama's reluctance to embrace a robust agenda for racial justice, urban renewal, and anti-poverty has left such activists fuming and embittered. Along with former representative Cynthia McKinney's third-party candidacy and the intellectual dissent of a small group of black scholars and activists, the St. Petersburg militants have expressed the most vocal opposition to Obama's candidacy.

The inability of such dissenting voices to be heard is unfortunate inasmuch as it reflects a lack of political maturity within national and African American politics. Obama's pursuit of political power has struck his radical critics as ruthless, even as they attempt, through their own more limited means, to gain political strength through organizing at the local level. The extraordinary numbers of African American willing to follow Obama rather than grassroots black militants illustrates the profound gulf that currently exists between radical rhetoric and reality. Ultimately, Obama's impact on black politics remains an unfolding historical process, one whose
reverberations continue to be felt at the local, national, and international level. Since only a future Obama administration can effectively answer the blunt question posed by young militants in St. Petersburg, perhaps the question should be rephrased as part of a national dialogue about race that instead asks: "What about the black community America?"


Peniel E. Joseph is associate professor of African and Afro-American Studies at Brandeis University. During the 2008-2009 academic year he will be a fellow at Harvard University's Charles Warren Center. Dr. Joseph is the award-winning author of Waiting 'Til the Midnight Hour: A Narrative History of Black Power in America. His forthcoming book is entitled, From Black Power to Barack Obama. He is a frequent national commentator on issues related race, civil rights, and democracy and is providing historical analysis for both the Democratic and Republican Conventions as part of PBS NewsHour.

Open Letter to TV One: Reconsider...

To start with, let me state my unwavering love, admiration and respect for such a dignified and classy woman as Cathy Hughes. She is a pinnacle of inspiration to those who are familiar with her background and history. Cathy Hughes, for those unaware, is an effervescent entrepreneur who created a media empire from the labor of a determined soul. She laid the groundwork of her multi-million dollar company in the ‘60s, and has ever since, worked tirelessly to create podiums and platforms that advance Black thought, Black expression, Black vocalization and Black cultural-freedom. Through her admirable ability to cut against the grain, she has founded two monumental slates, upon which Blackness is appreciated and cherished – Radio One and TV One. Radio one is a company - founded in 1980 - which owns and operates 69 radio stations in 22 American cities; TV One is a television network, launched in 2004, which runs on both Comcast and Direct TV.

With the announcement of its(TV One) commencement, the anticipation of its arrival by the Black Community was overwhelming. It was predicated upon years of disenchantment with Black Entertainment Television, and its 24 hour music video fetish. A Boston Globe article defined it as an “alternative to BET.” Reporter Suzanne Ryan was fully aware of the expectations; she stated “already, some experts have rolled out a wish list that includes documentaries, news coverage and analysis, political commentary, explorations of Africa and its heritage, and the return of beloved series with black casts that failed on broadcast TV.” To the millions of viewers who had grown weary of Bob Johnson’s ‘experiment,’ TV One was viewed as inherently superior to BET. Nevertheless, with the revelation of the scheduled programs for air-time, some worried that TV One might metamorphosize into a house of sitcoms, just like the Viacom-owned BET. Overtime, both Radio One and TV One have received their share of criticism.

Last year, Hip-Hop artist, Jahi, wrote an op-ed in stark-dissent to Radio One’s Spring-Fest artist line-up. He outlined his dissonance saying; “So I pick up the latest issue of Rolling Out Magazine… I go to a page where it says, Spring Fest Miami 2007, hosted by AG Entertainment and Radio One. These are the acts performing live according to the listing: YOUNG JOC, Boy N DA Hood, RIC ROSS, YING YANG TWINS, TRICK DADDY, and D4L… RADIO ONE, owned by a black woman, Cathy Hughes, co signs for this type of concert where many if not most of these artist are talking about the very things "so-called" people want to be changed in Hip Hop… When will Radio One be held accountable for the music they are feeding to our kids, matter of fact, all of us?” In addition to that, TV One’s very own Michael Baisden – host of Baisden after Dark - was last year, caught in a web of his idiocy, as he had slandered a highly-venerated activist group, Color of Change, and accused them of embezzling donations procured for the Jena 6 families. With subsequent revelation of the truth, certain journalists took apart the “Bad Boy of Radio” for his “sleazy tracks” and immoral ambition. One of such was Black Agenda Report Executive Editor, Glen Ford, who was vehement in writing; “Syndicated hustler Michael Baisden, eager to become kingpin of Jena Six fundraising, launched a slanderous campaign against every Black group that doesn't have access to ABC radio's corporate reach... Every word from the junkyard dog's mouth was a lie. By November 9, Baisden was forced to tuck his tail between his legs and issue a half-hearted, disingenuous "apology" to Color of Change.” Such embarrassing stunts by Baisden, a golden child of TV One, cannot be healthy for the network’s reputation. Moreover, with TV One having the moral edge over BET, while ruin it by subliminally licensing the infantile antics of the self-obsessed Baisden after Dark host. These incidents notwithstanding, nothing comes off as more insulting to the moral fabric of the network, as the scheduled “Black Men Revealed” show – slated to premier Sunday July 20 at 10 p.m.

Trailers of the show feature grown Black Men – some of them comics -- berating Black Women -- for the sake of a “keeping it real” agenda. It is still puzzling to me, how some statements of unabridged cultural-retardation - made on the show - passes as acceptable social commentary? Aired clips of the new season feature Black men who detest everything from the color, taste and attitude of Black Women. On the show, a certain comic mentions that "Black Women whether they admit it or not, want to be scared of their men." This barrage of folly - masqueraded as Black Male independent conversation - is nothing but the empty drivel that harms the already decrepit Black Male and Black Female relations. The objective of the show is purported to be an unmasking of the innermost view-points of Black Males; unfortunately, it will undoubtedly send a potentially deadly message to impressionable young black teenagers, if TV One - by promoting the show - legitimizes the vulgar and tasteless commentary of certain guests. Regrettably, it might be too late for any moral retort vis-a-vis the already scheduled aring, but bear in mind that the unity of the Black Community is at this historical junction, very dire, and any accomplice in the disunity of Black folks will be unquestionably rewarded. Please beware that no individual nor institution is above the law of reciprocity.